Feb. 20 by MediaOCU

THE“CAMPUS

February 20, 2019 – Volume 112 Issue 18

Officials to upgrade Great Hall technology Emily Wollenberg

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Students can expect technological improvements in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center within the next month. Additions and changes include an updated audio system, brighter projector, new control panel, and portable computer system. “It’s a heavily-used, high-profile room on campus that deserves to have some upgrades to modernize it to work more efficiently and have a few more capabilities than it currently has,” said Gerry Hunt, chief information officer. Much of the equipment is older and needs updates, Hunt said. “We’re doing a complete overhaul of the audio system. It will improve our ability to mix the audio together and to tweak it as necessary to improve the acoustics in the room,” he said. The projector screen at the front of the room will be updated to a wide format screen, Hunt said. Officials also are adding more flexibility with technology, he said. “We are adding the ability to wirelessly project from a computer,” he said. “You can connect to our wireless video system and sit anywhere in the room and project wirelessly.” The brightness on the projector needs improvement, Hunt said. “Because the shades are right behind the projector screen, the lighting can bleed out the screen when you’re projecting something,” he said. “We’re going to put a laser projector in there, and

I believe that upgrading the Great Hall would be a great use of university money since it is a space that virtually every student and organization on campus will use at some point.

“

Camryn Sanders psychology graduate

it’s going to be considerably brighter.” Hunt said the control panel for the technology in the Great Hall has limited capabilities. “We are putting a touch panel with more intuitive controls so that whoever is using the room can easily adjust what sources they’re displaying and what the volume levels are and so forth—a very intuitive touch panel,” he said. If a portable computer is needed in the Great Hall, Hunt said officials bring in a laptop with many cables. “We are getting a lectern that is built so that it has a glass top, and in that glass top is the computer itself. It’s a touch screen computer that has a built-in document camera, full Windows 10 capabilities, and it also operates wirelessly, so it can be moved anywhere in the room,” he said. The new upgrades are being paid for out of the IT budget, he

said. “What I try to do with my IT budget is partner with other units on campus whenever there’s a need to do some upgrades,” he said. “We’re going to collaborate and try to figure out creative ways to budget for these sorts of upgrades.” IT officials were unavailable Monday to confirm the cost of the upgrades with Student Publications. Hunt said he hopes the upgrades will be completed next month, but officials are waiting on confirmation from a vendor to do the installations. Camryn Sanders, psychology graduate, is the director of finance for Miracle Marathon, an organization that uses the Great Hall for many events. Miracle Marathon is a philanthropic organization that benefits Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. “In just the first year of Miracle Marathon, we have hosted more than 10 events in the Great Hall, utilizing everything from the projectors to the audio systems, with some of those events having over 100 people in attendance,” she said. Upgrading technology in the Great Hall will benefit students, Sanders said. “I believe that upgrading the Great Hall would be a great use of university money since it is a space that virtually every student and organization on campus will use at some point in their time here,” she said.

Soccer coach recognized for most wins in NAIA history Luke Barrett

STAFF WRITER

After more than 30 years of coaching on campus, OCU’s head soccer coach has an NAIA-record setting 799 wins. Coach Brian Harvey, head coach of the men’s and women’s soccer teams, will receive the Abe Lemons/Paul Hansen Award for Sports Excellence at this year’s OCU Sports Spectacular. The Sports Spectacular will feature the award ceremony and auctions at 6 p.m. March 28 at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 N.E. 63rd St. Harvey has the most men’s and women’s soccer wins in National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics history. He started this season as the NAIA women’s coach with the most wins and was within the top 10 for victories of men’s coaches. Harvey has a record of 429 wins for the men’s team and 370 for the women’s team. Under Harvey’s direction, the women’s soccer team reached the NAIA semifinals in 1999 and 2000 and the championship in 2001. The men’s team reached the championship in 1991 and the semifinals in 2008. Senior Goalkeeper Kirsten Thomas said Harvey is part of the reason she decided to play soccer at OCU. “Originally, because my major is so hard, I decided that I didn’t want to do both athletics and nursing, and so I was just going to go to nursing school without playing soccer,” she said. “And then he saw me at a tournament, and he was really personable and really reached out. I decided to just take a leap of faith and try this school out, and I came here. I just fell in love with it.” Harvey came to OCU and started the men’s soccer team in 1986. He later established the women’s soccer team in 1994. Harvey had a career in soccer before working at OCU, both coaching and playing professionally around the world. Before coming to OCU, Harvey was a professional soccer coach for the Oklahoma City Slickers. He also played in the North American Soccer League in Hong Kong and Australia. “I didn’t get paid a great amount of money, not enough to

