July 1-7, 2015

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NEWS

• July 1 - July 7, 2015

Kelley named Gaylord director Gaylord director Ed Kelley works to bring interships to students ARLETTE ROJANO Staff Reporter @arletterojano

Ed Kelley helps increase student internship op portunities as the director of experiential learning in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

An editor at The Oklahoman for more than 36 years, Kelley started working as the director of experiential learning with Gaylord on May 26.

The Gaylord administration is very excited that he joined the team because of his experience and talent, Gaylord dean Joe Foote said.

“President Boren said that he was going to make him available to us if we could use him,” Foote said.

“So we jumped at the opportunity to bring him on.”

As director of experiential learning, Kelley said he works with faculty and staff to increase internship opportunities for students.

He also said that they will work to have appropriate oversight over the experiences of the students at the internships and strengthen relationships with employers. Kelley explained that a better relationship with an employer could result in more internship opportunities for Gaylord students.

“We hope that the employers feel like sending Gaylord students to them has been a good thing and that they’ll want to bring more back in the future,”

NOOR JAFFERY/THE DAILY

Ed Kelley, former editor of The Oklahoman, poses in the Unity Garden on the South Oval. Kelley was named director of experiential learning at the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication in May 2015.

Kelley said.

Kelley said he also helps advisors place students in the internships that they both want and need. He said that internships are important because they go beyond the classroom and enhance learning. He also said that it allows students to make sure that they are in the correct career path.

“I am a big believer in internships,” Kelley said.

“It can do two things: one confirms for most of [the students], ‘hey, this is what I want to do.’ But then for a smaller, but no less important group, it confirms for them that, ‘hey, this is all great, but not sure this

“I think that everybody at Gaylord wants to provide more opportunities for students.”

ED KELLEY, GAYLORD DIRECTOR OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

is what I want to do in my career.”

Many of the internships available to Gaylord students are in Oklahoma, Kelley said. However, they do offer internships nat i o n w i d e. He s a i d t h a t on average, 80 students have internships during

t h e su m m e r a n d ab ou t 50 students have internships in the fall and spring semesters.

“We have a fair amount of internships right here in our own back yard here in Oklahoma, particularly in the Oklahoma City area, but we do have interns in Washington D.C., we have interns in New York, we have interns usually on the West Coast,” Kelley said.

With Kelley on the team, Foote said he hopes that Gaylord will increase the satisfaction of both the students and employers during internships. He also said that he hopes Kelley will find areas of the program

that need improvement.

“In the short term, we hope that students have a better experience ... and that we maintain better oversight over those experiences,” Foote said. “In the long term, we hope that with [Kelley’s] experience that he can target some areas for improvement in the program that those of us close might not see.”

Kelley also said that everyone at Gaylord is looking to increase the value of a Gaylord degree. Kelley said that these efforts result in more employment opportunities for students.

“I think that everybody at Gaylord wants to provide

more opportunities for students, and to make sure that there is a real value to an OU degree, and particularly a degree out of Gaylord,” Kelley said.

He is very excited to be part of Gaylord once more, before as a student, but now as part of the administration. Kelley said he hopes to stay in Oklahoma for a while.

“Coming here is coming home,” Kelley said. “It feels good to be here.”

Arlette Rojano arlette.j.rojano@ou.edu

NEWS

July 1 - July 7, 2015 •

OU professor OU offers new big data program found dead Price college offers graduate program in analytics

Kulemeka fondly remembered by former students

DEON OSBORNE Staff Reporter @deonRnB

NOOR JAFFERY Staff Reporter @nooremanj

Owen Kulemeka, a public relations and strategic communications professor in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, was found dead in his Norman apartment Tuesday morning with signs of complications from heat stroke, according to a Gaylord College press release.

Kulemeka, 38, was found

by Professor Jaime Loke and Gaylord Director of Finance Heather Todd when they went to check on him after multiple unanswered calls, according to the release.

Kulemeka last taught Public Relations Publications during the first month of the summer session. He was scheduled to teach both Intro to Public Relations and Crisis Communications for the fall semester.

