March 6-8, 2017

W E E K D AY E D I T I O N | M A R C H 6 - 8 , 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

OU DAILY

FOR THE KIDS

PHOTOS BY NOOR EEMAAN/THE DAILY

Students celebrate after the reveal of how much money was raised for Soonerthon on Saturday night. Participants raised $808,021.17 over the course of the year.

Soonerthon raises over $800,000 for children’s hospitals SUPRIYA SRIDHAR • @SUPRIYASRIDHAR

S

a r k e y s Fi t n e s s C e n t e r fell to a silent hum on Saturday night. A technicolor sea of students wearing neon T-shirts, hats and socks with the letters “FTK” — For The Kids — waited in anticipation. After 12 months and 12 hours of fundraising, in 12 seconds they would find out if they met their goal: to raise $1 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

When pieces of posterboard showed the amount they had raised — $808,021.17 — those in the crowd burst into cheers, smiling and hugging one another, not seeming to mind that they fell a bit short.

“This was never about the money for me. I always fell in love with Soonerthon because I was in love with these Miracle Kids. I never wanted a monetary value to describe the success of our event,” Jordan Smicklas, Soonerthon chair, said.

Soonerthon is OU’s annual dance marathon that helps support the Children’s Miracle Net w ork Hospitals and the O k l a h o m a C i t y C h i l d r e n ’s Hospital Foundation, allowing children to receive treatment for a number of different conditions in-state.

T h i s y e a r, a l o n g w i t h i t s $1 million fundraising goal, Soonerthon launched its “One Million Reasons Why” campaign, encouraging people to think of a million reasons to donate to the cause. Although Soonerthon did not reach its arduous fundraising goal this year, it remains the No. 1 donor to the OKC Children’s Hospital Foundation in the state and the

No. 1 dance marathon in the Big 12 in terms of fundraising.

Linzy Hall, senior development officer for the Children’s Hospital Foundation, has been working with Soonerthon for the past seven years. Her first year, Soonerthon raised $72,000. Since then, the organization has grown along with the amount raised.

Eight-year-old Brock Hart and

“That’s not a number. That’s lives saved in Oklahoma.”

JASON HART, FATHER OF MIRACLE CHILD his father Jason Hart were invited to be a part of Soonerthon five years ago. They have attended every Soonerthon since.

Brock is a Miracle Kid who was diagnosed with leukemia on Oct. 6, 2009.

“That’s not a number. That’s lives saved in Oklahoma,” Jason Hart said of the total raised.

Receiving treatment at the O k l a h o m a C i t y C h i l d r e n ’s Hospital allowed Brock to stay close to family. The opportunity that Miracle Children, children who have benefited from Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, have to interact with students at OU makes a difference in their lives, Jason Hart said.

“These kids just love on them, play with them, bring them into

their world and just lift them up so much,” Jason Hart said.

Smicklas said she’s always wanted to work in a children’s h o sp i t a l bu t wa sn ’ t su re i n what capacity until she joined Soonerthon her freshman year and got to work with the Miracle Children, like Brock, and their families.

“They’ve shown me what it means to fearlessly and relentlessly love the people around you,” Smicklas said.

Campus Activities Council chair Aimee Schnebeck said she was taken aback by the growth of Soonerthon this year with a little more than 3,000 participants, the most ever.

“I think it’s just incredible that college students can come together and be so selfless and realize that there is something out there that is so much bigger than them,” Schnebeck said.

CAC adviser Jermaine Peterson experienced his f i r s t S o o n e r t h o n t h i s y e a r.

Throughout the night he took notes on his phone about the event, chronicling the impact it had on those present.

“It reminded me that what we do, we do for people. We don’t do (it) for profits. We don’t do (it) for dollars and cents. We don’t do it to hear, ‘Thank you.’

We do it to make people feel special and desired and wanted,” Peterson said.

Jessie Smith and Olivia Dubcak contibuted to this story.

Soonerthon participants raise their fingers during the OU Chant after the reveal at Soonerthon on Saturday night.

Supriya Sridhar

supriyasridhar@ou.edu Students pose with the boards from the reveal of how much money was raised for Campus Activities Council’s Soonerthon. The organization’s goal was to raise $1 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Soonerthon fundraising over the years $1,000,000 2017: $808,021.17

$800,000

2016: $721,941.16

$600,000

2015: $561,268.15

$400,000 $200,000 0 1997

2007

2017

DANA BRANHAM/THE DAILY

Participants hug on stage during the 12-hour event on Saturday.

2

• March 6-8, 2017

NEWS

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

SGA changes policies regarding OU elections Board to scrutinize grievances after issues in past races KAYLA BRANCH @kayla_branch

After dealing with multiple Student Government Association elections with high passions and hot tempers, Abbey Taylor decided some election rules needed to be changed.

Taylor, the SGA Election Board chair and a women and gender studies and public and nonprofit administration senior, said the changes, which were recently passed in the Undergraduate Student Congress, mostly revolved around adding in the concept of “good faith” or “bad faith” when deciding how filed grievances are dealt with.

A “good faith” grievance must include evidence or proof of a campaign breaking one or more of the rules laid out in the SGA code, while a “bad faith” grievance is anything else, with the Election Board chair distinguishing between the two, Taylor said.

“If you see a candidate doing something you don’t like or they said something you think is mean or you just don’t like them, there is no rule that says they have to be a nice person,” Taylor said. “When those types of grievances are filed, it’s more someone wanting to target someone else.”

