December 4-6, 2017

W E E K D AY E D I T I O N | D E C E M B E R 4 - 6 , 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

OUDAILY

For 100 years, the student voice of the University of Oklahoma

FOR MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF COVERAGE SEE PAGE 6

COLLEGE OR TOWN? Mayor of the City of Norman Lynne Miller speaks to a reporter in her office Nov. 21. Miller said she views the university and Norman as “all one piece.”

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

OU, Norman leaders discuss importance of finding balance between university’s expansion and city’s well-being

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rowing up in Norman, Lynne Miller saw the benefits of having a university as an integral part of town.

Miller watched as her parents attended and connected with OU after World War II, eventually earning a master’s degree in education herself and going on to spend 30 years in the Norman education system — 20 as a middle and high school principal.

Now Norman’s mayor, Miller said she sees the university as a powerhouse, bringing positives and negatives to the Norman area and those who reside here. Miller said she remains optimistic about the relationship between the city and the university, while some residents and community leaders view the two as increasingly having competing goals.

“Everyone has their attitude about the relationship with the university and Norman as a community,” Miller said. “But for me, I grew up in Norman … In my mind, it’s all one piece.”

OU and Norman have been intertwined since the university was founded in 1890 — each supports the other, and they go hand in hand. Still, worries about OU’s

K AYLA BRANCH • @K AYLA _BRANCH expanding footprint bubble underneath the surface of their symbiotic relationship.

Currently, the university is constructing its second upperclassman-oriented residential space, Cross Neighborhood. Set to open in fall 2018 on the south side of campus at West Fourth Street and Asp Avenue, Cross will contain about 1,200 beds for students and roughly 40,000 square feet of retail and “flex” space, according to the property management agreement.

OU is also in discussion with the city about developing the University North Park area, which would be a new entertainment district potentially housing OU basketball and is between Rock Creek and Tecumseh roads, roughly six miles north of OU’s main campus.

State budget cuts have pushed the university to stretch its resources, but growth in enrollment has led to the construction of Cross and the opening of the Residential Colleges and Headington Hall, as well as the renovation of the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in the last five years.

A s g ro w t h i s e x p e c t e d t o

continue, while shopping and entertainment areas are built on university property, a question is emerging — when a campus becomes a city of its own, what are the consequences?

“Our success is intertwined with Norman’s success, and so we want Norman to be everything that it can be.

We always want to make sure things are square deals, where we aren’t taking advantage or striking an arrangement that is to the city’s detriment, because we want things that are to the benefit of both the university and the city.”

NICK HATHAWAY, OU VICE PRESIDENT OF ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE

RAPID CHANGE The University of Oklahoma experienced unprecedented growth

after World War II ended in 1945, experiencing a 161.7 percent increase in enrollment in fall 1946, according to the OU Fact Book.

Neighborhoods close to campus sprang up, like Hardie-Rucker to the southeast, and schools like Madison Elementary were used to accommodate the influx of GI Bill recipients coming to school with families in tow.

Since then, enrollment at OU’s Nor man campus has grow n to roughly 28,000 students, almost 18,000 more students than in 1946, according to the OU Fact Book and a report by OU Institutional Research and Reporting.

Nick Hathaway, OU’s vice president of administration and finance, said the university strives to be a good neighbor to the city so there are perks of coming to Norman for those the university tries to recruit.

“Our success is intertwined with Norman’s success, and so we want Norman to be everything that it can be,” Hathaway said. “We always want to make sure things are square deals, where we aren’t taking advantage or striking an arrangement that is to the city’s detriment, because we want things

that are to the benefit of both the university and the city.”

Miller said the university has been an agent for good — it’s Norman’s biggest employer, drawing a diverse pool of professors, researchers and students, as well as creating community institutions like the National Weather C e n t e r a n d t h e S a m No b l e Oklahoma Museum of Natural History.

“Because of that, they are the biggest part of our economic engine,” Miller said. “What would Norman be if we didn’t have the university?”

But there are issues, Miller said, pointing to Norman’s housing market, which has been inflated in recent years with the creation of additional on-campus student living like the Residential Colleges and large, mainly student-filled apartment complexes such as Callaway House, which is one of the closest privately owned, off-campus housing available.

These new options range in price, but they can be more expensive per person than traditional rental homes around see NORMAN Page 3

Sooners maintain forward-looking focus OU team ignores talk, prepares for College Football Playoff game GEORGE STOIA @GeorgeStoia

PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY

The Big 12 Championship trophy sits on the end zone Dec. 2.

After Oklahoma beat then-No. 2 Ohio State 31-16 in a game that many believed the Sooners had no chance in, every OU player and coach reiterated the same thing: That game was not going to be the highlight of their season.

Oklahoma’s mentality to keep their eyes in front of them has been evident all season. That same mentality is what has gotten them a plane ticket to Pasadena, California, to face No. 3 Georgia in the semifinals

of the College Football Playoff.

Even when the Sooners found out they were going to have a chance to compete for a national title, they looked forward.

Sunday, first-year head coach Lincoln Riley sat in his office with co-offensive coordinator Cale Gundy and athletics director Joe Castiglione, along with a few other staff members watching the selection show, waiting for the OU logo to flash across the screen. Then, as ESPN’s Rece Davis announced Oklahoma would be No. 2 in the 2017 College Football Playoff, each person in the room celebrated for no longer than five seconds, Riley said, before he asked “What’s next?”

It ’s that attitude that has helped the Sooners improve week in and week out. After beating Ohio State, they said

that wouldn’t be the highlight of their season. When they lost to Iowa State, they said that wouldn’t ruin their goals. And as senior quarterback Baker Mayfield is about to win the Heisman Trophy, he says that’s not what he’s focused on.

“I didn’t come back to win a Heisman,” Mayfield said. “I came back to win a national title.”

Now, with the regular season and Big 12 Championship behind them, Oklahoma will be playing in the Rose Bowl “Granddaddy of them all,” just two wins away from an eighth national championship.

“Seeing (our name) come across there with a chance to go see PLAYOFF Page 8

2

• December 4-6, 2017

NEWS

Emma Keith, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily

Replacing retirees yields costs OU administration weighs effects of retirement program HANNAH PIKE @h_pike_

While 50 percent more than the projected number of eligible employees opted in to OU’s early incentivized retirement program this semester, the extra retirees may not yield more savings for the university.

Administration expected the Special Voluntary Retirement Incentive program to save the Norman campus $9.4 million if 20 percent of eligible employees opted in, but in reality 30 percent accepted it and will leave by the end of 2017, said Marcy Fleming, OU Human Resources director, in an email.

Those who opted into the program will receive a single payment of 75 percent of their yearly salary, not to exceed $100,000, according to OU Human Resources. The amount saved for the university will still be about the same, however, because the administration will have to rehire more people while paying more to leave, said Nick Hathaway, executive vice president and vice president for administration and finance. “ You can manage the a m ou nt o f s av i ng s you achieve based on how many of the positions you replace because the SVRI is always kind of a give-and-take on how many you’re going to replace that left,” Hathaway said.

Hathaway said he does not think the administration will

PROVIDED BY OU

Nick Hathaway is executive vice president, vice president for administration and finance and vice president for strategic planning at OU.

implement SVRI again in the spring, as it is still responding to the effects of the loss of faculty and staff from the last two rounds. The program was previously implemented in 2016.

When faculty members opt into the program, the money saved that would have paid their salaries goes to OU’s central administration rather than back to the employees’ departments, he said. Departments must go through a process involving approval from the provost and the president to hire more faculty, Hathaway said.

For self-supported positions, such as some positions

in the athletics department that are not funded by tuition and state appropriations, departments can follow standard university policy in which the department makes the decision on whether to refill the position, OU press secretary Matt Epting said in an email.

“The SVRI has impacted the amount of funding available to fund faculty hires, but the evaluation process is the same regardless of how the faculty position became vacant,” Epting said.

