THE CAMPUS
February 10, 2021 – Volume 114 Issue 7
Dining Services previews potential new meal options to replace Chick-fil-A
Lifestyles
Francesca Iacovacci
NEWS EDITOR
Submitted Jay Williams, OCU alumnus, has been accepted into the Master of Divinity program Boston University. (Page 2)
News
Sou�ce: okcu.edu The 2021 Neustadt Lectures will feature Dr. Alvin H. Rosenfeld to discuss antisemitism in a series of webinars. (Page 3)
Opinion
Columnist Troy Freeman celebrates Valentine’s Day by reviewing the classic rom -com, “Runaway Bride.” (Page 4)
Arts & Entertainment
OCU Dining Services is hosting themed weeks for new meal option possibilities. Dining Services is conducting tasting events this semester for new options to replace the Chick-fil-A on campus. The new venue, once it’s chosen, is planned to be installed over summer and will open by the fall 2021 semester. Casey Kreger, director of housing and residence life, said the process started a year ago, but due to the pandemic, Dining Services was unable to change the venue over summer as planned. Since then, he said he’s been working with Student Government Association and a small group of students that represent different student populations to gather feedback on students’ needs. Kreger said he’s looked at the restaurants students enjoy in Oklahoma City and considered what Chartwells, OCU’s dining provider, can do to build a custom option to meet individual needs. “I think OCU and our students are very unique, and we’re not like any other schools. Our students have very different needs, from our athletes, to our performing arts students, to any student that’s on campus. So, we gathered information, and we took that and made new concepts,” Kreger said. The first of two potential concepts is called “Bowl Life” and was featured from Jan. 25-29 in the Caf in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. Kreger said Bowl Life functions similarly to a Chipotle or Qdoba and offers dietary-friendly and healthy options, along with Asian and barbecue options. He said it comes in a single container and can be customized for each individual. The second concept is called “Melt” and will be featured Feb. 9-12. “It’s something similar to what Alvin’s used to have on campus back in the day that predated Chick-fil-A,
Mackenzie Shaw Student Publications
Above: An empty line at Chick-fil-A in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center during lunch on Jan 29. Left: Students and faculty line up to try a new bowl at the Bowl Life testing station in the Caf of Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center during lunch on Jan. 29.
and also has a McAllister’s/Panera-type feel,” Kreger said. After trying the new concepts, students and faculty will be able to take a short survey by scanning a QR code or by using tablets provided to give feedback about the food. Jacob Harrel, religious education/ English junior, said he thinks the new concepts fit with the style of the campus community. “It reminds me of what Alvin’s used to be like before I was here, from what I’ve heard from alumni, that there was a salad bar and soup and it was more like a bodega than it is now,” he said. “So, I think it would be nostalgic for some of the alumni as well as good for the people who are currently on campus.” Harrel also said he thinks it’s a good idea for the university to replace Chick-fil-A.
“Chick-fil-A is delicious, and I love them, of course, but it’s not a very healthy option. And Chickfil-A is a company that I don’t like to support financially, specifically for political reasons, even though I will cheat every once in a while and eat there,” he said. “I think at their core, the university does not line up with the core values of Chick-fil-A. And our campus itself is very health-conscious when you think about how many dancers we have. I myself am not a dancer or an actor, but I try to be health-conscious when it comes to my meals.” Emma Krajicek, music theater junior, also said it’s a good idea to replace Chick-fil-A. “The connections Chick-fil-A has, their association to homophobic things and stuff like that, and on a diverse campus like this, it seems
like a weird thing to have as our only quick options other than Alvin’s. So, if we want something hot, we have to go to Chick-fil-A. I think replacing Chick-fil-A might give us a better range of options in that we might have something healthier hopefully,” she said. Kreger said he’s optimistic students will like the new concepts. “If feedback comes back from students and they do not like either one, that is totally acceptable, and we’ll go back to the drawing table,” he said. “But based on past feedback and student feedback we’re getting now, we think, so far, that both of these will be a hit of the options we have available to us through our dining service provider.”
OCU starts monthly COVID-19 surveillance testing Francesca Iacovacci
NEWS EDITOR
Dr. Erik Heine, professor of music and assistant professor of the honors program, is taking a sabbatical to write a novel on the “How to Train Your Dragon” trilogy of films. (Page 5)
Sports
Cou�tesy o� OCUspo�ts.com
OCU rower Ruthie Lacy, nursing freshman, breaks her second world record. (Page 6)
M MEDIAOCU.com
The OCU Communications Office recently announced mandatory monthly COVID-19 screening for on-campus residents. The university announced on Jan. 29 residential students will now complete monthly COVID19 surveillance testing through the Campus Clinic in February, March and April. Joey Croslin, Title IX coordinator and member of the Emergency Operations Center, said testing is an additional mitigation measure the EOC felt necessary to take. “We felt it was in our best interest for the health and safety of the campus community to layer in additional testing strategies to our existing mitigation strategies to prevent the spread of the virus on campus, especially in our high-risk areas like our residential area and athletics,” she said. Croslin said students will take a rapid COVID-19 test for monthly screenings instead of the Polymerase Chain Reaction test the campus clinic usually uses. “It’s less reliable. Although the reliability is high, it’s less reliable than the PCR test which is what we do for entry testing for residen-
tial students,” she said. “If we get positives, we’ll confirm those with a PCR test.” Croslin said residential students are divided into cohorts alphabetically by last name. Residential students with last names beginning with letters A-D test the first week of every month, E-L the second week, M-R the third week and S-Z the fourth week. Though the monthly surveillance testing is currently only for residential students, Croslin said it will soon be available for any students who want to voluntarily be screened. “A student who is not symptomatic or exposed can get a screening monthly if they want to,” Croslin said. Casey Kreger, director of housing and residence life and member of the EOC, said the monthly screenings will make campus safer and allow the campus community to be more aware of their environment. “Just because our bubble on campus has been doing well in this period, since school started in August, the community obviously is very variable on the fluctuation of COVID cases and hospital levels,” he said. “With that, we wanted to enhance safety
on campus in this pandemic, both within the residential halls and other activities on campus.” Eyoel Abera, music performance sophomore, said testing more often will help control the spread on campus. “I guess it’s an ideal thing because the severity has gone up,” he said. “I have friends at large universities who get tested regularly, and it happened during last semester as well. It’s something that’s designed to help our safety, so I’m assuming it will help prevent the spread of the virus.” Laura Sue, psychology/acting sophomore, said monthly testing is a necessary process that should have been implemented last semester. “It will empower us to be better protected by providing our community with accurate information,” she said. “Yes, it will likely raise the alert level, and might even send us home if things are worse than they appear, but having had several close family members contract the virus, suffer through it and even die, I’d rather be taking online classes from home for a few weeks knowing that I’m safe than stay on a campus that could compromise my health.” Sue said she has been uncomfortable at times from a lack of
social distancing. “I, personally, do not feel safe living on campus,” Sue said. “Classes and extra-curricular activities have been doing a mostly good job enforcing proper mask wearing, but even so, classrooms are over-crowded, and many students are definitely not six feet apart in lectures. Students spending their free time in the Caf, lounges and dorm common areas display an atrocious disregard for COVID safety protocols.” Croslin also said she’s seen less compliance with safety protocols. “For this semester, I think we’re all getting fatigued by all the extra steps we have to take to remain safe, and at the same time, we’re getting excited of the prospect of vaccines and our lives getting back to normal in the foreseeable future,” she said. “So, I think there has been a little bit of a lack of following our basic safety protocol, which is wearing a properly fitted mask, keeping your distance and limiting your social gatherings, washing your hands and those sort of things. That’s what we need to do, and overall, of course, our campus community is doing a great job.”
