Sooner Scandals has been a part of OU’s history for 75+ years. Why is it called Scandals? Well, I’m not entirely sure, but it’s worth a Google search if you’re feeling it. Scandals is another way that OU students can showcase their amazing talents through a mini-musical which includes singing and dancing. A great aspect of this event is that it occurs on Mom’s Weekend. What better way to spend Mom’s Weekend than quality time with mom while watching college kids sing and dance their hearts out? If you can answer that question I will personally buy you Starbucks.

Being a part of Scandals is a crazy and chaotic experience, but it’s also very rewarding. I have been a part of the cast for one of the acts in the past, but this year my role is more behind the scenes as I am serving on Sooner Scandals Exec for the 2016 show. Seeing how everything comes together from getting sponsorship (which is what I’m on) to getting the judge panel organized is like seeing how Swiss cheese gets the holes in it. Nobody really thinks about it how it happens, but we really like the end result. Being on exec has already made me appreciate all the hard work and dedication that goes into it all, even though we are only in the early stages.

Mom’s Weekend 2016 is in April and I hope you know what your plans are and I hope they include seeing one of the Sooner Scandals performances! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry at the heartfelt storylines, and you’ll definitely have the songs stuck in your head for at least a week or two. I hope this small glimpse into the world of Sooner Scandals has given you readers a taste of the awestricken wonder that is Scandals, and even better, I hope to see you at the show! Boomer Sooner!

Tyler Block

Human Relations / Senior

Shawnee, OK

I’ve had countless amazing experiences during my time at The University of Oklahoma. However, my one of my favorite experiences happened just this year. I didn’t see it coming. I’m a senior now—old, senile, irrelevant, etc. I thought all the best years at this school had passed for me, but I was so wrong. It all started when I saw a flyer for OU’s Comedy Fight Night. I had done a little bit of stand up, but never thought I was good enough to use it as a weapon and fight people with it. I’m more of a lover, not a fighter. I figured I might as well go for it. I have embarrassed myself many times at this school anyway. Once I got in a bike crash on the South Oval when I swerved to dodge an eerily large squirrel. I dumped an entire coffee on myself in the middle of the Union when I was trying to slide down a staircase railing while singing a Rihanna song. Oh yes, and let’s not forget the time I accidentally called the dean of my college “ma’am” then tipped my imaginary top hat in his direction to smooth things out. Needless to say, I had nothing to lose by auditioning for Comedy Fight Night. I made the show as one of only two females and was super excited (and very nauseous) about the opportunity to perform for my friends and classmates at the battle. CFN had an incredible turn out. People sat in the aisles and filled the entire balcony section of Meacham Auditorium and when I walked out on stage, I felt like a real cool gal. Friends yelled my name and strangers that have probably been in my Spanish class every semester cheered… for me. The next 6.5 minutes rocked my world. I had the time of my life performing my very own material. I was so pumped when I was awarded First Place. However, as an aspiring comedian, I was even more pumped when I won Crowd Favorite. There is no better feeling than when your audience actually laughs at your jokes and thinks your funny. Comedy is a difficult career path to follow, but with the support of my friends and a university that gives oddballs like me the opportunity to perform, it all seems possible! Boomer.

Ashley Leisten

Creative Media Production/Class of 2016

Keller, TX

Counting this summer I have two left. Two summers full of swimming, reading, sleeping in, traveling, staying up all night, and wasting away in the Oklahoma heat with friends. These days will soon come to a close and I will need to find a full time job or go to grad school, but for now I will celebrate the time I have for adventures. This summer my days will be spent in Norman, and I wouldn’t want to spend them anywhere else.  Norman has become my home away from home.

The chaos and stress of the semester has faded away and summer session has begun. Norman in the summer is slower paced, but it’s amazing how many people stay in Norman or the OKC metro area for the summer and how many things there are to do. During the busy semester there isn’t much time to go to the city to explore locally owned restaurants like the Mule and Pie Junkie in the Plaza District and Cuppies and Joe on 23rd, peruse the artwork at the Paseo Arts Festival, or stroll alongside the Bricktown Riverwalk. OKC has so many cool neighborhoods to discover and I’m looking forward to doing just that!

