August 28 by MediaOCU

THE CAMPUS

page 2

Opinion

page 3

News

August 28, 2019 – Volume 113 Issue 2

page 4 News

I'm a sucker for you

Mind your pooch

It's a smashing success

New columnist Francesca Iacovacci comments on the Jonas Brothers

A new Student Government Association plan will minimize pet waste on

A weekly tournament allows students to find stress relief in Super Smash

reunion, the psychology of boy bands and the growth of the infamous trio's

campus and encourage students to learn more about Emotional Support and

Bros. Smashcade is sponsored by the OCU esports team. The winner of the

fanbase.

Service Animals.

weekly tournament recieves a cash price.

Dining program hours extended Meal exchanges now only allowed during dining hours Francesca Iacovacci

STAFF WRITER

Meal exchange hours have been reduced, presenting a challenge to some students with school obligations during traditional dining hours. The OKCU Dining Facebook page made a post on Aug. 10 outlining changes to policies and operational hours this semester. In previous semesters, meal exchanges were allowed to be used in The Market at Alvin's and Chick-Fil-A at any time. Starting this semester, meal exchanges will only be allowed between 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. and 5– 7 p.m. “We found this being the most utilized time for the students,” OKCU Dining said in their Facebook post. “During meal times outside that, any student is allowed to use points, stars cash, or cash/credit.” OKCU Dining declined to comment on these changes beyond what was posted on the Facebook page. Meghan Settle, design and production junior, said this new policy is inconvenient for students. “The fact that we can only use meal swipes certain hours doesn’t really work for theater students.” Settle said. “It’s kind of upsetting because we usually have meetings during those hours.” MaKenzi Fox, business administration senior, also said this new rule is restricting. “If people can’t make it during those times, they might not be able to eat if they’re out of points,” she said. Officials also changed hours of operation. The cafeteria extended their dinner hours from previous years and are now open until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday. “I think it’s a good idea because a lot of people have night classes,” Fox said. “I have friends that don’t get out until 7 o’ clock.”

If people can't make it during those times, they might not be able to eat if they're out of points.

MaKenzi Fox business administration senior

RK Black Office replaces PrintStar, offers full printing services Hope Melton

STAFF WRITER OCU’s on-campus print shop recently reopened under a new name. The print shop, formerly known as PrintStar, now operates as RK Black Office. The same company that managed PrintStar, RK Black, also manages the newest version of the shop. The print shop has been on a hiatus since Jan.16, when a sign was posted on the doors of the PrintStar office alerting students that the shop was closed until further notice. An RK Black official later said PrintStar closed because of understaffing. RK Black Office currently offers full service printing for a variety of items including headshots, business cards, brochures, posters, stationary and newsletters. They also offer graphic design services as well as CD and DVD duplication. Colton Lindsey, operations manager of RK Black Office, said the shop has made some improvements. “We’ve kind of revised the shop a bit,” Lindsey said. “I would say that our operations are more effective and things are going a bit faster.”

M MEDIAOCU.com

Emily Wollenberg Student Publications RK Black Office officials reopened the on-campus print shop, formerly known as PrintStar. The shop offers full service printing, including headshots, business cards, brochures, posters, stationary and newsletters.

Lindsey said students have engaged with the shop since the reopening. “We’ve been busy so far this year,” Lindsey said. “As soon as we opened, we had people coming in for headshots and we’ve been

emailing teachers about course packets.” The overall goal of the shop is to be a resource for students and staff, Lindsey said. “Our main thing here is to obviously just help the students and teachers so they don’t have to go through Fed-Ex or Staples,” Lindsey said. “No pun intended, but we want to be a staple here for OCU.” Lyndsey Speer, political science/philosophy junior, said the reopened store is a good resource for students. “It will be so convenient having the print store as a resource again, especially for big projects and assignments,” Speer said. Sierra Paul, theatre and performance/education senior, said she is happy to see the store reopen. “I’m glad that PrintStar is reopening so that students, especially arts majors like me, can have access to that service again,” Paul said. RK Black Office is located in room 114B of the Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center and is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Dear Ms. Marty Pants: A Bad Advice Column

Check us out

Like us on Facebook at MediaOCU

Send questions to Ms. Pants' secretary at fiacovacci@my.okcu.edu See more content on our website mediaocu.com

Want to share a story?