“He was a true educator and one of Gaylord’s gems,” Public relations junior and Daily photographer Emma Hyde said. “Lucky for me, I made the decision to take Owen’s class at the beginning of this summer. I have to believe it was fate that I took the last class Owen taught, because without his excess amounts of inspiration he unloaded on us everyday, I wouldn’t be able to say I learned from the best.”

According to his LinkedIn and Facebook profiles, Ku l e m e k a s p e n t y e a r s in public relations and

OWEN KULEMEKA marketing, focusing on research and analytics before joining the Gaylord faculty in May 2011 as an assistant professor.

He interned at charitable organizations like UNICEF and their refugee agency the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Public Welfare Foundation.

His students’ respect and admiration was made evident in April 2014 when Kulemeka was named Most Inspiring Faculty by Sooner Student Athletes, according to a tweet posted by the Gaylord College on April 15, 2014.

According to Gaylord a ss i st a nt t o t h e d e a n Kathy Adams, who spoke w ith D ete ctive David Madden of Norman Police, Kulemeka’s family has been notified and his aunt is on her way to Norman.

Authorities have not released information regarding the circumstances of Kulemeka’s death.

According to an email from Gaylord Dean Joe Foote, several Gaylord faculty members noticed Kulemeka’s absence and inquired about his well-being before checking on him.

Business students do not need an Information Technology background to take advantage of Price College’s graduate degree program in big data analytics, which offers courses in big data and cybersecurity and works with 25 local companies.

challenges is security. The fact that even the federal government is susceptible to security breaches was made painfully clear as the Office of Personnel Management announced in early June that it had been hacked.

According to its website, it detected a breach in April, but waited until June to make it public. While making cybersecurity reforms to its systems in response to the attack, it then detected a second breach during June.

BBC reported that a highly ranked U.S. Intelligence official claims Chinese hackers are the lead suspects of the hacking, though it is not clear whether the hackers were backed by the Chinese government.

The hackers, at first

thought to have gained access to the personal records of over 4 million current, former and prospective federal employees, are now thought to have gained access to at least 18 million, jeopardizing records such as names, addresses, social security numbers and background checks.

“Hackers are much more sophisticated, much more intellectual, and in some cases, government-backed,” said Matthew Jensen, an assistant professor of MIS. According to Jensen, the two main reasons for breaches involve the sophistication of hackers and the difficulty of handling mass amounts of data.

Price College’s big data analytics graduate program seeks to tackle these issues

According to Radhika Santhanam, the director of Price College’s Division of Management Information Systems (MIS), there are roughly two million careers in big data in the United States, a third of which are going unfilled.

“Here there are job opportunities,” Santhanam said.

“So, [we thought], why don’t we start a program on big data analytics?”

Nearly a year old, the graduate program not only prepares students on how to collect, process, analyze and secure mass amounts of data for various kinds of organizations, it also partners with 25 local companies.

NOOR JAFFERY/THE DAILY Representatives from Dr. Radhika Santhanam explains big data analytics while in her office companies such as Wal- on June 25. mart, Chesapeake Energy and Devon Energy provide scholarships and lectures to students in big data.

According to Santhanam, they also provide faculty with information about their businesses that help faculty know what areas to focus on for students.

“They are facing these challenges of big data, so they help us develop our curriculum,” Santhanam said.

One of those major

3

by teaching students about three components of analyzing big data: volume, variety and velocity. Volume refers to the amount of mass data being processed, while variety refers to whether the data is structured or unstructured, a sales transaction or a social media post.

Both the volume and variety of data are increasing at an extremely high velocity, which makes it more difficult for organizations to gather value from the collected data.

If organizations are unable to gather value from their data, then the data itself becomes useless.

Senior academic advisor Amber Hasbrook said business students interested in the program need to start preparing before their senior year.

“The beginning of their junior year they need to work on taking the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and getting application materials,” Hasbrook said.

Students entering the field of big data analytics can expect a starting salary of around $60,000, according to Santhanam.

“All of this is so new,” Santhanam said. “We are just at the gate.”

LETTER TO OU STUDENTS

Dear Students,

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

(projected)

6

NEWS

â&#x20AC;˘ July 1 - July 7, 2015

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Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker July 1, 2015

ACROSS 1 â&#x20AC;&#x153;... and make it fast!â&#x20AC;?

