W E E K D AY E D I T I O N | M A R C H 2 7- 2 9, 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
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SAFETIES WILL STEP UP • 6
OU BIT reminds students to reach out after campus tragedy MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES Goddard Health Center — University Counseling Center: Call 405-325-2911 to make an appointment with a Goddard counselor, or visit its website for more information. OU Psychology Clinic: Call 405-325-2914 for more information. The OU Counseling Psychology Clinic offers counseling sessions conducted by OU counseling psychology doctoral students. Norman Regional Hospital Behavioral Medicine Call: 405-307-5555 OU Behavior Intervention Team (BIT) Call 405-325-7700 or fill out an online form. By filing a BIT report, members of the OU community can document and provide help for someone exhibiting concerning or violent behavior. 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Call 1-800-273-8255 or start an online chat. Trained responders answer 24/7.
How to get help for someone else through BIT: If you’re worried about a friend or someone you know, there are several ways to file a BIT report. • Online: Fill out a form online at ou.edu/normanbit. • Email: normanbit@ou.edu • Call: (405) 325-7700. This number is answered 24/7. If a person is an immediate threat to themselves or someone else or is incapable of caring for themselves, call 911. Source: ou.edu/normanbit
A
DANA BRANHAM • @DANABRANHAM
n OU student drove through the fence of a fraternity house late Wednesday night and fired gunshots toward the property before fleeing the scene and committing suicide. The morning of the March 22 incident, the student, identified by the Norman Police Department as Vincent Peter Valentin, had posted messages on social media alluding to killing himself and others. Valentin, English and pre-law studies junior, tweeted that he “died on the cross” and “Cross first now everyone just bullies me so I guess I’m going to murder everyone how sad? Please look at my soundcloud it’s all over my page” close to 5 a.m. the morning before he attacked the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house. Students wondering how to help if they saw similar messages from another student in crisis can reach out to OU’s Behavior Intervention Team, even if they do not know the person well. “Anybody can contact BIT or any other supportive resource including BIT, anytime there’s a concern. It doesn’t matter what your relationship is — it could be something you see in passing, it could be a relationship you have,” said Katy Powers, BIT director of outreach. “Any time that anyone on campus is concerned about any other individual on campus, let us know.” A person filing a report can request that BIT keeps their identity anonymous. Once the report is filed, a member of the response team may contact the individual or his or her close friends to help connect the individual to campus resources like crisis counseling, depending on the situation. When a student is deciding
whether or not to make a report, Powers said he or she should err on the side of caution — even if nothing turns out to be wrong.
“I want 100 times out of 100 for us to check it out and everything be OK, than for one time for us not to.” KATY POWERS, BIT DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH
“I want 100 times out of 100 for us to check it out and everything be OK, than for one time for us not to,” Powers said. In a campus crisis like t h e o n e We d n e s d a y n i g h t , Clarke Stroud, vice president for Student Affairs, and the University Counseling Center reach out to students directly impacted by the crisis, University Counseling Center director Scott Miller said in an email. OU press secretary Matt Epting said in an email that counseling services have been offered to Phi Gamma Delta and other affected students. Miller said all students are welcome to call and make an appointment with a counselor if they feel distress in response to a campus tragedy — or community, national or international tragedies, too. “The counselors at UCC are happy to meet with any student needing support dealing with a crisis,” Miller said in an email. “This is especially true in cases where a student notices changes in their sleep, concentration and/or onset or increase in feelings of depression or anxiety.” Much about the incident remains unclear, but a public
Facebook post from Valentin’s mother, Alison Valentin, provided insight to Valentin’s struggles with mental illness before his suicide. She wrote that her son had struggled with hearing voices and had stopped taking medication without telling anyone, which eventually led to her son’s suicide. She wrote that he was a “smart, loyal, hilarious, and ornery young man” who “fought the good fight the best he could.” Around 11 p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a Wal-Mart at 3651 Classen Blvd., where Valentin was reportedly destroying shrubbery outside the store with a hatchet. When a store employee approached him, he pointed a firearm at the employee. He left the scene before police arrived. Police were then dispatched
to 1200 College Ave., where the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house is located, after receiving a call that an individual had driven through the back fence of the fraternity house and fired two rounds into the house. Several members of the fraternity confronted Valentin, who pointed a gun at them and threw the hatchet toward them. No one was injured. Va l e n t i n w a s l a t e r f o u n d dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound west of the fraternity house. NPD is investigating events leading up to the incident. Preliminary information indicates that Valentin had prior issues with the fraternity, according to NPD. Dana Branham
danabranham@ou.edu
HOW TO KNOW WHEN SOMEONE MIGHT NEED HELP Here are some “red flags” that should raise concern. If you see someone you know exhibiting these types of behaviors, consider filing a BIT report to get the individual connected with resources that could help him or her. • Significant changes in someone’s behavior or mood or any big changes in what an individual is communicating on social media • Any kind of behavior that is hostile or destructive or encouraging hostility or destruction. On social media, communicating behavior that would threaten any member of the community • If someone is communicating that he or she is unable to function appropriately: “I’m so tired I can’t get out of bed” or “I can’t go to my classes.” • Communicating a sense that he or she is struggling or something’s wrong • Trust your “Spidey-Sense” — if you read something on social media that just doesn’t add up or you just sense that something is off, let someone know Source: Katy Powers, BIT director of outreach
OU to reevaluate emergency alert protocol Many students upset after no notice issued during shooting at FIJI STAFF REPORTS
OU officials will reevaluate protocol on sending emergency alerts after no alert was sent Wednesday night when an OU student drove a car through a fraternity house fence and fired gunshots at the house. OU press secretary Matt Epting said the university did not issue an emergency alert during the incident because the Norman Police Department contained the situation before an alert could be sent. Now, the university will “evaluate and seek to improve the timeliness of warnings in particularly urgent situations,” according to Epting.