Email us at stupub@my.okcu.edu

opinion New meal exchange schedule disrupts students' dining accessibility On a college campus reputed as busy, hardworking and thoroughly committed, it is vital for students to take care of themselves as much as possible, be it through self-care, pragmatic study habits, outside work, exercise, or dietary plans. OCU has several options for on-campus meals that can be accessed through a formal meal plan, stars cash/points or nonOCU funds. Despite efforts to increase dietary options for students, new hours for The Market at Alvin's and Chickfil-A meal exchanges inhibit students’ meal accessibility. This year, The Market at Alvin’s and Chick-fil-A have started only accepting meal exchanges during regular cafeteria hours. See page 1 for more about the meal exchange changes. These new rules affect people with schedules that require them to eat outside of Caf hours. The Market at Alvin’s and Chick-filA are advertised as “grab and go”

on the OCU website, and this has not been updated to indicate the new hourly rules. The two locations have served as backup options for people who need food quickly or do not wish to eat in the Caf. For students with class or work hours that require them to miss regular dining hours, these new rules restrict them from using meal exchanges. Students who purchase a meal plan with a set amount of meals per week should not feel like they are wasting money because they are limited as to when they can use their meal exchanges. Students might be forced to budget their spending more strictly at these locations, because they have to use more points or stars cash to buy the same food they could previously purchase with a meal exchange. For students with commitments outside of OCU, it also means extra preparation, consideration and scheduling when

determining how to get a meal in the midst of intense study or work periods. While dining services are making strides toward accommodating students, these new policies are a step backward, removing choices and options without allowing for student input or feedback. It is beneficial to students that dining officials have extended hours at the Caf, but officials should continue to improve students' accessibility to dining. At the very least, a survey on how, when and where students choose their meals could provide officials with insight into what students want in dining options. After all, we all need to eat. Why not make it easier?

Talk Back “What do you think about the new meal exchange policy in Alvin's?” "I don't understand why they needed to change it from last year."

"It's harder for me now because I have to use my points for meals at Alvin's."

Morgan Wanamaker dance senior

Abigail Woodward voice sophomore

"It seems redundant to have the same meal swipe hours at the Caf and Alvin's."

"It puts a time restraint on people who are busy. It doesn't seem fair."

Zac Zubia music/pre-med junior

Kathryne Pham piano/vocal performance sophomore

"I don't like it because I am an athlete and I miss Caf hours a lot.

"I have a lot of night classes and I eat a late dinner at Alvin's, so this is inconvenient."

Ashton Denham cellular and molecular biology senior

Mary Donnelly dance junior

Columnist discusses Jonas Brothers reunion, cultural impact on teenage culture As you may have heard, the Jonas Brothers officially got back together last spring since their decision to split in 2013. To quote the title of the iconic trio’s debut studio album, It’s About Time! After a six year hiatus, Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas are supplying plenty of content to make up for lost time. With the release of a new single, a documentary, an album, and the announcement and subsequent kickoff of a national tour, fans are overjoyed by the band’s unexpected reunion and are welcoming them with open arms. Though the songs may be new, there’s still a sense of nostalgia in listening to the band that was playing on the radio in

your fondest childhood memories. The familiar voices remind us of a simpler time when our only worries were how people in the year 3000 would survive underwater. (My best guess? Snorkels.) For the ‘record,’ Happiness Begins is the group’s first new album in ten years. The band’s grand re-entrance to the pop arena isn’t exactly groundbreaking. In fact, the album lacks innovation and the tracks don’t flow together quite as easily as they did in the group’s previous albums such as A Little Bit Longer. Despite an overall inconsistent tone, the individual songs are all bops in themselves, ranging in style from reggae to romantic pop ballads. The

Francesca Iacovacci is a music theater junior from Clearwater, Florida. She loves zoodles, Jeapardy! and a good poop joke.

