THE CAMPUS
April 28, 2021 – Volume 114 Issue 10
Year in Review: We made it! ‘Believe in the sun, when the sun do not shine’
PAGES 2-3 Photo Essay
Mackenzie Shaw Student Publications
A picture’s worth a thousand words! Check out a photo essay
OCU dedicates art in honor of Clara Luper
reviewing the school year.
PAGE 4 Life
Destyni Lietzke
STAFF WRITER
Stephen Jackson Student Publications
An art alumnus has completed a canvas painting of civil rights activist Clara Luper. Leondre Lattimore, art alumnus, painted a portrait canvas in honor of Clara Luper, which will be displayed in a multicultural room on campus. Clara Luper was a civil rights activist, teacher and active community member in the Oklahoma City area. At a local convenience store, Luper
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Students and alums reflect on crazy memories from their time at OCU.
PAGE 5 News
Leondre Lattimore, art alumnus (left) , and Marilyn Hildreth, Clara Luper’s daughter (right), pose with Lattimore’s portrait of Clara Luper.
conducted and hosted one of the first sit-in protests of the 1960s. Luper and her students walked into Katz drugstore and ordered Coca Cola, making a statement against segregation by sitting down together and remaining silent. Later in life, Luper hosted her own radio show, where she discussed and talked about her fight for civil
rights and her love for the Oklahoma City area, including Oklahoma City University. Clara Luper died June 8, 2011. Because of Luper’s deep love for Oklahoma City and OCU, Oklahoma City University decided to name a scholarship in her honor. This scholarship is awarded to individuals who display strong ethics and leadership in
OCU hosts retiree recognition event Des Barrett
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Stephen Jackson Student Publications
Faculty and students list the defining moments of the 2020-21 academic year.
PAGE 6 Opinion
The editors thank the campus community for keeping each other safe this year.
PAGE 7 Arts & Entertainment
Mackenzie Shaw Student Publications
The School of Music hopes to reduce COVID-19 restrictions next Fall.
PAGE 8 Sports
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Sports to wrap up their season with a large number of awards, despite seasonal setbacks.
M MEDIAOCU.com
Thirteen staff and faculty members are retiring from OCU this year. Human Resources is hosting the 2021 Starskys in order to honor and recognize staff and faculty contributions to OCU before they retire and leave the campus community. The event will take place in-person with an audience of up to 50 registered participants and virtually for those who do not attend. The university will be recognizing retirees and faculty and staff members who have worked at OCU for landmark terms. Dr. George Sims, interim provost, will be leaving OCU at the end of this year. He said he felt the program review work he has implemented in his position is important. Sims said he has gotten to know a few of the retirees during his time at OCU. “These are folks who have given their best effort over 20, 25, 30 years to building up OCU. But mostly, they’ve invested their best professional effort in probably three generations of students,” Sims said. Sims said the value these individuals have contributed to the campus community cannot be counted. Meghan Settle, design and production senior, said she took many classes with Judith Palladino, who is retiring after 29 years. Settle said Palladino taught children’s theatre and creative arts courses, and she was Settle’s favorite professor at OCU.
“She’s really kind. She’s also super supportive, and she makes you think about things a different way. So, when you present work to her in class, she’ll build you up and give you good feedback, but she’ll also be like, ‘OK, what if you did it this way,’” Settle said. “Like when we presented creative drama activities, she always loved to be the devil’s advocate.” Settle said Palladino told her students many entertaining stories and was very attentive to her individual students in her smaller classes. Settle said she got to work with Palladino when she designed the lighting for Palladino’s production of “On to Victory.” Mahmood Shandiz, professor of management science, has been at the university for 35 years. He said he was first introduced
to OCU when he arrived to America from Tehran, Iran, in 1978 as an international student. He was studying for a Ph.D. at Oklahoma State University but arrived late and got housing near OCU. He said he used the Dulaney-Browne Library for his fall semester. “Because of my background in statistics and researching social science and sociology, I was actually hired as a researcher, and after a year or two, in 1987 (when I came here I believe it was June of 1986), so in 1987 they asked me to teach full-time in the business school, and the story goes on,” Shandiz said. He said after his time as associate dean of the School of Business, he became vice president for international admissions, and then became a faculty member again in 2015. He said he might continue teaching if
the members of Meinders want him to, but he plans to travel, move to California due to its friendlier weather and larger Iranian population and read many books. He said he is retiring because he wants to create space for newcomers and new ideas in the School of Business, and because of his age. “I think that 35 years is enough, is enough,” he said. “You can’t work forever.” He said he is happy for the work he was able to do, working with the other faculty members of the School of Business and analyzing data for them because it created a feeling of comradery and congeniality, and he could keep himself academically qualified. To read the whole story, visit MediaOCU.com.
the academic world, as well as in the local community. In remembrance of Clara Luper and her life, Oklahoma City University sponsored the creation of an art piece of Luper. Luper continued on 5
Who is Dr. Evans?
Sou�ce: okcu.edu
President addresses students’ concerns Paul Dower
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Several campus community members have expressed their thoughts and concerns about Dr. Kenneth Evans’s nomination as president-elect of OCU. Last month, Student Publications conducted a survey of the campus community asking community members about their thoughts on Evans being selected as the new university president. According to the survey, 38 out of 54 campus community members did not approve of the presidential search committee’s choice. When asked to explain, several community members shared their worries about Evans’s potential ties to the oil and gas industry and an investigation into his administration at his previous university. Several students have expressed their desire to make OCU a much greener campus. During each of the student-accessible presidential candidate forums, at least one student asked the candidates about shifting OCU to renewable energies and creating an Office of Sustainability to help oversee these changes. Evans continued on 5
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Student Publications
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Read about OCU’s new partnership with Diversity Family Health Clinic to provide free HIV screenings to students. Read about the recent theft of a part from a student’s car. Student Publications is hiring staff writers! Contact Philip Todd, Student Publications/ Media OCU advisor, at patodd@okcu.edu for more information.
year in review
Chick-fil-A and Alvin’s prepared for a new school year by placing spots on the ground to mark social distancing places for customers waiting in line. In addition to the spots, Chick-fil-A would also add roped pylons to mark where each line began. Josh Eliot | Student Publications
In January, the OCU eSports team unveiled a mural in the eSports arena in the Sarkeys Science and Math Center. The arena features a mural painted by Color Cartel Graffiti Murals. The eSports arena was under construction at presstime. Jessica Casebeer | Student Publications
In September, OCU hosted a Scholar Strike organized by the American Association of University Professors to protest the mistreatment and murder of Black people by police across America. Students and faculty took to the Quad and wrote the names of victims of police brutality in chalk so they could be remembered.
Throughout both semesters, the Schools of Theatre and Music performed their shows masked and socially distant for virtual audiences. Below: Jack Supan (music theater junior) proudly raises his sword Excalibur as “King Arthur,” to begin his quest during the School of Music’s dress rehearsal of “Spamalot” on Oct. 8.
In November, the United States experienced a historic presidential election. Many students returned to their home states to vote, and those who could not filled out absentee ballots. The university provided a notary outside the Caf in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center for those who chose to vote by mail.
