Oct. 19-25, 2021 by OU Daily

W E E K LY E D I T I O N | O C T. 19 - 2 5 , 2 0 2 1 | O U D A I LY. C O M

Julius Jones freedom vigil held on South Oval · pg 4

OUDAILY ‘Who says journalism is dead?’

EDWARD REALI/THE DAILY

Freshman quarterback Caleb Williams takes snaps before the homecoming game against TCU on Oct. 16.

Freshman phenom fries Frogs Caleb Williams shines in first start of career on Homecoming weekend CHANDLER ENGELBRECHT @ctengelbrecht

Caleb Williams shifted left as a would-be tackler flew to the ground. With room to run, the Washington, D.C., native directed blockers and bolted. After bobbing in and out of traffic, he stood firmly inside Owen Field’s south endzone 41 yards later, where he gazed into a sea of fans donning crimson before his teammates swarmed him. The play was one of many highlights Williams had in his debut as the Sooners’ starting quarterback, which saw him lead No. 3 OU (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) to a 52-31 victory over TCU (3-3, 1-2). As the fifth true freshman quarterback to ever start for the Sooners, Williams mirrored past OU gunslingers and opened new possibilities for the Sooners’ offense.

Williams finished 18-of-23 passing for 295 yards and four touchdowns and added 66 rushing yards on nine carries. He completed his first 10 passes for 206 yards and a score, which came on a 17-yard pass to redshirt senior H-back Jeremiah Hall. The last true freshman quarterback to start for Oklahoma, co-offensive coordinator Cale Gundy, lost 33-31 to Iowa State in 1990. Now 394 games removed from that moment, Williams’ teammates believe the freshman who didn’t play his senior year of high school due to the pandemic is on track to stand among OU’s all-timers at the position. “He’s himself,” said senior safety Pat Fields. “He’s the same guy that we recruited. … He’s fiery. I didn’t play with Baker, but I think he has some traits of Baker Mayfield. I played with (Kyler Murray), and I think he has some traits of K1 in terms of what he can do with the ball in his hands (and) how dynamic he is. I think he’s a special player. “He has that little kid joy for the

game. And I say that because it’s so important. A lot of guys, they get tired of practicing, they get tired of the grind, but he’s just excited every single day. … He’s the future of our program, and I think he’s doing everything he can and should do.” Williams’ start comes a week after he took over for redshirt sophomore and preseason Heisman favorite Spencer Rattler in the Sooners’ 55-48 comeback over Texas. He had 212 passing yards and two touchdowns while going 16-of-25 in the win. After dispatching the Horned Frogs, senior wide receiver Mike Woods complimented Williams’ tendency to toss 50-50 balls. Ultimately, however, Woods said OU’s receiving corps doesn’t care who’s behind center and that they’d trust either quarterback in head coach Lincoln Riley’s system. Yet, ESPN color commentator Kirk Herbstreit noted during the game’s broadcast that the Sooners’ offense has seemed to find itself under Williams. The former Gonzaga High School standout has now led

Oklahoma to back-to-back 50-point performances and now has 40-1 odds to win the Heisman Trophy per Oddsmaker despite playing at length in just the past seven quarters of OU football. “I think as we walk out of this stadium, and everybody that watched this game, everybody’s going to be talking about Caleb Williams,” Herbstreit said on air, “and how Caleb Williams makes Oklahoma a legitimate team and makes this a really exciting race in the Big 12. … He got his shot, and he’s completely taken advantage of this. There is a buzz in this stadium, in this city and in this state now about this Sooner team with him there.” Riley told reporters that he decided Williams would start around midweek. He said both Williams and Rattler “handled it well.” Williams was not announced as the starter until minutes before the game kicked off. “Caleb got the opportunity tonight and obviously did a great job with it,” Riley said. “I’m confident that had Spencer gotten the opportunity

tonight, with the way he practiced, he would’ve played very well also. Thought the room handled it great. Proud of those guys for a winning effort and being team-first guys.” Though Rattler didn’t take a snap Saturday, redshirt junior running back Kennedy Brooks said he was involved on the sidelines and that he believes Rattler will continue to help his team however he can. For now, though, it appears to be Williams’ team to lead in the second half of a season in which the Sooners remain undefeated and with all their preseason goals still in front of them. “He’s a great leader for being a freshman,” said redshirt sophomore receiver Jadon Haselwood. “I don’t think he ever feels pressure. He’s always in a good mood. Like even last week (against Texas), he felt no pressure, no fear. You can tell by the way he played. (He’s) just a great kid. He can sling it, he can run it, he can do whatever he needs to do to get the ball downfield.” chandler.engelbrecht@ou.edu

OU Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrates identities, cultures Weeklong observance highlights hardships, recognizes sovereignty PEGGY DODD, TAYLOR JONES and KALY PHAN @pegdodd @wrongtailor @KPhsn

