Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2020

W E E K LY E D I T I O N | J A N U A R Y 2 7- F E B R U A R Y 2 , 2 0 2 0 | O U D A I LY. C O M

CULTURE

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New dispensary aims to promote grandmafriendly, educational marijuana setting SPORTS

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Check out our best photos from Sooners’ 63-62 win against Mississippi State

NEWS

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OU takes extra time to build framework for five-year plans, budget breakdown Interim OU President Joseph Harroz gives insight into process, delay of university’s official pro forma

OU DAILY

Cross design leads to questions

The windows of Cross Village residence hall on Jan. 26.

Reason for opening windows in multi-story building unclear after OU student’s death SCOTT KIRKER @scott_kirker

Editor’s note: This story discusses the circumstances surrounding a student who died by suicide.

OU’s newest housing complex features the only university residential buildings higher than three stories with windows that open.

A year and a half after the facility opened, an OU student died by suicide Nov. 9 after he fell from a fourth-story window in Cross Village, according to the medical examiner’s

report obtained by The Daily on Jan. 23. According to the report, the windows are designed to open up to 8 inches, but the window was propped open between 8.5 and 9 inches.

C ro s s V i l l a g e, a l o n g w i t h Traditions Square and Kraettli Apartments, are OU ’s apartment-style living options. All feature functional windows, according to a statement from a university spokesperson, but of those three, only Cross stands taller than three stories.

All of OU’s other residential housing options — such as Adams, Couch and Walker centers along with Dunham College, Headington College and David L. Boren Hall — have windows that do not open, according to the statement.

It is unclear why Cross was constructed with functional windows

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

higher than three stories, while Traditions Square and Kraettli Apartments do not eclipse that height and the 12-story Adams, Walker and Couch towers specifically have windows that do not open.

“He fell from the fourth floor and I wish and hope there is something we can do to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else,” said Abby Gloria — the mother of Richard Estraca, the OU student who died in November — in a Facebook message Jan. 25.

Kevin McClure, an assistant professor of higher education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington with experience working in and researching higher education housing, said many newer buildings constructed for student housing — especially multiple-story buildings — often do not have

windows that open for two reasons.

“One is liability, essentially, to prevent something like (the November student death) from happening,” McClure said. “The second reason is that there could be a cost reason behind it, where it may have been less expensive to build a building with windows that don’t open.”

A university spokesperson described in an emailed statement the protocol administrators follow if the university becomes aware of any student experiencing suicidal thoughts.

“We evaluate the situation, talk with the student and connect the student with supportive resources to assist in managing these thoughts or feelings,” the statement said.

The statement also said OU may not know about suicidal thoughts or behaviors until they are reported by people with knowledge of the thoughts or behaviors.

“We encourage all members of the university to contact the Behavior Intervention Team (BIT) if they are concerned about a fellow student who may be in distress or at risk of harming themselves or others,” according to the statement.

The Daily asked Steve Hicks, CEO of Provident Oklahoma Education Resources Group — the nonprofit corporation that owns Cross Village and built it at the university’s request — for comment Friday morning on why Cross Village residences were constructed with windows that open.

“These are questions that would need to be addressed to the developer, architect and/or the general contractor or one of the numerous subcontractors,” Hicks said in an email, noting fuller details were not yet available. “Or the reps of OU who directed the design of what OU wanted built. Almost all of those individuals are no longer employed by OU.” When the same question was posed to OU, a university statement referred The Daily to Cross Village property management.

“The death of a resident student is both tragic and heart wrenching for every member of the Cross residential community and the OU

community at large,” Hicks said in an email.

According to a risk research bulletin created in 2014 by United Educators, a liability and risk management services firm, features such as window limiters, window guards and appropriate safety glass are all methods in which universities can lower the risk posed by accessible residential student windows.

The Cross Village window in question in the November death had a stopper intended to prevent it from opening past approximately 8 inches, according to the medical examiner’s report, though it had been propped open between 8.5 and 9 inches.

Falls from residence hall windows accounted for more than 70 percent of insurance claims for falls from heights and 14 percent of fatalities, according to the 2014 research bulletin. Such falls, often accidental, are reduced when windows do not open or are otherwise less accessible.

In older buildings, windows that can open are more common, McClure said, especially in buildings constructed before centralized air conditioning was typical.

Cross Village opened in fall 2018 and was marketed as a luxury upperclassman housing option.

“I would think that most institutions are trying to place restrictions so that something like this doesn’t happen,” McClure said. “And maybe it’s the case that there needs to be even further restrictions to keep the windows from opening further. ...

There’s, I guess, only so many restrictions they can probably implement.”

OU has resources for members of the university community seeking help in crisis, including the University Counseling Center at Goddard Health Center, which offers counseling appointments for $10. Find more resources at projects.oudaily.com/ mental-health-care/.

Scott Kirker stk@ou.edu

Coale’s passion for basketball burns bright Hall of Fame coach brings new intensity to Sooner women’s season STEVEN PLAISANCE @stevenplai

Sherri Coale, now in her 24th season as Oklahoma’s head coach, has a career-accolade list that runs longer than many coaches’ careers.

Since Coale took the job in 1996, she has won six Big 12 regular-season titles and four Big 12 postseason titles. She has been named Big 12 Coach of the Year four times and has made 19 NCAA Tournament appearances, advancing to the Sweet 16 nine times, the Final Four three times and the NCAA final once.

In 2016, Coale was inducted into the Women’s College Basketball Hall of Fame.

When she was hired from her previous position as the girls’ basketball coach at Norman High School, she inherited an OU program with two all-time tournament appearances in its 22-year history, a far cry from its current status among the sport’s elite.

“She is Oklahoma basketball,” said Maddie Manning, who played under Coale from 2012 to 2018. “She made that program what it is. That’s why I went to the University of Oklahoma.

That’s why kids go there: to play for Sherri Coale. She’s a Hall of Fame coach and has an unbelievable way of motivating people. I couldn’t say enough good things about her.”