Central administration evaluates all requests at once rather than one-by-one,

he said. He added that for time-sensitive, key staff positions that support “mission-critical activities,” approval to refill the positions takes about two months.

In the meantime, some departments utilize services offered by human resources or reassign duties if possible, he said. Fleming said while replacements require approval by the president, human resources can help in the meantime.

“Departments use many different staffing strategies to cope with the loss including realigning existing staff, summer-off staff, PE AK

employee(s) or part-time employees,” Fleming said.

“Human resources is available to assist departments with staffing strategies.”

For this year’s retirees, the original plan was to replace about 50 percent of the faculty and 30 to 35 percent of the staff, and the administration has held to this even though more have opted in, Hathaway said.

“You achieve the budget savings, but there are some definitely lamentable aspects of it,” he said. “You can lose somebody that you don’t want to lose, lose a disproportionate number of people from an area that you’d rather not lose them from.”

Hathaway said the administration knew when implementing SVRI that it has certain aspects — such as certain departments losing a disproportionate amount of faculty — that make it a “double-edged sword.”

With the largest freshman class in OU history and increasing efforts to improve retention leading to a larger student body as the amount of faculty members decreases, student-faculty ratio becomes a challenge, Hathaway said.

“The management of having the right amount of instructional effort to serve students is maybe the greatest, most important challenge when you’re facing budget challenges like we are now,” Hathaway said.

OU’s Norman campus student-faculty ratio was 18.4:1 this fall, which is a 0.5 increase since fall 2016, according to OU Institutional Research and Reporting. The ratio is calculated based on counting all full-time, plus one-third of part-time students and all full-time, plus one-third of

part-time instructional faculty members.

This is the largest increase in any year since 2012, and the last time the ratio was above 18 was in 2014. Fluctuations of less than 1.0 from year to year are normal, however, said Susannah Livingood, the director of IRR, in an email.

Epting said the ultimate goal when deciding which positions to refill is to ensure students, faculty and staff are receiving the support they need, and this process makes OU more efficient.

“It has challenged departments to think about how to efficiently deliver services to support mission-critical areas,” Epting said. “It has also provided departments and the university the opportunity to re-evaluate how services are being delivered to identify ways that encourage efficiency and effectiveness in a resource-constrained environment.”

Hathaway said replacing faculty can be done strategically to adjust to changing enrollment numbers in various departments, but doing so is nothing the administration particularly celebrates.

“It is something that we try to really carefully manage to make it still the best possible educational experience for students,” Hathaway said.

“But certainly that wouldn’t be our preferred approach at all. We would rather not be in a position where we’re essentially forced to be making these reductions in staffing based on our budget circumstance.”

Hannah Pike

hmaepike@gmail.com

Students protest world slavery Gathering allows attendees to share about global issues HANNAH PIKE @h_pike_

our grads, our book

OU students gathered on the South Oval Dec. 1 to raise awareness about international slavery, specifically in Libya.

Organizers originally planned for the event to be a march from noon to 4 p.m. but decided to stay at the north part of the South Oval instead and allowed attendees to come forward and speak.

Undergraduate and graduate students, including many international students, spoke about their personal connections to slavery.

“Here at the university, people do not know what’s going on (with the slave trade in Libya),” said Pedro Domingos Paposseco Manuel, public affairs and administration and

FIELD PARSONS/THE DAILY

Attendees and organizers hold handmade signs during the anti-slavery rally Dec. 1.

international and area studies junior. “We need to let people know that it’s not okay.”

Attendees also chanted throughout the rally. Rena Kimanzi, economics and management information systems junior and event organizer, shouted, “Slavery,” and attendees responded, “Not in our world.”

Kelebogile Swartland, biology senior and event organizer, said she was nervous people would not come and she was expecting more outrage from people.

“The turnout was so much better than we expected,” Swartland said. “I’m glad to see that OU students care about global issues, especially African issues, because people tend to just neglect that part of the world. And it’s so easy to just not care about something because it’s not affecting you directly ... I still have goosebumps from everyone showing out.”

Hannah Pike

hmaepike@gmail.com

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December 4-6, 2017 •

JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY

Susan Connors, Director of Planning and Community Development, looking over a map at Norman City Hall on Nov. 14.

NORMAN: Continued from Page 1

campus — some as low as a few hundred dollars more per month to almost a thousand dollars more per month. Still, some students are forgoing the cheaper options and moving into these new spaces, leaving rental houses empty all over the city, said Susan Connors, Norman’s planning and community development director.

If these cheaper rental properties are left unoccupied and eventually go away, students may be pushed to live in the more expensive university housing, Miller said. Either way, a disruption of where students and Norman’s low-income population are located is occurring, Connors said.

“I think these new dormitories and housing options will affect the housing market greatly, but it’s really new — maybe too new to know the long-term effects — but it may push those property owners to redevelop the properties,” Connors said. “This will push people out into different neighborhoods, whether those are students or just lower-income individuals. The increase of students who usually pay a higher price for renting affects our low-income residents and their options of where to live.”

Miller said the prices for those living in new campus buildings are serious financial obligations that not all can afford. Additionally, OU has increased tuition by 16.8 percent since 2015 to deal with less state funding, according to previous OU Daily articles.

In addition to tuition increases, the percentage of OU students who are from out-of-state — a group that pays thousands more per year than in-state students — has been growing.

Between 1994 and 2007, the out-of-state student population increased by 53.7 percent, according to data from OU Institutional Research and Reporting, obtained through an email from OU press secretary Matt Epting. For the current academic year, out-of-state students are paying $15,381

more than in-state students for tuition and fees, according to OU’s bursar website. “ W hat t h e u n i v e r s i t y does in terms of housing affects Norman’s economy, but my other concern is out-pricing students, so students can’t afford to go to college here,” Miller said. “(OU has) gone slow with buying properties, so I think they’ve been careful about that, but I worry about there not being enough moderately priced living situations for students and others.”

RELATIONSHIP WITH STRAIN State cuts to higher education funding have forced universities to raise tuition and cut staff, meaning institutions must get creative with the revenue they do have.

Miller said this could play a part in some of OU’s recent residential additions, as well as the decision to sell off and develop land owned by the OU Foundation for the University North Park development.

“OU has not done this level of student housing building, but for the last few years ... ” Miller said.

“The university may be a little more aggressive right now about their plans, but part of the problem is that everyone is struggling for funding, so it pushes people to try everything they can do.”

However, since OU is a state-owned institution, the land it buys and develops is exempt from property taxes and zoning regulations, Connors said. The university is not required to and doesn’t always reveal the plans for these purchases to the city, but these purchases pull property taxes out of funds for things like public schools at small amounts, Miller said.

“They don’t have to tell us about their buying habits,” Miller said. “It’s similar to other developers, but we’ve had community reaction to things that the university wanted to do, but the big company gets more say than the downtown mom and pop shop, and that’s kind of reality.”

But beyond buildings used just as residential space will be Cross, which

will house dining, theater and performance venues and a coffee shop, among other things, Hathaway said.

The amenities are meant to entice upperclassmen to stay on campus longer, Hathaway said. It could also potentially encourage OU students to spend their money on campus rather than in the broader Norman community, said Cleveland County Assessor Doug Warr.

not unique to OU, said Kate Rousmaniere of Oxford, Ohio, where she is mayor and a professor at Miami University.

Rousmaniere is a member of the International Town and G own Association, an organization that holds conferences and provides resources to cities and universities that face issues while working together, according to the ITGA website. She said that universities in Ohio have

“What the university does in terms of housing affects Norman’s economy, but my other concern is out-pricing students, so students can’t afford to go to college here. (OU has) gone slow with buying properties, so I think they’ve been careful about that, but I worry about there not being enough moderately priced living situations for students and others.”

LYNNE MILLER, MAYOR OF NORMAN

“If it’s a similar type of business, especially to what is on Campus Corner, then that might have an impact on those existing businesses — time will tell,” Warr said.

