Governing the students issue by MediaOCU

THE CAMPUS

March 23, 2016– Volume 110 Issue 21

Governing the students Committee changes funding, reimbursement policy S

tudents can no longer request SGA appropriations funds. The individual funding policy was added to the Student Senate Standing Rules, saying SGA will only fund organizations not individuals. Student Senate passed the changes at its last meeting, March 9. The decision came from the Senate meeting Feb. 3, when SGA heard a bill from OCU Film Guild, as well as a member seeking money for his capstone project. Alexander Knight, film production senior, belongs to the film guild, but his capstone was separate from the organization. Both requests failed. Senate decided that the guild should have asked for funding through the allotment process, since the money was meant for a potential future event and they lacked necessary details. “The point is to fund good organizations that have a plan,” said Taylor Brown, appropriations chairwoman. “We would like to see responsibility in the organizations through fundraising and a clear budget that states exactly where the money will go.” When the appropriations committee receives a request, they first compare the amount of money requested with the appropriations budget. Next, they determine the specific type of request and evaluate its relation to similar bills. Then, Senate notes the amount of fundraising attempted by the organization before presenting the bill. Finally, they determine whether the bill is practical and reasonable for SGA to fund. “I was on Student Senate last year and helped pass a bill for a senior film capstone for $750,” Knight said. “SGA’s decision is understandable, considering they have had to deal with budget cuts of their own over the course of the past year, but it forces film production students to seek funding elsewhere.” After the guild and Knight presented their bills, Senate asked if the guild would receive the funding and allot some of the money to the individual, since he was a member of the organization. The guild declined. “We allowed consideration of the individual’s request because SGA has funded capstones in the past, though not while I have been here,” Chairwoman Brown said. “We decided further funding of individuals is inappropriate because, if we fund one person, we would have to fund everyone who asks. SGA is meant to help the student body as a whole.” Senate also altered the reimbursement policy, revising the guidelines for how organizations submit bills to Senate. The bill funding request form is now on the OCU SGA OrgSync page on orgsync. com. After submitting the request, Senate handles the process. SGA encourages organizations to attend the Senate meeting discussing their bill, but attendance is no longer required. After Senate makes a decision regarding the bill, they will email the organization. “The purpose of SGA is to assist as many students as we can,” Sophomore-At-Large Sen. Joe Wathika said. “The new funding policy will help us accomplish this goal.” Senate also voted to require organizations to submit forms three weeks before they need funding. By Lifestyles Editor Sage Tokach

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SGA prepares for the end of terms, new officers “Our second focus is elections and trying to recruit potential high officers, but also senators and general members of the organization,” Johnson said. “Our focus in the last four or five weeks are really on tying up loose ends and getting ready to make the transition.”

Miguel Rios MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

tudent Government Association members are focused on tying up loose ends a month before new officers take office. SGA elections for the next academic year will take place March 29 and March 30. Students can vote for the candidates at orgsync.com. Visit MediaOCU.com for more on elections.

Standing resolutions

Student Senate passed two resolutions this semester: the Sodexo resolution to change certain rules pertaining to food services, and the GPA resolution to potentially remove the plus/minus grading system. “We really have just over a month left with this current administration,” SGA President Chance Johnson said. “So our focus right now is on tying up our policy agenda items. Obviously the biggest one is food services, which is why we’re trying to facilitate things and move quickly because we want to make sure that’s done for the new officers coming to place.” SGA’s food services resolution requests certain changes in the way food service operates and interacts with students. Some of the changes include new meal plans, prices listed in Alvin’s and getting to see the university’s contract with Sodexo. Visit MediaOCU.com for more on SGA’s food services resolution. Johnson said SGA received a preliminary response to their resolution, but they will continue negotiations. He said the prices in Alvin’s for pre-packaged foods will be posted by April 1. “The university, to my knowledge, is putting together at least one more option to the basic meal plans that we have right now,” he said. “In terms of some of the other proposals, it was a mix of positive and negative. We’ll have a little bit clearer idea of what we actually have a prospect of maybe getting, but for right now I’m happy with the fact that we’ve gotten at least

M MEDIAOCU.com

We really have just over a month left with this current administration, so our focus right now is on tying up our policy agenda items.

Conflicting schedules Chance Johnson

president Student Government Association

some movement on two of our bigger policy proposals.” Nic Rhodes, SGA vice president, said Sodexo officials denied SGA’s request to view Sodexo’s contract with the university. “We’re directly affected by their charging and their prices and things, so I think we should definitely be apprised of any contractual information,” he said. “I think us having that information would help us make better decisions in the long run.” Rhodes heads the resolution dealing with the GPA plus/ minus system. He said he’s waiting on the Faculty Senate to approve a survey he created to gauge faculty and students’ thoughts on the plus/ minus system. Once the survey is approved, Rhodes will send it to faculty and students. “I haven’t actually had that many plus or minuses in any of my grades,” said Danielle Frost, English junior. “Personally, I think those are silly either way. I’d much rather just have a number over a letter grade because those are already kind of vague.” Rhodes said Jonathan Willner, chairman of economics and finance, is analyzing grades at non-plus/minus schools to see how OCU’s grades would compare if it was a non-plus/minus school. “He’ll give us a direct comparison of what essentially that would do for our grades,” Rhodes said. “If we’re competing with schools that have on average higher GPAs because of a systemic issue, then that’s something that we need to look at.” SGA is trying to finalize both resolutions while focusing on upcoming elections.

As SGA vice president, Rhodes also is the president of Student Senate, which has missed three consecutive meetings this semester. “It’s one of the challenges we face with such a heavily involved student body,” Johnson said. “The people in SGA tend to be people who are involved in a lot of things, so sometimes you run into difficulties of people having prior obligations they can’t get out of.” Rhodes said the first meeting didn’t happen because there was no legislation on the floor. “When that’s the case, we just don’t feel that it’s necessary to require the senators to come and have some sort of arbitrary meeting when there’s nothing for them to vote on or consider, because we want to be respectful of their time,” Johnson said. Rhodes said the second meeting didn’t meet quorum, which is half the senators. That number is 13, according to the SGA Constitution. He said the third meeting was canceled because of a time conflict with Spring Sing. “Scheduling has been very difficult, especially at this time in the semester,” he said. “On the bright side, there really has been no adverse effect from these meetings not being held.” According to the Student Senate Standing Rules, the senate president can choose to change the time of the meeting. Rhodes set up a NeedtoMeet, which helps people schedule meetings, and was told the best time to meet was 8 p.m. Wednesdays so he changed the meetings to that day earlier in the year.

Planting trees

Batter up

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View photos from the annual tree planting ceremony Catch up on this week’s baseball and softball games in sports updates.

Get in on the madness

Read Lifestyles Editor Sage Tokach’s take on March Madness

opinion Talk Back

Editors offer steps for a smooth registration process Students soon will prepare for finals and summer break, but first we must enroll in our fall classes. The enrollment process used to resemble the Hunger Games, where students competed with each other to get the classes they needed while hoping they didn’t lose their minds, schedule or Internet connection. Hopefully the new process of dividing enrollment into separate days by year will help alleviate some of that stress. Visit MediaOCU.com for more on the new process. Although this system might make things simple, there are some other ways for students to prepare. Here are our suggestions for a smooth enrollment: Step 1 – figure out what you want. Students should have an idea of what types of classes or how many courses they need to take

in the coming semester. If you don’t know what you need, take a look at GradStar to get an idea of where you are in your degree program. To access GradStar, login to BlueLink and click the GradStar link under the Academics tab. Students also can check out the course catalog where they can see the courses that are offered next semester. The catalog can be found on the university’s website, okcu. edu/academics/course-schedule. Step 2 – meet with your adviser. Your academic adviser is the best person to talk to when picking out classes. They know what classes you will need and can give advice on what to take when. Set up a meeting with them well before the enrollment date, this way you have time to pick different classes if they recommend a change to the plan. They are there to help you graduate on time.

“What class do you wish OCU offered?”

Step 3 – check for holds. Any hold on an account will prevent a student from enrolling on time, and could cause students to miss out on classes they might need to graduate. Check for holds by logging into BlueLink and clicking on the Holds button under Financial Aid Requirements. This will show students any hold on their account that would prevent them from enrolling on time. Be sure to take care of these holds at least three days before your designated enrollment day. Step 4 – enroll in classes. Log onto BlueLink and get that enrollment process going. Once you get the classes you want or need, all is well, until finals week, that is. Good luck with enrollment, and may the odds be ever in your favor.

“Underwater basket weaving”

“I wish there were more on-camera classes.”

Kevin Chissoe accounting freshman

Bailey Young acting sophomore

“Home Ec”

Evan Hudson human performance freshman

“A class on how to pay off loans, manage your own insurance and handle other adult things.” Katie Pearson dance freshman

“A punk rock band class”

Aaron Fine music education sophomore

“American sign language”

Emily Diaz music/theater performance sophomore

Editor recounts tornado experience, thanks dead iPod It’s frustrating when a battery dies, unless it saves your life. Spring in Oklahoma means severe weather. Tornadoes and severe weather are the norm this time of year if you are from the Midwest. Even though I grew up in Oklahoma, I’ve never seen a tornado, but I had a close call two years ago. I drove a lot in Summer 2014. I listened to my iPod to pass the time in the car

because there are no commercials and I can pick the music, but listening to your iPod in the car has one drawback. You can’t hear weather alerts on the radio. I knew severe weather was expected as I prepared to make the three hour drive home from my fiancé’s house. I didn’t pay attention because, in Oklahoma, severe weather is expected every day in May. Tornado watches mean nothing to me. I left Tulsa and headed down

John Hiller is a religion senior from Ringling, Okla. He enjoys running, spending time with his fiancé, Hannah, and sarcasm.

the turnpike toward Oklahoma City to get to my home town of Ringling, Okla. Just miles before I passed the last exit before Oklahoma City, my iPod died, so I turned on the radio. When I did, the all too

familiar screech of the Emergency Broadcast System blared through my speakers. The shrill noise gave way to a robotic voice reporting a tornado on the ground in north Oklahoma City.

I pulled off the turnpike at the next exit into the parking lot of a gas station to figure out what was going on. I called my Dad and tried to check the radar on my phone. A tornado was moving through Edmond and tracking up the turnpike. I decided it was best to turn around and find another way home. Luckily I pulled off of the turnpike at the only exit where you can turn around. When I finally calmed

down, I realized that, had my iPod not died when it did, I could have driven into a tornado. I wouldn’t have heard the warning if I charged my iPod the night before, like I normally did. All of these little things added up to allow me to avoid the tornado. To this day I still feel someone was watching out for me. It was just a dead iPod, but it may have saved my life.

Deadpool puts a ‘fresh, filthy, funny new spin’ on superhero films Unknown until this year to most casual comic fans, “Deadpool” is a character who pops up randomly throughout the Marvel universe. He is a professional assassin with regenerative abilities and a fondness for shooting his mouth off. After a decade of the film being postponed, it is finally in theaters. Starring Ryan Reynolds as the title character, Deadpool is directed by Tim Miller in his feature film debut, and

written by Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. Re y n o l d s s t a r t s o f f a s “ Wade Wilson,” a smartmouthed mercenary living a good life with his girlfriend “Vanessa”–played by Morena Baccarin–and his best friend “Weasel,” played by the consistently hilarious TJ Miller. After a terminal cancer diagnosis and a subsequent experimental drug test that goes wrong, Wilson becomes “Deadpool” and seeks revenge on the person who turned him

Danielle Petersen is a music theater senior from San Jose, Calif. She likes playing the violin, playing with her cat and watching films.

into what he is. There was great debate on whether or not to release Deadpool as a PG-13 film like other Marvel films, or a hard R rating in keeping with the source material. Fans and Reynolds himself, who cham-

pioned the film for years while serving as one of its producers, insisted on keeping it R and ultimately got their wish. This allows the film to not worry about offending anyone, but at times it seems to be vulgar just because it can

be, as the R-rated content is often shoved in your face. That being said, it works most of the time and makes for a fun and exciting film. The driving force of this movie is definitely the humor. The jokes are so rapid fire that even if you only find half of them amusing, you’ll still spend most of the film laughing. The plot is pretty formulaic, which “Deadpool” even points out himself, but the movie is intended to work like a parody of comic book films.

Everything is over the top. Reynolds is a natural fit for the “Merc with a Mouth” character and delivers even the most ridiculous lines naturally, while Baccarin and Miller provide excellent support. This film isn’t for everyone and won’t ever be described as sophisticated, but it succeeds in exactly what it sets out to do. It gives audiences a fresh, filthy and most of all funny new spin on superhero movies.

SUNDAY Easter

at 8 p.m. in the small rehearsal hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

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

WEDNESDAY Dallas Howard’s senior composition recital at 6 p.m. in the small rehearsal hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

Stadium

THURSDAY Softball vs. Texas Wesleyan at 5 p.m. in Ann Lacy Stadium

FRIDAY Good Friday–University closes at noon

Baseball vs. M id-America Christian at 6 p.m. in Jim Wade

SATURDAY Austin Rice’s senior violin recital

Melina Hawk’s senior voice recital at 8 p.m. in Wimberly Recital Hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

at noon in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center Baseball vs. Mid-America Christian at 1 p.m. in Jim Wade Stadium Tessa Grindle-de-Graaf’s graduate opera recital at 2 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center Paul Williams’s graduate music

theater recital at 4 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center Esteban Suero’s graduate opera recital at 6 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center Conrad Schemchel’s senior vocal performance recital at 8 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

MONDAY Final day to drop spring classes TUESDAY Baseball vs. Oklahoma Wesleyan at 6 p.m. in Jim Wade Stadium MARCH 30 Zach Bays’s senior tuba recital

MARCH 31 Baseball vs. USAO at 6 p.m. in Jim Wade Stadium Yuily Leontiev’s junior trombone recital at 6 p.m. in the medium rehearsal hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

Columnist explains, rejects equal rights for pedophiles I never thought I would live in a society where people fight for the equal rights of pedophiles. Pedophilia is a disorder involving intense and recurrent sexual urges toward and fantasies about prepubescent children, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Pedophiles argue that their desire for children is a sexual orientation no different than heterosexuality or

homosexuality. Pedophilia supporters are fighting for the cause, saying pedophilia is protected by the federal government. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act protects “sexual orientation,” but does not clearly define it nor does it include stipulations about age. The bill passed in 2009 and Republicans attempted to add an amendment specifying that pedophilia is not covered as an

Tatum Nelson is a mass communications/religion sophomore from Tulsa, Okla. She enjoys spending time with her sister and eating tacos. !

orientation. The amendment was defeated by Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.). “All alternative sexual lifestyles should be protected under the law,” Hastings said.

In his comment, he included that people we label with “philias,” fetishes and “isms” should no longer live in fear because of who they are. I am all for embracing who

THE CAMPUS

Photographers: Donovan Lawson, Andrew Robling Staff Writers: Prisca Lynch, Elina Moon, Taylor Rey Columnists: Tatum Nelson, Madelyn Parker Film Critic: Danielle Petersen

consider pedophilia a sexual orientation. It is a preference for young children. Any urge acted upon by pedophiles will never be considered consensual, even if both people are willing. So I wonder why people are expecting equal rights for pedophiles when it leads to acceptance of their urges, inevitably putting children in more danger.

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.

March 23, 2016, Volume 110, Number 21

Editor-in-Chief: Emily Wiley Web Editor: Maleyia Vaughn Lifestyles Editor: Sage Tokach Multimedia Editor: Miguel Rios Photo Editor: Ali Wonderly Copy Editor: John Hiller Community Manager: Lauren Berlingeri

we are as individuals, but when that acceptance leads to child molestation, I think we have gone too far. I am not saying that we should shun pedophiles and commit hate crimes against them. While not all people labeled as pedophiles act on their urges, accepting pedophilia inevitably will lead the way to the molestation of more children. I’ll never agree on equal rights for pedophiles because I do not

The Student Publications staff welcomes unsolicited material and letters to the editor. All letters must be signed and include the writer’s phone

Ad and Marketing Director: number, address, major, and classification. The staff reserves the right to Ashten Vincent edit all letters. The staff also reserves the right to refuse letters without exCirculation Director: Digitally signed by Newsroom Letters can be sent online at mediaocu.com, emailed to stupub@ planation. Allie Glazner DN: cn=Newsroom, o, ou, okcu.edu or dropped off at the Newsroom in Walker Center for Arts and Sciemail=ehwiley@my.okcu.edu, Faculty Adviser: Kenna Griffin

Newsroom

ences. Submitted items may appear on MediaOCU and in the print edition. c=US Date: 2016.01.09 13:22:47 -06'00'

March 23, 2016

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Wesley Center to host several events for Easter season Sage Tokach LIFESTYLES EDITOR

The Wesley Center will close Easter weekend, but they plan to host Easter events before and after the holiday. The main event is a Good Friday tree planting service to remember Jesus’s death on the cross. Anyone is welcome to attend the service at noon Friday on the lawn outside Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel. “The tree symbolizes the fact that when Jesus was killed, someone had to cut down a tree to make it an instrument of death,” said

the Rev. Dr. Rodney Newman, university chaplain and director of student religious life. “We host this brief but significant service to plant a tree as a symbol of life.” After reading scripture, students will throw handfuls of dirt into the hole around the tree, symbolically taking the things in their life they want to bury with Jesus in hopes of resurrection, Newman said. The two chapel services around Easter also will reflect the season. The Rev. Dr. Charles Neff, vice president for universitychurch relations, will present “Reflections on the Road to the Cross” during chapel worship at 1 p.m. Thursday

If students don’t have a church home or can’t get home for Easter, I recommend they do a little research online and find a congregation nearby to attend that morning. Rev. Dr. Charles Neff vice president university-church relations

in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel. A resurrection celebration with music and liturgical dance will occur during the chapel service March 31 at the same time and place. “If students don’t have a church home or can’t get home for Easter, I recommend they

do a little research online and find a congregation nearby to attend that morning,” Neff said. “There are churches of almost every denomination within just a few blocks of the OCU campus.” De s p i t e o p p o r t u n i t i e s around Oklahoma City, one

student feels she cannot celebrate Easter away from home. “I couldn’t imagine missing Easter Sunday at my church, so I will go home to Fort Worth and celebrate with my Mom and little brother,” said Jenny Johnson, religion freshman. “Easter is honestly my favorite holiday, so I couldn’t be more excited.” Neff offered suggestions of nearby Holy Week services for students, faculty and staff who are not going home. Easter services are available around OCU at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Mosaic United Methodist Church, which meets in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel, and Wesley United Methodist Church at

1401 N.W. 25th St., Neff said. C o r n e r s t o n e Un i t e d Methodist Church, 2604 N. May Ave., will host several services, including a Maundy Thursday service at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow. Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ, which occurs the night before his death, according to the Bible. Cornerstone UMC will also host 7 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Easter services Tuesday.

Construction begins on soccer teams’ locker rooms Taylor Rey STAFF WRITER

The soccer teams are set to get their own locker rooms this summer. The locker rooms are under construction at the southeast corner of Stars Field near the current visitors’ bleachers. The two-story building will contain 48 lockers. The first floor will contain 24 men’s lockers, separate from 24 women’s lockers and offices for the coaches. The second floor will be a common area players can use as a lounge and study area. “Since we’ve had the program, we’ve not had a locker room where people can see the tradition of the program,” said Coach Brian Harvey in a 2013 OCU sports article.

Nathan Doll, assistant soccer coach, said the new building will help current and future soccer players. “It’s going to be good for the players and the team,” he said. “We can use them as a recruiting tool and bring recruits into the common area to teach them about OCU soccer.” Previously, the soccer teams shared locker rooms with other athletes in the Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center, which meant they had to go between the gym and the field. “I’m really glad we are getting our own place,” Junior Defender Judah Maxwell said. “It’s nice to have somewhere we can call our own.” Funding for the new building was provided by alumni and corporate sponsors. “We’ve relied a lot on dona-

tions by alumni to start building, it’s something Coach Harvey has wanted to do for the team since he first started here, and he’s really spearheaded this project for the last five years,” Doll said. Sophomore Midfielder Keeley Brewer said she’s grateful to Harvey and the whole athletic community. “I think they’re going to look amazing for starters, and I think they’re going to be a real asset to the soccer team, who has not had a space of their own to really get ready and focus on our competition.” The locker rooms are scheduled to be completed by early summer. Contributing: Multimedia Editor Miguel Rios

Poet to read, discuss works with students on campus Taylor Rey STAFF WRITER

Renowned poet Marie Howe will come to OCU for a reading and discussion of her poems, which ask about how we should live in the days that are not spectacular. The reading is part of the Thatcher Hoffman Simity Poetry series hosted by the Center for Interpersonal Studies Through Film and Literature. Howe’s visit is scheduled for April 6 with the following events: – an informal discussion about Howe’s experiences at 10 a.m., – an open mic reading for students and guests hosted by Oklahoman poet Dorothy Alexander at 6:25 p.m., and – Howe’s reading of her

poems and discussion at 8 p.m. All events will be in KerrMcGee Auditorium in Meinders School of Business. Howe is a poet from New York City and teaches at New York University and Columbia University. She is the author of three books of poetry, one of which is titled What the Living Do and is inspired by her brother who lived with her in his last two years as he battled AIDS. The poets are chosen by the center’s advisory committee. “We want a breath of life in choosing poets so we can have representation of different heritage, sexual orientation, gender and different dimensions of people,” said Dr. Harbour Winn, the center’s director. Winn said Howe emphasizes a relationship of the individual

with something greater than themselves. Ashton Arnoldy, film production senior, said Howe’s poems remind him of how people are constantly moving. “I’m excited to see a poet who really captures the business of day to day life,” he said. Arnoldy was chosen this year as the student to sit in on an interview with the poet that later will be transcribed and put on the center’s website, okcufilmlit.org/. The event is open to students and members of the community of all ages. Full Circle Bookstore will be on campus selling copies of Howe’s books that she will be available to sign.

Ali Wonderly Student Publications

Back to work Rachel Necessary, Madison Carey, acting freshmen; Matt Redmond and Trevor Strahan, acting seniors, reunite and work on their class assignments for the School of Theatre in Alvin’s Cafe in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. The caf and Alvin’s were closed for Spring Break March 11 through March 20. They reopened for dinner with limited menu items at 5 p.m. March 20.

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March 23, 2016

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news

Students hesitate to seek counseling because of stigma Emily Wiley EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A mental health stigma often prevents students from seeking help while they try to juggle personal and academic stress. Many students decline counseling and other forms of treatment for their mental health issues, despite the increasing number of schools offering free or minimally-priced counseling services. OCU offers students six to eight free counseling sessions from the counseling center. Students can expect to get an appointment within a couple days of calling, as there are three counselors on staff. “Mental health stigma is a very real thing at this age,” University Counselor Lori Finley said. “Sometimes they are scared to admit that something is wrong because they might look around and see that everyone else is doing fine. So they are thinking ‘well, if everyone else is fine then I must be fine.’ ” About 1,100 suicides happen on college campuses each year and the number is increasing, according to an article in The New York Times. “It really is alarming,” Finley said. “And, to make it worse, these are young people who have this free service but might be afraid to use it.” The stigma comes from students thinking they will be seen as

This is something that is so crucial to mental health on college campuses. If a student feels they are supported in their decisions to seek counseling, then they are more likely to get the help they need. Lori Finley university counselor

weak or needy in their college life or future careers if they seek help for emotional issues according to the Center of Collegiate Mental Health. OCU’s first-year experience started hosting sessions in Fall 2015 to deal with this stigma. The sessions teach students how to ask their peers questions if they notice signs of depression or anxiety. The sessions also show students how to directly ask questions about suicide or how to reach out for help for themselves or others. “This is something that is so crucial to mental health on college campuses,” Finley said. “If a student feels they are supported in their decisions to seek counseling, then they are more likely to get the help they need.” Finley said OCU counselors are seeing a slight increase in the number of students who seek counseling compared to years before. One student said she thinks counseling is an important aspect to

maintaining mental health. “Counseling services is definitely a tool that is under utilized because of a stigma,” said Sarah Cason, psychology junior. “We need to break this stigma because our mental health is just as important as our physical health.” Warning signs of depression include loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, trouble sleeping, loss or increase of appetite, irritability, and isolation, Finley said. Signs of anxiety include worrying, intrusive thoughts such as doubt, irritability, trouble sleeping, tension in relationships, and inability to focus and concentrate. “We see a rise in the number of students coming in due to depression and anxiety around midterms and finals time when the stress is higher,” Finley said. “But that does not mean that it goes away as soon as a student is done testing. If we feel they need more treatment, then we will do what we can to provide that or help find someone who can.” For more information about university counseling or to schedule an appointment, call 405-208-5492.

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Emily Wiley Student Publications

Becoming a doctor

Dr. Kent Buchanan, interim provost, presents an honorary doctorate to Florence Birdwell, former OCU voice teacher, March 19 at Spanish Cove Life-Care Retire, 11 Palm St., where she now lives. Birdwell gave voice lessons to numerous OCU students, including two Tony award-winning performers. President Robert Henry, Alumna Jane Jayroe and former students of Birdwell attended the event. Right: OCU Alumna Kristin Chenoweth congratulates Florence Birdwell, her former voice professor and mentor, for receiving an honorary doctorate March 19. The award is the highest honor the university can bestow and was given to Birdwell in gratitude for her 67 years of service to the university. “She has taught me how to be a great lady, a woman of class, how to be a great friend, and how to be a great teacher,” Chenoweth said during the ceremony.

Students create step team to perform on campus Tatum Nelson STAFF WRITER

Students started a stomp team to bring a different type of art to campus. Stomping, or step-dancing, is a form of percussive dance. The participant’s entire body is used as an instrument to produce sounds and rhythms through a mixture of footsteps, spoken word and hand claps. Valentino Valentin, acting junior, and Taylor Blackman, acting sophomore, are the leaders of the OCU Step Team. Valentin was named step-team captain. He has stepped for seven years. Valentin creates the step choreography and Blackman choreographs all hip-hop based moves. “The step team is a dance team that expresses community,

The step team is a dance team that expresses community, fun and self expression through dance and step. Taylor Blackman acting sophomore

fun and self expression through dance and step,” Blackman said. “It’s very diverse and allows for people of all backgrounds to come together and perform.” The requirements to join the Step Team are a 2.0 GPA and a willingness to learn. “I had an absolute blast at the audition,” said Sara Byerly, acting freshman. “The process was great and the teachers were really good

about being specific and going slow so that everyone could really soak in the steps.” The team has not been announced yet and no rehearsals have taken place due to the leaders’ busy schedules. Once the members are announced, the team will practice every Sunday in preparation for performances at events around campus. The group has not scheduled any events. We want to focus on working as a team and growing together as steppers, Blackman said. Auditions for the step team were Jan. 24, but Blackman encourages interested students to email him at atblackman@my.okcu.edu.

Religious play set to open Taylor Rey STAFF WRITER

The next show on campus illustrates an account of unsophisticated people dealing with an emotional crisis. Holy Ghosts, by Romulus Linney, is set in the south and follows a cult of Pentecostal snake handlers who believe that, with great faith, they will be protected from the bites of poisonous snakes. “Nancy Shedman” runs away from her drunken husband “Coleman” and seeks refuge with a band of snakehandlers, where she falls in love with their leader. “ColeMarch 23, 2016

man” arrives with a lawyer seeking a divorce, and while he is there he is compelled to listen to the stories of the cult members who have all experienced different kinds of grief and rejection in their lives. “It’s so incredibly honest,” said Dawson MacLeod, acting freshman playing “Coleman.” “Clichés aside, you as an audience member really understand who each character is as soon as they’re introduced, while simultaneously having the opportunity to watch them all grow.” One cast member said the show’s content may be strange to those unfamiliar to the

tradition. The second half of the show is based on testimonials from the characters. “This show is so profound because even though the things these characters are saying may sound strange, it’s real life and that’s how people actually exist in the world,” said Danielly Pike, acting freshman playing “Nancy.” The show will run March 31 to April 3 in the Black Box Theater Wanda L. Bass Music Center. Tickets are available at the door and are $5 for students.

Study buddies

Donovan Lawson Student Publications

Bailey Youngs, acting sophomore; Amethyst Mortimer, acting freshman; and Monica Hiller, education sophomore, play a game of Twister during the Panhellenic Study Party on March 8 in the Gamma Phi Beta house. During the study party, sorority houses were set up for studying, games and snacks.