Despite all her accolades, there is one thing Coale is still chasing,

perhaps now more than ever: a national championship.

“From the first moment I met her, I felt that passion to win a championship,” said Amanda Thompson, who played for Coale from 2006 to 2010 and currently serves as a graduate assistant for the team. “That’s one of the reasons why I came here. She really wants to win. Her players and her coaching staff are all on the same mission.”

The last few years have been a bit of a bump in the road for Coale’s program. Last season, OU finished 8-22 and missed the tournament for the first time since 1999.

That’s not to say Coale has lost her touch. If anything, those working close to her say her intensity may just be at an all-time high.

“Last year didn’t sit well with her,” said associate head coach Coquese Washington, who joined the program after the 2018-19 season. “I definitely think that her intensity, in some respects, is up. She wants to get back to playing in the NCAA Tournament. There’s a lot of desire and motivation on her part to make sure this program has everything it needs to be able to do that.”

Coale’s work ethic and undeniable passion for her players make the Sooners a force to be reckoned with every year. This season, her increased intensity and new coaching staff, as well as the meteoric rise of young stars like sophomore guard Taylor Robertson, have the future of the program looking very bright.

“You can just feel it, the energy.

Great things are happening,” said assistant coach Jackie Stiles, who also joined the Sooners after the 2018-19

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

OU women’s basketball head coach Sherri Coale during practice on Jan. 17.

season. “I love coming to the gym and being around these players, and that’s just a credit to (Coale). You can just feel good things are gonna happen. There’s a lot of positive energy around this program right now.”

‘I LEARN FROM THEM DAILY’ Of the 12 players on last year’s squad, 10 were underclassmen — seven of those being freshmen. But Coale’s young team is rapidly maturing, and one reason why is the new faces on the coaching staff.

This past offseason, Coale shook up her staff and brought in a pair of new assistants with WNBA experience and plenty of expertise to offer.

On April 17, Coale hired Washington, who played under

Muffet McGraw at Notre Dame and served as head coach at Penn State from 2007 to 2019. Her stint at Penn State included four tournament appearances and a Big Ten Coach of the Year award in 2011.

“I think it’s the new energy and new exuberance that we’ve brought into the gym that’s made a difference,” Washington said. “I also think it’s the desire on the players’ parts to get better. They had a great offseason. They were really focused on improving their skills and improving as a team.”

On April 24, Coale hired Stiles, who played at Missouri State from 1997 to 2001 and served as an assistant coach there from 2013 to 2019.

In 2001, Stiles won the Wade Trophy, which honors the best

women’s college basketball player in the country. She also held the NCAA career scoring title until her record was eclipsed in 2017.

“It was definitely a hard move because I have such love for Missouri State,” Stiles said. “But I told my mom when I got into coaching, if I could hand-pick any coach to work for, it would be Coach Coale. She told me in my interview that she wants to stay here to win the one game that she’s never won, and I was like, ‘I’m in.’”

The two coaches’ impact is already being felt, not only by the players but by the entire staff.

“They know the game extremely well,” Thompson said. “I learn from them daily. Just from being around them, just rubbing off of everything they bring to the game. I just appreciate their hard work and how dedicated they are to making our girls better.”

With the help of Stiles and Washington, Coale’s squad is beginning to put things together, and the college basketball world is taking notice.

Even in a blowout loss to TCU on Jan. 19, the Sooners’ potential has been made perfectly clear. OU sits just one game above .500, but this team is far from middle-of-the-road.

“I really think this is one of the best OU teams that they’ve had in a while,” said TCU head coach Raegan Pebley after her team’s 82-63 victory over the Sooners. “They’re a team that’s growing and maturing, and we definitely knew we were going to have to play really well to come here on their floor and win today.” see COALE page 5

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NEWS

• Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2020

OU delays strategic framework Plan with defined goals, tactics could come this March JORDAN MILLER @jordanrmillerr

OU’s administration will likely present its strategic framework in March rather than January as originally planned.

The framework, which was requested by the Board of Regents, will outline the university’s goals and how it plans to achieve them over time — an undertaking the university has never completed before, said OU Provost Kyle Harper.

Interim OU President Joseph Har roz said the framework will also include a five-year pro forma budget coordinated with the framework to ensure its progress.

“The morning of the first day of work, I sat down and asked the question of both the deans and the senior leadership … ‘What’s our strategy? What’s the plan?’”

Harroz said. “And it was rhetorical because each of the colleges, each of the areas, has their strategic plan, but the idea of a campuses-wide strategic plan was something we really didn’t have, certainly in a coherent fashion where all of us could understand it.”

Harroz said some conversations to help form the framework would be too compressed to make the original January deadline, so the plan now is to present it to the Board of Regents in March.

Har roz said he expects around three to five backand-forths through multiple meetings on the framework once it is presented to the regents.

The Norman campus’ framework is being drafted by a committee of 11 f a c u l t y m e m b e r s, w h o make up the President’s Academic Planning and Budget Advisory Committee.

OU-Tulsa and the Health

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

OU Provost Kyle Harper and interim OU President Joseph Harroz during an interview on Jan. 14 in Evans Hall.

Sciences Center are creating their own frameworks to contribute to the overall plan.

The committee, which Harper co-chairs, has already seen multiple drafts of the framework and presented them to many campus stakeholders to incorporate feedback.

“There’s still an ongoing process of sharing ideas, getting criticism, feedback, iterating, bringing out a better version — that in some ways probably still isn’t finished,” Harper said. “But (the committee) has worked very well to incorporate the feedback of the broader community.”

Alisa Fryar, an expert on higher education administration and an OU professor who has been involved with the committee, said fullblown institutional strategic plans like the framework usually take about a year to draft, given the level of research they include. OU’s

framework was originally slated to be completed over the fall semester and presented to the regents in January. “(The regents) have basically said, ‘Don’t be disappointed whenever you deliver the first draft and we push back on it, it’s supposed to be that way. That’s what partners do, that’s the role of a board,’” Harroz said. “So we’ve (created it) with the absolute goal of having something really in good shape and ready for additional thoughts and discussions this spring.”