The atmosphere in Norman becomes more relaxed and there is always something to do with friends on or off campus. Free movies play in Meacham Auditorium every weekend and volleyball and basketball leagues are organized through Student Life. The Summer Session team has planned so many events this summer that bring together OU as a community and foster new friendships. The students and staff that are around in the summer are able to relax without the hustle and bustle of the school year. Between free snocones on Tuesdays, the upcoming crawfish boil, and comedian performance, this summer looks promising and I am so glad to be spending my summer as a Sooner.

Delaney Nash

Letters

Class of 2015

Edmond, OK

As I sit in Starbucks drinking my pumpkin spice latte and reading for my Women and Gender studies class, I think about how this is my last fall in Norman. It’s so crazy how fast time flies. Four years ago, I remember eagerly anticipating the homecoming game and parade, walking down the South Oval and admiring the beautiful mum gardens, and breathing in all the fall goodness.

There’s just something so magical about campus in the fall. Football season is in full swing and Sooner spirit can be felt everywhere. All the students have smiles on their faces, even though it’s the middle of midterm season and we are just a little sleep deprived. The weather is pleasantly cool, which is amazing to walk to class in. And with all the rain we have been receiving, I get to rock my stylish rain boots (best investment ever).

As I soak in my last fall on this campus, I think about all of the things that OU has given me that I am so thankful for. I have had the opportunity to receive a wonderful education from some of the top academic programs in the country. I have met so many people that I would have never come into contact with if it weren’t for OU. I have friendships that will last a lifetime although my college experience is about to end. I look back on the freshman Jade that was admiring the mums that only bloom around homecoming for the first time and senior Jade that is studying for one of her last college classes ever and think about how much I have grown.

I guess what I am trying to say with this is enjoy every aspect of OU that you can. Make the most out of every wonderful season you spend here in Norman. So that one day when you are drinking a pumpkin spice latte and reflecting back on your college experience, you can smile and remember the wonders of your first fall at the University of Oklahoma.

Jade Owen
Oklahoma City, OK
Multidisciplinary Studies
Psychology minor
Class of 2013

September at OU is a beautiful time of the year.  Everyone is all settled into classes and daily routines, the weather is beginning to cool down (no more 100 degree weeks!), and best of all…it’s football time in Oklahoma!  Football Saturdays are very special days in Norman.  Tailgating can begin at 10 a.m., even for evening games.  The floods of fans dressed in crimson and cream begin appearing on Campus Corner once traffic is blocked off from the area.  Students, locals, and out-of-town fans all mingle, chat, and contribute to the many cries of “Boomer Sooner!” around campus.  Once the game begins, you can hear the roar of the crowd from halfway across town.  Oklahoma football brings a further sense of unity to the campus and community, and even if you aren’t a regular attendee to the games or a sports fan at all, the feeling of togetherness is still a great experience.

Even on non-football days, the OU community is very tight-knit.  Despite the large number of students on campus, there is a very strong sense of community.  Students from all disciplines, backgrounds, and extracurricular activities join up and interact together on a daily basis.  Whether you’re eating lunch at the student union, hitting the books in the library, or just walking from class to class, chances are you’ll see somebody you know.  The small-campus feel that you experience while still receiving all of the benefits of a large research university is unbeatable.  OU is a great place to spend your college years and build some of the best connections and friendships of your life, because no matter where we came from, we all have one thing in common: we are all proud to be attending the University of Oklahoma, and even if it’s just for four years, lucky enough to call this beautiful place home.

Good luck with your search, best wishes, and BOOMER SOONER!

