The Die-In
On Sept. 22, a group of OU students held a “die-in” to protest police violence, as well as to bring attention to the death of Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man shot by a white police officer in Tulsa Sept. 16. In the middle of the die-in, it was announced that first degree manslaughter charges were brought against the officer, Betty Shelby, whose next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 15.
Crutcher’s death had additional impact on OU due to his shared childhood with Jabar Shumate, the OU vice president for the university community.
The protest was organized by a new student activist group called The Revolutionary Baddies.
State Questions
On the Nov. 8 general election, Oklahomans decided on a lot more than just the next United States president. They voted on seven state questions, one of which was strongly supported by OU President David Boren.
State Question 779 would have increased the state’s sales tax by one penny on the dollar — the additional revenue then going toward public education funding. Boren oversaw the campaign in favor of the initiative, publicly speaking about it and even contributing with his own money toward the cause.
The proposal was defeated, as 59.4 percent of voters voted against it.
Oklahomans also voted in favor of guaranteeing the state's power to impose capital punishment, diminishing certain nonviolent drug and theft-related crimes from felonies to misdemeanors and allowing grocery and convenience stores to sell full-strength beer and wine.
Dakota Access Pipeline
On Dec. 4, protesters around the nation cheered together as a breaking news update was released regarding the highly debated Dakota Access Pipeline. The Army Corps of Engineers announced it would not grant an easement that would enable the pipeline to be routed underneath Lake Oahe — a source of water for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North Dakota.
The announcement came a few days after the Morton County Sheriff's Department in North Dakota said it planned to fine anyone who brought supplies to protesters on site.
To show solidarity with those in North Dakota fighting against the pipeline, several Oklahoma rallies took place last month, during which activists used phrases such as “respect our water” and “kill the pipeline.” OU students were among those present at the rallies.
In addition, the OU Undergraduate Student Congress passed a resolution Nov. 29 to show support for the efforts of the pipeline protesters, as well as to encourage more students to speak out against the pipeline’s construction.
Donald Trump elected president
After almost every poll said Hillary Clinton would win the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump shocked the world.
Trump, a billionaire business mogul, ended up receiving more than 300 electoral votes after running a divisive and tumultuous campaign. During his campaign, he admitted to dodging income taxes, was accused of sexual assault, was shown on video bragging about sexual assault, threatened to put Clinton in jail and mocked a disabled journalist. He has insulted 289 people, places and things on Twitter since declaring his candidacy in June 2015, according to The New York Times.
After his election, OU students and faculty marched on the South Oval to unify and support one another. The College of International Studies released a statement to its international students, assuring them of their importance to the community and offering to listen to anyone who had concerns about a Trump presidency. And to top it off, Trump was named TIME Magazine's person of the year for 2016.
His proposed cabinet is full of CEOs. Rex Tillerson, the CEO of ExxonMobil, is reportedly his choice for Secretary of State. Andrew F. Puzder, the CEO of CKE Restaurants, is his choice for Labor Secretary. Linda McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, is his choice to run the small business administration. And Steven Munchin, a former Goldman Sachs executive, is his pick for treasury secretary.
Additionally, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt is Trump's choice to run the Environmental Protection Agency.
Trump will be inaugurated Jan. 20, 2017 as the 45th U.S. President.
Brother Jim
Many OU students often ignore preachers who come to campus and shout on the South Oval. That was not the case Nov. 16.
Two preachers, one of whom goes by Brother Jim, invaded campus, spewing anti-Black Lives Matter, anti-Muslim and sexist rhetoric. Hundreds of students confronted Brother Jim for more than two hours. Boren even showed up at one point during Brother Jim's time on campus to tell him: "You have no place to be here."
Eventually, Brother Jim and the other man with him left at their own discretion in an OU Police Department vehicle.
Mixon video ordered to be released
On Dec. 6, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that the video of Joe Mixon punching a female student inside of a Campus Corner restaurant must be released to the public.
Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman said in February that the video was not a public record.
However, the ruling that the video must be public is not final until a mandate is issued, which cannot happen until the period that the city of Norman can appeal the supreme court's ruling passes. After the mandate is issued, Balkman would have the jurisdiction to order the video's release, his office told The Daily Dec. 6.
Boren suspends student after racist texts
On Nov. 11, Boren suspended an OU student, who is no longer enrolled at the university, after an investigation determined that he was involved in racist GroupMe messages to black freshmen at the University of Pennsylvania.
The messages were rife with racial slurs and graphic images, and also originated in Oklahoma, but not at the university. The suspended student has not been identified and it is unclear if he was expelled or if he withdrew himself from OU.
Boren's sexual assault comments
On Oct. 3, The Daily published an article about a campus sexual assault report published in April that was distributed to administrators across campus, but received little recognition.
In the article, Boren claimed to not have received the report. He also said he was unsurprised about the findings of the research and that the problem of campus sexual assault cannot be eradicated any more than "human nature."
The comments sparked outrage on campus, prompting Boren to tweet a response to the article the same day it was published. On Oct. 11, students also gathered at the Unity Garden to march to Evans Hall in protest of his comments, claiming they perpetuated victim-blaming of those who experience sexual assault. The students presented a list of demands, demanding Boren follow them or resign. Among the demands were a "sincere and public" apology for his comments. Boren was not on campus the day of the march, but met with the students the next day.
In the meeting, which lasted more than two hours, Boren promised to continue working with resources like the Title IX office to further their programs. Boren also said after the meeting that he would not apologize for his comments, claiming they were misinterpreted by readers.
#yOUrbad
On Sept. 5, shortly after OU received an award for diversity and inclusion Sept. 1, management information systems senior Emily Pham created a Twitter account and hashtag #yOUrbad, challenging the award and expressing frustrations with the delay of a bias reporting system promised in March.
Pham used the hashtag to allow students to anonymously tell stories of bias they have experienced on campus.
Four days after the account was created, the reporting hotline was rolled out.
Dead week reform
On Oct. 10, a proposal to reduce student workloads during dead week passed in the Faculty Senate 19-6.
The proposal, which has failed many times in the past, made it so there cannot be exams during dead week. Additionally, quizzes worth no more than 3 percent or assignments worth no more than 10 percent of a student's total class grade may be assigned during that time.
Lab classes, classes that meet one night per week, classes with no university-scheduled final exam date and graduate classes are not covered by the policy.
The changes will go into effect in the spring 2017 semester.
