Feb. 26 by MediaOCU

THE CAMPUS February 26, 2020 – Volume 113 Issue 19

Faculty allege discrimination by officials NAACP representative finds evidence of discrimination, retaliation Emily Wollenberg

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Faculty and staff are accusing university officials of discrimination and retaliation. A faculty member has alleged retaliation after she spoke out in favor of a colleague. A library technician is alleging workplace discrimination and hostility. Dana Brockway, a representative from the NAACP executive committee legal redress team, has investigated both situations and said she has found evidence of the allegations. Allegations of Retaliation Dr. Regina McManigell Grijalva, associate professor of English and Eleanor Lou Carrithers endowed chair of writing, said she has been experiencing workplace discrimination since 2016. As the former director of English composition, Grijalva said it was her job to conduct peer reviews of professors and collect classroom data. She said she was conducting a review for a colleague who had received a scathing letter from the outgoing department chair at the time, attempting to remove him from his teaching position. Her colleague wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. The anonymous professor said before the outgoing chair wrote the letter, he was on a search committee for a new faculty member. One of the applicants the committee was reviewing was unqualified for the position, so Grijalva and the professor spoke up about it. The professor said they later found out the applicant was a friend of the outgoing department chair who was angry at their comments. The professor said the scathing letter stemmed from this interaction. “Since then, she’s kind of had it in for both of us,” he said. The professor said he was formally the director of the Learning Enhancement Center, sat on multiple search committees, advised students, and taught several higher-level English classes. Since the incident three years ago, he has been removed from these positions and only teaches freshman composition classes. He has

been teaching at OCU for 37 years. “Up until the last few years, I’ve felt like the university was my home. I got married at OCU,” he said. “My daughters got two degrees at OCU. My granddaughters took piano and dance classes at OCU.” He said he believes these removals are the result of ageism and retaliation, and since then he has been passed over for promotions and opportunities. “I had experience as department chair, I’m a tenured faculty member, I know the programs, I was chair of the faculty senate for four years, but {the dean} didn’t even ask me if I was interested in being department chair,” he said. Grijalva said after the letter, she spoke up for the professor. “I knew for a fact that some of the things that were being said were untrue,” Grijalva said. “One of the untruths was that the assessment data had shown him to be a bad teacher, but no one had seen that data except me, so I knew it was a lie.” Grijalva said she has extensive experience in the area of peer review, including graduate degrees and publications. She wrote on his behalf, and the promotion and tenure committee voted to continue his tenured status, but the dean overturned it. Grijalva then conducted another review of the colleague and found he aligned with the national standards better than any other professor in the department. She said she could not morally review the professor negatively when it wasn’t true. “Then the discrimination started to come my way,” she said. Grijalva said the dean then attempted to force her into taking a sabbatical. When she read the sabbatical application, it said she would be rotated out of her position of director of composition. “Somebody else, younger, different gender, different culture, would be rotated in,” she said. Grijalva identifies as Hispanic and Native American. Grijalva then withdrew her sabbatical application. “My supervisor came back four times in an email trying to get me to do it,” she said. Grijalva said she went to

Sou�ce: okcu.edu

Dr. Regina McManigell Grijalva is one of multiple faculty and staff members who brought allegations to Dana Brockway, a representative from the NAACP executive committe legal redress team.

the deans and then Human Resources about the situation. She found the deans had reported her for “mean and aggressive behavior.” “It’s hurtful and it’s frustrating to know that you work so hard to do your job well and to be recognized by your peers, and to have that complete and utter rejection because you won’t play these kinds of games,” she said. Grijalva said HR officials told her they found no harm was done to her. After being the director of composition for eight and a half years, Grijalva was demoted this semester. The professor said he spoke with Joey Croslin, vice president for human resources, and told them he was being bullied by the outgoing department chair. He said after the report, he heard nothing from HR. The professor said he believes officials are attempting to remove tenured professors to bring in new professors with smaller salaries. “The university has serious financial problems,” he said. Brockway said in total, 14 professors have contacted her about discriminatory and retaliatory actions at OCU. Brockway said the NAACP finds these issues concerning. “We see that there are dis-