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lifestyles
Religion alumnus accepted into Boston University Jessica Vanek
LIFESTYLES EDITOR
“I’m joining a lot of alumni who have journeyed from OCU to Boston University and have made a big impact on the world,” Jay Williams said. “Dr. Starkey, who I have looked up to so much, got his doctoral degree at Boston University.” Jay Williams, OCU alumnus, was accepted into the Master of Divinity program at Boston University. Williams said he applied to multiple universities to pursue his master’s. “I applied to Boston University, and, honestly, it wasn’t something I really considered because of how far out it is,” Williams said. “But I noticed that BU’s application was not that exhaustive, so I submitted.” In addition to juggling his school and work life, Williams adopted his two nephews in August 2019. Williams said taking care of them played a role in his initial decision to stay in Oklahoma City. “I had originally applied to St. Paul School of Theology on campus, and I had every intention of just going there so we wouldn’t have to move and the boys could finish school,” he said. “But then I got a phone call from the head of admissions at BU offering me a package that would make me a Howard Thurman fellow. I took some time and ultimately decided that maybe this move wasn’t so far out of our reach.” Howard Thurman was a theologian and philosopher who was involved in social justice movements. He co-founded the first
Submitted Jay Williams, OCU alumnus, was accepted into the Master of Divinity program at Boston University. In addition to studying religion, Williams also works as a pastor at a local OKC church and raises his two nephews.
major interracial, interdenominational church in the U.S. in 1944 and was dean of the Marsh Chapel at Boston University from 1953 to 1965. Williams said he has looked up to Howard Thurman for many years and admires his passion for justice and his influence over young leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. Williams said the fellowship would include full tuition and a living stipend. He is currently taking classes online through BU and living in Oklahoma City. Williams said he will take classes this semester to decide if Boston University is the right fit for him and his family, and if all goes well, he will add on a dual degree in social work.
“I’m loving it. We’re planning to visit sometime next month hopefully, and we will ultimately decide if that’s where we want to go or if I will end up at a different university,” he said. “It wasn’t something that I was expecting at all.” Addison Saviers, religion senior, was also accepted into Boston University for graduate school. Saviers works with Williams at a local OKC church and has known him since ninth grade. She said Williams deserved to be a Howard Thurman fellow. “I know that it is one of their highest-ranking scholarships,” she said. “Howard Thurman was a Black liberation theologian. Jay is absolutely more than deserving of that scholarship.”
Saviers said many OCU professors and alumni have attended Boston University, including Dr. John Starkey, religion professor, Dr. Mark Davies, Wimberly professor of social and ecological ethics, and Megan Hornbeek Allen, director of alumni engagement. “I think it is touching that so many students are going. I know Jay and I are not the only religion students going to BU, and a lot of people are making that transition,” she said. “For me, that’s a big reason why I chose there.” Williams said balancing school and family life has been difficult. “It’s definitely a challenge. I work as a pastor in the Oklahoma City area in addition to school and family life,” he said. “It’s a little
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hard because there’s no separation. The boys’ mom is still in their lives, and she is helping out all of the time. It’s been a lot easier with that help.” Williams said the COVID-19 pandemic helped him realize his full potential. “I was doing so well for myself before COVID. I’m always on the go, but in the midst of all that I’ve realized how much I have limited myself,” he said. “Being stuck at home all the time made me realize that the world is so much bigger than I could have ever imagined.” Williams said watching his nephews grow up has been a special experience for him. “I grew up with all of the adversity you could think of as a Black and queer man in rural Oklahoma. I had vowed that my nephews would not fall into that cycle of dysfunction and poverty,” he said. “It’s interesting because they have different personalities; just like me and my twin, they are so different. Watching them grow up and see the people that they’re becoming, I kind of see them going in a direction that will carry them far.” Williams said people should not take life for granted. “If you have goals and you feel like they’re too rocky or out of your reach, just go for it anyway. The worst thing that could happen is that you’re redirected, and you can figure something else out, but there’s no point in not trying,” he said. “Just live life as much as you can, and don’t be restricted to norms of society or expectations. Do what makes you happy, and you’ll go far.”
Ms. Marty Pants gives love advice Francesca Iacovacci
NEWS EDITOR
Dear Ms. Marty Pants, How do I show my love and affection in a socially distanced way? Sincerely, Masked Valentine Dear Masked Valentine, Great question! While it’s important to be socially distant, you don’t want your Valentine to think you’re emotionally distant as well. To show them your commitment, my advice is to go ahead and propose over Zoom on your first date!
