Jan. 25-31, 2022

W E E K LY E D I T I O N | J A N U A R Y 2 5 - 3 1, 2 0 2 2 | O U D A I LY. C O M

International students report alleged racist incident · pg 2

OUDAILY

The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916

Tom Orr resigns after tenure abrogation proceedings Former School of Drama director held on paid leave for nearly 2 years BLAKE DOUGLAS @blake_doug918

JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY

Former School of Drama James Garner Chair professor Tom Orr walks down stairs in the Old Science Hall. Orr resigned as director of the School of Drama in 2018.

Tom Orr, former director of the OU School of Drama and university professor who faced several allegations of sexual harassment by former students, resigned effective Dec. 31, 2021, the university confirmed.

In an email to The Daily, an OU spokesperson wrote Orr chose to resign as proceedings reviewing his employment were underway.

“During Mr. Orr’s tenure abrogation proceedings — the most severe course of action OU can take to remove a tenured member of the faculty — he elected to resign, effective December 31, 2021,” the email read.

“He is no longer employed by the university.”

According to the OU-Norman Faculty Handbook, “alternative actions (to dismissal from the university), such as resignation or retirement,” may be negotiated and implemented with approval from the senior vice president and provost and budget deans.

The faculty handbook lists several causes for abrogation of tenure or dismissal, including “professional

incompetence or dishonesty,” “personal behavior” that prevents the faculty member from fulfilling their duties and “serious violation of law.”

Orr was investigated for sexual harassment in September 2018 after multiple former students issued sexual harassment allegations. At least two alumni reported their allegations to the OU Title IX office, while others who did not contact Title IX spoke with The Daily about their experiences.

One student told The Daily in 2018 that Orr allegedly asked them questions about their sex life, including which positions they preferred. Orr also allegedly said others told him the student “got around a lot.”

Months prior to the investigation, Orr resigned as director of the School of Drama after alumni reported concerns on how the school handled reports of sexual harassment against John Scamehorn, a former OU professor emeritus and School of Drama donor.

On Jan. 12, 2020, Orr was placed on paid administrative leave pending investigation after the university was made aware of unspecified allegations made against him. Orr remained on paid leave for approximately two years. bdoug99@ou.edu

OU on limited KN95 supply University to end distribution once supply runs out ALEXIA ASTON @alexiaaston

Senior forward/center Tanner Groves during the game against No. 7 Kansas on Jan. 18.

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

Groves brothers pushing through Big 12 play with family, friendship Eastern Washington transfers find new home alongside familiar face GRAYSON BLALOCK @grayson_blalock

One night in early April, not long after Porter Moser was named Oklahoma’s new men’s basketball coach, Matty Carney received a surprise FaceTime call from Clayton Custer.

After 10 years at Loyola-Chicago, Moser arrived in Norman on April 3 to replace the retired Lon Kruger and brought Custer, a former Ramblers standout, with him as an assistant.

With only four players returning from OU’s previous roster, they had work to do in filling out a team.

At the time of his call, Custer was interested in a player Carney knew well: Eastern Washington star Tanner Groves, who made national headlines after scoring 35 points against Kansas in a first-round loss during the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

Custer needed only 60 seconds to know Tanner was a player Oklahoma

wanted. He quickly handed the phone to Moser, who became more intrigued by the 6-foot-10 forward Carney had been close friends with since their fathers coached an AAU team together.

Shortly after Carney’s call with Moser, Tanner Groves texted his father Randy to say OU had reached out. Days later, Carney had a similar conversation with Custer and Moser about 6-foot-9 Jacob Groves, Tanner’s younger brother. Carney had been best friends and longtime teammates with Jacob, who’d scored 23 points in the March loss to the Jayhawks.

Both Groves brothers eventually committed to OU on April 18, becoming the first acquisitions of an offseason rebuild that has propelled the Sooners to a 12-7, 2-5 Big 12 record entering Wednesday’s matchup against West Virginia, including three top-15 wins.

Tanner is OU’s leading scorer at 12.8 points per game, shooting 55.1 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from 3-point range, while Jacob has emerged as a leader off the bench, getting 13.6 minutes per game.

Simultaneously, Carney watches from the bench in his third year as one of Moser’s student managers after also transferring to Oklahoma.

The Groves-Carney connection has only grown in their short time together at OU. “I feel like there’s a lot of kids I would have taken the route of, ‘I’m a Big 12 basketball player now,’” Carney said. “You’re on full scholarship at a Big 12 school and you’re going to take the approach of not being really humble anymore, but I think he stayed the exact same.

“He still stays in contact with all of our friends. He hasn’t changed at all, especially since I’m down here, live with him. I didn’t go to college (with Jacob before). Now I really noticed it, that he’s still the same kid that he was when we were in first grade together.”

Tall, yet overlooked.

Height runs in the Groves family, as Randy is 6-foot-6 and his father is 6-foot-9. Both played college basketball, as did Tara, the brothers’ mother, so naturally, Tanner and Jacob were dribbling as soon as they could walk. By first grade, they were playing AAU ball.