5 Wedge placed under a wheel 10 The point of a tooth 14 Seaweed one can eat 15 Boxing ring site 16 Start to freeze?

17 Reviewed 19 Cut and paste 20 Blue jeans 21 Humdingers 23 Theatrical hit 26 Forgo the letter opener 27 Roadblock 30 Foot bone 33 Pro ___ (in proportion) 34 Yarn ball chaser 36 Explosive letters 37 Monopoly token, once 38 Always, to a poet 39 Effervescent beverage 40 Psychoanalysis subject 41 Cowboyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parking lot?

44 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ___ problem?â&#x20AC;?

7/1

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63 Musical show 64 Terrible thing for one to waste 65 Paving products 66 Contemptuous look 67 Partner of â&#x20AC;&#x153;oddsâ&#x20AC;?

DOWN 1 â&#x20AC;&#x153;___ Lang Syneâ&#x20AC;?

2 ___ gin fizz 3 Big cosmetics company 4 India neighbor 5 Pathetically inept person 6 Paid player 7 Gun, as an engine 8 Again 9 Inquisition collar 10 Kind of salad 11 â&#x20AC;&#x153;I get itâ&#x20AC;?

12 Ado 13 Cherry parts 18 Peel of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Avengersâ&#x20AC;?

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46 Extracts 48 Prefix with â&#x20AC;&#x153;dynamicâ&#x20AC;?

51 Balance sheet item 52 Think tank nugget 53 Not odd 55 All in the family 56 Run the bar 57 Tries to find the bottom line 60 Adamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mate 61 Regret

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NEWS

July 1-July 7, 2015 •

7

Equal rights still elusive for LGBTQ community Despite step for marriage equality, fight still not over

Friday’s Supreme Court decision, passed by a single vote, means the remaining 14 states holding out on marriage equality will have to rescind their bans on same-sex BRADY VARDEMAN Digital Managing Editor marriage. However, the rul@BradyVardeman ing will not take effect immeWhen Kasey Catlett, as- diately. The losing side has sistant director of LGBTQ roughly three weeks to ask and Health Programs in the for reconsideration.

Women’s Outreach Center “IT’S NOT GAY at OU, heard the news Friday morning of the Supreme MARRIAGE. IT’S NOT Court’s decision extending STRAIGHT MARRIAGE. same-sex marriage nationIT’S NOT LESBIAN wide, he did nothing.

MARRIAGE. IT’S JUST As he sat down and took in the enormity of what he had MARRIAGE.” just learned, Catlett found himself unable to speak.

KASEY CATLETT, Growing up, he was the ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ‘gay kid’ as early as elemenLGBTQ PROGRAMS tary school. He does not have a single memory in which he Perhaps overlooked in the did not know he was gay.

Once able to process the elation Friday morning is good news Friday, Catlett this — it is not only legal for welled up as a variety of gay people to marry, it is a thoughts hit him like a freight constitutional right.

“The way that I’m looking train.

“It was almost like a weight at it is that today is the day was lifted off,” Catlett said. that gay marriage or same“I’m 33 years old and I re- sex marriage died,” Catlett member being much young- said. “Today is the day that er and I never thought that marriage equality is born.”

Although the country took I would ever live in a time where I could get married. I a large step toward overall thought this would never be equality for those identifyin my lifetime so the fact that ing as LGBTQ, the fight is not this has happened at 33 is over, Catlett said.

In 32 states — including incredible.”

He thought of the people Oklahoma — it is legal to disthe ruling would affect — criminate against LGBTQthose feeling relief after gen- identifying individuals.

Just 18 states and erations of battling for marriage equality to the fighters Washington, D.C., prohibwho did not make it to see it discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender their work pay off.

“They’re not here to be a identity for all residents in part of it but they’re still very any workplace. An additionmuch engrained in the de- al three states protect lescision and the emotion and bian, gay and bisexual emthe excitement and every- ployees, but not transgender employees. thing like that,” he said.

Furthermore, eight states provide protection only to those working for the state. Hoever, three of those states exclude transgender employees.

T h a t ’s j u s t i n t h e workplace.

“There’s still discrimination in our schools,” Catlett said. “There’s a lack of education even within healthcare providers working with those in the transgender community.

“Just because marriage equality is now the law of the land, that doesn’t mean there isn’t still discrimination toward LGBTQ people.”