Dear Ms. Marty Pants, How do my girlfriend and I spice it up this Valentine’s Day? Sincerely, Bored Valentine
Dear Ms. Marty Pants,
How many Valentine’s cards do I have to write to get someone to love me? Sincerely, Wannabe Valentine
Dear Bored Valentine, My favorite spices are cinnamon and nutmeg if you want something sweet, or garlic powder, turmeric and ginger if you’re in the mood for something savory. You can find them all at your local grocery store. A baking date sounds so cute; have fun you guys!
Dear Wannabe Valentine, Four.
Sincerely, Ms. Marty Pants Ms. Marty Pants is an expert on life and loves to give back to the community with her acclaimed problem-solving skills. Email any questions to Ms. Pants’s secretary at fiacovacci@my.okcu.edu.
Let them eat pie
Stephen Jackson Student Publications
Top: A crowd of students gathers outside the Caf in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center to get a free slice of pie and pick up some mental health tips on Jan. 21. Left: SGA President Reid Powell, political science junior (left), and Ellie Howell, psychology/biology junior (middle-left), discuss tips and tricks for taking care of your mental health with Catherine Brown, music junior (middle-right), and Adamaris Lopez, music theater sophomore (right), from the Student Activities Committee.
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February 10, 2021
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news
President Burger names two officials dean emeritus Paul Dower
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OCU President Martha Burger granted two OCU deans the title of dean emeritus for their respective schools. Steve Agee, professor of economics and dean of the Meinders School of Business, and Dr. Lois Salmeron, dean and professor of the Kramer School of Nursing, were honored by Burger in an email sent out to the campus community on Feb. 1. Burger wrote in her email that both Agee and Salmeron will move into their new positions on July 1. “Both of these individuals are highly regarded in their respective fields and have provided a long-lasting influence not only on our campus, but across our city and state,” Burger wrote in her email. “They have brought well-deserved recognition to the schools they lead, while continuing to fulfill our mission to create, lead, and serve. Without a doubt, our university is better today because of their service.” Both deans will still serve their respective schools as professors. They will continue to be in an administrative role, but they will cease to do the day-to-day duties and responsibilities of deanship and instead focus on big picture decisions for each school. Agee started at Meinders in 2006 as an adjunct professor, then moved to the role of visiting professor of economics. In 2010, former OCU President Robert Henry asked him to sit in as the interim dean of Meinders, but later was made the official dean.
When I was approached about it, I told President Henry, ‘I don’t even know what a dean does!’
Steve Agee
dean Meinders School of Business
“That wasn’t on my radar at all,” Agee said. “In fact, when I was approached about it, I told President Henry, ‘I don’t even know what a dean does! Surely, you can find someone better than me.’ He said, ‘no, I want you. You’ll figure it out.’ And so, that’s what happened.” Agee said some of the things he is most proud of looking back at his career as dean is the faculty he worked with and getting the Meinders School of Business accredited and re-accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. “These are the top business schools in the world,” Agee said. “There’s about 820 or 830 of those business schools from all around the world that are accredited by AASCB out of over 16,000 business schools, so it puts us in the top four and a half percent of all business schools globally.” Jane Goto, marketing and management junior, said Agee deserves the role. She said she remembers Agee being very friendly and encouraging. “There was a day where we were filming
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a commercial, and I was in it and he was in it. And he was speaking to me and to some other students about how incredible we’re doing and how we are going to go super far,” Goto said. “He’s just a funny man too.” Anna Zuza, economics and finance senior, said she is not surprised he was given the role. She said when Lynette Martin, director of student success for Meinders School of Business, introduced Agee to her, he was very friendly and easygoing. “The first time I met him, I didn’t even know he was a dean,” Zuza said. Dean Salmeron was hired to work at the Kramer School of Nursing in 2005 as an assistant dean to Dr. Marvel Williamson, the former dean of Kramer. She was promoted to associate dean in 2007 and helped in the funding process to expand the Kramer School of Nursing building until 2013 when Dr. Williamson stepped down as dean. Salmeron took over as dean in early 2014. Salmeron said she is proud of the faculty she built up over her career as dean, the recently completed Meinders Simulation Center, and cultivating a positive culture in the school. “We as a faculty and staff, in 2014, thought we would kind of determine what kind of environment we would want to work in, and we did a two-year study in working together to determine what we call the Kramer Way,” Salmeron said. “Our top three values of the Kramer Way are caring, kindness and respect. We try to infuse that into everything we do.” Salmeron said she wants to develop part-
nerships in the Oklahoma City community as dean emeritus. “We have partnerships with not only hospitals, but other entities to provide services to them, to provide nurses to them. I’d like to expand on that, develop more of those,” Salmeron said. Rachel Patel, nursing senior, said she is excited that Salmeron was given the title of dean emeritus. “She’s kind of a natural leader,” she said. “She’s very open to hearing about new ideas. She tries to implement new ideas. She tries to really find the places where there are gaps or things there needs to be fixed, and she goes above and beyond to fix them and even makes things so much better for our programs.” Patel is a student representative during the faculty and staff monthly meetings, and because of that position, Patel said she is able to see Salmeron’s leadership in action. “I’ve just seen her do all of that leadership just by leading our meetings and really including everybody so that we are all on the same page and we all know what is happening in each other’s departments,” Patel said. Both Agee and Salmeron said once a new university president is inaugurated and OCU hires a new provost, they will begin to search for new deans to take their place.
School of Religion hosts Neustadt Lectures on antisemitism Anette Barrios-Torres
Doing this online also allows us to engage a larger community.
