April 18 by MediaOCU

THE CAMPUS

April 18, 2018 – Volume 111 Issue 25

Students create list of improvements for university Elina Moon

PHOTO EDITOR

Student leaders are addressing the need for more unity on campus. Students made a list of things they’d like to see improved on campus at Star Summit. Star Summit is an annual leadership conference hosted by student affairs officials. It was April 6 in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. The purpose of Star Summit is to discuss better leadership practices and areas to improve upon, individually and campuswide. This year’s theme was “Being a Reflective Leader.” Levi Harrel, assistant director of student development, said he was pleased with the participation at this year’s conference. “I feel that the students who were present were very engaged in the activity, and as they learned the ins and outs of

what reflective leadership actually is, they began to open up, and they began to understand how those practices fit into their lives,” Harrel said. One of the activities of Star Summit is “I Would Like To See,” an opportunity for students to voice concerns and give suggestions about how to improve the university. Repeated concerns this year included: - the need for unity between schools, organizations and majors, - better communication about campus events, - more biology faculty, - more official support of Greek life, - removal of the plus/minus grading system, and - more recycling, vertical gardening and green roofs. Grace Mertz, exercise science freshman, said she enjoyed the “I Would Like To See” activity. “I thought it was great to have the opportunity to vocalize concerns we had and feel like they were heard,” Mertz said.

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Elina Moon Student Publications

Students participate in a team-building activity at Star Summit on April 6 in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center.

Other ideas included a campuswide dance and rope swings for the trees on campus. Kalen Castor, cell and molecular biology sophomore, attended the summit and supported these ideas. “I think our campus as a whole would support and love a school dance type of event where students come together and socialize and have fun,” Castor said.

Students also wrote down concerns for their organizations and themselves. Matthew Lavery, acting freshman, attended Star Summit and had similar concerns for FIJI and the university. “I’d like to see more involvement in both,” Lavery said. “I think that if more people feel compelled to show up to events, both fraternity-based and otherwise, we’d have a much more

cohesive and happy campus.” Castor said the campus already feels cohesive, but there is room for improvement. “Ever since I’ve been on this campus it has felt very familyoriented,” she said. “I think everyone supports one another; they just need to actually show their support.” Lavery said he is supportive of students voicing their concerns. “I thought they were great ideas,” he said. “It gave me high hopes for the future of OKCU and what we’ll be doing on campus, especially after kind of a turbulent year. I just feel like I’ve heard more people being open about their concerns with the school, whether that’s the election or the Wi-Fi or even the elevators in Methodist.” Harrel said he wasn’t surprised by any of the suggestions. “I am always eager to hear student feedback,” he said. “We can believe we are doing something right, seven days a week, but it is the students that inform

us of our best practices–what is working, what is not working– so while I was not surprised, I was very appreciative of the feedback.” Harrel said Star Summit was an educational experience for him as well as students since values change from year to year. “I am always learning more, whether it be effective education strategies, whether it be what are the important values that our students hold today rather than what students held a year ago at Star Summit, or two years ago,” he said. “Seeing where we’re at is very important.” The theme for next year’s Star Summit has not been decided, but Harrel encourages students to give suggestions by emailing him at ljharrel@ okcu.edu. Visit MediaOCU.com to view the full list of student suggestions.

Main Event entertainment venue chosen for Big Event Sage Tokach

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

OCU students will have all sorts of activities to choose from–bowling, arcade games, laser tag, gravity ropes, and billiards.

Students will have free access to bowling, laser tag, gravity ropes, and arcade games during this year’s Big Event. Student Activities Council, a branch of Student Government Association, organizes Big Event annually as an end of the year celebration. SAC will host this year’s Big Event at Main Event, an OKC entertainment venue, 1441 W. Memorial Road. Students will have free admission to the event from 7-10 p.m. Thursday. Past Big Events have been on campus, at the Bricktown Ballpark, in the Boathouse District, and at Frontier City, 11501 N. I-35 Service Road. Monica Hiller, education senior and SAC vice president, said she doesn’t think Big Event has been hosted at Main Event in the past, but said it will be a good venue. “It’s indoors and big enough to accommodate a large quantity of people,” Hiller said. “Students will receive a card for unlimited games and pizza.” Students will not be able to get prizes with the tickets they win in the arcade games, but some raffle prizes will be available. Quent Wheeler, software engineering/business solutions junior, is helping plan the event. Wheeler said a van will drive back and forth from OCU and Main Event to provide transporta-