Epting also said this may include providing an “all clear” alert even if no prior alert was issued. Many students voiced concerns on Twitter about not having received an OU Alert during the incident. One student, public relations junior Bobby Howard, tweeted “OU’s complete failure to alert the student body of this is an absolute joke” shortly after the incident was over. Others cited that they have received alerts for less urgent situations like in September 2016, when OU students received alerts warning them to avoid the area around a train collision with a pedestrian. Staff Reports
dailynews@ou.edu
SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY
The back fence of Phi Gamma Delta, or FIJI, March 23 where a person drove a car into the back fence of the house and discharged a weapon. OU will review its emergency response procedures after not sending an alert after the incident.
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• March 27-29, 2017
You Are Invited!
Picnic: 11:30 a.m. Program: Noon Thursday, March 30 David A. Burr Park Campus “Adopt-An-Area” winners will be announced and honored.
Bring your blankets and join us for a free picnic lunch celebrating the 2017 OU Arbor Day. The picnic is free and open to the public. Tree planting immediately following to beautify the Duck Pond.
To volunteer for the tree planting, please contact Volunteer Programs at 325-2340 or email Kari@ou.edu. In the event of inclement weather, the picnic will be held in Couch Restaurants. For accommodations, please call the Office of Public Affairs at (405) 325-3784 or email specialevents@ou.edu. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo
March 27-29, 2017 •
NEWS
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Andrew Clark, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
Gender gap deters students
Eight OU colleges lack representation for men or women HANNAH PIKE @h_pike_
is treated differently than her male peers, but she wishes there were more female students. She has also only had two female instructors in the last four years. “ I f e e l l i ke n o t ma ny younger girls picture themselves being in the aviation industry, so I feel like that’s why, or part of it,” Emamian said. “I guess because you always see guy pilots, you don’t really see girl pilots, so maybe if people saw more women pilots, they would think of it more as not just a guy job — like maybe a girl can do it, too.” Melanie Schneider, director of communications for the College of Education, said the college does not see its gender ratio gap as an issue, but administration is cognizant of the gap. “At this point, we want to take anybody and everybody who would be interested in teacher education just because there’s such a shortage, obviously in Oklahoma, but really, across the country in getting quality teachers out there,” Schneider said.
While OU’s overall gender distribution is 50.8 percent male to 49.2 percent female, one gender continues to dominate the enrollment in five of OU’s colleges by more than 70 percent and three by more than 60 percent, according to OU’s 2017 Fact Book. The College of Continuing Education and Aviation, Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy, Gallogly College of Engineering and Price College of Business have the largest male majorities. Combined, these colleges have about 2.6 male students for every one female student. University College, Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education, Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication and Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts have the largest female majorities. These colleges com“If people saw bined have about 2.7 female students for every one male more women student. pilots, they would The OU College of think of it more as Continuing Education and Aviation has the widest gap, not just a guy job with only 14 female students — like maybe a girl out of 122 total. “I feel like I didn’t even nocan do it, too.” tice until I had a class of like MONICA EMAMIAN, 30 people, and I was the only AVIATION SENIOR girl,” said Monica Emamian, aviation senior. Emamian, president of Last year, the College of OU’s Women in Aviation, Education hosted its first said she does not feel like she “Find Your Future Summer
Gender distribution in various colleges at OU
College of Continuing Education & Aviation 7.7 males: 1 female
49.2%
50.8%
Mewbourne College of Earth & Energy 4.6 males: 1 female Gallogly College of Engineering 3.5 males: 1 female
male
Price College of Business 1.9 males: 1 female
female
DANA BRANHAM/THE DAILY
Education Camp” to recruit male high school students of color who may be interested in becoming educators. This summer, the camp is open to male and female students of color, Schneider said. “Most of us growing up, almost all of your teachers are female, and I think it’s just kind of a mindset that, you know, girls become teachers, and boys, if they’re interested in math or science instead of going into teaching, they would automatically think engineering instead,” Schneider said. Mike Stice, dean of Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy, said his college’s lack of gender diversity is not only a fact, but a “problem statement” that became part of the college’s strategic plan in 2016. “While we hoped that it was just a matter of tweaking a few cultural issues
