Waiting for a response Student organizers continue to wait for university’s response to protest, list of urgencies
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Student organizers continue to wait for university’s response day operations.”
J en ni fer M au p in , Staff reporter, @ O colly
In 1949, Nancy Randolph Davis fought segregation to become the first black student to attend Oklahoma State University. 70 years later, black students are still fighting to receive an education that is equitable to that of their white peers. Recently, five OSU students came together to author the List of Urgencies with input from a diverse group of students, staff, faculty and alumni. They then presented the list to the Board of Regents, the SGA president and at The March for Black Lives on campus. The list involves 11 ways OSU can create a more inclusive community for everyone. This includes more racial bias training for anyone entering the Cowboy family, a multicultural center to foster community and conversations among diverse students and a detailed plan of how OSU can improve transparency in the coming years, among other measures. OkState Stand United co-organizer and black rights activist Destinee Adams TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2020
Students await the university’s response to the March for Black Lives/List of urgencies.
said OSU administration claims the school already has practices and initiatives that address the List of Urgencies. “If that is true, there should be more transparency and data from the university making it obvious that these things exist to proactively aid the minority communities on campus,” Adams said. “What good are diversity initiatives if the diverse communities are not reaping the benefits?” The organizers are
still waiting on an official response from President Hargis and The Board of Regents. They said the List of Urgencies is exactly that: urgent. Senior Business Management major and co-organizer Sean Tolbert said OSU has a history of neglecting the needs of minority students. “A part of OSU’s dark history is that of not responding to or advocating for their minority students, and that needs to be remembered and ac-
knowledged,” Tolbert said. This is not to say OSU hasn’t made any progress. On Friday, June 19th, also known as Juneteenth, the university announced that they would be renaming both Murray and North Murray Hall. The name comes from former Oklahoma Governor William H. Murray, who was an advocate for segregation and promoted Jim Crow laws. OSU Alumni and speaker at The March for Black Lives, Tan-
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ner Luther, said he is glad the buildings are finally being renamed but feels it should have been done a long time ago. “It’s a shame that it took a civil rights movement, a change. org petition, and national media scrutiny on OSU because of [Mike] Gundy to spark change,” Luther said. “The Board of Regents and President Hargis shouldn’t be patting themselves on the back for this one. We need actual change in our day-to-
On June 24, OSU Athletics launched a diversity and inclusion council, which will be chaired by Dr. Jason F. Kirksey. Kirksey is OSU’s Vice President for Institutional Diversity and Chief Diversity Officer. Destinee Adams said she wants to see the same commitment to all students that the university has to its athletes. “[President Hargis] needs to address his regular students as he did his athletes,” Adams said. “We are all human and our value shouldn’t come from how much publicity we receive.” The organizers behind Okstate Stand United and The March for Black Lives advise those who want to get involved to sign petitions and to educate themselves whenever possible. “We need support from all across the university to communicate to the administration that this community cares to see black and minority students thrive and succeed,” Tolbert said. “And we will hopefully have more for you soon.”
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Column: Is 2020 Mike Gundy’s last stand? S u dee p Tum m a , Sports Editor, @as k tu m ma
When it was all said and done, the OAN T-shirt debacle appears to be behind us. With genuine efforts from both the players and the Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy, both parties appear to be better for it. With the investigation all wrapped up and the incident in the rearview mirror, an old question resurfaces — if Gundy can’t win in 2020 with this roster, when will he? Gundy has been teetering on the line of “good, not great” his entire career. While his unshaken consistency has been impressive, fans are growing frustrated. Is it a fair critique? To answer that, we have to take a step back. Plain and straight, Gundy took a program that struggled for a good chunk of time and made it into consistent force. A 129-63 (.668) record is impressive for almost anyone. But even more so when you consider Gundy has only coached one 5-star — and he didn’t even recruit that one. For OSU fans, it’s a real hometown story. Gundy played — and starred — under center for the Cowboys back TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2020
Mike Gundy faces a big test this year with high expectations and a controversial offseason.
in the 1980s. Then he came back in 2001 as the offensive coordinator before taking over as the head coach in 2005. After a 4-7 season his first year, he didn’t have another losing season. And the “I’m a man, I’m 40” rant had parents infatuated with a coach who would stand up for their kid. The perfect formula. I mean, how can you not fall in love with that? I’ll tell you how: winning trumps all. It’s true. In sports, winning is the ultimate trump card. If Gundy has one playoff appearance, this whole discussion goes away. The truth is, despite his immense success, Gundy has won only one
Big 12 championship and holds a 2-13 record against Oklahoma. While I personally don’t think those numbers define him — defeating a powerhouse such as Oklahoma is no easy task — it is a concern. But the ugly truth is, at the core of it all, winning is so important. But that level of winning is also an ever-changing carousel. That’s just how it works. There’s no “set” level of winning that ensures job security. Think about it. No matter what sport it is, a coach who takes over a historically bad team, has a few years to make them a playoff contender. And that’s
considered a huge success. But once they get to that playoff status, if they keep losing in the first round for four years straight, that’s not good enough. If they go deep in the playoffs several years straight, but can’t win a Super Bowl, that’s not good enough. For Oklahoma and Lincoln Riley, anything below a playoff berth is considered a failure. And the fact they can’t win a National Championship is a bit of a disappointment. Which is really of crazy when you think about it. It’s always relative, and Gundy’s relative scale has increased. Another 10-3 season
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just isn’t “good enough” anymore. And it’s fair. An undervalued defense with all but one of its starters returning, a quarterback expected to take a step forward and superstar weapons Tylan Wallace and Chuba Hubbard all returning, that should be the expectation. Fans want Gundy to “take that next step.” But that “next step” is often pointed to as something else. So many people try to cite Gundy’s recruiting prowess as the issue for his “lack of success,” but stars are so flawed in college football. It’s not to say the 4 and 5-stars aren’t up to par, but so many others aren’t correctly scouted.