hodge-podge of songs explore themes of love, family values and inherent fun. With 14 new, feel-good tracks after a decade of musical drought, it’s no wonder the album topped the Billboard 200 chart. While this is the Jonas Brothers’ third album of theirs to do so, their lead single, “Sucker,” marks their first number one song on the Billboard Hot 100. Another possible reason for the success of Happiness Begins is the strategic release of the

brothers’ documentary, Chasing Happiness, just four days prior to the album's release. The documentary allows us to sit in on vulnerable conversations about the group’s separation and the mending of their relationships. With the band’s return, I’ve given thought to how the majority of boybands are able to capitalize on their single relationship status, leading hopeful fans to believe they still have a chance.

If you’ve never mentally mapped out the scenario of nonchalantly running into Nick Jonas in a coffee shop and falling in love with each other…you’re lying. This completely probable scenario is unrealistic now since all three of the Jonas brothers are married. In fact, the heart-warming music video for the single “Sucker” featured the brothers’ partners: Sophie Turner, Danielle Jonas and Priyanka Chopra. Regardless of band members' relationship statuses, it is no surprise the main consumers of boybands are teenage girls. Growing up with groups like the Jonas Brothers and One Direction, it was almost unheard of for boys to enjoy boybands. As verbally ironic as this is, I can’t help but wonder why?

Is it because the male gender is genetically wired to dislike cute love songs? Or perhaps enjoying music listened to by girls threatens hidden insecurities and leads men to feel emasculated by society’s standards? While the Jonas Brothers needed time away from the spotlight to grow, so did the fanbase. I think my generation has matured immensely since our awkward middle-school years when the Jonas Brothers last dominated the charts. Young adults nowadays are generally more comfortable discussing topics such as gender standards and sexuality. Leaving behind insecurities and pre-teen lust, we are able to approach the Jonas Brothers with the appreciation they’ve always deserved.

Film critic reviews Netflix Nickelodeon remakes, presents ways to make good remakes I don’t know if you have noticed, but there are a lot of movies and properties being remade into new movies. Remakes have been recently running rampant in our theaters and are making way too much money to be stopping any time soon. I have often been very critical of remakes in the past (I’m looking at you, Mouse), so for this column I am going to try to be positive about remakes by looking at some recent, but different examples of what makes a good remake. The ones I will be looking at are Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus and Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling. Invader Zim was a show created by Jhonen Vasquez that debuted in 2001 and was canceled during its second season in 2002 (along with reruns on

Nicktoons until 2006). Sounds like the perfect show to remake into movie, right? Well, Invader Zim became a cult classic for an older demographic due to its dark and edgy content. The DVD sales for the show’s first two seasons made more money than the show did on the air, so of course Nickelodeon would want to remake it into a movie! 17...years...later…? Both of these properties have the advantage of being TV shows originally and using episodic plot structures, so the movies basically had to copy that same, self-contained story structure. Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus copied the structure and translated it to a movie format flawlessly, and, after a brief explanation for where the show has been for the past decade or so, the show is

Paul Dower is a film production sophomore from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He likes squishy toys, hoodies and Stanley Kubrick.

right back to its wacky hijinks. Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus is an absurdly hilarious science fiction romp through memory lane for fans of the original show. Even for those who haven’t seen the original show, Zim is a good time waiting for you on Netflix right now. If I had to complain about something, Zim’s robot GIR was pretty hit or miss for me. The jokes that involved him were just not as good as all the other perfectly timed jokes through the rest of the movie.

Now, for Rocko. Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling, created by Joe Murray, had a bit of a different problem when being remade. If you thought 17 years was a long time, Rocko hasn’t been on the air for 23 years. Yeah, it’s been a little while for our old pal Rocko. Along with the issues that come with such a long time not being on the air, Rocko’s Modern Life was a social commentary on the mundane aspects of 90’s life. A lot has changed since the 90’s,