Quent Wheeler software engineering/business solutions junior

tion to students who don’t have cars, but personal transportation is recommended. “We encourage carpooling together so they can have a group to have fun with whenever they arrive at Main Event,” Wheeler said. “It will be a fun event, and there are lots of opportunities to do various activities in groups.” Wheeler said he’s excited about the location because of the large number of entertainment options in a single facility. “Since we are renting it out, OCU students will have all sorts of activities to choose from, like bowling, arcade games, laser tag, gravity ropes, and billiards,” he said. “Also it is very difficult to predict weather in Oklahoma in April, so we thought an indoor

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Elina Moon Student Publications

Students ride a carnival ride at last year’s Big Event on April 25 at Frontier City. This year’s Big Event will be from 7-10 p.m. Thursday at Main Event.

facility that could hold us all would be perfect.” Students must bring their school ID to attend the event. Students can find more information about the event on the Facebook event “OKCU Main Event 2018!”

Spring allergy season poses unique problems for out-of-state students Callie Dewees

STAFF WRITER

Elina Moon Student Publications

Love Not Hate Sean Ghedi, music theater freshman, tie-dyes a T-shirt at Love Not Hate Day on April 10 on the quad. The event was a part of Better Together Week, sponsored by religious life, and included food trucks and free henna tattoos. Love Not Hate Day was created to promote the OCU community’s commitment to show love and not hate toward others.

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Some students are experiencing trouble with allergies and asthma since moving to Oklahoma for college. Oklahoma City had a mostly high pollen count for the past month with a small dip around March 27 and is still high, according to pollen.com. “So many students from out of state come to Oklahoma and their bodies aren’t used to that,” said Rhaven Ross, staff licensed practical nurse at the campus health clinic. Wind-pollinated trees are a substantial cause of spring allergies. Many insect-pollinated trees have been planted on campus, like Bradford pears, which do not contribute as heavily to allergy season, but Oklahoma City is home to many wind-pollinated trees, such as elms, oaks and cedars. “The extreme cold definitely makes it worse, and, when the weather goes from being really

The extreme cold definitely makes it worse, and, when the weather goes from being really warm to cold quickly, it can also make it worse. Megan Berning acting freshman

warm to cold quickly, it can also make it worse,” said Megan Berning, acting freshman. Sudden shifts in weather can trigger seasonal allergies, according to piedmont.org, a healthcare website. Berning said she had asthma before college, but it has gotten worse since moving to Oklahoma from Kansas. But she said she found ways to deal with it. “I have a couple inhalers that help a lot and long-distance running helps,” she said. Ross said the clinic only carries samples of children’s Benadryl that run out quickly, so the best way to combat allergies is

for students to purchase their own over-the-counter allergy medicine. “Getting an over-the-counter nasal spray can help with sinus pressure,” she said. Students may have allergies if they experience symptoms like sneezing, coughing, shortness of breath, fatigue, and headache, among others. Students may make an appointment with the campus health clinic by calling 405-208-5090.

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opinion Prioritizing unity between groups fosters overall campuswide unity The campus community needs to put a greater focus on becoming more unified. During Star Summit, the half-day leadership training event April 7, students expressed concerns about campus unity. See Page 1 for more information about Star Summit. These concerns included “the need for unity between organizations” and “more opportunity for organizations to have combined events.” Many organizations have a history of combined events. University Counseling Services and Kappa Sigma fraternity partnered in 2017 to host Power Hour, a stress-relief event on the quad. OCU Stripped and Out of the Box partnered in 2016 for Miscast Cabaret to raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Many religious organizations partner in the spring at the World Religions Expo. These kinds of events are good, but they should happen more often. Reaching out to other organizations takes effort, but it means double the people available to plan and attend the event.