Creating a new residential and commercial market on a university campus is

been using this same method of buying residential space for university functions, as well as adding in their own stores and restaurants, taking away from city business.

“Our campus has more stores and food options and Starbucks than the town,

3

so people aren’t going to town,” Rousmaniere said.

“So there is a competition issue — if the university opens its own store, what happens to the independently owned store across town?”

THE FUTURE AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS Miller said the looming choice of who the next university president will be has left many unsure of what that relationship will look like in the future.

OU President David Boren, who has headed the university since 1994 and left a celebrated legacy, announced his retirement in September.

Regardless, Rousmaniere said, the fact remains that larg e universities have heavy influence in the areas they are located in.

“While many towns wouldn’t exist without their universities, sometimes towns are hostage to what their universities want to do,” Rousmaniere said.

OU and the City of Norman have partnered on various projects in the past and are currently in negotiations for the University North Park development, but Miller said planning

has gone fairly smooth so far.

“The university may be being more aggressive in their desire to get this done, but I don’t feel like we’re b e i n g s t ro n g - a r m e d o r pressured,” Miller said. “We have so many positive relationships with OU, and we do work together, but yes, they have a lot of power.”

To navigate this balance, city and university leaders can participate in ITGA conferences or created joint city-university committees to discuss future plans and current issues, Rousmaniere said.

OU expansions are likely to impact Norman’s housing market and low-income population, Miller said. But because of the long-term nature of the projects and recent land acquisitions, it is unknown what impact they will have overall, Hathaway said.

“We’re acquiring land, thinking that the university will need more space to continue to be what it is, but I think some of it is that we’re all limited on what our understanding of the future might be,” Hathaway said.

Kayla Branch

kaylabranch@ou.edu

MAP PROVIDED BY GOOGLE MAPS

Map of apartments near north campus. The dark gray represents north campus; the black dots mark apartment complexes.

NEWS

4 • December 4-6, 2017

Committee seeks OU opinions Focus groups list desired qualities in next president SIERRA RAINS @sierrarains

HANNAH PIKE @h_pike_

Groups of OU community members met at focus groups throughout the day Nov. 30 to discuss the qualities they desire in OU’s next president.

The presidential search committee partnered with the Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates consulting group to host separate forums for OU students, faculty, staff and alumni at the Norman, Health Sciences Center and Tulsa campuses.

The search committee is responsible for recommending candidates to replace OU President David Boren after his retirement, but OU’s Board of Regents will ultimately choose Boren’s successor.

Alberto Pimentel, a consultant of Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates, led the Norman campus student, staff and alumni discussions, while Shelly Storbeck, co-founder of Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates, led the Norman campus faculty session.

The search firm will identify possible candidates from across the nation based on the requests of the stakeholders and the committee, which will narrow down the list to present its picks to the Regents. By higher education standards, the search is happening at “lightning speed,� Pimentel said, but if stakeholders are not excited about the candidates the firm is presenting, it will slow down the process. “We would rather wait to find the right candidate than move forward with the wrong candidates,� Pimentel said.

LGBTQ+, international and other marginalized students feel safe and included • A candidate who will be educated about and speak out against sexual assault • A candidate who will maintain OU’s strong sense of community • A candidate who will push OU to an even higher level academically while doing his or her best to keep it affordable • A candidate who will increase overall university transparency • A candidate who will do more to help students who have a mental illness NORMAN CAMPUS STAFF FOCUS GROUP: Staff members from areas such as the arts, education, international studies and student affairs discussed their concerns with how the future budget for education will be addressed and the issues posed by the geopolitical climate that a new successor would be stepping into.

The main qualities staff members said they are looking for include: • A candidate with a background in politics and government, similar to Boren’s • A candidate who can deal with the legislature and understand how it works in the midst of budget cuts • A candidate who can easily talk and listen to different groups and try to

™ & Š 2003 The Jim Henson Company

NORMAN CAMPUS STUDENT FOCUS GROUP: Around 20 to 30 community members and students — including undergraduate, graduate and nontraditional students — voiced what qualities they see as most important for the next university president.

Cameron Burleson, the undergraduate Norman campus representative on the presidential search committee, as well as J.D. Baker, president of the Student Government Association, were present.

The main qualities students said they are looking for include: • A candidate who will make

HANNAH PIKE/THE DAILY

OU students gathered in Beaird Lounge in the Oklahoma Memorial Union Nov. 30 for a forum hosted by OU’s presidential search committee and the Storbeck/ Pimentel & Associates consulting group. Students identified qualities they wish to see in OU’s next president.

accommodate them • A candidate who has a clear idea of his or her goals • A candidate who supports international students in an uncertain time • A candidate who can emphasize the great parts of the university aside from its football team • A candidate who appreciates the culture of Oklahoma and beauty of OU NORMAN CAMPUS FACULTY FOCUS GROUP: Many faculty members from areas like political science, professional and continuing studies, research, education and the arts attended the faculty focus group, with some expressing concerns that their voice would not be heard in the process.

The main qualities faculty members said they are looking for include: •A candidate who has a strong commitment to education • A candidate who has a background in public service rather than business • A candidate who can continue the legacies Boren will leave behind • A candidate who values community service and the culture of OU • A “championâ€? who can face the state legislature in the midst of budget cuts • A candidate with values in education, the arts and research

• A candidate with dedication to diversity and inclusion NORMAN CAMPUS AREA ALUMNI FOCUS GROUP: Around 20 OU alumni and community stakeholders met at the recently dedicated Gene Rainbolt Graduate School of Business at OU’s Health Sciences Center campus in Oklahoma City. The hour-anda-half long session was the longest of the day.

The main qualities area alumni said they are looking for include: • A candidate who can raise the funds necessary for the university to continue on its current trajectory • A candidate who will help the university rise in rankings and strengthen academically • A candidate who cares about and will inspire students and faculty • A candidate with “Oklahoma valuesâ€? • A candidate who understands the difficulties of finding funding for education in the state of Oklahoma who has the energy to work toward persuading legislators Sierra Rains

sierra.m.rains@gmail.com

Hannah Pike

hmaepike@gmail.com

By Eugenia Last

Copyright 2017, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

Share your thoughts and feelings openly if you want to get a lot accomplished this year. Knowing what you want and going after it will help open doors that have been closed in the past. Show enthusiasm and embrace change with the intent to make your life and surroundings better.

Eats flies. Dates a pig. Hollywood star.

LIVE YOUR DREAMS Pass It On.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -Look for exciting ways to improve how you do your job, take care of your responsibilities or handle your money. Keeping up with technology will encourage better results in your everyday routine.

www.forbetterlife.org

Previous Solution

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

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.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Partnership issues should be addressed head-on. Be willing to compromise and to do the necessary legwork to bring about positive change. Romance will bring you joy and improve your life.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -Sharing the load will help you get a project done on time and enjoy doing it. Speak up and take action to make a difference.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- An emotional situation will arise if you don’t choose your words wisely.

Look for unique ways to help others without hurting your bankbook or your health.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -Gather information and learn from the encounters and experiences you have dealing with others. Take the lead if you want to get things done your way. Business trips look promising.

J Housing Rentals DUPLEXES UNFURNISHED

HELP WANTED City of Norman Parks & Recreation/Recreation Division Sports Supervisor Applicant must be at least 18 years of age. High School diploma or equivalent and two years of progressively responsible sports experience. Supervisory experience preferred. Reasonable knowledge of organized sports and rules; knowledge of emergency procedures. Ability to deal effectively and cooperatively with people of all ages. Ability to collaborate with game officials, and to communicate with coaches and scorekeepers. Ability to interact with the public and have good decision making skills. Selected applicants must pass background investigation and drug screen. Application Deadline: Open Recruitment. A complete job announcement and application are available on our website at www. normanok.gov/hr/hr-job-postings or call (405) 366-5482, or visit us at 201-C West Gray, Human Resources Dept., City of Norman. EOE

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PLACE A PAID AD Phone: 405-325-2521 E-mail: classifieds@ou.edu

Fax: 405-325-7517 Campus Address: COH 149A

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3 days prior Place line ad by 9:00 a.m. 3 business days prior to publication.