You're only as good as the players that you surround yourself with.

Brian Harvey

men's and women's soccer head coach

retire on, but it’s not so often people get paid for something they love to do,” he said. “It’s like any other sport—you love it, and hopefully, hopefully you can go on and make a living from it.” Harvey said he was lucky to travel the world and make friends. He said he began coaching in 1975, which grew naturally out of his love for soccer. “I’ve really enjoyed my time at OCU with both the men and the women’s programs. It’s very fulfilling, actually, to work with people for four years and watch them mature and grow into responsible young people while enjoying the sport that they love to play,” he said. Harvey said his favorite part of coaching is encouraging students and appreciating the atmosphere at OCU. He said, though he’s had a great career and the teams have accomplished much, seeing student growth is meaningful to him. “I try to attend every graduation, and it’s very important to me to see the kids walk across the stage,” he said. Junior Forward Namory Sidibe said Coach Harvey is a hard worker and deserves the award for his work in the field of soccer. Harvey said he is humbled to receive such a great honor. He said he attributes much of his success to the people he’s worked with. “I’ve played a little part. There’s a lot of people that have done an awful lot of things along the way, but I’ve done a little part as well,” he said. “You’re only as good as the players that you surround yourself with, and assistant coaches and administrators

and athletic directors, all the people that help support the soccer programs at Oklahoma City University.” Harvey is a member of the NAIA Hall of Fame, Oklahoma Soccer Association Hall of Fame and OCU Athletics Hall of Fame. Harvey is considered a pioneer in the soccer community and is known throughout the Oklahoma soccer community for helping grow the sport, said Nathan Doll, assistant coach for the men’s and women’s soccer teams. Doll has known Harvey since 2008 when Doll was recruited to play on OCU's team. He said Harvey is a mentor as a coach, colleague and friend. Harvey personifies the purpose of the Lemons/Hansen award, honoring those who have contributed to the growth of sport, he said. “I can’t say for certain, but I’m quite sure he has very few enemies out there and about a million friends. I’ve never really heard anyone have a negative word to say about him, so to be around in any field for that long and to have that kind of reputation, I think, speaks volumes,” Doll said. “But also, in this specific situation of being a coach and being in a position to help young people and approach it the way he has, I can’t think of a better person to receive the award. And that’s the other thing—he wouldn’t have ever done it for an award.” Doll said Harvey helps students grow through a holistic coaching approach, demanding high standards, treating everyone with respect, making sure people are punctual, and listening to issues players may have outside the sport. Freshman Midfielder Madison Caputo said Harvey deserves the award. She said Harvey is a great coach for recognizing that each player is unique and pushing them so they can be great. “He is a lovely man and a great coach,” she said.