Taylor said when a candidate has three grievances filed successfully against them, the Election Board is required to

JULIA HARTH/THE DAILY

FILE - The five candidates for SGA President participate in a debate in Meacham Auditorium Nov. 7. Changes have been made to the student elections by the Undergraduate Student Congress.

vote on whether or not to disqualify them. She said campaigns have tried to use that to their personal advantages in the past.

“We had 50 grievances filed last semester and only upheld less than 10,” Taylor said. “We are required by the code to meet within 24 hours and rule on them. And I think there were a lot of frivolous grievances filed in the past, so now I’ll get to look at them and say, ‘No, that’s bad faith, throw it out.’”

Furthermore, if a campaign files three “bad faith” grievances, it will have one rule violation imposed against it, Taylor said.

Connor Bourland, chief justice of the SGA Superior Court and OU law student, said there will be an unofficial notification process for concerns that students think are valid but may not have the proof to back them up and be classified as a

“good faith” grievance.

“The code calls for mentioning of irregularities in the campaign and the elections, so this is to report irregularities, and hopefully it will serve as further background if we need it when making decisions,” Bourland said.

There is also hope that the unofficial notification system will make students who are not involved in campaigns feel like they can be more included, Bourland said.

There were multiple other changes to election rules, including taking anonymity away from those who file grievances, increasing the pay for various positions affiliated with SGA elections and moving elections up one week during the semester, among others.

Jake Mazeitis, S GA Congress secretary and international studies and letters sophomore, said the intent of

all the changes was focused on making elections as fair as possible.

“Our goal isn’t necessarily to make life easier for everyone, but to make it more fair,” Mazeitis said. “We have these rules for a reason — to make sure we aren’t doing anything we shouldn’t be doing during a public election.”

These changes will apply to the upcoming Campus Activities Council chair elections on March 28 and March 29, as well as all other elections run by the Election Board, such as congress elections, SGA presidential elections, the Interfraternity Council presidential elections and Student Bar Association elections, Mazeitis said.

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Kayla Branch

kaylabranch@ou.edu

OU ranks first in freshman National Merit Scholars with 279 enrolled

For the second time, OU has ranked No. 1 nationally in the enrollment of National Merit Scholars for public and private universities.

According to an OU News press release, 279 National Merit Scholars enrolled in OU’s freshman class of fall 2016, placing OU ahead of schools like Harvard University, Yale University and Stanford University in the enrollment of National Merit Scholars. OU previously ranked No. 1 in 2014 with 313 freshman scholars, according to the release.

This year also marks the fourth consecutive year that OU has outranked all public universities in the enrollment of freshman National Merit Scholars, according to the release.

OU President David Boren expressed his support of the recruitment of National Merit Scholars in the press release.

“National Merit Scholars lift the academic performance of all students. They help attract outstanding faculty members to the institution,” Boren said in the press release. “They are catalysts for excellence and impact the entire university.”

Staff Reports

University forms strategic planning team to respond to reports of bias The OU Office of University Community has established a team to serve as a point of contact for incidents of bias the office receives through the university’s 24-hour Reporting Hotline.

D’Andre Fisher, special assistant to Jabar Shumate, vice president for the university community, said a strategic planning committee, made up of about 20 individuals around the university, created the OU Bias Response Team to connect those who report incidents of bias to the right resources for help and support.

Fisher said the team will deal with incidents such as classroom insensitivity, harmful vandalism on campus, hostile treatment, slurs, verbal and physical harassment and more. Responses to those kinds of incidents will include acknowledgement of receiving a report, meeting with individuals who report incidents and sharing information with campus departments to make them aware of what is going on, he said.

“We’re excited to take on the challenge of understanding what’s going on, because we really want to foster a more welcoming and inclusive campus,” Fisher said.

Additionally, Fisher said a group of students in a political science class will work with the Bias Response Team and the Office of University Community to create a campus climate report based off data the 24-hour Reporting Hotline and Bias Response Team obtain.

The reporting hotline received 29 reports in about its first two months of use.

Andrew Clark, @Clarky_Tweets

March 6-8, 2017 •

NEWS

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

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Political science senior John Shelden studies at a table outside of Gould Hall Feb. 22. Shelden has ADHD.

SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY

Staying afloat with ADHD OU students discuss stigma, importance of medication

P

MITCHELL WILLETTS • @MITCHBWILLETTS

olitical science senior John Shelden has trouble focusing. His mind wrestles with itself for control, and his thoughts can be hard to corral. The stillness of the classroom winds him up, so he concentrates on concentrating, as even a momentary lapse leads to a wasted lecture and pages of empty notes.

However, Shelden has a remedy. Metadate CD, commonly prescribed to sufferers of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder like himself, helps him stay on track, despite a disorder keen to derail him.

Diagnosed with ADHD at 9 years old, Shelden has been off and on medication for more than half of his life. Methylphenidates like Metadate CD or amphetamines like Adderall, Vyvanse and others give the gift of control and bring a sense of calm to an unquiet mind.

ADHD or ADD? ADHD and ADD are often thought to be two separate disorders but are actually both defined in the medical community as ADHD. There are two kinds of ADHD: primarily inattentive, which is traditionally thought of as ADD, and the combined type, which includes hyperactive tendencies, as well as inattention. For the purposes of this story, we will use the term ADHD throughout.

“I feel like I fit in better with other people when I’m on my medication. I’m more confident when I’m on it. I can follow through better,” Shelden said. “It makes me a better person.”

There’s little doubt in the scientific community that ADHD is a real disorder, and Shelden said he feels that, to some, his diagnosis is nothing more than an excuse for character flaws and personal failings.