STAFF WRITER
The School of Religion will host webinars to discuss antisemitism this semester. The 2021 Neustadt Lectures hosted by the Wimberly School of Religion will feature Dr. Alvin H. Rosenfeld, who will discuss antisemitism in a series of webinars. The event is Feb. 9-11. The Neustadt Lectures are free, yearly spring events that aim to address a different topic or trend according to current cultural issues. Walter and Dolores Neustadt began these to give people greater exposure to Judaic culture. Each year, the School of Religion invites scholars to come and share with our campus and local communities. Guest speaker Dr. Rosenfeld is a professor of English and Jewish studies at Indiana University Bloomington and is also the author of “Deciphering the New Antisemitism,” among other works. Elizabeth Horton-Ware, director of student religious life, said there are
Elizabeth Horton-Ware director student religious life
definite benefits to hosting the event virtually, one of the most important being better accessibility to those who may not otherwise have been able to attend. “One of the strange advantages to being on Zoom is the fact doing this online also allows us to engage a larger community,” Horton-Ware said. This year, the topic of the first webinar was “Antisemitism in Today’s America” on Feb. 9, followed by “History of Antisemitism” on Feb. 10 and ending with “Connections Between Anti-Zionism and Antisemitism” on Feb. 11. She said the major rise in antisemitic language and bias in recent years has made this year’s lecture
topic especially relevant, as it weighs on both the campus and local communities. “There’s been vandalism, hateful language, murders. We even see it in things like the antisemitic rhetoric, clothing and symbolism that were standing right at the steps of our country’s Capitol,” Horton-Ware said, “It’s had a more pronounced space lately, which is so disheartening.” Despite the challenges, Horton-Ware said she is hopeful and especially eager to shine a light on the Jewish part of our campus community going forward. These webinars also give those attending the opportunity to learn more on this topic and dive deeper into its many
nuances through a single forum, she said. Penina Eisenberg, music theater/ vocal performance sophomore and member of the Jewish Stars, said as a Jewish woman and a curious student, she is especially looking forward to sitting in on Dr. Rosenfeld’s research and perspective in the series. “I think that antisemitism is honestly one of those things that’s often overlooked,” Eisenberg said. “As a Jewish person that never lived within a Jewish community, I’ve mostly dealt with microaggressions. It’s the little comments that add up.” Eisenberg said though many think of antisemitism as a thing of the past, last year, OCU’s own virtual graduation ceremony was hacked and raided with hate speech and symbols. “Along with posting racial slurs, there were swastikas put up on the screen,” she said. “It was so horrifying to see something that could affect you so deeply when it was supposed to be a day to celebrate our students.” Eisenberg said antisemitism isn’t even about religion, but rather a way of finding some reason to view
another group as inferior for one arbitrary reason or another. “Antisemitism is kind of its own animal: conspiracy theories, holocaust denial.” Eisenberg said. “Most of our holidays are based around prevailing over a past of persecution or celebrating freedom. We need to make sure that as a people we show strength in that matter.” Eisenberg said she wants to emphasize the importance of giving people that awareness so communities understand not only the religion, but also the beautiful, yet heavy, culture tied to Judaism. “The better we understand the history, the more we can begin to address what’s going on right now,” Eisenberg said. To reserve a spot for the 2021 Neustadt lectures, RSVP by emailing RSVP@okcu.edu for additional information and a Zoom link confirmation.
OCU keeps tuition flat for ‘21-22 Paul Dower
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Oklahoma City University announced it will keep attendance costs flat for the 2021-22 academic year. On Jan. 13, OCU posted on their website and sent an email to the campus community stating the tuition cost for the 2021-22 academic year will remain the same as the 2020-21 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on income. This year is the second year in a row OCU has not increased the cost of attendance. “Tuition, fees, housing and meal costs will remain flat for all undergraduate, master’s, law and doctoral programs,” the announcement read. Kevin Windholz, vice president for enrollment management and university communications, is quoted in the announcement stating the COVID-19 pandemic put many families through uncertain times. “We felt it was important that our families and the community have this information to adequately plan for next academic year,” Windholz said. The COVID-19 pandemic affected the tuition of severFebruary 10, 2021
al universities across the U.S. Some institutions decided to give their students discounts for the spring semester, such as Princeton University, which cut their tuition by 10%, and the University of Illinois, which discounted their tuition 25%. However, average cost of tuition for private universities across the U.S. increased by 2.1%, which, according to a study done by the College Board for the 2020-21 academic year, is the lowest increase in the last three decades. The average cost for a returning undergraduate student to attend OCU during the 2020-21 academic year (which includes tuition, housing, meal plans and general fees) is around $23,745.81 per semester, which totals to about $47,491.62 per academic year. The average amount of academic and departmental scholarship awarded to students in the 2019-20 academic year was about $20,192, which brings the final average cost down to around $27,299.62 per year, or $13,649.81 per semester. OCU costs $7,388.38 less than the national average for private universities in the U.S., which is $54,880. Compared to public universities, OCU attendance costs almost
double the national average of in-state colleges, which costs about $26,820, and about $4,000 more than the average cost of out-of-state public universities, which totals about $43,280. Cole Fairchild, film freshman, said the cost of attending OCU did have an impact on his college decision. “I was fortunate enough that I was offered the Clara Luper scholarship, so I paid almost nothing, but had I not been offered that, I don’t think that this school could have ever been a reality for me,” Fairchild said. Fairchild said he thinks it’s good OCU is keeping the cost of attendance flat for students and hopes they follow through, even if the pandemic becomes less of a worry during the next academic year. “I think it’s great,” Fairchild said. “I hope that they keep it that way because, I’m assuming that it’s kind of locked in, but if it changes in the next year or so, or in the next coming months, and it’s not as much of a reality next year, I still think it should stay that way.” To read the full story, visit MediaOCU.com.