in dealing with attracting, frankly, women at the faculty level, at the student level, at the graduate level, we uncovered a much bigger problem, and it really comes down to STEM education within the United States,” Stice said. St i c e s a i d t h a t w h i l e Mewbourne and Gallogly have the same proportion of female students as the national average in the field of engineering — 14 percent — it is “unacceptable because we know that aptitude for math and science has no gender bias.” “There are just as many women with the aptitude to do this kind of work (as) there are men, and yet they somehow don’t make it into this field,” Stice said. Mewbourne now focuses on service, using successful women in the industry as advocates and creating a network that allows female
students to collaborate to increase retention of female students, Stice said. There are three women’s associations within Mewbourne that meet with Stice monthly, but while they succeed in providing a network for female students, they do not help with retention because the women are still isolated from other students, he said. “We are not losing women because of aptitude or because of funding,” Stice said. “We’re losing women because they don’t feel part. They don’t feel connected.” Stice said Mewbourne disproportionately loses female students who say they want to be part of Mewbourne going into college but change their majors freshman year. The most effective initiative he has found is reaching out to female students in University College who are
interested in being part of Mewbourne and saying, “We got you. You’re ours now. We want to help you. You’re now part of our family,” he said. OU press secretary Matt Epting said in an email that gender equity is important at the college level, and there is a particular focus within OU’s STEM colleges and departments to recruit women. “All students should feel empowered to pursue their preferred field of study regardless of their gender,” Epting said in the email. “While we have gender parity at the university level, efforts are being made at the college level to improve gender diversity.” Hannah Pike
hmaepike@gmail.com
Group pushes for students to share meals Organization to stock food pantry using extra points OLIVIA DUBCAK @olivedubbie
A new student organization will soon allow students to use their leftover meal plan points to donate food to students in need. Swipe to Share became a registered student organization in October 2016, and utilizes OU meal plan points to cut down on meal plan waste, said Yaseen Shurbaji, industrial systems and engineering freshman and co-president of the organization. A donation drive will take place from 3 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday from April 17 to May 12 at Xcetera, where students with extra points can use them to buy food and hygiene products for students who cannot afford them, Shurbaji said.
Items will be cataloged by Swipe to Share and transported to the OU food pantry, the organization’s partner, Shurbaji said.
“This is a way for us to help stock the OU student pantry, and because a lot of the products you can buy from Xcetera ... and we can help stock the pantry for the coming year.” YASEEN SHURBAJI, INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS AND ENGINEERING FRESHMAN
The drive is half of a twopart initiative in which meal points will be utilized this semester, and meal plan exchanges will be able to be used by next year. The Swipe to Share team began with points as an easier
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start because they are readily available for transaction, Shurbaji said. Shurbaji and his roommate, mechanical engineering freshman Lucas Karinshak, founded the program after moving in on the Thursday before the first week of classes in August and witnessing students trying to use their meal exchanges before they reset on Saturday, Shurbaji said. Shurbaji and Karinshak met with Dave Annis, associate vice president and director of OU Housing and Food Services, and Frank Henry, executive director of Housing and Food Services, in August and developed the plan until its final approval by Housing and Food Services on Feb. 28, Shurbaji said. Students wishing to get involved with the organization can apply to be a liaison, which involves promoting Swipe to Share through posting on social media. Applications can be found
JULIA HARTH/THE DAILY
Marketing freshman Meghan Hettenhaus purchases lunch at O’Henry’s at Cate Center Friday. As part of the new Swipe to Share initiative, students with meal plans can donate unused points to creating care packages.
on OrgSync. Swipe to Share received 50 liaison applications in its first day of going live, and 64 shares on its first Facebook post, Shurbaji said. “This is a way for us to help stock the OU student pantry, and because a lot of the products you can buy from Xcetera, their expiration
dates are a year, two years, these items will stay good over the summer and we can help stock the pantry for the coming year,” Shurbaji said. Students in need and anyone in the homeless community can benefit from the program, Shurbaji said. “Students on campus need to eat, they need to
have hygiene products, they need to have deodorant, but thousands of points are being wasted every semester because there hasn’t been a way for us to accomplish doing that for those students,” Shurbaji said. Olivia Dubcak
oliviadubcak@gmail.com
keep it forever
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• March 27-29, 2017
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Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Jan. 18. OU professor Kristen van de Biezenbos has filed a complaint against Pruitt.