Left: Brian Harvey instructs one of his players. Harvey set a record for having the most men’s and women’s soccer wins in the history of NAIA. Far Left: Brian Harvey watches his team. Harvey has been the soccer coach for OCU since he started the program in the ’80s. Cou�tesy o� OCUspo�ts.com

M MEDIAOCU.com

If the shoe fits

To be or not to be

Like us on Facebook at MediaOCU

See pictures of the Wanda L. Bass School of Music production "Cendrillon”

See pictures of the TheatreOCU production "Poor Murderer”

The Press

Check out a review for a new local business in OKC

opinion Updated means of communication crucial to organization success Student organizations on campus strive for successful meetings and high membership. But such a goal is not as attainable as it seems. Prexie Club is a monthly meeting of student organization presidents. They have been experiencing issues with scheduling and technology, causing meetings to be canceled or unattended by members. Read more about these issues on Page 4. It’s crucial for leaders and members of organizations to utilize the most accessible form of communication. Email is not always the most reliable way to communicate on campus. If one approach doesn’t work, change the approach. Using different platforms to relay information are a possible positive alternative to help plan meetings and increase participation. Many

classes use Facebook Messenger to link people together, or even GroupMe, a free app for communication. Un d e r s t a n d a b l y t h e r e are differing viewpoints as to whether these alternatives are suitable for professional endeavors. But, in the digital age, students resort to the new and improved, as opposed to the “tried and true.” Email was the prime means of communication initially, but as times are changing, we must be willing to try out new things. It is unproductive to sit back idly when something doesn’t work, rather than seeking out an alternative measure to accomplish a task. In addition to trying out new platforms of communication, it also seems necessary to update databases that supply contact information for students. For example, OrgSync, an online portal with information for campus organizations,

Talk Back “What improvements would you like to see in the Great Hall?”

is a suitable platform for keeping students in contact with each other, but, for it to reach its fullest potential, leaders must keep the pages updated to avoid confusing the system. Many of the organization pages on OrgSync are outdated and not useful as a result. When technology fails us, it often reflects badly on the community using it, despite the blamelessness of those in charge. But, if a better alternative is not sought out, it begins to seem like an issue of inability to adapt. Every student on campus is busy. Email sometimes has proven to be unsuccessful in trying to reach a large amount of people, and it’s important that we adapt and seek out better options for communication.

"It should have a better sound system to produce better quality events."

"Bigger screen in the room"

Amy Brokamp dance junior

Miyu Yabuta English language studies freshman

"The space would be used more if it was more welcoming."

"I think it would be interesting to make it work as a study area."

Anna Caison Boyd dance junior

Destini Carrington psychology junior

"I think the Great Hall could use a new speaker system."

"More power outlets"

Mikel Kendrick nursing freshman

Shakurah Maynard studio art junior

Kacey Musgraves’s album pays homage to Texas childhood To l i s t e n t o K a c e y Musgraves’s most recent album, Golden Hour, is to spend 45 minutes with a collection of country music that moves so easily toward pop that you may forget who you’re even listening to. But Musgraves will remind you with lyrics that reconcile her Texas childhood and her glamorous outfits that she is a woman who understands the complexity of popular music in the 21st century. To see Musgraves live is to watch a brilliant performance, not only because of her sparkling cowboy boots, but also for her glittering personality. When I saw her on tour last summer, opening for Harry Styles, she conducted the room with confidence and laughter, taking time to say

many thank yous, even stopping to cover tunes by *NSYNC and Shania Twain. Musgraves may be the exact force of music that we need right now. At the 61st Grammys on Feb. 10, Musgraves won awards for Best Country Solo Performance, Best Country Song, Best Country Album, and the illustrious award for Album of the Year. She may not be the only country artist who has won the prestigious award (see Dixie Chicks and Taylor Swift in her country years), but Musgraves seems to be making the most waves with this year’s win. On this album, she mentions FOMO (fear of missing out), her grandma’s reaction to Musgraves piercing her own nose (crying) and her longing to see

Amanda Miller is an English senior from Kansas City. She likes pop culture, glitter and iced coffee.