Although the framework’s deadline came after only a little over a semester of work, Harroz believes the framework will “continue to develop out” in the future. “ You sort of build the framework, and then you see a plan coming together,” Harroz said. “That’s, to me, how I’ve seen this occurring for me and the institution as a whole, which is to adjust our

thought process from thinking about just our college, just our department, just our area, to ‘OK, what are our big goals?’”

Harroz said the next task after defining goals is what tactics will be used to accomplish them — something Vice President of Research and Partnerships Tomás Díaz de la Rubia has been working on, specifically to help OU compete with the Association of American Universities to strategically plan colleges’ research.

“The goal isn’t to double or triple our research — that’s just tactical, right?” Harroz said. “It fulfills the promises we’re making to the student and to the state, nation and the planet. And it’s that connection that comes from a real framework, and then putting the plan together.”

Priorities of the framework involve making OU a great university, Harroz said,

something that can be vague without the specific steps and benchmarks to identify what that “greatness” looks like.

Harroz said in the framework creation process, the administration found stakeholders have two main components that make OU great: affordability — which is more clearly defined — and excellency, which can be defined by comparing OU to the top institutions in the Association of American Universities.

“We have to be bold, we have to be honest, we have to be clear,” Harroz said. “(These goals) can’t be hyperbole, it can’t be something that’s sort of ephemeral … yet you have to be willing to take risks to do it, and admit when you’re in a year that doesn’t measure up to it, because there’s a benchmark you’re going after.”

Charles Goldman, a policy expert on strategic planning for education systems, said these types of plans are

often only as effective as the resources university administration puts behind them.

Harroz said the pro form a budget will allocate the specific costs toward the framework’s actions and provide a timeline on when it will be accomplished based on the cost.

“You don’t want to say this is a three-year plan or a fiveyear plan or an eight-year plan unless you can explain why it takes that long or it goes that quickly,” Harroz said. “As long as we really are bold, we really are honest, we can then say, ‘Here’s our vision, and here’s how long it’s going to take and we’re committed to it.’ And it’s not because it’s a person’s plan, but it’s our collective vision, and across three campuses.”

Jordan Miller

jordan.r.miller-1@ou.edu

OU, NASA project moves into third phase JANA ALLEN @jana_allen21

A NASA-funded OU mission is gearing up for a critical design review of its instrument, which is intended to measure carbon emissions in the Americas every day for three years.

The Geostationary Carbon Cycle Observatory (GeoCarb) team has spent the last two years designing, testing, building and reviewing the satellite observatory — its hopeful launch date is summer 2022.

The GeoCarb team and its consultants are spread across the globe, with a small team of OU researchers based in Norman.

Lockheed Martin, an aerospace, defense, security and advanced technologies company that first envisioned the idea for GeoCarb, is building the instrument in Palo Alto, California.

In July 2017, NASA awarded OU a $166 million grant to move forward with the proposal for GeoCarb. The observatory is designed to attach to a “host” satellite, likely one owned by the company SES, and will be in geostationary orbit to observe daily carbon dioxide, methane and carbon monoxide in the Americas over the span of three years.

At around 22,000 miles away from the Earth, GeoCarb will give scientists a thorough look at greenhouse gases from the Hudson Bay to the southern tip of South

smaller parts of the system Geographic Sciences, along and putting it together.” with program managers, a Exciting moments come staff assistant, two underfor the OU team when they graduate students and two receive pictures and vid- graduate students. eos of different parts of the Jeff Nivitanont, a mathesystem working, even if it’s matics graduate student, has just a door swinging open, been part of the GeoCarb Crowell said. team for two years and his As they prepare for the research has focused on upcoming review, which the performance of the will take place Jan. 29-31 in instrument.

Palo Alto, Finley said she “What I do is, I characterfeels confident everything ize how the instrument is is ready to go and the team going to perform when obwill be given the green light serving very specific scenes,” to move forward with the Nivitanont said. “This is mission. called the uncertainty quanAnd Finley said finishing tification. So basically, I’m the instrument isn’t the only trying to predict what are the work left to be done. biggest errors in measure“It’s a mission and not ment that we should expect.” an instrument — we tend Nivitanont performs these EMILY WHITE/THE DAILY to focus on the instrument, studies using radiative transSean Crowell, deputy principal investigator and project sciand NASA tends to remind fer models that simulate the entist for OU GeoCarb, speaks to a reporter at the GeoCarb us not to just focus on the in- data GeoCarb will be coloffice on Jan. 22. strument,” Finley said. “We lecting, and then running America — a first in climate attach to the satellite and are still maturing things like that data through the algochange research. It will also then launch it, and Phase ground systems. So you’re rithms that will be used on “monitor plant health and E w ill analyze the data going to pull data off the sat- the actual data. Because of vegetation stress,” according GeoCarb provides. to the website.

Sean Crowell, deputy The GeoCarb project is principal investigator and now in “Phase C,” said Shelly project scientist, said a prinGeoCarb is just one part of the large Finley, deputy program cipal part of the process so effort that is going toward this huge manager. far has been for Lockheed “Right now we’re full Ma r t i n ’s t e a m t o b u i l d problem with climate change. steam ahead with putting “engineering models” of -Jeff Nivitanont, mathematics graduate student the instrument together,” GeoCarb. Testing ensures Finley said. “And the criti- they fully understand how cal design review is the final the device will work, which step to sign off to say, ‘Yes, saves money when it’s time your designs, your plans for to put the real thing togeth- ellite, and that data has to be the GeoCarb’s uniqueness, putting the instrument to- er, Crowell said. translated to all the differ- few have done the type of gether all look solid. Move “The thing that you build ent parties, it has to be cali- characterization he is doing, forward.’ And so that’s what and actually put into space brated … and has to be pro- Nivitanont said.

Phase C is all about.” is really expensive,” Crowell cessed and reprocessed.”