“If it was something they just

absolutely didn’t like, we would have probably gone a different route,” Randy Groves said. “But they both took to it … pretty easily and had fun with it.”

Beyond the natural height advantage, each brother displayed talent at Shadle Park High School in Spokane, Washington.

Tanner played consistently with his back to the basket, although he could shoot from outside, too. Per MaxPreps, he shot 38.5 percent from 3-point range during his junior and senior years of high school and averaged 15.5 and 18.2 points per game, 10 and 9.5 rebounds per game and 1.8 blocks per game each year, respectively.

While Jacob was shorter, he played inside and outside because he was the tallest person on his AAU team, even though his skills were geared more toward perimeter play.

Despite many seasons together on the AAU circuit, Jacob faced Carney only once in high school.

Shadle Park never beat Gonzaga Prep, where Carney played, in the see GROVES page 4

OU Staff Senate Chair Justin Daniels announced OU will no longer provide KN95 masks once their current supply is out during a Wednesday OU Staff Senate meeting.

OU Campus Safety distributed KN95 masks and disposable surgical masks this week, Daniels said.

Approximately 100,000 KN95 masks were delivered to building supervisors across campus over the last week to be made available at all entrances and inside classrooms, according to an email from a university spokesperson.

The university also received an additional 24,000 KN95 masks from the Oklahoma State Department of Health. 20,000 of those masks remain with Campus Safety to distribute as needed, the spokesperson wrote.

“In the rare event that we do run out of KN95 masks, it is important to remember that disposable surgical masks are also extremely effective at protecting individuals from COVID19,” the spokesperson wrote. “The university has more than 900,000 surgical masks available.”

The distribution followed a twoweek mask mandate announcement on Jan. 10 from OU Chief COVID Officer Dr. Dale Bratzler.

The mandate includes all classroom settings through Jan. 31.

Bratzler wrote OU strongly recommends wearing KN95 masks or disposable surgical masks because they provide more protection against the highly transmissible omicron variant than cloth masks.

Last week, the university reported 120 positive COVID-19 cases at OU, according to the OU COVID-19 dashboard. Additionally, 24.75 percent of COVID-19 tests were positive at OU. The university’s last update to the dashboard was from Jan. 13 to Jan. 19.

In Oklahoma, the state ranked seventh in the nation for most COVID-19 cases per 100,000 with a daily average of 12,116 cases as of Jan 23. alexiaaston@ou.edu

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NEWS

Jan. 25-31, 2022 •

2

OU loses ‘steady presence’ Colleagues remember university fixture ARI FIFE @arriifife

Following the death of a longtime Oklahoma Memorial Union Starbucks manager, those who knew him say he’ll be remembered for his strong passions and genuine care for others.

Chris Kaeser, a 2004 OU business and finance alumnus who worked as a Housing and Food Services employee for over 15 years, died Jan. 7, 2022. His friends say he was a fixture at the university who brought light and humor into every setting he entered.

Kendra Tooman said she met Kaeser in the fall of 2017 during a job interview for The Bookmark. She was nervous about applying for the job, but

she was comforted by Kaeser’s calm demeanor.

Though the two worked at different restaurants on campus, Tooman said she saw Kaeser during training every summer.

Kaeser was consistently kind and helpful, and Tooman said he made work fun. The two had sarcastic styles of humor that meshed well. Kaeser had a garden and would bring flowers for Tooman and her coworkers.

He was also the “king” of coffee and loved discussing the origins and tastes of different roasts, Tooman said. He hosted several coffee tastings in the Union that Tooman said she attended.

D i re c t o r o f D i v e r s i t y Enrichment Programs Dorion Billups also met Kaeser in the fall of 2017 during a get-together at one of the OU volleyball coaches’ houses. Billups

was a former team equipment manager, and Kaeser, who’d played intramural volleyball in college, was a strong supporter of the program. Billups said he was immediately struck by the intentionality of his conversation with Kaeser.

“I think he’s a very curious person,” Billups said. “And he just provides people the honor of when he’s engaging with you, that’s all that he’s really doing.”

After their first meeting, the two’s relationship continued to revolve around volleyball.

Billups said all the coaches had Kaeser’s number, and Kaeser would Facebook message him about changes on the volleyball team and coaching staff. He said he wasn’t sure how Kaeser got the information, but he appreciated it nonetheless.

The two also sat together at volleyball games, Billups said.

University investigates alleged racist incident Men’s Lacrosse Club accused of making racist remarks TAYLOR JONES @wrongtailor

The Division of Student Affairs, the Office of Student Conduct, OU Fitness and Recreation and Student Life are looking into an incident from Jan. 17 at the intramural soccer fields where an OU international student alleged members of the OU Men’s Lacrosse Club made racist remarks toward a group of international students.

Ali Barazi, a computer science sophomore from Syria, said he and his friends were playing on the fields when a member of the OU Lacrosse Club came and told them “in a very rude way” to leave the field.