her mother (a real tearjerker). But, she weaves these feelings into an album that plays out like a beautifully water-colored storybook. Each song feels soft enough to be played at some hip coffee shop, but there are potent lyrics that people around the world sing to themselves over and over again. While she’s been active for longer, Musgraves spent her last album cycle creating a sound and a persona that transcends stereotypes. She writes past the

country music stereotype of jeans, beer and tractors, and she doesn’t give into any popular music tendencies to sing about vapid relationships. She doesn’t have a specific fashion style, but instead rocks pantsuits, dresses and gowns, onstage and off. She’s quick to say “yeehaw” and quick to mention a history of recreational drug use. But Musgraves has created what female artists try so hard to create in music and popular culture—a space where it is

acceptable to feel an uncomfortable amount of emotions. When Musgraves is onstage, she encourages the audience to dance, sing, hug, cry… it’s all about feeling emotions, rather than stifling them to appear as some “better” version of yourself. As second semester reaches its most chaotic point (what I consider March through graduation), it’s a good time to reflect on how we view “strong, puttogether” and “hard-working.” Because, at some point, pulling all-nighters to finish that extra project becomes unhealthy. People and students should take their health, physical and mental, seriously. And part of that is understanding that it’s okay to feel a diverse array of emotions and maybe not know

exactly what to do with them. Musgraves also teaches us that it’s okay not to have a perfectly planned path for school or life. She has fans who stretch between genres and age groups. After all, there’s no real rules about liking what you like. So perhaps, in your collegiate years, you change majors, you meet new people or maybe find a profession you’re even more excited about than you thought. It’s okay to be absolutely yourself in ways that others may not understand. If your work comes from a place of love, it’s the right work. So, to end this column in the same way that Golden Hour closes, remember that “it’ll all be alright.”

Alita: Battle Angel displays bad story line, outdated special effects Alita: Battle Angel, directed by Robert Rodriguez with a screenplay written by James Cameron, was released to theaters Feb. 14. The movie is based on a Japanese cyberpunk manga ca lled Battle Angel Alita, and, as we all know, liveaction western movie manga adaptations always end up great, don’t they? In 2000, the original idea for the movie was brought to the attention of Cameron, director of The Terminator, Titanic and other movies that seem to print money, by Guillermo del Toro, director of Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water. Cameron began working on the script and said in various interviews that it would be his

next film after his Dark Angel TV series ended in January 2005. Then came the delays. The movie was delayed due to Cameron working on another project called Project 880, which would later become the box office hit Avatar. Cameron then stated in 2008 Alita would be the second of two trilogies he was planning, the first of which being an Avatar trilogy. In 2009, he said the script was complete, and in 2010, he said Alita was still on his radar, but he wasn’t going to do anything anytime soon with it. In 2011, Cameron said he was going to make two more Avatar sequels before making Alita. Meanwhile, the script for Alita sat, collecting dust as tears ran down its cover page,

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

wondering if Cameron would give her any attention again. Finally, Cameron set the date for production to begin in 2017 with Rodriguez, whose other directing credits include Spy Kids and Sin City. Now, you may be thinking, “Oh Paul, you ridiculous gander, so what if the movie got delayed? That only means that the technology was able to advance enough to make this special effects-heavy movie actually look good,” and I

would somewhat agree with you. But this movie. Oh boy. This movie. This is a public ser vice announcement to a ll filmmakers who make liveaction manga adaptations—do not, and I repeat, do not give your main characters big anime eyes, especially if that character is supposed to have a pretty face. Just please don’t subject me or anyone else to those eyes again. This movie is a trainwreck.

The first act of the movie is the most forced story I have ever seen in my life. They have the characters constantly explaining things to “Alita,” which makes sense due to her not having any memories, but there are some points when Alita says nothing and the characters are vomiting exposition like there is no tomorrow. The cha racter a rc s a re sudden and don’t have any subtlety to them, and some of the choices that characters make are just plain dumb. Maybe the writing could have been saved if any of the performances were good, but they weren’t. One of the main characters was played by Christoph Waltz, and he really phoned in his role.