Think about how many players there are across the nation, with six different classes of competition. It’s not easy to make accurate predictions. There’s a long list of 2-stars or lower that have turned into studs in the NFL — J.J. Watt, Von Miller, Tony Romo, Bobby Wagner, just to name a few. I’m not trying to debunk the college football rating system. My point is, these coaches are smarter than the star system, that’s why they’re paid millions of dollars. I mean, just look at Gundy’s talent and tell me the stars actually matter. They don’t. What does matter is what Gundy ends up with at the end of Saturday — a win or a loss. Like I said before, another 10-3 season isn’t enough. Gundy needs to push the needle and go further than that. Which likely entails a playoff berth. Whether it’s “right” or “wrong” to levy such high expectations, Gundy needs to take a leap forward simply because that’s the natural order of things in sports. It circles back to the relative scale of success. If you stand in one spot for too long, fans grow tired. It’s that simple.
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Horoscope
FOR RELEASE JULY 7, 2020
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
By Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency Todays Birthday (07/07/20). Deepen bonds with your partner this year. Coordinated collaboration triumphs. Stay flexible with community changes. You’re especially powerful this summer, before resolving a challenge with your partner. A peaceful winter phase lets you process changes, recharging your physical health and work. Come together around shared passion. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is a 7 — Take action for a cause or shared passion. Coordinate with your community to resolve unexpected surprises. Barriers seem smaller with team support. Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 7 — Accept a bonus. The outcome is even better than expected. Don’t react blindly. Disagree respectfully. Stick to facts and data. Your work is gaining recognition. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 7 — Confirm intuition with data. Don’t forget an important job. An exploration calls you into action. Arrange connections in advance. Weigh the risks and dangers. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is a 9 — Find a painless way to cut costs. Conserve energy and resources. Compromise to find equitable solutions with your partner. Join together for a glorious push. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is an 8 — Collaborate with your partner, despite challenges. Adapt to unexpected changes. Align on the best strategy. Share the load. Take action for love today. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is a 9 — Focus on physical work and performance. Distractions abound, and urgent tasks await. Push your boundaries, while respecting limitations. Put your back into it. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is an 8 — Little things express your love. Find creative ways to let someone know how you feel. Actions speak louder than words. Share your heart. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 7 — Domestic matters have your attention. Physical action gets satisfying results. Cooking, cleaning and renovation projects pay off. Nurture family. Work to fulfill a vision. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 7 — Get terms, agreements and ideas down in writing. You’re especially persuasive. Reevaluate what you’ve been learning. Survey your network. Pursue a fascinating inquiry. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is a 9 — Focus on generating funding. Take action to get results. Don’t worry about money or spend much. Avoid risky business. Keep the balls in play. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 9 — Take charge of your destiny. You’re ready to make improvements. Assertiveness gets results. Ask for what you want and put in the work to get it. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 6 — Review priorities. Adjust plans and budgets for changes in real time. Truth and beliefs or assumptions don’t match. Restore integrity everywhere it’s missing.
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Solution to Monday’s puzzle
Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk
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ACROSS 1 Baroque composer of many fugues 5 “__ did you say?” 9 Pageant adornment 13 Workout reminder 14 Team instructor 15 Stage in an insect’s life cycle 16 Stiletto __: shoe part 17 Waze suggestion 18 Chief Norse deity 19 Outdoor security illumination 22 Tennis toppers 24 Shucked shellfish 25 German cry 26 Tummy muscles 28 Election night graphic 29 Sloppy room metaphor 30 Teeth 34 Caesar’s last gasp 35 Gut punch reaction 36 __ na tigela: Brazilian berry dish in a bowl 40 First ten U.S. constitutional amendments 45 “Fill ’er up” fluid 48 Michelle Obama __ Robinson 49 Turn on the waterworks 50 Charged particle 51 Defeat cunningly 53 Flat renter 55 Where horse races begin ... and where the beginning of 19-, 30- and 40-Across might be seen 59 State with a greeting in its name 60 Apple pie-making tool 61 Hoops officials 64 Lady’s man 65 Egg producer 66 Bridal accessory 67 Approximately 68 Word after user or stage 69 Provocative, as humor
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By Evan Kalish
DOWN 1 Scroogean scoff 2 Versatile blackjack card 3 Culinary topper 4 Word of greeting 5 Stove fuel 6 In it for the long __ 7 Play opening 8 One blamed for losing a game 9 Unchangeable leopard markings, in Jeremiah 10 IRS-conducted ordeals 11 Small piano 12 Irritably needing food 14 Bing who teamed with Hope in “Road to ...” films 20 Like much lore 21 Pre-release buzz 22 Enjoy an e-cig 23 Very cool rapper? 27 Extremely muscular, in modern parlance 28 Annoys 31 Massage 32 Owl’s sound
Monday’s Puzzle Solved
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33 Mattress problem 37 Smoothie additive also used to sprout “hair” on terracotta “pets” 38 Lots and lots 39 “__ it obvious?” 41 Playing an extra NBA period 42 Dictionary 43 Traffic circle 44 “Su-u-ure”
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45 Split with the band, maybe 46 Novelist, e.g. 47 Alternative to a crowded elevator 52 Hobbit on a quest 54 Optic __ 56 Starburst? 57 Ma’s ma 58 Roberts’ “Pretty Woman” co-star 62 Newton fruit 63 Sneaky