“So it’s something that I Phase C will end when the said. “And so what they do Crowell and Finley are can see having to take more instrument has been com- is, they build these sort of part of about 15 people in- time,” Nivitanont said. “And pletely finished and test- intermediate systems … and volved with GeoCarb at f u tu re spa c e - ba s e d reed, according to a GeoCarb so those have pretty much OU. This team includes mote sensing instruments timeline available on OU’s all been tested, vetted. There Berrien Moore, principal are going to have to do this website. Phase D will pre- should be fewer surprises investigator and dean of the quantification I’ve been pare the obser vator y to once they start testing the College of Atmospheric and doing for the past two years.”

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GeoCarb mission prepares for review, set for 2022 launch

Because GeoCarb has so many partners around the globe, Nivitanont said the team will most likely consult on future remote sensing space missions. And though he is graduating in May, Nivitanont expects his involvement with GeoCarb won’t be over.

After spending two years researching and gaining the knowledge required, he likely will be asked to help or advise in future studies, Nivitanont said.

Each member of the team has gained something from being par t of G eoCarb.

Finley said her management and people skills have increased. While Crowell has gained management skills as well, he said seeing students learn and mature as scientists has been one of the most rewarding things. Nivitanont said his communication skills have improved greatly, and he has gained a tremendous amount of knowledge during his research.

But the biggest reason he wanted to be involved with GeoCarb is so he could be a part of something impactful and useful.

“I think the questions that we’re trying to get at are extremely difficult, but also very important,” Nivitanont said. “Anytime there’s ever been a very difficult problem (humankind) faced, there has always been a huge collective effort toward solving that problem. So GeoCarb is just one part of the large effort that is going toward this huge problem with climate change.”

Jana Allen

jana.r.allen-1@ou.edu

CULTURE

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2020 •

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Dispensary opens on Lindsey Pharmhouse aims to break stereotype about dispensaries VLAD ALFOROV @alfavlad

Nick and Tiffany Duty kept an eye on the rising popularity of medical cannabis in Colorado and California, rolling toward Oklahoma like a cloud of smoke. The couple saw it as an opportunity to start something new.

“We saw things kind of blowing up here with new trends,” Nick said.

As of January 2020, the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority approved 235,786 individual patient licenses, according to a tweet from the organization. This means that almost 6 percent of the state’s population are medical cannabis patients. The tweet also said the organization has already approved 2,242 dispensary licenses.

In August 2019, when licensed marijuana users made up 4.1 percent of the state’s population, Oklahoma was the fastest growing market for medical marijuana in the average number of daily patient increases, according to Marijuana Business Daily’s website.

Low application requirements and the absence of a list of qualifying conditions bolster the number of medical cannabis patients in Oklahoma, according to the report.

The Dutys, both 37, moved to Norman from Texas about eight years ago. They also run a racing strip near Noble, but they wanted to branch out, Nick said.

That’s how Pharmhouse Cannabis Co. originated.

Thunder Valley Raceway Park, which Nick’s family has owned for around 50 years, operates March through November and attracts several thousand visitors a year, Nick said. He met Tiffany there, too.

Now, they are running the dispensary and the race track together.

AN INVITING EXPERIENCE Nick and Tiffany said they aimed to make their Pharmhouse stand out from gas stations and questionable, dark-corner types of dispensaries.

“Well, you might have to go pick up my stuff, too,” Tiffany said when Nick got his medical marijuana card in February 2019. “I don’t want to go to those places.”

Both Nick and Tiffany received their medical cards for anxiety and sleep disorder treatment.

For Nick, it was a good

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We want to be a part of the community, not just, ‘Oh, they opened another dispensary down the street.’

-Nick Duty,

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Pharmhouse Cannabis Co. co-owner

enough catalyst.

“We thought to put something together for people to feel more comfortable,” he said, where people could come, look around, ask questions and not feel like they’re involved in an illegal, back-alley business.

Nick said he and Tiffany try to reach out and be part of the community through the two businesses they are involved in. They began planning the Pharmhouse in June 2019 and felt ready for tough competition.

Now, the dispensary is spacious and well lit. Its interior is largely furnished with wooden panels, which creates a homestyle vibe about

Cannabis products inside of Pharmhouse Cannabis Co. on Lindsey Street near campus.

the place.

“Personally, I don’t want to feel like I am going into a drug den,” Tiffany said. “There’s got to be people out there who feel that way.”

When a 70-year-old lady came by the dispensary, Nick said, she said her son was trying to talk her into trying concentrates — marijuana products that look like wax.

Concentrates are typically highly potent since they contain a large percentage of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, a psychoactive chemical found in the resin secreted by glands of the marijuana plant.

“She was here looking at all these dab kits that I’m not even sure how to work with,” Nick said with a smile.

“Whether you buy it or not, you should be able to come around, get some experience ... and learn how to make better decisions.”

The Dutys said some people don’t know they can visit a dispensary without a medical card. In fact, Pharmhouse offers a variety of cannabis-related products that customers 18 and older can purchase without a card if the items don’t contain THC. Tiffany said she also wanted their customers to feel like they are at an actual business, where the visitors aren’t ashamed of shopping and where there is no stigma attached. Both Nick and Tiffany said their goal with Pharmhouse is to try to break free from the stereotypes about cannabis.

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Nick said. “It’s all being done above board to help people.”

On June 26, 2018, 57 percent of Oklahoma voters approved the legalization of marijuana for medical use on a doctor’s recommendation, according to the Tulsa World. The state started accepting patient applications just a month later.

There are numerous restrictions in place. For instance, vendors can be held liable for advertising their product as a cure for customers’ high blood pressure.

Marijuana marketing and advertising must not contain misleading statements or illustrations that promote irresponsible use or effectiveness of cannabis in treating specific medical conditions, according to Sooner Marketing Solutions, a Tulsa-based marketing company that advertises dispensaries.

“We can only give suggestions and (share) personal experience,” Tiffany said.

At Pharmhouse, the Dutys try to make sure there are always staff members at the counter who have tried most of the dispensary’s products.