Display Ad ............................................................................3 days prior Classified Display or Classified Card Ad Place your display, classified display or classified card ads by 5:00 p.m. 3 business days prior to publication.

HOROSCOPE MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2017 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last

CLASSIFIEDS

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- You may want to help others, but do so smartly. Don’t let emotional spending lead to a budgetary shortfall.

An unusual partnership will provide a learning experience.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Sort out any differences you have with others, especially if they concern money. Taking the lead and making adjustments to ensure that more money is coming in than is going out will set a good example.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- A discussion with someone you work with or deal with at a government agency or institution will turn emotional. Know your rights and have your paperwork in order.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Don’t overspend on your living space or dubious investments. Put more time into self-improvements that don’t cost too much or focus on your relationships with your children, loved ones or parents.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Trust your emotions. If something doesn’t feel right, back away. Don’t believe everything you are told or take a risk that could lead to injury or a personal loss.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Make last-minute changes or travel arrangements or plans for end-ofyear festivities. A shopping spree will lead to bargains. Meet a friend for lunch and catch up.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Make changes at home that will inspire you to enjoy the festive season. An unusual project should be shared with someone you find comforting and supportive.

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker December 4, 2017

ACROSS 1 Product’s 1,001 5 Low-lying area 9 Sews on patches 14 Folk story 15 Hunchback on film 16 Hurries 17 Re-sign after lawyering up 20 Not a veteran 21 Poem of tribute 22 Speaker’s platform 23 Traveler’s rest 24 Inner ear?

26 Fancy pitcher 28 Dublin’s land 30 Cup supporter 34 Dog-to-be 37 Jolly old saint 39 Whacked biblically 40 78, for U.S. men 44 Kidneyrelated 45 Destiny 46 Maximizing suffix 47 Start of a beat 49 Rip 51 Seafood you crack 53 Toweled 54 Big Band, for one

12/4

57 Type of helmet 60 Fond du ___ 62 Departs 64 Go for an after-dinner stroll 67 Creature’s armor 68 Not that 69 Noted canal 70 Not those 71 Blubbers 72 Fluid-filled sac DOWN 1 Stations for gestations 2 Anglo-___ 3 John on the piano 4 Play in a kid’s game 5 Putting on film, in a way 6 Turkish VIP title 7 Nuts or bananas 8 Wear away 9 “The A-Team� muscle 10 Parts of the auditory canal 11 Bracketology org.

12 Prefix meaning “tenth�

13 Bygone fliers 18 Courteous 19 It’s breaking daily

25 Not long-winded 27 Feeling of comfort 29 Brilliance of success 31 Deal (with) 32 Greek letters 33 Landlord’s due 34 “The Incredibles� surname 35 Part of the eyeball 36 ___-up rage 38 Passed bad checks 41 Gadgets with pawls 42 Banned orchard spray 43 Stunningly bold 48 First on Mohs

50 Some breads 52 Bangkok bills 54 Word with “so often�

55 Kathie Lee’s co-host, once 56 Thing in the black 57 Ahem alternative 58 Seven-year malady?

59 Frequent test answer 61 Salmon variety 63 Baldwin of “30 Rock�

65 Golf prop 66 Writer’s point

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6

• December 4-6, 2017

SPORTS

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

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

OU coach Lincoln Riley is presented with the Big 12 Championship trophy after the Sooners won the Big 12 Championship game Dec. 2. Riley is 12-1 as Oklahoma’s coach.

Lincoln Riley begins his legacy OU coach with ‘it’ factor leads team to Big 12 victory KELLI STACY @AstacyKelli

ARLINGTON, Texas — As pastel confetti rained down around him, Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley beamed with pride. Inside one of the newest, most innovative stadiums in all of football, the youngest, most energizing coach in the conference hoisted the Big 12 Championship in his first year at the helm of a program.

As he held the trophy high for the thousands of Sooner faithfuls who made the trip to see, Riley picked up right where former coach and legend Bob

Stoops left off.

Riley has proven to be the right choice for the S o o n e r s, d e s p i t e s o m e questioning him bas ed on his age and inexperience as a head coach. He’s shown everyone just how capable he is throughout Oklahoma’s one-loss regular season. When faced with big games like Ohio State, Bedlam and now the Big 12 Championship, Riley rose to the occasion.

“I think when you get to (big games), you can’t be scared to go win them,” Riley said. “You can’t worry about what’s on the line.

You don’t ever want to play not to lose. You want to play to win, and this program has that mentality, and I felt that from the day I walked in here.”

The mentality Riley m e nt i o n e d i s t h e sa m e

mentality his players see in him. It’s a desire to outwork and outplay everyone who steps in Oklahoma’s path, but above all else, it’s a desire to win. The vibe the young coach has brought to the locker room in Norman has energized the Sooners, and the results have been telling.

“He comes to practice e ver y day ready to g o,” sophomore receiver Mykel Jones said. “We can just tell he has that ‘it’ factor about him. He’s ready to go at all times.”

In his first year at the helm, Riley has helped OU become the top offense in the nation. The Sooners won all but one game despite having one of the toughest schedules in the Big 12. And now, he’s led his team into the Big 12 Championship and came

out with a dominant 41-17 Championship was the win over TCU. perfect way to end Riley’s season ahead of a potential playoff berth. With his “It tells a lot about mentor Stoops looking on, him. How much time, the Sooners played arguhow much love, how ably their most complete game of the season nummuch passion he puts into this game bers-wise, which is something Riley’s been searchand how much time ing for. One of his favorite he dedicates to us. phrases to use is “complementary football” when Lincoln Riley’s a how he wants great coach, and it discussing his team to play. Saturday, was great to start his he saw that.

Heisman frontrunner legacy with his first and senior quarterback Big 12 win.”

Baker Mayfield played well, per usual, but his numbers PARNELL MOTLEY, SOPHOMORE CORNERBACK weren’t as breathtaking as some of his other perfor“I feel like that’s amaz- mances. The offense put up ing,” sophomore tackle 461 total yards — 243 passDu’Vonta Lampkin said. ing and 218 rushing — but “Not too many coaches can the defense also accountsay that. He deserves it.” ed for a touchdown, and I n a w a y , t h e B i g 1 2 multiple three-and-outs in

the second half. It showed a glimpse of what Riley has been looking for — a game in which no group carries the other the entire game.

Wi t h S a t u rd ay ’s w i n , Riley became just the fifth coach in FBS history with no previous head coaching experience at a four-year university to win 12 games in his first season.

“It tells a lot about him.

How much time, how much love, how much passion he puts into this game and how much time he dedicates to us,” sophomore cornerback Parnell Motley said. “Lincoln Riley’s a great coach, and it was great to start his legacy with his first Big 12 win.”

Kelli Stacy

kelliastacy@ou.edu

ROSE BOWL WHEN: 4 p.m. on Jan. 1, 2018 WHERE: Rose Bowl — Pasadena, California

1 CLEMSON

INFO: OU vs. Georgia STUDENT TICKETS: OU will email information to student ticket holders early this week.

OKLAHOMA 2 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF

4 ALABAMA

GEORGIA 3 Source: logos provided by collegefootballplayoff.com

SPORTS

December 4-6, 2017 •

7

Team picks up Mayfield’s slack Despite imperfect performance, OU clinches Big 12 title JESSE POUND @jesserpound

ARLINGTON, Texas — Oklahoma senior quarterback Baker Mayfield will be the first to tell you he wasn’t perfect in the Sooners’ 41-17 win over then-No. 11 TCU. “ There were multiple throws I’d like to have back,” Mayfield said.