Head of EPA under fire
Lies about email use spark complaint from OU professor
On Feb. 22, more than 7,500 of Pruitt’s emails were released, revealing that Pruitt did use a personal email account and that he had been communicating with organizations like American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, discussing changes he could make in the EPA that would benefit them, among other things. The release of more of Pruitt’s emails was delayed Feb. 28 for an unspecified period of time. While use of a personal email address for government business is not illegal in Oklahoma, it is a violation of ethics to lie to a tribunal like the Senate committee that held Pruitt’s hearing, van de Biezenbos said. “The legal profession is a self-policing profession,� van de Biezenbos said. “We have certain ethical standards we are supposed to uphold, which includes not lying to Congress, and it’s up to us really to enforce those kinds of rules. “In an ideal world, you would expect since it does not appear that he was candid with the Senate committee, that they would demand that he explain. It doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen,� van de Biezenbos said. Amy Atwood, endangered species legal director for the Center for Biological Diversity, said the Office of the General Counsel of the Oklahoma Bar Association will handle the
DAISY CREAGER @daisycreager
An OU professor and an environmental organization have filed a complaint against Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt that could lead to an investigation. The Center for Biological Diversity and Kristen van de Biezenbos, associate professor in the OU College of Law, have filed a complaint with the Oklahoma Bar Association against the former Oklahoma attorney general for lying about using a personal email address for work-related matters in his Senate Environment and Public Works committee hearing Jan. 18, van de Biezenbos said. When asked whether he used an email address for business other than his government email address, Pruitt said no, according to the hearing transcript. The Center for Media and Democracy filed a lawsuit against Pruitt Feb. 7 for not releasing 3,000 emails the organization sent open records requests for in 2015 and 2016. On Feb. 16, the day before Pruitt was confirmed as the EPA administrator, an Oklahoma judge ordered him to release the emails.
Candidates for CAC chair to debate in event co-hosted by SGA, Daily
The candidates for OU Campus Activities Council chair will discuss their platforms and plans for the organization in a debate from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday in Meacham Auditorium of the Oklahoma Memorial Union. The event will be co-hosted by the Student Government Association Election Board and The Daily. Journalism sophomore and Daily government reporter Kayla Branch, SGA President J.D. Baker and at least one other person will moderate. Moderators will ask planned questions and accept questions from the audience. The candidates for CAC chair are entrepreneurship and marketing junior Alec Armer, geology junior Will Shelden and biology junior Jonna Vanderslice. Armer wants to evaluate CAC’s standing with students and use that information to improve the organization. Shelden is running on a platform of strengthening the relationship between CAC and the community and making processes within the organization more efďŹ cient. Vanderslice is running on a platform to increase accessibility to CAC for the OU community and to increase communication between student organizations. Daisy Creager, @daisycreager
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.
complaint, possibly submitting it to Pruitt for a response, and decide if the complaint warrants an investigation. If the Office of the General Counsel finds that Pruitt’s actions violated his ethical duties as a barred attorney, it will take disciplinary action, such as temporary suspension of his bar license or disbarment, van de Biezenbos said.
“The legal profession is a self-policing profession. We have certain ethical standards we are supposed to uphold, which includes not lying to Congress, and it’s up to us really to enforce those kinds of rules. “ KRISTEN VAN DE BIEZENBOS, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN THE OU COLLEGE OF LAW
“On the one hand, you wouldn’t anticipate very stringent disciplinary action based on a single incident because I don’t believe that Mr. Pruitt has had any previous ethics violations filed against him with the Bar Association here,� van de Biezenbos said. “That being said, this is a particularly egregious violation of ethics.� Atwood and van de Biezenbos said they do not know how long the process will take, but Atwood said
while they are waiting, they will look out for more evidence and anything that would help their case, including sifting through additional emails when they are released. Atwood said Pruitt lying during the hearing raises questions about what else he may have lied about. “It’s a real concern whenever a public servant misrepresents any facts during a confirmation hearing to Congress, especially when they’ve put the questions to him so directly and where he was really emphatic about how his personal email address was never used for business — he was very clear about that,� Atwood said. Van de Biezenbos said although Pruitt is part of President Donald Trump’s administration, the issue at hand goes beyond political affiliation and is more a concern of not lying to a government body. “I really do think that no matter what your political affiliation is, that everyone should be able to agree that if you lie to members of Congress, there should be consequences for that,� van de Biezenbos said. “And we as a profession, as attorneys, we expect a pretty high ethical standard from members of our profession — which would include not lying to Congress.� Daisy Creager
Daisy.C.Creager-1@ou.edu
Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker March 27, 2017 ACROSS 1 Type of car lights 4 Mosquitolike flies 10 Miss. for Mississippi, e.g. 14 Diver’s requirement 15 Form a mental image 16 Villain’s nemesis 17 Nucleus contents 18 Kindly ear to lend 20 Vast blue thing 21 Good dental advice 22 Some huge ovens 23 Perform drudgery 25 Common connector 26 It’s not real, but it’s still tugged on 31 Put bottom to cushion 34 Poker pay-ins 35 Left 36 “Comin’ ___ the Rye� 37 Word with “plow,� “bump� or “break� 38 Fuses together via heat 39 It grows beneath the surface 40 Is remorseful about 41 One willed 42 Skin care prefix