They can explain how they felt about it, what it did for them or how it tasted, since those are most of Pharmhouse customers’ questions, Tiffany said.

There are eight employees at Pharmhouse in addition to the Dutys. Nick said some of them had cannabis-related legal issues 20 years ago, but they now work at a place where they get paid to sell it.

“I think it’s important that (such services are) offered in a place your grandma would feel comfortable coming in and buying something,” Nick said. “If grandma approves, then everybody approves.”

LOCATION WITH A HISTORY Because of the stigma, cannabis startups have a difficult time finding property owners willing to lease to a dispensary, Nick said.

He and Tiffany spent two months looking at locations, and they almost gave up. Most of the available places were either out of the way or too expensive.

“They think you are just a punk going to ruin their store and the area,” Nick said.

Then they found a building at Lindsey Street and College Avenue, just a day after it was listed.

“It was kind of perfect timing,” Nick said. “We couldn’t really ask for a ... better spot.”

The house was built in the 1930s as a butcher shop, and one of the initial owners’ granddaughters still lives next door.

Nick and Tiffany still have an industrial refrigerator, originally used for hanging and freezing beef. They are currently figuring out how to make use of this focal piece of decor.

Seasoned Norman residents may remember the building as JJ’s Pizza Stop, which kept its doors open for over 26 years, according to a previous report by The Daily.

In 2017, the building was leased to become Barn Burger and Grill. Two years later, there’s cannabis instead of burgers.

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES With their background in drag racing, where safety concerns are raised on a regular basis, Nick and Tiffany are no strangers to overcoming obstacles when it comes to making their business known and loved by a community.

The dispensary’s opening on Nov. 11, 2019, was hammered by 33-degree weather and rain, but about a dozen people showed up anyway, the Dutys said.

“It’s definitely a slower start than anticipated,” Nick said.

He also said it could take up to six months before they will be able to figure out the Pharmhouse’s profitability.

“We’ve got lots of ideas,” Nick said, citing game days as a good opportunity for him, Tiffany and their employees to “go outside, welcome

people” and advertise their dispensary.

But it is not the weather that makes things complicated for the Dutys.

“It’s hard to figure out where you are at, just because of the lack of advertising,” Nick said.

“We came in knowing that it’s going to be a long road, and we’re here for a long haul.”

The Dutys said it’s extremely difficult to advertise a dispensary since few places will take their ad money.

“You just have to build up an experience,” Nick said.

“You can’t just say, ‘We have flower on sale for $10’ because they will close your account.”

Since marijuana is still illegal under federal law, the best way to advertise a dispensary may be to consult certain cannabis communities that mimic social media, like Weedmaps or Leafly.

These companies will find a place for the owners to run their ads, but it is more expensive and less effective, Nick said.

“And so we throw munchies to people, Twinkies and whatnot with (Pharmhouse) brand

PROVIDED BY NICK AND TIFFANY DUTY

to work their way through a difficult time in their lives.

Older Norman residents, Nick said, are more likely than college students to have medical conditions that cannabis can help with, but they are also the ones who are more likely to feel uncomfortable coming in.

Medical marijuana is used to treat various conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, glaucoma and multiple sclerosis, but it’s not yet proven to help with many of these conditions.

Another major obstacle the Dutys face at Pharmhouse is its cash-based operation.

“Banks (with a federal license) that handle marijuana money can be charged with money laundering,” according to a report from The Economist. Cannabis businesses are generally stuck working with cash.

“Anything that’s regulated by the federal government, we can’t have it,” Nick said.

“State-licensed banks will let you open an account, but it’s very expensive — $15,000 to $20,000 per year in bank fees.”

cannabis.

“I think it’s smart that cannabis companies lock up their drugs,” she said. “They better have safes.”

Livingston said she worked a burglary at Fire Leaf Dispensary just south of Highway 9 near Chautauqua Avenue.

“The guy got away with a grinder because they locked all of their product up,” Livingston said.

These two instances of cannabis-related thefts were not the only ones in Norman, according to Oklahoma News 4.

“It’s definitely not as simple as I imagined it when we first got into it,” Nick said. “It’s not as simple as buying marijuana and selling it at a higher price — when you actually get into it and do it, it’s definitely a wakeup call.”

Given the medical cannabis fervor in Oklahoma, Nick remains optimistic about Pharmhouse’s future. He said he thinks Oklahomans will keep getting licensed until the

PROVIDED BY NICK AND TIFFANY DUTY

The outside of Pharmhouse Cannabis Co. on Lindsey Street.

stickers on them,” he said.

Despite the issues with advertising, the dispensary has already built its clientele with local fraternities and sororities. Repeat customers, referrals and word of mouth are the Dutys’ main public relations strategies. Some of their employees are college students and alumni.

“The college kids are going to be here,” Nick said. “Now, we want to reach out to people who are not going to see us every day.”

Nick said he likes Norman and OU because of that sense of community.

“I just think it’s neat to be a part of this,” Nick said. “It’s cool to be involved with something so bustling of activity, so many people hanging out and having a good time.”

He also said at Pharmhouse they often meet people trying

Nick said the federal policy makes his business less safe and his insurance more expensive.

“Everybody knows it, and that’s a problem,” Nick said.

The fourth day after opening, Pharmhouse experienced an attempted break-in, according to the Dutys. The intruders tried to kick through the back wall at 2 a.m. but ran off when the alarm sounded.

“It seemed very routine to (the police),” Nick said.

Norman Police Department officer Ashlie Livingston said she’s not surprised this kind of crime is common.

Since cannabis used to be illegal state-wide, Livingston said, and there are still people who can only access it illegally, these individuals are more likely to break into storages with large quantities of

rate settles at 7 to 8 percent of the state population, and he believes that number will remain fairly stable until the question is tackled on the federal level.

“I don’t see in any way, shape or form that it does not become nationally accepted and probably recreational in most states,” Nick said.

But in the meantime, the Dutys said they plan to continue reaching out to Norman residents to gain the locals’ trust and attention.