There was so much emotional potential with his character, but it was all lost due to Waltz seemingly not caring. Rosa Salazar, the main actress who played “Alita,” had a n average a nd stif f performance. I hesitate to blame her because I feel like most of her acting was held back by her MASSIVE EYES. Mahershala Ali plays one of the villains in the movie, and he was actually solid with a intimidating performance. Alita: Battle Angel is a laughable mess with no real redeeming qualities about it other than that you can laugh at the rough effects, poor acting and horrendous dialogue. This angel has fallen from grace.

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

THURSDAY Cendrillon at 8 p.m. in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center Poor Murderer at 8 p.m. in Black Box Theater in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

Women's basketball vs. University of Science and Arts Oklahoma at 6 p.m. in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center Men's basketball vs. University of Science and Arts Oklahoma at

7:45 p.m. in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center

Cendrillon at 8 p.m. in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Cendrillon at 2 p.m. in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

FRIDAY Poor Murderer at 8 p.m. in Black Box Theater in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

SATURDAY Poor Murderer at 8 p.m. in Black Box Theater in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

SUNDAY Poor Murderer at 2 p.m. in Black Box Theater in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

MONDAY OCU Jazz Band in Concert from 7:30-9 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

THE CAMPUS

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.

Feb. 20 2019, Volume 112, Issue 18

Editor-in-chief: Nicole Waltman Associate Editor: Emily Wollenberg Copy Editor: Chandler White Associate Copy Editor: Paul Dower Photo Editor: Elina Moon Community Manager: Maddie Bowes

Web Editor: Jessica Vanek Staff Writers: Luke Barrett, Callie Dewees, Erik Hamilton, Dru Norton, Hope Melton Columnists: Caroline Hawthorne, Amanda Miller Photographers: Carolann Stout, Kylie Sullivan, Hope Melton, Clara Foster

The Student Publications staff welcomes unsolicited material and let-

Videographer: Emily Haan Ad Director: Emily Jones Faculty Adviser: Kenna Griffin

ters to the editor. All letters must be signed and include the writer’s phone number, address, major, and classification. The staff reserves the right to edit all letters. The staff also reserves the right to refuse letters without explanation. Letters can be sent online at mediaocu.com, emailed to stupub@ okcu.edu or dropped off at the Newsroom in Walker Center for Arts and Sciences. Submitted items may appear on MediaOCU and in the print edition.

February 20, 2019

a&e

“

Feel the music

Kylie Sullivan Student Publications

Making a living

Left: LilyAna Nowicki, acting junior, performs in TheatreOCU’s Stage II production of Gloria. The show is about the lives of employees that work for a magazine in New York City. The play focuses on the stresses and quarrels that the workplace can bring. Above: Freia Pamintuan, acting freshman, and Blake Sauceda, acting junior, play “Kendra/Jenna” and “Dean/Devin” in Gloria. The next Stage II is Poor Murderer and has performances at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in Black Box Theater in Wanda L. Bass Music Center.

Students to perform Shakespeare-inspired play Hope Melton

STAFF WRITER

The next Stage II production will be Poor Murderer by Pavel Kohout, directed by Lance Marsh, acting professor and head of performance. The show will be performed at 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in the Black Box Theater in Wanda L. Bass Music Center. The play, set in 1900 St. Petersburg, follows an actor in a mental institution as he tries to uncover whether or not he killed another actor during a production of Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Anna Wenger, acting junior, plays “Second Actress.” She said the play presents a nice mix of styles. “It’s a very advanced show,” Wenger said. “It’s kind of a mix between Chekhov and Shakespeare. It takes place in post-tsarist Russia, but there’s also a lot of Hamlet that they’ll start quoting. It’s a nice little mesh between a lot of the stuff that we run here, but it’s also some really nitty-gritty stuff.” Wenger said the show is coming together nicely. “We just had our first run off-book, but we are in really good shape,” Wenger said. “Everyone is just putting their best foot forward. It’s just really coming together nicely. Everyone in the