Jessica Casebeer | Student Publications
Mackenzie Shaw | Student Publications
Jessica Casebeer | Student Publications
February saw the second ice storm of the academic year ravage campus. The storm caused residents of Methodist Hall to evacuate as the fourth floor experienced severe flooding. Affected students were forced to find a different place to stay while their rooms were repaired. Mackenzie Shaw | Student Publications
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As the COVID-19 vaccine became more widely available, OCU hosted their first set of vaccination clinics in March, allowing students an opportunity to receive both doses of a vaccine. Above: Cadence Cloud (acting senior) receives a Band-aid after getting her first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on March 19 in the Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center.
As the semester came to a close, Student Government Association re-inaugurated President Reid Powell (political science junior) after he had served as vice president under Abby Banks (political science/philosophy/economics senior) and took over as president when she resigned in early November. Stephen Jackson | Student Publications
Jessica Casebeer | Student Publications
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lifestyles OCU students and alums reflect on last four years Jessica Vanek
LIFESTYLES EDITOR
From midnight breakfast, to ice storms, to stolen property, OCU students have accrued a wide variety of memories from their time in college. Jay Williams, religion alumnus, said he misses midnight breakfast, an event in the Caf in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center during finals week where students could eat breakfast food late at night and participate in raffles for prizes. Williams said the event was a nice way to de-stress. “Midnight breakfast was always a fun thing to do during finals week, kind of stress-eat all of our academic pains away. Just being in a community with my friends and having a distraction from the realities of the world around us,” Williams said. “Can we please relive those days?” Daniel Paugh, mass communication alumnus, is more commonly known as ‘Banjo Man.’ Paugh said he spent sunny days out on the quad playing music for students during his senior year. “I guess it sprung up. I just enjoyed going out on the quad on nice days when the sun was out and picking the banjo,” Paugh said. Paugh said he appreciated the support of his fellow students. “My friends would send me screenshots of people talking about banjo man, and that really made me stoked because I didn’t know if it was annoying,” he said. “Keep being positive and supportive and encouraging people because I knew I really appreciated it.” Matt Tuley, acting alumnus, spent his four years at OCU playing guitar and entertaining students in various elevators. “It started my freshman year when I was in Walker Hall. I was just playing some Christmas songs in my room, and my suitemate comes in and says ‘Matt, you should go play in the elevator because you could get a lot of ladies,” and I thought, ‘you know, that’s a great idea, Greg,’” Tuley said. Tuley said he began playing Christmas songs in the Walker Hall elevator and continued to play Christmas songs in the Methodist Hall elevators until he graduated. Tuley also said he was asked to return to Walker Hall one year to play at freshman orientation. “They paid me with a Blu-ray Disc player,” he said. “I felt bad because I already had something that would do that, so I just traded it in at Sam’s club for like $70, and it was great.” Tuley said he and Paugh once discussed doing a collaboration. “Nothing ever came of it, which is on me,” Tuley said. “It happens, no hard feelings.” Dustin Dale Barlow, acting alumnus, was once kicked out of the Caf for allegedly not wearing shoes. “First of all, I just think it’s funny, ‘the barefoot thing,’ because I don’t really know who all participated, and I also didn’t know it was an event,” Barlow said. “I think people misconstrued the reason I did what I did.” Barlow said the practice, known as earthing, is a common way to ground oneself to promote mental health. Barlow said he was struggling with his mental health and took a week off of school. “That week sparked a lot of revelations, and it was a genuine altering time of my life,” he said. “College is overwhelming and overstimulating, and I struggled with centering myself.” Barlow said during his junior year, he realized that con-
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necting to the ground was helping him mentally. “There are so many nerve endings in your feet. It was a conscious mental health decision. I didn’t think it deserved an explanation,” he said. Barlow said one day, there was a debacle. “I wore my sandals to the cafeteria and wore my shoes, and then when I sat down to eat, I took my sandals off and put my feet on top of my sandals,” he said. “I understand how people can think that’s gross, but I just perceived it as people were just too worried about what I was doing and not themselves.” Barlow was asked to leave the Caf after finishing his meal. Barlow said what amazed him was how quickly word spread. “What blew my mind was when I got kicked out of the Caf, I walked to rehearsal, and immediately someone in the costume shop was like, ‘I heard you got kicked out of the Caf,’” he said. “I was just like, ‘why did that travel so quickly?’” Barlow said the intention behind his choice was never acknowledged. “All of these other students started doing it too. They might have different approaches to why they were doing it, but that’s why I did it,” he said. “I noticed it was a mental health decision that was good for me, but then it ended up being in the school newspaper, but it wasn’t anything about why I made the decision; it was just about me getting kicked out of the Caf.” In 2019, O(k)CU created four signs with the four letters of the new school acronym. The signs were on display; however, one day the sign with the letter “K” on it disappeared. Trae Trousdale, mass communications/political science senior, said he remembers the stolen “K” incident. “All of the students getting a laugh from the ‘K’ being stolen, but I also distinctly remember Levi and Dr. Ayres being concerned and so offended that we would dare get rid of such a hideous addition to the beautiful OCU acronym that we know today,” Trousdale said. “I remember Levi sending out an email saying they would review the cameras, and then I think it magically reappeared.” Trousdale said he tried to be one of the first adopters of the new acronym. “I have since rectified that foible in my character,” he said. “I just want the perpetrator to know that I think it is only because of them that we are the OCU that we are today. I
thank them.” In the 2020-21 school year, OCU students dealt with multiple weather catastrophes. Meghan Settle, design and production senior, said she lost power in Cokesbury Court Apartments during the spontaneous ice storm which closed campus Oct. 26-30. “My power went out while I was in class on Zoom, so I got kicked out, which is fine. But I work in the mailroom, so I still had to go to work the next day and see if the power was out in the university center.” Settle said the mailroom is always open. “The next day we had to have a delivery made to the mailroom. So even though we had no power in the mailroom, I had to go let them in,” she said. After the ice storm, Oklahoma City was hit by a record-breaking blizzard Feb. 15-18, which caused multiple housing emergencies. Addison Saviers, religion senior, lives on the fourth floor of Methodist Hall and was trying to sleep Feb. 15 when the building had a pipe burst. “I was about to go to bed, and I was so close to falling asleep, so close that I could almost see myself dreaming. All of a sudden, the fire alarm went off, but that was not necessarily worrisome,” Saviers said. Because of the cold, the fire alarms had been going off every day and would turn off after a few minutes, Saviers said. This time, however, the alarm didn’t turn off. “We started to gather outside of our rooms, trying to figure out what to do, but then out of the corner of my eyeball I happened to walk past the fourth-floor breezeway and saw water gushing down from the ceiling,” she said. “I said ‘oh, I bet that’s the reason the alarm is going off.’ We alerted the authorities and the powers that be, aka: facilities. They had us evacuate.” Saviers said her room was unaffected by the water, so she was able to go back to bed after returning to the building. Sarah Filek, acting freshman, was affected by the Walker Hall evacuation one day later. “The night before, Methodist had flooded. I had a friend staying in my room with her cat. I was taking a nap, and then the fire alarms went off,” Filek said. “Normally we ignore the fire alarms because they always go off and there’s never a fire.” Filek said the RA’s told everyone to evacuate. “We thought, ‘OK, maybe this is something that is actually serious,’” she said. “We all evacuated, and I went to my friend’s place in Banning until our RA texted and told us it wasn’t a fire or a gas leak, but that they were working on something and the exhaust just filled the entire building, so we were OK to come back.” Filek said she was unsure if she wanted to go back to Walker Hall due to the heater being broken. “I ended up going to Methodist and staying on the fourth floor right across from where the ceiling collapsed,” she said. “Also, later that day Walker Hall’s basement flooded, so that was cool.” Filek said this year will always be remembered. “I think this will forever go down in history as the most confusing moment of my freshman year,” she said. “At that point I was like, ‘yeah, this is normal.’”