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opinion
What to do on Valentine's Day during a pandemic We are about one month away from the one-year anniversary of when the COVID19 pandemic began. At this point in time last year, COVID-19 was a threat far away that wasn’t too important to our lives. Oh, how times have changed. Valentine’s Day is four days away. Like most holidays during the pandemic, Valentine’s Day may be hard for a lot of people this year. Some people aren’t able to visit their loved ones due to their jobs or their health situation. Some people live in fear for their loved ones because they are on the front lines fighting the coronavirus. Some people may have lost their loved ones due to this pandemic. It is not uncommon for a lot of people to feel alone and isolated on Valentine’s Day, even without a pandemic. This year, more than ever, we should show all of our loved ones that we love them. Even if it is just in little ways, like telling them you love them or buying them a small, chocolaty treat, showing the people in your life that you care about them will go a long way. Valentine’s Day during this time of isolation brings complicated feelings. People may want to just take their chances and risk going out on a date to try to reclaim some sense of normalcy that they have been
denied for almost a year. But we have to remember we are in this together, and the more people that risk their chances and catch and spread the disease, the slower we will get back to a safe place for everyone again. We should try to find safe ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Zoom dates may be a fun way to see your loved ones during the pandemic. Making each other a romantic dinner rather than going out is a fun and potentially more personal way to show your significant other that you care. Also, make sure to show yourself some love. Quarantine and self-isolation can do a number on a person’s mental health. The stress from school and work may build up and cause other issues for mental health. So, this Valentine’s Day, try to give yourself a break. Showing other people love is a lot easier if you show some love to yourself. Finally, the editors of Student Publications want to wish everyone a fun and safe Valentine’s Day!
Talk Back “What are you doing for Valentine's Day?” “I might be asking someone out.”
“Brunch, then a hike with my friends”
Simón Gómez Villegas music theater senior
Chloe Hackett dance freshman
“Soccer game, then dinner with my friends, then watch ‘The Notebook’”
“Watching a romcom and eating candy”
Mclain Moss cell and molecular biology freshman
“Sending a Kahoot to my friends”
Lexi Rose dance freshman
Casey Kassal acting junior
“Making heartshaped pancakes at the Caf” Anna Johnson entertainment business freshman
“Hamilton” should not get a Golden Globe nomination On Feb.3 of last week, I woke up and rolled over to look at my phone as I normally do in the morning. I had several notifications from different news outlets announcing that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association released their list of nominations for the Golden Globe Awards. I normally don’t really care about award seasons, but I thought I would check to see if there were any movies I saw this year on there. I scrolled straight to “Best Motion Picture, Drama” and “Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy” to get a general idea of what was on the list, and when I did, my jaw dropped. The recording of the 2015 hit musical “Hamilton” was on the list for Best Musical or Comedy. I was immediately furious. How could it even be nominated for a Golden Globe? It’s not even a film! But then, I stopped myself and asked, “why do I think that? Why isn’t a live recording of a piece of theater a film?”I think I have come up with a couple of reasons why. First, whenever a person logs
Paul Dower is a film junior from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He likes squishy toys, Superman comics and Stanley Kubrick.
onto their Disney Plus and watches “Hamilton,” they aren’t engaging with the art as a film, they are engaging with it as a stage musical. Film as an art form has its own language, as most mediums of art do, that helps to get its message to the audience. It uses the editing and cinematography to help the audience understand the story and engage with the story in a way that is unique to film. The recording of “Hamilton” doesn’t really attempt to do that. The director, Thomas Kail, uses close ups and wide shots to enhance emotion, but it always will be limited due to the staging and lighting already being set, as well as the impossibility of going on the stage and behind the characters.
Therefore, the audience engages with the film as a documentation of the show rather than a true adaption of source material into a movie musical. And notice I did not use the term “documentary,” as those types of films also have their own language through which they speak to the audience, which this film also does not engage in. The audience of the “Hamilton” recording looks past the camera work being done and engages with the blocking, lighting and acting as that of a stage musical. They understand they are watching a recorded piece of theater and not a film. Also, Lin-Manuel Miranda is nominated for his role as the titular “Hamilton” in the recording. First, I
don’t think Miranda is the best actor in “Hamilton.” Regardless, there should not be any acting nominations for the show. Stage acting and screen acting are very different and should be determined with different metrics. Generally, stage acting tries to give larger performances so the audience, which is not very close to the actors on stage, can understand what emotions are being expressed. Screen acting tends to be the opposite and employs much more subtle performances. There can be acting styles from both mediums that cross over from time to time, but it makes more sense to recognize screen acting with film awards and stage acting with theater awards. Second, the effort of the team behind the recording changes from creative expression to documentation. I can never know for certain what the team behind this recording were thinking when they worked on this project, but I doubt they thought their purpose was to create a film, as much as recording a version of a creative property that already
exists and sharing that recording with more people. I’m not trying to downplay the effort that went into making a project like this, it’s just not the same effort that goes into making a film. I see it the same way as nominating a live recording of the Super Bowl for a Golden Globe. It just doesn’t sit right with me. All in all, I just think it is a bummer that “Hamilton,” a property that has already been recognized with a record number of 16 Tony nominations, is being nominated for film awards. It takes away that slot for new films that could have received that same recognition. Especially in a year where not many big studio movies came out, some smaller, more independent movies could have been recognized. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science have already announced that “Hamilton” will not be eligible for any Oscars, which I think is a good move. So, I guess at this point I am just crying out into the void since the problem has sort of been solved already.
“Runaway Bride” deemed a good rom-com with a good moral Valentine’s Day. A time for love, friendship and rejection. There are few Valentine traditions sweeter than gathering around the TV with your pet or partner and enjoying the ups and downs of a romantic comedy. When my roommates and I were last scrolling through Netflix on a hunt for romantic goodness, we stumbled upon the Julia Roberts classic, “Runaway Bride.” Gary Marshall’s 1999 summer hit, “Runaway Bride,” is the second romantic comedy starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. The first, “Pretty Woman,” was a critical and box office smash, earning Julia Roberts a Best Actress nomination at the Academy Awards and resulting in a successful Broadway musical. Its spiritual successor, “Runaway Bride” was also a box office success but received moderate to harsh criticism from fans and critics alike. Until its appearance on Netflix in the last couple of years, “Runaway Bride” had all but disappeared from the pop-culture zeitgeist, drowned out by the large repertoire of better film offerings from Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Thank the Lord “Runaway Bride” was added to Netflix, because over 20
Troy Freeman is a music theater senior from somewhere in Texas. He likes Malcolm Gladwell books and “High School Musical 3.”