3/27
43 Certain honorific for men 44 Nostalgically schmaltzy 46 Sign of a big-time beer drinker 47 Play components 48 Impostor 51 Horned African beast, briefly 54 Recipe amt. 57 Type of plea filled with emotion 59 Sound of contentment 60 Litigation starter 61 Exact punishment for 62 Ham surrounder, sometimes 63 Mellowed, as wine 64 Made a shambles of (with “up�) 65 Swerve off course momentarily DOWN 1 Furbys, Beanie Babies and others 2 Sty sound 3 Some brain tissue 4 Ones finding it hard to be accepted 5 Musical compositions that evoke rural life 6 Band sample
7 Things in need of filling 8 Some fraternity letters 9 Weight room unit 10 In front 11 Wagers 12 Native Londoner 13 Legendary creatures that eat elephants 19 ___ Kong 24 Some cookies 25 Some insects 26 Head cover 27 It involves a low interest rate? 28 One that’s not quite a teenager 29 On again, as a pilot flame 30 Short-tailed lemur 31 Brief narrative
32 Kind of therapy 33 Complete 36 English river 38 Sharpen 42 Deciphered 44 Beer, slangily 45 School for teaching horsemanship 46 NBA position 48 City of a famous leaning tower 49 Overconfident 50 Pentathlon sword event 51 Tear open 52 Removes weeds, in a way 53 Some places to stay overnight 55 Tofu source (var.) 56 Sound of relief 58 Legendary singer Cooke
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MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017 Realistic and responsible behavior will be essential this year. Control, discipline and precision will ensure that you reach your goals. Making personal improvements and nurturing important relationships will have a stabilizing effect on you. If you listen to the voice of reason and experience, you will exceed your expectations. ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- DonĘźt miss out on an opportunity that can change your life. Size up the situation and make your decision intelligently, without listening to someoneĘźs persuasive tactics. Be a leader, not a follower. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Get out and get active. Learn as you go and strive for perfection and tolerance. Check out what others do, but donĘźt be a follower.
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GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Lead the fight for justice. Question someoneĘźs inconsistency and ulterior motives. Initiate discussions and bring about positive change. Take control, do your part and secure your position. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -Temptation will be your downfall. Moderation on all levels will be necessary to avoid controversy and damage to your reputation, status and emotional health. Keep a low profile. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Size things up and take control. You are in a position to do some good, so donĘźt back down when you should be moving forward. Establish your position and make decisions that promote positive change. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- You should take action only when you are
sure you are doing the right thing. Act on principle, facts and common sense. Your practical nature and astute insight will help you excel. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- DonĘźt let anyone spoil your day or ruin your plans. You cannot please everyone, but you can be responsible for your own happiness. Offer peace and love. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Make changes at home or to a relationship that will encourage unity, strength and a clear passage to a brighter future. How you relate to those around you will improve your status. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- DonĘźt be fooled by someone using persuasive emotional tactics. Ask questions and look for alternatives that are more beneficial to your current situation. DonĘźt promise what you cannot deliver. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Look for clarity before you make an assumption. Being a cautious observer is in your best interest. Avoid unnecessary stress and pressure by steering clear of anyone acting erratic or unpredictable. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Use your resources and search for opportunities that will benefit you financially, contractually or medically. Someone you have worked with in the past will offer pertinent information. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- DonĘźt share private information or feelings that might put you in an awkward or vulnerable position. Live up to your promises, but protect yourself against being taken for granted. Invest in yourself and your talents.
March 27-29, 2017 •
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
New owners revamp local decades-old bar Bluebonnet offers inexpensive drinks, live music scene
‘Life’ fails to revive interest in alien life Plot of new sci-fi horror film mirrors past space movies @maddieroper4
@chanannkidd
One of Norman’s oldest bars is located on 321 E. Main Street and has been serving the community cold beer and local music since at least the early 1940s. Walking into the Bluebonnet feels like stepping into a place where no matter your age, gender or background, you will always be around good company. The Bluebonnet Bar is 100 years old, according to new owners Michelle Simer and Tanner Miller. Simer and Miller took over Bluebonnet in November 2016 with a goal to bring in more OU students and a younger crowd. Bluebonnet bar has no cover charge for music but a $1 cover charge for certain events and has some of the cheapest drinks in town. Well shots are $2, and Jim Beam and Fireball shots are $3. “ ( It ’s ) a c o l l e g e k i d’s dream,” Simer said. On Thursdays, otherwise known as “Hoot & Holler Dollar Night,” 16-ounce cans of beer can be purchased for $1. Live music is always happening at the Bluebonnet, from open mic nights to regular music artists like Blake Lankford, who plays on Wednesday nights. The bar used to seem
Chloe Moores, a&e editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/a_and_e • Twitter: @OUDailyArts
MADDIE ROPER
CHANDLER KIDD
SHANE BYLER/THE DAILY
Tanner Miller and Michelle Simer, co-owners of Bluebonnet Bar, pose for a photo Wednesday. Miller and Simer gained ownership of the roughly 80-year-old dive bar in November 2016.