and Rocko needed some catching up to do. So what kind of social commentary can you do with a character that hasn’t been relevant since the 90’s? Do you modernize him to make him more relatable to people in the 21st century? No, actually, you keep him the same. Rocko’s character arc in the new special is about Rocko being shell-shocked about all the advancements in technology and society since he was blasted into space over 20 years ago (long story). Rocko and one of the supporting characters, Mr. Bighead, have a hard time dealing with all the changes in their life and learn not to be so stuck in the past. Rocko's and Mr. Bighead's character arcs comment on people that use nostalgia to

distract themselves from the problems of today. This reboot of Rocko’s Modern Life is a commentary on the nature of reboots and how they affect the fans and culture as a whole. Now that is a metacommentary if I’ve ever seen one. As for the special itself, it is a nice, over-the-top, cartoony story about accepting change. It has some adult jokes that are pretty funnny, as well as some juvenile gags. It's not as good as Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus, but it is still worth a watch, especially if you are as sick of remakes as I am (kind of an ironic statement I know). Both of these specials are examples of what good remakes can be. I wouldn't mind letting these specials Invade my Modern Life.

Art Center

Jean Hulsey Gallery in Norick Art Center

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 Brenda Kingery Retrospective from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Nona Jean Hulsey Gallery in Norick Art Center THURSDAY Brenda Kingery Retrospective

from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Nona Jean Hulsey Gallery in Norick Art Center

FRIDAY Final day to drop without a transcript record

from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Nona Jean Hulsey Gallery in Norick Art Center

Weekly Play Club meeting from 7 p.m. to midnight in the Honors Lounge in Gold Star Memorial Building

Final day to register or add fall classes

SATURDAY Brenda Kingery Retrospective from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Nona Jean Hulsey Gallery in Norick

Brenda Kingery Retrospective

THE CAMPUS Aug. 28, 2019, Volume 113, Issue 2

Editor-in-chief: Emily Wollenberg Copy Editor: Paul Dower Photo Editor: Clara Foster Community Manager: Jessica Vanek Web Editor: Luke Barrett Graphic Designer: Melissa Campbell

Staff Writers: Erik Hamilton, Francesca Iacovacci, MaKayla Baxter, Hope Melton Columnists: Francesca Iacovacci, Paul Dower Photographers: Clara Foster, Carolann Stout, Hope Melton Ad Director: Maddie Bowes Faculty Adviser: Ben Felder

MONDAY Labor Day - No classes, University closed Brenda Kingery Retrospective from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Nona-

TUESDAY Brenda Kingery Retrospective from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Nona Jean Hulsey Gallery in Norick Art Center

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

August 28, 2019

news

“ “

Luke Barrett Student Publications

Wanna Hurts Donut? Top: OCU students play volleyball at last week’s Back to School Bash. The event took place on Aug. 19 at the pavillion on the West Lawn. Left: Sarah Schulz and Zoe Dongas, music theater juniors, pose with a representative from Hurts Donut. The Back to School Bash provided free donuts and popsicles to attendees of the event.

New plan to minimize pet waste on campus MaKayla Baxter

STAFF WRITER

Students can expect more accommodations for dogs this year. The Student Government Association is planning a new program called the Service Animal Waste Initiative in hopes of minimizing animal waste on campus. Trae Trousdale, SGA President and mass comm junior, said waste stations will be set up around Oklahoma United Methodist Hall. “There was a lot of animal waste being left outside, and we tried brainstorming ideas about how we could help,” Trousdale said. “That’s when the animal waste stations came to mind.” Trousdale said SGA plans to promote the new waste stations with an afternoon dog park, and provide students with information on how to obtain and register a service animal. “We’re partnering with counseling and disability services for an afternoon dog park activity,” Trousdale said. “We want to raise awareness about mental health and give students an opportunity to talk to someone about how to go about getting a service animal.

We want to raise awareness about mental health and give students an opportunity to talk to someone about how to go about getting a service animal. Trae Trousdale SGA president

Students and faculty could bring their own pets, and we hope to bring puppies from the Humane Society so everyone else can be involved.” Macey Trussell, music sophomore, said animal waste stations would be beneficial for all students, not just those with pets. “I think any campus that allows animals should have something like this,” Trussell said. “It makes it easier for those of us with dogs to take better care of them, while also keeping the campus clean for everyone else.”