While the fight for total equality may not be over for the LGBTQ community, Friday’s decision —what Catlett called an ‘eye-opener’ for the nation—is the long-awaited conclusion of a battle started over two decades ago.

While Catlett has no plans to get married in the coming days, weeks or months, Friday’s decision marked more than just another right he can put in his pocket. It’s validation.

He along with students from LGBTQ Ally gathered Tuesday morning on the North Oval , after a brief moment of silence, released dozens of multi-colored balloons to mark the organization’s Marriage Equality Celebration.

“It’s marriage,” he said.

“It’s not gay marriage. It’s not straight marriage. It’s not lesbian marriage. It’s just marriage.”

Brady Vardeman brady.vardeman@gmail.com

DANIEL HOANG/THE DAILY

Balloons fly past the American Flag on the North Oval on Tuesday, June 30 in support of LGBTQ rights. The balloon release was in celebration of a Supreme Court ruling extending gay marriage rights nationally.

SPORTS

July 1 - July 7, 2015 •

8

PHOTO PROVIDED

The 1963 football team picture includes the fourth black player in Oklahoma history, Nehemiah Flowers, No. 42. He is present on the top row, third from the left. Also pictured is Eddie McQuarters, No. 64.

Flowers recalls racial barriers Football alumnus reflects on dealing with campus racism JESSE POUND News Reporter @jesserpound

In the fall of 1962, while Oxford, Mississippi, erupted in riots in the face of desegregation, a black native of the state was grinding through his first fall football practice at OU. Nehemiah Flowers, came to OU from Jackson, Mississippi, because the three big white schools in that state would not recruit him because of the color of his skin. But even though there was no violent reaction to Flowers in Norman, he still did not exactly feel welcome. When he walked onto the field in 1963, Flowers became the fourth black

student to suit up for the varsity team.

In the wake of the SAE video scandal in the spring, OU student athletes formed OUnited, showing solidarity in the face of racism on campus, which affects a student-athlete population more diverse than the campus as a whole.

The racism faced by student-athletes is nothing new and it was felt all the way back in 1962, when Nehemiah Flowers arrived in Norman.

“When I was at OU, there was no social life for black guys,” Flowers said. “For black guys, there was no fraternity. After practice, you were back at your dorm.”

The lack of black students at OU left Flowers and fellow black player Eddie McQuarters feeling socially isolated.

“It was football and

studying,” Flowers said.

Flowers attended OU from 1962-1964, playing in the last season of Bud Wilkinson’s coaching career. He then left school and returned home, later finishing his degree at Belhaven College in Jackson.

His three years in Norman would not be the only time in his life that Flowers found himself facing racial barriers. He later found himself as the first black employee on the production staff of WLBT, a Jackson, Mississippi, TV station that was in legal trouble for its lack of diversity at the time.

He also served for a long time on the staff of Thad Cochran, a white Republican Congressman representing a state that is politically polarized along racial lines.

When he got tired of that job, Flowers, who had served for a long time in the Army reser ves, became a U.S.

Marshall. He was only the second black man from his district to be confirmed by Congress as a U.S. Marshall since Reconstruction.

Even with all the successes in his career, Flowers has not forgotten his struggles at OU. At his retirement party, Flowers was surprised by two of his former teammat e s, i n c l u d i n g Ne w t Burton. Burton and Flowers hit it off so well that Burton came over to Flowers’ house.

In the midst of what Burton called “a really magic couple of hours,” Burton mentioned how much fun they had had at OU. Flowers disagreed.

“I said, ‘Newt, if I’m going to be honest with you, my years were not that good,’” Flowers said.

Following games, Flowers told Burton that he and fellow black teammate Eddie

PHOTO PROVIDED

Nehemiah Flowers recalls coming to OU in the fall of 1963 and became only the fourth black student to ever play for the OU Football team.

McQuarters had felt left out, knowledge, there was no rasaying, “you guys would go cial divide.” home, or go out and go to your fraternities. We had the Jesse Pound jesserpound@gmail.com entire dorm to ourselves.

You guys didn’t invite us.”

The isolation felt by the Read the full story black players was not even on the radar of the other at @OUDaily/Sports players. “It never entered my mind,” Burton said. “To my