“If I don’t take my medication, I get distracted, and I’m not able to concentrate; then it will come off as laziness. When in reality, my mind is working overtime, on all cylinders and redlining,” Shelden said. “So I’m focusing on a wide variety of things, or I’m focusing on one thing intensely.”

On the surface, ADHD might appear to be simple lack of willpower. However, Carol Terry, a psychologist who practices in Norman, said when it comes to things like motivation and executive functioning, sufferers are inherently disadvantaged.

Terry has been practicing for 27 years and has expertise regarding the inner workings of the ADHD brain in children and adults.

“Motivation is one of the core problems of people with ADHD; they have a lot of trouble with motivation,” Terry said. “So these people get misunderstood as being irresponsible and lazy, which is irresponsible and lazy of us as a society.”

Philosophy senior Daniel Tavera was diagnosed at the

age of 6 and said staying calm has always been a struggle.

He is often as much of a distraction to himself as to those around him.

“It’s just sort of trouble-making behavior, without me even realizing it,” Tavera said, looking back at his grade-school self. “That behavior continues still, to this day.”

“It’s my medicine, but it’s your drug.”

JOHN SHELDEN, POLITICAL SCIENCE JUNIOR

Growing up, he said, his parents never really took his diagnosis seriously, instead viewing it as something he would grow out of or work through. “(People) treat it like a religious belief instead of a biological disorder, which is what it is,” Terry said. “They don’t understand that (most people) have a more intrinsic, internal motivation and ability to control their attention, to do things that are not intrinsically exciting or interesting to them. Some of us can just make ourselves do these things; people with ADHD have a very hard time with that.”

ADHD affects an estimated 5 to 7 percent of the worldwide population. The vast majority of those diagnosed lead perfectly functional lives, Terry said. But in a college environment filled with deadlines, assignments and subjects that often hold little

interest, inattention and weak impulse control can make it difficult to keep one’s head above water.

Shelden is not as strong a swimmer as most of his peers.

As they paddle along with ease, it is a hard fact to forget.

“When you’re unable to do things that you see other people doing easily, and you need to have a dose in order to be in the same rank as other people, it kind of makes you feel like you’re lazy, and you’re less,” Shelden said.

Metadate CD makes for a great life preserver.

Sometimes, though, it is difficult to know where the medication ends and where Shelden begins. Sometimes, he wonders if he could have ever made it this far unmedicated. Sometimes, he fears that without it, he would be nothing. “(I’ll have feelings) like, ‘I’m just an idiot. I’m stupid; I have to take this medication.

I’ll never make anything of myself; I rely on this medication,’” Shelden said.

Ultimately, he has come to terms with his ADHD and has a handle on it. He makes good grades, is on track to graduate and is confident he can live a life like anyone else, full of responsibilities and obligations, deadlines and distractions, because for the last 20 years, he has done just that.

However, while there is doubt surrounding the disorder, there is shame, too, because of the treatment.

Shelden said he finds that some people think his medication is like cheating.

“They think I’m trying to get a competitive edge over them, and that’s not true. I’m just trying to be able to compete,” Shelden said.

ADHD prescriptions are infamously abused substances on college campuses, with students not having to look very hard to get a few

milligrams of a given stimulant. One July 2013 study from the University of Michigan shows that approximately 9 percent of college students admitted to taking Adderall without a prescription, and another August 2016 study from the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that 4.4 percent of young adults aged 18 to 25 had abused prescription drugs in the last month.

This behavior delegitimizes the disorder and downplays the true medicinal value these prescriptions have in treating it, Shelden said.

“People taking Adderall all night long get more attention than the student who’s taking it, needs to take it, and is making a 4.0 … because of the help that it gives him, as opposed to the high that it gives other people,” Shelden said. “It’s my medicine, but it’s your drug.”

Mitchell Willetts

mitchell.b.willetts-1@ou.edu

ASSESSMENT FOR ADHD OU’s University Counseling Center offers psychological assessments to test for ADHD or learning disabilities.

A full assessment costs $500, and the counseling center does not accept insurance.

Payment can be made with cash, check or through the bursar.

Testing will take approximately six to eight hours total over the course of two to three weeks.

Source: University Counseling Center website

Former governor laments polarization

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VOL. 102, NO. 46

© 2017 OU Publications Board FREE — Additional copies 25¢

Gov. Brad Henry discusses politics in recent OU lecture SIERRA RAINS @sierrarains

Former Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henr y gave a talk March 2 at OU about bipartisanship and political party polarization.

Henr y focused on his past experience in the state Senate and compared today’s party relations to how they were when he was a senator.

“Politics are too political … I’ve seen it get progressively worse,” Henry said.

Henry, a Democrat, began his talk by recalling when he was elected to the Oklahoma Senate in 1992 at age 28. He

CLAIRE BENDTSCHNEIDER/THE DAILY

Former Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry gives a lecture Thursday in Dale Hall. His lecture was titled “Has Politics Become Too Political?”

said straight party voting did not exist at that time, and that “legislators were more open-minded in those days.”

Henry also said there was a stronger sense of collegiality between Republicans and Democrats when he was in office, and that one of

his best friends in the Senate was a Republican. Henry said this bipartisanship was what helped legislators accomplish things then and what is holding them back now.

“We did some big things for Oklahoma that I don’t

see happening today,” Henry said.

Beyond increased polarization within the government, Henry discussed how citizens are self-segregating based on their personal party affiliations.

“These people hate each other. They’re clustering into communities of like-minded people,” Henry said.

Henry said people are also self-selecting news outlets that they agree with, making the party polarization even more extreme.

Henry closed his talk by saying there are no easy solutions to fix the increased polarization, but he thinks the real answer is the people, and he has hope in the voting public and the younger generation.

