Feb. 3-9, 2020

W E E K LY E D I T I O N | F E B R U A R Y 3 - 9, 2 0 2 0 | O U D A I LY. C O M

OUDAILY

The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916

NEWS

2

Board of Regents approves increases for housing, food rates in upcoming 2020-21 school year

Murray Dedicated Chick-fil-A brings employee calls OU home star power New running backs coach to draw on NCAA, NFL career CALEB MCCOURRY @CalebMac21

Hopewell High School head coach Ricky Irby had a busy week. Just over the past couple of days since Monday, Jan. 27, Irby hosted visits from Alabama’s Nick Saban, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and Ohio State’s Ryan Day. They were all interested in junior running back TreVeyon Henderson, a class of 2021 fourstar recruit who ranks as the No. 4 running back in the country on Rivals.com.

O n Thu rs day , Ja n . 3 0 , Oklahoma played its hand by flying its new running backs coach DeMarco Murray to Hopewell, Virginia. Murray talked with Irby and his staff for an hour, and he wanted to know more about how Henderson is on and off the field. After the meeting, Murray signed autographs and took pictures with teachers and students who recognized him.

“He played in the league, and the high school kids know who he is,” Irby said. “It gives (Oklahoma) instant credibility.

It’s a pretty big deal.”

“It’s a pretty big hire.”

That Thursday in Hopewell was Murray’s second day on the job after having been named an Oklahoma assistant on Wednesday, Jan. 26. Murray comes to OU after spending one year as a running backs coach at Arizona. He’s one of the flashiest OU hires in recent memory, if not the flashiest.

MURRAY’S STATS

OU

Rushing yards: 3,685 Rushing TDs: 50

NFL

Rushing yards: 7,174 Rushing TDs: 55

NOTABLE AWARD: 2014 NFL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

As he walked the halls of Hopewell High School, Murray carried impressive accolades from the college level and from the NFL. Murray ran for 3,685 yards and 50 touchdowns in his four years of eligibility at OU, where he had two seasons of running over 1,000 yards. For the Dallas Cowboys, he ran for 4,526 yards and 28 touchdowns.

In 2014, he rushed for 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns, and tallied 2,261 scrimmage yards, and won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award.

He finished his seven-year NFL career with 7,174 rushing yards and 55 total touchdowns, sealing his fate as one of the most dominant running backs of the decade. Now, he’s back in Norman to lead the next generation of Oklahoma running backs, with a locker room that includes the returning star power of redshirt junior Kennedy Brooks, senior Trey Sermon, junior T.J. Pledger and senior running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who combined for 2,065 rushing yards in 2019. see MURRAY page 5

OU Housing and Food employee Mary Taylor poses for a photo at the Chick-fil-A in the Union on Jan. 24.

Longtime OU lover Mary Taylor finds joy in serving students GEORGE STOIA @GeorgeStoia

She’s probably taken your order at OU’s Chick-fil-A, but do you know her name?

She’s probably taken your order, maybe even given you your food.

Each week, Monday through Friday, she sees thousands of people making the difficult decision between 8-piece or 12-count, pickles or no pickles, spicy or not spicy.

She’s different from her student coworkers, and not just because she’s old enough to be their mom. She’s sweet.

She’s genuine. And she always greets you with a smile, making for the quintessential Chick-fil-A employee.

Most don’t know her name, and few bother to ask. But her familiar face — often standing behind the register second from the left, directly in the middle — and her friendly personality leaves some students wondering: Who is she?

She’s Mary Taylor.

Her story is much bigger than the over 14,000 hours and countless orders she’s taken in her 79 months working at the Chick-fil-A in OU’s student union. She’s a mom, a daughter and a diehard Sooner.

“Chick-fil-A has always been a stable part of her life,” said Mary’s daughter, Lisa.

“It’s the best of both worlds. It definitely equals out, her love for Chick-fil-A and her love for OU. So, combining the two, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to her.”

And, in many ways, it’s been just as beneficial to Chick-fil-A and OU. “I think what separates Mary is she comes in every day with a positive attitude,” said TJ Carter, general manager of Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Chick-fil-A. “No matter how short-staffed we may be, what kind of day it is, she always has a smile on her face and just goes with the flow. And that really is helpful to the rest of us who may not be so easy-going as Mary is — to be able to look up there and see her smile and greet every single one of our guests every day with a positive attitude means a lot.”

‘HOW COULD YOU NOT HIRE HER?’ Mary often finds herself emotional when explaining her journey.

An Oklahoma City native and graduate of Putnam City High School, she went to work right out of high school. For a short time, she worked at McDonald’s while also raising her two children, Wesley and Lisa. Then, after a divorce, Mary decided to look elsewhere for work as a single mom.

That ’s when she found the Chick-fil-A on 33rd and Broadway in Edmond, where her kids grew up. Next door was a daycare, La Petite Academy of South Edmond. It was perfect — she’d drop the kids off in the morning and pick them up after work.

“My first memories are of her picking me up from daycare in her Chick-fil-A uniform,” said Lisa, now 26. “She would come home and smell like batter from working all day.”

Mary, now 54, spent 11 years at the Chick-fil-A on 33rd and Broadway, working every day except Sundays when the restaurant was closed. As her kids grew, she moved to the Chick-fil-A at 240 and Western, where she worked for several years.

She eventually left Chickfil-A and Edmond, moving to Norman and working at Panera Bread for a year instead. Mary quickly realized how much she missed her old job, as she wasn’t able to get the hours she wanted at Panera and the atmosphere wasn’t the same.

Lisa, who graduated from Norman High in 2012, began to search for a new job for her mom. She found an opening at OU’s Chick-fil-A in the union and immediately knew her mom needed to apply.

“I figured the University of Oklahoma is one of the biggest employers in Oklahoma, and my mom loves OU, so why not try to get her a job there?” Lisa said. “I saw they had a position open at the Chick-fil-A in the Union and, ‘Oh my God, this is perfect for her.’”

There was only one problem — the application required a cover letter and resume. Having worked in fast food for most of her life, Mary didn’t have either. Lisa, thinking of all the things her mother had done for her growing up,

helped Mary write her cover letter and resume.

“I’ve helped people write those sort of things before, so doing it for my own mom was a no-brainer,” Lisa said. “I love returning the favor. Knowing that I can help her and that I am in a place in my life where I can help her out is very satisfying. She’s done so much for me and my brother. ... As a mom, she’s been there for us in a lot of ways that maybe other parents wouldn’t be.”

Mary knocked the interview out of the park and received the job three days later. She started at OU in July 2013.

“I mean, look at that face.

Look at that sweet smile,” said Carter, who interviewed Mary for the position. “How could you not hire her?”

‘SHE’S LIKE A MENTOR’ The last six and a half years have been a dream come true for Mary.

She’s always been a fan of the university, keeping up with all the sports teams — she’ll never forget the day Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield showed up. She’s also fallen in love with Norman, living five minutes from campus off 12th and Vicksburg with her mom, Nancy, whom Mary helps take care of.

But the reason Mary enjoys her job the most are the people she’s come to meet.

“I think she really loves all her co-workers,” said Lisa, who is a private investigator in Norman. “She gets to know all the students who come through and work at Chickfil-A. She enjoys getting to know them. She really enjoys showing them the ropes. ... She has really good camaraderie with everyone she comes into contact with. And I think that’s something she didn’t have as much at other Chick-fil-A (locations).