Trussell said she wishes an afternoon dog park event would have happened sooner. “I was looking into getting a service animal, and I had a lot of trouble finding any information about it,” Trussell said. “I had to ask people who already had one. I know other people who have had the same issue, so I think this event will really help with that. I wish I would have had something like this.” Owen Whitham, acting senior, said he thinks students will look forward to the event. “There are many students interested in bringing animals to school,” Whitham said. “Having one definitely improved my experience tenfold.” Whitham said students have reached out to him personally for information regarding obtaining a service animal. “Hopefully this event will be a good way for students to ask questions and have an opportunity to start taking steps,” he said.

Americans encouraged to reach out to international students Jessica Vanek

COMMUNITY MANAGER

International students bring new and unique skills to the OCU campus community. There are currently 48 international students enrolled at OCU in both graduate and undergraduate programs. Aaron Wheelbarger, director of international admissions, said international students often are asked to study on campus for the entirety of their program. “Currently, we just offer whatever the duration of their program is,” Wheelbarger said. “For undergrads, it’s four years, unless they’re transfers.” Wheelbarger, who has been working in the international program for the last 15 years, said there are several ways OCU attracts international students. “It’s a collage of a lot of things that we utilize to grab international students’ attention,” he said. “That could be through university relations, or a number of other things.” Yunji Park, TESOL graduate, studied in Korea before coming to OCU. “I was studying TESOL certificate program in South Korea, but that school has a partnership with OCU, so I transferred 12 credits to here,” Park said. Park, who is beginning her third semester on campus, is currently working to get her masters and teach English abroad. “I was planning on going to UNESCO,” she said. “I like helping people who struggle with English by teaching them and giving them hope in their life or their dream. That’s why I want to go over there.”

They might not think about international students, but there are lots of opportunities to meet international students and learn about their cultures and their backgrounds. Megumi Wilson

“

international student services specialist

Park said her major has allowed her to help others by tutoring Japanese students in English. Besides studying English, Park said she also enjoys attending extracurricular events on campus. “Last year I went to Spring Sing,” she said. “It was so impressive. I’ve never seen anything like that in my country and I would love to see it again. I also love watching sports like soccer and volleyball.” Jayden Lazzari, cell and molecular biology freshman, said she knows a few international students from her track team. “I’ve only been here for a couple weeks, but they’re all super nice,” Lazzari said. “One is from Scotland and one is from the U.K.” Lazzari said despite her sports connection with international students, she doesn’t often see them on campus outside of athletics. “I only really deal with the athletic side and the kids they’re recruiting,” she said. “They kind of just gel with the team, but I haven’t seen many international students around campus, and I haven’t really met anyone besides on my team.”

Megumi Wilson, international student services specialist, said she helps international students acclimate to life in the U.S. “I take care of everyone who might need advice, paperwork, and I also organize events for students,” Wilson said. Wilson, who was once an international student at Ball State University, said she is passionate about helping students get comfortable. “Meeting the international students is what I enjoy,” she said. “I was once an international student, so I understand a lot of the issues they face after they arrive on campus. In the U.S. you live with unfamiliar things in a new country. So that’s what I’m passionate about because I was in their shoes.” Lazzari said OCU needs more events to help introduce students to each other. “Typically, people meet at school events, so we just need to find a way to get everyone involved,” she said. “It can be really scary for them.” Wilson said American students need to be more conscious of international students’ presence on campus. “They might not think about international students, but there are lots of opportunities to meet international students and learn about their cultures and their backgrounds,” she said. “I think they can learn from each other. There are a lot of international students who want to be friends with American students, so they are just constantly looking for opportunities to meet up. I think it would be nice if we had more opportunities for both to meet.”