“I think that our leaders

need to do better. We as a voting public must demand bipartisanship from our elected leaders,” Henry said.

Sierra Rains

sierra.m.rains@gmail.com

ABOUT HENRY Brad Henry, a Democrat and a political moderate, was the governor of Oklahoma from January 2003 to January 2011.

He was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

He got his law degree from OU’s College of Law. Source: National Govenors Association

4

• March 6-8, 2017

OPINION

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

JULIA HARTH/THE DAILY

FILE - The Bizzell Memorial Library Sept. 9, 2016. Guest columnist Robert Bellafiore believes OU and the country should re-prioritize its spending.

Solving issues takes prioritizing deserves our attention and each of the programs or policies that we believe should be prioritized comes with a cost.

Robert Bellafiore rbellafiore@ou.edu

It is often easy to identify the way things should be — it is much more difficult to determine how to get there.

But without developing practical steps to achieve a goal, simply having the goal itself isn’t of much use.

A quick perusal through the headlines of The Daily or any other newspaper is enough to remind us of this fact, if we’re willing to admit it. On campus we have stories about recent protests led by various student organizations, the failures of Goddard Health Services and Harry Belafonte’s visit to campus. Around the country we have stories about the future of Obamacare, the construction of the U.S.Mexico wall and the millions affected by incarceration. What is perhaps not so readily acknowledged, however, is that each of the issues that we believe

“

No matter how big a budget is, we’ll never have all that we want, and we’ll always have to choose what’s most important.“ ROBERT BELLAFIORE, ECONOMICS AND PHILOSOPHY JUNIOR

If we want to be serious about improving our university or country, we need to start recognizing that we simply cannot have everything we want. Any money spent improving services is money not spent on new lab equipment. Any money spent bringing entertainers to campus is money not spent on professors.

Any money spent funding student organizations is money not spent making college more affordable.

What can we possibly expect the administration of either OU or the United States to do when we increase our demands for one thing without reducing our demands for something else?

One factor behind our emphasis on benefits without a related consideration of costs has to do with our way of discussing ethical issues. We often argue for the programs we support by asserting that we have a fundamental human right to them. Why should we lower tuition costs at OU? Because education is a human right. Why should we keep Obamacare?

Because healthcare is a human right. These may very well be true. But even if education is a human right, simply recognizing it as such doesn’t tell us who is going to pay for it or how.

Furthermore, even if both education and healthcare are human rights, recognizing them as such doesn’t tell us which we should prioritize if we can only afford one. As legal scholar Ronald Dworkin put it, rights are “trumps�: If I have a right to something, someone is obligated to

provide it. We’re much better at asserting our rights, however, than at explaining how our rights are going to be recognized without infringing on someone else’s.

An easy response would be that we simply need to increase funding at all levels. If the Oklahoma legislature would just increase funding to public education to its levels from a few decades ago, or if the U.S. Congress legislature would simply require the wealthy to pay its fair share, then we could have better professors, lower tuition costs and great, free services. This might be true as well. But this does not deal with the fundamental problem. No matter how big a budget is, we’ll never have all that we want, and we’ll always have to choose what’s most important.

Furthermore, the fact remains that right now OU and the country must figure out how to use the budgets they have, no matter how much funding they might have in the future. We still need to decide what we’re going to prioritize.

No matter what we think is most important, whether we’re American citizens

HOROSCOPE

By Eugenia Last

Copyright 2017, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

my friend’s got mental illness

Carefully choose your course of action and where you put your time and effort this year. Aim to make things better and more assessable, without adding to your stress, debt or responsibilities. Let your instincts and intelligence help you weed out negativity or people who are weighing you down.

To a friend with mental illness, your caring and understanding greatly increases their chance of recovery. Visit whatadifference.samhsa.gov for more information.

Mental Illness – What a difference a friend makes.

my friend’s got mental illness

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- You can make positive changes that will help you as well as those around you.

Focus on domestic and community improvements. Voice your opinion and make a difference.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Communicate and get your point across in order to forge a clear path to victory.

Partnerships will need adjustments, but once boundaries are set, the sky is the limit.

To a friend with mental illness, your caring and understanding greatly increases their chance of recovery. Visit whatadifference.samhsa.gov for more information.

Mental Illness – What a difference a friend makes.

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.

Previous Solution

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

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- YouĘźll learn more if you step back and watch what others do. Engage in collaborative discussions to get a better sense of whatĘźs expected of you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- YouĘźll be disappointed if you rely on someone to help you. Set your goals and work diligently on your own if you want to receive the recognition you deserve.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Express your feelings and use your imagination to come up with new ideas and fun things to do. Partnerships will depend on both your generosity and your moderation.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Look inward and size up your personal and

professional situations. Consider your options and prepare to make a move that will add to your financial security as well as ease your stress.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Before you ask for something, make sure you know exactly whatĘźs expected of you in return. You donĘźt want to be beholden to anyone. A partnership looks promising, as long as you maintain equality.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Personal problems will escalate if you or someone you love is neglectful. Tend to matters affecting your home, family or loved ones to avoid uncertainty and head off an impulsive response.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Investments will pay off. Honing your skills and making residential moves or changes are favored and will improve your financial position and emotional well-being.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Avoid anyone trying to bait you into a dispute. Alterations to the way you look or live will bring the highest rewards. Work alone and avoid interference.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Your experience will help you handle anyone who is offering something suspicious, or using pressure or manipulation to persuade you to get involved in something questionable.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Move forward passionately and with the intent to make progress. Use your connections and your physical drive and courage to find success. Romance is highlighted.

pushing for legislation or students calling for new policies, we need to start asking another question: What’s going to give? Until we can answer that question, then our demands are just hot air.