“We want to be a part of the community,” Nick said. “Not just, ‘Oh, they opened another dispensary down the street.’”

Vlad Alforov

valforov@ou.edu

4

CULTURE

• Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2020

Fine arts fund to aid students College creates resource to offset expenses in crises MOLLY KRUSE @mollykruse98

way (for students) to know that if something awful happens ... people are there to have their backs if needed.�

David Barocio, director of development for the College of Fine Arts, has been developing the emergency fund since spring 2019. Campaigning for the fund is ongoing, but the college has currently raised

Art to transform local storm drains Norman seeks artists to paint, raise awareness JESSICA KLINGER @jessie_m_k

The Norman Arts Council is inviting artists to submit designs and transform city storm drains into public works of art to raise environmental awareness.

The Artful Inlets project is a series of paintings surrounding storm drains on Main Street, designed to raise awareness about pollutants that enter these storm drains and are transported directly to creeks and streams without any treatment. This will be the second year that local artists can join this project, sponsored by the Norman Arts Council, the Public Arts Board and the city of Norman. “I think this is an important project because clean water is crucial,� said Debby Williams, public art manager for the Norman Arts Council. “Our goal is to use art to educate the general public about the importance of protecting our water resources by reducing the amount of pollution that is carried by stormwater runoff to our creeks and streams.�

There are currently five Artful Inlets on Main Street that can be found between Jenkins and Porter avenues, according to a press release, and an additional five

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The Elsie C. Brackett Theatre on Jan. 21.

drains will be added to this year’s project. They will all be on Main Street between Crawford and Webster avenues.

An artist or a team of artists, aged 18 or older, can submit an original design for the project until Feb. 14.

If selected, artists will install their design to a prescribed area around the storm drain with provided materials.

Designs should be centralized around stormwater pollution or environmental protection and must include the slogan “H2Only� within the design, according to the press release. “We do believe that the colorful, whimsical paintings capture people’s attention, and the message contained in them is effectively conveyed,� Williams said. “Also, we were honored that the program was nominated for a statewide Keep Oklahoma Beautiful award for environmental excellence. Our goal is to make this an annual event, choosing locations that will eventually be all across Norman.�

Artists will be selected and notified by March 9, and the installation of the artwork will take place April 10–11, weather permitting.

After the installation, there will be a walking tour with Mayor Breea Clark to celebrate the Artful Inlets at 10 a.m. April 15.

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-David Barocio, director of development for the College of Fine Arts

Holding down a job during the semester can also be a challenge, Damiani said. “Being a dancer, you also have to take care of yourself. You have to sleep at some point,� Lofton said. “So if you’re not really going to work until, you know, midnight or 1 in the morning, then you’re kind of out of options at a

By Eugenia Last

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Focus on home, family and the people who have always been there for you. You can make money AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) if you invest in something -- Think before you make a that helps you expand your change for the wrong reasons.

Don’t let boredom spur you to do knowledge and skills. something foolish. Taking on a VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) physical challenge will help you -- Expect to have a change of put your life in perspective. heart. An attraction you feel for someone will confuse you.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Your intuition is on target. Sen- Someone from your past will sitivity to what’s going on around come to mind or pop back into you will help you recognize when your life. Avoid impulsive action. someone is playing games with LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -you. Channel your energy into Procrastination will make you something creative. appear weak. Your intuition will not mislead you. Follow ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- A financial gain is likely if you get your heart and act accordingly.

Choose a charity and volunteer involved in a joint venture with to help it. Chipping in will ease someone close to you. Make your stress. changes at home that will boost convenience and contentment.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- An unusual hobby will grab your TAURUS (April 20-May 20) attention. If you take part in -- Expect to gain recognition and satisfaction if you volunteer it, you are likely to enjoy the experience and meet someone your time and skills. Form a who will be engaging and partnership with someone who can contribute to your goal. Your enlightening. persuasiveness will pay off.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Stick around the house and GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -Refrain from sharing personal in- make subtle changes that will formation. A change will surprise help you start certain projects. you. Be willing to work with what A personal issue should be kept you have, and carry on until you secret for the time being. reach your goal. Use your experiCAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -ence to make the best choice.

Travel in search of information.

Money can be made, deals can CANCER (June 21-July 22) -Venture out into the world, gather be put in place and partnerships information and learn something can be formed. If you ask for new. Someone you encounter will favors, you will get the help you need. become a valuable ally. Events you attend will improve your relationship with someone special.

Romance is on the rise.

MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2020 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last

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Visual arts majors can also have a range of exp e n s e s, d e p e n d i n g o n their area of study, said Rachel Davis, a visual arts senior with an emphasis in ceramics and sculpture.

Besides textbooks, visual arts majors might purchase clay, plaster, ink, paper,

As the rising costs of college go higher and higher ... we want to make sure that (students) are able to achieve what they want to achieve without having any extra burden on them.

Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

Jessica Klinger

dollars over a semester.

Supplies like these are not just for show — they are essential for dance students to stay safe and maintain their technique. “You can end up injuring yourself if you’re dancing on older shoes ... if they’re not strong enough,�

Damiani said.

HOROSCOPE

Klinger.jess@ou.edu

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around $25,000 from alumni and other supporters, he said. “As the rising costs of college go higher and higher and higher ... we want to make sure that (students) are able to achieve what they want to achieve without having any extra burden on them,� Barocio said.

Holt said she hopes the money will support students in times of crisis by enabling them to travel home to be with their families who might live far away. She said the College of Fine Arts has a high percentage of out-of-state students, who pay non-resident tuition and fees in addition to the Fine Arts Fee of $45 per credit hour.

But tuition and fees are not the only expenses fine arts students have to worry about. The fund aims to help with instrument upkeep and supplies so students can keep performing, making music or creating art in an emergency.

Emily Lofton goes through about two pairs of pointe shoes a month for her ballet pedagogy studies. But the senior said these shoes cost around $80 to $100 a pair, which can add up to hundreds of

“

For many students, dropping $200 a month on shoes just isn’t in the budget. But for those in OU’s College of Fine Arts, expenses like these are often part of getting a degree.