Super Smash Bros. host weekly gaming tournaments Erik Hamilton

STAFF WRITER

Super Smash Brothers Ultimate tournaments are now held weekly on campus. These tournaments, called Smashcade, were started by students and are sponsored by OCU’s esports team. Smashcade is held every Sunday in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center, with doors opening at 6 p.m., and closing between midnight and 1 a.m. Anyone can participate, regardless of affiliation with the university. “I think it’s a great game that almost anyone can pick up, so it’s good for a community to grow,” said Austin Lamb, business junior. Austin Hogue, music senior and Smashcade tournament official/founder, said he founded the group as a way to relieve stress. August 28, 2019

“I was switching over to trumpet performance,” Hogue said “I found myself stressed and locked in a practice room 24/7, so I decided to do something to branch outside of that, to not have myself just sitting in my own stress. Smashcade was one of those things. I contacted a couple of my friends who also played Smash, we went out to Sooners. That’s the event that’s held at OU. We saw how they did it, and we were like, ‘Man, this is pretty easy. We can do this ourselves.’” Smash Brothers events began in the last semester in the spring. “I think the first time I heard about them having a tournament style was last semester,” said Duke Bartholomae, acting junior. “Every week they’d be like, ‘This is an event of Facebook. Come on.’ Just regular tournament rules and all that. It wasn’t until I came back that I saw one them called, officially, Smashcade.”

I found myself stressed and locked in a practice room 24/7, so I decided to do something to branch outside of that, to not have myself just sitting in my own stress. Austin Hogue official/founder Smashcade tournament

Hogue said he and other students began hosting tournaments in the Watson Lounge in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel in February, then moved to the Great Hall in July after Jeff Price, professor of game design and animation and director of esports on campus, contacted them. OCU’s esports team bought more systems and stream setups, which allows Smashcade to stream on Twitch, a popular streaming website, Hogue said. “In terms of Smashcade, it provides our event with

the needs to be able to grow, because we were relying on the community to bring out their own systems and bring everything that we needed,” Hogue said. “So now that we have the university providing that for us, we can host bigger events. Right now we’re sending about 25 students and community members per night, on Sunday nights.” Hogue said victories in Smashcade count toward a Smash Brothers League; placing in official events within the state of Oklahoma allows players to raise their rank. He also said

each person entering singles and doubles bracket are required to pay ten dollars, five of which go into the pot. The top two teams in doubles win the doubles pot, and the top three singles players win the singles pot. The earnings people have won range from $50 to $90. “Oh, it’s grown a lot,” said Benjamin Kelly, business sophomore. “When it first started, it was mostly kids from OCU and UCO, and just about 12 to 20 every week, but last time I went, it was at least more than 30.” Hogue said the event has even spread to communities besides college. “I have adults that come out and play; it’s why I kind of coined the term community event, because it’s not just for OCU students,” Hogue said. “I tried to make it where other college students could come out, people who play Smash Brothers who want to just come out and see. I had one guy driving

out from Shawnee; he was at the bottom of the ranks, and now he’s ranked fourth in state from our event.” Hogue said they also allow people to come and act as commentators. “I love the competitive spirit of it,” said Cameron Duncan, music senior. “You can just get destroyed by somebody, but then at the end, you still shake hands. And vice versa. It’s always a nice, chill atmosphere.” Smashcade accepts cash, credit, debit, Android Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Venmo. Paying with credit and debit adds a processing fee.

news

“

Art school offers new, 3D animation-based programs Paul Dower

COPY EDITOR

The School of Visual Arts is offering a new Game Design and Animation course. The program involves learning how to 3D animate, create visual effects and design video games and characters. Jeff Price, game design and animation chairman and director of esports, is the new teacher for the program and is spearheading the new animation department. Price has taught game design and animation at Virginia Commonwealth University, Oklahoma State University, Sam Houston State University, and Oklahoma Christian University. Price said the goal of the program is to make sure students are ready to go into any business in the game design and animation field. “Realistically, I want to train students to work in the game and animation industry and to get a job when they graduate,” Price said. “I want to train them to be professional animators and video game designers and concept artists.” Price said he plans to teach the students the ways of visual effects, video graphics and eventually motion capture animations. Collin Salmonowicz, film senior, is one of the students

We should be set for the next couple of years. The technology inside of it should be pretty future proofed.