Opinion: Ms. Marty Pants Students express high hopes says farewell to adoring fans for upcoming academic year Francesca Iacovacci
NEWS EDITOR
Hello everyone! I, Ms. Marty Pants, am graduating this May, which means the time has come for my last great advice column (I don’t know who keeps calling it ‘bad’?!) here at OCU. I’d like to thank all my fans from the bottom of my heart for reading and laughing with me throughout the years, as well as for sending in fun questions to answer! So, without further ado… here we go!
make it stop? Sincerely, I Don’t Know How To Mute Emails” Dear I Don’t Know How To Mute Emails, I was also receiving those emails, but honestly, I was just happy to be included. It’s nice to be part of something :) “Dear Ms. Marty Pants, What do I do if I can’t find a job after graduation?
“Dear Ms. Marty Pants,
Sincerely, Liberal Arts Student”
The entire senior class is getting a hundred ‘reply all’ emails on a graduation email chain. How do I
Dear Liberal Arts Student, Just go to grad school; there’s no problem a hun-
dred thousand dollars of debt won’t fix! “Dear Ms. Marty Pants, We’ll miss you so much! What’s next for you? Sincerely, Your Number One Fan” Dear Number One Fan, That’s so sweet! I will be moving to New York City and seeing where that takes me! I will always remember my time at OCU with fond memories, but for now, it’s time to move on to bigger britches. Sincerely, Ms. Marty Pants.
Destyni Lietzke
STAFF WRITER
Students are reflecting on the past year of COVID-19 guidelines and hoping for a COVID-less future. The past year and a half at Oklahoma City University were filled with COVID19 surveillance testing, social distancing, Zoom classes and the pressure to keep up academically without any breaks. Due to monthly surveillance testing, access to vaccines and social distancing, COVID-19 cases have decreased drastically on campus this semester, reaching 0 active cases on campus multiple times. Some students are hopeful this trend will mean a future semester without, or with minimal, COVID-19 guidelines. Cassidy Fetters, education freshman, said despite not getting a normal freshman experience, she’s been able to maintain friendships. “This school year is definitely not what I expected. It’s definitely not your typical
freshman year. However, I’ve gotten the opportunity to make connections through my sorority and Miracle Marathon,” Fetters said. Fetters said the experience has been difficult socially, but she said she hopes next year will be better. “It’s been hard, not being able to see people without masks or to be able to hug my sweet friends of mine, but I do look forward to next year. I think my social life will be way better with the lifted COVID restrictions,” Fetters said. Amanda Boozer, music sophomore, said the most surprising thing about this school year has been how everyone on campus has come together to support the rules and each other. “Seeing the way people have come together to follow COVID guidelines and social distance has been wonderful and so inspiring to see,” Boozer said. To read the full story, visit MediaOCU.com.
Legends never die Left: Daniel Paugh, mass communication alumnus, strums his banjo and sings folk songs on the quad. Paugh is commonly known as “Banjo Man” because he would sit outside on sunny days and play the banjo. Delaney Ayers, acting senior, later joined Paugh playing the spoons. Right: Students gather for midnight breakfast in 2015. Midnight breakfast took place in the Caf in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center during finals week. Students could get breakfast food late at night, meet with friends and enter a raffle for prizes. Mackenzie Shaw Student Publications
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Ali Wonderly Student Publications
April 28, 2021
news
Staff, students reflect on unprecedented academic year, community resilience Francesca Iacovacci
NEWS EDITOR
Luper Continued from 1 Leondre Lattimore, art alumnus, graduated in 2020. As an arts major and former Clara Luper Scholar, he was chosen to paint the mural. “This portrait is to simply just honor her legacy. Obviously, we have the Clara Luper Scholarship, and Clara Luper is just someone who is very dear to me and dear to my family as well,” Lattimore said. “I just wanted to make sure she was shown in a way that showed a lot of strength and courage.” Lattimore chose to use oil paints to create the portrait of Luper. Lattimore said he chose to use colors and tones to portray Luper in a warm way. “The style I chose is definitely more contemporary. The color palette I used mainly consists of colors that show more of a warm feeling. I wanted it to translate peace, harmony,” Lattimore said. Lattimore said he wants people to feel comfort the same way Luper brought and gave comfort to others. Lattimore said he wanted to instill the portrait with the importance of her legacy because he felt Luper was very much a giant motherly figure for many people in her community. “I want people to visualize her as a mother of the community,” he said. “She cared very deeply for the people she took care of and the people she educated. I want people to see that when they look at the painting.” Lily Tucker, film freshman, said she believes this portrait will be a
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great addition to the school. “I think it’s a really amazing idea because she was so dedicated to civil rights and equality. To see Oklahoma City University recognizing that and acknowledging her accomplishments, I think it’ll be an amazing addition and reminder,” Tucker said. The dedication and unveiling of the portrait were at 6 p.m. April 22 in the atrium of the Wanda L. Bass Music Center. The dedication was led by Dr. Talia Carroll, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion. Several campus community members spoke at the event, including Patricia Ashford, former SGA secretary of diversity and inclusion, Destini Carrington, OCU alumna, Lattimore and Marilyn Hildreth, Clara Luper’s daughter. During the dedication, Hildreth said she is grateful for the dedication and that the youth will bring a better day for BIPOC in America. “I’m here today because a better day coming in America. A better day is coming because of you, the young people that are coming behind us. We tried the best that we could. We passed the torch to another generation, and you represent that generation,” Hildreth said. “And another thing that she taught, to believe in the sun when the sun do not shine, and to believe in the rain, when the rain do not fall, and believe in a God, if you’ve never seen him.”
Evans Continued from 1 Evans said during the forum that he would be willing to look into these issues. “I don’t know all the pieces that are going to take to be able to do that here, to be honest with you, but I am very much in favor of that. I’d have to see a plan, and I would have to see it play out, but that would be a very positive and exciting objective,” he said. However, students question if Evans will truly commit to the change because of his ties to the oil and gas industry. Some students cite his position on the board of the Texas Energy Museum and his creation of oil and gas student employment programs at some of his previous universities as indications of Evans’s connections to oil and gas. Students in the surveysaid they fear these ties may create a conflict of interest for the new president, especially in Oklahoma, where the state’s economy is mainly run on oil and gas. Maya Ferrer, acting senior, said she felt as though Dr. Evans did not answer her questions honestly. “Our generation is being left to deal with the effects of climate change that have been created and passed down to us by previous generations. And so, as 20-somethingyear-olds or under, it’s our responsibility to make sure that we’re holding those in power accountable for the climate crisis and that we are doing what we can to mitigate the climate crisis,” Ferrer said. These concerns about conflict of interest are not without precedent. There have been several instances in education in Oklahoma where professors’ research has been censored. Dr. Mark Davies, Wimberly professor of religion, said when he was the dean of Petree College of Arts and Sciences, he was told by a previous OCU president, who was at the time a paid executive for Devon Energy, to speak with a student who had given a talk at a protest outside the Devon Energy Center. According to Davies, the president told him to warn the student about hanging pro-environmentalism posters around campus, but the student April 28, 2021
Officials and students have reflected on what they considered to be defining moments of the 2020-21 school year. Dr. Levi Harrel, dean of students and member of the Emergency Operations Center, said there were many changes that set this year apart from others. “We have so many wonderful and memorable things that have happened this year, whether that be ushering in a new first year class in COVID mitigation and welcoming them into the college environment, or the use of surveillance testing,” he said. “We’ve ended our semester at Thanksgiving break, something different we needed to adjust to.” Harrel said other notable moments were the ice storm in October and the snowstorm in February, but he said most importantly, he has seen campus come back to life during spring semester. He said the Drag Queen Bingo March 17 was a good example of campus life returning. “We came back at a heightened alert level, but at that point, something seemed to shift in our community, and there was the desire to do more, to be more engaged, to play within the boundaries of the policies, practices and procedures we have on campus, but to bring campus life back,” he said. “We saw that with Student Affairs bringing Alyssa Edwards to campus with more than 140 people participating both virtually and in person. We have seen campus come back to life with what will be 10 vaccination clinics on campus this year. Harrel said being able to experience the resilience of campus has given him hope. “The biggest takeaway that I have from this year is that resilience is possible even when you think it is not,” he said. “We navigated this year, came into the unknown together as a campus community, and we figured it out a little bit as we went. We learned what we were doing right, what we were doing wrong, and adapted, and campus life is coming back to life and beginning to thrive again.” Joey Croslin, vice president for human resources and member of the EOC, said a defining moment for the campus was seeing the transmission of COVID19 cases slow down after a high number of cases in October and November. She said she was thankful the EOC planned for a condensed semester which ended after Thanksgiving due to the elevated number of cases at the time. “It takes all of us to do our part to keep each other safe, and our campus community really demonstrated how much we respect each other and care about
in question was not responsible. “And then he tells me, and this is the exact quote: ‘if you ever go down and protest at Devon Tower, you will no longer be dean. You will just be a tenured professor,’” Davies said. Evans said he has no ties to the oil and gas industry. He said his position on the board of the Texas Energy Museum is just to help market the museum’s fundraising events. As for creating employment programs at previous universities, he said the goal was to help bolster students’ career efforts. “I have no official ties to the oil and gas industry, so whatever the perception is, is ill-founded. I produced students at both Oklahoma and here that were placed in the oil and gas industry because there was a demand for them and the universities had a capability to produce them,” Evans said. “At the end of the day, I am about making sure that we have the best possible placement of our students.” Several community members also expressed their concerns about an investigation done by the faculty senate of Lamar University into Evans’s administration. In early 2019, a faculty member accused Evans of not disclosing LU’s budget, creating expensive programs without much student interest, changing students’ grades without permission from the professors and not giving professors a proper channel to air their grievances. According to Dr. Brenda Nichols, vice president and provost, the professor making the allegation against Evans and the university administration presented the claims without any evidence of misconduct. The faculty senate at the time did not have a process set up to deal with these types of claims, so when they were brought to the attention of the faculty senate, they decided to launch the six-month investigation, during which Evans and Nichols provided all relevant information to the senate. Nichols said the investigation did not find any evidence supporting the accusations. “Anybody can make any accusation about anybody, and they can get some voice out there somewhere that will give it a conduit for publication. I was a victim of that, OK, but the truth of the matter is, if you actually look at the outcome of it, there was none,” Evans said.
each other and did our best to keep each other safe during that time,” she said. Croslin said another defining moment was when COVID-19 vaccines became available to campus. “When the vaccines became accessible to us, I think the community coming together and the wonderful folks at the clinic really taking the lead and making sure the OCU community had access to vaccines for those who wanted it, and all the volunteers that have come out to help support the clinic week in and week out, has been another testament to the spirit of our campus community,” she said. Croslin said it was incredible to see the health and safety protocols working across campus in light of many unknowns. “My takeaway is that you cannot underestimate the resiliency, the creativity and the commitment of our faculty, staff and students who accomplished a huge mission. You can’t underestimate it,” she said. Croslin said she enjoyed working with other faculty and staff on the EOC. “That was a really rewarding experience, to get to work with and know people from other areas across campus you wouldn’t have otherwise worked with,” she said. Kendal Willis, religious education senior, said one of her most notable moments was the return of Religious Life events. “I think one of the most notable moments of the semester was getting back to in-person chapel. Even though it looks different, it was nice to be back and get a feel of normalcy,” she said. Willis said her takeaway this year is realizing the campus community works together, and though things may be different, they’re able to adapt. “I feel OCU has done the best it can in the middle of a global pandemic, and I am thankful for how they have been creative in thinking of ways to keep the student body safe,” she said. “Honestly, we all should be proud.” Harrel said the EOC is actively discussing next year and what that will look like, what alert levels the University might be in, and possible adjustments to campus policies, practices and procedures. “While we haven’t announced anything, and we haven’t decided that. Some of that is because it’s in flux. We’re assuming what August is going to look like in April, but we are very hopeful in that planning that campus life will be much more normal than it has been this year,” he said.
Student affairs hosts second digital Campus Leadership Awards ceremony Ava Karas
STAFF WRITER
Student affairs recently announced the Campus Leadership Awards for 2021, honoring outstanding students and organizations. The event, which usually occurs in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center, took place April 14 over Zoom. Several campus leaders, including President Martha Burger, were present to distribute the awards and congratulate the recipients. Levi Harrel, dean of students, assisted with the application process and the ceremony. “This marks the fifth year of the Campus Leadership Awards,” Harrel said. “We want to keep this tradition alive to honor organizations and students that go above and beyond what is expected of them.” The Campus Leadership Awards honored a multitude of people and organizations for commitment to community service, academic achievement, philanthropy, and diversity and inclusion. Harrel said despite the many different types of awards, all recipients display similar qualities. “One thing that all organizations and students have in common is their investment in innovation, dedication to campus life and commitment to personal and holistic growth,” Harrel said. “They are all exam-
ples of leading in service of others.” Students and organizations can apply for the Campus Leadership Awards in late January and early Febr uar y. Applications include essay questions, letters of recommendation and other materials, which are reviewed by a committee appointed by Student Affairs. Harrel said a committee is delegated with the task of choosing the winners of the Campus Leadership Awards. “There are rubrics based on all of the various awards and application components,” Harrel said. “Students are scored quantitatively by the committee, who then determine the recipients.” Bobby “Trae” Trousdale, mass communications/ political science senior, was awarded Outstanding Senior alongside Taylor Downey, youth ministry senior. This award was Trousdale’s fourth time winning outstanding student. Reid Powell, political science junior, and Andie Sheppard-McDermott, psychology junior, were selected as Outstanding Juniors. Estella Seagraves, cell and molecular biology sophomore, and Brittany Wyatt, political science/philosophy/economics sophomore, were selected as Outstanding Sophomores. Ashley Nguyen, cell and molecular biology freshman, and Nicholas Sayegh, mar-
keting finance freshman, were selected as Outstanding First-Year Students. “It has always been an honor to participate in the Campus Leadership Awards,” Trousdale said. “The fellow nominees are typically my friends and colleagues and knowing that your work is getting recognized along with theirs is extremely rewarding.” Trousdale has participated in and held leadership positions in several organizations across campus, including the Student Activities Committee, Student Government Association, Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, the Student Philanthropy Committee and the Native American Society. Trousdale said he has always tried to make positive change everywhere he goes. “My motto in life has always been to leave things better than you have found them,” he said. Trousdale said being a college student can be difficult. “Use your resources and create your own personal board of trustees consisting of mentors, friends and professors who can help you with your career path and your personal needs,” he said. To see the full list of Campus Leadership Awards recipients, readers can visit the OCU website.
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opinion To surviving a year without precedent This year has been unprecedented. Not only have we survived a year-anda-half of college during a pandemic, but we have also experienced a tumultuous political season, two condensed semesters with no scheduled breaks, and a series of weather events that have caused housing and internet problems for many. For all of this, we wanted to thank the members of the community who made surviving this possible. Staff members at OCU have worked tirelessly in administration to plan safe semesters and maintain a healthy environment so we could finish this year in person. Members of the cleaning staff have gone above and beyond to sanitize the common spaces of our campus, making sure they are safe to use for whomever occupies them. The faculty, like the students, have had to deal with working remotely, tightened course schedules, and the crush of working for 14 weeks without a break. They helped clean their classrooms, transferred quizzes and assignments to online and assisted students with the many issues arising from
Talk Back “What was your favorite thing about working for Student Publications?”
our unconventional year. And lastly, but certainly not least, the students themselves have proven they can keep safe while still finishing a semester proudly. From wearing masks, to social distancing, to sacrificing time with loved ones and friends in the name of public health and safety, to getting vaccinated when the campus and state made those options available, everyone on campus has given their sweat and tears to make this year as good as it could possibly be. These efforts have been undeniably difficult and painful, but OCU has proven that we are a community of giving, caring people who are strong and can survive some of the worst of what Earth has to offer. So, thank you all, and may you have a wonderful, well-deserved summer.
“The colleagues I got to work with!”
“Learning from my dear friends and brilliant coworkers. They taught me the importance of finding truth and writing with clarity”
Des Barrett acting senior
Troy Freeman music theater senior
“Writing fun music reviews and bad advice columns!”
“Writing fun stories about my fellow students”
Francesca Iacovacci music theater senior
Jessica Vanek music theater senior
“Taking photos and seeing them being used to inform and entertain”
“Getting to go to really cool events and photograph them for everyone to see!”
Jessica Casebeer film senior
Stephen Jackson film senior
To the Student Publications staff: thank you all Holy $#^%. Those two words are how I introduced myself as editor-inchief at the beginning of the 202021 academic year, and somehow, one year later, it still feels apt to start this column that way. In that column, I wrote I had three main goals in mind for Student Publications: I wanted to improve our sports coverage, our video content and our social media presence. Looking back at the year, I wanted to reflect on how those goals turned out. First, my goal of improving our sports coverage. Student Publications has come a long way in the past year with covering sports, all thanks to our wonderful sports editor, MaKayla Baxter. The number of sports stories we have covered this year probably outnumbers the sports stories we have done in the past two years, and that includes most sports being postponed for half of the year. My goals of improving our
Paul Dower is a film junior from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He likes squishy toys, Superman comics and Stanley Kubrick.
video content did not pan out exactly as I planned. Unfortunately, I did not have the time I needed to focus on video content. Our Video Editors Josh Eliot and Shelby O’Brien have done an excellent job editing footage and crafting videos to go up on the website, but I need to create a better pipeline for the video process, as I get distracted easily by our articles. The same goes for social media presence. Our Lifestyles Editor, Jessica Vanek, has done a great job posting stories to our social media, but I was hoping to create a more efficient system for how those got posted to improve traffic to our website.
Other than those goals, I think Student Publications has done a great job operating during the pandemic. We changed our workflow to be less centered on the newsroom, which was a necessary change for the pandemic, but one that may stick around due to its practicality. With in-person events being canceled during most of the year, our Photo Editor Stephen Jackson and staff photographers had to get very creative, and they have done an excellent job visualizing stories. We have stopped relying on stock photos for the website despite having less events overall to photograph. Student Publications also cov-
ered more breaking news than we have in the past few years. Thanks to our News Editor Francesca Iacovacci, more news stories have been able to be immediately uploaded to the website once they were ready. I am looking to improve the system by which we assign writers breaking stories, but since we did not have that system this year and were still able to cover the stories as fast and we did, it is a significant improvement overall. And last but not least, I need to thank the person on this staff that has kept the whole operation moving smoothly. What can I say about our Associate Editor Des Barrett? They are the hardest working person I know. If they hadn’t been here during my time as editor-in-chief, the pages you are reading now would probably just be flames. They help me keep my head on straight and pushing forward. I could not have asked for a better coworker and a better friend. While some of my goals were
not hit for this year, Student Publications was still able to survive and thrive throughout the year, and we could not have done it without our wonderful staff of students on the paper. I am deeply grateful to everyone, named and unnamed, who was able to work with us this year. Even though this year may have been the craziest in my lifetime, I’m glad I was able to spend it working with some of the hardest working people I know. My passion for journalism has only been strengthened with all of your work and enthusiasm. Thank you all for your work and your time. Without all of you, there would be no paper. Finally, I would like to thank our readers. Everything we do for Student Publications is for you, and I hope we have served you well this year. Even with this crazy year in mind, I cannot wait to see what next year brings. So, bring it on 2021-22 academic year! Student Publications is coming at you!
Netflix’s ‘The Circle’ shows itself to be surprisingly authentic In January of 2020 – three months before COVID-19 came to Oklahoma City – I spent a week with my best friend in Austin, Texas, while we were both waiting for our spring semesters to start. My friend, his fiancé and I spent several lazy days pondering post-grad life and our unknowable futures. All the while, we became enamored with the Netflix reality series, “The Circle,” which transported us to a world free from the momentum and pace of our reality. In short, “The Circle” follows up to 12 people in a social media contest for the chance to win $100,000. Each contestant is restricted to a personalized apartment where they are isolated for weeks on end, or as long as they stay in the game. They cannot see the other contestants, and they cannot hear the other contestants. Their only platform to communicate is a series of speech-to-text chatrooms in a constructed social media app called “The Circle.” In “The Circle,” contestants are allowed to take on any persona they wish. They can play themselves, or they can adopt a false persona. Sometimes that persona is a friend or relative, and sometimes it is a fictional character made up from a random person’s photos.
Troy Freeman is a music theater senior from somewhere in Texas. He likes Malcolm Gladwell books and “High School Musical 3.”
The goal of the game is to become the most popular. Every couple of in-show days, the contestants each rate all of the members of the circle. The top two rated people become “influencers.” It is their job to eliminate one player from the circle and out of the game. At the end of the show, there is one last ranking, and the first-place player in that ranking is the winner of the $100,000. The magic of “The Circle” is the dissonance between the intended drama and the reality of human psychology. The show was marketed as a gossip-trip, flirty mash of very different personalities. The first episode of the 2020 season presents as such. We meet a collection of characters who all appear to fit nicely into the traditional TV narrative. There are young, hot singles from various corners of the country, a couple of “nerds” and a couple of “catfishes,” or people playing someone other than themselves.
The way the show sold itself, it was to be expected that the “influencers” would likely be the contestants best at playing the “social media” games. Contestants came in choosing their best-looking photos and flirted with anyone who would let them. The first episode of the show mostly followed the intended structure. Two of the more charismatic players won the influencer title, and they eliminated the third-place contestant, who they saw as a threat later in the game. The second episode is when everything changed. The last place contestant on episode one was a skinny software engineer named Shubham Goel. Instead of posting his hottest pictures and flirting with the other contestants, he embraced a strategy of honesty and kindness. From the beginning, he never tried to play the system and instead attempted to build relationships with as much authenticity as
THE CAMPUS
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The only form of entertainment, and the only interaction any of them have is in “The Circle” itself, which is what makes the authenticity so important. After a couple weeks, the contestants no longer had the strength to put up a wall when talking to the other players. All social circles, professional or otherwise, are built on personas. The way we act around others is always an incomplete picture. The reason my friends and I loved the show so much is because it showed a world where strangers could get to know each other in a way where the only option is to be kind and be interested. Unbeknownst to us, only a few months later, the entire world would become a game of “The Circle.” For nearly half a year, many of us never spoke to anyone outside of our pod in real life, and social media became our platform for communication and connection. There were many horrors during the pandemic, but perpendicular to that were many miracles. When life gave us no other option, we chose to be authentic and to be kind. The same thing happened on “The Circle.” Just like the contestants, I will be relieved when this is all over, but also just like the contestants, I hope I don’t forget what I learned.
The Campus has served the Oklahoma City University community since 1907. It is published Wednesdays during the academic year, with the exception of holidays and exam periods.
April 28, 2021, Volume 114, Issue 10
Editor-in-chief: Paul Dower Associate Editor: Des Barrett Photo Editor: Stephen Jackson News Editor: Francesca Iacovacci Lifestyle Editor: Jessica Vanek Arts & Entertainment Editor: Troy Freeman Sports Editor: MaKayla Baxter Ad Director: Blake Keesee
possible over chat. In the first episode, his strategy failed, and he found himself in last place. Over the course of the second episode, however, his luck began to change. The other contestants latched onto his willingness to create friendships and found solace when speaking to him. By the end of episode two, the contestants voted again, and he was ranked first. From that point on, he was always ranked as one of the top two players up to the very end of the show, when he was ranked second place, to the winner, Joey Sasso. Shubham wasn’t the first person on a reality TV program to attempt to transcend the trashiness of their show, but I don’t know if it has ever been done more successfully. The reason might have to do with the format. By locking each contestant up in their room for up to a month, they inadvertently put emotional strains on their contestants, separate from the game itself. Throughout the show, contestants show signs of intense boredom, loneliness and eventually agitation toward the game. By the final four episodes, it becomes clear that most of the contestants aren’t super upset when they’re eliminated and instead feel relief from their release.
Video Editors: Josh Eliot Shelby O'Brien Columnists: Des Barrett Paul Dower Troy Freeman Francesca Iacovacci Jessica Vanek
Staff Writers: Anette Barrios-Torres, Megan Filler, Sarah Kolb, Ava Karas, Destyni Lietzke, Tyler Robbins Photographers: Annie Bragg, Jessica Casebeer, Mackenzie Shaw, Cole Fairchild
The Student Publications staff welcomes unsolicited material and letters to the editor. All letters must be signed and include the writer’s phone number, address, major, and classification. The staff reserves the right to edit all letters. The staff also reserves the right to refuse letters without explanation. Letters can be sent online at mediaocu.com, emailed to stupub@okcu.edu or dropped off at the Newsroom in Suite 112 of Walker Center for Arts and Sciences. Submitted items may appear on MediaOCU and in the print edition. The first issue of The Campus is free. Each additional issue costs 25 cents. Contents copyright © Student Publications 2020. All rights reserved.
April 28, 2021
arts & entertainment
School of Music expects reduced COVID protocols Troy Freeman Arts & Entertainment Editor
Music and theatre administrators at OCU are expecting a fall semester decrease in COVID-19 regulation stringency. Mark Parker, dean of the School of Theatre and Wanda L. Bass School of Music, said administration cannot give a definite time frame for when current performance policies will be lifted until the time comes, but he is optimistic about the coming fall semester. “We’re getting a pretty good indicator and feel that with the vaccine, we’re planning to have as close to what we would call a normal year as we had previously,” Parker said. Parker said the administration is preparing for live audiences to return as early as the first show of the semester. “We’re assuming there will be audiences from performance one,” Parker said. “Whether it be reduced in size or spaced out, we don’t know, but we’re thinking that by October, the month of the first performances, there basically won’t be restrictions.” None of the productions from the School of Music or the School of Theatre had live audiences during the
Stephen Jackson Student Publications “Annabella Gotchling,” played by Emerson Stack (acting sophomore) talks with “Baz,” played by Reid Saari (acting junior) in the School of Theatre’s mainstage production of “A Bright Room Called Day” on April 8. The production streamed April 9-10 and was directed by Luke Eddy.
2020 to 2021 school year. Parker said the goal for next fall will be to return audiences as quickly as possible while maintaining safety. He said the rate at which they return will depend on continuing updates in vaccine statistics and infection rates. Parker said the future policy of masks on campus and on stage is the largest unknown at this point. “That’s probably the biggest unknown in our discussions. We’re imagining that if a high vaccination rate happens, we probably won’t have to wear masks,”
Parker said. Parker said the programs are looking at recommending masks, regardless, in certain seasons to mitigate other seasonal illnesses. “As an institution, in regard to flu season, in regard to other things, we might keep people healthier now than we did before because of the things that we’ve learned,” Parker said. Parker said seasonal flu and strep throat have greatly affected companies of cast members in the past. He said not a single case of flu or strep throat went viral
Former film students win broadcast awards Troy Freeman Arts & Entertainment Editor
Two former film students won awards for their 2020 senior capstones, submitted by the film faculty members. The Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association honored several mass communication and film students in their 2020 student competition. Hannah Boyens, film alumna, won third place in video narrative, and Kristina Patterson, film alumna, won first place in short form scriptwriting. Bryan Cardinale-Powell, chair of the film department and associate professor of film, said mass communication students have entered in the past, but this is only the second year for the film department to submit. “Our mass comm colleagues suggested that there’s some categories that would fit with our students, like the scriptwriting and the long and short narrative form categories,” Cardinale-Powell said. “And they’ve traditionally done really well in mass comm with all of the broadcasting and news-based categories.” Cardinale-Powell said the 2019 competition was the first time the film department submitted. “Last year we did pretty well too. There were a couple of winners for the 2019 contest,” Cardinale-Powell said. Cardinale-Powell said they made a habit of submitting the screenplay and final product of the senior capstone projects. Cardinale-Powell said there is no cash award for winners, but there is a plaque for first place winners and a banquet to honor finalists. There
this year in the performing arts programs, and he plans to recommend health and safety mitigation efforts in the future. Parker said he is looking forward to stripping back on restrictions and returning the school to a sense of normalcy, but he is also proud of the level of excellence students and faculty have achieved this past year. “I have been afraid to say how well we’re doing, but we’re close enough to the end that now I can say that I am so happy and relieved,” Parker said. “I have lots of pride in the ways students, faculty and staff have come together on this most important challenge. It
never would have happened without everyone working together.” Nasir Panjwani, music theater junior, said he was impressed by the commitment of the entire community to staying safe. None of the productions throughout the year were canceled or postponed due to the virus, and Panjwani said this was due to the community taking the precautions seriously and selflessly. “I think that we did a really good job at maintaining safety protocols throughout the entire year, and we held that standard consistently throughout,” Panjwani said. Hunter Semrau, music theater junior, said the COVID-19 safety protocols for performances, such as masked singing and distancing, proved to be a challenge, but he said he is thankful the university went ahead with those regulations. “I’m really proud of the school. Ever yone really stepped up. It can be difficult with the distancing and masks. I know that parts of Spring Awakening are challenging with the masks, but I think that it has made an interesting experience,” Semrau said. “It’s been a cool hurdle to jump over and has allowed us to think about our shows in interesting ways.” Semrau said he is looking forward to a senior year without those protocols.
“I am so overjoyed that everybody is getting vaccinated and next year we can go back to a sense of normalcy. It will be so cool to interact with other people on stage,” Semrau said. Charlie Turner, musical theater junior, said going into the school year, he was concerned about safety and whether or not there would be a COVID-19 outbreak on campus. “At the beginning of the year, I’m not going to lie, I was very worried that there would be major outbreaks,” Turner said. Turner said with the vaccine numbers increasing, and the way the school approached the school year, he is relieved to return to normalcy and has faith in the school’s ability to take away restrictions safely and at the right time. “I think the school has done a great job with making sure that everybody was safe for shows, and I’m excited to go back to the ways things were before,” Turner said. “If everything is safe and everybody is vaccinated, I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t.” The School of Music and School of Theatre will continue live performances in the fall of 2021. Specific procedures for the coming academic year are pending.
have been no banquets in the years the film department has submitted due to the COVID19 pandemic. “We would love to go to the banquet, but we haven’t been able to go because of the last two years,” Cardinale-Powell said. “Hopefully, next year. We’ll be doing that next spring.” Kristina Patterson won first place in the short form scriptwriting category. Billy Palumbo, visiting professor of film, said she won for the screenplay of her senior capstone, which she spent the fall semester of her senior year writing. “The capstone process is so involved and in depth. It’s a full semester of writing,” Palumbo said. “It allowed her the time to put that energy into it, put the thought and write and rewrite and rewrite, and I think that is what the film department would kind of focus on.” Palumbo said the key to success for any screenplay, and particularly Patterson’s screenplay, is in the depth of the characters. “One of the reasons that she wrote something that was successful was the attention to the characters. It’s a story about two friends who sort of lost touch, and over the years they reconnect,” Palumbo said. “I think it comes across pretty authentically.” Palumbo said he is proud of all of his students, and he looks forward to film students submitting in the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association awards in the future.
All will know!
Mackenzie Shaw Student Publications
School of Music opened their final musical of the season, “Spring Awakening,” April 23-24 in the Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. Left: “Melchior,” played by Sam Pottinger (music theatre junior, left) and “Wendla,” played by Rachel Schoenecker, music theater freshman, perform “The Word of Your Body” during the April 13 rehearsal of “Spring Awakening.” Above: The women of “Spring Awakening” sing their hearts out during “Mama Who Bore Me.”
April 28, 2021
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sports
OCU Athletics soon to wrap up 2020-21 season MaKayla Baxter
SPORTS EDITOR
OCU Athletics nears the end of an unprecedented season. After dealing with the effects of COVID-19 for an entire year, several athletic teams have finished out their portions of the 2020-21 season. OCU wrestling, basketball and soccer ended their seasons at their respective Sooner Athletic Conference tournaments. The track and field, cross country, STUNT, pom and competitive cheerleading teams advanced to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics championships. The competitive cheerleading team went on to become national champions, pushing OCU Athletics to a new milestone of 70 national championships across all sports. Some teams will continue to compete in the latter portion of their season as the semester comes to a close. OCU baseball, softball and golf are gearing up for their respective SAC tournaments. The rowing and volleyball teams are awaiting their respective 2020-21 NAIA championships. Despite season delays and setbacks, the season proved prolific for OCU Athletics in regards to titles, honors and achievements, at both conference and national levels. Multiple student athletes received SAC and NAIA honors. Standouts include Sophia Salak, junior volleyball setter, who made OCU volleyball history when she received SAC player of the week seven times and was named SAC most valuable player and setter of the year. Zouhair Talbi, sophomore runner, broke NAIA records in both the track and field and cross country championships. Nkechinyere
Nwankwo, political science junior, became the 2020-21 191-pound national women’s wrestling champion. Lucas de Freitas, junior soccer forward, won SAC men’s soccer newcomer of the year. Danilo Vilani, junior goalkeeper, won SAC goalkeeper of the year, and Sofia Carvajal Granados, junior soccer forward, won SAC women’s soccer newcomer of the year. Other athletes with notable achievements throughout the season include Ruthie Lacy, freshman rower, who broke two world records on the Concept2 Indoor Rower for Lightweight Women in the 17-18 category, and David Meyers, senior golfer, who broke the OCU men’s golf program record for most consecutive wins and most career victories. The honors were not limited to athletes. Kristen Coventon, head volleyball coach, represented OCU as SAC volleyball coach of the year for the second year in a row. Erika Ankney, junior basketball point guard, said COVID-19 was the athletics department’s most ruthless opponent of the season. “OCU, as a whole, they did what they had to do in the midst of these circumstances,” Ankney said. “It’s completely understandable and hard to know when you’re making the right decision, so ultimately, I would say they did the absolute best they could with what they had.” Ankney said OCU Athletics always kept the students’ safety and best interests at heart. “Especially in regard to our mental health as student athletes, that’s the hardest part,” Ankney said. “You know, the virus, when you’re isolated like that, it can really take a toll on your mental health, and we’ve all come to learn about that
and learned to care for each other as a society. So, I would say our department did an amazing job at taking care of us.” Ankney said basketball was the first sport to begin their season after the university’s COVID-19 protocols were set in place. “Obviously, it was pretty frustrating at times, knowing we weren’t going to play enough games to go to nationals,” Ankney said. “We played four regular season games, then went straight into our conference tournament, and we just didn’t get a good draw there because we had to play one of the best teams in the country during our second round and ended up ending our season.” Ankney said the team’s ability to push through the obstacles thrown at them says a lot about their strength. “We faced adversity, but ultimately, we also gained a lot of good memories together,” Ankney said. “This is something we’ll never forget, because who would have thought this would happen?” Ankney said her team is determined to finish next season as strong as possible. “Our goal is the national championship, without a doubt,” Ankney said. “We want to win it all. I think this season has been great for us because it’s given us a lot of momentum going into next year, and I’m excited about that, and I think everyone else is, too.” Sarah Fisher, senior softball outfielder, said the season has presented many personal challenges for her, as a busy nursing major recovering from a hip labral tear. “In the fall, it was just so painful to play that I had to tell Coach that I had to get surgery, and then having to discuss that with the girls
Submitted
Stick the landing
OCU competitive cheerleaders Zachary Prall (left), Abigail Anderson, (center) and Andrea Murphey (right) celebrate their victory at the NAIA competitive cheerleading championships March 13 at Lee Lohman Arena in Davenport, Iowa.
as a senior and a three-hole hitter, which is a power hitter, you carry a lot of weight in the game and produce a lot more in the lineup, it was hard telling them, ‘hey, I can’t be that for you anymore,’” Fisher said. “But the girls really stepped up and took it head on, and that’s teamwork for you. We were able to just work it out.” Fisher said she fondly remembers the moment she told her teammates she was medically cleared to play again. “I was in the gym five days a week for four months straight. I was so distraught that I couldn’t be there for them,” Fisher said. “I just remember getting to talk with the girls and tell them I was coming back, and they were just so welcoming, and that was just a really cool moment to know that I could play one more, my senior season with them.” Fisher said seeing her team succeed this season makes everything worth it. “With how good we’re doing
now, it’s been so rewarding to know that all that hard work is paying off, and we’re producing the numbers and just having fun with it,” Fisher said. Fisher said she is grateful for her coach, who she said always encouraged the team throughout difficult times over the past year. “Playing for Phil McSpadden is such an honor,” Fisher said. “He is an amazing coach who has such a legacy here, and being able to be someone he wants to put on the field and work and showing him my skill and my craft and just playing for him has been amazing.” Fisher said her team hopes to earn a 71st national championship for OCU Athletics. “Our goal is to keep winning and make it to Georgia where the national championship is,” Fisher said. “That’s our end goal, for sure, and we’re working really hard for it.”