“I think OU is what makes it special. She’s always been at Chick-fil-A, but OU makes it perfect.”

Mary tries her best to get to know all her coworkers, whether they’re bonding over OU athletics, the students’ classes or her love for the spicy chicken sandwich.

“I think at first I thought, ‘This is kind of different.’ But I think as it’s gone (on) and I’ve gotten to know her, it’s been really nice because I see that

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

there’s a person from another generation that I can connect with and have a genuine relationship with,” said freshman Jayden Brannon, who has worked alongside Mary for seven months. “Nowadays, having intergenerational relationships like that, I feel like it’s not very common. I love that she’s been able to grasp that and show it off to us.

“And to have someone like her, who is rooting for you throughout the school year when things get hard, and who’s there to just listen to you because you don’t have your parents or guardians there with you, it means a lot to us. She’s like a mentor.”

However, Mary isn’t always working at Chick-fil-A. A s a n e m p l oy e e o f O U Housing and Food, she’s trained to work at just about any restaurant on campus.

When students run into her somewhere else, she’s often asked what she’s doing there.

Mary simply replies, “Oh, it’s just temporary. I love my Chick-fil-A.” “She’s very passionate about Chick-fil-A, and she’s very passionate about the university as well,” Carter said. “It’s really just been a perfect fit.”

A few thousand more orders are certainly in Mary’s future, and she has no intention of slowing down. While her dream job may not be considered the most glamorous, her ability to find joy in her work each day has galvanized those around her.

“She’s definitely an inspiration to me,” Lisa said. “She’s shown me how important it is to be a positive person despite your circumstances. She’s taught me how to enjoy life’s moments. To put it simply, she’s taught me to make the best of a situation.

“Her work is her passion.

That alone is inspiring.”

So the next time you visit Chick-fil-A in the Oklahoma Memorial Union, say hello to Mary and call her by name, recognizing her dedication to OU and its students.

“I don’t know why I’m crying,” a tearful Mary said. “It’s been very rewarding, honestly, for me. Who wouldn’t want to work at Chick-fil-A and OU? Who wouldn’t?”

George Stoia

georgestoia@ou.edu

2

NEWS

• Feb. 3-9, 2020

Regents approve fee increases Board authorizes housing, food price hike, appoints dean ARI FIFE @arriifife

The OU Board of Regents approved on-campus housing and food rate increases, academic fee increases and the appointment of the dean of the College of International Studies at its Jan. 30 regular meeting.

The approved university housing and food rate changes include a 3 percent cost increase for residence halls, the Kraettli Apartments and meal plans. They also involve a 6 percent increase for the residential colleges and variable percentage changes for Traditions West.

The regents approved academic fee changes for the Norman campus and the OU College of Law.

“

What, as a regent, I’m interested in is that the students understand the fees and that they can plan for them.

“

-Natalie Shirley, OU regent

The changes include a fee increase of $6 per credit hour for College of Arts and Sciences undergraduate students. These increases will go to support general education instructional commitments, including additional faculty hires, according to

EMMA DAVIS/THE DAILY

From left to right: Chair Leslie Rainbolt, interim OU President Joseph Harroz and Regent Phil Albert at one of the Board of Regents’ regular meetings in the Robert M. Bird Library on OU’s Health Sciences Center campus Jan. 30.

the agenda for the meeting.

“What, as a regent, I’m interested in is that the students understand the fees and that they can plan for them,” Regent Natalie Shirley said. “I was pleased to hear that (interim OU President Joseph Harroz) is really thinking about (that issue).”

The regents also authorized university administrators to submit a request for bonds to improve the university’s utility system. This authorization doesn’t commit the university to issuing those bonds, but allows them to do so, if needed.

The regents approved Scott Fritzen as the new dean for the David L. Boren College of International Studies. Fritzen previously worked as director of International Executive

Education and director of the Evans School’s Global Master of Public Administration program at the University of Washington.

Harroz said computer science degrees will now be added to OU’s Tulsa campus, citing expected growth in the computer science field as a reason for the program expansion. The board approved the addition.

“Projected job growth (in computer science) year (after) year between now and 2026 is 16 percent,” Harroz said. “So (there’s a) big demand. Moving to Tulsa, we think, is an important part of our mission (and) is extremely important for Tulsa in meeting the needs of our state.”

H a r r o z l i s t e d s e v e ral of OU’s recent accomplishments in his report,

OU student heads 2020 eating disorder walk Annual OKC event promotes recovery, education, activism NANCY SPEARS @ThisIsNancyS

After three years of struggling with anorexia and bulimia nervosa, one of McKinzie Deaton’s steps toward recovery was to attend and volunteer at an annual community event meant to promote eating disorder awareness and recovery. Deaton even helped plan last year’s event just a year after finishing treatment.

Now, she’s been selected to coordinate this year’s National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) Walk, an annual event to celebrate individuals that have struggled with eating disorders.

Deaton, an accounting senior and master’s student at OU, said her own personal experience with an eating disorder will help shape her vision for planning the NEDA Walk, which will take place at 10 a.m. April 18 in the Myriad Botanical Gardens in Oklahoma City.

Deaton said the 2019 NEDA Walk raised $14,000 and had more than 150 participants. Rebekah Wheeler coordinated the 2019 NEDA Walk. Wheeler said Deaton’s experience with and full recovery from eating disorders make her an excellent choice to coordinate the 2020 walk. “(Deaton) was key in helping plan the 2019 walk with me and will do an excellent job bringing hope and healing to the eating disorder community, while raising awareness and educating those who may not understand eating disorders,” Wheeler said.

Deaton said her issues with body image started with bullying in elementary school. After moving to a private school to escape severe

bullying, Deaton said her eating disorder peaked in high school. As a result, Deaton lost 40 pounds in under three months.

“So now, people at school are constantly congratulating me on my weight loss, people that would never even look at me or talk to me before were suddenly like my best friends,” Deaton said. “They would sit with me at lunch and ask me how I did it. For someone who never felt like they fit in, that got addicting.”

Since the NEDA Walk is a nonprofit event, Deaton said recommended donations are $15, which includes the walk through the gardens, a free t-shirt and refreshments.

Participants can also bring their dog for a $5 fee and registering as a volunteer is free.

NEDA’s baseline donation goal is around $10,000, Deaton said, because that’s the minimum amount needed to cover the basic necessities of the event — catering, the T-shirts and other activities offered. Deaton said she plans to start fundraising on campus within the next month, and her personal goal for donations is $20,000.

Brittany Sanders was one of the dietitians who worked with Deaton during her intensive outpatient therapy at the Living Hope Eating Disorder clinic located in Norman.

Sanders said NEDA week can prove useful to addressing the stigma surrounding eating disorders. She said she hopes the NEDA Walk continues to grow and support those struggling with these disorders as well as celebrate those in recovery.

“NEDA walks are a way to see how many people support you, feel the same type of things you do, and are standing with you to fight for hope and healing,” Wheeler said.

“Community is so important in a world where social media is the only interaction

we may have with each other at times.”

P a i g e S k l a r, t h e Development Associate for NEDA, said NEDA walks occur in more than 95 cities nationwide.