If you like a good mystery and like figuring stuff out and trying to solve stuff before the show's over, then you should check it out. Grace Helton

acting sophomore

show is just such a hard worker and we have a great ensemble. It’s just a really lovely experience.” John Metcalf, acting junior, plays “Third Actor.” He said Marsh’s directing style involves asking a lot of questions. “It’s a little bit more intellectual, script-based,” Metcalf said. “There’s a lot of asking questions. There’s a lot of working out what the character is actually saying and finding the intentions behind the actions and the lines.” Grace Helton, acting sophomore, plays “Fourth Actress.” She said Marsh’s directing style involves input from the actors. “It’s really fascinating,” Helton said. “He likes to get the actors’

opinion and let them go with the direction that they want to.” Helton said the rehearsal process has involved dissecting the different levels of the story. “It’s been a lot of work,” Helton said. “There’s a lot of Shakespeare in the show, so a lot of the process has been going through everything that’s said and kind of dissecting it to see what’s really going on here and looking at levels. We’re putting on a show within a show, so there’s the whole thing of trying to figure out if this is part of the show, if this is what’s really going on, or if it’s a bit of both. So it’s been a lot of digging deeper into the script.” Helton said she recommends the show to people who like solving mysteries. “It’s very complicated and has a lot going on,” Helton said. “If you like a good mystery and like figuring stuff out and trying to solve stuff before the show’s over, then you should check it out.” School of Theater students may reserve free tickets at the box office located in the Edith Kinney Gaylord Center. Everyone else can purchase tickets for $5 at the Box Office or at okcu.edu/tickets. Editor’s note: Associate Editor Emily Wollenberg, Staff Writer Erik Hamilton and Photographer Carolann Stout are in the production. They did not participate in the writing or editing of this story.

Clara Foster Student Publications

Feel the music

Clara Foster Student Publications

Hannah Souza and Camille Kostick, dance freshmen, perform “Escape” at P21: 5! 6! 7! 8! at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12 in Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. The performance was a collaboration between Project 21, the student composer organization, and dancers from Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment. Right: Emily Schmuckal, Elle Baker and Karlee Vriezma, dance freshmen, and Brittany Dugas, dance sophomore, perform “Submerge” at the Project 21 concert. The next dance performance is the American Spirit Dance Company Broadway Revue at 8 p.m. March 7-8 and at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. March 9 in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center.

Theater student explores podcast archetypes for project Jessica Vanek

WEB EDITOR

Isaac Sorell, acting sophomore, is reaching out to the internet community through the art of podcasting. Sorell said he created his own podcast as a requirement for a major project. “I made a podcast for Kate Brennan’s vocal production class,” Sorell said. “We have to do a curiosity project, so we pick a skill that we’re interested in and learn about it over the semester. I picked podcasting, and I’m really excited for it.” Kate Brennan, associate professor of voice and acting, said the curiosity project is an opportunity for vocal production students to explore a new talent. “Over the past three years, we’ve had students do everything from write original plays and musicals to create movies, learn other languages and embroider,” Brennan said. “It’s about doing something for the sake of doing it, rather than a reward.” Sorell began his podcast, A Pod in Progress, on Jan. 13. He has two full episodes and an introduction uploaded, featuring a theme song he made on GarageBand. Sorell said he is exploring the different archetypes of popular podcasts. These styles include movie reviews, true crime, invesFebruary 20, 2019

tigative podcasting, radio plays, interviews, advice, and comedy. “Each episode, I do a different type of podcast, so by the end of the semester I’ve tried all of the different styles,” he said. “I’m trying these different styles to see what would work best in the future if I choose to continue podcasting.” Sorell said he tries to include guests on his podcast, such as Kirby Crosbie, acting sophomore, and Dani Pike, acting senior. Pike said she enjoyed being on Sorell’s podcast. “He was fantastic to work with,” Pike said. “He told me we were going to talk about The Ted Bundy Tapes. He knows I love true crime, and we talked about why true crime is as popular as it is. We talked about what we liked and didn’t like about the tapes.” Pike said Sorell is prepared and professional in his work. “He has all of his recording equipment ready to go at any time,” she said. “It was really cool, and felt really professional and natural.” A Pod in Progress can be found on SoundCloud at soundcloud. com/user-166061672, or by searching “Isaac Sorell.” Submitted Isaac Sorell, acting sophomore, created the cover art and theme song for his podcast, A Pod In Progress. The podcast was inspired by a class assignment. He features a guest on every episode and covers a variety of podcast styles.

news

“

Clara Foster Student Publications

Play ball

Left: Freshman Infielder Noah Barks steps up to bat at the baseball game against Mount Mercy University on Feb. 9 at Jim Wade Stadium. The Stars won 8-0. They also won games against Texas A&M and Central Methodist during the weekend. Above: Junior Right-hand Pitcher Bryce Milligan prepares to throw the ball. The next home game is 3 p.m. Friday against MidAmerica Nazarene University at Jim Wade Stadium. The team’s overall record for the season so far was 10-1 at presstime.

Prexie Club experiencing technology, scheduling issues Caroline Hawthorne

STAFF WRITER

Issues with technology have prevented Prexie Club from scheduling regular meetings. It has resulted in a low attendance rate and communication failures. Prexie Club is a monthly meeting run by Student Government Association where all student organization leaders meet. “It’s basically the club of all the presidents,” said Alison Sloan, acting junior and SGA secretary of public relations. “Once a month, everyone meets, and everyone goes over info on their club’s activities. We discuss issues such as club events and bill funding. But this has not been happening recently because of communication problems.” Last semester, Prexie Club meetings were on the first Wednesday of every month. Jordan Tarter, English senior and SGA president, said people did not show up because of Workshop Wednesday, an event for the devising classes that’s hosted by the theater and performance program. “Workshop Wednesday is on the first Wednesday of every month, which is when our meetings were,” she said. “I wanted to be considerate of people’s time, so we decided to send out an email asking what time would work best. We decided to do

I wanted to be considerate of people's time, so we decided to send out an email asking what time would work best.

“ “

Jordan Tarter

SGA president

the last week of every month, and let them vote on the date.” Sloan said the issue is the SGA email not working. “So basically, our Outlook calendar has had some difficulties,” she said. “I sent out an email through our SGA account at the beginning of January, asking what would be the best time for people to meet. No one responded, so I sent out another email. We scheduled a meeting, and then no one showed up. I finally found out that no one was actually getting them.” Sloan said she sent out three emails to all Prexie Club members before deciding on a meeting time and date. “It is not a matter of SGA being unorganized,” she said. “We’ve always had trouble with Outlook. I’ve called Campus Tech many

times, but they have not been helpful.” Tarter said the other reason people are not hearing about Prexie Club is because OrgSync is not always updated with the current leadership of the clubs, even though Levi Harrel, director of student engagement, sends SGA the list of current club staffs. OrgSync is an online portal with information for on-campus organizations and students. “Because we do not know when club leadership changes, we cannot always contact them. We have accidentally contacted former presidents because it is not updated,” she said. “If there is one thing I would say, it is to tell people to update their OrgSync information, and to tell us if the leadership has changed.” Sloan said she hopes these issues can be resolved because she does not want to resort to having to use her own email and technology to contact people. “The SGA email can be dodgy,” she said. “I would use my Facebook or my own email to contact others, but it is unprofessional.” Prexie Club meetings will be at 5:30 p.m. the last Wednesday of every month at the Student Lounge Center outside of the SGA offices.

Student Philanthropy Committee to raise donor awareness Erik Hamilton

STAFF WRITER

Students will have the chance to roast a university official during the second annual Sponsors Making A Change Week. SMAC Week is a series of events from Feb. 25 to March 1, hosted by the Student Philanthropy Committee. The event’s purpose is to improve donor and student relations. SMAC Week’s events this year include free cookies outside of the cafeteria, a comedy roast of Levi Harrel, director of student engagement and an open conversation event with

President Martha Burger about financial matters. The roast of Harrel will be 6:30 p.m. Feb. 27 in the Great Hall and is open to any students who wish to participate or watch. There also will be a donation table and a s’mores bar at the event. “A lot of students don’t know how much money comes from donor support,” said Mackenzie Jones, dance senior and student engagement coordinator of Student Philanthropy Committee. “Allowing students to understand that donors impact our university so much gives the donors more recognition.”

Allowing students to understand that donors impact our university so much gives the donors more recognition.

The week will end March 1 with a conversation with Burger. The event is open to all students, and free lunch will be provided. Tr a e Tr o u s d a l e , m a s s communications sophomore

Mackenzie Jones

dance senior

and president of Student Philanthropy Committee, said Burger’s Dec. 20 email about the increase in tuition was inspiration for the open conversation, and that the student body should have an

open forum to ask questions about financial changes. “With the tuition increase for next year, we thought it was really important to allow President Burger to come before the student body and ask her questions,” Trousdale said. “It’s not the best thing to get right before Christmas. I wasn’t a fan, and we all have questions.” In addition to SMAC Week, Student Philanthropy Committee also handles matters like the senior class gift. “I think the greatest benefit is an awareness of donors,” Trousdale said. “Donors can sometimes seem like scary

people. We’re talking about people who sit on our board of trustees and people our buildings are named after, and it’s not bad at all. They really are just trying to play an active role in our lives as students. In order for them to get a full view of campus, we got to bring campus to them.” Student Philanthropy Committee may be found on Facebook as “Oklahoma City University Student Philanthropy Committee,” or Instagram as “okcustuphil.”

Philosophy Club to restart on campus after one-year hiatus Paul Dower

ASSOCIATE COPY EDITOR

A student is bringing back the Philosophy Club on campus to create unity between the humanities. Nash Carey, religion senior and current leader of the Philosophy Club, said the first meeting will be at 12:15 p.m. Thursday in Room 140 in Walker Center for Arts and Sciences. He said he is resurrecting the Philosophy Club to create a common ground between the different humanities majors. “Philosophy is kind of where the humanities meet. You’ve got everything from religion, psychology, sociology, and political science, even. Everything meets in the middle with philosophy,” he said. “Philosophy is the place where all those great thinkers from all those great disciplines come together.” Carey said Dr. Nathan Ross, professor of philosophy and department chairman, approached him to recreate the philosophy club after a previous one ended due to lack of interest. “I guess there was one that dissolved/died out about a year ago,” he said. “It had some funds left over, and Dr. Ross recruited me and said, ‘hey, how would you like to see about putting February 20, 2019

I noticed a lot of students in my classes wanting to talk about philosophy outside of class, or they seem interested in wanting to pursue it further.

Nathan Ross philosophy chairman

something like this back together?’ And I said, ‘certainly.’” An average meeting in the Philosophy Club would have a 15-20 minute presentation given by a guest speaker, teacher or student, and the rest of the time would be spent discussing the ideas in the presentation. Ross said there have been a lot of students interested in starting a club. “We’ve kind of always had a club, but it hasn’t really been active,” he said. “I noticed a lot of students in my classes wanting to talk about philosophy outside of class, or they seem interested

in wanting to pursue it further. So I suggested, ‘why don’t we have a philosophy club meeting?’” Ross said he wants students in the club to use philosophy to discuss things not brought up in class. “If I’m teaching a class, I’m kind of setting the agenda, but I want them to see that they can use some of the methods and ideas to talk about movies that they are interested in or current events,” he said. “I’d like the topics to come from the students.” Carey said he wants students to see the utility of philosophy in their every day lives. “The most beautiful part about it is that they can see some practical applications of some philosophy that’s out there,” he said. “As well as an opportunity to meet people from different arts and sciences that have had this opportunity to come together and have a common language through philosophy.” If any students have any questions or would like to get involved, they may email Carey at necarey@my.okcu.edu.