criminatory actions and there are retaliatory actions,” Brockway said. These professors have 20-30 years of experience at OCU, Brockway said. “When we look at what the professors here are going through and the professors that are now knocking on our door, we see a common denominator of age, gender and/or minority status,” Brockway said. Steven Vincent, former campus police officer, said he was removed from his position without being notified in June of 2019. After finding out from coworkers, he said he was told there was not enough room in the budget for his position. He said he believed it was an act of retaliation after he attended the employment hearing appeal of a coworker. “They couldn’t afford my part-time, no-benefits position,” he said. Before then, Vincent had been working as a civilian in the department after being injured on the job. He worked on organizing data and cataloguing evidence that hadn’t been touched in years, he said. “Joey praised me multiple times for my work,” he said. Vincent said he saw multiple people fired without notice

during his time at OCU. “My intention was to spend a career there, and it was taken away from me when I was injured there on duty without the courtesy to tell me first,” Vincent said. Vincent said some officials have created a culture of fear of speaking out. “The majority of people are kind and understanding,” Vincent said. “But you have a few people in power who use their power to extract menial revenge against people they feel have wronged them personally.” Allegations of Discrimination Anthony Edwards, DulaneyBrowne Library circulation technician, is claiming gender discrimination and retaliation by his library superiors. After he spoke out about being racially profiled by former campus police lieutenant Michael Kavenius last fall, he said he has been targeted by administration and his superiors in the library for bringing light to issues on campus. “When you start shaking the tree and demanding rights, and they’re not getting processed properly through the policies, my organization has to step in, and we have to wonder why,” Brockway said. Brockway said she found Edwards experienced gender discrimination by being asked to do manual labor in the library when there is a facilities department for those purposes. “He’s being asked to do it because of his gender, but it’s out of his work scope,” Brockway said. Edwards said he experiences workplace hostility from his superiors because he has been outspoken about issues on campus. “It’s difficult to be 100% here for the students when you have this cloud of negative retaliation,” Edwards said. Brockway said she has found Edwards’s superiors became hostile in tone when questioning him about where he has been, despite him asking off work ahead of time. “He has endured verbal abuse in front of people and been humiliated. Those are things that should not be allowed to continue,” Brockway said. Edwards said HR officials told Edwards his civil rights were

Empower women Stephen Jackson Student Publications

Rainbows reign Two local representatives of the non-profit organization, Free Mom Hugs, set up a table at the eighth annual Freedom Oklahoma Summit on Feb. 21.

Free Mom Hugs is an LGBTQ-affirming organization dedicated to educating families, church and civic leaders, according to freemomhugs.org.

MEDIAOCU.com

not violated. “My message would be for everyone to watch very closely what’s going on this campus. Watch who is leaving, and not just faculty,” Edwards said. Leslie Berger, senior director of university communications, said the university legally cannot comment on personnel issues, so she cannot discuss any specific allegations. Berger sent the following statement to Student Publications: “Oklahoma City University policy prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in the learning environment and workplace in accordance with all federal and state civil rights laws. We are committed to providing an environment free of any form of discrimination, harassment and retaliation.” Berger said as part of the university’s diversity and inclusion plan, officials have implemented new committees and positions. The Council for Diversity and Inclusion meets monthly. More than 50 OCU students, faculty and staff serve on the council and its six committees. A student who wished to remain anonymous, is on the Council for Diversity and Inclusion committee for Student Engagement and Intention. She said the committee and the council are working to make changes to better the experience for students, faculty and staff of color. “When it comes to dicey things like race, the school is used to handling it a certain way,” she said. “I think we’re just going to have to have a lot of changes for us to get to that level where every student can feel comfortable.” She said although her overall experience at OCU has been positive, particularly being involved with the Black Student Association, the Council should work to build the bridge between students and faculty to facilitate conversations about difficult issues. “When we have those conversations together, then maybe we can see eye to eye and be more understanding on both sides,” she said.

Stephen Jackson Student Publications

Sean Baisden, acting sophomore, holds up a sign in Theatre OCU's Stage II production of “On to Victory: Propaganda Plays of the Woman Suffrage Movement.” The show was performed Feb. 20-23 and was directed by Judy Palladino. The show explored the woman’s suffrage movement in honor of the upcoming 100 year anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. The next Stage II coming up is Eurydice, performing March 5-8 in the Black Box Theatre in Wanda L. Bass Music Center.