Mayfield didn’t appear comfortable for the Sooners (12-1, 8-1 Big 12) in the first quarter, failing to set his feet on some early throws as TCU (10-3, 7-2 Big 12) was able to pressure him in the pocket. He missed two deep passes and another throw on third down during the first drive, and the stalled Sooners had to take a field goal.

I n S a t u r d a y ’s B i g 1 2 Championship, however, Mayfield didn’t need to be perfect. Two plays after Oklahoma settled for a field goal, the Sooner defense scored on a fumble recovery – and Mayfield’s team never trailed on its way to a conference title. “ The most impor tant thing is about doing your job,” Mayfield said. “That’s where I’ve just settled in, doing my job. Whether that’s handing the ball off a hundred times like West Virginia last year in a blizzard, or just barely throwing it in a game. You know, just managing the clock, doing my job, putting us in the best position to win.”

May f i e l d t o s s e d f o u r touchdowns on the day, including two to senior tight end Mark Andrews, but his

Senior quarterback Baker Mayfield celebrates after winning the Big 12 Championship game Dec. 2.

receivers did a lot of work.

Marquise Brown turned a short screen on third and 12 into a 29-yard gain, slipping through the grasp of the Big 12’s best defense. Mykel Jones’ 55-yard score to open the first half was largely him, as he beat his defender on his route and then out raced everyone to the end zone.

“We take a lot of pride in it because that’s our job,” Jones said about picking up yards after the catch.

“O bv i o u s l y w e h av e t o

block, but to make big plays, it gets a lot of momentum going, and I feel like those two plays ... really sparked us.”

Over the last three seasons, as the Sooners have collected three conference titles and piled up 34 wins, Mayfield has been the constant. Whether it was wriggling free of the Tennessee defense in Knoxville in 2015, out-dueling Patrick Mahomes and Texas Tech last season or shredding

Ohio State earlier this year, Mayfield has made a habit of coming through when the Sooners needed him.

“He hasn’t just done it one year. He’s done it three years,” TCU coach Gar y Patterson said.

But this team is striving for more than those previous two teams, and Patterson repeatedly compared this Oklahoma team to Sam B r a d f o r d ’s 2 0 0 8 t e a m , which played for a national title. It was announced

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Sunday morning that the Sooners clinched a spot in the College Football Playoff field.

Senior safety Will Johnson, who had an interception in the win, said this year’s team is less reliant on individual stars than the playoff team two years ago.

“It’s more of a collective team on this team rather in 2015,” Johnson said. “I felt like in 2015 we cared more about individuals — like it was guaranteed to go to

(receiver Sterling Shepard) when we needed it. Now it can go to Mykel Jones. It can go to Mark Andrews. It can go to anyone on third down.”

The OU defense has played well down the stretch this season, something sophomore defensive lineman Du’Vonta Lampkin credited to starting Friday night defensive meetings in early November. The growth of the defensive line, which allowed just 3.5 yards per carry on Saturday, has been a big part of that turnaround.

“Our coaches don’t even rotate us. We rotate ourselves,” Lampkin said of the defensive line. “I feel like that’s a maturity thing. Not every team can do that.”

The Sooner defense wants to dominate on its own terms, not simply break serve once or twice and let Mayfield work his magic.

“We genuinely thought as a team that we could hold TCU under 20 points,” Johnson said. “We wasn’t thinking shootout out at all.”

Even with the heroics around him, Mayfield was there to plunge the knife, floating a beautiful deep pass to Brown for a 52-yard score that put the Sooners up 38-17. It was a team win, but Mayfield was, once again, the star — seemingly destined to grab the Heisman Trophy in a week.

“There’s not many people like him,” Andrews said.

“He’s electrifying. He’s the best teammate you can imagine. He’s proved it dayin and day-out, and there’s no one else more deserving.”

Jesse Pound

jesserpound@gmail.com

Meet the Georgia Bulldogs No. 2 Oklahoma is set to play No. 3 Georgia in the College Football Playoff for a chance at its eighth national championship. Here’s how they match up: GEORGE STOIA • @GEORGESTOIA

SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY

The Collge Football Playoff trophy visits Oklahoma Memorial Stadium during the West Virginia game on Nov. 25.

RECORD:

BEST WIN:

WORST LOSS:

BEST OFFENSIVE PLAYER:

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER:

Oklahoma: 12-1 8-1 Big 12

Oklahoma vs.

Ohio State 31-16 Sept. 9

Oklahoma vs.

Iowa State 38-31 Oct. 7

Oklahoma: quarterback Baker Mayfield — 41 passing touchdowns, 4,340 passing yards

Oklahoma: linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo — 65 total tackles, eight sacks, three forced fumbles

Georgia: 12-1 7-1 SEC

Georgia vs.

Auburn 28-7 Dec. 2

Georgia vs.

Auburn 40-17 Nov. 11

Georgia: running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel — 26 touchdowns, 2,123 rush yards

Georgia: linebacker Roquan Smith — 113 total tackles, 16 quarterback hits, 5.5 sacks

Oklahoma and Georgia will face off at 4 p.m. CT, Jan. 1 in the Rose Bowl on ESPN.

8

SPORTS

• December 4-6, 2017

PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY

The OU football team gathers for a photo after winning the Big 12 Championship Dec. 2. The Sooners beat TCU 41-17.

PLAYOFF: Continued from Page 1

to the Rose Bowl was a great feeling,” Riley said.

“One, you’re in the national semifinal getting ready to play a great Georgia team, and two, you’re getting ready to play in one of the most historic bowl games, one of the best venues in college football.”

It’s a game Riley has always dreamt about.

“It’s always been the one, looking from afar, that I haven’t gotten a chance to be a part of yet that I was always hoping I’d get the chance to be in,” Riley said.

Riley and the Sooners are on the heels of winning the program’s first national title since 2000. This has been the team’s goal since

hoisting the Sugar Bowl trophy last New Year’s Eve. They’re peaking at the right time, playing to their potential for four quarters and putting teams away — something they weren’t doing in the beginning or the middle of the season.

Early in the season, the Sooners struggled putting their foot on the throats of teams like Iowa State, Texas and Kansas State. But as they’ve shown in their last four or five games, things have changed. The offense has become more efficient, with the help of sophomore running back Rodney Anderson, while a once-disastrous defense has forced eight turnovers in the last five games.

Oklahoma has come a long way since week one, putting itself in a position many never thought

possible. The Sooners have gone from being called “pretenders” before the season to being the hottest team in college football. They planted the flag in Columbus, they out-shot the Cowboys in Stillwater and they stomped the Horned Frogs in both Norman and Arlington.

While the season has been a roller coaster with more ups than downs, this team is focused on the accomplishments that are in front of it, instead of the ones behind it.

“It’s been a great thrill.

I’ve enjoyed every second of it, I really have,” Riley said. “But, I know right now, we’ve got things to do.”

George Stoia

george.s.stoia-1@ou.edu

PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY

Senior quarterback Baker Mayfield runs down the field during the Big 12 Championship game Dec. 2.

The Alpha of Oklahoma Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa presents

Through the Lens of History: Bearing Witness in a Fractured World A public lecture by

Rilla J. Askew Assistant Professor of English

Thursday, December 7, 2017 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.

Beaird Lounge, Oklahoma Memorial Union Refreshments will be served at 3:00.

Hosted by ĭǺȀ in celebration of Founders’ Day Phi Beta Kappa: A leading advocate for excellence in the liberal arts and sciences since 1776 Accommodations on the basis of disability are available by contacting Craig Hayes at 325-1221.

SPORTS

December 4-6, 2017 •

Sophomore linebacker Caleb Kelly runs with the ball after a fumble recovery during the Big 12 Championship game Dec. 2. Kelly scored to put the Sooners up 9-0.