The OU American Indian Programs and Services hosted an Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration from Oct. 11-15 to commemorate Native American sovereignty in the Norman campus. The weeklong celebration started with an Oct. 11 tribal flag march and a cedaring ceremony, a prayer of reflection and blessings, by OU tribal liaison Warren Queton. A luncheon presenting keynote speaker Jameson D. Lopez, an enrolled member of the Quechan Tribe located in California, took place Oct. 12 and a panel on Native American languages occurred on Oct. 14. President Joseph Biden issued a proclamation recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Oct. 8, 2021, becoming the first U.S. president to do so. OU administrators first recognized Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2015 after pressure from student group Indigenize OU and other campus leaders. Miss and Mr. Indian OU, Student Government Association Congress Chair Crispin South, leaders from

the OU Native fraternity and sorority Sigma Nu Alpha Gamma and Gamma Delta Pi and the OU American Indian Student Association president spoke during the opening ceremony after the tribal flag march. AISA President Phoenix Burrow said in her speech that one of her first memories of Indigenous Peoples’ Day in school was “anything but fond,” as she was asked, “Do you want to be a pilgrim or Indian?” At the time, she said she didn’t understand what was being asked of her, but, looking back, she can recall many times like this when Native American perspectives were “completely ignored.” When she came to OU, she said she finally felt heard. “I was able to find a community here that consisted of Native students with interests in various programs (and) Native staff that not only made you feel a sense of belonging, but also validated the knowledge that we come here knowing as Indigenous students,” Burrow said. Despite the day’s celebration, Burrow said Indigenous people still face various struggles, including the kidnapping and murdering of Native American women and high suicide rates in Native American men in age groups 10-34. “To those who are listening outside of our Native community and want to help, I can only advise (you) to educate yourself, your friends and

find resources for your Native friends so you can be ready when they are going through these issues,” Burrow said. Burrow recalled a piece by internationally recognized multidisciplinary artist and Lac Seul First Nation member Rebecca Belmore titled ‘Fringe’ that depicts a Native American woman facing away from a camera with a large scar across her back. She said it represents the healed but lasting scar left upon Native American people. “As we try to heal from generational trauma, the scars are reopened from these issues that are still prevalent within our community,” Burrow said. “In Indigenous fashion, however, we are resilient, and we continue to heal and work toward being able to reduce the effects that trauma has had for future generations.” Burrow said she is excited for the future of Native American representation, as she views her and her peers as “change-makers” who can make a lasting impact on campus and their communities. SGA Chair Crispin South echoed this statement, saying in his speech that the day’s celebration was “inspiring.” When South was younger, he said the holiday honored Christopher Columbus, who he referred to as “the colonizer.” Although South said the university, state and country still have work to do, he still sees this day as one worth celebrating, as it offers

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

Members of the Native community help set up a tipi on the South Oval in celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Oct. 11.

Native American people a way to be who they are “to the fullest extent” through their heritage, culture, languages and dress. “Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a day of reclamation. This is a day when we can celebrate our cultures and where we can take it back,” South said. “I don’t speak Choctaw — that’s something that my family has lost over the years through colonization. I’m trying to learn it again. I’m trying to reclaim that. I’m trying to bring that back into our family and our heritage.” Tsali Smith, chairman of Sigma Nu Alpha Gamma, OU’s only Native American fraternity, said he is honored he gets to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a federally recognized holiday. He said, 10 years ago, he wouldn’t have believed “such a small minority” would receive nationwide recognition. “(Gamma Delta Pi and Sigma Nu Alpha Gamma) just make you realize there are so few of us. This is the heart of Indian country, yet we’re (the)

only Native sorority and fraternity. We only have a handful of American Indian student organizations yet we’re in the heart of Native community,” Smith said. “(It) just makes you wonder what happens outside of Oklahoma.” On the OU-Norman campus, 1,014 students, or 3.6 percent of all students, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native, according to the Fall 2020 OU Factbook. Growing up, Smith said he always had long hair, which is an important aspect of Native American culture. He remembers being bullied for “not being masculine” and having his hair forcibly cut by white students when he lived in the Northern U.S. Historically, Native American men were often forced to cut their hair to appear more “civilized,” or white, as evidenced in a 1902 letter from the commissioner of Indian Affairs. Smith said he is “grateful” for the support he found in Oklahoma and see NATIVE page 2

NEWS

• Oct. 19-25, 2021

OU plans hiring expansion Administrator briefs Faculty Senate on Strategic Plan efforts ALEXIA ASTON @alexiaaston