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This week, Ms. Pants gives advice about voting, snow days and how to spend your time while sick. Send questions to Ms. Pants' secretary at fiacovacci@my.okcu.edu. Read columnist Hope Melton's review about the Metro Diner. See pictures of the Stage II OCU Theatre production of “On to Victory.”

opinion

Administrators urged to reflect on discrimination

Two faculty and staff members at OCU have accused officials and administrative superiors of discrimination. See page 1 for more on this issue. OCU cites diversity and inclusion as two of its core values. A 2019 student survey determined that these values are some of the most valuable to attending students. Students have become more involved than ever in important decisions regarding diversity in administrative tasks, like choosing a new police chief and selecting a vice president of diversity and inclusion. Still, faculty and staff are alleging facing discrimination based on their race, gender and age. Discrimination has become a systemic issue. Often, when organizations and systems are faced with accusations of discrimination, they weed out the most immediate cause of this

discrimination, claiming the issue to be the work of a small group of radical perpetrators, a ‘few bad apples.’ Any form of oppression has roots in historical and systemic hierarchies that support the maintenance of a status quo. This status quo marginalizes groups based on characteristics such as age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. This issues mean that working toward genuine diversity and inclusion is far more difficult, as eliminating prejudice is not as simple as removing those who participate in active, hostile discrimination with verbal or physical weapons. The campus community is striving to improve itself. In order to do so, it needs to examine the possible flaws within its workings. Diversity initiatives are not effective if Human Resources does not recognize alleged discrimination when it

Talk Back “Where would you like to study abroad?”

happens and act to prevent it. Diversity initiatives are ineffective when there is an insufficient system to file an allegation of discrimination and know that it will be handled seriously, efficiently and appropriately. Change is difficult, and often, change is slow. The constant obstacle to progress is process, the structure of power ensuring that change happens at an approved pace. Administrators and authority figures with power to change the system need to reexamine the current processes for handling accusations of discrimination and their effectiveness. They need to refuse to accept ‘eventually’ as an answer for issues students and faculty say they face presently. Unless the administrators are willing to truly change the system at OCU, incidents like these will still be possible.

“Spain”

“England: there's really good theater history and culture.”

Logan Gwinn exercise science junior

Sydney Hagan design and production senior

“Italy because my family is from there”

“Germany”

Olivia Tardibono dance junior

Emiliano Tarin nursing sophomore

“France because I'm taking French"

“England: it would be interesting to see the differences in government.”

Anna Delony economics senior

Abby Banks political science sophomore

Emily King's album presents acoustic renditions of hits Well paint me pink and call me “Patrick Star” because I must have been hiding under a rock for 16 years. Singer and songwriter Emily King began her musical career in 2004, and I’m only now finding out about her?! Was I only five years old in 2004? Yes, but someone still should have told me about her. King’s surname is fitting as she is definitely some sort of musical royalty. She was born and raised in New York City by musical parents, Marion Cowings and Kim Kalesti. They were a singing duo and often traveled, bringing King along to gigs. She earned her GED and left school at 16 to pursue her musical career, playing gigs in restaurants and around NYC. Eighteen years later, the singer has earned three

Grammy nominations, toured with Sara Bareilles, appeared on talk-shows, and is currently on a solo tour. I love seeing hard work and dedication pay off. King’s music career is older than some Grammy-awarded musicians. Think about it. King released her first album, “East Side Story,” in 2007 and her second album, “The Switch,” in 2015. Given the eight-year gap between albums, fans knew King liked to take her time. King surprised us when she released two albums last year: “Scenery” and its remixed sequel cleverly titled “Change in Scenery.” After two major works in 2019, King had every reason to take a break. Instead, she began the new year by releasing her newest album, “Sides,” on Jan. 17. While “Change

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

in Scenery” puts an energetic twist on King’s songs, “Sides” is an acoustic album that slows down select songs from her past works. You would usually hear King’s vocals with complex, upbeat textural arrangements. “Sides” strips the soundscape down to piano, guitar and strings, showing another side of her. The album begins with “Radio” and sets the peaceful and dreamy tone for the album. In “Radio,” King sings about how nothing is more therapeutic to her than music.

She sings, “If I had one request after I’m gone / I would ask my creator to turn the radio on.” You can tell how passionate King is about what she does by this song alone. “Teach You” features Sara Bareilles and is the collaboration we didn’t know we needed. It’s a cute song about all the little ways you can care for somebody you love. Bareilles and King’s voices complement each other with such ease; no wonder they went on tour together. If you were like me in

middle school and thought it was cool to memorize Chris Brown’s “Look at Me Now,” King’s single by the same name is a much better use of memory space. King’s “Look at Me Now” is an uplifting song about getting back on your feet after a breakup. It has a fun, upbeat and desirous tone while still emitting the mellow, acoustic vibe of the album. In “Distance,” King puts an interesting spin on the classic love song about longdistance relationships. Instead of lamenting, the song is a message to stay connected to who you are while you spend time away from your partner. The chorus reads, “Oh, love is always better / When we take time to get back to who we are / When we are apart / Distance makes the heart grow.” Now that King’s made both

a remix and acoustic album, some songs like “Can’t Hold Me” have three different musical settings. You could listen to the remix version at the gym and then go home and listen to the acoustic rendition while studying for classes. King’s choice in releasing so many different versions of her work is interesting and shows how versatile she is as an artist. King’s voice is both gently youthful and powerfully mature at the same time. She has one of those interesting tones you can’t help but listen to. Sometimes I listen to albums to write these reviews and never give them a second glance, but I know “Sides” will stay in my rotation for a while. If you need me, I’ll be catching up on King’s previous discography.

“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” brings Campus Calendar comic book style to the big screen “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” is a movie co-written and directed by Edgar Wright. It is based on the six volume graphic novel series “Scott Pilgrim” written by Bryan Lee O’Malley. The movie follows a 22-year-old “Scott Pilgrim” in Toronto, Canada as he is starting to date a 17-year-old highschooler named “Knives Chau.” Scott is in a struggling band he formed in high school called “Sex Bob-Omb,” and he is still trying to make it big with them. Scott then falls in love with a mysterious delivery girl named “Ramona Flowers” and attempts to juggle two relationships until eventually breaking up with Knives. The only catch about dating Ramona is that he must defeat her seven evil exes. This movie is also not a current release, but more people definitely need to know about it and its director. Right now, the movie is very much a cultclassic. Most people who have seen it tend to love it and have it around as a constant rewatch. But why? What makes this silly comic book movie so loveable? This movie is just a romp and a riot. Whenever I am feeling sad or just want to watch a

goofy movie, this is the movie I watch. It feels like this movie is tailor-made to fit all of my interests. Is it based on a comic book? Yes. Does it have super-stylized action? Yes. Is it an epic epic of epicness? Yes, indeed. The presentation of “Scott Pilgrim” is out of this world, and all thanks to the wonderful Edgar Wright. The way Wright directs his movies is incredibly fascinating. It seems like he directs around the way he is going to edit the movie. The way the transitions tear you away from the scene is so incredibly fast, but never feels jarring, is incredible. Wright masters predicting where the audience’s eyes will be and uses that to create some mind-blowing transitions. The movie feels like you are reading through a comic book, with certain scenes feeling like they are pulled straight out of the comic series. The various over-the-top onomatopoeias and sphericasias make the movie’s comic book origins into a style. Even ignoring the comic book-like appearance, the movie also comes across as a video game. Each title card feels like the next level, and the various combo counters and scores that appear on the screen all feed into

a video game-like experience. It’s surreal and bizarre, but it is such a good time. The characters in the movie are just as amazing and hilarious. Each and every one of them is likeable for how unlikeable they are. Michael Cera is just phenomenal as the titluar Scott Pilgrim. He is so perfectly charismatic, but he is flawed and blatantly ignores his issues. He is selfish and tends to follow his instincts, which often lead him to hurting other people. Mary Elizabeth Winstead portrays the mystery behind Ramona Flowers in a way that gives enough information to understand her as a character, but not enough information to where she won’t surprise you. Ellen Wong as Knives is so sweet, and you feel everything that hurts her in the cockles of your heart. All of the actors who played the evil exes are just perfect. I won’t give away who all of them are because

THE CAMPUS Feb. 26, 2020, Volume 113, Issue 19

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

Calendar items must be received in the Newsroom or stupub@okcu.

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

Staff Writers: Madison Bailey MaKayla Baxter Josh Eliot Troy Freeman Francesca Iacovacci Maxwell McIntire Hope Melton Shelby O’Brien Hannah Prentice

THURSDAY Dayton Drummonds’s A View to Thrill Bond screenings presents: “Moonraker" screening, 7 p.m., screening room, DawsonLoeffler Center

seeing each actor in their roles is so much fun. “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” is on Netflix right now, and if you need a movie to watch because the current rotation of movies you watch on Netflix is getting a little stale, “Scott Pilgrim” is the movie to watch. Also, watch more of Edgar Wright’s other films, especially if you like “Scott Pilgrim.” He directs plenty of amazing comedies, such as “Hot Fuzz” and “Shaun of the Dead.” In 2018, his movie “Baby Driver” was nominated for three awards (Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Sound Editing). Most of his movies, however, tend to be ignored by general audiences. So, if you can, you should really watch Scott Pilgrim. If I had to fight seven evil exes just to be able to watch this movie one more time, I would do it in a heartbeat.

Columnists: Paul Dower Francesca Iacovacci Hope Melton Luke Barrett Photographers: Hannah Campbell Jessica Casebeer Clara Foster Stephen Jackson Mackenzie Shaw

edu by noon Friday for inclusion in the following Wednesday issue.

Weekly Chapel Service, 1-2 p.m., Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel OCU Wind Philharmonic Concert, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Petree Recital Hall, Kirkpatrick Fine Art Center FRIDAY OCU Opera/Music Theater presents: “A Little Night Music,” 8-11 p.m., Burg Theatre, Kirkpatrick Fine Art Center Black History Month Celebration, 6-8 p.m., The Great Hall, Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center SATURDAY Baseball vs. Bacone College, 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., Jim Wade Stadium OCU Opera/Music Theater presents: “A Little Night Music,” 8-11 p.m., Burg Theatre, Kirkpatrick Fine Art Center SUNDAY OCU Opera/Music Theater presents: “A Little Night Music,” 3-6 p.m., Burg Theatre, Kirkpatrick Fine Art Center TUESDAY OCU Distinguished Artist Series: Mimi Stillman, flute, and Charles Abramovic, piano, 7:30-9 p.m. Petree Recital Hall, Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

The Campus has served the Oklahoma City University community since 1907. It is published Wednesday during the academic year, with the exception of holidays and exam periods. The Student Publications staff welcomes unsolicited material and letters to the editor. All letters must be signed and include the writer’s phone number, address, major, and classification. The staff reserves the right to edit all letters. The staff also reserves the right to refuse letters without explanation. Letters can be sent online at mediaocu.com, emailed to stupub@okcu. edu or dropped off at the Newsroom in Walker Center for Arts and Sciences. Submitted items may appear on MediaOCU and in the print edition.

The first issue of The Campus is free. Each additional issue costs 25 cents.

February 26, 2020

news

OCU wrestler qualifies for Olympic trials Josh Eliot

STAFF WRITER

An OCU student was named USA Wrestler of the Week and has qualified for the Olympic trials. Rachel Watters, marketing senior, recently won college nationals for wrestling and defeated a returning national champion who had been undefeated in her college career. Watters was awarded SAC Wrestler of the Week, NAIA Wrestler of the Week and USA Wrestler of the Week. Through winning college nationals and being awarded these honors, Watters qualified for the Olympic trials Apr. 4-5. Watters has been to the Olympic trials before. “I wrestled in the Olympic trials in 2016 as well. I was 17 at the time, and I was the youngest competitor,” Watters said. The Olympic trials are national qualifiers for the USA Olympic wrestling team. Nicole Tyson, head women’s wrestling coach, said Watters has been working to qualify for a new weight class for the Olympics. “During the three years before the Olympics, before and after, there are actually eight weight classes, and during the Olympic year there are only six, so there are typically a lot of weight class changes in an Olympic year,” Tyson said. She is working toward the 68 kilos weight class. One person from each weight class will make a spot on the Olympic team. Tyson also said she and Rachel will be working hard preparing for the trials but will not be making any major changes to

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Hannah Campbell Student Publications

Swinging for the Stars

Christie Betker, senior pitcher, prepares to pitch at the Feb. 18 softball double-header match against University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.

her preparation. “We’re not going to change what she’s been doing. We’re just going to add to it and perfect it,” Tyson said. While Watters said she is excited for the Olympic trials, she also said it’s going to be hard to wrestle against her friends for a spot on the Olympic team. “I’m going to basically have to beat my friends to make an Olympic team, which is kind of a difficult situation, but that’s kind of how wrestling is. There’s one person standing at the end,” Watters said. No women’s wrestlers from OCU have ever made the Olympic team, but many have made it to the Olympic trials in the past. Tyson was one of them. “I got fourth place at the last Olympic trials, and I’m an OCU alumna,” Tyson said. This upcoming Olympics will be in Japan, and Tyson said wrestling is highly regarded in Japan. “The Japanese women team is the best in the world. They have girls that have actually won every single Olympics since it’s been in existence. Women’s wrestling will be a big deal at this particular Olympics. It’s their top sport,” Tyson said. Tyson also said she’s hopeful and excited for the possibility of Rachel making the team. “It would be nice to see Rachel on the team and on the podium at the Olympics,” Tyson said. The Olympic trials will be hosted Apr. 4-5 at The Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, PA.

Cou�tesy o� OCUspo�ts.com Rachel Watters, wrestling senior, topples a top-ranked opponent at the Jan. 31 meet against Wayland Baptist University.

For more information on the event, visit bjc.psu.edu/ us-olympic-team-trials-wrestling.

Stars Sports Roundup: Feb.20-24 FEB. 24: The Stars softball team (9-3) competed against Oklahoma Panhandle State University at 1 p.m. The Stars won the game 10-3. FEB. 22: The Stars softball team (9-3) competed in Missouri against Central Methodist University at noon, then Avila University at 4 p.m. The Stars lost to CMU 9-8, but they came back to win against Avila in a grand 8-0. Men’s and women’s basketball competed against University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma at OCU. Women’s basketball won 64-62, led by Brennyn Seagler, senior forward, with 16 points. The men’s basketball team lost 70-76. The men’s basketball team is currently 14-14, and the women’s basketball team is 27-0.

FEB. 21: The baseball team (8-7) played against MidAmerica Nazarene University last weekend. They played a three-game series, involving a double-header on Feb. 21 and a follow-up the next day. OCU won their first game on Friday 6-5, but they lost 1-8 later that day. They beat Nazarene in the follow-up game 12-2. Men’s wrestling competed in the SAC Kansas City Athletic Conference Championships and took home the championship with 225 points. Six Stars gained the title of SAC champion, and these wrestlers and two others attained spots in the NAIA championship. FEB. 20: Women’s and men’s basketball competed at Mid-America Christian University. The women’s team won 88-51, while the men’s team lost 92-99.

Esports coach prepares for tournament, club growth Troy Freeman

You’ll find people build very strong bonds in esports because, essentially, we are working with other people to complete a challenge.

STAFF WRITER

OCU Esports will be cohosting 1UP Open, a public tournament on Feb. 29 at Cox Convention Center. Paul Vaughan, esports coordinator and head coach, said the tournament will feature six games: “Tekken 7,” “Super Smash Bros Ultimate,” “Fortnite,” “Rocket League,” “NBA2k” and “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.” He said 1UP Open is the second tournament hosted by OCU esports and is far more ambitious than the first. Vaughan said it is a collaboration between OCU esports, ExtraLife, a video game-themed charity, and the OKC Blue. “They are giving us the venue and a lot of equipment. They are also providing some of the prizes, actually. You can win some courtside tickets if

Paul Vaughan esports coordinator, head coach

you end up winning the NBA2k tournament.” Vaughan said. Vaughan said esports is entering several of their varsity players as ringers but is also encouraging clubs and teams from other universities, as well as the general public, to get involved. He said excitement for these types of events is relatively new for the sport, and it continues growing. “Three years ago, you would not have found these opportunities. On a much smaller scale, Oklahoma has had a pretty active Smash scene for quite a

while, but recently we’ve seen more and more games being played and excitement increasing.” Vaughan said. Vaughan said esports has grown in the collegiate scene, and this year OCU esports created a varsity team. He said the Overwatch and Call of Duty teams will be debuting at the tournament. Vaughan said he is excited to walk into this new position to help craft a program which hopefully becomes a leader in the collegiate esports world. He

said his job is to continue to keep players safe and valued, as well as help the program expand. “I am the coordinator and head coach. I look to facilitate discussions during practices, insuring people can voice their opinions to make sure everyone is on an equal player field,” Vaughan said. Vaughan said he would like to encourage anyone interested in either competitive or social games to consider joining esports. He said both are important, helping students become stronger and closer to each other. “If you want to hop in and get involved more with students playing together in a common space, it’s a good place to do that.” Vaughan said. Vaughan said the varsity teams represent OCU in competitions against other teams and are more for those who have ambitions of bringing their skill set to the next level. “It’s like going to the gym

and playing a couple rounds of pickup basketball versus finding a team and getting into the amateur scene. It’s not for everyone, but if you are interested, you should give it a try,” he said. “You’ll find people build very strong bonds in esports because, essentially, we are working with other people to complete a challenge. That is one of the most important things people can do for growth.” Vaughan said he sees larger tournaments and plans of renovation on campus as exciting developments for the organization. He said he believes esports could become an important part of the community. “In the long term, I want to see OCU become a central hub for university esports. We’ll be finishing up an esports arena here shortly, which will help us improve and also allow us to organize events in our own space and show Oklahoma what our esports program is all about,”

Vaughan said. Douglas Perry, instrumental music education freshman, said he joined the esports club because he saw it as a great opportunity to meet new friends and bond over a common passion. “I wanted to make connections with people who enjoy doing things I enjoy, outside of my major. I thought that being in a place that connects people with video games through all realms of the university was the best place to do that. Playing games with others provides a sense of accomplishment that you don’t always get when you play alone,” Perry said. 1UP Open Tournament will be Feb. 29 at 9 a.m. Signups can be found at nva.com/ thunder/extralife, and a ticket to the event includes access to the Oklahoma City Blue game the same evening.

Guest artist from Lyric Theatre directs “A Little Night Music” Madison Bailey

STAFF WRITER

The Wanda L. Bass School of Music’s spotlight musical of 2020 will be “A Little Night Music,” directed by a guest director. “A Little Night Music,” with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler, tells the story of the romantic lives of several couples in Sweden around the year of 1900 with elements of both drama and comedy. The show is being directed by guest director Matthew SipressBanks, associate production/company manager from the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma. Viviana Goodwin, music theater/vocal performance sophomore, is playing “Mrs. Segstrom,” a member of the show’s Quintet. “Matthew is an amazing director to work with,” Goodwin said. “The show is being done very new and innovative. The script is hilarious, and the cast is incredible; I am having the time of my life.” Goodwin said students should see the performance. “People should come see the show because it’s absolutely hilarious, the music is beautiful and it’s a Sondheim show.” Goodwin said. Sara Massoudi, acting sophomore, is playing the role of “Anne Egerman.” “Matthew is one of the best directors I have worked with. He February 26, 2020

is the definition of making theatre collaborative,” Massoudi said. “He gives us the freedom to be able to play and bounce our ideas off of one another.” Massoudi said the show has a broad range, making it more entertaining. “For people that like music, the music is absolutely incredible, but also, there are many scenes in the show. You would be surprised to know that there are so many good, dramatic scenes.” Massoudi said. “It will make you laugh, cry and tear up all in one night!” Massoudi said. “The rehearsal process has been so creative, very organized and just so fun.” Both said they hope audiences will come to hear the beautiful music and enjoy the humorous script of “A Little Night Music.” As a spotlight musical, the show will be performed in the Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. The show is opening Feb. 28, and runs through Mar. 1. Tickets are sold at the OCU Ticket Office or at www.okcu.edu/main/ tickets/. Vouchers for discounted tickets will be sold outside the caf the week of the show. Editors Note: Jessica Vanek, community manager, is in the cast of “A Little Night Music.” Vanek was not involved in the writing or editing of this piece.

Jessica Casebeer Student Publications

Hear the triangles ring Chris Prather, music composition graduate, performs at the Feb. 20 Project 21 concert in Medium Rehearsal Hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center.

lifestyles

Mackenzie Shaw Student Publications

The bat takes his revenge

Top left: Jackson Buhr, music theater sophomore, plays “Dr. Faulke” in “Die Fledermaus.” Dr. Faulke is known as “the bat,” after his friend played a joke on him at a party and left him in the town square dressed as a bat, severely intoxicated. The opera follows Dr. Faulke’s intricate revenge plan on his friend “Dr. Eisenstein.” Top right: The cast of “Die Fledermaus” watches Jordyn Younger, music theater/vocal performance junior, sing as “Adele.” The opera is about love, mistaken identity and revenge. The show was performed Feb. 21-23 in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Art Center. The opera featured a cast of 35 actors and 43 musicians and was presented in English with subtitles.

Playing it cool Ben Askren, composition sophomore performs in the Project 21 concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20. Project 21 is a student composition-based organization, and admission to Project 21 concerts is free.

Empower women Lily Hickey, theatre and performance senior, and Tan Neeno, theatre and performance junior, share a laugh du ring t he produc tion of “On to Victory: Propaganda Plays of the Woman Suffrage Movement.”

Jessica Casebeer Student Publications

Mackenzie Shaw Student Publications

Stephen Jackson Student Publications

SHINING STAR

Senior athlete wins national running awards Jessica Vanek

COMMUNITY MANAGER

Submitted Max McNeill (right) is a senior on the OCU track and cross-country teams. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and studies finance/economics. He began running when he was 16 years old and has continued to train through college.

Max McNeill, finance/economics senior, is more than just a college athlete. McNeill was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He moved to the United States in 2016. “I started running when I was 16,” McNeill said. “I used to play soccer before that.” McNeill said he came to OCU because of their competitive track & field and cross-country teams. “I had a few different offers, but they had a really good team at the time. They had won a few national championships. They had a good record,” he said. Since then, McNeill has joined both the track & field team and the cross-country team. In 2017, he was nominated for the Jim Wade Award for men’s cross country/track & field. He also has been awarded the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association individual honor and all-academic award, according to OCUsports.com. McNeill said his team has been successful. “As a team, we won nationals for cross country twice,” he said. “I’ve been able to get eight all-American awards as well.” In addition to running on campus, McNeill also participated in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, an annual run planned in honor of the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995. McNeill won the half-marathon in both 2017 and 2018. McNeill said he didn’t do any additional training to prepare for the race. “I didn’t really focus on it a lot because I was just doing what the team was doing,” he said. “We were focusing on the races that we had coming up, but the training I was getting was good enough that I was able to win it.” McNeill has run a 6K in 19:25.4, an indoor mile in 4:22.40 and an outdoor 1500m run in 3:58.47.

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McNeill said he thanks Matt Aguero, track & field head coach, for all of his support. McNeill said he plans to stay in America after graduating from school in May. “I want to try to get a good job,” he said. “In terms of running, we have indoor nationals in a few weeks, but after this year, I want to stay in America.” McNeill said running is an easily accessible sport. “The thing with running is that you don’t have to be that talented,” he said. “I was never that talented, I just started training hard, and I looked up to other runners and wanted to be as good as them, so I just trained as hard as them and made it.” Tyler Wade, business administration senior, said McNeill is someone who expects the best from his teammates. “If there is one thing I could say about Max is that his aggressive approach to running and his attitude towards working hard was a big piece behind these past two national championships for cross country,” Wade said. “From running 80+ miles a week to running himself to the ground in every workout, he’s a hard-headed, competitive guy who just wants to win.” Trey Cole, music education junior, said McNeill is a hard worker. “Max has definitely earned everything he has gotten so far,” Cole said. “With as much extra work that I feel I may have put in, it’s a rare occasion to not see Max on the treadmills as well, getting extra mileage in with the intensity of someone who wants to win and keep winning. Max is a leader by his internal motivation, and it rubs off on all of us at practice.”

New study abroad coordinator encourages cultural exchange experiences Shelby O’Brien

STAFF WRITER

OCU has a new study abroad coordinator who encourages students to take advantage of unique study abroad experiences. Rachael Brown has been acting as the new study abroad coordinator for the past three weeks and has some insight and new ideas to add to the program. Brown said things have been going very well so far, but she is still very new. “So far, so good; I am hitting the ground running and really digging into every program,” Brown said. Brown said many students are not aware of the various study abroad programs available to students. “There are potential opportunities for students that will be different based on their priorities,” Brown said. Brown said one of her main jobs is getting to know students on a one-on-one basis and figuring out what is best for them. Brown said one of the upcoming programs OCU offers is the OCU-Doers Cultural Exchange Program, which is a two-week cultural exchange program that allows students to learn about and experience different cultures. This year’s program will send students to Taiwan, and participating students will only have to pay $250 to attend. Most costs of the trip, including housing, meals, and international airfare are paid for by the Doers February 26, 2020

My primary goal is to get students to study abroad, in whatever capacity that is. Rachael Brown study abroad coordinator

Cultural and Educational Foundation. Mary Margaret Dutcher, dance management senior, participated in the Doers program in the past. “I did Doers 2018 and went to China for about two weeks,” Dutcher said. Dutcher said the program revolves around facilitating camps with elementary school students to help them learn English through activities. Dutcher said while the community service was an amazing part, she also enjoyed traveling and the overall experience of studying abroad. “We got to tour Shanghai and travel to a beautiful mountain range,” Dutcher said.

Dutcher said she thinks everyone should study abroad while they have the chance. “Yeah, definitely study abroad. Personally, I always tell people that if you want to and can’t during the semester, summer is the perfect time,” Dutcher said. Dutcher also said she thinks students should utilize the opportunity they have to do it before graduation. “After graduation it’s hard to travel, and it’s hard to find programs easily available like this,” Dutcher said. Dutcher said studying abroad was so much better than she expected. “I am so grateful for the experience and actually am applying to go again, so I obviously loved it,” Dutcher said. Brown is looking forward to getting students more involved in study abroad programs. “My primary role is to get students to study abroad, in whatever capacity that is,” Brown said. Applications for this year’s Doers program are open until March 1. The dates of the program are June 1-15. To learn more information about the Doers Program or other study abroad programs, students can visit okcu.edu/academics/ global/studyabroad/.