Dance clothes, art supplies or tuning for musical instruments are just some of the extra expenses fine arts students face in a semester. During a crisis, these items can be difficult to afford, let alone essentials like rent — an issue the College of Fine Arts hopes to remedy with a newly created emergency fund it will bring to life this semester.

The fund is meant to provide transportation during a family emergency, or an extra month of rent or supplies to support fine arts students during short-term crises, said Mary Margaret Holt, dean of the fine arts college, in an email. “Especially when you’re a college student, no matter what your major is, everybody is pretty strapped financially,� said Elena Damiani, a ballet performance senior. “It’s a nice

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paints and more throughout a semester. “I do know people who have had some family illness, and they’ve had to travel a lot,� Davis said. “And I think being able to cover that expense is really helpful when they’re having to worry about, emotionally, what’s going on and also having to be away from work and school.�

Damiani was one of the first students to hear about the emergency fund when it was discussed at a monthly meeting for the Student Advisory Council in the College of Fine Arts.

She said Holt brought up the example of a student whose grandmother, who had been paying for her education, had suddenly passed away. The college gathered some money for the student and helped her finance her education. “That was kind of a situation where they were like, ‘Hey, this could totally help out other college students in the College of Fine Arts,’�

Damiani said.

The College of Fine Arts plans to make the emergency fund available starting sometime this spring, Barocio said. Once the college has established criteria for funding, there will be a simple application process for students to apply, Holt said.

Although this fund is targeted at College of Fine Arts students, emergency funds could be helpful for many colleges, Holt said.

Molly Kruse

molly.kruse@ou.edu

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Shady Business by Leonard Williams The Sticks by George Jasper

SPORTS

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2020 •

5

Men’s basketball jumps Women’s gym: Anchor on vault to 10–3 nonconference brings success Evy Schoepfer boosts OU team in crucial closing role MASON YOUNG @Mason_Young_0

Junior forward Brady Manek dunks the ball during the game against Mississippi State on Jan. 25.

Oklahoma defeats Mississippi State in Big 12/SEC series CHANDLER ENGELBRECHT @ctengelbrecht

OKLAHOMA CITY — Conference pride was on full display during Oklahoma’s (13-6, 3-3 Big 12) 63-62 victory over Mississippi State on Saturday. The win moved the Sooners to 5-2 all time in the Big 12/SEC challenge series.

Oklahoma escaped with the win after a late jumper from Mississippi State’s Robert Woodard II bounced off the rim as time expired, helping improve the Sooners’ nonconference record to 10-3 in dramatic fashion. Junior forward Brady Manek once again led the Sooners in scoring, totaling 18 points on a 54 percent shooting percentage.

COALE: continued from page 1

‘THE KIDS MEAN MORE TO HER’ Besides her revamped intensity and retooled coaching staff, there’s another factor that’s keeping Coale’s squad in close contention for her seventh Big 12 title, and it’s the same thing that has set Coale apart for her entire career: her unprecedented commitment to her players.

“The kids mean more to her than those wins,” said Colton Coale, who works as an assistant coach under his mom. “In her mind, those aren’t her wins — they’re her players’ wins. I think the wins are just kind of a validation of how she’s touched so many people. She does this thing every day to impact kids and help them figure out who they are. That’s just the lens that she looks through every day, and she does a damn good job of it.”

Whether Coale captures that elusive championship during her career or not, those who know her say her run in Norman will be considered a massive success — not because of the wins or the conference titles or the Final Four appearances, but because of the lives she’s touched.

“She’s chasing that championship, but she’s on a mission to change people’s lives,”

COOPER LEE/THE DAILY

Maggie Nichols’ scores of 10 in consecutive meets have headlined a solid vault group that has greatly contributed to OU’s success this season.

No. 1 Oklahoma’s star performer has been nothing short of perfect out of the fifth slot of head coach K.J. Kindler’s lineup, which might lead some to overlook the exceptional athlete who runs right after her.

Although junior gymnast Evy Schoepfer may be the last to compete in OU’s talented set of six on vault, her role is definitely not last in importance. In fact, her job might be one of the most important of them all.

Schoepfer is the anchor for the Sooners, making up for her teammates’ lost points by leaving it all out there on the apparatus. It’s a responsibility she’s come to embrace in her first season as a starter for OU. Working behind Nichols, she’s quietly had two very impressive performances in a row herself, setting a career high of 9.925 in Oklahoma’s win over Alabama last Friday, then posting a solid 9.85 in OU’s home opener win over Arkansas last Monday.

In both of these scenarios, Schoepfer’s scores were much needed in order to make up for other gymnast’s marks. She believes this new role of filling the gap has come easily because of her hard work in practice.

“We’re really consistent in the gym, and so we just

“They’re very good defensively,” head coach Lon Kruger said of the Bulldogs.

“I thought we had the upper hand in terms of getting down the hill in the first half. I didn’t think we had that same advantage in the second … I think we (still have to work on) competing a little longer for better shots, be a little bit more patient. We’ve got to get better shots.”

The Sooners’ second leading scorer was junior guard Alondes Williams, who put together perhaps his most complete performance of the season — he scored 13 points while shooting 5-9 from the field.

“He was great, I thought he gave his best effort,” Kruger said. “He had three pretty great days of practice … he just showed a little glimpse of what he’s going to do going forward. We’re very happy for him and excited for what he

can do for us.”

“This is really, really good energy (from) my team and my coaches,” Williams said.

“They got me going. I feel more comfortable. It’s a great feeling.”

Williams’ solid performance off the bench undoubtedly gave Oklahoma the edge it needed to win the game. However, as recent history suggests, OU pulling this one out shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise — the Sooners have had the upper hand in the Big 12/SEC challenge since its inaugural year in 2013.

In fact, as senior forward Kristian Doolittle said ahead of Saturday’s game, this is a challenge welcome to Oklahoma. Last year the Sooners beat Vanderbilt 86-55 in the challenge.