like a place where enjoying local music and cheap drinks was tainted by the lack of windows in the bar. Simer and Miller have added a huge open window, lounge area, new decorations and murals for customers to enjoy. The new owners have maintained the bar’s honky-tonk feel but added a modern twist. Customers can now play pool, shuffleboard and dominoes. Simer and Miller have also added a new stage for musicians to play and a jukebox that features local artists. Bluebonnet holds true to its mission by only
supporting local musicians and businesses. Simer and Miller said they believe the bar highlights the Norman’s music
BLUEBONNET INFORMATION Monday - Saturday: Noon to 2 a.m. Sunday: Noon to 8 p.m. For more information on upcoming artists and events, visit the bar’s Facebook page for frequent updates.
scene, and they want to provide the experience for local music lovers. As young owners, Simer and Miller said they hope to bring in a younger audience and an OU crowd to the bar. The Bluebonnet is Norman’s unique dive b a r w h e re a n y o n e o f drinking age can meet local musicians, friendly employees or the old men who have fallen in love with the dive bar atmosphere. Chandler Kidd
chandlerkidd@ou.edu
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Spoiler alert: This review contains key plot points of the movie “Life.” “Life,” a sci-fi horror film starring Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal, hit theaters March 23, retelling the overplayed story of terror on the final frontier. The film relays the mission of a team of astronauts working on the International Space Station who receive a dirt sample from Mars. From the sample, the team extracts a frozen life-form cell. They manage to revive the cell, revealing the first proven life on Mars. Fueled by curiosity, the astronauts nurture the cell, discovering it possesses immense strength and an adaptable nerve system that forms a quickly-developing creature. The creature, nicknamed Calvin, becomes too much for the astronauts to handle, causing immense chaos and terror for the crew. Though Calvin does instill fear with its boa constrictor-like attack style and unique strength, the monster’s originality does little to detract from the stale plot. Fans of horror sci-fi flicks will find countless similarities to Ridley Scott’s 1979 thriller, “Alien.” The tense scenes in which the astronauts fall prey to their curiosity and barely escape the creature’s clutches are simple déjà vu moments for “Alien” fans. With “Life” and many other space-based sagas, Hollywood searches for originality amongst a myriad of similar
films. Staying relevant and fresh has become harder within the genre, and “Life” is an example of just how overdone the story of danger in space has become. The film offers a few genuine thrills and jump scares, including Calvin’s escape from captivity. The believable CGI and special effects contribute to the film’s terror, setting it apart from its 1979 big brother. Unfortunately, awkward dialogue and unnatural characters interrupt the action and terror. Some lines are so forcibly sappy, they are guaranteed to induce eye rolls from audiences all over the country. The only believable character in the film is the crew’s mechanic, played by Reynolds. Sadly, Reynolds loses his battle with Calvin early in the film, leaving only flat characters for watchers to root for. The lack of believability among the overplayed astronauts makes them even more difficult to root for as they face off with Calvin. “Life” may invoke questions of what unknowns lie out in the great beyond, but its storyline is nothing new. Hollywood needs to give up on the destructive alien narrative and start exploring the true unknown stories of space travel, such as 2016’s “Hidden Figures,” an homage to African-American women who worked tirelessly for NASA with little recognition. If movie-goers seek thrills and and terror at the box office this weekend, they should avoid “Life.” Instead, they should consider Jordan Peele’s critically acclaimed horror film, “Get Out,” or just save the money and watch “Alien” again. Maddie Roper
maddieroper4@ou.edu
YOU ARE INVITED! Public Master Classes
Marilyn Horne Former Star of the Metropolitan Opera, praised by critics as having “the greatest voice of the 20th Century”
7 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, and Friday, March 31 Pitman Recital Hall Catlett Music Center OU Fine Arts Free and Open to the Public For more information, go to www.ou.edu/finearts The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo
- THE PRIDE OF OKLAHOMA
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• March 27-29, 2017
SPORTS
Spenser Davis, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports
Oklahoma safeties rise to new roles OU spring practice critical for juniors with big shoes to fill KELLI STACY @AstacyKelli
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Junior left-handed pitcher Paige Lowary throws to a Louisiana Tech batter in a game Saturday. Lowary wears a face mask after being hit in the face with a softball last year.