9

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Defense plays with confidence

National criticism spurs Sooners to step up their game GEORGE STOIA @GeorgeStoia

A R L I N G T O N , Te x a s — When then- No. 3 Oklahoma ran out for the second half of the Big 12 Championship Saturday afternoon, there was an eerie feeling in AT&T stadium. Then- No. 11 TCU had come back from a 17-0 first quarter deficit, cutting the Sooners’ lead to just seven right before the half.

Oklahoma fans were all too familiar with what they thought was going to happen. Their nationally criticized defense was going to ruin Oklahoma’s chances at the College Football Playoff.

But they were wrong.

The Sooners would force

a three-and-out to start the second half, which would be followed by a Baker Mayfield 55-yard touchdown pass the very next play. Oklahoma’s (12-1, 8-1 Big 12) defense would go on to force four punts, a turnover on downs and an interception in the second half on its way to a 41-17 rout of TCU (10-3, 7-2 Big 12).

“It started with the stop,” coach Lincoln Riley said.

“That was big. Defensively, the biggest thing we talked about at halftime was we just had to tackle better. We gave them a few big plays just simply based on missing tackles when we were there. So we tackled much better in the second half, we got a stop, we played a lot of great complementary football in that quarter and we were able to really separate ourselves.”

PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY

Senior wide receiver Jordan Smallwood pumps up the crowd before the game Dec. 2.

PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY

Senior defensive back Steven Parker pushes against his opponent in the Big 12 Championship game.

While the Sooners played arguably their best defensive half of the season, maybe the biggest play they’ve made this season came on TCU’s first play of the game.

Sophomore defensive lineman Amani Bledsoe and true freshman linebacker Kenneth Murray stripped the ball from TCU running back Kyle Hicks, and sophomore linebacker Caleb Kelly swooped in, picked the ball up, and ran 18 yards into the end zone.

“I wasn’t going to fall on it for sure,” Kelly said. “I just had to go for the scoopand-score. It was just laying there.”

Oklahoma’s defense has been much improved over the past few weeks, making big stops when needed most.

After the Oklahoma State game, when they gave up 661 total yards, the defense

started a new tradition.

Every Friday night they meet as a unit, expressing their concerns and setting expectations.

“The last couple games we’ve kept the numbers down and we’ve been handling business on defense lately. I feel like we’ve been disrespected and now we’re earning our way back.”

CALEB KELLY, SOPHOMORE LINEBACKER

“Honestly since we started that, it’s been great,” sophomore defensive lineman Du’Vonta Lampkin said. “I think we’re going to do that

for the next few years.”

These meetings are an open floor — anybody can say anything at any time.

This Friday, sophomore cornerback Parnell Motley spoke to the team.

“He told the whole team he was going to put it all on the line,” Lampkin said. “He told us he was going to come out and what he had to do to make sure we get a W.” Motley, who was benched against Oklahoma State, had two big pass breakups Saturday, including one on that first drive of the second half. Motley and the Sooners showed confidence Saturday, a confidence they haven’t had all season.

“The last couple games we’ve kept the numbers down and we’ve been handling business on defense lately,” Kelly said. “I feel like we’ve been disrespected and

now we’re earning our way back.”

Oklahoma’s defense is peaking at exactly the right time. With the best offense in the country, the Sooners defense only has to make so many stops a game, but they’re not satisfied with that. They want to be the force behind where they’re going, even if that means not being perfect all the time. “(I’m) proud of our guys. No one has jumped ship,” defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said. “We don’t want to be the cause of us not getting to where we want to go. We want to be the reason we’re going to where we’re going. That’s the attitude we’ve took ...

It’s not always perfect.”

George Stoia

george.s.stoia-1@ou.edu

PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY

Junior tight end Mark Andrews celebrates his touchdown against TCU. Andrews had two touchdowns on the day.

PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY

TCU Junior wide receiver KaVontae Turpin reacts after dropping a pass in the end zone Dec. 2.

PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY

Athletic director Joe Castiglione, former coach Bob Stoops and coach Lincoln Riley pose for a picture after the Big 12 Championship at AT&T Stadium Dec. 2.

10

SPORTS

• December 4-6, 2017

Receiving corps shines for OU

TCU game shows bright future ahead for young offense ABBY BITTERMAN @abby_bitterman

A R L I N G T O N , Te x a s — Coming into the season, questions loomed about who senior quarterback Baker Mayfield would have to throw to with Dede Westbrook gone to the NFL and only young, inexperienced talent to take his place, but Saturday the Oklahoma receiving corps again proved it could shine on a big stage.

Oklahoma (12-1, 8-1 Big 12) beat TCU (10-3, 7-2 Big 12) 41-17 thanks in part to the efforts of the Sooner receivers, who accounted for all of Oklahoma’s offensive touchdowns.

Junior tight end Mark Andrews was the Sooners’ leading receiver. Andrews caught two touchdowns in one game for the first time this season and the third time in his career, and both came in the first half alone.

The true test for the offense came with the start of the third quarter, though.

In the week leading up to the conference championship game, the Sooners talked about not falling off in the second half offensively like they had the first time they played TCU, when they didn’t score after halftime.

“Last week we felt like we didn’t play our best

Sophomore wide receiver Mykel Jones runs the ball in for a touchdown during the Big 12 Championship game Dec. 2.

offensively — and the last time we played TCU,” sophomore wide receiver Marquise Brown said. “So we just wanted to come out and execute because they’re a good team, so we just wanted to take advantage of each drive.”

Saturday they did exactly what they said they wanted to do. Oklahoma scored twice in just 39 seconds of possession to start the third

quarter. Sophomore wide receiver Mykel Jones started it off when he made the first touchdown catch of his career on a 55-yard reception. On the next drive, it was Brown who caught another deep ball for a touchdown.

“I wouldn’t say it was just the whole game plan was to go deep the whole time. It just happened that we had some guys open,” Mayfield

said. “Marquise Brown is so fast it creates mismatches, and he’s one of the reasons there were many deep balls today.”

The Sooners have continued to provide endless options for Mayfield to throw to. After Jones made his catch, 13 different receivers had made touchdown receptions on the year, the most in the Big 12.

Oklahoma has found a

strength this season in its ability to use multiple targets — six receivers were targeted Saturday, and five recorded at least one reception — when in recent years it has relied on one star.

The receiving depth on the offense will be important, not just for a playoff run, but for the future. Most o f t h e S o o n e rs’ re c e i ving corps is young. Jones, Brown, and freshmen

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

CeeDee Lamb and Grant Calcaterra are all examples of the bright future Oklahoma has at the receiver position.

“I feel like this offense is very explosive at this point,” Jones said. “Obviously we still have a lot of work to do, but we get the job done.”

Abby Bitterman abbybitt@ou.edu

Trae Young carries Sooners Freshman guard leads OU despite lackluster defense JADYN WATSONFISHER @jwatsonfisher

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Senior defensive end Ogbonnia Okoronkwo celebrates after beating TCU to win the Big 12.

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

OU coach Lincoln Riley holds up the Big 12 Championship trophy after winning the Big 12 Championship.

With four minutes left on the clock, North Texas turned the basketball over and freshman guard Trae Young slid over for the steal. He dribbled down the court, did a behindthe-back pass to junior guard Chr istian James w h o ha m m e re d i n t h e one-handed dunk.

C h e e r s f ro m f a n s i n the Lloyd Noble Center hit what felt like a deafening pitch. It was only one of many plays, but it was the most memorable and the kind they wanted to see after the Mean Green dominated from the perimeter. “ I t ’s w h a t h e d o e s .

You’ve just got to keep your eyes on him at all

times,” James said. “When we get out in transition, we make plays. It’s what it’s all about.”

Oklahoma (5-1) finished the game with a 82-72 victory over North Texas (4-4) after coming back from a tie at the half, but it was m o s t l y d u e t o Yo u n g ’s performance.

Even though nine Sooners scored in the contest, the freshman put the Sooners on his back after their less-than-stellar defensive effort, recording his third double-double of the season with 32 points, 10 assists. He also added three steals to his stat line.