OU Associate Vice President for Budget and Finance Stewart Berkinshaw presented the university’s plan to add 150 new faculty positions over the next six years as part of OU’s Lead On, University Strategic Plan in a Monday meeting. Tactic 1 of Pillar 1 — to “become a top-tier public research university” — reads the university plans to hire new faculty in areas consistent with the “Lead On, University Strategic Plan” through a new

annual investment of $35 million over seven years. During the meeting, Berkinshaw said OU has already implemented initiatives to achieve 150 new faculty positions such as collapsing the health plan tier structure from six to three and moving from Delta Dental to Blue Cross Blue Shield Dental. The tactic also includes changing the third-party administrator Blue Cross Blue Shield to OU’s self-funded medical insurance, potentially revising the current Defined Contribution Plans structure for new employees and limiting its payments from the university to base pay only, impacting supplemental overload and summer pay actions. “The goal of these changes

and other changes is to get us to (do) a biennial raise program for (OU) where we can have some line of sight into knowing that we have a consistent raise program structure,” Berkinshaw said. In addition, staff positions could be added in “critical student-facing” and faculty support positions to sustain OU’s projected faculty growth, Berkinshaw said. OU’s strategic plan will also seek to grow revenue and minimize costs that do not directly support students and faculty in Academic Affairs, a $350 million area on campus focused on academic strategy and policy. Berkinshaw said all nongrant-funded areas on campus will be assessed a 1

percent charge equivalent to their payroll expense beginning in fiscal year 2022. This charge will increase to 2 percent in fiscal year 2023 and 3 percent in fiscal year 2024. “This permanent reallocation directs funding to priorities within the Strategic Plan and allows colleges and departments a phase-in period to respond,” Berkinshaw said. “This percentage may need to increase if other actions to fund the Strategic Plan are not successful.” During the meeting, OU Human Resources representative Lee Camargo-Quinn announced OU Benefits Open Enrollment will be available from Oct. 25 to Nov. 5. She said changes will take effect Jan. 1, 2022.

Camargo-Quinn announced OU will host a benefits fair starting Oct. 19 in Andrew’s Tower, Room 109 at the OU Health Sciences Center from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Oct. 20, the fair will be in the Stephenson Research and Technology Center Atrium at the Norman South Campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Oct. 21, the fair will take place in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Molly Shi Boren Ballroom from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The final day of the fair will be on Oct. 22 in the Schusterman Learning Center in Founders Hall at the Tulsa Campus from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

EDWARD REALI/THE DAILY

Homecoming royalty Devin Brown and Parker Primrose pose with OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. during the homecoming game against TCU on Oct. 16.

Royalty. Parker Primrose is a journalism and public and nonprofit administration senior from Allen, Texas. Primrose is the president of the Brothers Under Christ fraternity and was nominated by the group. Devin Brown is a foundational sciences of life senior from San Antonio, Texas. Brown was nominated by Miracle Mindset, a nonprofit helping low-income and first-generation college students reach higher education. Court members. Adarius Begay is a computer science senior from Phoenix, Arizona. Begay was chosen as Mr. Indian OU 2020-2021 by the American Indian Student Association and was nominated by the organization. Alejandra Cruz is a letters and women’s and gender studies senior from Oklahoma City with family from Aguascalientes, Mexico.

NATIVE: continued from page 1

the positive progress society has made in recognizing Native culture. American Indian Programs and Services Coordinator Antonia Belindo said in an interview with The Daily that extending the festivities to a weeklong event was needed because Native American sovereignty “should be celebrated every single minute.” “It’s every single day that we consider Indigenous Peoples’ Day,” Belindo said. “The way that we carry ourselves and our identities and our authentic form of being Native people and associated with our tribe. So, I think that’s what really pushed us to extend it where we’re not just stuck on a Monday.” ‘As a child, I didn’t always know I was Native.’ Lopez spoke during the luncheon about how growing up as an “urban Native” and not on a reservation developed his perspective on his identity and about the importance of reclaiming his identity as a Native American individual. Besides working as an assistant professor of Educational Policy Studies and Practice at the University of Arizona, Lopez is studying Native

Cruz was nominated by and is president of the Alpha Rho chapter of Theta Nu Xi multicultural sorority. Tavana Farzaneh is a business management senior from Norman. Farzaneh is president of the OU Student Government Association and was nominated by the group. Paola Figueroa is a community health senior from Oklahoma City with family from Aguascalientes, Mexico. She was nominated by the Xi Beta chapter of the Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority. Wambui Gachunga is a biomedical engineering senior from Nakuru, Kenya. Gachunga was nominated by the OU African Women’s League. Peace Mojekwu is a senior receiving her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting. Mojekwu is from Anambra State, Nigeria

and was nominated by the International Advisory Committee. Sidhvi Reddy is a microbiology senior from Birmingham, Alabama. Reddy was nominated by the Withrow Leadership Scholars. Adaira Reid is a biomedical engineering senior from Tulsa. Reid is the president of the Biomedical Engineering Society and was nominated by the group. Sydney Smith is a psychology senior from Houston, Texas. Smith is the president of the Panhellenic Association and was nominated by the group. Michael Williams is an advertising senior from Oklahoma City. Williams was nominated by the OU Gender + Equality Center.

