Feb 28 by MediaOCU

THE“CAMPUS February 28, 2018 – Volume 111 Issue 19

Chick-fil-A set to open March 7 with full menu Callie Dewees

STAFF WRITER

Chick-fil-A is scheduled to open March 7 on campus, but hot food still is unavailable at The Market at Alvin’s. Officials announced last April that they would replace Alvin’s Café with a Chick-fil-A. Students originally were told the Chick-fil-A would open in August 2017, but construction was delayed into spring. Erin Wilson, design and production freshman, said she is skeptical about Chick-fil-A’s opening. “It would be cool if it did,” Wilson said. “But I don’t think it’s going to happen.” Michelle Gaffney, assistant director of retail for Chartwells, said Chick-fil-A is set to open on schedule. Chartwells is the university

food service provider. “The Chick-fil-A is definitely opening on March 7,” Gaffney said. “Whereas most campuses have the express, we’ll have the full menu with salads and wraps. Everything but breakfast.” Gaffney said the full menu is good because the hot food option for The Market at Alvin’s is still pending. When the full Market at Alvin’s was opened last November, Alvin’s employees said they would serve hot food, but that option never came to fruition. “None of us who work there are aware that anything is happening as far as hot food at Alvin’s,” said McAlyn Forbes, acting junior and barista. “All we know is that Chick-fil-A is happening, which is supposed to be March 7.” Students expressed frustra-

The Chick-fil-A is definitely opening on March 7. Whereas most campuses have the express, we’ll have the full menu with salads and wraps. Michelle Gaffney assistant director of retail Chartwells

tion with the lack of hot food. Adrianna DelPercio, acting sophomore, said she feels cheated because she changed her meal plan in hopes of getting hot food from Chick-fil-A and Alvin’s. “They said they were going to have hot food, and I changed my meal plan over from Meal Plan C to Meal Plan F so I could have 400 points,” DelPercio said. Jordan Kilgore, acting

sophomore, said Chick-fil-A alone will not provide as many options as the old Alvin’s did. “Last year, with old Alvin’s, we had two options for hot food, and one of them was open a lot more than the caf is. And now, we have one option for hot food and it’s opened a limited number of hours, but yet my meal plan still costs the same amount of money,” Kilgore said. Gaffney said hot food was not part of the original plan

for the full market, but since students want it, they are pushing for it. She also said one of the issues is space, so officials are trying to figure out where they could put an oven that would not inconvenience employees or students. Lysa Engle, film production junior, said she likes the market. “I think it’s cool to have a huge variety of things to snack on and keep, but I do wish they still had sandwiches,” Engle said Mackenzie Reitz, dance management junior, said the changes are positive. “I think that, long-term, these improvements will aid future Stars. However, I think it caused disgruntled students,” she said. Reitz also said the new Alvin’s isn’t a place to hang out anymore. “I personally miss the pleth-

ora of outlets. Alvin’s isn’t really a homework hub anymore. It’s more of a stop-and-go place,” she said. Julia Grubisic, music junior, said the market is fine but doesn’t have the same feel as the old Alvin’s, which was part of “OCU culture.” “But food is food and drinks are drinks, and OCU is helping feed me no matter what it’s called, so I won’t complain,” she said. The hours for The Market at Alvin’s are: - 7:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday, - 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, and

Students respond to gun violence with art Emily Wollenberg

ASSOCIATE WEB EDITOR

Elina Moon Student Publications

Think on your feet Joanne Hoch, acting senior, and Bailey Huerta, acting sophomore, embrace during OCU Improv’s show Feb. 24 as “Meg” and “Sarah,” their characters. The scene was about two friends at a bachelorette party with a recurring joke that one character would hold the other.