Volleyball players prepare for national championships Megan Filler
STAFF WRITER
The volleyball team qualified for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics championships. The Stars will advance to the NAIA volleyball championships after winning the opening round against Our Lady of the Lake University (Texas) April 17 at Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center. The Stars beat OLLU with scores of 25-20, 25-16 and 25-14. Due to COVID-19 concerns, every team was required to play an opening round before qualifying for the championships in order to reduce the number of teams competing. The Stars will attend the tournament April 27-May 1 at Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. OCU last advanced to the NAIA championships in 2019, ending their season with a 36-match winning streak at Abe Lemons Arena and 26 consecutive conference play victories.
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Hannah Nicholson, criminal justice senior and right side/outside hitter, said the team was excited to qualify for nationals. “I can’t ever describe the feeling,” Nicholson said. “It’s a different experience every time I’ve gone. It’s a blessing.” Nicholson said she expected the team to advance. “We did very well, and I always put faith in these girls to work their hardest and give everything, so I didn’t expect anything less,” Nicholson said. Nicholson said she attributes the team’s success to
their practice habits and strategies. “We practice every day like how we’re going to play,” Nicholson said. “The way we go about things and the way we talk built the championship mindset into us. That’s how it’s been the last three years I’ve been at OCU.” Nicholson said practices will remain the same while preparing for nationals. “We’ll continue on what we’re doing,” Nicholson said. “We might add on here and there in order to be more prepared. Tiny tweaks can make us ten times better. There should not one spot
we can specifically improve on. It’s every area.” Nicholson said she has many great memories from the season. “Every time our team does something good and we all cheer together are my favorite moments, just being with my girls and cheering.” Nicholson said. “We all lose our voices cheering for one another and getting so excited for one another.” Nicholson said she has her sights set on the championship crown. “I pray and hope that this year is ours,” Nicholson said. Sophia Salak, biomedical
science junior and setter, said the team always performs well within the SAC. “We normally dominate our conference, which is what it takes to get to nationals,” Salak said. “We knew if we took care of our side of the court, everything would be good and turn out in our favor.” Salak said the team is working hard to gear up for the championships. “One thing is limiting errors, which have hurt us a lot,” Salak said. “We play a lot of games against each other where we can only make six to seven errors a set. We also scout a lot more. Coach has done a good job watching film on teams we’re going to play and giving us solid reports. Then just us studying those and knowing the teams before we play them makes a huge difference.” Salak said the team has good chemistry. “We’ve been together for three years, and we had four wonderful freshmen come in,” Salak said. “We work so well together. We know each
other. We know how to play with each other, and that makes everything so much easier.” Salak said her favorite memory from the season occurred during the NAIA opening round. “ H a n n a h Ni c h o l s o n got the game winning kill against Lady of the Lake in the opening round,” Salak said. “That was her last game on the home court, and it was a good moment with chills, smiles and happiness everywhere. I’m really proud of her, and she’s done more than she will ever know for me.” Salak said she will be proud if the team advances farther in the championship tournament than previous years. “I really think if we take care of business, we could win a national title,” Salak said. For more sports updates, student can visit the OCUSports website and the MediaOCU sports page.
OCU soccer players reflect on 2020-21 season experience MaKayla Baxter
SPORTS EDITOR
OCU soccer ended their 2020-21 season in the Sooner Athletic Conference soccer tournament. The men’s team lost the April 2 SAC quarterfinal game 0-1 to University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (Okla.) at Brian Harvey Field. The women’s team advanced to the April 5 semifinals but lost 0-4 to John Brown University (Ark.) at Alumni Field in Siloam Springs, Ark. Mid-America Christian University (Okla.) ultimately won the men’s tournament, and John Brown University took the women’s championship crown. Ljubisa Palic, men’s center forward, said USAO scored the winning goal with 19 seconds left in the game. “Honestly, the game was pretty tough because we played that team like four to seven days before and we won against
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them, so we knew how they would play, but we were tired,” Palic said. “The game, really, could have gone to either side, but unfortunately it went to their side.” Palic said the team had a limited amount of time to prepare for the season due to COVID-19 protocols. “We made it to, I think, the middle of September, but then we were not allowed to practice any longer, and then we had a few training sessions, but that was it,” Palic said. “All the other teams in the conference, they were able to play games and do scrimmages and stuff, so we were pretty limited there.” Palic said the team experienced more challenges when spring semester practices began due to several international team members arriving late to campus in compliance with COVID-19 travel restrictions. “We had some people, like me, come in late because of COVID and stuff, so
we had about three to four weeks to prepare, and in the first few games you could see those issues out on the field,” Palic said. “It made for a challenge, but in the end, I think those obstacles make you, as a team, stronger and just really shows the character of all the players.” Abby Banks, women’s goalkeeper, said her team went into the tournament 9-4 in the conference and were hoping to advance to the championship game. “We were really playing our best soccer once we got to the tournament, which is really what you would want and ask for,” Banks said. Banks said her teammates were physically and mentally exhausted by the time they reached the semifinals but were determined to play the best game they could. “As far as our drive to win, I think that was there,” Banks said. “To be fair, like I said, we were playing our best soccer up
to that point. I don’t even know how to explain it. It’s like you have this drive and passion to win the game, but it’s about how does that performance get there once you step on the field?” Banks said. Banks said she and her teammates worked throughout the season to build a strong sense of team culture. “We wanted one where we uplift and support each other, and one where when we all step on the field, we’re all working toward the same goal, and that’s to benefit OCU soccer,” Banks said. “At the beginning of the season, we hadn’t played a game in almost a year and a half. Since 2019, we hadn’t stepped on that field. And so, there was a lot of kinks and stuff to be worked out because when you haven’t played in that long, there’s going to be flaws. And so, as the season was progressing, we were getting better and becoming closer as teammates.” Banks said the team’s close-knit rela-
tionship helped them push through the semifinal game. “We wanted to fight for it, you know?” she said. Palic said the men’s team also grew closer throughout the season. “I think, compared to last season especially, our advantage is that we are more of a team, you know?” Palic said. “Last year, we were just a group of people. From my experience, we were just at the same university on scholarship, and that’s why we had to play together. But now, I think we are also friends with each other, even outside the field. We go for barbecue and go out, and the vibe within the team is generally much better than last season.” To read the full story, visit MediaOCU. com.
April 28, 2021