Collin Salmonowicz film senior

enrolled in the New Technology for Graphics class. “The class I’m taking is not as involved in the animation and graphics side of things, it goes through the fundamentals all the way through intermediate and more advanced stages of learning Photoshop, Illustrator and, hopefully, After Effects, if we have time,” Salmonowicz said. These Adobe programs are considered standard equipment in the digital design and editing spheres. Ready access to these programs through OCU is highly beneficial to those who need experience working in the medium and may not currently have the budget to purchase these programs. Price said the School of Visual Arts and Price recently reno-

vated one of their rooms into a game design and animation lab. “The art and design faculty, as well as the group from NIT, we all formulated the concept,” he said. “We fortunately got a donation of $250,000, and we created the lab.” Salmonowicz said the equipment in the lab is necessary for the field and is state-of-the-art. “We ended up getting some Alienware, which is a part of Dell; computers, drawing tablets and all of that,” he said. “We should be set for the next couple of years. The technology inside of it should be pretty future proofed.” Salmonowicz said Price has been doing a good job teaching the class so far. “You can tell Jeff, as a professor, has been doing this for quite some time,” Salmonowicz said. “He seems very confident a far as leading a bunch of students. He seems to know what to teach and how to teach it.” Price said he is excited for the creative opportunities that working at OCU will bring. “It’s arts and sciences, and those two intermingle.” Price said. “If you think about my area, it is really the harmony between art and computer science.”

Paul Dower Student Publications

A new challenger approaches Top: Players watch on a projection screen as two singles players in the SmashCade tournament battle. The tournament was held from 7 p.m. to midnight on Sunday Aug. 25 in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. Tournaments will continue to be every Sunday with doubles starting at 7 p.m. and singles starting at 8 p.m. Left: Tyler Jones, acting junior, and Jad Alkhatib, a game participant, select their stage as they prepare to fight each other for the next tournament spot. The tournament was streamed on Twitch, which included commentary by the esports team and a facecam to catch the player’s reactions.

Freshman student elected as alternate to represent United Methodist Church Emily Wollenberg

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A freshman student will represent OCU at the United Methodist Church Jurisdictional Conference. Kyla Powers, business administration freshman, was elected as an alternate to the conference that chooses the next bishop for the United Methodist Church. She was chosen as one of 17 delegates out of at least 60 candidates. Powers said less than 7% of delegates at the conference are young adults. “I felt like the young adults needed a voice,” Powers said. “I want to add my voice to the delegation.” After nominating herself online, Powers said she campaigned by talking to people she knew and people in her community. She will attend all the monthly jurisdictional meetings and step in if someone is not able to attend a session or chooses not to vote. At the Jurisdictional Conference in July 2020, she will step in as an alternate for voting for the next bishop. Powers said she felt inspired to run after United Methodist

to represent it. “It’s pretty awe-inspiring to be able to think that I’m the person that is going to be representing all these people,” she said. “I’m I felt like the young adults definitely taking it super seriously and doing my homework, needed a voice. I want to add learning the discipline and all that.” my voice to the delegation KC Curry, religion education senior, also participated in the election process. She said the election process seemed biased, because most of the laity (people not ordained in the church) Kyla Powers who were voted in had conservative views. “To me, it’s not fair that the laity wasn’t so equal,” Curry business administration freshman said. Curry said she is proud of Kyla and the work she has done delegates voted during a July 23 special session of the UMC General to get elected. “It’s a chance not everyone who runs for election the first Conference for the UMC to maintain its traditional stance on the time gets,” she said. “The election process is tough, and general LGBTQ community. “There’s not enough representation in the LGBTQ community. conference 2020 will be tougher, but I have full confidence in There’s not enough representation in the delegation, which is partly Kyla.” why I wanted to run,” she said. “I wanted to make sure they have a voice in their church.” After growing up in the church, Powers said she feels honored

Hope Melton Student Publications

Serve it up Top: Lacy Beeler, outside hitter, hits the ball during the 3 p.m. Aug. 24 game against Wiley College in Abe Lemons Arena. The Stars won 3-0 against the Wildcats. Left: Marijana Bjelobrk, right side hitter, serves the ball at the 3 p.m. Aug. 24 game. The next home game is at 7 p.m. Sept. 13 in Abe Lemons Arena against the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.

August 28, 2019