Masked and motivated OU softball player back in game after line drive to face ABBY BITTERMAN @abby_bitterman
When junior left-handed pitcher Paige Lowary steps into the circle for the Sooners, she brings with her a face mask — a reminder of an accident that happened 13 months ago. In February 2016, Lowary was pitching for Missouri against Oregon in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in California when she threw a drop curve and missed down the middle. Oregon’s Nikki Udria hit a line drive and struck Lowary in the face. “I don’t really remember it that much,” said Lowary, who said she didn’t get a concussion test after getting struck with the ball. “But, like, I watched the video, and when I watched the video I can remember it.” Soon after she got hit, Lowary was back in the game, wearing a face mask she borrowed from a teammate who had been hit previously by a ball. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Lowary was told she didn’t have to go back into the game, but she insisted she wanted to. Lowary went on to give up six runs in the frame — four earned — before being pulled. Since March 20, The Daily has made multiple attempts — one via email and three via phone call — to contact Missouri officials, but it has not received a response. Last year for Mizzou, Lowary pitched 198 innings. She struck out 151 batters, walked 103 and had a 25-8 record with a 3.25 ERA. “I was kind of the only pitcher last year at Missouri, so I kind of had to go back
out there,” Lowary said. “And it kind of helped me get over it, like, being thrown back out there.” Five days after the incident, she pitched three innings against Michigan, yielding 11 earned runs on six hits and seven walks. Lowary said she still flinches when she misses a pitch down the middle and doesn’t think she’ll ever get over the feeling. “I was really scared for a long time,” Lowary said. “I had a lot of control problems, and I walked a lot of people. But towards the end of the season I got over it, and now I’m not scared.” Lowary said she had memory and concentration problems for six to eight months after she got hit and still meets with a neurologist. By the time August rolled around and Lowary joined the Sooners, OU coach Patty Gasso still wasn’t willing to give her a full release.
“I was really scared for a long time. I had a lot of control problems, and I walked a lot of people. But towards the end of the season I got over it, and now I’m not scared.” PAIGE LOWARY, PITCHER
“We continued to treat her as if she was in a concussion phase,” Gasso said. “So we sent her through all the testing, and she really didn’t do much for quite a long time in the fall until she got her concentration back. “For her well-being and peace of mind, we wanted her to get a chance to breathe.” Lowary decided to transfer from Missouri in the middle of the summer. “I think I just realized that
Missouri wasn’t a good fit for me, and I just really wanted to find a place that felt like a home away from home,” Lowary said. Oklahoma was the first team Lowary visited and said she felt like it was the place for her when she arrived. She had seen the Sooners play in the Women’s College World Series and thought they were a team that had a lot of fun. She got the same feeling when she visited. “When my family came they were like ‘OK, yeah, this is your place,’” Lowary said. Lowary said she feels like she’s 100 percent healthy now. She’s grown into the Sooners’ No. 2 starter behind All-American Paige Parker, posting a 2.21 ERA through 57 innings pitched. She has a 7-1 record, 54 strikeouts and 20 walks. Lowary said she had to get used to the ways the Sooners’ program is different from Missouri, but once she got adjusted, she felt like she fit in well. She said she likes her coaches because they are open with her. “I like when they’re brutally honest with me, and I like their constructive criticism,” Lowary said. “And I just like the way that they do it.” Associate head coach Melyssa Lombardi said working with Lowary has been challenging because the coaches have changed some things for her, but she’s enjoyed the challenge. “You can see that she’s a competitor on the mound, but off the mound she’s funny. She’s got a good sense of humor,” Lombardi said. “I feel like she just fit in really well with the other athletes. And they were accepting of her, she was accepting of them, so I just feel like she’s been a really nice fit for us.” Lombardi said Lowary has grown mentally and physically since coming to Oklahoma. She said they have hit ground
balls and line drives at her to help her get more comfortable. “You can see that she’s confident and not shying away,” Lombardi said. “You can just also see, too, with what she’s doing on the mound, the way she’s attacking hitters. You know, in early parts of the season, she was walking people a lot more, and now you can see that she’s really just going right at the hitter and doing a good job of working ahead in her counts.” Lowary said at the beginning of the season she was still nervous about fitting in with her new team, but now she feels more relaxed and settled. “I fit in here better. This is kind of my home away from home now,” Lowary said. Abby Bitterman abbybitt@ou.edu
Wi t h l o ng t i m e sa f e t y Ahmad Thomas headed to the NFL Draft, Oklahoma is looking to fill his role this spring. Thomas started for the Sooners for three years, never missing a game in his career. In his time with the Sooners, he accounted for 223 tackles and four interceptions. Now that Thomas is moving on, players who have been waiting in the wings will finally get their shot. Two of those players are juniors Kahlil Haughton and Will Sunderland. Both safeties were highly ranked recruits out of high school, but both have spent the past two years behind Thomas and senior Steven Parker. Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said that this spring is critical for both players. “They’ve done better,” Stoops said of the safeties. “Kahlil Haughton and Will Sunderland are two guys that it’s their time — they’ve got to make a move. They’re both highly recruited safeties who’re very athletic and they’ve got to learn how to compete and be disciplined in their responsibilities, and if they can do that, they can certainly help us.” Haughton said that he understands how important this spring is for himself and Sunderland and is looking forward to the opportunity. “We haven’t had a lot of time to shine, so this is the time where we can really showcase our talent,” Haughton said. “We get all of the reps and can really get all of the experience that we need, so this is really
what it’s all built up to. This is the opportunity. This is the time so we’ve got to make the most of it. If we don’t, that’s on us.” Despite the pressure of filling Thomas’s role, Sunderland said that he isn’t worried. He and Haughton have had two years of preparation and learning behind Thomas, and that’s given him time to get better. “This is about to be my third year, so I’m really relaxing back there,” Sunderland said. “My first two years, I was kind of nervous, but now I’m very comfortable back there, and I’m feeling good in the backfield.” Sunderland’s improvements have shown, according to Stoops, but he’s still capable of more. Stoops said Sunderland needs to be more accountable, but that he’s been impressed with what he’s seen the first few days of spring practice.