The Daily welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns from the OU community. To submit a letter or column, email dailyopinion@ou.edu.

Robert Bellafiore is an economics and philosophy junior and a guest columnist for The Daily.

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Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker March 6, 2017

ACROSS 1 Baby zebras 6 Sounds of good cheer?

10 Daffy Duck has one 14 Inuit’s domed home 15 Way off base 16 Ancient Cuzco citizen 17 Home for a British super, perhaps 20 Smaller sofa 21 Thin decorative layers 22 Gothenburg native 25 Like pretentious museumgoers 26 Zilch in Mexico 30 Sentence part 32 Like many kitchen appliances 35 Lawrence’s place 41 Angel’s outfit?

43 Coil 44 Hail Mary 45 Famous canal 47 Allergic outbreak, sometimes 48 Drink, kitty-style 53 Internet message 56 Growth near the tonsil 58 Loud summer bug

3/6

63 Factor for players in big games 66 Bulky grayishbrown eagle 67 Jet type 68 Accept as one’s own 69 Card of ownership, in Monopoly 70 TV award 71 Poem with quotations DOWN 1 Newton’s fruit?

2 Especially cruel boss 3 Much more than some 4 Lummox 5 Loudness units 6 WWII flying group 7 Shoemaker’s puncher 8 Dam or president 9 ___ gin fizz 10 One with a run-on sentence?

11 Place to moor 12 Surgery reminders 13 Easy scapegoat 18 Morning moisture 19 Genetic letters 23 Good’s opposite 24 Orate passionately 26 Bird bills

27 Gain ___ on (lead but good) 28 Lucy’s sitcom partner 29 Dell or Lenovo rival 31 Cause of ruin 33 Television listings abbr.

34 Audible, unhealthy chest sound 36 It’s the crime center?

37 Where the wise men came from 38 Said twice, an island near Tahiti 39 “The Black Prince� writer Murdoch 40 Baby’s nurse, in China 42 Pigmented eye layer 46 Use, as coupons

48 Secured, as a sneaker 49 Love to pieces 50 Kind of pasta 51 Starving 52 Polynesian food staple 54 Winter hazard 55 Purple flower 57 Eric of “Monty Python�

59 Relinquish, as land 60 The Bard of ___ (Shakespeare) 61 Accounting or sales, e.g.

(Abbr.)

62 Certain sax 64 ’60s war site, informally 65 Let it all out, in a way

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Š 2017 Andrews McMeel Syndication www.upuzzles.com Š 2017 Andrews McMeel Syndication

NO UPS OR DOWNS By Timothy E. Parker

March 6-8, 2017 •

SPORTS

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

Seniors score one last shot Basketball honors players, prepares for team’s future JOHN WALKER @jtw2213

PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY

Freshman forward Kameron McGusty uses his elbow to get around a TCU defender as he makes his way to the basket Saturday. McGusty led the team with 22 points in the game.

It was all smiles as sen i o r s C . J. C o l e, D a n i e l Harper and Jordan Wo o d a rd t o o k c e nt e r court to pose with their loved ones in front of their framed honorary jerseys on senior day Sunday afternoon. Each player received praise individually before coming together for a collective photo, flanked by coach Lon Kruger and athletic director Joe Castiglione.

Once the festivities w e re ov e r a n d t h e b a l l was tipped, the baton was passed to the future. The Sooners’ group of young guns showed a glimmer of what was to come in the team’s five-point victory over the Horned Frogs.

Freshman guard Kameron McGusty filed in points in a fashion that has been a staple for him since the mark of the new year.

T h i s y e a r Mc Gu s t y ha s scored in double-digits in 17 of the last 18 games, capped by his 22-point performance against TCU. Freshman forward Kr istian D oolittle’s 19point, 13-rebound performance was the big man’s fourth double-double of the season.

Collectively, the youthful Sooners overcame

NEXT GAME Oklahoma will be in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament.

Opponent: TCU Channel: ESPNU Time: 6 p.m.

Date: Wednesday Place: Kansas City, Missouri Source: soonersports.com

their season-long struggle of finishing close games against the Horned Frogs.

“We’ve been here before and we weren’t going to slip up this time,” McGusty said.

With the game tied at 66 with 1:09 remaining, Oklahoma finished on a 7-2 advantage, thanks to the free-throw line.

McGusty stepped up and made two free throws to give Oklahoma the lead.

Freshman guard Jordan Shepherd, who had a relatively modest day, extended the Sooners’ lead to possessions with a pair of free throws. Doolittle capped off the last three points from the stripe.

Junior forward Khadeem Lattin’s delivered his fifth block vehemently in the final seconds to ensure the team’s five-point, regular-season finale win.

“Down the stretch, these three guys kind of led the way,” Kruger said.

“Kam (McGusty) scored, Khadeem (Lattin) getting some blocks, (Doolittle) making some really strong plays, all of them hitting free throws.”

At 11-19, the Sooners hold a rugged record, but they have displayed the spurts of promise to remain optimistic for the future.

Just as important for the team’s efforts to play consistently was the emphasis on high morale. Kruger credits the team for remaining hopeful despite the team’s win-loss record.

“I’m very happy for them because they work hard all year long,” Kruger said. “That’s why they’re playing their best basketball here in the last three weeks.”

Oklahoma can ride on a high note until it faces the Horned Frogs again on Wednesday in its first game of the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri.

But more importantly, the team garnered momentum for the future.

“When going into the spring, going into the summer and fall, you’re going in there with a totally different mindset than had we lost the last five ball games,” Kruger said.