Find what common interests or philanthropic efforts your organization has with others and work together to create something great. Students also called for “more interactions between different schools.” When we arrive at OCU as freshmen, students of all different majors are integrated as one body during orientation week. We touch the gold star and play silly games in Abe Lemons Arena, but then we go our separate ways. Many students take all of their classes in a couple buildings and never see what happens on the other side of campus. Even at graduation, students are separated by school. This issue falls on administration. Administrators need to stop seeing other schools as competition, but instead as companions and work together to make students’ academic lives as enriching as possible. Students and faculty in different schools could learn so much from each other. Breaking down those walls would be beneficial to everyone. Another student suggestion was “more student support for the variety of organizations and

Talk Back “What improvements are you interested in seeing on campus?”

athletics we have.” At “Over Committed University,” we often get so focused in our own lives and busy schedules that it’s easy to forget about supporting our colleagues in what is most important to them. Taking a couple of hours out of your day to see a classmate in a play or attend a friend’s baseball game is not a huge time commitment. Many of us spend that much time on social media. Doing so supports your friend’s passion to which they’ve probably dedicated years of hard work. College is all about experiencing new things. Supporting organizations is a great way to do this. If you’re an exercise science major, go see an improv show or an orchestra concert. If you’re a music major, go watch a wrestling match or a softball game. Becoming a more unified campus doesn’t require huge change, but it does take commitment and a bit of effort. Challenge yourself to make connections with people outside your major and attend different organizations’ events.

"More lights on the quad"

"I wish Chick-fil-A was open a little bit later on Saturday."

Delanie Ayers acting freshman

Rebekah Small religion freshman

"More recycling bins on campus"

"Better Wi-Fi"

Taylor Jenea Stufflebean dance universal freshman

Abou Diallo human performance junior

"I'd like more places to dance."

"Better quality food"

Logan Kitchener dance universal freshman

KC Curry religion sophomore

"Later hours for the caf–there are lots of classes that get out around 8 p.m."

"Working water fountains in Walker"

Bethany Stanley religion education sophomore

Mark Munoz vocal performance/ music theater freshman

‘A Quiet Place’ thrills viewers, pulls at heartstrings There are plenty of famous films and cinematic moments that use silence artistically, and there are those that were silent by default before the invention of synchronized sound. Since 2011’s The Artist, however, there has not been a use of silence in film so dynamic as the box office-erupting hit that dropped just two weeks ago. A Quiet Place, the brainchild of director/actor John Krasinski, and writers Bryan Woods and Scott Beck, is perhaps the most popular mainstream horror film since It, and for good reason. Since the first trailer came out, I heard scores of people talking

about it, all of them fascinated by the one predominating factor that many filmmakers have left behind–silence. Krasinski stars as “Lee Abbott,” the father of a family struggling to survive a postapocalyptic state wherein most of the world’s population was killed by nameless creatures of unknown origin. The catch is that, while these creatures–which look like a cross between the creatures in Alien and Predator–are blind, they are equipped with unbelievably strong hearing, enabling them to hunt down prey from miles away if it so much as sneezes.

Chandler White is an English junior from Meeker, Oklahoma. He likes gothic horror and good hip-hop.

Naturally, this creates some problems for the Abbott family, and, because silence is such an important policy for the family, it’s also one for the film itself. This means the majority of the dialogue is in sign language. There are long unbroken scenes with no music or ambiance, and the score and sound mixing are

positively Oscar-worthy in their effect. The viewer is suspended constantly in the middle of it all, waiting in agony for the next sound to disrupt the silence and endanger everybody’s life. The premise is already a nightmare from the get-go, but Krasinski sadistically tosses in every imaginable worst-case-scenario

as well. The daughter “Regan” is deaf, meaning she can neither hear the creatures’ approach nor how loud she herself is. Lee’s wife “Evelyn” is expecting a baby in a couple weeks, which, soundwise, is equitable to an involuntary suicide. These and other catastrophes make A Quiet Place heart-stopping and the single tensest cinematic experience I’ve ever endured. Unlike many such thrill-filled movies, A Quiet Place is not without heart. The relationship from one family member to another is relatable and makes for some pretty tear-jerking moments as the situation worsens and brings

out some truths that, in all this quietness, were never expressed. This also gives the film a bit of a conceptual edge, though theme and commentary are its weak points. The viewer still is likely to walk away with some kernel of truth lingering in their mind–you know, under the gallons of stress and anxiety that come with it. After the credits began and I exhaled for the first time in 90 minutes, I left A Quiet Place certain of three things: My hair had turned over 50 percent white, I had just lost 10 years of my lifespan and this is the single best film I have reviewed all year.

Columnist agitated with Oklahoma’s current state of affairs I am from a place different than Oklahoma. On the weekends in Oklahoma, we spend quality time with each other. We sit around a room and talk. Sometimes we go out to eat some of Oklahoma’s amazing food. The food is delicious here. It’s barbecue and queso everywhere you go. The wind blows my hair into a tangled mess. The humidity makes my face oily and I drip sweat the minute I walk outside. Some days it’s 85 degrees in the morning and 32 degrees by 2 p.m. Oklahoma City is life altering for a boy from Las Vegas. The politics are different, the majority of people go to church, and people talk

and live differently. When I go home, my entire family hates me for adding “y’all” into every sentence. Oklahoma is my home now. I have been an Okie for three years and will continue to be one until I graduate in December. We should take care of our homes because we have to live in them. But, for some in Oklahoma, that isn’t the case. My home is not at its best. Wildfires rage through the plains. Almost every day, our campus is on a fire watch warning. Actors, singers and athletes need their lungs for their professions. As we roam campus, we breathe in these harmful toxins from the smoke without even knowing it.

scape. As big oil companies rip fossil fuels from the ground, they push all the excess dirt and water back in. This causes the shifting of the soil and is why Oklahoma now has more frequent earthquakes than California. Oklahomans, you deserve better. You are a strong people. Some of the friendliest and most genuine people I know live here, and my heart breaks as I watch greed and corruption bleed this state. My goal isn’t to shame any particular Oklahoma politicians, but to plead with all of them. We are not fools. We see what’s going on. They’re all up for re-election soon, and people are angry. Oklahoma Senate, you disrespect the teachers of Oklahoma,

the children of Oklahoma, the landscape of Oklahoma, and the pride of Oklahoma. Something unexpected has happened in the last year. While Las Vegas is my favorite city in the world, Oklahoma City has crept its way into my heart. I love my home, and I care about it, but I’m leaving soon. It is my intention to leave Oklahoma better than I found it. As always, I don’t have the magic answer–well, in a sense I do–elect democrats. Democrats will get teachers the funding they deserve, fix roads, step up on environmental protections, and put the children first. Oklahoma needs comprehensive change. Let’s give this state the help it deserves.

SATURDAY Wanda L. Bass School of Music presents On the Town from 8-10:30 p.m. in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

SUNDAY Wanda L. Bass School of Music presents On the Town from 8-10:30 p.m. in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Student Brass Chamber Ensembles in Concert from 8-9 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

OCU Out of the Box presents The Wolves at 10:30 p.m. in Clara E. Jones Administration Building

Petree College of Arts and Sciences Spring 2018 Student Teacher Reception at 6 p.m. in Wilson House

Harrison Langford is an acting junior from Las Vegas who loves golden retrievers and the New York Giants.

The weather spikes are becoming more extreme. When our President tweeted “We could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming” because it was cold in December, he got his wish. Except he didn’t get global “warming,” he got climate change. In Oklahoma, it may be 80 degrees, but it will hail for a continuous 15 minutes over campus. The temperature dropped 40 degrees last week

within a matter of hours. I’m not a meteorologist, but that sounds dangerous. After the teacher walkout shut down schools for two weeks, our Oklahoma legislature decided greed was more important than providing teachers with livable pay and students with usable textbooks and classroom materials. Fracking continues to plague the beautiful Oklahoma land-

Campus Calendar Calendar items must be received in the Newsroom or stupub@okcu.edu by noon Friday for inclusion in the following Wednesday issue.

TODAY OCU Guest Artist Recital: Jie Yuan, Piano from 8-9 p.m. in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

Ann Lacy Stadium

from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the quad

Big Event from 7-10 p.m. at Main Event, 1441 W. Memorial Road

THURSDAY Chapel at 1 p.m. in the Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel

Out of the Box's Stand-Up Night at 10:30 p.m. in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center

Wanda L. Bass School of Music presents On the Town from 8-10:30 p.m. in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Softball vs. Southwestern Christian University at 5 and 7 p.m. at

FRIDAY Walkout against Gun Violence

Stars 101 Activities Fair from 12:45-3 p.m. in Meinders School of Business

The Campus has served the Oklahoma City University community since 1907. It is published Wednesday during the academic year, with the exception of holidays and exam periods.

THE CAMPUS April 18, 2018, Volume 111, Number 25

Editor-in-chief emeritus: Miguel Rios Associate Editor: Sage Tokach Copy Editor: Chandler White Photo Editor: Elina Moon Community Manager: Lauren Berlingeri

Associate Community Manager: Harrison Langford Web Editor: Nicole Waltman Associate Web Editor: Emily Wollenberg Staff Writers: Rodney Smith, Callie Dewees, Jessica Vanek, Mallory Scheidel, Erik Hamilton

TUESDAY OCU Wind Philharmonic's 17th Annual Children's Concert from 8-9:30 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

The Student Publications staff welcomes unsolicited material and let-

Photographers: Hannah Rogers, Carolann Stout Columnist: Caroline Hawthorne Videographer: Emily Haan Proofreader: Tyler Patton Ad Representative: Emily Jones Circulation Director: Kalen Castor Faculty Adviser: Kenna Griffin

ters 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 Walker Center for Arts and Sciences. Submitted items may appear on MediaOCU and in the print edition.

April 18, 2018

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news

Author to host ally training event, discuss new book Jessica Vanek

STAFF WRITER

Students have the opportunity to discuss LGBTQIA+ issues and learn how to become proper allies. Jo Ivester, author of The Outskirts of Hope, will host an ally training event from 10-11 a.m. April 25 in Room 100 in Sarkeys Science and Math Center. Ivester uses her personal stories to discuss race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identification, according to her website, joivester.com. Ivester will discuss The Outskirts of Hope with the audience in regard to race relations and religion. The story, taking place in 1967, is used as a comparison to issues in the 21st century. “Through sharing highly personal stories about their experiences, Jo makes the civil rights movement come alive and inspires her audiences to make a difference,” according to Ivester’s website. Ivester is working on a book entitled Once a Girl, Always a

The programs are about empowering our campus community with knowledge and skills to better support our LGBTQIA+ students. Russ Tallchief student engagement director

Boy, which will discuss what it was like for her son to grow up transgender. “We loved our son, whom we viewed as our daughter, but were clueless as to what he was going through or how we could support him,” Ivester said. “Because of that, we were unable to help Jeremy experience the kind of adolescence that he deserved.”

The book is scheduled to be published in 2019. Russ Tallchief, director of student engagement, inclusion and multicultural programs, is organizing the event on campus. “We refer to the ally programming as training because the programs are about empowering our campus community with knowledge and skills to better support our LGBTQIA+ students,” Tallchief said. “But these programs are not just about training in the literal sense—they are about growing our perspectives on gender identity so that we can grow as people.” Kaden Mahle, dance freshman, is attending training session. “We need things like this, especially in the South,” Mahle said. “Because so much that is publicized anywhere for us to look up to and aspire to is guided towards such a traditional life, knowing that the way you are is not wrong is incredible.” Students may visitokcu.edu/joivester to RSVP for the event.

Students rehearse for New York showcase, add extra performance Chandler White

COPY EDITOR

Twenty acting and music theater seniors will travel with faculty to New York to perform for casting agents and talent agencies. The New York showcase began rehearsing at the beginning of this semester and will continue until early May when they leave for New York. The students will rehearse in a New York studio May 7 and perform at 2 and 5 p.m. May 9 at Peter Jay Sharp Theatre in New York City. This year, there also will be an additional informal performance featuring current students and four or five alumni at 11:30 p.m. May 7 at Feinstein’s/54 Below, a cabaret and restaurant in New York City. Angela Polk, production coordinator for the School of Theater and the Wanda L. Bass School of Music; Lance Marsh, professor of acting and head of performance; Jan McDaniel, professor of music; and Dr. David Herendeen, director of the opera and music theater program, will accompany the students. Marsh and Herendeen will direct the showcase performances, and McDaniel will accompany musical performances. The showcase serves as more of a series of opportunities than a crucial career choice, Polk said. “A lot of students have this idea that the showcase is a makeor-break-it for their career and really it’s not,” she said. “It’s just a nice launch pad, if you will.”

Submitted Acting and music theater seniors participating in the New York showcase gather to promote their performance. The students will perform for casting agents and talent agencies at 2 and 5 p.m. May 9 in Peter Jay Sharp Theatre.

Polk also said students may hear back from the present officials that night or years down the line. “We’ve had students who have received phone calls three months later, saying ‘hey, I saw your showcase, we’d love to see you for this show,’” she said. Taylor Blackman, acting senior, will perform in the showcase and said he plans to focus on making connections with people in the business. “I’m really going just to make myself known in the industry and hopefully set a good track record that I can do good work,”

New class available to teach students how to run for office Emily Wollenberg

ASSOCIATE WEB EDITOR

Officials from Meinders School of Business are offering new curriculums for students who want to run for public office. The leadership and public administration classes will teach students either about running for public office or for a school board, depending on which track is taken. Both classes are statewide and can be taken in person or through livestream. They will run for seven weeks on Saturday mornings from Sept. 8 to Oct. 20. Dr. Steve Agee, dean of Meinders School of Business, said the courses will cover topics unknown to most individuals going into administrative fields, such as land usage, unionizing and eminent domain. “There’s just a lot of misunderstanding about what it takes to be a city councilor or what it takes to be a school

board member,” Agee said. “We’re going to talk about things that most people don’t even think about when they sign up to be a city councilor or municipal person or school board member.” There are no prerequisites to enroll in the courses. Tuition is $250 per course, and scholarships are available for anyone who plans to take one of the classes. Students who complete the course will receive a certificate in Leadership and Public Administration—Municipalities following completion. Chandler Hardy, economics senior, said the classes will be beneficial for students who are interested in politics and public service. “A lot of times, millennials really feel like they have a voice, but they don’t know how to use it because they don’t know the process,” Hardy said. The courses also will cover topics like campaign finance, economic development, negotiation, and dispute resolution.

Jordan Tarter, English junior and Student Government Association president, said the classes are an essential addition to OCU. “At a school full of so many students that are active leaders, I think it is absolutely invaluable that we have a class that teaches students the process of running for office,” Tarter said. “Anyone who is politically inclined should take this class.” Tarter said she will tell other students interested in running for office about the classes, and university officials should do more to promote it. “They should advertise this class like crazy,” she said. “I think it’s a wonderful idea and a great opportunity.” For more information, students may email Melissa Cory, director of communications and director of the executive and professional education center, at mcory@okcu.edu or enroll online at ocumsb.com/enroll.

Blackman said. “Nobody’s going to go to Broadway, necessarily, from this. I think that’s the beautiful dream of it, but being realistic, just making connections and getting to know people is the biggest thing we can get from this.” Wes Peddycord, music theater senior, also will perform in the showcase. He said he wants to make his name more known in the area. “I’m not anticipating getting a job or getting an agent right after this because that’s rare. It’s very lucky if someone is able to book a show from showcase,” Peddycord said. “Mostly, I’m just going to be seen and to jump-start getting my name out there for people to be on the lookout for me.” Polk said the most significant part of an acting student’s career is the audition process itself, rather than a job. “People in New York would say that, if a student goes into a showcase thinking they’re going to get something out of it, they won’t,” she said. “They have to get through this idea that, really, your job as an actor is to be an auditioner. That’s what you do. It’s icing on a cake when you get a job out of something.” There will be an on-campus performance of the New York showcase at 8 p.m. May 3 in the large rehearsal hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center. Attendance is free.

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Andrew Wilson, acting freshman, and Mercedes Arndt and Katy Yates, acting juniors, act as a three-headed ghost in the OCU Improv show on April 13 in Clara E. Jones Administration Building. The show featured an improvised musical. The troupe will not perform again until next semester. They will host auditions in August.

April 18, 2018

news SHINING STAR

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Film senior aims for job through French film festival Tyler Pedersen, film senior, will attend one of the world’s largest and most prestigious film festivals this summer. Pedersen will intern at the Cannes Film Festival from May 6-19 in Nice, France. His flight leaves hours after graduation. Cannes Film Festival is an annual event in which figureheads of the film industry gather to screen, distribute and purchase films. “It started in France as an attempt at world peace after France got its shit rocked by Germany,” Pedersen said. “Basically, it’s a combination of the Boyhood filmmaker dream and bougie capital.” The most prestigious award at the festival is the Palme d’Or, which is given to the best submission in various genres and lengths of film. Awards are chosen by a panel of actors, filmmakers and other industry professionals. Actress Cate Blanchett will lead the panel this year. “Lots of significant directors have won the Palme d’Or, like Scorsese, the Coen Brothers, Ford Coppola, and Tarantino,” Pedersen said. “I don’t know what I’d do if I met Tarantino. If I meet Quentin Tarantino, I hope he slaps me and I slap him back.” Each country participating in the festival has a Pavilion. Pavilions are organizations in charge of making travel and lodging arrangements and providing badges to get into the festival. There are two types of internships through the Pavilion. The first employs interns at coffee bars, registration and other jobs in the Pavilion. The second option outsources interns to talent agencies, distribution companies and production companies. Pedersen chose the latter option. “I’ll be put with a production or distribution company, but I won’t find out any more details until the end of April,” he said. “I’ll work six or seven hours a day, five days a week for the first two weeks, but most companies go home the last week, so I’ll have some extra time to hang out in France and watch movies.” Pedersen said he listed a small or medium sized company as his preference over a large company like Sony or Disney. “The smaller companies make movies I’m interested in working on, like Lady Bird, The Florida Project and Call Me By Your Name,” he said. “I’m also more likely to get a job offer with those companies. Lots of interns get hired by tiny businesses like a family-owned Belgium production company that takes you back to Belgium for a year.”

If I meet Quentin Tarantino, I hope he slaps me and I slap him back.

Tyler Pedersen film senior

Submitted Tyler Pedersen, film senior, and Hannah Rogers, film junior, set up a camera to shoot Pedersen’s capstone film The Rift. Pedersen will present his capstone May 4 and fly to France for the Cannes Film Festival on May 5.

Working overseas in a position that provides in-depth, artistic experience is much more desirable than a ladder-climbing situation at a huge American company, Pedersen said. “I would absolutely chase the hypothetical Belgium family. I’ve been looking toward my 20s as being flexible and focused a lot more on experiences with a dash of reality, meaning I need a little income to survive,” Pedersen said. “I’d love to get a job through

the festival and, at some point, make an income through an idea-based position like a writer’s room while working on passion projects.” Pedersen is in the post-production phase of his senior capstone film The Rift. Filming the capstone involved three actors and 24 crew members in Davis, Oklahoma. The music for the film is composed and recorded by Annie Oakley, a local band featuring Grace Babb and Sophia Babb, mass communications juniors. “It’s about a brother who doesn’t understand his sister and is pushed to the furthest point he can stand. It follows three characters in a dysfunctional family and a post-apocalyptic situation,” Pedersen said. “I’m a fan of the idea of a peaceful apocalypse, so far from the point our world ended that there’s no backlash. It’s a restart for humanity.” The film covers themes of family, a sense of belonging, wonder, and a sense of sublime, Pedersen said. “I got inspiration from images of single people standing in vast landscapes,” he said. “Through a self-destructive journey of screenwriting in my capstone planning class, I realized it’s about my own dysfunctional family problems. I had an early angst draft that wasn’t focused on sharing a feeling, which is what I want to do.” Mary McLain, film junior and crew member for The Rift, said she was grateful to be a part of such a passionate project. “This is one of the most ambitious student projects I have ever witnessed, and it remained ambitious from the conception to this moment, even in its editing,” McLain said. Pedersen’s professors will evaluate his capstone film at his jury May 4. Pedersen said he will bring the film to the Cannes Film Festival to show it off, but he will mostly enter it in student competitions. By Associate Editor Sage Tokach

Unnamed student tapes paper Nicolas Cage heads across campus Erik Hamilton

STAFF WRITER

Printed cutouts of actor/director Nicolas Cage’s face have appeared all over campus. Students discovered the taped cutouts the morning of April 2 in areas like the gate of Cokesbury Court Apartments, the stairs in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center and the parking lot outside the Market at Alvins. “It was an April Fools’ Day prank by a genius prankster, if I do say so myself,” said the person responsible, a student at OCU. The person responsible said the prank was pulled as a way to establish them as a legendary prankster and give people something to laugh about. They said they conceived the idea in December, but executed it in early April, spending about two hours taping the faces around campus with two accomplices. The person responsible also said they had an additional “agent of chaos” who took one face to hide somewhere off campus. Students have expressed mixed feelings about the prank. “While I do not condone their existence, I find their presence vaguely comforting as they make me feel connected to the nonsensical and random nature of the universe,” said Jordan Kilgore,

acting sophomore. Some students said they admire the prank. “I think it’s hilarious,” said Jason Gonzalez Larsen, music theater freshman. “It’s a great meme. It’s a great prank. That’s all I have to say.” Kaley McConnaughey, music theater freshman, said she views the Nicolas Cage heads as something more than just paper and tape. “Absolutely brilliant, very artistic work that we have here from our mysterious benefactor,” McConnaughey said. “Just brilliant. Brings joy to my day, life to this campus. I hope we figure out who it is.” Sarah Keast, acting senior, said she finds the prank odd and arbitrary. “It’s pretty strange,” Keast said. “I don’t know who started it or why they started it, but it’s kind of weird. A waste of printer ink.” There aren’t any new paper heads being taped on campus, but many of the originals still remain. The person responsible said those who are upset or offended by the Nicolas Cage faces shouldn’t take the matter so seriously. “It’s just Nicolas Cage, dude,” they said.

Submitted A Nicolas Cage head was taped to a parking sign outside Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. Others are located outside Cokesbury Court Apartments and inside other buildings on campus.

Self-proclaimed psychic applies for test of mind powers, fails Caroline Hawthorne

STAFF WRITER

Carolann Stout Student Publications

Nice catch Senior Infielder Garrett Foster leaps to catch the ball at the baseball game against Tabor College at 2 p.m. April 10 in Jim Wade Stadium. The Stars won against Tabor, 14-3, and beat Randall University at 6 p.m. the same day. The baseball team will play against Tabor again at 3 p.m. April 24 in Jim Wade Stadium.

April 18, 2018

An education professor scientifically proved a self-proclaimed psychic wrong. Dr. Bryan Farha, director of the applied behavioral studies graduate program, recently directed an experiment for the Independent Investigations Group. The experiment involved a man who claimed he could change the brightness of a light bulb with his mind. “I am a member of the Independent Investigations Group at large,” Farha said. “Since the applicant was here in Tulsa, they asked me to do it.” The group’s goal is to promote skepticism and to test the claims of people who have special abilities, according to their website, iighq.org. Abilities range from telekinesis to telepathy. People have submitted to their IIG $100,000 Challenge, a contest wherein, if a participant proves his or her abilities, he or she can win $100,000. Part of Farha’s job is to test the claims of applicants.

The subject did not pass the test. “He did not even come close to passing,” Farha said. The experiment involved the subject looking at a light bulb with a Sekonic L-758 light meter attached to it. If the meter had increased or decreased above or below 11.2 EV, his claim would have been proven. The subject signed a contract claiming he would make it increase or decrease by 3 EV for 10 out of 15 trials, but he didn’t move it plus or minus one. “He said that, when he was at home or work, he could do it when he concentrated,” Farha said. “We asked him how old the building he worked in was, so I think he was misinterpreting poor wiring as psychic ability.” To control the testing, the light bulb had an uninterruptible power supply to assure that if any changes in brightness occurred, it would be due to psychic ability. “He truly believed he had psychic abilities,” Farha said. “He realized at the end he didn’t. If he had passed that and then duplicated it, he would have won

$100,000.” Farha said, for now, the case is closed. “The subject says that he is going to apply next year, but I don’t think he’s going to,” Farha said. The group’s next potential experiment involved someone who claims telepathic abilities, but the subject backed out at the last minute. “We had the protocol done and everything and he backed out,” Farha said. “He said he would try later, but I said that I’m not going back now, he’s going to have to come here.” Other students have shown interest in what happened. “I’m personally fascinated by paranormal stuff,” said Callie Michaud, design and production senior. “I find it really interesting and strange that a professor is actually taking part in something relating to it, since, usually, intellectuals reject the idea of the paranormal.”