2017 SPRING GAME Time: Kickoff at 1 p.m. Date: April 8 Place: Norman Source: soonersports.com
”He needs to continue to understand at all times where he needs to be and where his eyes need to be on the field,” Stoops said. “If he can do that, he’s as athletic of a safety as we’ve ever had.” With senior safety Steven Parker out for spring due to shoulder surgery, Haughton and Sunderland will get plenty of reps during practice and at the Sooners’ spring game, which will be held on April 8. Kelli Stacy
kelliastacy@ou.edu
THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA® UNIVERSITY THEATRE AND HELMERICH SCHOOL OF DRAMA
SHE KILLS MONSTERS
A HEART POUNDING HOMAGE TO THE GEEK AND WARRIOR WITHIN US ALL!
Qui Nguyen, Playwright Judith Midyett Pender, Director
8 p.m. March 31, April 1, 6, 7, 8 3 p.m. April 2, 9, rated PG Weitzenhoffer Theatre
563 Elm Ave. Norman
For tickets call (405) 325-4101. Online tickets theatre.ou.edu Advance Purchase: $10 student, $25 adult, $20 senior adult, OU employee Tickets at the door: $15 student, $35 adult. No discounts, cash/check only. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. For accommodations, please call (405) 325-4101.
NO. 1 IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA HIGHEST RANKING EVER ACHIEVED
by an Oklahoma law school U.S. News & World Report
BEST VALUE LAW SCHOOL 8 CONSECUTIVE YEARS
National Jurist
TOP 20 IN THE NATION FOR BAR PASSAGE
for first-time takers in jurisdiction U.S. News Academic Insights
TOP 15 COMPETITION PROGRAM 3 CONSECUTIVE YEARS
Blakely Advocacy Institute The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo
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• March 27-29, 2017
YOU ARE INVITED! Placemaking Conference Placemakers University of Oklahoma Institute for Quality Communities
Monday, April 3, 2017 • Catlett Music Center
Schedule of Events 9:30 a.m. Introduction Welcome, Shane Hampton | Director, OU Institute for Quality Communities Introduction, Dean Hans E. Butzer | OU College of Architecture Opening Remarks, President David L. Boren | The University of Oklahoma Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall, Catlett Music Center
10 a.m. Session One: Making Places Moderated by Charles Warnken | Associate Dean and Director, OU Division of Regional & City Planning “The Story of Placemaking,” Fred Kent | Founder and President, Project for Public Spaces “Placemaking: Ideas to Action,” Susan Silberberg | Founder, CivicMoxie Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall, Catlett Music Center
Noon Lunch Keynote Address Remarks and Introduction, President David L. Boren | The University of Oklahoma “Leadership in Placemaking,” Jim Brainard | Mayor, Carmel, Indiana Molly Shi Boren Ballroom, Oklahoma Memorial Union
1:45 p.m. Session Two: Making Communities Moderated by Mia Kile | Director, OU Division of Interior Design “Renew Australia,” Marcus Westbury | Founder, Renew Australia “A New Dallas,” Patrick Kennedy | Founder, A New Dallas Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall, Catlett Music Center
3 p.m. Session Three: Making Change Moderated by Stephanie Pilat | Director, OU Division of Architecture “Design for the Just City,” Toni Griffin | Founder, Urban Planning and Design for the American City “Tactical Urbanism,” Mike Lydon | Principal, Street Plans Collaborative Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall, Catlett Music Center
4:30 p.m. Session Four: Making Great Streets Moderated by Leehu Loon | Director, OU Division of Landscape Architecture “Making Great Streets,” Victor Dover | Principal, Dover, Kohl & Partners Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall, Catlett Music Center
Reservations required.
For reservations or accommodations, please contact OU Public Affairs at (405) 325-3784 or email specialevents@ou.edu.
To learn more or register, visit iqc.ou.edu/conference The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo