J U N E 2 4 - J U LY 7, 2 0 19 | B I W E E K LY I N P R I N T | O U D A I LY. C O M
OUDAILY
The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916
‘EVERYBODY EXPECTS TO LOSE
THEIR JOBS’ - AN OU STAFF MEMBER ON LANDSCAPING AND CUSTODIAL CONCERNS OVER POSSIBLE OUTSOURCING
OU announces 69-person reduction in force, plans to assess potential outsource savings SCOTT KIRKER • @SCOTT_KIRKER OU announced a 69-person reduction in force June 13. According to the OU press release announcing the reduction, the university has reduced staff by a total of 136 full-time equivalent employees since July 2018. The June 13 reduction primarily impacted employees of the CART bus system, the Lawton Medical Clinic and the Norman campus operations and marketing area, according to the release. The reductions reflect a transfer in the operation of much of the city’s bus system to the City of Norman, the
transition of the Lawton Medical Clinic in early August to Comanche Hospital and additional operations and marketing reductions related to restructuring that have been under review for the past 45 days, according to the release. “These actions are only occurring because they are necessary and ensure the future health of the university,” interim OU President Joseph Harroz said in the release. “We are mindful of our students and the financial realities they face. Because so many of our students borrow substantial amounts of money to finance their education, we
have a responsibility to remain affordable while providing the excellence they demand.” Harroz released a letter to the OU community June 13 after the reduction in force was announced. In the letter, Harroz said the reduction in force was necessary for OU to work toward financial stability and future growth. Harroz said he would later send another letter detailing the current budget status, but did not say exactly when. “To assist those who are losing their positions, we have committed
$640,000 in university funds to bridge their transition to other employment,” Harroz said in the letter release. “In addition to other support, we are providing two months of employment/pay and up to an additional three months of pay based on length of service.” The affected employees will also continue receiving COBRA medical benefits for two to five months based on length of service, Harroz said in the letter, and the employees will be eligible to apply for open university positions. see REDUCTION page 6
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NEWS
• June 24-July 7, 2019
Jess Eddy speaks outside of Evans Hall May 15.
KATHRYN STACY/THE DAILY
Levi Hilliard speaks outside of Evans Hall May 15.
KATHRYN STACY/THE DAILY
Eddy faced ‘hostile’ environment
Letter deems OU’s Boren investigation complete
BLAKE DOUGLAS @Blake_Doug918
Jess Eddy, an OU graduate who has accused former OU President David Boren and former OU administrator Tripp Hall of sexual harassment, received a letter
REDUCTION: Continued from page 1
Harroz said the university will help the affected employees find “other, available opportunities at OU and elsewhere.” “Both for those impacted and the university, there are brighter days ahead,” Harroz said in the letter. “We are taking these steps today to ensure that the important and proud legacy of our past is a prelude to our best tomorrow.” Justin Daniels, chair of the OU Staff Senate, released a letter to the OU staff community following the June 13 reduction in force.
from an OU official June 20 describing the results of OU’s investigation into the accusations. According to the letter, the university conducted a thorough review of the evidence and used a standard of preponderance of evidence to conclude it was “sufficient to substantiate that (Eddy) had been subjected to a hostile working environment.” The OU investigation is now
deemed complete, a university official told The Daily June 21. The outcome of the investigation was provided to the OU Board of Regents for appropriate administrative action, according to the letter. OU has no jurisdiction over any individual who “voluntarily separates or resigns from OU,” according to the letter. Boren resigned as
president emeritus June 12, which Leslie RainboltForbes, chairman of the OU Board of Regents, said brought OU’s Title IX investigation “to a close.” In the email to Eddy that the June 20 letter was attached to, the OU official confirmed the university would continue its investigation into sexual harassment allegations made against Hall. Hall did not voluntarily
leave his position — the former vice president of university development was terminated in the Nov. 1, 2018 layoffs. The letter followed news of a civil lawsuit filed May 31 by Levi Hilliard, who has accused Hall of sexual harassment. In the lawsuit, Hilliard alleged sexual assault and battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The OU communication
follows months of investigation by the Jones Day law firm — which has been paid over $1 million by OU to conduct personnel investigations and examine data misreporting, according to reports from The Oklahoman — and investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
In the letter, Daniels said the last 12 months have been a significant challenge to “our strong and proud community,” mentioning previous layoffs and racist incidents the staff has dealt with. “We have sacrificed everything for this great institution we love. We have dedicated ourselves to this university that is in the fibers of our soul and the pieces of our heart. And yet again today we are challenged,” Daniels said in the letter. The changes were necessary to ensure a sustainable budget in the future, Daniels said in the letter. The Staff Senate worked closely with human resources and Harroz to ensure policies regarding a reduction in force were followed.
“We w ill continue to work with administration,” Daniels said in the letter, “and we are hopeful we will begin to see things improving for our staff community.”
management. An official from OU Public Affairs told The Daily via email June 20 that requests for proposals will be issued for Norman campus landscaping and custodial services “to compare OU costs with similar services provided by area vendors. “Our goal is to accurately assess our own costs of providing services to the university with an understanding of how others are costing similar work,” the official said in the email. “Once the (request for proposal) process is complete there will be an analysis and evaluation of options for achieving high performance at a reasonable cost. The plan is to complete that analysis before Jan. 1.” News of the plan to assess
costs of landscaping and custodial services comes one week after the university announced a 69-person reduction in force June 13. The university has reduced staff by 136 employees since July 2018. The plan also comes after 25 people in the landscaping department were laid off during OU’s Nov. 1, 2018 layoffs. An OU employee who was in the June 13 meeting said staff was told the university would send out requests to outsource landscaping in July and would likely hear back by November. “If it’s only a small savings, they might keep us around,” the employee said. “But if it’s a big savings they might totally outsource it, is what
they were telling us.” The employees also said landscaping and custodial services held individual meetings after they were told of the coming cost assessment. “Morale is very low at this time,” the staff member said. “Everybody expects to lose their jobs … the people with kids, they’re going to be hurting if they go a few months without a job while they’re looking. And quite a few people are looking right now.” The identities of two OU employees attributed in this story are kept anonymous to protect their positions. Their identities are known to The Daily.
‘Morale is very low’
Following the June 13 reduction in force, the university is assessing the costs of outsourcing landscaping and custodial sources, and how to “(achieve) high performance at a reasonable cost.” Two OU employees told The Daily June 19 that OU Facilities Management held a meeting June 13 in which Eric Conrad, OU’s chief operating officer, told staff outsourcing options are being explored for departments within facilities
Blake Douglas bdoug99@ou.edu
Scott Kirker stk@ou.edu
NEWS
June 24-July 7, 2019 •
OU to close organ tech program Shutdown to remove state’s last organ workshop
BLAKE DOUGLAS @Blake_Doug918
OU plans to close the American Organ Institute at the University of Oklahoma, which will shut down the last organ maintenance shop in Oklahoma and remove the organ technology major, the only degree of its kind in the country. The Daily first learned of the potential closure June 15, when current students shared an email from Nolan Reilly, OU organ alumnus and director of music at St. Thomas More University Parish. In the email, Reilly called for supporters of the program to attend a rally at 10 a.m. June 17, where they gathered outside Evans Hall and asked to speak to interim OU President Joseph Harroz. At the event, Reilly read letters of support from across the U.S. and the world, including letters from the Palace of Versailles in France and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. “When (OU administrators) made this decision, they thought this was a tiny group no one would ever notice,” Reilly said at the event. At the event, Kyle Harper, OU senior vice president and provost, met with Reilly and current AOI students. Reilly told The Daily June 20th that a meeting with Harroz was scheduled for June 24. According to an OU press release issued hours after the June 17 event, the university said it made the decision to close AOI after a
“comprehensive review” of the budget. OU plans to “teach out” the students remaining in the program by retaining AOI faculty until current students complete their coursework, but is expected to follow through with the program’s closure and removal of all but two AOI positions. According to a press release from Reilly, Harper said the institute will only remain open for one more year, which means four students would not be able to be “taught out” of the program. The bachelor of music program for the organ will not be affected by the AOI closure, according to the OU press release, but the organ technology program — which trains students on how to repair, maintain and build organs — will be removed. According to the release, the program’s operating cost is approximately $400,000 a year, and it has six students enrolled as majors. Reilly said the program has 23 students, including 17 non-majors who take classes in the program, and four incoming freshmen intend to major in organ technology. According to the release, OU’s financial position means the university “cannot infuse large funds into the program,” and OU never established a permanent source of funding for the program. “OU has a proud tradition of teaching organ music, and that tradition will continue,” Harper said in the release. “However, we have a responsibility to have sustainable funding behind all operations. It is not fair to ask OU students, many of whom work or take on debt, to subsidize an organ maintenance
Mildred Andrews Boggess Memorial Organ in Catlett Music Center June 21.
program that is very expensive and lacks sustainable funding.” In the June 15 email, Reilly said a counteroffer was made by AOI Director John Schwandt to keep the institute open for two more years using independent funds. Reilly said $5 million in fundraising would help the AOI stay open. “It makes no sense to shut it down now, especially with our rate of giving,” Reilly told The Daily June 15. “I don’t see how this is a financial
issue for the university.” Reilly told The Daily June 21 that since 2006 OU “hasn’t paid a dime” to support AOI, saying the program had been self-sufficient. “The AOI has been funded by an initial sum designated for its creation, as well as significant private gifts since its founding in 2006,” Reilly said in his release. “At that time, the university budget bore only the salary of Dr. John Schwandt, the professor of organ and director of the American Organ Institute.
All other positions were funded by private funds or the initial startup fund.” According to the release from Reilly, Schwandt has not had the opportunity to meet with Harroz, Harper or former OU President James Gallogly. Schwandt was unaware of the decision to close the institute and remove AOI staff until the staff members were informed, according to the release. Reilly said last year, he was surprised to learn one OU administrator did not know
KATHRYN STACY/THE DAILY
the AOI had students. “I’m not even sure (OU administrators) know what we do,” Reilly said. According to the release from Reilly, the students and supporters of AOI have been granted a meeting with Harroz, Harper and Mary Holt, dean of the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts. Blake Douglas bdoug99@ou.edu
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Local yogi finds serenity at OU
Alum practices yoga, tai chi on South Oval
BEAU ANDERSON @YouKnowBeau
Early morning dew clings to the neatly trimmed grass on the South Oval. A man trudges over the soggy ground, calmly moving toward the water fountain. He plants his feet firmly into the ground. Hears the water cascading in the fountain. Feels the warmth of the sun on his skin. Breathes in the crisp morning air. Seeks spiritual fulfillment. He uses all five senses to observe his surroundings. In only a matter of seconds, he has become one with the universe once again, focused solely on the present moment. Some students see the South Oval as hectic come fall. In the summer, though, Asoka Molinas sees it as a place of serenity. Molinas is a man of mystery to sleepy students on their way to
summer classes, but one of great compassion to friends and family. He uses his time on the South Oval to connect to the world around him and all the individuals who inhabit it. He performs his daily ritual, a combination of yoga and tai chi, on the oval almost every morning. “It’s really my time to connect with the universe and myself,” Molinas said. “I do it just to be in touch with all the elements of life because everybody is a part of life. We are nature, nature is the same power as us no matter what you want to name it — god, no god, nature is powering everybody and everything.” Originally from Brooklyn, Molinas traveled to Norman in August 1967 to enroll at OU. He was 17, and began as an architecture major. He eventually changed to psychology and graduated in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree. He also received
a master’s in human relations in 1975. After college, Molinas started his career as a caseworker for Child Support Services in 1978 and retired in 2013. In his profession, he dealt with things like wage withholding, contempt citations and IRS tax offsets or intercepts to enforce child support court orders. Molinas said his ability to maintain peace of mind through meditative practice, as he continues to do today, helped him to cope with the job’s challenges. “It was a stressful job because you were always understaffed and there was never time to process all the cases,” Molinas said. “There got to be a point when I was a supervisor that the first thing I would do was I would go in my office, close the door and take five or ten minutes to do a small chant and get myself clear. The next thing I would do is walk out of
my office and say good morning to all my workers.” Molinas found more than just degrees while at OU — he learned a way to overcome the struggles of a challenging world, gaining friends and even a wife along the way. While he was a student, Molinas b e ga n w o rk i ng at L ove l ig ht Restaurant in 1972. Lovelight, then located on Campus Corner near Thai Delight’s current location, was one of the first vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Norman. Lovelight was a popular place back in the day, Molinas said. Civil rights leader Ralph Abernathy and spiritual teacher Ram Dass both came to visit once. “We worked in a natural food restaurant before natural restaurants were cool,” said Lori Bacigalupi, an old friend Molinas met at Lovelight. Bacigalupi said she has always admired Molinas’ friendly nature.
“His love is deep and big and people feel it, strangers feel it and friends certainly feel it,” Bacigalupi said. “He’s unique in that way, he just wants people to be happy, he just wants them to find balance and find peace. That’s pretty much his desire, to be able to give a little bit, somehow, somewhere, every day to somebody or something.” Lovelight Restaurant was also where Molinas met his wife Ola, who was an employee there. Though Molinas and Ola spent a lot of time together at Lovelight, they didn’t date until he had a vision. “I had this vision of a tall guy with dark hair and a short girl with blonde hair and it looked like they were getting married but their back was to me so I couldn’t see who it was," Molinas said. "Then I went to the front and saw that it was me and Ola."
In September 1974, Molinas and Ola met Swami Muktananda, the founder of Siddha Yoga, at a retreat in Pink, Oklahoma. Muktananda was the one who introduced Molinas to the concept, which informed the discipline Molinas practices on the South Oval. “Siddha Yoga is an ancient path that basically originated in India,” Molinas said. “The goal of Siddha Yoga is to realize the divinity within oneself and all creation.” Molinas has never looked back. “It was the most life-changing experience I could have ever had, me personally,” Molinas said. “Right in the middle of his talk, essentially I received a transmission of his spiritual energy and it awoke in me and knocked me backwards.” Molinas said the interaction was so strong, Muktananda asked him to join him for a walk outside after
a lecture. At the time, Molinas and Ola were not married, so they sought the Siddha guru’s advice on whether or not they were ready. In response, Muktananda gave the couple his blessing. Twenty days later, they married and have been together for almost 45 years. For decades, Molinas and his wife have held Siddha Yoga meditations at their house every Wednesday night, hosting friends and others who discovered the group through word of mouth. Now retired, Molinas has much more time to spend practicing. Joe Westerheide, a long-time friend of Molinas, has gone to Molinas’ Siddha Yoga meditations since the ’80s. “He’s one of the nicest people you will ever meet,” Westerheide said. “He’s as honest as the day is long.”
Now retired at 69, Molinas continues to seek fulfillment through his daily routine of meditation. The South Oval provides him a peaceful sanctuary to deal with the stresses of daily life. “It’s such a nice place out there, the space,” Molinas said. “You sit there or stand there where I’m standing and you look, it’s expansive, it’s beautiful. You know? So I just try to allow myself to harmonize with the elements and feel a sense of oneness, safety, connectedness. I tell my friends sometimes, it’s kind of like heaven, see? Because I go out there, I got these guys they mow the lawn for me, it’s so beautiful, all I have to do is show up!” Beau Anderson
alec.b.anderson-1@ou.edu
HOROSCOPE
Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg June 24, 2019
ACROSS 1 Pet adoption org. 5 Dog’s fur 9 50/50 quiz answer 14 From Bangkok, say 15 Solo at the Met 16 Big pettingzoo animal 17 Thanksgiving staples (circle letters 2-4!) 18 Highway hauler 19 Certain saxophones 20 No. on a business card (letters 1-3) 21 Valiant effort 23 Headey of “Game of Thrones� 25 24/7 med. facilities 26 Creator of Atticus Finch 27 Expired 29 Boot bottoms 31 “Xanadu� rockers, briefly 32 The Minotaur, e.g. 34 Inside look? (letters 3-5) 38 Thumbsdowns 39 Consume 40 Inspired poem 42 Words before “break� or “tear� (letters 1-3)
Previous Solution
6/24
43 Real bargain 45 Aired again 47 10, in dates: Abbr. 48 Gal in “Wonder Womanâ€? 50 They’re printed on books’ spines 52 “___ sells seashells ‌â€? 54 Roughly, informally 55 Laptop brand 56 Average guy, and a clue to the starts of 21-Across, 3-Down and 35-Down 59 Consume 61 Far from fitting 62 Omaha stake 63 Barbershop sound 65 Rural skyline sights 66 Senator Booker 67 USC’s archrival 68 Scrumptious 69 Building additions 70 Cry after a close call DOWN 1 Messy room 2 Excellent, in ’90s slang 3 You bend over backward to do it 4 Ushers’ paths 5 Goes through a chain reaction
6 Shake cookie 7 Without a goal (letters 3-5) 8 Component on a chopper’s rear (letters 3-5) 9 Mark as important 10 Everything but the last resort 11 ___ art (barista’s creation) 12 Campfire treat 13 “Settle down now� 22 Subj. with conversation practice 24 Interstellar cloud 27 Bender of light 28 Loads and loads 30 Like paradise
33 Soaring business? 35 Doritos flavor in a blue bag 36 ___ bitten, twice shy 37 Chinese Zodiac rodents 41 Secrets to cracking some codes 44 Skin cream target 46 Common biofuel 49 Reformer Dorothea 51 Prepares to swing 52 Sotomayor of the Court 53 Recovers 56 Barely 57 Teeny 58 ___+Z (undo, on a PC) 60 Z is a valuable one in Scrabble 64 Rabbit’s foot
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You Are What You Drink by Ari Richter and Jeff Chen
By Eugenia Last
Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2019 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last Draw on your experience and make the most of every opportunity that comes your way. Don’t view your cup as half-empty. Expand on your ideas, interests and friendships. Stop waiting and do your part to make positive change happen.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Deal with issues that concern home, family or health. How you handle your time and money will affect the way others react to the choices you make.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Take a look at what’s going on around you before you start something new. Being aware of what others want will help you avoid an unexpected and unwanted reaction.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Refuse to let an emotional incident lead you astray. Too much of anything will be counterproductive. Focus on what’s doable and what has the potential to make a difference.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Positive change can be made. Call in help for a difficult domestic or personal situation. Stay positive and push forward.
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ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Go over your options and consider what’s in your best interest. If change is what you want, make sure your motives are based on more than your desire to make a point.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -Home and self-improvements are featured. Promote positive change SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Par- and cost-efficient options. Get ticipate in something you believe approval before you begin certain in. Your intuition will help you find projects. a robust solution. If you use your power of persuasion, you’ll have GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Keep an impact on the changes that tabs on what others are doing take place. or saying. Someone may try to undermine you or take credit SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- for something you did. Stay in You’ll be deprived of the recogni- the loop to avoid being left tion you want. Keep a low profile out.
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CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -You will be anxious to get on with your plans. Your vision will inspire others to contribute, turning your idea into a bigger and better project than you anticipated. A partnership looks promising.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) -Update your resume or look for options that will allow you to use your skills creatively. Take hold of your life and nurture important relationships.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- There is much going on that you aren’t aware of. Before you make a decision, find out how others feel about your concerns and plans.
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One free copy of The Daily is available to members of the OU community. Additional copies may be purchased for 25 cents by contacting The Daily business office at 405-325-2522. Corrections: The Daily is committed to accuracy in its publications. If you find an error in a story, email dailynews@ou.edu or visit oudaily.com/site/ corrections.html to submit a correction form. VOL. 104, NO. 27 Copyright 2019 OU Publications Board FREE -- Additional copies 25 cents
NEWS
June 24-July 7, 2019 •
XANDIE WOOD/THE DAILY
Norman to take over bus system A CART bus driving through the intersection of Asp Avenue and Lindsey Street June 13.
Former CART routes likely to remain unchanged SCOTT KIRKER @scott_kirker
Cleveland Area Rapid Transit, which has been known as CART and run by OU since its creation in 1980, will no longer be run solely by the university. Sometime between July 2 and Aug. 1, the city will begin to service many routes previously operated by CART, while the university will likely retain operation of one or more on-campus routes. The exact details have not been fully determined, but OU and the city have been negotiating since August 2018 to plan the transition. Shawn O’Leary, director of public works for the City of Norman, said change is “always a little bit challenging,” and the city and university are still working out the details of the transition. O’Leary said EMBARK, the organization that operates the bus transit system and streetcar system in Oklahoma City, will be Norman’s new
bus provider. “We’ve put a lot of heavy lifting into it, and we’re just finalizing details at this point,” said Kris Glenn, director of parking and transportation at OU. “We have a great working relationship with the City of Norman, and we anticipate a smooth transition. The future of CART is, we really want to take care of our students, faculty and staff.” While CART previously received federal funding through the City of Norman to run its routes, Glenn said OU will no longer receive federal funding for its transportation system after the transition. The student transit fee, which Glenn said was always part of CART’s funding, will be a main component of OU’s university-based funding for transportation. O’Leary said the city and the university agree that it makes sense for OU to operate the Lloyd Noble shuttle, which currently accounts for over 50 percent of CART’s annual ridership. But the city and OU are still negotiating whether OU or EMBARK will operate three other routes OU has proposed it continues to service — the campus loop, the apartment loop and the
research shuttle. O’Leary said the data has shown those routes are heavily ridden by students, but the city isn’t sure whether it should give up routes other than the Lloyd Noble shuttle. “We’re still having that conversation with the university, and we’re not sure if we’re interested in giving those up. Our belief is that if we’re going to run a bus system, we’d like to run the entire community minus that immediate campus route. So that’s one of the things that has yet to be negotiated.” O’Leary said the transportation system will not change immediately. “Effectively, the system will look very similar to what it looks like today, at least for the first year or so,” O’Leary said. “We’re going to try to retain all the same routes, all the same times, all the same bus stops, and so on. ... The bus might say EMBARK on it instead of CART, but it will be the same kinds of buses, the same kinds of services that are being provided today — including CARTaccess.” O’Leary said the city has been approaching the issue with short-term and longterm goals in mind.
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“Short-term,” O’Leary said, “we are determined to not have any break in service and we want to take over the system as soon as the university needs to stop operating it, so we want to scramble and get it transferred over to a new operator. To do that, it was practical to take on exactly what CART had already designed, what they were already doing, and we think that’s easier on the customers, too.” O’Leary said in a year or more, the city may consider making more changes to its operation of Norman’s city routes. “Once we get established and get our operation settled out, perhaps in a year or so, we’ll have an idea of whether we want to change the routes, change the rates, expand the system, all those sorts of things that we’ve heard a lot of feedback about. We just feel like we need a year under our belt before we’re going to be prepared to do that.” O’Leary said the city is also negotiating terms to lease part of the Theta Dempsey Transportation Center from the university, which he said was built about ten years ago to facilitate CART operations. The university retained
14 CART drivers, but others were affected by the June 13 reduction in force as a result of the transition. O’Leary said while the city hopes for former CART drivers affected to be able to work for EMBARK as it takes over operation of Norman routes, the city can’t promise that yet. EMBARK employees operate under a union system, while university drivers did not, O’Leary said. This and other differences may make it difficult for drivers previously employed by CART to work for the transit system operated in Norman by EMBARK. “It’s not as easy as saying that EMBARK will just hire these folks here locally and give them the same routes if they’re not allowed to do that under union rules. It’s a little complicated that way, and we as a city don’t want to tell EMBARK how to run the system,” O’Leary said. “So we’re certainly not going to tell them who to hire or how to hire.” O’Leary said while he expects EMBARK to make its own hiring decisions, the city has discussed the former CART drivers with the new operator. “ I t h a s b e e n
strongly encouraged by the city and pretty well received by EMBARK that, particularly the drivers that are here today in Norman working for CART, would be highly considered to come over to EMBARK when they are ready to hire.” While the details of the transition are still being arranged, Glenn said the university’s goal is to work with the city to ensure students can still ride on city routes fare-free. O’Leary said the negotiation of whether students may continue to ride on the bus system for free throughout Norman is ongoing, but that could happen through an annual payment from the university to the city based on student use of city routes. “The university is interested in making sure that the students will continue to ride free on the bus system whether it is the city’s portion of the system or whether it is the university’s portion of the system, so we are negotiating (students riding free) as well,” O’Leary said. Scott Kirker stk@ou.edu
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SPORTS
• June 24-July 7, 2019
Mayfield hosts local youth camp
Browns QB returns to Norman, teaches winning attitude
CALEB MCCOURRY @CalebMac21
Baker Mayfield’s word of the day was “attitude.” The Cleveland Browns quarterback stood in front of over 500 campers at the Baker Mayfield Football ProCamp on June 19 at the OU Intramural Fields in Norman. After over seven hours of coaching kids from first to eighth grade, Mayfield emphasized the importance of attitude. “In a football mindset, the most important play is always the next one, and your teammates are always more important than yourself,” Mayfield said. “You gotta put them first. You gotta elevate their game. If it’s a great play, good for you, but you have to play the next one. If it’s a bad play you gotta have a short
memory, forget that and you have to play the next one.” The former Oklahoma quarterback — who earned the starting role of QB as a walk-on, won the Heisman Trophy and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft — knows a thing or two about the word. Arguably the most charismatic OU football player in the history of the program, Mayfield has shown his attitude on Owen Field and in Cleveland, Ohio. Mayfield showed his winning attitude June 19. After seven hours of coaching his campers, he participated in a sudden death, one-play championship between the two best teams of the day. Mayfield chose to join the defense, where he lined up as a free safety. He picked off the pass and celebrated by punting the ball into a crowd of campers. “It’s about having a positive attitude,” Mayfield said. “And my favorite part about the word is the work ethic that comes with it. Anything you want in life you’re going
KATHRYN STACY/THE DAILY
Former Sooner Baker Mayfield walks with a group of kids during the Baker Mayfield Football ProCamp June 19.
to have to work for. Not everything is given to you, so if you really want something you’re going to have to outwork somebody. What kind of attitude are you going to wake up
with every day?” All of the campers received autographed memorabilia from Mayfield, who spent almost the entire duration of the camp running around and
guys realize the importance of running drills with campers. “There’s a reason I am that word and keeping a posiwhere I am right now and I’d tive mindset.” like to think a lot of it has to do with attitude and work ethic,” Caleb McCourry Mayfield said, “so I hope you caleb.a.mccourry-1@ou.edu
Sooners land top prospect Brock Vandagriff Lincoln Riley continues to reveal top recruits CALEB MCCOURRY @CalebMac21
Sooner fans have a lot to look forward to when Lincoln Riley posts his infamous emoji eyes on Twitter when landing a new recruit. There are no words in the
tweets — just eyes, signifying a hidden talent Riley can’t share with Sooner Nation until a recruit announces himself. But at 7:13 a.m. June 20, Riley couldn’t keep his excitement to just eyes. Before posting his go-to emoji, Riley had to let fans know of the bomb he was going to drop on the college football recruiting world. He posted the words “Big day.” And it was. Just over an hour later, Riley retweeted quarterback Brock
Vandagriff’s commitment to the Sooners. Vandagriff — who plays for Prince Avenue Christian School in Bogart, Georgia — is the No. 1 prospect of the 2021 class, per Rivals.com. OU, coming off two consecutive seasons that produced two Heisman winning quarterbacks who went on to be drafted No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft, seems to have no problem reloading. The subjects of those accolades, NFL
quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, had to let Vandagriff know that they approve. “Welcome home man,” Mayfield said in a tweet directed to Vandagriff. “It’s only right that you join the best,” Murray said in a tweet of his own. A d a y l a t e r, o n Ju n e 21, three-star linebacker Edgerrin Cooper made his commitment to Riley’s 2020 squad. Cooper is Oklahoma’s
12th class of 2020 recruit and the fourth in the month of June to verbally commit. Oklahoma’s 2020 recruiting class is ranked No. 14 in the Nation, per Rivals.com. Until national signing day in February 2020, more of Riley’s eyes will likely appear. Riley’s class of 2021 has two verbal commitments so far: Vandagriff and four-star recruit Cody Jackson, a wide receiver for Foster High School in Richmond, Texas.
The Sooners’ 2019 recruiting class will play its first college season in the fall. The class included top 2019 quarterback Spencer Rattler and three five-star wide receivers: Trejan Bridges, Jadon Haselwood and Theo Wease. The class was ranked No. 5 in the nation on Rivals.com. Caleb McCourry
caleb.a.mccourry-1@ou.edu