Lara McLellan
Clemson, South Carolina
Class of 2014
Environmental Sustainability and German Major

Chase your dreams; choose Crimson and Cream. Whether you know your life’s calling, or you’re still waiting for that phone call, at the University of Oklahoma opportunity knocks at every door.

Growing up, you and I were told to dream big and reach for the stars. Our parents, teachers, and friends encouraged us to chase our wildest dreams; to go out and find the passion that makes our hearts beat. They told us everyone has something they are called to do, something that they are great at that makes them different, unique, and special. But now as your senior year of high school comes to an end, and those stars you reached for come even closer, I’m sure you’re starting to wonder just what exactly your dreams are and what’s next. You may have an idea of what you want to major in and the kind of job you want after college or you may be like most of my friends and have absolutely no idea as to what type of cereal you want for breakfast tomorrow morning much less what you want to do for the rest of your life – either way, the University of Oklahoma is the place for you.

All the time people here at school or those from back home ask me, “What is the best part of OU?” My entire freshman year my answer would be, “Oh! It has to be how much fun the football games are!” or “It has to be having so much fun meeting so many new people!” or “It’s great to be away from home and able to do my own thing!” However, as true as those things are, as I head into my sophomore year I can sum up the greatest thing about OU in one word, and that is: Opportunity.

The University of Oklahoma has given me the opportunity to gain a world-class education in state-of-the-art facilities. The University of Oklahoma has given me the opportunity to make life long friendships with people from across the country and from around the world. More than anything, the University of Oklahoma has given me the opportunity to go out and make my dreams a reality. I walked onto campus as a freshman wanting to be active in business and politics some day but had no idea how to make that happen or what it even meant. Now today, just a kid from rural Oklahoma, I am an intern for a large corporation in downtown Oklahoma City as well as a part-time intern in a congressional office living and experiencing more than I had ever dreamed of. At the University of Oklahoma, if you can dream it, it can happen. Imagine your opportunities – the possibilities are endless. See you in the fall and best wishes.

Boomer Sooner,

Brent E. Bowles
University of Oklahoma, Class of 2015
Price College of Business
Entrepreneurship and Supply Chain Management

Seems like we all survived finals even though they seemed like they were going to kill us and with all the stress of finals also came the sadness that freshman year was almost over. Seeing everyone move out of the dorms was such a sad thing to experience. I think we all enjoyed our first year so much and are all sad it’s over. The day before my roommate and I moved out, we were packing up and kept repeating how we couldn’t believe we weren’t going to live in the dorm anymore and how close this year was from ending. We decided to come up with a few things that we either did or wish we did this past Freshman year.. So here they are a few FRESHMAN YEAR MUST DO’s…

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On Monday night at 8 p.m., OU students made their way to the Molly Shi Boren Ballroom in the Union, where history was soon to be made. Sooners Helping Sooners, a new student initiative raising money for OU students in financial crisis, planned a World Record Trust Fall Event. The goal was to set a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest simultaneous trust fall, which had to include at least 250 students (125 pairs). We danced, laughed, and hung out with our amazing Sooner family until we reached this goal. The excitement in the room was unbelievable as everyone trusted their partners and fell into their arms. Cameras flashed, and people cheered. We can all proudly say that we were a part of a record-breaking night.

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1. Fountain Hopping

• Although it would be interesting to just visit all of the campus fountains, by fountain hopping, I mean literally hopping INTO the fountain, and several of them! OU has fountains by the dorms, next to the Union, behind the admin building (one was even built especially as a drinking fountain for canine visitors), and even on top of buildings. Everyone should visit each fountain at least once while they’re at OU and learn about what makes each one unique. (Example? My friends and I learned that the Class of ’35 fountain is heated.)

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Your college years will be full of papers, tests, lectures, and late night study sessions. You will learn a lot in an academic sense, but it is also a time to network, grow, meet people, and have a ton of fun.  One of the best ways to accomplish these goals during your collegiate years is to get involved on campus–and the University of Oklahoma has plenty of ways for you to get involved! Read more