“The message we want walkers to leave with is that recovery is possible, it’s worth it, and you are never alone in the fight towards recovery,” Sklar said.

Deaton said she hopes to do more activities on campus that promote activism and education. She said she wants to start setting up booths around campus, coordinate some activities in the Oklahoma Memorial Union and get more involved with the Eating Disorders Awareness Club, an OU student organization.

Sanders said education efforts in the community and on college campuses are crucial to debunking myths and misconceptions about eating disorders.

“The thing is, you don’t differentiate your eating disorder thoughts from reality,” Deaton said. “Someone with an eating disorder sees numbers, they see the grams of fat.”

While there were some motivational speakers at the 2019 Walk, Deaton said she wants to incorporate more personal testimonies into the 2020 NEDA Walk. She said real-life stories are important to help people realize how much eating disorders impact individuals. Eating disorders, she said, are a silent illness.

“The entire time I’ve gone through my recovery what pushed me most has been that I tried to find a purpose for the pain that I’ve been through in my life,” Deaton said. “I’m hoping that I can both share my story but also raise money for an organization that saved my life.”

Nancy Spears

nancy.m.spears-1@ou.edu

including a $9 million grant that the university received from the National University of Saint Augustine in Peru. “(The grant will be) across disciplines — from atmospheric sciences to the humanities — to help that university with a constellation of problems that are unique to the people of Peru,” Harroz said. “And it’s exciting, it’s engaging and shows this broad impact that we have.”

Harroz included a report of OU’s research activities from July to November 2019, stating the university’s total research expenditures during that time increased by $9.5 million. He attributed this to increased expenditures on grants from the federal government, as well as an increase in sponsored awards.

He also mentioned that,

for the fourth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report has recognized OU’s online bachelor’s degree program as one of the top 10 in the nation.

“This is a critical element of the true democratization of education,” Harroz said. “Part of our conversation yesterday was, ‘How do we further accomplish that public mission by allowing access to an OU degree to as many people as we can?’”

The meeting, held at the Robert M. Bird Library on OU’s Health Sciences Center campus in Oklahoma City, came after the regents met for eight hours in closed executive session Jan. 29 to discuss pending legal matters.

The board and its attorneys met to potentially discuss several items, according to the agenda. The

discussion may have included pending research or financial investigations and/or claims, pending negligence claims, as well as a routine review of the university president and 10 listed lawsuits against the university.

The regular meeting also followed about three hours of committee meetings the morning of Jan. 30, which the board has held at each meeting since October.

The Board of Regents’ next meeting is slated for March 10–11.

Emma Davis and Jana Allen contributed to this report.

Ari Fife

ariani.s.fife-1@ou.edu

CULTURE

Feb. 3-9, 2020 •

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From old homes to bison bones Archaeological survey digs into Oklahoma history SAM TONKINS

@samanthatonkins

THANHHIEN NGUYEN/THE DAILY

A skull in the Oklahoma Archeological Survey on Jan. 24.

Historic Preservation Act, which was enacted in 1966 to protect cultural resources, requires any project that involves federal funds to do a cultural resource survey to ensure no site is destroyed. Part of the Oklahoma Archeological Survey’s job is to review each of those projects and recommend action to preserve archaeological sites.

“So, if someone is going to build a pipeline and it’s going to go through an archaeological site, we work with them to try to figure out how we can avoid damaging a site,” Regnier said. “That may be through excavation or it may be through just rerouting around it.”

The survey is always working on a large number of projects across the state, from 18th century French traders to more recent events.

Scott Hammerstedt is a senior researcher at the survey who uses technology to research and find new sites.

“I specialize in archaeological geophysics, which is using machines like gradiometer and ground penetrating radar to sort of see what’s underground before we excavate,” Hammerstedt said.

Currently, Hammerstedt is researching the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921.

“We were contacted by the city to use our geophysical equipment to see if we could locate graves associated with the massacre and looking in

some areas that are identified by historians and other eye-witness interviews,” Hammerstedt said After working in Tulsa this fall, Hammerstedt said they may have made a new discovery.

“We found an anomaly that may well be a mass grave, we aren’t sure yet,” Hammerstedt said.

Another significant project is the Courson Family Bison Research Center, a collection of over 50,000 bison bones from different time periods.

Archaeologists are examining how bison skulls show past changes in climate and are studying elements in the enamel to learn about historical migration patterns of both the bison and the people who hunted them.

On top of doing complex projects, the survey does public outreach across Oklahoma.

Regnier said the archaeologists at the survey visit classrooms, summer camps and various exhibitions to communicate the basic message of archaeology and the importance of protecting sites.

“We have a whole series of things that we bring with us — bison skulls and artifacts — so that people can kind of see, ‘What does it look like when I find an archaeological site?’”

Regnier said.

If someone thinks they have found an artifact or archaeological site, the survey’s website provides a way for the public to send pictures

to archaeologists and learn about their discovery. Regnier said this function enables people to learn about archaeology and allows the archaeologists at the survey to find new projects and sites.

“

People have been in Oklahoma for — we know for sure — for the last 12,000 (years). That may go back even further.

-Amanda Regnier, Oklahoma Archeological Survey director

“

Amanda Regnier’s office is a hub of reorganization and change. Boxes of paperwork are scattered on the floor, and the walls are cluttered with maps and pictures — all evidence of the flurry of activity that happens inside the walls of the Oklahoma Archeological Survey.

The building sits across from the Lloyd Noble Center, on the corner of Imhoff Road and South Jenkins Avenue.

Thousands of students and faculty pass by it every day, but not many know about the research and preservation efforts the facility undertakes.

The Oklahoma Archeological Survey was founded in 1970 by the state legislature to work on archaeological sites across the state.

Regnier, director of the survey, said the department has many responsibilities.

“We have three main functions: to preserve Oklahoma’s cultural resources, to do research on them and then to educate the public,” Regnier said.

Regnier said the survey keeps all of the archaeological site files, and there are over 26,000 recorded sites across the state.

“The sites can be anywhere from 12,000 years old to 150 years old. We do try to cover the whole state and all the time periods,” Regnier said. “People have been in Oklahoma for — we know for sure — for the last 12,000 (years). That may go back even further.”

A site is a collection of artifacts, or anything created or modified by people, and the most common sites in Oklahoma are from the 1820s to the early 1900s, Regnier said. These sites include abandoned ranch homes, old wells and windmills.

However, Regnier said many of the researchers at the survey focus on precontact sites — sites that existed before Europeans visited the continent — such as earthen mounds, villages and bison kill sites, where indigenous people drove bison into canyons and killed them in a single hunt.

In addition to research of its own, the survey also works to protect possible archaeological sites.

Regnier said the National

“They’ll find something and say ‘Hey, I found this.

Can you tell me how old this is?’” Regnier said. “Now, a lot of times, it just turns out to be a rock, but also, we do have some people who have sent us things via our website and then it turns out that they have a really excellent archaeological site.”

Along with educating the public, the survey also works with a number of OU graduate and undergraduate students.

Regnier said this opportunity allows students to gain a perspective they are not able to get in their classes and makes

students more valuable to potential employers.

“In anthropology, they get a lot of academic experience learning theory and they learn the things they need to know to be an archaeologist, and when they work here, they get the experience that will help them get jobs,” Regnier said.

Alayjah Thompson, anthropology sophomore, has worked at the survey since September 2019. She said she was looking for a campus job and wanted to gain major-related experience, and the survey was a good fit.

While she is focused on social-cultural anthropology, Thompson said her time at the survey has enabled her to learn about another subset of the field. Before working at the survey, she knew nothing about archaeology but has learned about excavation processes and how to handle delicate artifacts like bones.

Thompson said she is learning about the history of bison kill sites in her current history class, and she feels that she better understands the work that the survey is doing.

“Just learning about the work that’s done here and how they work with the native communities here in Oklahoma,” Thompson said, “I think that’s very beneficial to preserve the history and look deeper into why things are the way they are.”

Thompson said her favorite aspect of archaeology that she

has learned through the survey is that all the bones and artifacts have a story to tell.

“I don’t know the specifics of one bone’s break, or the certain pieces, why they are together, why they are not, but based on my classes and working here, it all holds a story,” Thompson said.

“There’s always something behind it.”

While the survey helps anthropology majors gain experience, Regnier said any student is welcome to volunteer. In addition, the survey partners with the Oklahoma Anthropological Society and hosts volunteer digs where anyone in the state can gain archaeological experience.

“That’s important too because they go on and, maybe they don’t go into the career,” Regnier said, “but they understand the importance of preserving archaeological sites and cultural resources.”

Regnier said ultimately, archaeology is a way to better understand the world. By examining how cultures reacted to sudden change and by seeing how people once lived their day-to-day lives, one can learn valuable lessons from the people who came before.

“For me,” Regnier said, “archaeology is a way to understand the present by looking into the past.”

Sam Tonkins

samantha.tonkins@ou.edu

OU’s e-scooter partner brings new features VeoRide outlines geofencing policy, boundaries, fees ABIGAIL HALL @abigail_wah

OU rolled out its exclusive partnership with bike and scooter company VeoRide in January, effectively banning outside e-scooter and other micromobility companies from operating on campus.

The products are built differently than other scooter companies for a safer ride, but they also have additional operational rules users might not be aware of.

VeoRide works with individual communities to set up parking and riding guidelines, according to its website. Some communities, like Norman, “ask for ‘no parking’ areas to keep bikes and scooters from being left there,” the website states.

VeoRide’s products are tracked through GPS technology and a geofence, or virtual geographic boundary, of operation, said Andrew Miles, VeoRide southeast regional manager, in an email. This means VeoRide can track if its products have been left outside of the geofence, and

if they have, users can accrue additional fees for misuse.

VeoRide’s geofence expands across Norman from West Gray Street and South Porter Avenue to South Jenkins Avenue near Highway 9, according to the app.

The boundary also has a few self-enclosed ride zones, such as a small boundary between Monitor and Ryan Avenues, south of East Constitution Street, a boundary from East Constitution Street to Highway 9 near 2900 Apartments and the Commons on Oak Tree, and a boundary from the intersection of East Lindsey Street and 12th Avenue Southeast to Classen Boulevard.

The scooters have electronic locking devices, but the bikes have manual locking devices, which means the scooters have technology that prevents the user from ending the ride on the app if they are not physically located in an appropriate parking area, while the bikes do not have that function.

Miles said if users park a bike outside of the geofence the manual locking device permits the user to lock the device, but the app will continue charging the 7 cents per minute rate until the bike is

A VeoRide bike parked on campus Jan. 31.

inside the geofence again.

“Though this is rare, what typically happens is said customer realizes it after the fact and calls our customer service department,” Miles said.

“If the customer is unable or unwilling to go return the bike, then Veo can charge the customer a service fee for the local staff to do so.”

If local staff have to retrieve a bike, the minimum fee for

the user starts at $15. If users have multiple infractions their accounts could be suspended, although it is a rare occurrence, Miles said.

The scooter’s fully electronic locking device requires users to take a photo of the parked device through the app. If the user and device are outside the geofence or in a restricted area, such as a no-ride zone or no-park zone,

COOPER LEE/THE DAILY

the app will inform them of the appropriate parking area, Miles said, and the app will not allow the ride to end until it is located inside the geofence.

If a user decides to leave the scooter without ending the ride on the app, the timer will continue to run at a rate of 20 cents per minute, Miles said. If a user is unwilling to bring the scooter back into

the geofence, local staff will retrieve it for the same cost as for bikes.

While VeoRide is the only scooter company allowed on OU’s campus, e-scooter companies that were operating in town prior to January, such as Lime and Slidr, haven’t necessarily left town. The products have been sighted by The Daily near campus and blocking university walkways over the last few weeks.

Kris Glenn, director of parking and transportation services, wrote in an email his department is “closely monitoring” Lime and Slidr, and they have mostly stayed off campus since the announcement was made.

Glenn said the department asked Lime and Slidr not to operate on campus and if it becomes clear the companies are operational, the department will impound the scooters.

“We are ver y pleased with our partnership with VeoRide, and the launch has gone very smooth,” Glenn said. “Their bikes and scooters both seem to be very popular with our students.”

Abigail Hall ahall@ou.edu

4

CULTURE

• Feb. 3-9, 2020

Classic musical gets fresh take OU reimagines ‘Into the Woods’ in modern approach ABBY TOW @abby_tow

OU’s Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre will take on Stephen Sondheim’s classic “Into the Woods� with a contemporary twist — far from the fairytale world of the original production.

The show will be performed in the heart of downtown Norman’s historic district at Main Street Event Center as the inaugural show in the Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre’s Downtown Series. Separate from University Theatre productions, this series will give musical theater students additional performance opportunities, said Shawn Churchman, director and associate professor of musical theater performance. “Into The Woods� is a musical based on “Grimm’s Fairy Tales� with lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim and book

by James Lapine. The Tony Award-winning show was first performed in 1986 in the Old Globe Theatre and has since been considered a musical theater classic.

OU’s production reimagines the show’s well-known characters like Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella in a modern context. Through the incorporation of cellphones, influencer culture and casual costuming, the original message is illuminated for a 21st-century audience, Churchman said.

Like many performers in his generation, Churchman said he grew into his musical theater career against the backdrop of this classic show.

He said he auditioned for the original Broadway production in 1987 and later guest directed a production of the show in 2009 at Columbus State University. “There’s not a word or a note of the show that I don’t know,� Churchman said. “I still hear Bernadette Peters in my head from the original.�

Although the show hit its prime in the late ‘80s, OU’s contemporary take is proof a classic show can still resonate with young performers because it is all about the future, Churchman said.

The youngest character in the musical is Little Red Riding Hood, played by musical theater sophomore Anna McGuire. In OU’s rendition of the show, Little Red takes on a more cynical attitude compared to the original production. McGuire plays Little Red as a pessimistic pre-teen looking for independence.

When she was 15, McGuire worked backstage in a production of “Into the Woods.�

Her job was to shake the prop trees, but she spent the performances each night taking in the show. “Growing up, I think that like Little Red, I always wanted to do things on my own and strive to be independent,�

McGuire said. “I was able to see how, although she puts up a front, she really is just scared and vulnerable, which is why she reverts to her childlike ways when (that front) is taken away from her.�

KRISTEN DELOATCHE/THE DAILY

OU musical theater students rehearse for their upcoming performance of “Into the Woods� at Main Street Event Center on Jan. 24.

OU’s production of “Into the Woods� will take place “in the round,� which means the audience will surround the stage on all sides, said musical theater junior Evie Lawson.

This unconventional staging requires actors to be in constant motion as they play in all directions. Although a challenge, learning to perform in this setting has been an educational experience for the cast members, Lawson said.

Along with this unique staging, OU’s production of “Into the Woods� also emphasizes the importance of moving beyond familiar fairytale characters and their stories.

Churchman said he encouraged his actors to explore how these characters can take on relevance when placed in a modern context.

“Actors have come in with a pre-constructed view of the show — one that they got when they were 7 years old and playing ‘Into the Woods’ in their living room,�

Churchman said. “Now we are giving the cast an opportunity to release themselves from these past expectations as they have free rein to create.�

Lawson’s character, the baker’s wife, is just one example of how the cast was invited to reimagine their roles. “We talked a lot about the role of a mother and a woman in this show, but putting it in a contemporary context makes it so different,� Lawson said. “I have just been trying to lean into her intelligence and learn how to portray a strong woman when male characters like the baker are trying to

hold her back.�

While the modernized characters make OU’s version of “Into the Woods� different from previous productions, Churchman said the show maintains the same plot and central themes of optimism and community. “You can take something that is considered a classic and do something fresh with it, and it’s still a classic,�

Churchman said. “I hope audiences see this work of art that they thought they knew differently and that it is illuminating to them.�

Ultimately, this transformation of a well-worn piece of theater has allowed the cast to grow and create something unique together, Churchman said. “I think that’s the driving

point of the show — that no one is alone,� McGuire said. “Nobody really knows what they’re doing, so we might as well do it together.� “Into the Woods� opens at 8 p.m. Feb. 7, with additional performances at 8 p.m. Feb. 8 and at 3 p.m. Feb. 9 in the Main Street Event Center at 300 E. Main St. Tickets are $20 and are available online, by phone at 405-325-4101 and at the OU Fine Arts Box Office.

Discounted tickets are available for senior citizens, military personnel, students and faculty for $10.

Abby Tow

abby.tow1@ou.edu

FlixBus adds new travel option in Norman Company offers long-distance travel out of Lloyd Noble MOLLY KRUSE @mollykruse98

A European bus company with destinations across the country recently added a stop at OU’s Lloyd Noble Center.

FlixBus created a bus stop in November 2019

with direct connections to Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Houston, Dallas and several other cities in Texas. The company’s mission is to attract millennials and young people who might not have cars or may be trying to save money, said Michael Kahn, FlixBus’ head of business development. “Our whole idea is that we really want to make bus travel something that is cool again, with especially a younger demographic of

passengers,� Kahn said.

FlixBus was founded in Germany in 2013 and is currently the largest bus company in Europe, Kahn said. It expanded to the U.S. in 2018 and added stops in Oklahoma cities late last year.

Besides large cities, the company cur rently has stops at college campuses in California, Arizona and Texas, Kahn said. The Lloyd Noble stop is the first FlixBus stop at an Oklahoma

university.

FlixBus does not own any buses itself, instead partnering with local bus operators in each state. The business model allows it to offer cheaper bus tickets than many of its competitors, Kahn said.

While purchasing tickets, customers are also given the option to offset the carbon dioxide impact with an extra payment. “Essentially, what that means is we then donate

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VOL. 105, NO. 4 Copyright 2020 OU Publications Board FREE — Additional copies 25 cents

Previous Solution

Instructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

By Eugenia Last

Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last If you take action and do your own thing, you will gain popularity. Speak your mind and make a difference in your community. It’s time to transform your life to suit your needs and to achieve your dreams, hopes and wishes.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Domestic problems will try your patience. Excessive behavior will make matters worse. An unexpected turn of events regarding your position or workplace will help you make a positive change.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Don’t lend or borrow money or possessions. Offer suggestions if someone tries to enlist your help. What you do emotionally and physically for someone will be of greater value than financial assistance.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Home improvement projects will cost more than anticipated. Try to stay within budget and stick to the facts and figures when dealing with contractors or workers.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Enjoy the company of people who share your beliefs or interests. Taking business trips, engaging in interviews or reconnecting with a former co-worker will be informative.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Don’t get into an argument with someone who threatens your principles. Everyone has a right to his or her own opinion. Agree to disagree. Spend LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Live within your time spreading love and peace. your means. Extravagance will get you in trouble with someone who shares ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- The your expenses. If you discuss plans help you offer others will lead openly, sound advice will be forthcomsomeone to make a suggestion that ing. Romance is encouraged. could result in a refreshing vocational change. Share your good fortune SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Take the with someone special. path that intrigues you the most. Don’t settle for something that doesn’t live up TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Overre- to your standards. Listen to someone acting will not be the way to go. Take who supports your lifestyle and plans. a step back and put your emotional energy into something constructive. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Take A creative endeavor will help ease better care of your emotional and physistress and get you back on track. cal well-being. Listen to what others have to say, but don’t make a move GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Be without getting the facts firsthand. careful. Delays or problems while traveling are likely, along with CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Do not misunderstandings and injury if you lend or borrow money or possessions. are impulsive or careless. Slow down, Walk away from situations that annoy don’t believe everything you hear you. Offer assistance to people you and take better care of yourself. know are willing to work as hard as you.

that money directly to help plant trees that sort of offset the carbon emission,� Kahn said.

Kris Glenn, director of OU Parking and Transportation Ser vices, said FlixBus reached out to OU to coordinate a stop. Glenn recommended Lloyd Noble Center as a good location. “I think as more and more students choose not to bring a car to campus, or even if they do, this is an affordable, convenient way to travel,�

Glenn said in an email.

Bus tickets can be booked through the FlixBus app, where passengers can also track their bus via GPS. Tickets can also be booked through flixbus.com.

One-way tickets from Norman to Tulsa start at around $5, while tickets from Norman to Houston range from $10 to $25.

Molly Kruse

molly.kruse@ou.edu

Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg February 3, 2020

ACROSS 1 Pungent salad green 6 Prickly subjects for a botanist?

11 Possess 14 Half-bird, half-woman monster 15 Car : driver :: plane : ___ 16 Ghost’s cry 17 Bad Yelp review for a liquor store?

19 Cut (off) 20 Over, slangily 21 Home of El Capitan 23 Loch with a cryptid 25 Permit 26 Bad Yelp review for a cafe?

32 “Despacito� singer Luis 33 Not ___ of roses 34 St. Louis landmark 36 Montenegro neighbor: Abbr.

37 Used crayons 40 “I’ve figured it out!�

41 Poi root 43 “American Crime� actress Taylor 44 You, in Spanish 46 Bad Yelp review for a malt shop?

49 Nickname for singer Grande

2/3

50 Word following “black� or “rabbit�

51 Hospital emergency status 56 Crop circles’ places 60 Not cooked 61 Bad Yelp review for a bakery?

63 Greek H 64 Highway turnoffs 65 Musk’s car brand 66 Question toddlers love to ask 67 ___ diet (juice cleanse, e.g.)

68 “r u for real?�

DOWN 1 Kitchen boss 2 Sitarist Shankar 3 “The Office� receptionist 4 Broken bone immobilizers 5 Not localized, as a problem 6 Economic inflation meas.

7 Wellventilated 8 Muse of history 9 Little tykes 10 “The only thing we have to fear is fear ___�

11 Completely destroy 12 Online “Yay!�

13 “Uh-uh�

18 Small bouquet

22 Selfreferential 24 Former justice Antonin 26 “Tenet� director Christopher 27 Where to see Tonynominated shows 28 Vowelshaped fastener, or a good user ID for a certain Jamaican sprinter?

29 Alternative to “publish�

30 “___ to Joy�

31 Postworkout pains 32 It can be saturated 35 “You ___ to be there�

38 Grand ___ Opry

39 Believers in good and evil 42 Shrek, for one 45 Pesky insect, informally 47 Teased goodnaturedly 48 “Danny and the Dinosaur� author Syd 51 Rowing sport 52 Solemn pledge 53 Opulent 54 Foot or second 55 This, in Spanish 57 Not as much 58 Inspiron laptop maker 59 Defeat, as a dragon 62 What Macs ran on, until a 2016 renaming

PREVIOUS PREVIOUSPUZZLE PUZZLEANSWER ANSWER

2/2 1/27

Š 2020 Andrews McMeel Universal Š 2020 Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com www.upuzzles.com

One-Star Reviews by Joon Pahk and Ann Haas

SPORTS

Feb. 3-9, 2020 •

5

Sooners win despite struggles Coach K.J. Kindler sees opportunity for team’s growth MASON YOUNG @Mason_Young_0

No. 1 Oklahoma’s (10-0, 1-0 Big 12) 197.600-195.000 Big 12 opener win over No. 16 Iowa State (3-3, 0-1 Big 12) at the Lloyd Noble Center on Friday night was not without its ups and downs, but the Sooners delivered a convincing victory nonetheless.

“Today just felt a little bit weird to me,” OU head coach K.J. Kindler said. “I didn’t think we were very disciplined in what we did.”

For the most part, OU was solid on vault to begin the contest, forging a strong advantage thanks to a 9.975 from junior Anastasia Webb and scores of 9.925 from senior Maggie Nichols, junior Evy Schoepfer and sophomore Allie Stern.

The Sooners performed well on bars, too, as senior Jade Degouveia notched a 9.975 while Nichols netted a 9.95, and freshman Ragan Smith posted a 9.9.

Beam was a slightly different story, as OU struggled to stick dismounts. While Smith and Webb earned 9.95s, others didn’t fare as well.

Perhaps the most surprising mistake of the evening came from Nichols, who fell off the balance beam during the third rotation.

It was the first time she had made that mistake since the NCAA championship preliminary in her freshman year.

“She made a technical error,” Kindler said. “She’s so cat-like in the air that even when she’s not right over the beam, she usually pulls up just fine. In this case, she didn’t.”

The unexpected blunder served to somewhat deflate OU’s morale, as the team failed to react in the way Kindler had envisioned.

“I don’t think we responded well at all,” Kindler said.

“Mistakes happen. The problem is, when they happen so rarely, they seem to affect you greater, and I really think it did affect our team tonight.”

O n f l o o r, t h e i s s u e s with footing continued.

Freshman Vanessa Deniz and Degouveia led OU with 9.850s, while Webb, a typically steady floor presence, took an unexpected tumble during her routine.

Yet, even with their errors, the Sooners still brought home a sizable win. It wasn’t as flashy a victory as on the occasions where OU has posted scores of 198 and above this season, but to Kindler it wasn’t the final score that mattered.

“It wasn’t about that,” Kindler said. “It’s about every time we go out there, we’re trying to be better than ourselves. And so, tonight, we just weren’t better than ourselves.”

While the team as a whole

Senior Maggie Nichols performs on the beam during the meet against Iowa State University on Jan. 31.

was not at its best in the contest, there were still some individual performances to celebrate.

Deniz continued to improve in her second career meet, giving Oklahoma key contributions on both bars and floor.

Sophomore Olivia Trautman returned to beam

for the first time this season, and she posted a steady mark of 9.85 while logging a 9.875 on bars.

Smith won the all-around for the first time in her career with a score of 39.425 thanks to her exemplary work on bars, beam and floor.

Even amid the Sooners’ struggles, there were still

moments of success.

Ultimately, Kindler said she believes nights like these are beneficial to her squad’s c o n t i n u e d g ro w t h a n d improvement.

“We know that in areas we failed, and that’s good for our team because we don’t lose that often,” Kindler said. “We just need to be better as a

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

group.”

The Sooners’ next chance to revamp their efforts will be against Texas Woman’s University at 2 p.m. CT on Sunday, Feb. 9 in Denton, Texas.

Mason Young

mason.e.young-1@ou.edu

Oklahoma softball prepares to open season Coach Patty Gasso speaks on captains, newcomers, injury AUSTIN CURTRIGHT @AustinCurtright

The 2020 softball season is just around the corner.

The Sooners are set to play Feb. 6 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, against Nevada. Head coach Patty Gasso, alongside players Jocelyn Alo, Lynnsie Elam and Giselle “G” Juarez, took to the podium recently to discuss the upcoming season.

They spoke about the status of returning players and their large freshman class.

Here are three takeaways from the press conference:

MURRAY: continued from page 1

Murray has seen the best of both worlds when it comes to experience in college and in the NFL. His experience will be critical for molding current and future running backs for a school that boasts alumni from the likes of himself, Adrian Peterson, Billy Sims, Joe Washington and a slew of other notable names that competed in Norman.

But what will arguably be just as important as his experience is his name itself. Kids who are coming out of high school and nearing the beginning of their college careers most likely watched Murray play, which brings star power to OU’s recruiting tactics.

“A lot of those kids grew up watching him,” said former OU running back Jacob Gutierrez, a teammate of Murray’s in 2007 and 2008, the year he was a captain on the team. “To have him walk in your door and tell you, ‘I want you at my program,’ and to be able to be coached by him ... he lived it. He was there and walked those halls and sat in those (locker rooms), and he went through what he’s trying to get you to go through.

“That’s a lot different than someone who has no ties to a program and never played the position. It’s, ‘I’ve done this.

NICOLE MENDES WILL going to be in the middle of class of nine freshmen look this race as well.” to fill the void.”

RETURN SOON Gasso went on to announce that Boone will S e n i o r u t i l i t y Ni c o l e NEWCOMERS WILL take over in center field, Mendes has been a key PLAY A BIG ROLE IN 2020 but she didn’t say it was due player under Gasso for to Mendes’ injury, meanthree seasons. But going Gasso announced that ing Mendes could posinto her final year for the Sooners, she suffered an at least four new faces will sibly slide over to either ACL injury. Despite this set- play meaningful time this corner outfield spot. This back that normally takes an season: freshman outfielder move would not be new extended amount of time to Rylie Boone, freshman in- to Mendes, as she was the come back from, Mendes is fielder Mackenzie Donihoo, primary right fielder her expected back by the time, freshman catcher Kinzie first two seasons with the if not before, Big 12 play Hansen and junior Auburn Sooners. transfer Taylon Snow.

Despite being a new begins.

“I’m looking at really face, now presumed sec“She got her brace as of yesterday and she’s already three, plus Taylon Snow, ond baseman Snow is used moving much better, so as newcomers to the line- to the competition, as she we’re anticipating looking up that I feel pretty confi- was the everyday shortstop at her mid to late March,” dent about, but they’re all at Auburn for two seasons.

Gasso said. “How much going to make impacts for Gasso also had high praise she’s going to be impactful us,” Gasso said. “Since the for Hansen, primarily for by that time I’m not quite Sooners lost four key start- her skills with the bat in her sure, but she’s definitely ers at graduation, the large hands.

CAPTAINS FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON

Come do it with me.’ I think that’s huge.”

Murray is two years removed from his playing days, as he announced his retirement in 2018. A month later, he joined Fox Sports as a college football analyst before starting his coaching career at Arizona under head coach Kevin Sumlin, a former Oklahoma assistant from 2003 to 2007.

When Murray took the Arizona job, current Dallas Cowboys running backs coach Skip Peete called him to see if it was true after hearing from colleagues he wanted to try his hand at coaching.

Peete, who was coaching running backs for the Los Angeles Rams at the time, coached Murray for his first two seasons with Dallas and admits he was surprised. They still communicate to this day.

But after some thought, the shock went away, and the transition made sense.

Peete, who has over 30 years of coaching experience in college and in the NFL, remembers going over game plans and watching him study before games.

“He was almost preparing himself each week as if a coach would prepare himself,” Peete said. “So it doesn’t shock me that he’s coaching.

“He has obviously tremendous experience at the position. The knowledge that he’s gained over the years, he

Murray as a young player.

“He is definitely very capable of getting in someone’s face,” said James Hanna, a former tight end for Oklahoma and the Dallas Cowboys. On both teams, he played with Murray. Hanna, who caught for 374 yards and a touchdown for Dallas, recollected a time when Murray tried to push him during a preseason game. “I was very tired, and I was showing it. I was not being mentally tough. I came off the sideline, and he let me have it.

I kind of let him have it back.

“Having that ability to be vocal is important.”

Former OU tight end Trent Ratterree, after seeing Murray in this new chapter of his life, has memories of the encouraging side of his former teammate. Ratterree, who was a walk-on and played for the Sooners from 2008 to 2011, remembers Murray giving him team meals back when there were strict NCAA rules about free meals from the program, along with recollections of Murray’s ability to boost team morale.

“I think he expects the same expectations that he sets for himself, he sets for others,” said Ratterree, who now works for Rep. Kendra Horn. “And he expects them to rise to those.

And I would say if any player can get even close to his expectations, then they’re going to be a special player.”

At 31, Murray remains the

could obviously pass along to younger players that can help them develop into top-flight college players and potentially pro football players.”

With the amount of experience Murray has, he still wanted advice from his first NFL position coach. Peete told him his experience, although it would be massively helpful, could also be an obstacle, since Murray, being the sensational athlete he was, adapted to the college and NFL level rather effortlessly.

guys ... and you can’t get frustrated if they don’t get it right away.”

Peete also said Murray probably has one of the best learning abilities he’s ever coached and ranks him in his top three of that category. The other two running backs Peete ranks alongside Murray are the Rams’ Todd Gurley and the now-retired Matt Forte, who played for the Chicago Bears and the New York Jets.

Former teammates of Murray’s didn’t stay surprised

MATT CARNEY/THE DAILY

Running back DeMarco Murray runs the ball against Connecticut in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2010.

“The most difficult thing that you’re going to have is, you caught on to things very quickly,” Peete recalls telling Murray. “It came very easily to you. And now, you’re going to be explaining that to younger

at his move to coaching either.

From words of encouragement to intense lecturing that football players all over the country have experienced, those close to Murray say those abilities were present in

The captains for the Sooners this season are E l a m a n d Me n d e s, b u t having two captains is an anomaly in the history of the program under Gasso. “(I let the team vote,) and 99.9 percent of the time it’s in line with what I’m feeling,” Gasso said. “Actually, for the first time since I can remember, it’s a tie.”

Elam and Mendes will take over the role previously held by 2019 All-American Caleigh Clifton. Before that, Sooner coach and former teammate Kelsey Arnold held the position during the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

Even though Elam and Mendes are the captains of

the team, Gasso said it’ll be a team effort in helping the young, new faces acclimate to the program.

“They’re both going to take on the role as captain, but (Alo and Juarez) right up here are part of it as well.

So it might’ve been voted on, but I know that these two upperclassmen are going to be instrumental in helping, as well as others that have had World Series experience,” Gasso said.

“We have a lot of newc o m e r s, b u t I f e e l l i k e they’ve been here forever, too, so it’s really exciting,” Juarez said.

Austin Curtright

austincurtright@ou.edu

youngest coach on OU’s staff, which is already a noticeably young staff. No one on the staff is older than 47 years old.

With Murray at an age that’s considered a playing age for an athlete, his football days are still fresh. He’s got the experience, the name and the ties to a school he had immense success at, and age is on his side. In the next eight months before the 2020 season starts, Murray will work with his former running backs coach Cale Gundy, now the co-offensive coordinator, which adds more familiarity for the young coach.

The flashy hire has certainly raised interest in the OU community, and time will tell if Murray’s experiences and coaching ability rubs off on the next generation of running backs. Sooner fans are hopeful, and those who know him best can’t see any reason to doubt him.

“He’s a rising star when it comes to coaching because he gets it,” Ratterree said. “He knows the game. He’s a really smart person. And he was obviously a very talented athlete.

So I think whenever you have all those things combined, there’s no question that you can be an extremely successful coach.”

Caleb McCourry

caleb.a.mccourry-1@ou.edu

6

SPORTS

• Feb. 3-9, 2020

Supporting cast helps OU win Sooners take down Oklahoma State in double-digit victory CHANDLER ENGELBRECHT @ctengelbrecht

Ten minutes and 57 seconds remained in the first half of Oklahoma’s eventual 82-69 Bedlam victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday, and the Sooners were starting to put it together.

After a made 3-point attempt from junior forward Brady Manek, who was in the midst of yet another career day, junior guard Alondes Williams brought the crowd at the Lloyd Noble Center to its feet with a signature tomahawk dunk.

Mere seconds later, redshirt junior guard Austin Reaves took advantage of an Oklahoma State turnover and answered with a slam of his own, making the now-standing fan base reach deafening heights.

“I definitely knew he could (dunk like that), he just doesn’t do it very much,” Manek said with a laugh. “I think he needs to bring that energy more. I think plays like that, (from) him and Alondes, they’re a momentum-changer for everybody.

I think it gets the team hyped, gets us ready to play some defense.”

But the fireworks weren’t over yet. The off-court energy electrified the red-hot Sooners, who then forced an Oklahoma State missed layup and responded with another rim-shaking dunk from Williams off an assist from Reaves — forcing the Cowboys to call their second timeout of the game.

“Really happy for our

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

Redshirt junior guard Austin Reaves during the game against Oklahoma State on Feb. 1.

g u y s,” h e a d c o a c h L o n Kruger said. “Seeing some shots go in certainly makes it an easier game for everyone. That set the tone for the entire night. I thought both teams played extremely hard. We had good movement and made some shots, which is great.

“And now we just have to work and keep getting better.”

This sequence of events was one of many that led to Oklahoma’s double-digit win over its in-state rival — but was it one that showed a glimpse of things to come for the Sooners?

In c o n si ste n c i e s have

plagued Oklahoma’s season so far — poor shooting nights mixed with a lack of control down low have put the Sooners in a position where many would question their future. But then there are games like Saturday’s — games where they just can’t miss, games where every board is going their way, games where they look like a team with postseason potential.

Wins and performances like these are a direct result from the supporting cast on the Sooners’ roster — basically, any players not named Brady Manek. Reaves

finished the night with the second-most points on the team, scoring 22 points while shooting 50 percent from the field.

“I just wanted to bring energy,” Reaves said. “I mean, do whatever it took to help us win. If I was diving on the floor, make an extra pass — whatever it takes. I mean, just keeping the guys up and moving forward.”

Kruger was also high on the effect Williams had on the game. “(Williams) has really put together four (breakout games) in a row now,” Kruger said. “So, really happy for

Alondes — he gives us an extra punch, for sure. He’s making shots. Like Austin said, you can put the ball on the floor and make plays for others, and he’s really done a nice job defensively. It’s kind of like a new person in the rotation when you have Alondes playing like that.”

Oklahoma likely hopes this win will spark a much-needed win streak heading into the latter parts of the season. Yet conference play doesn’t lighten up here for Oklahoma, as the Sooners now turn their attention to last season’s national runner-up in Texas Tech.

“We watched them play.

They played extremely hard,” Reaves said. “Coach (Chris) Beard’s got them doing a really good job on defense and offense. So I mean, we just need to take this energy from this game — because this is a big win. We need to keep building and go down there and try to take another one.”

Tipoff for Oklahoma’s game against Texas Tech is set for 8 p.m. Feb. 4 in Lubbock, Texas.

Chandler Engelbrecht chandler.engelbrecht@ ou.edu

Tennis team honors late assistant coach Dominant win, important phrase memorialize Ross AUSTIN CURTRIGHT @AustinCurtright

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

Junior forward Brady Manek is welcomed back to the bench during the game against Oklahoma State on Feb. 1.

Manek jumps to No. 10 on OU 3s list, comes up big in Bedlam Forward bounces back after missing shots versus KSU TARIK MASRI

@TarikM_Official

Oklahoma needed a bounce-back win after a poor performance on the road against Kansas State on Tuesday.

The Sooners never led in that game due in large part to their inability to make shots. Oklahoma finished the first half against the Wildcats with a season-low 22 points and finished the game shooting 31.6 percent from the field. Oklahoma’s leading scorer, junior forward Brady Manek, scored just 5 points on 1-5 shooting and 0-3 from behind the 3-point line.

Manek was determined to avoid another performance like that during Oklahoma’s 82-69 victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday.

Manek’s determination to make an impact offensively

was evident very early in the game. The Sooners were able to get good ball movement, which left openings for Manek. The player from Harrah, Oklahoma, scored 22 of his 30 points in the first half of the game.

“You don’t want to do it again,” Manek said about the Sooners’ transition from the K-State game to their match against OSU. “I wouldn’t want to do what we did against Kansas State two nights in a row. Everybody has bad nights, but that was a really bad one, and I think everybody here wanted to bounce back from that.”

Manek seemingly couldn’t miss from deep in the first half, converting on six of his nine attempts from behind the 3-point line, with five of his six first-half 3-pointers coming off an assist.

“I would say we were just attacking the defense well, and I think we were moving it well — and I happened to be the guy that was open on a lot of those,” Manek said.

“And they found me, and I was knocking them down.”

The Sooners finished the game with 19 assists on their 29 made shots.

“It was huge,” Kruger said.

“I think (senior forward Kristian Doolittle) from the middle of the zone found guys on the perimeter, and Brady is oftentimes the guy, and he’s been shooting it like that for us for a while so guys were looking to find him, and they did today.

And he stepped up and delivered.”

The Cowboys had better success defending Manek on the perimeter in the second half, but by that point the Sooners already led 4330. With Oklahoma State’s defense focusing on Manek, redshirt junior guard Austin Reaves was able to take advantage.

The Wichita State transfer scored 14 of his 21 points in the second half to finish the game shooting 50 percent from the field and 2-7 from behind the arc.

“When you’ve got someone shooting the ball like that, it distracts the defense,” Reaves said. “They’ve always got to know where he’s

at, and it’s not just one person worrying where he’s at — it’s five almost, everybody on the bench. ... It opens everything up when you’re shooting the ball like that, and at that point we just want to keep giving it to him, and he can get up as many as he wants.”

Manek set a career high with 31 points against TCU less than two weeks ago, and he’s posted point totals of 21 and 18 since. Manek came into the game leading the Big 12 in 3-point shooting percentage with 47.5 percent, and he is second in the conference in 3-point field goals made per game with 2.17.

Manek’s seven 3-pointers were enough to move h i m t o N o. 1 0 o n t h e school’s all-time 3-point field goal list with 172.

Oklahoma will take on Texas Tech at 8 p.m. CT on Tuesday in Lubbock, Texas.

The game will be televised on ESPN 2.

Tarik Masri

tarikmasri@gmail.com

Head coach Audra Cohen faced the east-side courts alongside 10 other players as they watched junior Skyler Miller conclude their six-hour day of tennis. Each and every player and coach wore stickers and patches from head to toe in honor of their late assistant coach Parker Ross, who died Jan. 24 from a stroke in Colorado. He was 36.

On the stickers were the words “sedikit demi sedikit,” an Indonesian phrase that was tattooed on Ross. It means “little by little” in English, and it has become a saying of magnitude for this team.

A dominant win over Oral Roberts and University of Missouri-Kansas City in their home opener with a combined score of 13-0, along with the stickers, was the Sooners’ way of honoring Ross. “ T h a t ’s p a r t o f o u r badge and kind of how we honor him,” Cohen said. “If you w ork little by little, you’re going to, at the end, be able to be proud of what you’ve accomplished.”

Despite Ross’ less than six months on the team, Cohen said Ross had a demeanor that made others gravitate toward him, and players reached out to listen.

“Parker was an incredibly positive guy, and just the way that he would want them to handle it is actually the way that they

have handled it,” Cohen said. “ The y really have taken the little lessons that he taught them along the way and included them and brought a lot of positivity and energy to that process.”

The “little lessons” and the saying “little by little” fueled the Sooners to a notso-little victory Saturday afternoon.

The players will remember Ross for the time they had with him, not the time that was lost. “Sedikit demi sedikit” will forever enrich their memory with the good experiences they had, and they will continue to honor his coaching philosophy throughout the rest of the 2020 season.

“I remember Parker saying to us often that he never tanked a point in his life, and ‘tank’ in tennis means not trying. It means to give up or just to throw a point of a match,” Cohen said. “I think (never tanking is) just so true to who he was, and I think that is something that the girls really think about now.”

Ross, a man of many sayings, is leaving his mark on the Sooners with his insight and positivity. With ever y point s core d, s et taken and match won, the Sooners will honor Ross by thinking of him when the team competes.

“It’s like every point you have is special,” Cohen said. “It’s an opportunity, and you have to enjoy it and embrace it and be t ha n k f u l t hat you hav e this chance to play for the Sooners.”

Austin Curtright

austincurtright@ou.edu