years after release, the movie had me and my roommates utterly captivated. There is some indescribable quality which makes romantic comedies from the 1990s special. What they lack in craftsmanship or any sort of social commentary that can be held up to scrutiny, they make up for in sincerity. Let me explain. “Runaway Bride” is about a young woman named “Maggie Carpenter,” played by Julia Roberts, who becomes the laughingstock of a small town in Maryland after leaving men at the altar a total of three times. A reporter in New York City named “Ike Graham,” played by Richard Gere, writes a story about her which ends up losing him his job due to factual inaccuracies. He is then hired by a magazine to write a larger exposé on Carpenter to rejuvenate his image. Graham heads off to Maryland to write his
story about Carpenter in the weeks leading up to her fourth marriage. Of course, hijinks ensue, and they fall madly in love. What makes “Runaway Bride” slightly problematic is also what makes it so fun to watch: Graham’s relentless investigation into Carpenter. Graham follows Carpenter around town, infuriating and annoying her, all the while completely charming the town. Everyone he interviews, with the exception of Carpenter, completely buys into his charm – how could you not, he’s Richard Gere – and gives him a hilariously invasive amount of information. As Graham continues to get under Carpenter’s skin, his encyclopedic knowledge of her life becomes a gateway for the two to fall in love. He slowly challenges her conception that she actually loves the man she
THE CAMPUS
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likes, dislikes, dreams and values of her partner. All of this is epitomized in the way she likes her eggs. With each man she engaged, she decided to eat eggs the same way he did. When she was finally single, she realized she didn’t know how she actually liked her eggs, just that she liked to not get in the way or bother her partner. At the end of the movie, Carpenter travels to New York and breaks into Graham’s apartment (romantic comedies are wild) and proposes to Graham. At first, he refuses, but she insists that she has taken the time to find out who she is and is ready to share her life with someone who is genuinely interested in her, not just who she can be for him. In a worse movie, Carpenter wouldn’t have run away from Graham at the altar, because in a worse movie, the moral is that what Carpenter really needed was a man who knew who she really was. However, “Runaway Bride” is a good movie. In a good movie, the moral is that Carpenter has to run away from Graham at the altar because until Carpenter herself knew who she was, she couldn’t know who was right for her.
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.
February 10, 2021, Volume 114, Issue 7
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
is currently engaged to, a local football coach, and during the rehearsal of the wedding, Carpenter kisses Graham instead of her fiancé and the two decide to get married instead. If the movie stopped here, there would be a lot to take issue with. A reporter using his research to coerce a romance is unethical and manipulative. Changing yourself to become what someone wants because you know more about them than any normal person should is a misuse of power and could create a negative dynamic going into marriage. Luckily, the movie doesn’t stop there. Graham and Carpenter finish planning their wedding, and in front of the entire town and a fair number of New York City reporters, Carpenter once again runs away. Carpenter has now run away from her fifth fiancé and fourth wedding. Graham heads back to New York City without a story and without Carpenter. Meanwhile, Carpenter spends the next few weeks soul searching. What we come to discover is that while Graham was trying to learn everything he could about Carpenter, Carpenter didn’t know very much about herself. In all four of her first relationships, she was adopting the
Video Editors: Josh Eliot Shelby O'Brien Columnists: Des Barrett Paul Dower Troy Freeman Francesca Iacovacci
Staff Writers: Anette Barrios-Torres, Megan Filler, Destyni Lietzke, Tyler Robbins Photographers: Annie Bragg, Jessica Casebeer, Stephen Jackson, Mackenzie Shaw
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.
February 10, 2021
arts & entertainment
School of Dance prepares virtual show Troy Freeman ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
The Ann Lacy School of Dance and Entertainment began work this week on their virtual spring dance show, “Spring into Spring.” Jo Rowan, professor of dance and chair of the Ann Lacy School, said this production will differ from previous years because there will not be a formal audition process. Any student who wants to participate in the show can sign up. “For the spring show, we will be featuring our Star Dancers instead of our American Spirit Dancers. The difference is that any student from our school who would like to perform is able to be a member of the Star Dance Company,” Rowan said. Rowan said nearly 200 students – dance majors and non-majors alike – signed up to participate in the show. She said the dance school could not audition 200 students efficiently and safely amidst COVID-19. “So, hey, you want to do it? We’re here to teach you, and we’re going to do it,” Rowan said. The official breakdown of “Spring into Spring” features 14 songs choreographed by various dance faculty and staff members. The night will include a variety of musical theater, jazz, tap and ballet numbers covering a spectrum of proficiency levels. “We have split the performers into three blocks. Each block has three weeks to record the dancers in their dance, performing solo. There will be one dancer to a studio with one choreographer and one videographer,” Rowan said. “We are doing this with nearly 200 people.” Rowan said coordinating the production
Mackenzie Shaw Student Publications
Dance studios in the Edith Kinney Gaylord Center (Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment) have been modified to be compliant with COVID-19 safety guidelines. Each student is assigned a seat and a set space in which to dance and move. Students clean their areas before and after class with disinfectant.
has proved to be a unique challenge in a time when every student and faculty member is pulled in different directions. “The big trick to all this is putting the puzzle pieces together,” Rowan said. “Assuring people aren’t called to two places at one time requires a tremendous amount of time communicating.”
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Rowan said both students and teachers have already shown incredible efficiency and passion in putting together “Spring into Spring.” Mackenzie Farrell, dance junior, said the dance faculty sent out a survey to place students in their dances as an alternative to auditions.
Game on!
“We have a virtual callboard now, and they posted a survey with every single dance and choreographer listed,” Farrell said. “We ranked the top three dances we wanted to be in, and they cast us in our dances based on that. That was really all we had to do.” Farrell said she is dancing in a rhythm tap number choreographed by Cassandra Van Houten, associate professor of dance. She said she misses performing for a live audience, but she is thankful for the school’s willingness to adapt to the circumstances. “They adjusted really well and did the best they could with everything going on. I thought the video for the Christmas show was great, and as time goes on, the videos they make will just keep getting better and better,” Farrell said. Farrell said the one-on-one studio time the dancers are getting with the choreographers is incredibly helpful, so she is looking forward to having that with the spring production. “I feel lucky to get the opportunity to perform and do it in person,” Farrell said. “Even though most of our rehearsals are over Zoom, just being able to go into the studio and dance and put a source of entertainment out there for people feels really great.” “Spring into Spring” started rehearsals Feb. 1. Information on performance dates can be found on the School of Dance Instagram page and the School of Dance website.
Jessica Casebeer Student Publications
The esports arena in Sarkeys Science and Math Center is nearing completion. It features a mural by Andrew Horner, also known as APSE, and a series of gaming chairs and equipment. If any students are interested in joining the OCU eSports Team, they can contact eSports Coordinator Paul Vaughan at pvaughan@okcu.edu.
Professor taking fall sabbatical to write music book Troy Freeman ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
A professor of music is taking a semester-long sabbatical in the fall of 2021 to write a book. Dr. Erik Heine, professor of music and assistant director of the honors program, is taking a sabbatical to write a novel on the music of the “How to Train Your Dragon” trilogy of films. Heine published his first book, “James Newton Howard’s Signs (A Film Score Guide,)” in 2016 with Rowman & Littlefield Publishing. He said he is returning for his second book at the encouragement of his editor at Film Score Monthly, where he writes features and reviews. He said he told his editor he would need the direct involvement with composer John Powell before committing to a book on the “How to Train Your Dragon” films. “Five minutes later, my editor sends me a text with Powell’s assistant’s email and his agent’s email,” Heine said. “So, I sent an email to the agent, waited two weeks and didn’t hear anything. I then sent an email to his assistant and half an hour later had a response.” Heine said after sending Powell’s assistant Batu Sener a series of writing samples February 10, 2021
My audience is hopefully people who love the music of the films. That demographic is huge, spanning many ages, spans genders. Dr. Erik Heine
professor of music
and credentials, the assistant approved his work on the project and offered cooperation. He said his next goal was to convince Powell’s representation to give him complete access to all of the scores and transcripts for all three films. “They really didn’t want to give everything to me. I had to say, ‘look, I really need this because the only way I’m going to be able to make connections with the orchestration and with the motivic stuff is if I can hear it and see it,” Heine said. “There’s things that I can see that I won’t necessarily hear that are very important.” Heine said Sener eventually agreed, but had him sign a non-disclosure agreement before handling the documents. “I’m not allowed to show anyone anything that I’m working on. I’m allowed to say I’m working on it, but I can’t tell anyone any specifics,” Heine said. “Literally two days ago, I got an email saying, ‘here’s the links to
your scores for two and three, and here’s the links to the music.’ The links are password protected, and opening the PDF has a separate password protection. It’s all very under wraps.” Heine said until the project is completed, he cannot share any content or theses related to the materials he’s gotten access to. He said he was granted a similar amount of access for his book on the movie “Signs,” but without involvement with composer John Newton Howard. “Film music isn’t the property of the composer, it’s property of the film studio. With ‘Signs,’ I was able to get permission from the film studio to have the documents reproduced,” Heine said. “They sent me complete orchestral score and all the MIDI mockups. I ended up with over a thousand pages of PDF material for that book.” Heine said the “How to Train Your Dragon” material will include somewhere between 1,400 and 1,500
pages of final score and countless pages of additional revisions. He said he will be taking a semester-long sabbatical to write his book, but the project will likely take longer than the allotted time. “I’m not going to get the whole thing done during the sabbatical for sure. The goal is to get as much work done over a semester as possible,” Heine said. “When I took a sabbatical in 2014 to write ‘Signs,’ I certainly didn’t get the book done, but I did get all the research done and drafts of all six chapters finished so that when I came back to teaching, it was more editing than creating.” Heine said he hopes to write a book that appeals to a wide demographic of people who all love and cherish the “How to Train Your Dragon” trilogy. He said he wants to create a valuable book for both people who understand music theory and those who don’t. Heine said the full score to the first “How to Train Your Dragon” was published by Omni in October of 2020 and sold out in an hour. “My audience is hopefully people who love the music of the films. That demographic is huge, spanning many ages, spans genders. We’re going to be getting parents, people who grew
up with these films, and industry folks,” Heine said. Heine said he has not found a publisher yet but was encouraged by Sener to wait until the book is completed to find a publisher. “My hope is that DreamWorks is going to work with me and include some artwork, much like Doug Adams’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ book had,” Heine said. Zoe Dongas, music theater senior, has taken Heine’s Film and TV Music Theory course, as well as his Shakespeare in Film course. She said Heine is one of the most dedicated and intelligent professors she has ever had. “His expertise as a music professor and as a film connoisseur is astounding. His knowledge about all the different terms and concepts in music and film allowed me to better understand how film scores interact with their movies,” Dongas said. “And he’s just seen so many dang movies. He can talk about any movie and make interesting connections.” Sarah Schulz, music theater senior, has also taken several classes with Heine. “Because of his expertise, he teaches the great importance of music in film,” Schulz said. “When you’re watching movies with an untrained ear, you don’t always pay attention to the
little details, but he is able to point those moments out, and it helps everything make sense.” Heine said “How to Train Your Dragon” has a rich and detailed score, which he is excited to explore thoroughly. He said there was a quote from Dean DeBlois, co-director of “How to Train Your Dragon,” in the book lining of the published score which encapsulates many of his feelings about the power of Powell’s score. “I quickly realized that John has a very strong story sense in his own right. And when it came to filling the movie with tunes and motifs, he was finding his own way through the story that was almost like a harmony to the main themes that we were tackling on the surface with dialogue and visual. It’s a really unique ability, and something that I’m thankful for. Because the music itself is not just supporting the storytelling. It’s deepening it,” DeBlois wrote.
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sports
Cross country competes in first meet of season Anette Barrios-Torres STAFF WRITER
The OCU cross country teams recently competed in their first meets of the 202021 season. The Stars opened their season in the Oklahoma Baptist University Invitational Jan. 22 at the Gordon Cooper Technology Center in Shawnee, Okla. Both the men’s and women’s teams placed fourth overall in their respective categories. For the women’s team, Sarah Olamide, criminal justice junior, placed ninth in the women’s 3,200-meter run with a final time of 12:34.87. Katlyn Davenport, economics freshman, placed 20th (13:51.41). Ana Rivera, psychology junior, placed 22nd (14:20.55). Cailen Jolley, finance sophomore, placed 23rd (14:23.21). Madison Altom, biochemistry sophomore, placed 28th (16:34:52). Bailey Sartain, history education junior, placed 29th (16:35.81). For the men’s team, Anthony Carranza, cell and molecular biology freshman, placed 17th in the men’s 6,400meter run with a final time of 22:53.79. Joseph Engel,
I definitely have high hopes for them. We’re really young, but we’re training hard, and we’re ready. Matt Aguero
head coach OCU cross country
exercise science/human performance junior, placed 28th (24:42.41). Logan Gwinn, exercise science senior, placed 29th (24:42.41). Paul Welch, business administration sophomore, placed 30th (24:53.02). Zander Rossiter, pre-engineering junior, placed 37th (28:26.29). Matt Aguero, head cross country/track & field coach, said he is proud of the hard work the teams put in after a long hiatus due to the 2020-21 season delay, which presented many challenges and schedule shifts. “We’re busier in the sense that there’s a lot of extra stuff that we have to do,” Aguero said. “But we’re at the point where we haven’t competed in so long that we just couldn’t wait to get back out there.” Aguero said he missed the sport just as much as the athletes and looked forward to opening the competition
season. He said the competition was the first event OCU athletes had competed at in over 300 days. Aguero said athletes and faculty were required to follow strict COVID-19 protocols in preparation for the competition. “Athletic trainers are doing a lot of work in order for us to compete,” Aguero said. “We get tested and do daily screenings as well. We wear our masks when we are not competing, no spectators allowed, and coaches keep their masks on.” Aguero said he looks forward to what the season has in store for the teams. “I definitely have high hopes for them,” Aguero said. “We’re really young, but we’re training hard, and we’re ready.” Olamide, originally from Lagos, Nigeria, said she is proud to be running for the
Stars and is excited to race this semester. “It felt good to be back and be a part of the community again,” Olamide said. “Over the break, I missed competing, and I am so happy to get to do this.” Olamide said training as a student athlete can result in pain and strain, and she likes to propel herself through those challenges by learning to trust herself and her abilities. “I just think, ‘I’m good, and I work hard,’ so I know it’s all going to be ok,” Olamide said. “The more burn I feel, the faster I run, and the closer I get to that finish line.” Olamide said competing with the OCU cross country team has been a special experience that pushes her to be better. “We’re always there to encourage and support each other, and I really love that,” Olamide said. The men’s and women’s cross country teams will next compete Mar. 27 at the Sooner Athletic Conference championships.
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Cross the finish line Sarah Olamide races her way to ninth-place finish at the Jan. 22 Oklahoma Baptist University Invitational at the Gordon Cooper Technology Center in Shawnee, Okla.
Rower breaks second record, looks to championship MaKayla Baxter
SPORTS EDITOR
An OCU rower is now a two-time world record holder. Ruthie Lacy, nursing freshman, set a new world record on the Concept2 Indoor Rower for Lightweight Women 17-18 category, with a mark of 1,116 meters in four minutes. Lacy broke the record Nov. 11, 2020 at Devon Boathouse in Oklahoma City. This mark tops the previous record of 1,105 meters, set by Austrian rower Lara Tiefenthaler in 2018. Lacy already owns the one-minute world record for the category, having broken her first world record Sept. 28, 2020 with a mark of 317 meters. Lacy said she prepared for the record-breaking attempt the same way she would any other day of practice. “I just kind of went to practice as usual,” Lacy said. “It was a very different mindset, though, going into the piece, because this one was three minutes longer than the first one. There was definitely a different strategy with this one, because I couldn’t just go as fast as I could in the first minute and die off. I had to be smart about how fast I was going to go.”
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Lacy said her coach, Hadzo Habibovic was just as supportive as when she broke her first record. “My coach was like, ‘well, are there any more you want to break?’” Lacy said. “He was super excited, and he was nice about letting me do it before practice and encouraged me through the piece as well. In rowing, we call that ‘coxing’ someone through a piece.” Grace Keen, strategic communications/ graphic design sophomore, said she, along with the rest of the rowing team, was excited
for Lacy. “Everyone has a bit more respect for her,” Keen said. “We’ve all been like ‘dang, that’s really impressive.’ I even called my whole family about it. We have a joke now that if you’re ever late to practice, you have to break a world record, or we won’t excuse it.” Keen said Lacy is a great teammate. “Ruthie is my best friend,” Keen said. “I’m so happy she joined the team. She just makes it a super fun environment.” Lacy said she hopes to grow even more as
an athlete over the semester and ultimately compete at the 2021 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championship. “I would love to just work hard and win our nationals with Grace,” Lacy said. Keen said she wants to make it to nationals with Lacy and compete together. “I want to break eight minutes on the 2k,” Keen said. “It’s kind of our big test. It’s what we race at preliminary nationals and nationals. So, yeah, I want to win, but I really just want to make it and go with Ruthie.” Keen said she values her friendships with Lacy and other teammates. “I really like OCU’s rowing team because it’s such a close-knit family,” Keen said. “Just being on the team, I have so many super close friends that I can count on for anything. They’re kind of the only people I see and hang out with because we’re so close and have so much in common.” Students interested in joining OCU Rowing can contact Hadzo Habibovic, head rowing coach, at hhabibovic@okcu.edu. For more on the rowing team, readers can visit @okcu.rowing on Instagram, and the OCUSports website.
Mackenzie Shaw Student Publications
Shoot your shot Top: Kori Guest, forward, follows through on his free throw shot in a game against Texas Wesleyan on Jan. 28. Guest left the game scoring 15 points for OCU. The Stars lost the game with a score of 67-68. The men’s basketball team sat at 0-2 after the game and now sit at 1-5 in the Sooner Athletic Conference. Left: Romario Spence, forward, reaches for a rebound. The Stars left the first half of the Jan 28. game against Texas Wesleyan down by three points (32-35). OCU was up by two points toward the end of the game, but Wesleyan scored a three-point shot with 16 seconds left, winning the game for Texas Wesleyan. Rashaun Coleman (2)
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February 10, 2020