“I think that’s validation for these guys’ investment and their focus and maintaining the culture that they want here.”

John Walker

john.t.walker-1@ou.edu

Will OU make it to the NCAA championship?

Sooners disappoint in first round loss in Big 12 Tournament

WHAT’S NEXT The women’s college basketball selection show will release the NCAA tournament bracket to determine Oklahoma’s fate.

GEORGE STOIA @GeorgeStoia

After another poor shooting performance, No. 19 Oklahoma (22-9, 13-6 Big 12) fell to West Virginia (21-10, 9-10 Big 12) in the first round of the Big 12 tournament Saturday.

Coming off one of their worst shooting performances of the season, the Sooners were looking to get back on track against West Virginia.

Oklahoma did not get the start they wanted, falling behind 12-0 to start the game.

Their struggles didn’t stop there, trailing 48-24 at the half. Nothing changed in the second half, as Oklahoma eventually fell to the Lady Mountaineers 82-58, ending its hopes at a Big 12 championship.

“I don’t think that I’ve ever had a team take the floor and appear to be ill-prepared, as unmotivated as we appeared tonight,” Coale said. “I want to publicly apologize to our fans and our administration because that’s not what

Channel: ESPN Time: 6 p.m.

Date: March 13 Source: soonersports.com

SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY

The Sooners head toward the locker room after losing to West Virginia 82-58 Saturday. Senior Maddie Manning and junior Vionise Pierre-Louis were the only two Sooners who scored in double-digits.

the University of Oklahoma deserves.”

Only two players scored in double-digits for the Sooners, as they shot a dismal 33.3 percent from the field. Senior Maddie Manning led the way for Oklahoma, scoring a team-high 13 points and pulling down five rebounds.

Also contributing was junior Vionise Pierre-Louis who recorded 10 points and eight rebounds.

Manning was short and to the point about the team’s performance.

“The bottom line is we’re Division 1 basketball players. We need to perform,”

Manning said.

Pierre-Louis added that this performance was on the players, not on the coaches.

“I feel like our coaches have done enough,” Pierre-Louis said. “They can’t spoon-feed us every single time we have a bad game. We need to find that amongst ourselves, dig

down, figure that out.”

On the other side, West Virginia shot lights-out, shooting over 55 percent from the field and making nine three pointers. Tynice Martin led all scorers with 21 points, while Teana Mudrow contributed 19 points and eight rebounds.

The Sooners have now suffered back-to-back 20-plus point losses for the first time this season. With the NCAA tournament right around the corner, Oklahoma is headed in the wrong direction. Coale isn’t too concerned about getting her team back on track.

“We didn’t win 22 games this year by accident,” Coale said. “So we’ll take the next two weeks and a find a way.”

The Sooners will find out their fate for the NCAA tournament on March 13 when ESPN hosts the women’s college basketball selection show at 6 p.m. CT. George Stoia

george.s.stoia-1@ou.edu

Three Sooners attend 2017 NFL Combine in advance of Draft Westbrook opts out of drills; Perine wows with bench SPENSER DAVIS @Davis_Spenser

Hundreds of draft prospects flocked to Indianapolis this weekend for the 2017 NFL Combine to work out for all 32 teams ahead of April’s NFL Draft.

Among them were three former Sooners: running back Samaje Perine, receiver Dede Westbrook and defensive lineman Charles Walker.

Perine arrived first and was both impressive and underwhelming. The Sooners’ all-time leading

NFL DRAFT Channels: ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network Time: 8 p.m. ET Date: April 27 - April 29 Place: Philadelphia Source: sportingnews.com

rusher produced 30 bench press reps of 225 pounds, making him easily the strongest player at his position. Only seven players — all offensive or defensive lineman — managed a better mark. Perine was also a top performer in the 60-yard shuttle, finishing fourth among running

backs with a time of 11.71 seconds.

However, Perine’s 40yard dash time clocked in at 4.65 seconds — significantly slower than some of the other top backs in this class.

Westbrook surprised ever yone by opting not to go through drills. Instead, We stb ro o k w i l l w o rk out at OU ’s Pro Day on Wednesday.

Walker performed decently in drills but was not a top performer in any event.

He posted a 4.96 40-yard dash, 25 bench press reps and a 107-inch broad jump.

The NFL Draft will take place from April 27-29 in Philadelphia.

Spenser Davis

davis.spenser@ou.edu

SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY

Junior running back Samaje Perine stiff-arms an Auburn defender in the fourth quarter of the 2017 Sugar Bowl Jan. 2.

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• March 6-8, 2017

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

Chloe Moores, a&e editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/a_and_e • Twitter: @OUDailyArts

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

(Far left to right) Andrew Wasson, Josh O’Dell and Alex Akins of the band Life Lessons perform in their practice space in Oklahoma City Feb. 25. The band is made up by Andrew Wasson, Josh O’Dell, Alex Akins, Kaden Birdsong and Chris Lewis.

Playing through life lessons Oklahoma band finds unique sound CHANDLER KIDD • @CHANANNKIDD

W

hen Alex Akins went to his first concert in fourth g ra d e a n d saw t h e A l l American Rejects, Gym Class Heroes and The Starting Line he knew he wanted to be in a band.

“That show was sick to me,” Akins said. “That Christmas I received a small Fender Stratocaster and just started to jump around to Fall Out Boy in my room and remember thinking that being in a band is what I wanted to do.”

Akins, an OU sociology sophomore, continued to go to shows, jump to punk rock music in his room and grind every day on the guitar until he heard of the band Life Lessons.