Students are coming together to create art in response to gun violence. Morgan Haney, music theater senior, is leading the project in the wake of the school shooting Feb. 14 at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen people were killed. Haney organized a Facebook group called “Art Against Gun Violence” and encouraged students to submit paintings, plays, monologues, and other pieces of art for an on-campus event. Attendees will be able to walk across the quad to view art and watch theater performances by students. The event is tentatively scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Friday on the quad. Haney said she was inspired to create the event during a class with Christine Albright-Tufts, visiting assistant professor of acting. “She was checking in with us about how the school shooting had been affecting us, and we got to talking about the responsibilities of artists in times like this,” Haney said. Haney said Albright-Tufts brought up many plays written about school shootings and gun violence, suggesting students produce a staged reading. “That really hit me because I think that the idea of giving artists the opportunity to respond can be really healing for the artists and also for the people watching,” she said. Students are working on original devising and movement pieces to showcase at the event. Haney is looking into collaborating with other student organizations. “Art Against Gun Violence just became an open call for whoever

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wants to do whatever. As long it’s just art and it pertains to gun violence, it’s fair game,” Haney said. “It’s really just giving people a place to showcase and all of that, and the response from the student body has just been absolutely incredible.” Elaine Weatherby, acting senior, is creating original paintings to showcase at the event. “A lot of what I create is abstract,” Weatherby said. “I deal with a lot of anxiety, and, with the recent events going on in society, I think the messages that I am able to convey in my paintings can help depict that, but also inspire hope and creativity.” Haney found several scripts on gun violence to be performed at the event. She acquired many scripts from New Play Exchange, an online forum with a yearly subscription to new theatrical works. “There’s also a book called 24 Gun Control Plays, and they’re not really like full plays, they’re two-person scenes or monologues,” Haney said. “Some of them came from that, and some were script suggestions from Chris Albright.” Weatherby said the campus community needs an event like this. “I know that artists are some of the most powerful people in the world and carry so much creative responsibility, so I think it’s really important that artists come together and initiate ideas and inspire people who want to create and want to help and really make a movement,” Weatherby said. Interested students can join the Facebook group or message Haney through Facebook Messenger.

Student concerned with censorship of websites on campus Wi-Fi Sage Tokach

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Campus technology officials unblocked a website after students and staff expressed concerns about it being inaccessible. Campus technology officials use Palo Alto Networks, an online security service, to filter websites accessible via the campus Wi-Fi. The service prevents malware and viruses, and gives users complete control over network traffic, protecting them from unknown threats, according to its website, paloaltonetworks.com. Corinne Prudente, acting sophomore, discovered that the fan fiction website “Archive of Our Own” was blocked last month. Prudente creates artwork for some of the site’s authors and said she did not understand why the site was blocked. “There’s no way that site has a virus. There aren’t even any ads,” she said. “There’s a small portion of adult content, but my public high school didn’t ban this website.” Fan fiction is a specific genre of storytelling that is predominately created and consumed by women, Prudente said. “The genre is often shrugged off as invalid, but a lot of writers start as fan fiction writers because it’s a great way to get constructive feedback from people who are interested in the same thing and rooting for you to do well,” she said. “It’s a way for people to connect and inspire each other to make more art, so it’s frustrating that our school is limiting our creativity, especially when so many students are involved in creative fields.” Prudente sent a message to the Help Desk, requesting reconsideration of the block. The response was that the site was blocked because of pornographic content, but could be recategorized if she provided an educational purpose for it or validation from a faculty member. Prudente met with Kristen Burkholder, access services librarian, who has published work on Archive of Our Own. Burkholder wrote a Feb. 16 letter to campus technology officials, vouching for its educational value. “It’s quite concerning, as a librarian, to hear about a college

M MEDIAOCU.com

It’s quite concerning, as a librarian, to hear about a college restricting access to information.

Kristen Burkholder access services librarian library services

restricting access to information,” Burkholder said. “Archive of Our Own is a fan fiction site run by the Organization for Transformative Works, which publishes reviewed academic journals on fan fiction and transformative works.” The group is a nonprofit organization run for fans to provide access and preserve the history of fan works and fan cultures, according to transformativeworks.org. Burkholder said a small portion of the site has adult content, but that it shouldn’t matter because students are adults. “I can see why they wouldn’t allow websites with strictly porn, and that would probably cause bandwidth issues as well,” she said. “I tend to be against censorship in general, though. It’s a shame not to get a source material if someone is interested.” Archive of Our Own was made accessible again Feb. 20. How sites get blocked Palo Alto Networks sorts websites into categories and allows users to filter up to 60 different categories. Officials filter out seven of those categories, said Gerry Hunt, chief information officer. “All seven of the categories we filter out are for IP reasons of some sort,” Hunt said. “It’s not a moral decision at all.” The blocked categories include hacking, phishing, malware, and peer-to-peer sites. Officials also decided to block sites with adult content about five years ago because they were taking up almost

all of the bandwidth at night, Hunt said. “We could censor for moral reasons if we wanted to, but we don’t. The insinuation that there’s some purposeful censorship by the university is misinformed,” Hunt said. “We’re not over here looking at websites all day long to inspect their content, but, because we use the service, some sites are bound to be categorized incorrectly.” After receiving Prudente’s message, officials looked into the site to see if it was any sort of a threat to university bandwidth. It wasn’t, so they removed the filter from the site, Hunt said. Censorship concerns Prudente said she is happy with the renewed access to the fan fiction website, but the bigger problem is censorship in general. “We’re forced to live here until we’re 21, and the only Wi-Fi option is OCU’s,” she said. “We pay for this Wi-Fi that doesn’t work half the time and then they censor our content.” Students pay a general fee of $115 per credit hour per semester. The fee provides general budget funding for campus technology and other campus services. “It feels like pay to play. If you can afford data, you can do whatever you want, but that’s not an option for everyone,” Prudente said. Hunt said he hopes students understand that he has to prevent data security risks. “Our main purpose here is teaching and learning, so I can’t allow sites that eat up our resources to the extent that we can’t perform those duties,” he said. Hunt said he encourages students to submit a Help Desk ticket in a tactful manner if they have concerns with any future website filters. Officials will respond, but it may take some time, he said. Students can submit questions and concerns about campus technology to the Help Desk at help.okcu.edu.

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Bartering a bride

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Read about the Leichter Library's progress View photos from the spotlight opera

Responding to gun violence

Read about removal of prop guns in War of the Worlds

Talk Back

Bring attention to websites incorrectly blocked on Wi-Fi Campus Wi-Fi blocks certain websites for various reasons, but officials should ensure they’re blocking the right sites for the right reasons. A student trying to access a fan fiction site was surprised to discover it was blocked from OCU Wi-Fi. After communicating with campus technology staff, the issue was resolved and the site was unblocked. But the question still remains of what officials should consider worthy of blocking. See Page 1 for more on blocked websites. Officials said the main reason for blocking certain sites has to do with IP. Sites with porn and other explicit material weren’t always blocked, but eventually had to be because they took up too much bandwidth. The separation of morality from the decision is admirable, but the definition of what is explicit

and what isn’t is still blurry. “Archive of Our Own,” the fan fiction site, is mostly made up of fiction without explicit material and would not cause an issue of bandwidth. The problem was addressed and the site is now unblocked, but this begs the question, what other sites are incorrectly blocked? Campus technology officials use Palo Alto Networks, an online security service that categorizes websites and helps block those that may contain malware or viruses. University officials don’t directly regulate what is blocked and what isn’t. Seven of the 60 categories Palo Alto Networks organizes are blocked, meaning certain sites may be wrongly categorized and therefore inaccessible through OCU Wi-Fi. Archive of Our Own is just one site. There could be various websites that offer educational or personal value to students

“What film do you want to win ‘Best Picture’ at the Oscars?”

that can’t be accessed because of a misunderstanding of content. University officials can’t look into every blocked site, so it falls on students to vouch for websites that are blocked due to inaccurate categorization. If there’s a site you want to access but can’t, contact campus tech. Gerry Hunt, chief information officer, said his staff will re-evaluate any site students send them, as long as the requests are respectful. Don’t get angry or be rude. Get to the root of the issue and help resolve it. You may not be the only student having the same issue. Students have a right to resources that will enrich their college experience. If we don’t speak up to officials about it, then those resources won’t be available to anyone.

“Get Out because of the memes”

“Three Billboards had the best acting, but Shape of Water was best cinematically.”

Abou Diallo human performance junior

Abby Bryan acting sophomore

“Lady Bird”

“Get Out is the only one I've seen.”

Kelsey Bray acting freshman

Montana Pike mass communications sophomore

“The Shape of Water”

“I liked Darkest Hour.”

Anna Delony business administration freshman

Oscar Kipkoros criminology graduate

Three Billboards revolves around empathy, deserves Oscar The Oscars are a few days away and the debates continue about which film is the “Best Picture.” After seeing a fair share of them-Get Out, The Shape of Water and Dunkirk-I can finally say where my vote will go: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Three Billboards is a drama film cut straight from Southern Gothic tradition set in the fictional titular Podunk town. Ebbing, Missouri, is the background of some incredible atrocities, the first of which is the rape and murder of “Angela Hayes,” a case gone unsolved and neglected. In response, Angela’s mother, “Mildred,” pays to put up three billboards outside the city that read a public and aggressive cry for

justice, one that begins to upset the townspeople. With a film that deals with hot-button issues like sexual assault and police brutality in a modern context, it would be easy for a story like this to come off as preachy, demonizing or overly politicized. But Three Billboards comes nowhere near these pitfalls. Instead all of the action in the movie revolves around empathy. Initially the viewer sympathizes with Mildred more than any other character. She’s a grieving and morally outraged mother who, despite her cry for justice, is more moved by her own guilt than any other element. On the opposing side, “Jason Dixon,” an angry and violent police officer, is the least

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

sympathetic. Known for torturing minorities, he’s an unfeeling and ignorant loose cannon who regularly abuses his power to assault citizens almost at random. But, the longer the movie goes on, the more similar Mildred and Dixon seem, driven by similar impulses and carrying similar burdens. Mildred’s qualities begin to appear

more grotesque, and Dixon comes through with some surprising shows of heroism. By the end of the film, the two almost start to feel like the same person, and ultimately the film ends with the two almost in perfect harmony. One of Three Billboards’s greatest strengths, something rare of southern stories, is the modernity of it.

Oscar nominee for "Best Picture"

The American South is often preoccupied with antiquity and past traditions, but the reactions and behaviors of the whole cast are distinctly realistic and modern. In this way, the film is a perfect snapshot of 21st-century perspectives, yet still pulls strongly from traditions that are more than a century old. Southern Gothic storytelling always has been known for posing serious and complex questions of morality, and herein lies the beauty of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing,

Missouri-it does not offer any answers to the issues of assault, perspective or cruelty. It is a film preoccupied solely with asking questions, real and urgent questions, the questions of an entire generation, all done in a classic southern background. Three Billboards film feels dark and enlightening, upsetting and fascinating, and it left me with the words of Friedrich Nietzsche in my mind: “Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster.”

Columnist encourages forming healthy, faithful relationships This year has been a particularly interesting year. For me, I’m settling into my junior year as an upperclassman, and I feel that things are different since I arrived here as a freshman. But, I’ve noticed a big change. It’s something among our student body that we’ve all seemed to struggle with: healthy relationships. I’m no expert on this subject–merely an observer–but it seems as though it's something we are struggling with as millennials and Gen Z's. I cannot blame our parents’ divorce rates, society or the movies and shows we watch as I’m just a college student observing something. Yet, I

do end up helping a lot of my friends through heartbreak or anger as they deal with a relationship that doesn’t seem to be healthy. This is an astonishingly burdensome topic to discuss, mostly because I’m guilty of being a human being, as we all are. None of us are perfect, so it is easy to fall into traps within our relationships. Do we ever intend to be manipulative? Of course not. We do it subconsciously, occasionally with an innocent intent. Yet, more often than not, our subconscious manipulation has a malicious objective. People of all genders and backgrounds also have a prob-

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

lem with unfaithfulness. I’ve spent many hours researching the rates of infidelity online and can’t seem to pinpoint an exact number. But, among the men and women surveyed, the unfaithful percentage is high. When thinking about these issues within relationships, it’s hard to know where to turn. Anna Lasbury, music theater junior, posted something on

Facebook that piqued my interest. She boiled it down to three major issues: social media, dating expectations and society. All three of these topics seem to be part of the same general issue. But, Lasbury made one thing clear. “Why would anyone put in the extra time to go above and beyond expectations when giving the bare minimum is

generally accepted? It seems laughable, yet this is the unfortunate reality of the American attitude,” she wrote. I have to agree with her. We tend to think about relationships in a cynical way. It is my belief that relationships have become too relaxed, or, more like we have a relaxed attitude about them. There is no traditional way to date, but there is a way to date. There is no traditional way to focus on your significant other, but they deserve your focus. We should demand respect from our significant others and treat them with that same respect. Most importantly, there is only one way to stay

faithful to your significant other. If you are unable to do these things, then it might be time to address and repair these issues. The most important part of this argument to bear in mind is that we are all human. None of us are actually capable of the perfect relationship. Emotions run thick in our blood. For a generation that is openly criticized, let’s take the opportunity to shine in this area. I’m not saying that we all need to get married and reduce the divorce rates, but let’s all work together to make our relationships healthier and enjoyable rather than taxing and degrading.

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

TODAY Voting for The Campus's Best of continues via bit.ly/ocubest through March 31 Allied Arts Giving Campaign information table from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. outside the caf in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center Allied Arts Giving Campaign information table from 1-4 p.m.

in the atrium of Wanda L. Bass Music Center THURSDAY B a s e b a l l v s. M i d - A m e r i c a Christian at 3 p.m. at Jim Wade Stadium Wind Philharmonic Concert at 8 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center The Shadow Collective

Playwright's Festival presents: The Four at 10:30 p.m. in Watson Lounge in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel Weekly play club meeting at 10:30 p.m. in the Honors Lounge in Gold Star Memorial Building FRIDAY Bass School of Music presents: The Bartered Bride at 8 p.m. in Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine

The Shadow Collective Playwright's Festival presents: The Four Players at 10:30 p.m. in Watson Lounge in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel SATURDAY Baseball vs. Mid-America Christian at 1 p.m. at Jim Wade Stadium B a s e b a l l v s. M i d - A m e r i c a

February 28, 2018, Volume 111, Number 19

Associate Community Manager: Harrison Langford Web Editor: Nicole Waltman Associate Web Editor: Emily Wollenberg Staff Writers: Rodney Smith, Callie Dewees

Bass School of Music presents: The Bartered Bride at 8 p.m. in Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center The Shadow Collective Playwright's Festival presents: The Assassin's Lover at 10:30 p.m. in Watson Lounge in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel

SUNDAY OCU Edge presents: Elevator Girl at 8 p.m. in Clara E. Jones Administration Building Free film screening of Boy at 2 p.m. in Kerr-McGee Auditorium in Meinders School of Business Bass School of Music presents: The Bartered Bride at 3 p.m. in Burg Theatre in 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 CAMPUS Editor-in-chief: Miguel Rios Associate Editor: Sage Tokach Copy Editor: Chandler White News Editor: Zoe Travers Photo Editor: Elina Moon Community Manager: Lauren Berlingeri

Christian at 3:30 p.m. at Jim Wade Stadium

Arts Center

The Student Publications staff welcomes unsolicited material and let-

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

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

February 28, 2018

news

Elina Moon Student Publications

War, what is it good for? Abigail Lafont, acting senior, portrays “Kattrin” in TheatreOCU’s Stage II production of Mother Courage and Her Children. The play had performances Feb. 23-25 in the Black Box theater in Wanda L. Bass Music Center. Above: Preston Chapman, acting senior, and Micah Gilley, acting junior, converse as the “Cook” and “Mother Courage” in TheatreOCU’s Stage II production of Mother Courage and Her Children. The show tells the story of a traveling merchant mother in 17th century Europe during the Thirty Years’ War. The next TheatreOCU production is Three Sisters, which will have performances April 5-8 in Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center.

University officials alter method of sharing information Zoe Travers

NEWS EDITOR

University officials are changing the way information is shared from professors to students. Officials of the Department of Education are requiring universities to update their network and data security policies. Denise Flis, senior director of student financial services

and enrollment management, said the new policies are to ensure there is not a breach of information. The types of information affected are forms of “personally identifiable information,” according to information produced by Flis. Documentation with this information will no longer be accepted through email or fax between students and teachers. Campus technology officials

are providing secure platforms in the form of the SharePoint or the BlueLink portals. “A secure network protects against unauthorized access and misuse of a network,” Flis said. Flis said Gerry Hunt, chief information officer, and his staff are responsible for making sure the campus network meets security standards. “While internal email communication is generally secure, student financial services is

choosing enhanced protection to limit the risk of exposing confidential information,” Flis said. New policies require universities to have a security program written in one or more accessible parts containing administrative, technical and physical safeguards. The goal is to ensure security of student information, Flis said. “The university continually improves network security to

protect our students, their parents and our campus community,” Flis said. Chandler Hardy, economics senior, said she feels like this won’t impact students too much because most students are operating under a secure system already. She also said she approves of the change. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects student records, limiting the people who can legally

access the records. “FERPA is centered around protecting the student, and, when questions arise about a professor, this will help track and monitor more of the grading process,” Hardy said. “On a different note, it just shows how little trust we have in our educators.”

Graduation speakers to be announced Callie Dewees

STAFF WRITER

Guest speakers for the 2018 graduation ceremonies are still being chosen. Graduation is at 11 a.m. for undergraduates and at 3 p.m. for graduates May 5 in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center. President Robert Henry chooses the undergraduate speaker with recommendations from Provost Kent Buchanan or trustees. The graduate speaker will be the school’s “Outstanding Faculty Member” of the year, which will be announced soon to give the recipient time to prepare his or her speech. Former graduation speakers have ranged from university presidents to Olympic athletes and, in some cases, were also awarded an honorary doctorate from the school. “The first year I was here, he was a famous gymnast, Bart Conner, so I think it’s an

inspirational thing,” said Sarah Powers, executive assistant to Henry. “It’s like, ‘look what you can do.’” Powers said the president tries to find someone students can look up to and who can show them what they can do with their education. Last year’s speaker was Michelle Millben, a music school alumna who has worked as a performing artist, staffer for the U.S. Congress, pastor, and adviser to former President Barack Obama. “There’s a process, recommendations-it’s never a unilateral decision,” Powers said. The speaker is usually close to being chosen about six months before graduation. Powers said the president’s retirement in June has complicated the selection process this year. Gage Rancich, acting senior, said he would like to see a unique alumni chosen. “I would love somebody who has graduated from OCU and has made a distinct mark

in their industry, who maybe is not necessarily the person everybody talks about,” Rancich said. “Maybe one of our other performing arts alumni who has made a name for themselves in the industry but is not necessarily a household name, like Kristin Chenoweth. I’d like to see the people who we don’t see talk all the time.” If the speaker lives out of state, university officials pay for transportation and housing if necessary. Powers said Henry spoke at graduation the year before he took office, so, if an outside speaker is not chosen, it is possible for the speaker to be the next university president or Henry. Powers said she does not know when the speaker will be chosen. Henry was unavailable for comment Feb. 26.

Students plan activities for new Stress Relief Week Jessica Vanek

STAFF WRITER

Student Activities Council members are organizing another Stress Relief Week for the campus community. Taking place from Monday through March 9, the week of events is designed to help students deal with stress during midterm exams. The schedule is not complete yet, but some events have been planned already. The week will begin with therapy dogs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. There will be a study night 8-10 p.m. the same day at Syrup, 1501 N.W. 23rd St. The local brunch restaurant will stay open later than usual for just OCU students. February 28, 2018

Annie Oakley, an Oklahoma City-based Americana band, will perform at the study night from 8-9 p.m. Grace Babb and Sophia Babb, mass communications juniors, make up two thirds of the band. There won’t be a Midnight Breakfast as part of Stress Relief Week, but a Krispy Kreme doughnuts and coffee event will take its place from 8-10 p.m. March 7. The doughnuts will be served in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center, and the Coffee Slingers truck will park outside Oklahoma United Methodist Hall. Madelynn Buckman, dance junior and SAC union commissioner, is arranging the week on behalf of the council. “We are also planning on doing massages on March 8 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.,” Buck-

man said. Emma Grey, acting freshman, said she appreciates the upcoming week of plans. “How many college kids get massages, let alone free ones during midterms when you need them most,” Grey said. Brianna Williams, acting freshman, said seeing dogs on campus makes her day. She also said she loves that SAC brings dogs on campus for the students. SAC members will create a Facebook event with updates on the week’s events. A complete schedule of the week’s events will be released soon, Buckman said.

news SHINING STAR

Senior guard prepares for career in athletics, business

alter Rickett, mass communications senior and guard for the OCU men’s basketball team, is preparing for a career in athletics and business. Originally from Dallas, Rickett joined the basketball team as a freshman and averages 5.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. He has a 57.1 percent field-goal percentage, according to an OCUSports press release. Rickett was selected among 16 other athletes as a candidate in the Dark Horse Dunker voting polls. He received enough votes to advance to the second round and will find out today if he advances to the final four. The winner of the voting contest will win the Dark Horse Dunker title and have the chance to compete in the State Farm College Slam Dunk Championship. Voting closed today. “I’ve been dunking the ball since I was a freshman in high school, so it would be nice to win the entire competition and showcase my talents on national television,” Rickett said. “I’m not sure of all the perks of winning the State Farm contest yet, but I know for sure you get a State Farm Dunk Contest title belt and bragging rights.” The best part about the basketball season is competing in the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics Men’s National Basketball Championship, Rickett said. “They treat us well while we are down at the event in Kansas,” he said. “I enjoy playing in a huge convention center in front of plenty of fans.” Basketball commitments and school activities can be difficult to balance, Rickett said.

“It was challenging for me when I first entered college as an athlete, but I believe it has helped me grow in the classroom as a student,” he said. “Basketball helped me learn to manage and utilize my time more wisely.” Rickett entered the school as a business major but switched to mass communications last year. “Switching was a great transition for me, and I found myself even more interested in my work once I changed,” he said. “I’ve put together a great resume for myself, and I thank Career Services for helping me.” Rickett said he plans to pursue professional basketball after graduation and enroll in graduate school. “My ultimate career goal is to be recognized as one of the best businessmen in the world and own five or more businesses in the U.S.,” he said. Samuel Williams, mass communications senior, said he thinks Rickett deserves to win because he’s a good athlete and a good person. “He’s a good guy on the court and off the court,” Williams said. “I think his personality will shine also when he gets a chance to be on TV and dunk and stuff like that.” Rickett said he will miss the food most next year. “I’m big on my food, and I’ll miss Mr. Willie’s cooking in the cafeteria,” he said. “I will also miss Alvin’s marketplace because they have the best snacks on campus. I wish I would have learned how to cook earlier in my career because it would have saved me a lot of dollars I spent at McDonald’s and Popeyes chicken.” Rickett said he is ready to return to his home state.

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Walter Rickett, mass communications senior, dunks the basketball. Rickett is competing in the Dark Horse Dunker competition for the chance to participate in the State Farm College Slam Dunk Championship.

“I enjoy Oklahoma, but I will forever be a Texan at heart,” he said. “Oklahoma weather is what I am ready to get away from.” Rickett’s advice to underclassmen is to manage time effectively. “Procrastinating as a student can affect your work, especially when you’re getting things done at the last minute,” he said. “Getting things in on time and setting time apart from other activities to focus on your work can benefit plenty in the classroom.” By Associate Editor Sage Tokach

Students restart Distributive Education Clubs Association Caroline Hawthorne

STAFF WRITER

The Distributive Education Clubs Association is operating on campus again. DECA is an organization that brings students, educators, school administrators, and business professionals together to help build leadership and business skills. Maranda Kitchingham, director of outreach in Meinders School of Business, said it is not necessarily making a comeback but is coming back from a pause. “We had one of the members of the leadership team graduate, so we had to take a pause,” Kitchingham said. “It wasn’t necessarily that it stopped. It was more of a reorganization.” Bequer Gomez, mass communications junior, is in charge of the organization. The club plans to have monthly meetings and will have guest speakers discuss topics such as leadership, social media, body language, and how to dress professionally. It also organizes the Business and Industry Networking luncheon, which connects students

An answer to cancer Above: Beth Woodall, vocal performance senior; Stephanie Francis, vocal music education senior, and Jeffrey Laughrun, music theater junior, sing as part of OCUpella at Gamma Phi Beta’s Pancake Palooza on Feb. 24 in the Gamma Phi Beta House. Entry cost $5 and attendees were able to eat as many pancakes as they wanted. The event benefits the organization’s National Ovarian Cancer Coalition fundraising week. They raised about $2,000. Photo by Elina Moon Right: Lily Hickey, theater and performance/music sophomore, makes a crescent moon with her hands after writing a note about why she supports the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. Photo by Carolann Stout

I t's impor tant to Meinders because it helps students gain skills they may not gain in class.

Joe Wathika

economics senior

with business professionals to discuss internships and entrylevel jobs. “We’ve been doing the luncheon for seven years now,” Kitchingham said. “All the students who are here have the opportunity to sit down with someone in their field of study and talk about job opportunities, especially since it is so difficult to get entry level jobs out of college.” DECA has something to offer students of any major, Gomez said. “DECA prepares their members to be academically prepared, community-oriented, professionally responsible, and experienced leaders,” he said. “Anyone can join, even if they are not a business major.”

Joe Wathika, economics senior, is helping Gomez plan events. Wathika said DECA is not just important to this campus, but also to high school students that are part of DECA. “It’s important to Meinders because it helps students gain skills they may not gain in class,” he said. “It is also important to high school students who are a part of DECA, so they can already feel like Meinders is their home.” To join DECA, students can fill out the online form at okcu. formstack.com/forms/club_ registration or email Gomez at bagomez@my.okcu.edu.

Hurts Donut to open near campus Emily Wollenberg

ASSOCIATE WEB EDITOR

An Oklahoma City man is opening a Hurts Donut Company franchise down the street. Hurts Donut is a doughnut shop originally from Springfield, Missouri, which is known for unconventional toppings and creations. The new location will be at 601 N.W. 23rd St. Cu r re n t l y t h e c l o s e s t location to OCU is on the University of Oklahoma’s campus in Norman. Abby Bryan, acting sophomore, said Hurts is a great place for college students to connect. “It’s on a college campus at OU, and even having to make that journey there now, you can feel that sense of community of college students since it’s open 24 hours,” Bryan said. “We’re all struggle-bussing our way through it, but at least we got a good doughnut. I think that sense of community will continue when they move to OKC.” Hurts officials have advertised to the Oklahoma City community on their Facebook page and are offerFebruary 28, 2018

ing a free dozen doughnuts or a free single doughnut to users who comment, like or share their Facebook posts. Melissa Campbell, music theater sophomore, won a free dozen doughnuts from Hurts and will receive them at their grand opening. “I shared a lot of their posts. I think I shared three or four of them,” Campbell said. “I liked every single one that I saw or loved it, and then I commented on almost every single one. Essentially, every time a post came up, I had a small panic attack and said, ‘Oh my God, I need to do something with this post.’” Campbell said Hurts is popular because of their quality. “Their doughnuts are the greatest doughnuts I’ve ever had,” she said. Campbell said the new location is great for both OCU students and Hurts’s business. “They were smart in their business move. OCU students drove 40 minutes to go get Hurts, so their business here is going to be even better,” she said. New businesses have opened along 23rd Street throughout the past year,

attracting more students to the area. Campbell said she thinks Uptown 23rd will benefit from Hurts because it will increase business in local shops and help the district grow. “A bunch of students are going to be visiting that place, and maybe by visiting Hurts, then they’ll look into the other places in the area too,” she said. Bryan is a member of Alpha Chi Omega and said the new location will have a positive impact on Alpha Chi’s biannual philanthropy event “Donut Let Love Hurt,” a fundraising event for victims of domestic violence. “We’ve even talked about the possibility of joining with them or hosting Donut Let Love Hurt at Hurts,” she said. “It could only help us in the future.” The grand opening for the new location has not yet been revealed, but students can check their Facebook page, “Hurts Donuts – Oklahoma City” for future information.