“Obviously a tough challenge, a tough battle all the way,” coach Lon Kruger sa i d . “ I t h ou g ht ( U N T ) coach (Grant) McCasland — his guys played great. I thought they had a great plan, and it was a different style. It was good for us to experience.”

Oklahoma gave up 13 s h o t s f ro m d e e p — t h e

most it’s allowed all season — with nine coming in the first half alone. Clean looks and solid drives to the basket also gave North Texas two opportunities to cut the lead to one before the Sooners responded.

“We’ve got to keep working at it,” Kruger said. “They made shots and did a good job doing what they wanted to do. We didn’t keep that from happening very well.”

The Mean Green led in time per possession with an average of 23 seconds, which stifled the Sooners offensively and wore down the defense.

“It ’s tough and it can break your spirit a little bit defensively, because you’re working and doing a pretty good job for 25 seconds and then they throw in a tough shot,” Kruger said. “I thought during the stretch there in the second half, when it got late in the clock, we stood up there stronger and got some stops. I think that was a big key.”

The Sooners were slightly outworked underneath, pulling down 28 rebounds c o m p a re d t o t h e Me a n Green’s 31. Senior forward Khadeem Lattin led the team with nine boards, and was the only other Oklahoma player to finish in double figures.

While the Sooners recorded nine points down the stretch, North Texas put itself in position to score seven of its own, something that continues to plague them.

“When it gets late, that’s when we’ve got to toughen up,” Kruger said. “We didn’t always do that well, but I thought we did it enough …

I thought activity there five, six minutes to go there defensively allowed us to create a little bit of a margin, but it was nip and tuck all the way. Good win.”

Jadyn Watson-Fisher jwatsonfisher@ou.edu

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Sophomore wide receiver Marquise Brown celebrates after scoring a touchdown against TCU on Dec. 2.

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Senior quarterback Baker Mayfield celebrates after winning his third Big 12 championship at Oklahoma.

Sophomore guard Jordan Shepherd plays defense in the game against North Texas Nov. 30.

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

11

• December 4-6, 2017

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

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

Student breaks family cycle Soon-to-be alum prospers despite incarcerated parents

Kelli Stacy Sports Editor Supriya Sridhar A&E Editor

@supriyasridhar

RECEIVING AN EDUCATION Lee grew up in Bryan, Texas. His parents had him in 1990 at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic. His mother was 16 years old and his father was 17. Some of Lee’s earliest memories are of him seeing his father in jail.

Lee’s father was incarcerated for a significant portion of his time in elementary school. His mom’s stints in jail were short, only lasting a few weeks at a time. During hard times, Lee would go stay with his grandparents.

However, when he got to middle school, his parents stayed out of trouble for a while.

Lee’s father worked to keep Lee off the streets,

Emma Keith News Managing Editor Siandhara Bonnet Engagement Editor

SUPRIYA SRIDHAR

In two weeks, students across OU’s campus and their families will gather as new graduates receive diplomas, ready to begin the next phase of their lives. Among the crowd will be George Lee, graduating with a dual master’s degree in public relations and adult and higher education. He will have taken another step in breaking his family’s cycle of incarceration.

Lee’s parents have been in and out of prison his whole life. While many soon-tobe alumni reminisce about their freshman year roommates and late nights at the library, Lee looks back at the adversity he has overcome.

During his freshman year at OU, Lee said his father received a 15-year sentence.

He was in and out of prison, mostly for selling drugs.

Then, the summer after his sophomore year, his mother received two years. She was in and out for drugs and other crimes, like writing bad checks.

L ee was left to w or r y about his seven younger siblings. The only way he could communicate with his parents was through mail or hopping on a highway to go visit them.

“As I’m graduating now in December, it’s kind of like reflecting on just everything that I’ve experienced since 2009,” Lee said.

Now both his parents are out of prison. His father got out early on parole, and they will both watch him graduate.

“Both of my parents will be coming up here to see me graduate. They’re very proud that I was able to break some generational poverty, some cycles that both sides of my parents experienced,” Lee said.

Jesse Pound Editor in Chief

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

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Human resources and adult higher education graduate student George Lee stands on the South Oval on April 17. Lee’s father was sentenced to 15 years in prison during Lee’s freshman year.

instilling in him that if he pu r s u e d a n e d u cat i o n , things would be much easier for him.

“He let me know that if he ever found out that I was trying to dabble in the streets or anything of that nature that he was going to kick my butt for it,” Lee said. “I was encouraged in a very unique way to stick into school and kind of break the cycle because my dad knew everything that came along with dealing with drugs and things of that nature.”

The U.S. incarcerates more people than any other country in the world, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. The fact that many of the people behind bars are parents is often lost, said Caitlin Dryke, communications and volunteer manager for New Hope, a nonprofit in Tulsa that offers programs for children with incarcerated parents, said that the stigma surrounding incarceration has adverse effects on kids.

“There is an attitude that still persists and pervades about punishing these children because of decisions of the parents,” Dryke said.

School gave Lee an outlet to imagine things in ways that he couldn’t outside the walls of an education. It allowed him to break away from the day-to-day constraints that his life at home put on him. School gave him the full meal that the food stamps his family lived off couldn’t always provide.

He was labeled as gifted and talented, recognized in school for his intellect by administrators. However, the educational system also labeled him as the “magical negro,” a respectful black person breaking the mold of how society sees all other black people, Lee said.

“That’s why I say I had a very complex relationship to

Tree lighting ceremony in downtown Norman to usher in holiday season Norman Parks and Recreation Department will host the Norman Tree Lighting Ceremony to welcome the holiday season to Norman.

On Friday, the city of Norman will host a tree lighting in Andrews Park. Along with the lighting, the ceremony will include a choir.

This will be the 27th year of the ceremony, said Jason Olsen, the staff member in charge of the ceremony.

“It’s where the community gets together and we flip on the lights in Andrews Park to officially start the holiday season in downtown Norman,” Olsen said.

Several members of the city government, such as the mayor and members of the parks and recreation department will be present, according to Olsen.

“It’ll be a pretty simple ceremony,” Olsen said. “The mayor will be out there, we’ll have Santa Claus, we’ll have a choir, we’ll have a countdown. At some point, the mayor will start the countdown, and then we’ll flip on the tree in Andrews Park.”

Olsen said the ceremony is open to the public. The event will begin at 6 p.m.

Jose Escapa III

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school because I was able to kind of find some of the ugliest woes of the world while also some of the most beautiful aspects of the world,” Lee said.

LIFELONG CONNECTION Christi Byerly met Lee when he walked into her seventh grade speech and communication class at Sam Rayburn Middle School.

When Byerly first met Lee, she thought he was coming from a middle-income family with role models for parents. She quickly realized that was not the case.

“My daughter will never have to eat sleep for dinner.”

GEORGE LEE, MASTER’S CANDIDATE FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADULT AND HIGHER EDUCATION

Lee’s dedication to his education stood out to Byerly.

“The first time I walked into the classroom, the connection was there,” Lee said.

That connection has lasted 13 years.

“She was really able to teach me certain stuff that I didn’t have access to in my community,” Lee said.

When Lee went on to high school, Byerly told him she needed to see his report card every six weeks. Every six weeks, Lee would call her when he got his report card, and Byerly would pick him up from school and take him to eat.

“I just wanted him to know that those grades mattered,” Byerly said Late in his junior year of high school, Lee, a member of the basketball team and student body president, told Byerly that, someday, he may want to run for government office. Byerly encouraged him to join speech and

debate.

Lee told Byerly about his first tournament and how on the bus everybody had snacks and he felt different.

“Well you know, we can fix that,” Byerly said. She went to the store and bought him four bags of junk food for his next tournament.

“I didn’t ever make sure he had good basketball shoes, but I always made sure he had his school supplies and what he needed to get that education,” Byerly said.

Byerly had relatives living in Southlake, Texas.

They said Lee could come stay with them the summer before he went to OU. One relative, Byerly’s sister-inlaw’s sister, worked at a golf course there and got Lee a job. Whatever he put into savings, the relative would match.

That summer, Lee was introduced to lawyers and doctors and people who had achieved high success in life.

“That was his first taste of what an education truly did,” Byerly said.

HEADING TO OU When his senior year approached, Byerly felt that if Lee stayed in Bryan, he’d potentially be able to follow the missteps of others in his family. Although he had gotten a full ride to Texas A&M based on his academics, Byerly encouraged Lee to look into OU, a school she had gone to for three years.

“I just wanted him to see what life was like outside of Bryan-College Station,” Byerly said During Lee’s first semester at OU, he almost flunked out. His father had gone back to jail. He was worried about how to be there for his siblings and also be at school. He was put on academic probation his second semester and didn’t have the resources to pay his tuition.

Byerly co-signed a loan for Lee so he could continue his education.

“I always told him, ‘You know, if it were easy, everybody would have a high school degree. If it were easy, everybody would be in college,’” Byerly said.

Dryke said one of the issues students with incarcerated parents face in college is the lack of support.

Although Lee had Byerly, many kids with incarcerated parents don’t have immediate people they can turn to for assistance with paperwork, course management and other difficulties.

“Once they’ve graduated and moved on to college, there is not a lot of support for them once they’re there,” Dryke said.

Byerly has served as Lee’s support system, and in two weeks she will watch Lee graduate with his master’s degree.

“I would tease him that I was his white mama,” Byerly said.

Now a parent himself, Lee is married with a 15-monthold daughter and a son on the way. He owns his own home and will soon have a graduate degree.

When Lee was a child, he lived on food stamps and section 8 housing.

“My daughter will never have to eat sleep for dinner,” Lee said.

He aspires to continue steadily increasing his family’s quality of life. Lee’s daughter will be raised with things he never had, he said.

However, he wants to make sure she knows that even though she has privileges, they still have family back in Bryan who don’t.

“I don’t want her to forget and/or not know about how I was raised,” Lee said.

Supriya Sridhar

supriyasridhar@ou.edu

City soon to jingle with joy Campus Corner Association to host seasonal festivities ABIGAIL HALL @heartofabigail

Campus Corner Association will host Holidays on the Corner from Dec. 2 to Dec. 23.

Holidays on the Corner include activities and deals in the form of Campus Corner Cash. Campus Corner Cash are discounts to specific businesses on Campus Corner that will be available to use during Holidays on the Corner.

Er i n Pat t o n , Ca m p u s Corner executive director, said she is excited for Norman locals to get the chance to participate in the events.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming shoppers to Campus Corner to have a little bit of fun with us to embrace the spirit of shopping local,” Patton said.

The festivities will begin with Santa’s Workshop at RCB Instabank, where visitors can take pictures with Santa, make holiday crafts, and have face painting done by Okie Artistry Face Painting. All activities this day will be free.

A “Spot the Grinch” contest will be held Dec. 9. The contest consists of locals attempting to catch the Grinch by using clues on the Campus Corner social media page.

If they post a picture with him using the #grinchonthecorner, they will be entered to win a prize.

There will be a bonus Spot the Grinch contest on Dec.

23 where the Grinch will hand out Campus Corner Cash. Participants will use Facebook clues and post pictures on social media.

Strolling Santa will occur on Dec. 16. Santa will stroll around Campus Corner handing out Campus Corner cash. Similar to the Grinch contests, participants can use clues from Facebook and post pictures on social media for a chance to win additional Campus Corner Cash.

There will be free parking at Campus Corner meters all day during the Dec. 9, Dec. 16 and Dec. 23 events. All events will begin at 2 p.m. and last until 4 p.m. on Campus Corner.

Abigail Hall ahall@ou.edu

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VOL. 102, NO. 99

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12

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

• December 4-6, 2017

Business values art, customers

Hair salon, retail store emphasizes client experience ABIGAIL HALL @heartofabigail

On a Monday morning in a vibrant little shop on Main Street, Erica Smith brings Dana Scott her daily iced coffee in an eco-friendly cup from Gray Owl. Smith sips her coffee, half her hair in a messy topknot, getting ready for a day of work with Scott and their employees.

Scott and Smith run The Social Club, a hair salon and retail shop combined into one customer experience.

The Social Club opened in 2012 when Scott and Smith, who became friends while studying at OU, decided to pursue their dreams of living creatively and purposefully by opening a shop and salon together.

The Social Club was born in a small space off Crawford Avenue in January 2012. Within the open windows of the space, Scott decided to broaden the store’s merchandise from only her own jewelry to retail with candles, cards and small knick-knacks.

The duo started selling at Norman’s Art Walk and their business began to take off, bringing more clients to the salon and creating a steady customer base.

F ro m t h e b e g i n n i n g , the space was personal to them, and they hoped to create a personal experience for each individual customer.

“One of our core values is to make whoever you are, as a person, feel comfortable being yourself. We want everyone to feel like they themselves are worthy and

A customer gets her hair dyed at The Social Club on Nov. 29. The Social Club also sells vintage clothing.

seen,” Scott said.

After a year on Crawford Avenue, the pair decided to make the move to Main Street when a bigger space became available.

Previously, Scott had been unsuccessfully working from home, trying to get her jewelry business off the ground. Smith had been working at a hair salon in Norman, but she dreamt of her own one-chair salon with a more personal experience for her customers.

With a push from some mutual friends, the two decided to try to find a small space where Smith could run her own shop, and Scott

could have an office where she could sell some of her jewelry.

Scott has always had a deep love of secondhand shopping — she describes it as her retail therapy. She realized her home could no longer contain all of the vintage houseware and clothing she loved to shop for, leading her to shop for specific, unique items to sell at The Social Club.

Scott buys all of The S o c i a l C l u b’s i n v e n t o r y herself, from vintage houseware and clothing to handmade pieces from b o t h l o c a l a n d o u t- o f state artists and designers.

Additionally, The Social Club designs glassware and cards, makes its own prints and pours its own candles.

When shopping for the store, Scott said she envisions the customers in her head, hoping that they will come into the store and find the hand-selected items encouraging to their lives and homes.

“I hope that somebody will come in (and) find this item encouraging or bring them joy in their kitchen or on their bar,” Scott said.

For Scott, the most important aspect of buying merchandise is to value the artist as an individual. She

KYLA GILLETTE/THE DAILY

requires that all the store’s staff should be able to explain to customers where every item is from, who created it and the artist’s story.

She believes that, if customers know the story of an item and the value of the creator, it makes the item more special.

One local designer that Scott sells at The Social Club is Kathryn Wakefield, owner of her own handmade houseware business, Confetti Riot. Wakefield also serves as The Social Club’s storefront manager.

Wakefield, who is originally from Norman, met Scott in 2013. The two

bonded over each other’s designs, and Wakefield became storefront manager in 2015.

“It’s the people I work with that makes it so great.

It’s such a cool environment to work in. They have something very unique, especially for Oklahoma,” Wakefield said.

While Scott’s niche is the shop aspect of The Social Club, Smith’s is the salon.

Smith has been doing hair for 11 years and views her salon as an art platform.

She became inspired by her hairstylist when she was growing up because of her independence and the embodiment of her own unique personhood.

Smith is passionate about bringing good education to the hair community in Oklahoma. She brings in educators from Los Angeles and New York to speak with her stylists in order for them to constantly stay at the top of the ever-evolving business and trends.

Her vision for the salon was to create a place where people felt safe and experienced a closeness with their personal stylist. Smith said she wants the customer to sit down in the chair and feel cared about.

Whether the customer is shopping for a handmade holiday gift or looking for a stylish new haircut, the duo hope to offer a unique and cherished place for locals to visit.

“It’s a safe place for a lot of people to come to,” Smith said. “(They) can come and feel happy, safe, cool and sexy.”

Abigail Hall ahall@ou.edu

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