Content warning: This article mentions sexual assault. The University of Oklahoma and the OU Police Department have concluded their investigation into Beta Theta Pi, according to a release sent to The Daily. OU began investigating Beta Theta Pi in August after screenshots circulated social media alleging prospective members were encouraged to complete a “rape initiation.” A university spokesperson said the investigation found no evidence of these rumors. “The university has concluded its review and no evidence was found to support the claims. As a result, no charges will be filed against the organization or any of its members, and this matter is considered closed,” an OU spokesperson wrote in the statement. “The university takes all allegations and incidents of sexual misconduct very seriously and is committed to creating a safe campus environment for our students, faculty and staff.” Sam Atkinson, OU’s Beta Theta Pi chapter president, and Zach Allen, the president of the Beta Theta Pi Corporation of Oklahoma,

Mason Young Sports Editor Jazz Wolfe Culture Editor Beth Wallis Enterprise Editor Makenna Buckskin Engagement Editor Trey Young Visual Editor Justin Jayne Video Editor Francisco Gutierrez Copy Manager Jordan Lanoue, Josie Gerdes Designers Seth Prince Staff Adviser

investigation into Beta Theta Pi initiation rumors

JONATHAN KYNCL @jdkyn

Ari Fife News Managing Editor

alexiaaston@ou.edu

OU Hoco royalty, court OUPD concludes

No evidence found; no charges to be filed

Blake Douglas Editor-in-Chief

said the investigation found no evidence connecting the allegations with any of its members. “In late August, certain inflammatory rumors concerning our fraternity were circulated in social media and reported by The OU Daily. We stated then, and we restate today, that those rumors were irresponsible, obviously and absurdly false, and extremely defamatory,” Allen and Atkinson wrote in the statement. “With our encouragement and cooperation, the University and OU Police Department investigated the allegations and found no evidence whatsoever to support them or any wrongdoing by our fraternity. In fact there is no evidence of any link at all between the allegations and our fraternity or its members.” Allen and Atkinson also said the rumors were started by a fictional story that was “irresponsibly asserted in social media by someone with absolutely no factual foundation.” “It’s a lesson about how social media can be misused and how the truth can get lost among rumor, innuendo and herd mentality,” Allen and Atkinson wrote in the statement. “Our fraternity takes issues of sexual assault very seriously, and we are committed to promoting the safety and well-being of all students at the University of Oklahoma.” jkyncl@ou.edu

160 Copeland Hall, 860 Van Vleet Oval Norman, OK 73019-2052

phone:

405-325-3666

email:

dailynews@ou.edu contact us 160 Copeland Hall, 860

The OU Daily is a public forum, the University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice and an entirely student-run publication. Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and must be fewer than 250 words, typed and signed by the author(s). Letters will be edited for accuracy, space and style. Students must list their major submit letters, email dailyopinion@ou.edu. Our View is the voice of the Editorial Board, which consists of student editors. The board meets at 4:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday in Copeland Hall, Room 168. Board meetings are open to the public. Guest columns are accepted and printed at the editor’s discretion. Columnists’ opinions are their own and not necessarily the views or opinions of The OU Daily Editorial Board. To advertise in The OU Daily, contact the advertising manager by calling 405-325-8964 or emailing dailyads@ ou.edu. 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 325-2522.

American education using statistics, and he serves as a Native American quantitative researcher. Lopez’s parents worked as staff and faculty in higher education and traveled around the country, often to Native American reservations, to recruit students for college. He accredited this as one of the “perspective-forming experiences” that impact his work today with Native American populations. “As a child, I didn’t always know I was Native. I grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood, and it offered some unique perspectives. … When I would go to school, I was the darkest kid in class,” Lopez said. Lopez said he originally wanted to go into the military instead of going to college, but his father convinced him to stay in school for at least one year before enlisting. One year quickly turned into four. The years he spent in school were ones Lopez said he appreciated because they allowed him to pursue his purpose — returning to his Native American community. Toward the end of the luncheon, OU’s American Indian Student Association presented Lopez with a blanket, thanking him for speaking. Belindo spoke briefly

regarding OU’s relationship with their Native American students, as the university sits in the middle of Native American land. “While it seems that we’re on the level of a Division I university, what is the actual work that’s being done and what are we doing to really uplift this community?” Belindo asked. ‘I’m ... grateful to hear Kiowa people speak.’ OU Native American language professors, speakers and students participated in a Thursday panel to discuss the importance of the revitalization and learning of Native American languages. Belindo led the panel about the importance of the revitalization and learning of Native American languages. She started by asking the participants several questions about the purpose and importance of the variety of the four Native American languages taught at OU. Belindo spoke on how unique different Native American languages and cultures are. She said some students often take Native American language courses for an easy A. “The reason I bring that up is because that’s a common theme and (‘easy A’ is) a common phrase that’s thrown around, especially with

students during the time of enrollment — it’s even (said) by advisers,” Belindo said. “It’s unfortunate to say that (because) do you say that about German? Do you say that about Spanish? Do you say that about any other European westernized language? I don’t think so.” Native American studies professor Brian Burkhart, Choctaw instructor Freddie Lewis and Kiowa instructor Dane Poolaw all said the classes they teach aren’t simple, especially if students are willing to truly learn the language. Lewis said the classes often begin with the basics, but as the class progresses, the amount learned is equal to any other language class. “I think if you asked students now, I don’t think they’d admit it’s easy anymore,” Lewis said. “I’m not trying to be hard, I’m just trying to get more out of it than what used to be done.” Belindo said that generalizing Native American studies and language into one category can be harmful to the individuality of culture and tradition. During the panel, participants also discussed the importance of language revitalization to many Native American communities. According to Belindo, keeping

a language alive is keeping an entire culture alive. “I think of revitalization or speaking your language or even attempting to speak your language — even those who may or may not identify as Native and they are speaking a language in a way — I find that as a form of activism and reclamation of Indigenous identities in tribes that are here across the U.S. and Canada and Mexico and all these arbitrary borders that exist,” Belindo said. Delores Harragara, a Kiowa elder and mentor at the Kiowa Language and Culture Revitalization Program, graduated from OU in 1951. During the panel, she said she was shocked at the progress the Native American Studies program has made and loves to see that so many Native American languages are now being taught at OU. “I left and went off to school, and I’ve never heard it anymore,” Harragara said. “And it’s beautiful to hear. … I’m grateful, very grateful for the technology, grateful to hear Kiowa people speak.”

Corrections: The Daily is Corrections: Daily is committed toThe accuracy committed to accuracy. in its publications. If story, email dailynews@ ou.edu or visit oudaily. com/site/corrections com/corrections to .html toasubmit a submit correction correction form.

stay connected

/oudaily /oudaily

@oudaily @oudaily

@theoklahomadaily @theoudaily

oudaily.com oudaily oudaily.com

peggy.f.lail-1@ou.edu taylor.p.jones-1@ou.edu kaly.n.phan-1@ou.edu

NEWS

Oct. 19-25, 2021 •

COMING UP AT OU

Wednesday Softball vs. Seminole State, 6 p.m. Watch the Sooners take on Seminole State at home at 6 p.m. on Marita Hynes Field. For more information, visit soonersports.com. For game day coverage, visit oudaily.com and follow us on Twitter @OUDaily.

Thursday University Theatre in “She Loves Me”, 8 p.m. In an elegant Budapest parfumerie, we meet two clerks, Amalia and Georg, who, more often than not, don’t see eye to eye. After both respond to a ‘lonely hearts’ advertisement in the newspaper, these unwitting pen pals become the most unlikely of lovebirds. Widely considered the most charming musical ever written, this delightful confection promises to bring out the hopeless romantic in all of us. For more information, visit https://www.

Friday Human Library, 5 p.m. in Headington Private Dining Room Hosted by the International Advisory Committee, the Human Library is a chance for people to have open conversations with people they may not normally meet. Every human book from our bookshelf represents a group in our society that is often subjected to prejudice, stigmatization or discrimination because of their lifestyle, diagnosis, belief, disability, social status, ethnic origin, etc. Softball vs. West Texas A&M The Sooners take on West Texas A&M at home at 6 p.m. on Marita Hynes Field. For more information, visit soonersports.com. For game day coverage, visit oudaily.com and follow us on Twitter @ OUDaily.

Saturday Football @ Kansas, 11 a.m. Watch the No. 3 Sooners look to carry their momentum another week and take on the Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kansas. Kickoff is at 11 a.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN. For more information visit soonersports.com. For game day coverage, visit oudaily.com and turn on Twitter

PARKER SHINSKY/THE DAILY

African and African American Studies Department Chair and Regents’ ProfessorKarlos Hill addressing the crowd at Julius Jones

‘He was just like you’ OU community rallies in Julius Jones freedom vigil KALY PHAN News Reporter @KPhsn

Several OU students, faculty and staff listened attentively in the Unity Garden on Oct. 15 as speakers at the Julius Jones freedom vigil held by OU’s Department of African and African American Studies gathered in solidarity with Jones and in defiance of his placement on death watch. Department staff and faculty, members and supporters of the Justice for Julius movement and Jones’ sister, Antoinette, spoke at the vigil. They emphasized the need for action as Jones’ execution date, set for Nov. 18, draws near. Speakers repeatedly emphasized the injustice of the death penalty for a crime many believe he did not commit. Julius Jones was a student at OU when he was convicted of the murder of Paul Howell in 1999 and sentenced to death. His story reached national audiences through an episode of Viola Davis’ docu-series “The Last Defense.” Jones was put on death watch Oct. 15 and has a clemency hearing scheduled for Oct. 26. Department Chair and Regents’ Professor Karlos Hill and African and African American Studies adjunct instructor Sharri Coleman opened the vigil with a “solemn observance” through the song “I Don’t Feel No Ways

Tired.” Hill said it was important for those present to start the vigil by asserting their support for Jones. “I’ve had the good fortune to sit across from Julius and talk with him, look into his eyes, and he tells me, ‘I did not do that,’” Hill said. “‘I would never do that. I am not a perfect human being, but I have never killed someone. I was with my family on the evening of that murder. I did not know Paul Howell, I did not kill Paul Howell.’ I believe him. His family believes him. The Justice for Julius movement believes him, and we will not — and I repeat, not — let an innocent man be put to death, and we say nothing. We do nothing. We bear no witness.” Oklahoman anti-racism activist, OU alumnus and Oklahoma City University Law student Jess Eddy said white students, staff and faculty have “an outsized burden” to stand between Jones, his family and the systems of injustice and white supremacy. He said that white supremacy “sunk (its) claws” and imprisoned Jones in “the dungeon” that is death row. “He was just like you — a student here, thirsty to learn, to read, to play basketball, to enjoy this sun,” Eddy said. “This breeze, this grass and all of those things have now been denied to him for 22 years. A breeze between his fingers. The sun on his forehead. The voices of his loved ones. I asked Antoinette, ‘How long has it been since you have laid a finger on your brother?’ Seventeen years. Seventeen

HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last

Sunday

University Theatre in “She Loves Me”, 3 p.m.

– From staff reports

Previous Solution

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

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2021 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Take a positive path that allows you to explore exciting avenues. Put the utmost into getting what you want and refuse to let anyone stand in your way. Anger won’t solve anything.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Trust in your ability to get things done. A chance to enhance your skills and knowledge looks promising. A commitment from the heart will change the way you live. Romance is on the rise.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Stick to the rules and avoid confusion and setbacks. Use your creativity to overcome indecision. A change will daunt you, but in time and with patience, you will recognize the benefits.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Be cautious of offers that sound too good to be true. Play it safe, sit tight and don’t allow certain ongoing changes to push you in a direction not suited to your schedule.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Set high standards and live up to your expectations. How you present what you want to do will inspire others to pitch in and help. Use your intelligence and connections appropriately.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Speed up, and you’ll reach your destination with plenty of time to spare. Expand your mind and skills, and good things will transpire. Make self-improvement a priority. Romance is in the stars.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You’ll face opposition and questions that will be emotionally draining if you aren’t swift to explain your actions and present reasonable solutions. Take control, but don’t put demands on others.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Do something that brings you joy. The time you take to relax and rejuvenate will help you rethink your next move. A positive change is within reach if you reach out to someone who can help.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) You’ll have the stamina to get things done quickly and efficiently. Your progress and gains will help advance your agenda. Your power of persuasion will get results.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Study something that intrigues you and engages your mind in ways you never thought possible. How you approach partnerships, business and money matters will prove beneficial.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Put your effort into self-improvement. Update your image, raise your awareness and do something that matters. How you use your time and clout will determine how much help others are willing to offer.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Set up a reasonable budget. Consider investing in something that will help you bring in more cash. Adding to your qualifications or skills is favored. Stick close to home and avoid temptation.

years since Julius has been able to be hugged by his sister or his mother.” Eddy said after the event it was important for this vigil to take place in the Unity Garden because Jones still feels his status as a student at OU has not changed. “(OU) is where Julius should be,” Eddy said. “I know that when he is released, he plans on getting his education, and we want him to know that he is welcome here. We want him to be able to move on with his life. He’s dreamed about it, his education, and being able to be a student that he was never really able to be.” Jabee Williams, an Oklahoma City artist and supporter of the Justice for Julius movement, said he wanted to remind people that Jones “isn’t just a campaign or movement” and that, as human beings, it is “our responsibility” to take care and look after one another. “Julius will call me and talk to me and I always have to remind myself to try to be sensitive to his needs,” Williams said. “I remind myself to not always, whenever we talk, make it about me. Just like a friend does, he ends up helping me in my situation, and I’m helpless in his.” After the vigil, Williams said Jones has “a lot to offer” to the world and is all about “empowering the next generation.” “I have a music program I run at the Boys and Girls Club in Oklahoma City, and one of (my) students wrote him a letter,” Williams said. “I happened to be on the phone

with him one day when she was there — she’s (around) 12 years old — and he spoke to her and gave her some encouragement. You would have thought she met Michael Jackson.” Antoinette Jones also said her brother “truly loves education” and giving back and someday wants to help at-risk youth. She said she knows him to be an innocent man because he was at home with her, “disappointed in (her) older brother and (her) for eating a lot of his birthday cookies.” Now that her brother is on death watch, Jones said that any correspondence or words of encouragement to her brother are appreciated. “I need my people in Oklahoma to stand up for my brother,” Jones said. “I need the people in Oklahoma to stand up for Julius Darius Jones because he is one of you. He is a Sooner like all of you. If you could write our governor and let him know to commute Julius’ sentence to time served and a release and/or life with the possibility of parole.” Before the final prayer for Jones, Hill closed speeches by saying to not lose hope for Jones, even if the future looks bleak. “I believe there is still hope,” Hill said. “I still believe that there’s things that we can do, that we can hopefully accomplish in the time that we have to save this man’s life. We can’t give up. I think there are things that we can do, and we should do them.”

Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg October 18, 2021 ACROSS 1 Spanish greeting 5 Stocking contents for the naughty 9 Corkboard fastener 13 Word before “house” or “bar” 14 Computer’s “reverse” action 15 “Now it’s clear” 16 *Reputation, slangily 17 *Theme park regular’s purchase 20 Buzzing instruments 22 Foxlike 23 ___/her 24 *Predisposed 27 *Plane ticket datum 28 South Indian foods that anagram to “sodas” 29 The “A” in ATV 30 Mythology figures 34 E.R. staffers 35 Least cordial 38 Emulated Moses, or what a black square between each pair of starred clues’ answers did? 41 Lift passengers 42 “___ had it!” 43 “NBA Countdown” channel 44 Chill (out) 45 “25” singer

10/18

47 *Raised, as Rottweilers 49 *Actor who played the hobbit Sam 53 An elephant’s may be six feet in height 54 Hot dog holder 55 More than wanted 57 *Found out 61 *Blacken on the grill 62 Sonic’s game company 63 Scheduler for a senator, perhaps 64 Colorful account 65 14-Across’s menu 66 ___-of-themoment 67 Copious amount DOWN 1 Sell to a pawnshop 2 Emmywinning host Winfrey 3 Emmywinning host Gibbons 4 Slashed conjunction 5 They’re bleeped out 6 Number below !, on a keyboard 7 Law with ramp standards, briefly 8 Negative bottom-line figures 9 Barely visible 10 Egyptian snake

11 Unending 12 “TiK ToK” singer 18 Not current 19 Mount, as a gem 21 Like this clue’s number 25 “___ She Lovely” (Stevie Wonder song) 26 “Parks and Recreation” actress Jones 27 Playground fixture 29 Blackjack card 30 Navigation aid, briefly 31 Strong tree 32 It covers traffic lights 33 “Trusty” horse 35 Dublin resident 36 Labor Day’s mo. 37 Goal for a certain beachgoer

39 Bit of work 40 Like this clue’s number 45 Trojan son of Aphrodite 46 U-turn from WNW 47 Where dreams are made? 48 Salary boost 49 Ford Explorer, e.g.: Abbr. 50 Tries, as one’s patience 51 Most suitable 52 Writer Zora ___ Hurston 54 Fishing vessel 56 Picked from a deck 58 Special FX 59 Run in a stocking, e.g. 60 End of a dean’s email address

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

Staff Cut by Adrian Kabigting

SPORTS

• Oct. 19-25, 2021

‘A completely different team’ Sooners’ 52-31 win over TCU marks offensive, defensive transformation MASON YOUNG @Mason_Young_0

Three weeks ago, Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler were watching an Oklahoma squad still looking for its stride. The ABC/ESPN hosts were in Norman on Sept. 25 when fans rained boos on the OU offense during its sluggish 17-14 win over West Virginia. That night, they also heard the shouts of “We want Caleb” as the student section beckoned freshman quarterback Caleb Williams to supplant incumbent redshirt sophomore starter Spencer Rattler, the preseason Heisman Trophy favorite. Two weeks later, they watched Williams do that and more, leading the Sooners to a legendary comeback victory over Texas in the Red River Showdown. That win brought them back to Gaylord FamilyOklahoma Memorial Stadium on Saturday night as students got what they’d called for, and a national story bore itself out: Williams earned his first career start, and the broadcasting duo who call ABC’s evening national game got its third OU game in four weeks. Behind Williams, a revamped running game, an emerging receiving corps and a defense that was again not great, but good enough, No. 3 OU (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) pulled away for a 52-31 victory over the TCU Horned Frogs (3-3, 1-2) before 84,391 supporters. Fans exploded when Williams was announced as the starter minutes before kickoff. Their energy only grew throughout the night as head coach Lincoln Riley’s team began to model the prolific offense and

sufficient defense it has exhibited each year since he came to OU in 2015 — the early portions of this season notwithstanding — and putting the nation on notice. “It’s a different energy, man,” Herbstreit said on the ABC broadcast. “We’ve been around this team three times in the last few weeks. A completely different team — not offense, team — in the second half last week, tonight for four quarters.” The Sooners’ offensive resurgence begins with Williams, who threw for 295 yards and four touchdowns on 18-of-23 passing against TCU. He also rushed for 66 yards and another score on nine carries, giving OU a duality it lacked with Rattler, who hasn’t run for more than 35 yards in a game this fall and did not enter the game Saturday. OU’s offense was averaging 6.4 yards per play through its three initial conference games, all Rattler starts, but averaged eight against Texas, thanks in part to Williams. With Williams at the helm against Gary Patterson’s Horned Frogs, typically known for stout defense, the Sooners racked up a whopping 9.1 yards per play. “I think with Spencer Rattler in there, they were still effective, but it was almost like they were just stuck,” Herbstreit said during the game. “They didn’t quite play as good as they could as a team, and I feel like what we’ve seen with Caleb Williams in there, we’ve seen a very different team.” Williams’ supporting cast was headlined by redshirt junior running back Kennedy Brooks, whose 153 yards and touchdown on 20 carries accounted for two-thirds of OU’s 230 team rushing yards. Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jadon Haselwood also shined, snagging a teamhigh six catches for 56 yards

EDWARD REALI/THE DAILY

OU head coach Lincoln Riley and freshman quarterback Caleb Williams talk during the homecoming game against TCU on Oct. 16.

and three touchdowns while emerging as a dominant red zone weapon. OU’s 525 yards were its second-most against an FBS opponent this season, and TCU responded with 529 of its own, extending a unique Riley-era trend. Since 2017 when Riley became head coach, the Sooners have secured an NCAA-leading eight victories in games where they produced and allowed 500 or more yards. Oklahoma’s weakness against TCU was its defense, which was ironically and unusually its strength through its first four games. The unit known as Speed D did recover a fumble forced by freshman cornerback Latrell McCutchin and scooped by senior linebacker DaShaun White, but he proceeded to fumble it out the end zone, failing to convert it to points. As defensive coordinator Alex Grinch put it, mistakes have “snowballed” in recent games, leading to OU allowing 420 and

NOW ON DISPLAY

Closes Dec. 31, 2021

PATRICK NAGATANI

NUCLEAR ENCHANTMENT Closes Jan. 30, 2022

ADMISSION IS ALWAYS FREE! Scan the QR code to plan your visit

For accommodations, please call Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art Visitor Services at (405) 325-4938. The University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma is an 555 Elm Ave., Norman, OK equal opportunity institution. 73019-3003 www.ou.edu/eoo

516 yards against Kansas State and Texas, respectively, then a season high against TCU. “There’s not a lot of teams in the country that are 7-0, and obviously our expectation is a whole lot higher — in terms of our performance — a whole lot higher than what we’ve been putting on film over the last couple of weeks,” Grinch said. “And so there’s a pattern forming, and that’s the first thing you think about, what are the things you have to fix. “You have two options as a coach. You enhance things that are good or you fix things that are bad, and there’s a lot of fixes right now. But certainly, to be a 7-0 football team and not play your best football, and then still find a way to make enough plays, to get enough stops, to find yourself in the win category is certainly exciting.” Not all defensive struggles are coaching related, though. Starting safety Delarrin Turner-Yell, cornerback Woodi Washington

and defensive lineman Jalen Redmond were out with injuries Saturday. Starting cornerback D.J. Graham exited with a potential concussion, and starting linebacker Brian Asamoah was also shaken up. Fortunately for the Sooners, they’ll finish the month termed in OU lore as “Red October” with a lighter load than usual. Oklahoma next faces Kansas at 11 a.m. on Oct. 23 in Lawrence and Texas Tech on Oct. 31 at home. The Jayhawks (1-5, 0-3) and Red Raiders (5-2, 2-2) are among the lesser threats in the Big 12. OU will hit its bye the week after Halloween, when the first College Football Playoff rankings will be released, but faces a tough finish in November. To claim its seventh-straight Big 12 title and make a push for the playoff, it’ll have to defeat currently one-loss Baylor, 2020 conference runner-up Iowa State and undefeated No. 12 Oklahoma State. “The stretch run for OU is no joke,” Fowler said on-air.

“They always wear a big target. I mean, you probably gotta lose a couple not to get to the Big 12 Championship Game, but if they’re going for perfection, for a playoff bid and all that stuff, they’ll be pressurized.” The CFP door is again open for the Sooners after No. 2 Iowa fell to unranked Purdue Saturday and the rest of college football aside from No. 1 Georgia appears volatile. Despite the mounting challenges and pressure, there’s growing confidence in the Sooners’ locker room that they will be ready for another Championship in November. “This team is getting better as we go,” Riley told ESPN’s Holly Rowe after Saturday’s win as Williams patted him on the back. “Hopefully we can keep getting a little better, get a few guys healthy and try to make our late run in the season.” masyoung@ou.edu