Life Lessons was formed in 2013 when Andrew Wasson (bass player and UCO graduate), Kaden Birdsong (vocals) and Chris Lewis (drums) began playing music together. The idea to start a locally based band stemmed from Birdsong and Wasson attending shows, Wasson said.

“Kaden and I just kept hanging out and decided to make our own band,” Wasson said. “We started playing locally and eventually found people to join.”

The name Life Lessons stemmed from an Alternative Press article that Birdsong read, Akins said.

“Kaden saw an article titled ‘10 Life Lessons You Should Know.’ The name just kind of stuck,” Akins said.

In 2014 the band added Josh O’Dell (guitar/vocals)

to the band. Life Lessons became the unit it is today in 2015 when Alex Akins (guitar) joined the band.

The pop-punk bands that defined their middle school youth years have developed the mixture of new and old punk, Wasson said. “(Life Lessons) has really combined the newer pop punk bands that have been coming out in the last five or six years but also the bands we listened to in 2006,” Wasson said. “We have just been combining those two and hoping something original comes out of it.”

The band is inspired by pop-punk and emo bands like Taking Back Sunday,

“If kids could brag about us being from their state that would be sick. This last tour showed us that if we continue to get exposure and put our music out there, things will just continue to grow.”

ALEX AKINS, OU SOCIOLOGY SOPHOMORE

Senses Fail and The Wonder Years. O’Dell said these bands help him write music.

“Senses Fail really influences me and how I write.

Other then that, the band as a whole is really influenced by Taking Back Sunday,” O’Dell said.

Oklahoma is normally associated with country music, but Life Lessons is working to make Oklahoma known as a place for pop-punk and emo music as well.

Take your free portrait for Sooner yearbook:

Sept. 26-28 Grad Gear-Up: Beaird Lounge

Nov. 7, 9 & 10 Crossroads Lobby

Nov. 28, 30, Dec. 1-2 Crossroads Lobby

March 7-10 Grad Gear-Up: Beaird Lounge

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April 24-28 Crossroads Lobby CONNECT & ORDER YOUR BOOK @SOONERYB

The overarching goal for each member of the band is to make a living playing and making music across the country.

“I would like more people to see how much great music comes from Oklahoma,” Akins said. “I would love for Life Lessons to get the local scene more saturated with kids coming to our shows and see a band grinding so hard in their backyard.”

Life Lessons just finished its fourth major tour with Homesafe, a Chicago-based rock band, and Chase Huglin, an Indiana-based acoustic indie musician. The tour began on Jan. 7 and ended on Feb. 11. The band began the

sooneryearbook.com

tour in Indianapolis and did a loop around the country.

While touring with Homesafe and Chase Huglin, the band returned to places like New Jersey and Chicago, where they have played before. This time, Life Lessons noticed a larger reaction to its sound. The band was the supporting act for the headliners, but with a stronger sound it was able to gain more fans, Wasson said.

“When we played in New

Jersey the first time, we played in front of a crowd of six in this frat basement that smelled like vodka,” Wasson said. “It was disgusting. This past time in Jersey, people were singing and we realized ‘Oh, we’re doing it.’”

The band enjoys touring because it gives them an opportunity to see the country, O’Dell said.

“With this past tour, seeing Toronto was really cool. We also noticed we have actual fans now because people in the crowd would be singing along, which was so neat,” O’Dell said.

One of the last bands to put Oklahoma on the map with music was the All-American Rejects, but the band hasn’t released a new album since 2012.

“If kids could brag about us being from their state, that would be sick,” Akins said.

“This last tour showed us that if we continue to get exposure and put our music out there, things will just continue to grow.”

Although the Oklahoma music scene does not have as many punk musicians as other scenes, being in the middle of the country has bonuses.

“It is convenient being from Oklahoma because you can go to the East and West Coast because you are smack-dab in the middle,” Wasson said.

2017 will be a big year of touring and recording for Life Lessons. The band plans to release a new EP in the late

summer or fall, Akins said.

Not only does Life Lessons want to put Oklahoma on the map, but it has more importantly became a group of young adults who function as a brotherly unit.

The band realized its ability to work well together while on its last tour. Birdsong started to feel a pain in his abdomen as the band entered Canada.

After stopping by a gas station to get directions, the band proved that it can perform as a cohesive unit offstage. Akins started feeling scared when he noticed that Birdsong’s face started drooping. Birdsong was sick, dehydrated and suffering from a panic attack. Once the other band members figured out where the nearest hospital was located, they rushed to the destination.

“While we were waiting, we knew if we were all trying to help him, it wouldn’t be successful,” Akins said. “Instead, one of us stayed with him and others were getting in contact with the hospital. It was the realest thing that ever happened to us.”

Although they are constantly with each other while touring and enjoy seeing fans react to their music, the members of Life Lessons’ favorite part about touring is Chili’s.

“Alex’s mom is really cool and before every tour she gets us a Chili’s gift card so we can have a real meal,” Wasson said. “We scope out the area for one. It is a huge deal

LIFE LESSONS Life Lessons will have two upcoming shows in Oklahoma City.

Four Year Strong Anniversary tour Date: March 24 Place: 89th Street Collective The Nixons reunion show Date: March 31 Place: Chevy Event Center

because we get to pig out on a decent meal.”

As far as immediate plans, Life Lessons plans on writing a lot of music while Akins balances being a student at OU. “We are waiting to see what happens. Even if it looks like we aren’t doing much, just keep an eye out,” O’Dell said.

The band will be performing several local shows in OKC in March. On March 24, Life Lessons will perform at 89th Street Collective for the Four Year Strong anniversary tour. On March 31 the band will perform at the Chevy Event Center for The Nixons reunion show.

For more information on Life Lessons, visit its Facebook page. Its music is available to listen to on Spotify, Bandcamp and iTunes.

Chandler Kidd

chandlerkidd@ou.edu

keep it forever

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

March 6-8, 2017 •

7

Chill out with area smoothies With temperatures rising, it’s almost time to wave goodbye to hot drinks. Smoothies are one of the best ways to stay cool and healthy in the warm weather. Below is a roundup of the best off-campus places to grab a smoothie in Norman — no matter what your tastebuds are in the mood for.

MOLLY KRUSE • @MOLLYKRUSE98

Coolgreens

Jamba Juice

Distance from campus: 0.2 miles (Campus Corner) Affordability: $$ Most popular smoothie: Crimson Heart (blueberries, kale, strawberries, peanut butter, carrots, strawberry yogurt and orange juice).

What makes your smoothies the best?

“I’d say fresh toppings and a lot of variety of toppings,” said Latoya Cooper, assistant manager at Coolgreens.

Distance from campus: 1.3 miles Affordability: $$ Most popular smoothies: Aloha Pineapple (Greek yogurt, strawberries, banana, pineapple juice and pineapple sherbet) and Apple ‘n Greens (apple-strawberry juice, kale, bananas, mangos and peaches).

What makes your smoothies the best?

“We provide great service and great products that taste good and always welcome you back,” said Darius Lodge, team leader at Jamba Juice.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Distance from campus: 1.5 miles Affordability: $$ Most popular smoothies: Chia Banana Max (bananas, chia seeds, flax, oats, cinnamon, dates and almonds and comes with choice of peaches, strawberries or peanut butter) and Detox Island Green (bananas, pineapples, mangoes, ginger, spinach and kale).

What makes your smoothies the best?

“I think the atmosphere more than anything. We’re all upbeat, outgoing and just relaxed,” said Dennis Brewer, crew leader at Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

The Earth Cafe

Teapioca Lounge

Distance from campus: 1 mile Affordability: $$$ Most popular smoothies: The #1 (blueberries, bananas and peanut butter).

What makes your smoothies the best?

“We source organic ingredients, so just simple, good food,” said Arielle Pineiro, baker at The Earth Cafe. The Earth Cafe also grinds its peanut butter in-house and uses biodegradable to-go cups, Pineiro said.

Distance from campus: 2.5 miles Affordability: $ Most popular smoothies: Strawberry Banana (strawberry syrup, strawberries, bananas, non-dairy creamer powder or creamer, sugar and ice).

What makes your smoothies the best?

“I think the boss here has made a good combination of how much we should put in each drink for a certain flavor. You can also customize all the smoothies. You can mix any flavors, or you can control what kind of sugar we put in it, how much sugar, that kind of stuff,” said Kevin Bae, barista at Teapioca Lounge.

See a map of places to get smoothies off-campus at oudaily.com.

Cheapest drink is: $4 or less: $ $5 or less: $$ Over $5: $$$

Arts council seeks new brand for district Contest seeks ideas from local creatives to honor late patron ALLISON WEINTRAUB @AllieFrances12

The Norman Arts Council has opened applications for local artists to submit branding ideas for the newly renamed Walker Arts District.

A prize of $1,500 will be awarded to whichever piece follows the Norman Arts Council’s polices and

demonstrates excellence, originality and thoughtful branding design, according to the Norman Arts Council website.

T h e district — which c ov e r s downtown Norman — was rena m e d i n honor of the LARRY late Larr y WALKER Wa l k e r, former Norman Public Arts Board

chair supporter of local art.

Josh Boydston, associate director of the Norman Arts Council, said the application only being open to local artists has personal significance for the district.

“The designers and artists from outside Norman could still propose great things to us, but Larry (Walker) worked so hard to make Norman specifically a better place to enjoy the community events,” Boydston said. “It seemed pertinent to have a designer or artist who was living here and enjoying the legacy he

established, to have them take the reins and see where this thing goes.

Boydston said the contest also reflects how Walker approached the artistic community.

“Larry was such in the spirit of wanting to give artists an opportunity to do something and open the gates and provide opportunities for people to do what they love and care about,” Boydston said. “I think this kind of corresponds with his spirit of inclusiveness and wanting to try and invite as many people as possible to

participate in the process.”

Boydston said the fun spirit of the Walker Arts District should show through in the designs.

“Larry always had a big smile on his face,” Boydston said. “So, obviously we want it to be something refined and sophisticated, but I think it should kind of embody that playful, gregarious spirit too — the kind of fun, lively community gatherings that downtown Norman, now known as the Walker Arts District, has come to be known as both for people living here and for

visitors.”

The selected branding design will be used electronically and in print with the potential for it to also be used for signage for the district, according to the Norman Arts Council website.

The contest must be submitted by April 3 through the Council’s website. Applicants may submit more than one proposal.

Allison Weintraub

allison.weintraub@ou.edu

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• March 6-8, 2017

OU Ranks No. 1 in the Nation in National Merit Scholars

Photo by: Mason Drumm

The University of Oklahoma ranks No. 1 in the nation in National Merit Scholars in the freshman class.

OU outranked all public and private universities this year including universities like the University of Chicago, which was second and Harvard University, which was third.

Other leading schools that ranked below OU include Stanford, Yale, MIT, Princeton and Duke.

National Merit Scholars lift the academic performance of all students. They are catalysts for excellence and impact the entire university. This year OU set a major record with a retention rate among scholars who came as freshman of 95 percent.

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

A Pacesetter for Excellence