While moving their group of 13-14 people off the field, Barazi said he and a few friends walked over to the team to ask why they had to leave and requested the team use a more polite tone the next time they needed the field. Barazi said this resulted in increased verbal aggression from a member of the lacrosse team.

“Then the guy … got kind of aggressive again and was like, ‘Oh, you guys come here every Saturday and depreciate the value of our soccer goals, of our lacrosse goals, and you kick the ball at them,’” Barazi said. “I’ve seen those goals be there during the snowstorms and during all the rain and thunderstorms, and I don’t know how kicking a soccer ball was gonna depreciate it any more than that.”

Barazi said his friend asked if they could use a set of broken goals on the field to continue their game.

“One guy from the back (of the group) responded (and) was like, ‘You Mexicans, we are not giving you shit,’” Barazi said. “And I don’t think there was a single Mexican there. …

It was kind of rude.”

Following this, Barazi said verbal insults were exchanged between him, his group and

the team.

“As we were walking away, a bunch of people were like, ‘Yeah, go take your soccer ball and go back to Mexico,’” Barazi said. “I stopped, and I’ll be honest, I did say some things back, but none of it was any racist language whatsoever. I may have thrown a couple of insults back at them in the heat of the moment.”

Barazi said as they were leaving, a member of the team came over to them and explained they wanted to prevent injury by asking Barazi’s group to leave the fields.

“They said, ‘Okay, (if) you don’t want to leave, don’t leave, but what if this ball hits you? It may kill one of you because it’s very hard,’” Barazi said. “I can’t say for sure that that was a threat. It may have been (that) he was actually warning us. … The general tone of the situation and the stuff they had said during that whole altercation makes it seem like it could have been a very clever way of making a threat.”

Ammar Al Batrani, an architecture engineering senior present during the incident, sent an email to various individuals following the incident, including Scott Fritzen, the dean of the College of International Studies; Rebecca Cruise, the associate dean of the College of International Studies; Robyn Rojas, director of International Student Services ; David Surratt, the vice president of Student Affairs; and Garry Armstrong, the associate director of OU Fitness and Recreation.

“When you are a minority, and you hear those words directed to you, it is immoral and against the University of Oklahoma values,” Batrani wrote. “It was such an unpleasant situation to all of us as (an) international community here. It is a shame that such situations keep happening at OU and no proper actions are taken.”

Kesha Keith, the Student Affairs director of communications, wrote in an email that the Division of Student Affairs will meet with the lacrosse club members, their adviser

and the group of international students who reported the incident. OU Fitness and Recreation is also analyzing the process of securing field access on intramural fields.

The OU Lacrosse Club w ro t e t o T h e D a i l y v i a Facebook that, on Monday, there was a “misunderstanding” with the group of students who were on the field during their allocated practice time using OU Lacrosse Clubowned equipment.

“After a brief conversation, the students left the field, and we continued with our scheduled practice with no further incident,” a lacrosse team spokesperson wrote. “Team leadership is unaware of any derogatory statements made during or after the conversation. Our program respects all students’ rights to use all University facilities. We have met and are currently working with the University to resolve any potential future scheduling conflicts.”

In an email to The Daily, Fritzen wrote that the Office of International Studies supports the international students and “their rights, their well-being, and their belonging in our community.” Fritzen also wrote the office will “take any allegation of discrimination extremely seriously.”

“I feel like something should be done,” Barazi said.

“It should be some drastic measure just (because) I feel like if people see where OU stands on this and it’s very clear, then stuff like this, I won’t say it’ll stop happening, but it will at least make people think twice about doing something like this before they do it.

But if nothing at all happens, then I feel like it’s just gonna keep going on, and people are gonna think that’s completely fine.” taylor.p.jones-1@ou.edu

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Gallogly Hall faces flooding damages University estimates building repairs to cost $250k

the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system in Gallogly Hall.

A university spokesperson wrote in an email that OU Facilities Management is still KAROLINE LEONARD assessing the damage in the @karolineleo_ building, which is anticipated to cost $250,000. The exact OU Facilities Management cost of repairs and timing for responded to a flood Jan. their completion is unknown 2 caused by frozen coils in as the college awaits the arrival

of new coils.

Gallogly Hall was opened to the public in July 2019 and is home to engineers of all disciplines at OU, according to its about page. Classes and activities are still being held in Gallogly Hall, the spokesperson wrote, as the primary classroom was not impacted. karolineleonard@ou.edu

He said neither were usually prone to cheering, but during one particularly intense game, he remembers both of them being fired up.

On a college campus that is always changing, Billups said Kaeser was a constant. Billups also said he’s typically a quiet person, and he always appreciated Kaeser’s perceptiveness in understanding that.

Billups said he believes Kaeser’s love for volleyball and ability to make newcomers on the team feel welcome will be part of his legacy.

“I think there’s something to be said about how someone can, through all the years, kind of remain that steady presence,” Billups said. “And Chris certainly was able to do that with volleyball.” fifeari@gmail.com

SAMUEL BURR/PHOTO PROVIDED

Chris Kaeser (right) and Samuel Burr (left), a friend of Kaeser’s, at Scratch Kitchen on March 16, 2016.

JOB OPPORTUNITY PIONEER LIBRARY SYSTEM – SUPPORT SERVICES Circulation Clerk Full-time position, $24,504/yr. 40 hrs/wk which may include evenings and weekends. High School diploma or equivalent; must be able to lift up to 25 lbs.; provides high level customer service to Pioneer Library System customers including a wide range of public service and clerical duties necessary to the operation of the Norman West/Pioneer Service Center Circulation Department.

Details and required online application form available at www.pioneerlibrarysystem.org, click About Us, Jobs@ PLS link at bottom of page. Position open through January 31, 2022. EOE

If your Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) climbs to high levels, chances are you will still have alcohol in your bloodstream when you wake up the next day. The liver eliminates alcohol from the bloodstream, but it doesn’t work as fast as we might like.

Example A: if a 120 pound woman has 7 standard drinks (that’s six 1.5 oz. shots of 80 proof vodka) while partying on Saturday until midnight, her BAC will peak at 0.26. That’s more than 3 times the legal DUI limit of 0.08 BAC and high enough to cause her to blackout. If she goes to bed at 2am and sleeps 8 hours, she will wake up at 10am Sunday morning with a BAC of about 0.10. She will still be drunk and over the legal DUI limit. Based on the amount of alcohol she drank, her weight, and her gender, it will take about 17 hours for her BAC to return to zero. She won’t be sober until 5pm on Sunday afternoon.

Had she limited her drinking to 3 shots of vodka, it would take seven hours to return to zero BAC and she would wake up at 10am feeling much better, without any alcohol in her bloodstream. Most people who drink moderately (one drink an hour for women, or 2 drinks an hour for men) rarely wake up impaired or hung over.

Example B: if a 160 pound man has 7 standard drinks (7 cans of Keystone Light beer on Saturday night), his BAC will peak at 0.16 (more than double the legal DUI limit of 0.08 BAC). If he stops drinking at midnight, gets a ride from a designated driver, goes to bed at 2am and sleeps 8 hours, he will wake at 10am Sunday morning with a BAC of about 0.01. Not quite zero, but almost. When it comes to recovering from drinking, most men have advantages over women: men typically weigh more and metabolize alcohol at a faster rate.

Avoid waking up drunk and having a rough time keeping up with your responsibilities the next day by pacing yourself and drinking no more than 4 drinks (for males) and 3 drinks (for females) in one day.

This Red Cup Q&A is written by Charlene Shreder, MPS, ICPS, Chloe Sanders, LCSW, and Mackee Slattery, BSW from OU OUtreach Southwest Prevention Center. Content provided

by University of Arizona Health Promotion and Preventative Services department of the UA Campus Health Service.

Red Cup Q&A is paid for

by SAMHSA SPF-PFS

3

CULTURE

• Jan. 25-31, 2022

COMING UP AT OU Wednesday Women’s basketball vs. Oklahoma State, 6 p.m.

The No. 14 Sooners will take on the Oklahoma State Cowgirls at home. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. in the Lloyd Noble Center. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit soonersports.com. Don’t forget, students get in free with an OU ID. For game day coverage, visit oudaily.com and follow us on Twitter @OUDaily or @ OUDailySports.

ALLYSSA ARENS/THE DAILY

The Bookmark pictured Nov. 18, 2019.

Thursday Young Choreographers’ Showcase, 8 p.m.

The OU School of Dance student choreographers present original works for the OU stage. Student choreographers collaborate with the Helmerich School of Drama student lighting designers to put together a complete show. For tickets and more information, visit ou.edu/finearts/universitytheatre.

Friday

The Bookmark reopens after prolonged closure OU aims to have all campus dining options open ‘soon’ SPENCER BIAS News Reporter

Wrestling vs. Iowa State, 7 p.m.

Watch the Sooners in their duel against the Iowa State Cyclones at McCasland Field House. For more information, visit soonersports.com. For game day coverage, visit oudaily.com and follow us on Twitter @ OUDaily or @OUDailySports.

After being closed for over a year, The Bookmark is now open alongside 18 other restaurants on campus for the spring semester.

The Bookmark closed in March 2020 as part of OU Housing and Food Services’

efforts to socially distance in heavily populated areas, a university spokesperson wrote in an email. It remained closed for the 2020-21 school year as well as for the fall 2021 semester due to staffing challenges.

The university spokesperson wrote that some repairs and general maintenance have been completed since The Bookmark’s closing.

Some available restaurants on campus include Baja Fresh, Chick-fil-A, Einstein Bros. Bagels and the current Starbucks location.

Other restaurants like The Laughing Tomato and Taco Mayo are “opening soon,” according to the Housing and Food Services website. Exact opening dates for temporarily closed locations are not available at this time, but Housing and Food Services hopes to have all locations open “as soon as possible,” the university spokesperson wrote.

Staffing shortages have influenced the decrease in restaurant availability on campus, the university spokesperson wrote. Compared to fall

2021, the department has seen a decrease in student workers during the spring 2022 semester. The Daily requested exact food service employment numbers, and the university spokesperson wrote that number “varies at any given time.”

Updates will be available throughout the semester on OU Campus Dining’s social media and Housing and Food Services’ special dining hours page. srbias@ou.edu

Museum offers free masks Masks feature art from creators with university ties

Saturday Women’s basketball vs. Texas, 2 p.m.

Watch the No. 14 Sooners take on the No. 15 Texas Longhorns at home. Tipoff is at 2 p.m. in the Lloyd Noble Center. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit soonersports.com. Don’t forget, students get in free with an OU ID. For game day coverage, visit oudaily.com and follow us on Twitter @OUDaily or @ OUDailySports.

Sunday Women’s gymnastics vs. Denver, 3:45 p.m.

The Sooners will take on the Denver Pioneers at home. The duel begins at 3:45 p.m. in the Lloyd Noble Center. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit soonersports.com. Students get in free with an OU ID. For game day coverage, visit oudaily.com and follow us on Twitter @OUDaily or @OUDailySports.

– From staff reports

Blake Douglas Editor-in-Chief Jillian Taylor News Managing Editor Mason Young Sports Editor Trey Young Visual Editor Justin Jayne Video Editor Chandler Engelbrecht Enterprise Editor

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VOL. 108, NO. 17 Copyright 2021 OU Publications Board FREE — Additional copies 25 cents

Previous Solution

SILAS BALES @Sibales1

The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is handing out free masks with reprints of two of the works in the museum to students of the university.

The works have been reprinted for these masks, paid for by the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art Association, in order to help the students at the university, according to a tweet the museum made.

Kaylee Kain, director of communication at the museum, wrote in an email to The Daily that the works chosen for the masks were selected

silasbales@ou.edu

HOROSCOPE

By Eugenia Last

Copyright 2022, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2022 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) You’ve got the right idea; now speed things up a bit and forge a path forward. How you conduct yourself and what you have to offer will create a buzz. Proceed with confidence.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Take care of your finances, legal affairs and health. Refuse to let anyone push you in a direction that doesn’t appeal to you. Make changes that will benefit you, not someone else.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Mixed emotions will surface if you disagree with what others are doing.

Be sure to have a workable solution before you begin to dominate conversations. Someone is likely to have a change of heart.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Find out where you stand. How you treat others will determine the outcome of a situation you face with someone close to you. Share your feelings with a loved one.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Surround yourself with trustworthy people. Be direct, and don’t let your emotions interfere with your work or relationships with others. Indecisiveness will make you look incompetent.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Take care of business and live up to your responsibilities. Keep your emotions in check and your work ethic in place. Don’t get worked up over something you cannot change.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Make sure you know what you’re doing before you begin. If you don’t live up to your promises, it will affect your reputation and hurt your chance to advance. Stick to the plan.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) What you do is what counts. Reach out to people who share your interests and make changes at home conducive to exploring something you want to pursue. A change will be beneficial.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) You’ll have trouble with someone you work alongside. Distance yourself to avoid an unnecessary entanglement.

Don’t get involved in gossip or let anyone meddle in your affairs.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Keep things simple, practical and within your budget. Use your intelligence to evaluate your position.

Someone will use emotional manipulation to push you in a questionable direction.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Express your feelings. It’s OK to veer off in a direction that you find more creative and exciting. Reach out to people who share your likes and dislikes, and it will inspire you.

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

because of the artists’ ties to the university.

“We wanted to highlight two women in our collection with not only Oklahoma ties, but OU ties,” Kain wrote in an email to The Daily.

“Turner Falls” was produced by Olinka Hrdy, an OU student from the 1920s.

The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art has the largest collection of Hrdy’s work. “Bisti Badlands, New Mexico’’ was produced by Carol Beesley, an art professor of 24 years at the university.

The museum is handing out the masks at its visitor services while supplies last, and the masks will not be restocked.

Kain wrote masks are available for free, and students are encouraged to pick one up.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Show your feelings openly, and you’ll bypass all the passing drama. Know what you want and make your position clear. Adjustments at home will encourage you to live life your way.

PHOTO VIA THE MUSEUM’S TWITTER

Two people wear the masks provided by the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art.

Universal Crossword Edited by Amanda Rafkin January 25, 2022 ACROSS 1 Fraudulent offer 5 “___ the Night Before Christmas” 9 Word before “Putty” or “String” 14 Like a couch potato 15 Scratchy voice 16 Forge an alliance 17 Have ___ in your pants 18 Understudies with scheduled appearances 20 *Artistic freedom (note the last word in each starred clue’s answer) 22 Split from a country 23 Color, like Easter eggs 24 *Oxygen carrier 31 Awards for Naomi Osaka 34 Homophone and antonym of “raise” 35 Bambi’s mother, e.g.

36 Water filtration brand 37 Yucatan natives 38 Therapy center?

39 “What I think ...,” in a text 40 Word that becomes its own antonym when an “n” is added to the front 41 Extracted, like

1/25

ore 43 *They’re pressed when typing 47 DiFranco with the album “Revolutionary Love” 48 What might be curbed?

52 *Environmentalist’s concern 56 Look inward 58 Perimeter 59 Off-limits 60 Grain in dolmas 61 Animal on Morocco’s coat of arms 62 Strict 63 Subpar 64 Very small DOWN 1 Is really good 2 Kayak alternative 3 Certain ancient Nahuatl speaker 4 Whodunit genre 5 Used a stencil 6 Pictureperfect spot?

7 Italian wine region 8 Design detail, for short 9 Tangy orange drink brand 10 “Be right there!”

11 Lo-cal 12 4G ___ 13 Word that a nod might replace 19 Has another

go at 21 The ___ of March 25 First Pixar film with a female protagonist 26 Lasagna section 27 Netflix crime drama set in Missouri 28 Garden with forbidden fruit 29 Handeddown tales 30 Pb on the periodic table 31 It’s a long story 32 Japanese wrestling form 33 “The ___” (2016 musical centered around a high school dance) 37 Period to recharge alone 41 Bit of 29-Down

42 Tel Aviv resident 44 Unhealthy lack of color 45 In ___ (all together) 46 Graphic artist M.C. 49 Break up 50 Some frozen waffles 51 Very small 52 Shape of a sugar clump, maybe 53 Group for people 50 and up 54 Ben Folds Five, inaptly 55 Danish shoe brand 56 Ave. crossers 57 Acai bowl bit, maybe

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

1/18

© 2022 Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com

In the Pocket by Emet Ozar

Descriptor Style from templates.

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SPORTS

Jan. 25-31, 2022

GROVES: continued from page 1

six meetings during the brothers’ four combined years on the varsity squad, likely because Gonzaga Prep boasted current Gonzaga University standout Anton Watson all four of those years.

Watson and his Gonzaga teammate Kaden Perry, NBA players Michael Porter Jr., Corey Kispert, Kevin Porter Jr., and current Duke star Paolo Banchero all hail from Washington. Despite holding their own in a basketball hotbed, neither Groves brother was offered a Division I scholarship aside from Eastern Washington, a Big Sky Conference school with fewer than 11,000 students less than 20 miles from their hometown.

“I knew Jake was going to be an up-and-coming guy,” Randy said. “I felt that Tanner was really under-recruited, but they both ended up at a fantastic school.”

Eagles coach Shantay Legans saw the brothers mature under his guidance, especially as vocal leaders. He noted how seriously Tanner and Jacob took every aspect of college — from the court, to the weight room, to the classroom.

“We had a game early in a preseason where I was like, ‘Man, how did we lose this game?’” Legans said. “I made all the guys write me a couple paragraphs on why we lost and how we could’ve won the game because we shouldn’t have lost. What (Tanner) wrote for me in that moment was special. I still have it today.

He (listed) what he needed to do and made it personal.

“I knew then that he was gonna be our guy, a guy people would follow.”

Tanner’s maturity as a vocal leader is more impressive considering he is an introvert and was more reserved than his brother growing up, but he has continued to emerge as a leader in Norman.

Moser emphasized Tanner’s unique competitiveness and how he sets an example for his teammates after the Sooners’ 74-67 upset win over then-No. 13 Florida on Dec. 1.

“He does a lot of things to impact winning, Tanner does,” Moser said. “The biggest thing is when all his teammates look at him, they’re like, ‘Man, Tanner wants to win.’ Tanner is ready to compete. Tanner’s not afraid of that moment. …

That helps you get through tough moments in the game when other teams are making a run.”

Neither Randy nor Tara Groves feel they did anything particularly special in raising their sons, despite praise from

Legans, Moser and others who have coached the brothers.

“I think, in general, they’re both just darn respectful, hard working kids,” Randy said. “I think that speaks for them.

Some of that happened naturally. I think they just made a decision that’s the way they should be based on the role models that were around them — their grandparents, extended family and (people) like that as well.

“They’re the kind of guys that contracts don’t get signed, everything’s done by shake of the hand. When they tell you they’re going to get something done, they get something done. I think that those are things that the boys grew up seeing and being around, that your word really means something.”

shooting a combined 9-for-16 from 3-point range in a 93-84 loss in which the Eagles led at halftime. Jacob secured nine rebounds and added an assist, block and steal, and Tanner grabbed five boards to pair with three blocks.

Eastern Washington’s success helped Legans earn the head coaching job at Portland.

Tanner subsequently entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, where he became a coveted talent.

Jacob, however, was originally content to stay at Eastern Washington or follow Legans to Portland. He began receiving more calls, though, including the one from Moser, that led the brothers to a Power Five program despite COVID19 complications in their recruiting.

decision. You need to go where you feel like you need to go.’”

The choices came down to Oklahoma, Texas, Washington State and Portland. Though Oklahoma is a 1,776-mile drive from Spokane, Moser sold the brothers on OU. “He held them both on their own merits, which is something that I appreciated — his honesty, his candidness.

Having coached them, I’m very protective of them,” Brian Carney said. “I thought that Porter did an incredible job of recruiting them.”

Resilient and deepening bonds.

The brothers’ decision to move to OU was only sweetened when they learned Moser had offered his Loyola manager a chance to follow

Junior forward Jacob Groves during the game against No. 7 Kansas on Jan. 18.

Emerging as Eagles.

Upon their staggered arrivals, two years apart, to Legans’ Eagles in Cheney, both brothers got to work. It was a slow beginning for Tanner, who started just two games as a redshirt freshman during the 2018-19 season and scored in double digits only twice.

When Jacob arrived the following year, Tanner still didn’t have a much bigger role, averaging just 10 minutes and five points and starting just once.

Jacob, too, played a smaller role, averaging 6.5 minutes in 24 games and never starting.

The next year, however, the Groves brothers erupted on the national stage. Tanner started every game and led the Eagles with 17.2 points per game. He emerged as a star, shooting 56 percent from the field while securing eight rebounds per game and racking up 26 blocks.

In the 2021 NCAA To u r n a m e n t , t h e d u o confidently strode into Indianapolis to face one of college basketball’s blueblood teams, nearly taking down No. 3 seeded Kansas. Both set career highs in points while

“It was exciting because there were so many amazing schools that were reaching out and it was fun for them, but it was also stressful,” Tara Groves said. “They couldn’t go on any visits. Everything was via Zoom. They couldn’t meet the coaches. You just had all these phone conversations and Zoom calls and you had to make decisions based on those things, and so it became stressful.

“Obviously, in the end, it worked out wonderfully for us that they are together, but it was never about that. It was always just finding the right place that worked for both of them. And being able to shine and to play at a level that they wanted to be challenged at.”

The brothers leaned on more than just their parents throughout the process. They took into account opinions from Jim Psomas and Matty Carney’s father Brian, their old AAU coaches. Psomas gave the brothers copious advice but refused to influence which school they picked.

“They asked a few times, ‘What do you think?’” Psomas said. “And I said, ‘That’s your

him to Norman. Once committed, the brothers immediately tried to persuade Matty Carney to join them.

Though Carney initially resisted, the opportunity to continue with Moser at Oklahoma on the Big 12 stage was too much to pass up once he learned his credits would transfer from Loyola-Chicago.

“I am super thankful I came down with them because I’ve been having the most fun I’ve ever had down here,” Carney said. “Those two are a big reason why, and obviously, Coach Moser offering me a job and all that has been awesome. ... Our friendship has really grown to build the closest I’ve ever felt (with) those two.”

Despite being far from home, Tanner and Jacob have maintained the strong family connection that originally brought them to basketball.

Their parents and younger brother Dylynn try to make it to as many games as possible.

Their extended family is also very invested, so for Thanksgiving, the Groves clan trekked to South Carolina for the Sooners’

tournament. Even though Myrtle Beach is nearly 2,700 miles from Spokane, the brothers had a cheering section approximately 40 people deep for three games in mid-November.

“They are an incredible family all the way down,” Brian Carney said. “They’ve held those kids to a standard. They’ve parented them, they’ve coached them, they’ve loved them. … It really is an unbelievably supportive family. They don’t miss games.

They find ways (to watch) regardless of where the boys are playing. Everybody’s always watching from Spokane.

“Their support system is incredible. They’re just great people.”

The Groves family didn’t just show up to South Carolina

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

— they did so in matching T-shirts parodying the 2008 comedy “Step Brothers.”

Instead of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, Tanner and Jacob’s faces adorned the shirts.

Buoyed by that support, Tanner and Jacob shined in Oklahoma’s Nov. 19 rout of Indiana State. Tanner scored 24 points, and Jacob added 11, combining to go 5-for-9 from 3-point range in each of their highest scoring games as Sooners.

Two months later, the brothers had an opportunity to exact revenge on Kansas when the Jayhawks traveled to Norman on Jan. 18. Their contribution fell short of their March performance, as they combined for just 10 points and eight rebounds in a 67-64 loss. Although Tanner and Jacob were unable to help the Sooners beat KU in Norman, they’ll have at least one more chance this season when Oklahoma travels to Lawrence on Feb. 12.

OU is reeling from four straight losses, with two by one possession. Every Big 12 team is in the NCAA’s NET top-65,

meaning the Sooners have no easy games to assuage the slump that’s plagued them early in Big 12 play.

In the Sooners’ 65-61 loss to Baylor on Saturday, Tanner began to break out of the small slump that nagged at him during the start of OU’s four game skid, scoring 11 points and hitting two 3-point shots.

Prior to his performance against the Bears, he’d hit only two 3-pointers in all of Big 12 play.

With six minutes and 22 seconds left in the game, shortly after he scored 10 points during a 17-5 run by the Sooners, Groves blundered.

He lost his handle on the basketball, and as he turned to grab it, he caught Baylor forward Matthew Mayer’s knee to his head.

A no-call on the play led to Groves losing his temper with the official and picking up a technical foul, much to the displeasure of the Lloyd Noble Center crowd. The Bears took the free throws and the momentum, controlling the rest of the game. Yet, the hit may serve as a wake-up call for Groves, who scored in double digits for the first time in OU’s losing streak. “(The technical foul) was unacceptable,” Moser said.

“I talked to Tanner about it to let me get it, especially since officials have a little bit longer rope with a coach than a player. So, he knows it. He just apologized to the team and us.

“Learn from it, grow from it. Nobody cares more than Tanner. But he made a mistake, and (we’re) having a teaching moment.”

Oklahoma will take on two more top 25 teams in No. 2 Auburn and No. 18 Texas Tech on its run through the Big 12 gauntlet in preparation for the conference tournament, which the Groves family plans to attend in droves.

Then comes a return to the NC AA Tournament, where Tanner and Jacob will need the same family support they’ve had since they learned to dribble a basketball to overcome their midseason struggles.

Roughly 30 minutes after the loss to Baylor, when seemingly the only people left in the arena were the teams, support and custodial staff, and media, the Groves brothers emerged from the tunnel to embrace the only other fans left inside the Lloyd Noble Center.

Their family, 10 strong, gave hugs to Tanner and Jacob before all said their goodbyes and parted ways in the parking lot. But, for a moment in time inside the still arena, everything was as it used to be through countless AAU and high school games for the Groves family: together. graysonablalock@ou.edu

Freshman gymnasts charm crowd with seasoned routines Underclassmen talent extends OU’s winning streak LOUIS RASER @LouisRaser

Fuzzy Benas appeared calm and collected as he took a deep breath and stared down the runway leading up to the vault.

McCasland Field House was filled by enthusiastic fans pointing their fingers to the sky with a crescendo of cheers as the freshman phenom prepared to compete in Oklahoma’s fourth event of its home opener. Benas took his final leap and soared into the air. Brief silence was followed by a massive ovation as he nailed his landing, registering a team-high of 14.550.

Younger gymnasts stepping up and nailing routines proved a prevalent theme for the Sooners on Saturday.

Fellow freshman Raydel

Gamboa got a good portion of the crowd on its feet following his sixth rotation performance on high bar. Freshmen Cailen Walker and Emre Dodanli got the crowd roaring with scores of 14.100-plus on their first college events.

Collectively, the rising stars helped No. 1 OU (4-0) beat No. 13 Air Force (0-5) 401.500365.650 in the absence of star seniors Vitaliy Guimaraes and Morgan Seyler, who missed the contest due to injury.

“They’re stepping up and hitting routines like upperclassmen,” senior Spencer Goodell said of his younger teammates. “To see that and know the road ahead is super, super exciting. It’s great stuff.”

The Sooners began their night on the floor, where Goodell nabbed a 14.150 to help string together a compelling 68.200-58.950 lead after the first rotation. While he said afterward it wasn’t his best routine ever, it was sufficient and still elicited an excited reaction.

Goodell clapped and yelled “Let’s go!” into the heart of the raucous crowd following his routine as OU fed off its energetic fans early.

“This is the best atmosphere in the NCAA for gymnastics,” Goodell said. “We thank everyone for coming out, and we wouldn’t be in this situation if it weren’t for them.”

Afterward, Gamboa led the pack on pommel horse in the second rotation with a 13.150 and redshirt junior Braden Collier followed close behind with a 12.800. Redshirt junior Evan Perrault rebounded from an underwhelming performance last week in the Rocky Mountain Open by putting up a 13.400 on still rings. That was enough to lift the Sooners to a 198.400-178.500 lead halfway through the meet.

Walker led off for OU with his 14.450 on vault followed by a pair of 14.350’s from sophomores Zach Nunez and Daniel Simmons. Benas then worked his magic to cap an excellent rotation for Oklahoma.

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

Then-freshman Zach Nunez during the virtual meet against Army on Jan. 30, 2021.

Benas wasn’t finished then, either, as he led the Sooners with a 14.400 on parallel bars.

His routine, along with support from Gamboa and redshirt junior Cesar Gracia, propelled Oklahoma to a 337.750308.200 lead entering the final rotation. It was Gamboa’s show on high bar, as he earned a 13.650 and an ovation to close out the Sooners’ successful night.

“Total team score, considering how many guys we had that had never competed for us,” Goodell said, “was

exceptional.”

This helped extend Oklahoma’s home winning streak to 77 consecutive meets, a testament to the outpouring of support the Sooners have received in Norman for years.

“We still haven’t lost here in a lot of years,” head coach Mark Williams said. “It’s a great environment for gymnastics.”

Following the victory, Williams’ squad is off to a hot start but not yet satisfied.

The Sooners will compete in the Stanford Open in Palo

Alto, California at 8 p.m. CT on Jan. 29.

OU will meet reigning national champion No. 2 Stanford for the second time this season after their narrow 407.700-407.500 victory over the Cardinals in the Rocky Mountain Open.

“We move forward and head to Stanford next weekend,” Williams said, “which is gonna be a big challenge taking Stanford on the road.”

Louis.d.raser-1@ou.edu