“We’re trying to make it two (series) wins in a row,” Doolittle said. “(Playing in)

the Big 12 is very strenuous on the body ... this is a nice change of pace.”

On Saturday, the Big 12 and the SEC settled for a 5-5 tie in the annual challenge, with No. 1 Baylor, No. 3 Kansas, No. 14 West Virginia and Oklahoma State picking up wins.

“There is (conference pride) in this, absolutely,” Kruger said. “It’s nothing you talk about a lot, but there’s a lot of build up to it, a lot of exposure for the challenge part of it. Guys have that on their minds all the time.”

Next up, Oklahoma returns to conference play to face Kansas State at 7 p.m.

CT on Jan. 29 in Manhattan, Kansas.

Manning said. “That’s her biggest thing: affecting anybody that walks through that door in a positive way, and then chasing that championship.”

“I’ve seen a lot of people do successful things besides basketball going through her program,” Thompson said. “I think that’s what separates her from many other coaches.”

Coale’s commitment to molding her players into successful women has given her an edge from the very beginning.

“I was her first recruit when she first got the job here,” Stiles said. “She was so amazing that she made my final four, even though she started recruiting me very late in the process.”

Though Coale wasn’t able to win over Stiles in 1997, her recruiting ability shined as her career progressed.

By 2006, Coale had finetuned her recruiting talents, which allowed her to land Thompson, a budding star from Whitney Young Magnet High School in Chicago.

“When I got here, it was just different,” Thompson said. “I felt a lot of love. I knew that during my four years here, I would be well taken care of.”

High school stars like Thompson and Manning hardly scratch the surface of the talent Coale has brought to Norman.

She has coached 13 AllAmericans and six Big 12 Players of the Year. Some of her most notable recruits

include Phylesha Whaley, Stacey Dales, and Courtney and Ashley Paris.

“She was the first big-time coach I talked to,” Manning said. “The thing that stuck out to me was that we talked about basketball, but we talked about my family, we talked about my teammates.

Any other coach that came in after that, if they didn’t match that, they were automatically out. Because I already had that high standard of talking to Coach Coale.”

3.9.

“She’s a special player,” Colton said. “She’s one of the best offensive players I’ve ever seen. It makes it really easy to put the defense in a bind.”

And when it comes to that elusive championship, those closest to Coale say they can see it in her future. OU is a young team with a Hall of Fame coach, an experienced new staff, one of the most explosive offenses in the country and still plenty of potential for growth.

Oklahoma has looked promising at times this season, though it’s likely not quite championship-caliber.

Still, the foundation that Coale has laid is clear. Her team is full of freshmen and sophomores scoring 20 or more points night in and night out. It’s not all there yet, but that’s to be expected.

With the way things are looking, there’s every reason to believe this young team has a championship in their future.

“I think, especially with the way women’s basketball is going right now, there aren’t too many completely dominant teams,” Manning said.

PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY “It’s anybody’s game to win.

OU women’s basketball coach Sherri Coale watches the game (OU) has the best shooter in against Prairie View A&M on Nov. 8, 2019. the country. They have playmakers around her. sense of depth. OU’s rotation three rebounds and three as“I think it’ll be exciting.” features three elite scorers sists per game.

Robertson, OU’s resiin Llanusa, Robertson and Williams, alongside a handful dent sharpshooter, leads the Steven Plaisance srplaisance@ou.edu country with 5.3 3-pointers of talented playmakers.

Seven Sooners average per game. In second place is double-digit minutes. Four UAB’s Rachel Childress with

‘IT’S ANYBODY’S GAME TO WIN’ As for this year’s team, OU is 10-9, and the Sooners are riding a three-game losing streak while they await the return of junior guard Ana Llanusa, who has missed the last five games due to back spasms.

The team has looked lost at times. At others, it has looked every bit like the Coale teams of old, as seen by the Sooners’ 73-49 stomping of then-No. 17 West Virginia on the road in early January and a win over then-No. 25 LSU in December.

“We started the season and everybody was kind of in panic mode,” Thompson said. “But we just grow. The more you practice, the more you play together, the more successful you are.”

That growth has been well documented. Robertson and sophomore guard Madi Williams are each scoring 6

Chandler Engelbrecht chandler.engelbrecht@ ou.edu

more points per game this season.

Llanusa’s field-goal percentage has increased from 38 percent last season to 43 percent this year, and she’s averaging two more assists. And freshman Gabby Gregory is averaging 10 points and four rebounds right out of the gate.

Oklahoma is beginning to reap the benefits of fielding such a young squad a year ago, including a pronounced

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average double figures in scoring.

Of the ones who don’t, junior forward Mandy Simpson and sophomore forward Nydia Lampkin are each shooting at least 44 percent from the field. Simpson also averages six rebounds per game.

That leaves sophomore guard Tatum Veitenheimer to fill out the rotation.

Veitenheimer adds 3 points,

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do the same thing every day, and it’s no different when we get to the meet,” Schoepfer said. “So we just kind of do what we always do, and keep it really consistent, and that helps our team.”

A positive, team-oriented attitude has also aided Schoepfer in her performance this season. While many in her situation might be frustrated about always following a larger-than-life star like Nichols, she considers her location in the lineup to be a strength.

“Honestly, I think it helps me,” Schoepfer said. “I just want to keep it rolling for the team, and so I think her nailing that 10 vault really helps me rise to the occasion and do better than I would have without that.”

Always looking for ways in which she can make her team better, the ever-confident artist is already preparing to take on more responsibilities next year or maybe even later this season.

Schoepfer is most seasoned on floor, an event in which she competed 10 times as a freshman and four times as a sophomore. With this prior experience and a true love for all four events in hand, she’s ready to take her contributions to another level.

“I’m definitely looking to fill more positions on other events,” Schoepfer said. “I’m training all-around ... any event I can get in.”

As the coming departures of Nichols and senior Jade Degouveia loom large, Kindler may look no further than Schoepfer for an ample replacement next season.

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6

SPORTS

• Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2020

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ALL PHOTOS BY CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY