October 12-15, 2017

W E E K E N D E D I T I O N | O C T O B E R 12 -15 , 2 0 17 | T W I C E W E E K LY I N P R I N T | O U D A I LY. C O M

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THE MINISTER

Freshman running back Trey Sermon shows off his tattoos Oct. 10. Sermon carved out a role for himself early in his first season, including scoring a key touchdown against Ohio State on Sept. 9.

Trey Sermon finds strength in family, faith

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a t o s h i a Mi t c h e l l l a y in her bed in Bayfront Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, watching the Denver Broncos play the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII. The previous day, she had given birth to a baby boy, An’treyon “Trey” Sermon.

“This is going to be you one day,” she remembers telling the 7-pound, 3-ounce boy as she held him up to the TV on Jan. 31, 1999.

To d a y , 1 8 y e a r s a n d 2 1 5 pounds later, Sermon has become Oklahoma’s featured running back in his freshman year.

The son of a single mother, and the uncle to his sister’s 6-year-old daughter, Sermon has grown up shouldering a lot from a young age. Bearing tattoos with the word “Trust” on his right bicep and “God” on his left, his faith helps with the weight of his life. Giving a prayerful bow each time he scores, Sermon has become a reverend of sorts, turning football into his sanctuary, family and friends into his disciples and Sooner Nation into his congregation.

Unlike the long, often tedious speech given in a church on Sunday, Sermon is a man of few words who typically delivers his message in a palace on Saturday.

“Have faith in God in everything you do, just trust in him,” said Sermon, who has been

GEORGE STOIA • @GEORGESTOIA

nicknamed “the minister” and finds strength through faith and family. “Leave it up to him to know everything is going to work out.”

HARDSHIPS

Mitchell is a mother who has suffered unmeasurable pain.

Experiencing the deaths of three children, she’s conquered a lifetime of tragedy in her 44 years.

Writing an autobiography in 2012, titled “When My Soul Cried,” Mitchell poured out her life, reflecting on abusive relationships, her parents’ deaths and raising two kids on child support.

Through it all, she’s put her kids first and herself second.

Mitchell’s toughness and resiliency has made her Sermon’s rock, shaping him into the man he is today.

“I attribute a lot of his success to the strength of his mom,” said Billy Shackelford, Sermon’s coach at Sprayberry High School in Marietta, Georgia. “His mom is a phenomenal lady. She brings both bags of tricks: She’s tough, but also nurturing and loving.”

Her fortitude has become his motivation.

“It’s really inspiring because she did go through a lot and just to see how strong she was, it kind of makes me want to be just as strong as her and to be able to support her whenever she needs

it,” Sermon said.

Raising both Sermon and his older sister, Oneisha, for the majority of their lives as a single parent, Mitchell says she always tried to do what was best for her children. Sermon and his family moved multiple times when he was child, before eventually ending up in Georgia when he was 11 years old.

The move was tough on Sermon, he says, but his mom demanded a better life for her kids.

“I’ve always told him be true to yourself and always be honest with yourself, and with that strength will come.”

NATOSHIA MITCHELL, SERMON’S MOTHER

“I wanted something different for them. I wanted them to see life other than Florida. So I just stepped out on faith and brought them here,” says Mitchell, who now works as a financial analyst at Parallon after going back to school for her degree in 2005.

“I stopped everything in my life and just focused on both my kids.”

REVIVAL

Coming to OU as an early

enrollee, Sermon has always had a niche for exceeding expectations. At just 5, Mitchell signed Sermon up to play flag football.

Having the tendency to tackle more than pull flags, Sermon soon was forced to play tackle with older kids.

During his time in Georgia, Sermon ranked as one of the top recruits in the prospect-rich state. However, Sermon stayed humble, not forgetting his roots.

Two years after moving to Georgia, Sermon’s sister, Oneisha, had a baby girl. At 13 years old he became a father figure to little Amia, helping any way he could. “ S h e ( A m i a ) l o v e s h i m ,” Oneisha said, who attends Kennesaw State in G eorgia.

“When he left, it was very devastating for her. She’s adjusted to it now, but he’s a really big help especially when it comes to disciplining her. Whatever I need he always has my back. You would think they were brother and sister. He’s been there since day one for her.”

Sermon, whose dad still lives in St. Petersburg, continued to emerge as a standout player at Sprayberry, rushing for more than 1,200 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior. His decision to attend Oklahoma wasn’t easy, with schools closer to home such as Georgia, Alabama and Florida bidding for his commitment.

“He felt like it was home,” Shackelford said of Sermon’s decision to come to Norman.

“They were jovial, they loved on him, they teased him and gave him a hard time. Those players and coaches did a phenomenal job recruiting him.”

Sermon is 852 miles from Marietta, but his family understands his decision to chase his dream.

“It was tough in the beginning because we’ve never been apart,” Mitchell said. “But I knew he was going for his dream and knew he was happy, so I was happy.”

Balancing the struggles of everyday life and football stardom, Sermon flipped the script, becoming the superhero his mom has for so long been to him.

SUCCESS

Sermon has burst onto the scene in his first season, leadi n g t h e S o o n e r s i n c a r r i e s, rushing yards and tying for the most rushing touchdowns. He’s Oklahoma’s new workhorse, wa l k i ng i n t h e f o o t s t e p s o f Sooner legends like Billy Sims, A d r i a n Pe t e r s o n , D e Ma rc o Murray and recently Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine. Stepping i nt o t hat ro l e — e s p e c i a l l y see SERMON Page 4

Riley, Herman head-to-head for first time OU, Texas game to test strengths, weaknesses of programs’ coaches ABBY BITTERMAN @abby_bitterman

On Saturday, the Sooners and the Longhorns will step off their buses into the heart of the Texas State Fair in Dallas for one of the most historic rivalries in college football. It’s a game that’s highlighted on calendars at the beginning of the season, but this year there’s a little more at stake.

Oklahoma and Texas both come into this game behind new, young

head coaches, experiencing the growing pains of leading two of the most storied programs in the Big 12.

Going into the 2017 season, there was a lot of talk surrounding Oklahoma and Texas and the new coaches they found themselves under. On Nov. 27, 2016, the Longhorns hired Tom Herman, then 41, away from Houston to replace Charlie Strong as head coach. Less than seven months later, the Sooners promoted Lincoln Riley, then 33, from offensive coordinator to head coach on June 7, the day the legendary coach Bob Stoops retired.

Despite bringing high hopes and youthful energy to their

programs, their first season as head coaches hasn’t gone how Riley and Herman have hoped it would. The Longhorns dropped their season opener to Maryland, fell to USC, struggled against Iowa State and barely pulled off a win against Kansas State.

On the other side of the Red River, the Sooners haven’t been impressive as of late either. After going into the Horseshoe and beating Ohio State, Oklahoma barely made it out alive against a winless Baylor and followed that up with a shocking 38-31 loss to the Cyclones.

Still, this game is important to the trajectory of both teams’ seasons. For the first time since 1947,

both Texas and Oklahoma will have take out new head coach roaming the sidelines. The 112th Red River rivalry will be a test for both coaches, and probably the most important one in the eyes of the burnt orange and crimson fan bases.

“It’s big regardless of what’s happened in the past,” Riley said. “(It’s) one of the great games of college football, year in and year out.”

While the Longhorns’ problems were apparent early with the loss to the Terrapins at the beginning of the season, Oklahoma’s have slowly started to reveal themselves over time. A slow start against Tulane and a near

comeback by Baylor finally turned into a game in the loss column for the crimson and cream — its first home loss since falling to the Buckeyes in 2016.

For Riley and Oklahoma, the struggles have come on the defensive side of the ball. An offensive coordinator by trade, Riley has thought about the defensive side of the ball, but never to the extent he has to now. It’s clear where the new head coach’s strengths lie — the Sooners rank first in the nation in total offense per game with an average of 587 yards, but fall to see RILEY Page 4

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• October 12-15, 2017

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Students go behind the scenes School of Drama program focuses on context of plays NICK HAZELRIGG @nickhazelrigg

When OU professor Kae Koger interviews students who want to major in dramaturgy, the cultural and historical development of plays, she asks how they feel about research.

Koger hears a variety of answers about the importance of hard work and how research comes along with many different professions. The students who stand out are those who say they start researching and find, hours later, they have deviated from their original topics, but they have found a plethora of information about topics they are interested in.

Dramaturgy senior Hannah Simon is one such student. She gestures to two massive filing cabinets with hundreds of files in Koger’s office. Simon says they are filled with various scripts and information important to the dramaturgy program over the years — and she’s organized them all.

“Dramaturgs get excited about their research,” Simon said. She has trouble deciding what, from the information she’s found in her research, to include in her work because she finds it all so interesting.

“We can get lost in it for days, just going down the rabbit hole,” Simon said.

OU is one of four universities in North America to offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts in the growing field of dramaturgy in theater, according to Koger. Only 13 students at OU currently study in this tight-knit field, Koger said.

Koger is an associate professor of theater history and dramaturgy and is head of the dramaturgy program at OU. She has been a dramaturg for much of her life, making her a rare breed in the field of fine arts.

The definition of dramaturgy is something Koger said she has wrestled with for many years.

“If you ask me what dramaturgy is, I’ll say it’s the study of how a play works,” Koger said. “But if someone asks what a dramaturg is, then I say it is a social, cultural and historical consultant to the production of the play.”

The main focus of a dramaturg is to research the historical and sociological context of the performance and provide that information to actors, directors, costume designers and set designers in order to help them increase the authenticity of the performance.

How e ver, the field of

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dramaturgy is known for its flexibility, allowing dramaturgs to support the performance in many different ways, according to dramaturgy junior Gabrielle Salamone.

Salamone said being a dramaturg is about being flexible within the creative process and increasing the quality of the show.

“If you ask me what dramaturgy is, I’ll say it’s the study of how a play works. But if someone asks what a dramaturg is, then I say it is a social, cultural and historical consultant to the production of the play.”

KAE KOGER, OU PROFESSOR

“If you’re working on a show with classic mat e r i a l — a n c i e nt G re e k or Shakespeare — you’re going to be playing a historian role,” Salamone said.

“If the director wants to take a very classic approach and wants all Elizabethan costumes and sets, you’ll be the one finding out what that is and communicating

that.”

Salamone said the dramaturgy major gives students the opportunity t o l e a r n p ro f i c i e n c y i n many different fields of study w ithin drama, as well as plenty of time to study other fields outside of drama — thanks to 18 required elective hours.

Salamone said this helps dramaturgs to be more versatile while working on performances.

One of the tasks Simon said she performs as a dramaturg is preparing tenpage packets for the actors on the show. These packets are filled with research on historical, cultural and social contexts for the play, which are meant to help actors understand the performance’s context in relation to their characters. “ I’ve n o t i c e d a l o t o f times in the productions I’ve done, actors will just say lines. And so I go in and say, ‘Why are you saying this line? Why are you talking about this?’ And sometimes the actors won’t even know,” Simon said.

“The most appreciation I get in my job is when I can give actors play analysis, and they can change their character a little bit when I tell them something they didn’t know before.”

Fire department rolls out new bicycle team Program will better response times at Norman events NICK HAZELRIGG @nickhazelrigg

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Freshman Heath Kuykendall, senior Hannah Simon and junior Gabrielle Salamone, all dramaturgy majors, stand in front of the Old Science Hall Sept. 29.

The Norman Fire Department is creating a new bicycle response team to better navigate crowds in emergencies at Norman events.

The team will allow the fire department to have greater access to areas where many people are congregated, said Norman Public Safety Information

Officer Sarah Jensen. “ We f e e l t h i s b e t t e r equips our department to be able to respond quicker and put units on the g r o u n d ,” J e n s e n s a i d .

“Obviously, it’s not easy to navigate a fire engine into a large crowded area.”

Je n s e n sa i d t h e t e a m will be able to respond more quickly in the event of a medical emergency and reach a patient in less time. The Norman Police Department also has a bike team, which Jensen said will be similar to the fire department’s new program.

“Those bikes will be deployed throughout the area where patrons are taking

part and going to restaurants and enjoying the festivities of the game day,” Jensen said. “Those on bicycles will be trained to be out in the crowds in case something does happen.”

The bike team will be rolled out for OU’s Nov. 11 home game against TCU, Jensen said.

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hazelriggn@gmail.com

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Dramaturgy freshman Heath Kuykendall enjoys the academic freedom the dramaturgy program gives him. Kuykendall didn’t know what dramaturgy was a few years ago, and now he’s a dramaturg for several productions.

“It’s a newer field. It’s not something that’s been named before,” Kuykendall said. “It’s something that a lot of theaters don’t want yet, but with that in mind, it’s really good OU has the program because it’s at the start of the field.”

Salamone said dramaturgy has only recently made its way to the United States, while it has been a very popular field in European theatre.

“A couple hundred years ago, you wouldn’t have even needed a director, but now you couldn’t imagine a play without one,” Salamone said. “I think that’s the direction dramaturgy is going to go.”

Koger was also optimistic about the future of dramaturgy within the field of drama, but she was worried for the future of fine arts as a whole. Simon and Salamone have both been involved in many different ways in productions at OU. Simon has even been a dramaturg for a production of

Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park. Even Kuykendall, just a freshman in the program, will soon be the dramaturg for a production here at OU. “When I s ee what my students have done and where they have gone since they’ve graduated with degrees in dramaturgy — I’m totally optimistic about it,” Koger said. “If I’m pessimistic about it at all, it’s about federal funding for the arts or state funding for the arts and higher education. Those are the things that really worry me.”

Simon said she believes the chances of dramaturgy catching on in America are increasing as more directors realize the necessity of the position.

“Theater is getting, dare I say, more political,” Simon said. “I think a dramaturg would be useful for understanding those different politics and views — and helping everyone understand what’s happening in theatre. No one thinks they need a dramaturg until they have a dramaturg.”

Nick Hazelrigg

hazelriggn@gmail.com

NEWS

October 12-15, 2017 •

Congress passes Title IX resolution

Congress condemns program rollbacks, listens to concerns NICK HAZELRIGG @nickhazelrigg

O U ’s Undergraduate Student Congress heard a student concern suggesting congress condemn the Board of Regents and passed various pieces of legislation supporting sexual assault victims, among other things, during its Oct. 10 meeting.

Ryan Echols, a previous Student Government Association presidential candidate and former chair of the Ways and Means committee who is no longer in congress, urged congress to pass legislation condemning the Board of Regents for the limited time given to the student body to nominate students to the presidential search committee for OU President David Boren’s successor.

“This bill would ask the state regents to look at the process and see if it was done appropriately,” Echols said.

“At the very least, this legislation serves to tell the regents that we didn’t approve of this process.”

Echols spoke during the time allocated for student concerns and also suggested congress pass legislation to update its bylaws so the process will be more equitable in the future. Echols said he would have liked to have seen “a little pushback” from student leaders on the regents.

“Obviously I think in order for student representation to be worth the trouble on the regents’ presidential

OU professor finds reasons behind teacher exodus SIERRA RAINS @sierrarains

An OU researcher who set out to discover why Oklahoma’s teachers are leaving the state found that those who do so make an average of $19,000 more in other states.

More than 250 former Oklahoma teachers responded to OU College of Education associate professor Theresa Cullen’s online survey to explain their reasons for leaving Oklahoma and how much pay they now receive elsewhere. The results showed teachers primarily left the state to pursue higher pay and because they felt a lack of respect from Oklahoma’s legislature.

Cullen said she initially dove into this research because of the backlash she

Program focuses on connecting OU with Native nations NICK HAZELRIGG

OU’s Native American Studies Department is moving forward with plans for a hub for indigenous student life focused on connecting Native tribes to the university and guiding students to careers in tribal sustainability.

The Native Nations Center, which Native American Studies department chair Amanda Cobb-Greetham said is still in its infancy, will offer a community gatherNICK HAZELRIGG/THE DAILY ing place for members of the The Student Government Association meeting Sept. 26. 2017. Members heard student con- Native American commucerns and condemned Title IX rollbacks. nity at OU, as well as a place where Native American search, you actually have to his concerns,” Rains-Saucedo sexual assault risk during the scholars and faculty can congo through and find the best said. “I hope that we can work OU-Texas weekend, as well duct research and connect students for it,” Echols said. with him to find an agree- as information regarding by- with Native students.

“Why have students repre- ment that we’re all in favor of stander prevention, Rainssent the student body if they and pass legislation to avoid Saucedo said.

“The center will have “We’re trying to bring weren’t selected in a manner any conflicts in the future.” a leadership program Rains-Saucedo also au- awareness to what resources that was equitable to their thored legislation passed by are available here, at UT, and for students to really service?” congress condemning pro- in Dallas if something were enable them to take happen,” Rains-Saucedo “It’s really something posed federal rollbacks of to advantage of all of said. “When all the OU and Title IX protections. to say OU students these opportunities” “It’s really something to UT students go to Dallas, we and faculty and staff say OU students and facul- see an increase in sexual asAMANDA COBB-GREETHAM, do not support these ty and staff do not support saults — we want to try to diNATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES rollbacks because we minish that. We want a stuDEPARTMENT CHAIR rollbacks because we these want to make sure our vic- dent to know where to go if want to make sure tims are being protected,” they need help.”

Also during the meeting, our victims are being Rains-Saucedo said. “We congress appointed pubcan make an impact at the “The center will have a protected.”

Big 12 because we’re going lic relations junior Ramsey leadership program for stuto meet with a representative Phelps as chair of the “It’s dents to really enable them KAYLEE RAINS-SAUCEDO, CONGRESS CHAIR from the U.S. Department of On Us” task force, as well to take advantage of all of as established the Student these opportunities,” CobbEducation.”

Another bill authored by Environmental Coalition, Greetham said. “It will have Kaylee Rains-Saucedo, congress chair and one of Rains-Saucedo supporting a aimed at uniting all campus a big community gathering four student nominees for social media awareness cam- environmental groups under piece — not just as a place the search committee, said paign for OU-Texas weekend one umbrella, and voted to for them to gather and share she hoped congress would passed unanimously. The allocate funding to 22 differ- a meal, although that is abbe able to address Echols’ campaign, which is in part- ent student organizations. solutely important — but a nership with the University concerns. place to enable our students Nick Hazelrigg “I think it’s great that he of Texas, would aim to bring to see what opportunities are hazelriggn@gmail.com came to congress and voiced awareness to increased out there.”

saw on social media against teachers who left the state. As an OU professor, Cullen said she felt she could influence the way others perceive the situation.

“Nobody was really interested in those people’s stories,” Cullen said. “I know these people and they left because it was the only way that they could support their families, and so I thought that their stories deserve to be told.”

While many ultimately chose to leave, some teachers had a difficult time deciding whether to part with a state they had close ties to, Cullen said. And 31 percent of those who took the survey said they would return to Oklahoma if the issues were resolved, she said.

Cullen said it’s not just a raise in pay that is going to make teachers want to stay, but a change in the way the legislature interacts with and responds to their needs.

“They also said that they

felt disrespected, they felt like they were always fighting with the legislature, they felt hopeless like it was never going to change, so why keep on going?” Cullen said. “You can’t just say ‘Hey here’s another $2,000’ and it’s all fixed. They have to feel like Oklahoma as a state values them.”

Cullen said she thinks the legislature needs to realize that teachers are an important part of the economy in order to resolve the issues her research highlights.

“Supporting education in our state is not a political issue, it’s an economic issue,” Cullen said.

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Area ratings for this week Delta Tau Delta Delta Upsilon Gamma Phi Beta Hispanic American Student Association International Leadership Class Iota Phi Theta Kappa Alpha Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Theta Kappa Delta Chi Kappa Kappa Gamma Kappa Kappa Psi Lambda Chi Alpha National Society of Collegiate Scholars Omega Delta Phi Omega Psi Phi Our Earth Phi Beta Sigma Phi Delta Alpha Phi Delta Theta

As OU is situated near 39 tribal nations, CobbGreetham said OU should be the leading school for Native studies, something she hopes the center will help accomplish.

C o b b - G re e t ha m s a i d there has been support for the project from all levels of university administration.

In 2015, OU President David Boren promised expansion of Native American studies at OU, including the creation of the Native Nations Center. Since then, OU has added new faculty to the department and created the position of tribal liaison within the office of university community.

The Native American studies department has started renovating new space in Copeland Hall, which CobbGreetham said will serve as a planning location for the continued development of the center, which she expects could see advancement as early as next spring. After the renovation in Copeland Hall, the center could see its own space in a separate building, Cobb-Greetham said.

Cobb-Greetham said one of the largest goals of the Native Nations Center is to build a stronger relationship between the university and tribal governments, which will be one of the focuses of OU’s tribal liaison, Warren Queton, while working with the center.

“A part of our office is community outreach, developing the community within the university, but also beyond the university,” Queton said.

“There are certain tribes that may have needs Native faculty at OU can help with.”

Nick Hazelrigg

hazelriggn@gmail.com

YOU ARE INVITED! 2017 JULIAN J. ROTHBAUM DISTINGUISHED LECTURE in REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT 2017 Lecture Theme:

The AMERICAN PETITION: SINEW of OUR DEMOCR ATIC REPUBLIC Enshrined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is the right of the people to petition their government. In three lectures, awardwinning author and Harvard University professor Daniel Carpenter will trace the early development of this fundamental political right as it was exercised on behalf of religious freedoms. He also will explore how it was utilized to advocate for capitalism and financial policies and articulate the political interests of Native people, women and other minorities who were otherwise limited in their access to political institutions. Carpenter is the Allie S. Freed Professor of Government in the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences and director of the social sciences program at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

All lectures are complimentary and open to the public.

Adopt - An - Area Air Force ROTC Alpha Chi Omega Alpha Gamma Delta Alpha Kappa Alpha Alpha Kappa Delta Phi Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society Alpha Omicron Pi Alpha Phi Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Sigma Kappa Alpha Tau Omega Beta Theta Pi Catholic Student Association Chi Omega Delta Delta Delta Delta Epsilon Psi Delta Gamma Delta Phi Omega Delta Sigma Theta

New hub for Native studies @nickhazelrigg

Educators seek higher pay

Phi Gamma Delta Phi Kappa Psi Phi Kappa Sigma Pi Beta Phi Pi Kappa Phi Hj]ka\]fl k ;geemfalq K[`gdYjk Hj]ka\]fl k D]Y\]jk`ah ;dYkk Rotaract JM>'F=CK Dad Kak Sigma Chi Sigma Gamma Rho Sigma Lambda Gamma Sigma Nu Sigma Phi Epsilon Sooner Jump Start Program Zeta Phi Beta Adams Center Cate Center Couch Center Walker Center

Way to go! Keep up the good work!

The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution. For accommodations on the basis of disability, call 325-7869.

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Jefferson’s Quandary: Religious Liberty, the Petition and the Amended Constitution 3:30 p.m. | Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017

The Petition and Capital: From Bank Wars to Corporate Signatures 3:30 p.m. | Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017

Petitions of the First Americans: Diplomacy and Law Among the Wampanoag, the Seneca and the Cherokee 3:30 p.m. | Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017 Mary Eddy and Fred Jones Auditorium Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 555 Elm Ave., Norman For more information, visit www.bit.ly/Rothbaum For accommodations, please call the Carl Albert Center at (405) 325-6372.

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo

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• October 12-15, 2017

SPORTS SERMON: Continued from Page 1

helping to fill the void left

by Mixon and Perine’s departures to the NFL after last season — doesn’t faze Sermon. “He’s an overachiever, he sets the bar high,� Mitchell said. “It doesn’t surprise me.�

Not even half way through the season, Sermon has made his presence felt. “That’s a grown man,� defensive end Ogbonnia Okoronkwo said after Sermon’s late game heroics resurrected OU at Baylor. “You all saw him.

(Defenders) bouncing off him, spinning off, (he’s) getting extra yards — he’s not playing like a freshman right now.�

But despite those high

Kelli Stacy, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports

expectations and praise, Sermon has remained humble. His calm demeanor and soft spoken personality off the field counter his loud, tenacious play on the field. His style takes bits and pieces from former OU greats. He’s patient like Mixon, physical like Perine and quick like Murray. He says he mirrors his game after Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, critiquing his craft any chance he gets.

His faithful work continues off the field, too, where Sermon’s become a member of Everlasting Baptist Church in Norman. Almost every other day, Sermon talks to his mom over the phone, and before every game they read Scriptures, praying together. “I’ve always told him be true to yourself and always be honest with yourself, and with that strength will

come,� Mitchell said.

Having to watch him the majority of the time on TV, Mitchell and Oneisha have made only one game — UTEP — but it’s a game Sermon will never forget. “It was really big for me,�

Sermon said. “For her to come all the way out there and see me play in my first college game, it was a really big moment.�

It might have been just the first in a series of big moments to come, each realizing a dream his mother had for him 18 years ago. “Trey always wanted to be that kid that made me proud,� Mitchell said. “I’ve cried tears of joy. To see him live out something he said he wanted to do at a young age... “It’s special to me.�

George Stoia

george.s.stoia-1@ou.edu

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Freshman running back Trey Sermon has a tattoo that spreads across both arms. The tattoo says “Trust God.�

RILEY:

Continued from Page 1

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

OU coach Lincoln Riley watches the team warm up before the game against Baylor Sept. 23.

Linebackers claim responsibility for Iowa State loss, focus on tackling After suffering a shocking upset at the hands of Iowa State, No. 12 Oklahoma’s linebackers are taking responsibility for their part in the loss.

The linebackers are looking to bounce back after a game where they totaled just 16 tackles as a group and were part of the defense that allowed 449 total yards. “I thought it was the worst game our linebackers played collectively as a group,� defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said. “Those four, when they play well, we play well. But I don’t think our linebackers played very well, obviously, Saturday.�

The Sooners missed tackles left and right against Iowa State, something senior linebacker Emmanuel Beal said was part of what killed Oklahoma’s chances. “We practice tackling every day, so to miss, like, 10-plus tackles as a whole is just embarrassing,� Beal said.

Beal and sophomore linebacker Caleb Kelly are taking responsibility for the way the group played, admitting to their own mistakes. “I had missed tackles that I usually make routinely. I was pretty much doing my job pretty well, but missing tackles I usually make routinely,� Kelly, who totaled just three tackles, said. “I was getting to the ball a lot, but I wasn’t making tackles at the ball. I was very disappointed in the way I played.�

A large part of bouncing back for the linebackers will be in forcing turnovers. “Our linebackers haven’t had a turnover yet this season, so that’s something we’ve been telling our linebackers,� Beal said. “The defense is on the linebackers, so we’ve got to make a majority of the plays and we have to turn the game around.�

Kelli Stacy, @AStacyKelli

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.

both had their issues, but their teams also have bright s p o t s t o t h e i r s e a s o n s.

Oklahoma’s 31-16 routing of Ohio State and Texas’s 27-24 fall to USC in overtime were exactly the kind of non-conference performances the coaches needed to prove the strength of the programs under their watch.

This game in Dallas is always an unpredictable one, and this year’s is already shaping up to be a classic between two up-and-coming coaches. “(I’m) excited to play in this rivalry... I think when you go into one of the most storied rivalries in college football history — if not the most — I think it is important that you recognize that this is a big game for a lot of people in both states,� Herman said.

Abby Bitterman abbybitt@ou.edu

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Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker October 12, 2017

ACROSS 1 Kunis of TV and film 5 Stow cargo 9 Debonair 14 App downloader 15 Words with “barge� or “let�

16 Chilean range 17 TV’s GPSequipped rides 20 Fleming of Bond fame 21 Beastly fairy-tale creature 22 Citrus fruit variety 23 Acrobat’s precaution 24 ___-Wee Herman 25 Blobs on slides 28 Outfielder’s need 30 Hailing from the Far East 32 Brief life?

33 Play a role 35 ___ Arbor, Mich.

36 Alphabet enders, in Britain 37 TV’s buzzard variety 41 Small horse 42 “New� prefix 43 It’s tender in Tokyo 44 “___ be way too hard!�

45 Russian monarchs of yore 10/12

Monday- Very Easy Tuesday-Easy Wednesday- Easy Thursday- Medium Friday - Hard

44th in total defense per game, allowing 356 yards on average.

One of the Sooners’ greatest struggles in Big 12 play has been their ability to rebound after giving up big plays on both sides of the ball. “I think you’ve got to look at what you think causes the problem, and for us — spending some time thinking about (it) the last two weeks — I really feel like our expectations can’t be relative to the team we’re playing,â€? Riley said. “Regardless of what we think of them or really what the outside world tells us about them, our expectations have got to be based on us playing at our very best level ‌ Our expectations are so high that when something doesn’t go our way we haven’t handled it well, and that

falls back on me.�

The team in burnt orange is having trouble on all sides of the ball. The offense is 33rd in total offense, averaging 175.8 rushing yards and 288.2 passing yards per game.

While Herman’s Longhorns have recorded eight interceptions, his quarterbacks have thrown five interceptions.

The defense is a bit stronger for Texas, ranking ninth in third-down defense and only allowing an average of 23.8 points per game. It looked to have found its stride against Iowa State, holding the Cyclones to just seven points, something Oklahoma failed to do. “Just our demeanor and our attitude is headed in the right direction,� Herman said during his press conference Monday. “We’re not a finished product, yet. Don’t know that we ever will be this year, but we are headed in the right direction.�

Herman and Riley have

47 More friendly 51 Living room staples 53 “Grand� wine classification 55 Long-gone VCR maker 56 Stead 57 Peephole spy 58 Israeli gun 59 TV’s container ship or soldiermover 63 From that time until this time 64 Arthur of tennis fame 65 Last word said in “The Wizard of Oz�

66 Trails cut through forests 67 Perceive 68 Brain case?

DOWN 1 Silencing 2 Lebanon neighbor 3 Slanty shanty?

4 Brow formation 5 Monarch’s loyal subject 6 ___ Doria (ill-fated ship) 7 Bird of peace 8 Cape Coralto-Port St. Lucie dir.

9 Renamed Vietnamese city

10 11 12 13 18 19 25 26 27 29 31 34 36

37 38 39

___ Remus Improviser Peace sign Curvy road shape Ruble fraction How some things are possible Japanese aborigine Guy or Girl Friday Brillo rival Not stay the same Relish Show nervousness Native American Pueblo peoples Dorothy’s dog Resembling waves Some roll-call votes

40 Professor’s staying power?

41 Brief snap?

45 Major postgrad projects 46 Grass hacker 48 Robinson of literature 49 Itchy skin disorder 50 Complained bitterly (with “against�)

52 Easy undertaking 54 Make merry 57 Scottish tongue 59 0.167 oz.

60 Narrow inlet of a waterway 61 Clumsy one 62 “Be quiet!�

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HOROSCOPE

By Eugenia Last

Copyright 2017, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2017 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last Don’t feel pressured to make decisions if you aren’t ready to do so.

Ease into any situation or deal you want to pursue with caution and questions at the ready. Protect your assets, reputation and position. A straightforward attitude will help ward off those who use emotional manipulation.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Stay calm, keep the peace and do what feels right. A keen sense of assessment and knowing enough to say no to anyone who doesn’t play fairly will be necessary.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- A change at home will give you some breathing room. Cut your overhead and find a strategy that will help you move forward. Do things your way.

10/11 Š 2017 Andrews McMeel Syndication 10/9 Š 2017 Andrews McMeel Syndication www.upuzzles.com www.upuzzles.com

STILL WATCHING T-V By Timothy E. Parker

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Your vision will be clouded by emotional matters. Try to separate your personal and professional lives in order to avoid mistakes.

Don’t feel pressured by what others do or say.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Partnerships will face instability.

Do your best not to argue. Consider what you can do to offer a fair deal that doesn’t jeopardize your integrity. Walk away from erratic, demanding individuals.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- An emotional matter concerning a contract, investment or medical issue will surface. Use common sense before panic sets in, causing you to make an impulsive move.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Love, marriage, children or changes

to your current lifestyle are prominent. Look at your options and consider what’s most realistic for you at this stage in life.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -Discuss your plans with someone you trust. Keep the peace and work as a team player to reach a resolution that is fair and will bring you the happiness and satisfaction you desire.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -Personal pampering, updating your appearance or making positive alterations at home are all favored.

Make special plans to do something engaging with a special someone.

Romance is highlighted.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Take a closer look at your appearance and how you present yourself to others.

A makeover will give you a sense of pride and the confidence to take on something new.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -Uncertainty will prevail if you give in too easily or get involved in an impulsive situation. Walk away from anyone who shows signs of instability. Invest in yourself, not in someone else.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Know what or whom you are up against before you decide to participate. A challenge can change the way others view you. Aim to win, or don’t enter the competition.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -Overdoing it will turn out to be costly. Take a step back and assess a situation before you make an unrealistic promise. Take better care of your health.

October 12-15, 2017 •

OPINION

5

Audra Brulc, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/opinion • Twitter: @OUDaily

ILLUSTRATION BY ABBIE SEARS/THE DAILY

A thank-you letter to Texas’ football team THE OU DAILY EDITORIAL BOARD

Thank you, Texas.

Ever since 2009, Texas has collapsed on and off the field, allowing OU to rack up nearly more Big 12 championships than the entire conference combined.

X’s and O’s aside, can we all agree that Tom Herman’s obsession with hydration by monitoring his players’ pee color every 10 minutes is a little weird? We know nearly everything that happens at Texas is broadcast live to the 37 people who watch the Longhorn Network, but this feels a bit excessive.

Alright, alright, alright.

Texas looks to be on the upswing. Nothing says offensive explosion like scoring 17 points against Iowa State — actually, wait, how did you guys do that against the Cyclones? Asking for a friend. Also, do you know anyone in need of a defensive coordinator? Ours is … well, you remember the 2015 Red River rivalry.

Say what you will about Oklahoma losing to Iowa State in football — we haven’t been this embarrassed over a loss since Clemson beat us in the College Football Playoff two seasons ago. You remember what it’s like to be in contention for a national title, right?

Let’s be honest, Texas is better than Oklahoma in one aspect of life. Do you know how awful it is to lose to Iowa State on a Saturday and not have liquor

stores open on Sunday?

Thankfully the game ended by 2 : 3 0 p. m. , g i v i ng u s enough time to stock up on booze to get through the weekend.

Oh, speaking of 2:30 p.m., can you believe this year’s kickoff time? Last time our two teams played mid-afternoon was in 2010. You all remember that game, right?

Ma n , d o w e m i s s Ma ck Brown. Is it cool knowing your former head coach is now the face of ESPN’s playby-play D-team? I guess not much has changed with good ol’ Mack.

Ever since 2009, Texas has collapsed on and off the field, allowing OU to rack up nearly more Big 12 championships than the entire conference.

a better job of tackling Baker Mayfield than your Division III defense did last season, and we even spotted you 40 points.

Once again, you told us “Texas is BACK!” but then again you failed miserably, losing at home in your season opener to a Maryland team that got beat by 50

by Ohio State — whom, let me remind you, we beat.

Kansas… Never mind.

We’ll let you read to the end.

Also, on that note, did you know that Charlie Strong is undefeated?

Seriously, the only place that man couldn’t succeed was in Austin. Maybe that “it’s not you, it’s me” breakup of yours actually was Texas’ fault.

Nice job with your moral victory against USC. Just put it in your trophy case next to the national championship trophy you would have won if Colt McCoy didn’t get injured.

Sorry, too soon?

Anyway, we’re looking forward to another game at the Cotton Bowl. It’s always our favorite trip of the year. Just promise us you won’t make Baker apologize for planting the flag at midfield, OK? We don’t know why it’d be a problem — we’ve done it 11 times in the past 17 years.

Sincerely, the University of Oklahoma.

S e e m s l i ke you a l l i n Austin are changing up your image. Spending $10,000 a piece on football lockers seems like a better investment than a coach who lost to UConn, Memphis and Navy.

The L onghorns’ “b oy wonder” coach immediately fulfilled his potential by losing to Maryland, a team which no conference wants to claim.

P.S. Now that you’ve gotten T h e F a y e t t e v i l l e , this far, read the first letter Arkansas, police officer did of each paragraph.

New and old coaches agree: OU still sucks THE DAILY TEXAN EDITORIAL BOARD

2016 was a banner year for bad predictions, and we were no exception here at The Daily Texan Editorial Board. In last year’s editorial exchange, we mistakenly predicted that Bob Stoops would stick around to help the next generation of Sooners remember all 14 distinct words of your fight song. Unfortunately for y’all, it seems that Stoops prefer re d retir ing and watching reruns of Judge Judy in his under wear over another year stuck in America’s WonderBread basket.

His replacement, Lincoln Riley, has brought an innovative edge to the program. As he finds ways to lose the little games instead of just the big ones, you could watch Stoops lose for free on your antenna. Now, not only are you falling flat at home to the Trinidad and Tobago of the Big 12, you couldn’t even saddle Baylor with the karmic beatdown they deserve. It’s a shame — that was the one game we could have actually considered rooting for you.

So maybe this season hasn’t quite gotten off to the start y’all expected. But hey, weird things happen.

Good teams slip up against mediocre teams at home early on. At least Urban Meyer and J.T. Barrett look like they’ve righted the ship.

Meanwhile, the more things change, the more they stay the same on the 40 Acres. A freshman quarterback, a hotshot new coach with a history of beating y’all, and a moral victory snatched from the jaws of actual victory against an overrated opponent.

We’re Schrodinger’s Texas — both back and not back simultaneously, and just dead enough inside to be dangerous.

Standing in our way is your human D.A.R.E. advertisement of a quarterback, Baker Mayfield. His tape displays an above-average elusiveness, but not enough of a final burst to evade the SEC speed of the Fayetteville Police Department — or that wall.

And Fayetteville? A rookie mistake from the veteran: Even Johnny Manziel had the sense to at least get arrested in Austin.

But there is a crucial difference for us this year : Unlike its previous iterations, we know the 112th Red River Rivalry will be a win-win for the Longhorns.

Even if we don’t beat y’all, those who lose to Lincoln still get immortalized for generations at the University of Texas.

We also welcome both of our new field generals to the rivalry at a tumultuous time for college sports — well, maybe just in Oklahoma.

If your mulleted cousins in Stillwater are willing to bribe recruits for their basketball team, their thirdmost important sport after

Headed to Big D for the BIG GAME?

spring football practice, then we should assume they’re not alone. Maybe that’s why your secondary is playing like it’s on strike for better pay. At least we know we aren’t paying our kicker.

Still, the special hate we’ve crafted over the last 111 meetings doesn’t need to be tainted like this. While others know you as people who just got Netflix this week because “Talladega Nights” starts streaming on Friday, we also know you as the people who cut us off in your pre-owned Dodge Rams in order to get the McRib slightly faster. That constant reminder that y’all still haven’t culturally made it to 2009 inspires so much disdain towards you that our fans actually tune in to watch our basketball teams play twice a season.

So while we both begin exciting new chapters in our programs’ storied histories, some things will never change. Instead of playing half-full arenas in Jacksonville, your famed almost-alumnus Toby Keith proceeded to party with a president who, like your fans, seems to think it’s a good idea to challenge our alumni to IQ contests you both are certain to lose.

W h o k n e w t h a t Ke i t h’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” actually referred to the Russian flag?

Probably not the Kremlin itself, given that their horses prefer vodka. But there is one message no language barrier could conf u s e — O U s t i l l s u c k s.

Your PikePass is good on all North Texas toll roads, so you get there Sooner!

6

• October 12-15, 2017

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

Supriya Sridhar, a&e editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/a_and_e • Twitter: @OUDaily

Dean Codner (front) paints a mural on Campus Corner with his friend Barry Howe (back). Codner’s design was selected for the 100th anniversary of Campus Corner.

SUPRIYA SRIDHAR

Artist celebrates Sooner heroes Original mural on Campus Corner to showcase legends SUPRIYA SRIDHAR @supriyasridhar

When Dean Codner was a young boy, he and two of his friends spent their time riding bikes to collect pop bottles. They would sell the bottles to buy candy and comic books, whose graphic-style illustrations they would try to mirror once back at home.

“Our whole quest, especially in the summer, was to try to find comic books as much as we could and read and draw out of them,” said Codner, eyes lighting up as he referenced Marvel Comics and the Hulk, his favorite character.

Now, the 57-year-old artist is painting a mural on 588 Buchanan Ave., in the midst of Campus Corner, commemorating the area’s 100th anniversary. The mural’s design is inspired by the comic book art of his childhood, but this time it will feature local superheroes: Sooner legends.

“Good job,” people said as they walked by Codner and his mural on a breezy, summer day. He’d glance over, breaking his concentration to say thanks, before returning to his work.

Art served Codner as an escape from a dysfunctional family. He said his parents were alcoholics, creating a lot of violence in his home. His grandmother took him to Saturday art classes and encouraged him to pursue art.

“She encouraged me to keep trying. She said, ‘You don’t have anybody but yourself, so if you never try, you’re never going to know if you can make it,’” Codner said.

As he reminisced about his youth, a little girl walked up to watch Codner paint. “ C o m e h e r e , C a r l y ,” Michelle Boone said to her daughter. “ N o,” s h e w h i n e d a s Boone tried to get her to walk away.

The little girl stood and continued to watch Codner with concentration.

She goes to art class every Monday, Boone said.

Th e p a i r, f ro m Wi c h i t a Falls, Texas, began talking to Codner.

“My grandmother used to take me — three to four hours — to paint,” Codner said, smiling over at the little girl who has an affinity for art, like he does.

A DOODLER BY TRADE As Codner grew up, he began to see differences in his artistic ability versus that of his classmates.

He continued to develop his skills throughout high school, during which time his father died.

His grandmother wanted him to study art, and he worked with his teachers to apply for college scholarships.

“If I want to live my own dream with the blessings God gave me, then I need to make an effort.”

DEAN CODNER, MURAL ARTIST

“As kids, we did a lot of camping and hiking and we did a lot of outdoor activity, and she always thought I was going to go into doing art or forestry,” Codner said of his grandmother.

He was offered a twoyear scholarship to the University of Central Oklahoma. After switching his major three times, he settled on commercial architecture and advertising design.

Barry Howe, Codner’s friend from high school, helped him paint the mural. “Here’s what you do,” Codner said, demonstrating the brush technique. “See how it’s flat, see how there’s more control — take the brush sideways like that.”

Howe nodded, watching the brush strokes made by Codner’s hand.

Howe graduated from OU with a degree in business. Codner and Howe were old wrestling buddies and have known each other for 40 years.

Although Howe doesn’t

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have much painting experience, Codner saw talent in him, Howe said.

“I’m a doodler by trade,” Howe said, the corner of his mouth curling into a smile.

When the Norman Arts Council said it wanted to do a historical mural, Codner started thinking about the best way to present something that would appeal to college students as well as older generations.

He thought about Billy Vessels, the first OU Heisman Trophy winner, and OU basketball legend Wayman Tisdale. The two legends are painted as heroes on the mural — a Sooner comic book.

Pa i nt i ng i n t h e b la ck lines that shape the words “Campus Corner,” Howe looked up at the wall. “ To have done something that’s going to be here for decades is a pretty neat experience,” he said.

SOONER HERITAGE Sitting on a stool in camouflage shorts and a matching hat, Codner stared intently at his paintbrush, detailing bits of the mural.

Codner painted billb o a rd s i n t h e ‘ 8 0 s a n d ‘90s, when things w ere hand-painted. He did work for companies like CocaCola and different restaurants. The large-scale canvases appealed to him.

“If I want to live my own dream with the blessings God gave me, then I need to make an effort,” Codner said.

His gold cross necklace shone brightly against his white T-shirt.

Growing up in O klahoma, Co dner has always been a fan of OU football. He gathers with friends on Saturdays to watch the games.

He remembers the days of Sooner legends — Tinker Owens, Jack Mildren, Joe Wa s h i n g t o n a n d B a r r y Switzer.

“It was just part of a heritage for us growing up,” Codner said.

Now, Campus Corner is a sea of crimson and cream on game days. Before the game, people gather together in anticipation. After the game, people flood the area to celebrate victories, said Erin Patton, executive director of the Campus Corner Association.

“Ca mpu s C o r n e r a n d the university go hand-inhand,” Patton said.

The association sponsored the mural and will soon fundraise to expand Codner’s design. The expansion will feature iconic

“It’s going to be meanbuildings and landmarks ingful,” Codner said. on Campus Corner.

As cars whizzed by, Codner looked up at his work. The grandiosiSupriya Sridhar supriyasridhar@ou.edu ty of comic book heroes and Sooner icons melded together.