Jan 27issue by MediaOCU

THE CAMPUS

January 27, 2016 – Volume 110 Issue 14

Not on Board Officials ban hoverboards on campus

t least one student wasn’t sure what to do with her hoverboard after a decision was made to ban the electric skateboards from campus. Markeisha Johnson, criminal justice senior, is one of the few students on campus who rode a hoverboard. “I was so excited to get it and all my friends love to ride it,” Johnson said. “Now I have to figure out what to do with it. I’m really sad.” Johnson said she got the hoverboard in September. She has ridden the board every day since. “I like it because after basketball practice, when I’ve been running the court, I can just hop on and don’t have to actually walk anywhere,” she said. “People would smile at me as I rode by, or sometimes they would stop me and say ‘oh that’s so cool, how do you ride it?’” Johnson said she is keeping the board at a friend’s house off campus until she can figure out a way to get it home. She also plans on selling another board she has. “I have already had some offers on one of the boards,” Johnson said. “But they don’t have the money now, so I am just keeping it there until I can figure it out.” Johnson also said she contacted PowerBoard, the company that makes her boards, to see if there are safety concerns. Officials made the decision this month to prohibit the use, possession and storage of electric skateboards in and on all university property and in Greek housing. The policy will stay in effect until safety standards are developed and implemented across all models, wrote Amy Ayres, vice president for student affairs, in a Jan. 11 email sent to the campus community. “There is a significant fire safety hazard with hoverboards, primarily because there hasn’t been standardized requirements for the devices nationally,” Ayres said. The boards are known to catch fire, either while charging or shortly after. This is because of the lithium-ion batteries in most models. The quality of the batteries used to power the boards can vary. Cheaper components make them more susceptible to fire, according to National Public Radio’s website, npr.org. The cheaper components in the batteries can cause the flammable electrolyte found in the batteries to ignite. “Because there isn’t any safety standard for them, it is easier to ban the boards from campus than risk having a residence hall or any other building catch fire,” Ayres said. The bans and partial bans started in December and have since grown to more than 30 schools, according to USA Today. Several universities in Oklahoma, including the University of Oklahoma in Norman and Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, also banned the boards on their campuses. Students were given until Jan. 19 to remove the devices from OCU’s campus. If one is found, the device will be confiscated and given to the police department. The student then would work with the police to remove the item from campus. “The student would also follow the same conduct process just as if any other prohibited item is found,” Ayres said. “We can’t predict what the sanction might be, but it is dependent of their knowledge and how they worked with us to remove the item. Ultimately, it would be just like any other situation where a student was in violation of policy.” Sanctions include probation, fines and university housing expulsion. Students who are unsure if their device is affected by this policy can contact Lee Brown, university risk manager, by email at lebrown@okcu.edu for more information. By Emily Wiley, editor-in-chief Photo Illustration: Markeisha Johnson, criminal justice senior, rides on her board outside of Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. The devices are banned from campus due to fire hazards.

Talk Back “What do you think about hoverboards being banned on campus?” “I honestly don’t think much of it. It’s neither here nor there.”

“I think it’s great because it’s kind of rude when the campus is small enough to walk.”

“I don’t see the problem of riding them around, but I think it’s a good idea.”

Emily Tryon acting freshman

Hannah Lampi religion senior

Fox Prouty acting freshman

“I find it kind of stupid. They are fun to ride and not many people have them.” Katie Winnicki mass communications sophomore Continued on Page 2

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Diversity discussion

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Students are invited to join a Jan. 27 discussion panel on diversity in healthcare View photos from Gamma Phi Beta’s philanthropy week

Get in the game

See scores from this week’s wrestling, basketball action

opinion Editors commend administration for hoverboard ban The hottest gift of the holiday season is perhaps too hot. Hoverboards, or self balancing motorized scooters, hit the market last year and quickly became popular. But safety concerns caused many campuses around the nation including OCU to ban hoverboards. See Page 1 for the full story. University officials are right in banning the boards from campus until safety standards are developed. Even a small fire would compromise the structural integrity of some of the buildings on campus. As more information on safety standards and materials used to manufacture hoverboards becomes available, perhaps the university will amend the ban to only affect specific models and brands of boards. Until then, it’s better

to be safe than sorry. It is unfortunate that students who purchased hoverboards before the university ban were given no warning. Some boards cost up to $1,000. If students would have known about the potential of the ban, they could have saved that money. Also, now that the boards are banned, we’re not sure what students who have the boards are expected to do with them. The United States Postal Service has restricted the shipping of Hoverboards “out of an abundance of caution and in line with major retailers and the airline industry,” according to the website, usps.com. The United Parcel Service hasn’t banned the shipping of hoverboards but requires the sender to obtain a UPS Hazardous Materials Contract before shipping. UPS also

Talk Back (cont.) “What do you think about hoverboards being banned on campus?” “It was probably a smart idea until they get the technicalities worked out.”

mandates the board be in “likenew” condition and having the original packaging to be able to ship, according to the website, ups.com. The concept for the board says something about our culture when we are too lazy to walk 10 minutes from one place to another. Instead, we hop on our electric scooters without handles and roll around. It is too soon to know if hoverboards are a fad or the way of the future. It is still to be seen if walking is a thing of the past, but, in the meantime, enjoy the fresh air on your walk to class. After all, we still don’t understand all the hype about something that doesn’t even hover.

“I don’t own one and I have terrible balance, so I don’t have an opinion for or against them.” Evan Juedeman business administration freshman

Abbey Renner biology freshman

“It’s a really good idea because it does pose a safety hazard and it clears the university from liabilities.”

“I understand, but I need to zoom.”

Isaac Holland political science/ philosophy freshman

Joanna Whipple political science/ philosophy freshman

“I’m really indifferent, but I also don’t want the school to burn down.”

“It’s probably safer, but I’ve never ridden one, so I can’t say if the fun got sucked out.”

Kara Klamm elementary education senior

Mercedes Arndt acting freshman

Editor comments on increasing scam emails The student email system recently became the target of a series of scam emails. These messages, claiming to come from internal webmail service, ask the receiver to “verify your account information” or “update your webmail account.” “Quite a few accounts lately have been compromised due to being tricked by scam emails,” according to an email sent

to the campus community by Campus Technology Support. Philip Younts, religion senior, said his email account was compromised, but he doesn’t remember clicking on any links in his email. “I had about 1,500 spam emails in my account two days in a row,” he said. “Then I was locked out of my account.“ Luckily, Younts said he has not experienced any problems

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

with his phone or computer since his account was compromised. “A person at Campus Tech unlocked my account and everything was fine,” he said.

I hope this attack is limited to the campus email system. The university stores important personal information of all its students, including financial and

academic records. I do not know what the university is doing to prevent future attacks and eliminate the current threat, but it is important for the safety of students, faculty and staff that our personal information be protected. I am glad Campus Tech officials are disabling compromised accounts to protect the rest of us. I would also like to thank

Campus Tech for their quick response to students locked out of their accounts. Do what you can to protect yourself. Never respond to a request to verify a password or personal information through email. If you are unsure of an email’s origin, call the company or organization. Gerry Hunt, chief informant officer, was unavailable for comment at presstime.

Critic finds lead’s performance ‘desperate for an Oscar’ We’re lucky to be living during this time period; a world full of smartphones, advanced medicine and pumpkin spice lattes. Every once in awhile, something comes along that makes us thankful we are not stuck in a different time, one where we’d have to worry about how to live off the harsh land or whether or not a cut on our leg would lead to amputation. For anyone who needs a reminder of how easy this generation has it, look no

further than The Revenant. Directed and co-written by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, fresh off last year’s Birdman, a critical success, The Revenant stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy as fur trappers on an expedition in the 1800s. America as we know it hasn’t come to be yet, and the territory from the recent Louisiana Purchase is full of Native Americans fighting for their land against the European settlers. DiCaprio’s “Hugh Glass,” an experienced trapper

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

and frontiersman, goes exploring one morning and finds himself face-to-face with a grizzly bear. Shockingly this is not the worst thing to happen to DiCaprio’s character, as the circumstances only get worse from there.

From a spectacle standpoint, Inarritu and his cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki have put together one of the most bleak yet gorgeous films of the year. The dreary and sad-looking terrain comes off frighteningly

beautiful. The imagery alone is enough to keep the audience captivated, even as things go from bad to worse. Honestly, DiCaprio seems desperate for an Oscar, for while he gives an excellent performance, it actually amounts to one of his weaker roles. He spends most of the film suffering and in anguish, and while he does this well, it gets tiring after a while. The real star is Hardy who, as usual, completely dissolves into

his role. He lives and breathes his characters, and the effort he brings to his work is palpable. As great as the visuals and performances are, the rest of the film is not quite as strong. The story and other characters are solid, but the continual gloom and doom can exhaust a viewer. This is not a feel-good movie, but one that should be experienced and appreciated. In summation, go for Leo’s Oscar attempt, stay for the beautiful bleakness and Hardy.

Ryan Lamber t and Maddie Razook’s junior voice recital at 4 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Ali Swift’s senior music theater recital at 8 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Nicole Choate’s senior music theater recital at 6 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Jennifer Morris’s junior voice recital 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 Diversity in healthcare discussion panel at 1 p.m. in Room 109 in Sarkey’s Science and Mathematics Center Men’s wrestling vs. Central Oklahoma at 7 p.m. in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Well-

ness and Activity Center THURSDAY Celtic chapel service with the Rev. Rod Newman at 1 p.m. in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel Virgina Newsome’s junior voice recital at 6 p.m. in the small

rehearsal hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center Women’s basketball vs. Wayland Baptist at 6 p.m. in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center Men’s basketball vs. Wayland

Baptist at 8 p.m. in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center SATURDAY Thomas Har ton and Sarah Lapaz’s junior voice recital at 2 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Columnist compares relationships on social media, in real life The dating scene has changed due to the rise of social media. Finding your significant other is no longer as simple as an encounter at a sporting event or a run in at the grocery store. Technology has changed the way we date. With apps like Tinder and eHarmony, singles are given a variety of new dating opportunities. Instead of sharing eye contact or a moment from across the room, we get a message on a screen.

Social media leads us to believe we may truly know someone, when we barely do. Since there have been so many changes in how new relationships begin, successful relationships are harder to maintain. It once took courage to ask someone out. The pursuer would write notes, bring flowers and knock on the door of their beloved to ask them on a date. Now, social media makes getting a date as simple as

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

sending a message and takes away the intimacy of face-toface contact. The immediate connection through media means couples are more likely to initiate contact than they once were. On the other hand, those

who are looking for a longterm, committed relationship may find that social media makes it too easy to meet people. Easy accessibility to a pool of singles contributes to serial dating. Rather than investing in one or two serious relationships, some may

THE CAMPUS

Photographers: Anna Andersen, Lauren Berlingeri, Donovan Lawson, Andrew Robling Staff Writers: Alex German, Prisca Lynch, Taylor Rey, Elina Moon Columnists: Jenni McMichael, Tatum Nelson, Madelyn Parker Film Critic: Danielle Petersen

need to recognize the challenge it presents. If we’re not careful, it can become an obstacle for genuine intimacy. Relationships can start with exchanged messages and virtual flirtations, but they shouldn’t end there. While some might find love on social media sites, others might be better off going the old-school route. Good old-fashioned conversation and affection can be supplemented by social media, but not replaced.

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.

January 27, 2016, Volume 110, Number 14

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: Sara Coleman

find themselves juggling multiple superficial short-term interactions. Relationships founded through social media can be difficult when conversations are scripted and texts are misinterpreted. Online, we can choose to present ourselves as who we want to be, not as who we are. It’s easy to create a false image of who we think a person is based on comments they make from behind a computer screen. There is a place for social media in our lives, but we

The Student Publications staff welcomes unsolicited material and let-

Circulation Director: Allie Glazner 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.

January 27, 2016

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news

New CarShare program provides students with transportation Elina Moon STAFF WRITER

There is a new way for students who don’t own a car to get around. OCU partnered last year with Enterprise Rent-A-Car to start CarShare, a program that allows students to rent cars on campus. “It’s only the second program in the state, and it’s getting popular,” said Chris Robertson, Enterprise area manager. “We’ve been hearing quite a buzz about it.” Since starting the program, there are now about 30 to 50 students using it, Robertson said. CarShare is a membershipbased program. Students sign up to be a member on the Enterprise website. When they need a car, they sign up online and reserve a car for a block of time. The program is affordable, Robertson said. The member-

If I want to go off campus for dinner or something, it’s really useful.

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Savannah Michalek dance sophomore

ship fee is normally $30, but it’s only $1 if students sign up before April 30. The rent per hour also has been cut. Nissan has an agreement with Enterprise to pay a portion of the rent. Instead of paying $7, students pay $5 per hour. There are two cars available to rent. Both are 2015 Nissan Contras. “They’re very clean and look brand new,” said Savannah Michalek, dance freshman. “They’re also easy to drive.” A gas card comes included with the car, so there is no need to spend

money on fuel. The cars are located behind Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. When students become members, they get a card that unlocks the vehicle. Students wave their card over a sensor on the windshield, and the car opens. “If I want to go off campus for dinner or something, it’s really useful,” Michalek said. “For those that don’t have cars or any form of transportation, it’s a great way to get around.”

Andrew Robling Student Publications

Dip it

Ryan Hummel and Jonathan Falcon, business marketing freshmen, and Reno Blum, exercise science senior, cover strawberries with chocolate from the chocolate fountain during the Jan. 12 Winter Welcome Week event in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. The event was one of five events throughout the first week back.

TheatreOCU artistic director steps down, creates new program Miguel Rios MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

After 10 years Lance Marsh, artistic director of TheatreOCU, is stepping down. The move is to allow Marsh to focus on creating the Center for Excellence in Classical Theatre Training. Marsh is still the head of performance for TheatreOCU and is slated to be the conference chair and editor for CECTT. “Lance is the best teacher I have ever had, and an even better representation of what the School of Theatre is all about,” said Travis Huddleston, acting junior. “He will be missed as artistic director, but the new CECTT program he is heading up is going to bring a whole new level to the school and OCU as a whole.”

The center will be a partnership between universities across the nation. “We are partnering with a couple of other academic institutions: the classical studio at NYU, the graduate classical directing program at University of South Carolina and with a number of professional Shakespeare festivals to create this organization,” Marsh said. Once a year, CECTT will invite dignitaries and master teachers from around the world to come to Oklahoma City for a weekend to teach classes, he said. The first conference will be for about four days in April 2017 at OCU, where a production of classical theater plays will be accompanied by a keynote speech, a series of workshops, roundtables and paper presentations, according to the CECTT

In the end, I think this is going to highlight something we feel very passionate about here. It seems like building on a strength we already have. Lance Marsh head TheatreOCU performance

brochure. The conferences will all be videotaped and archived to preserve lessons from master teachers and have them available, Marsh said. “Our idea is to eventually move beyond simply a conference and start doing some producing work,” he said. “We want a show that would tour; start here and tour to hopefully the Shakespeare Globe in

London eventually.” The Shakespeare Globe is not an official partner as of now, but CECTT is in talks to partner with them in the future. Another goal for CECTT is to make an American version of the British show Playing Shakespeare, Marsh said. “Our goal is to start raising money now and within the next five years launch an American Playing Shakespeare program

that would be modeled on the one in the 80s,” he said. Playing Shakespeare was a television miniseries in which English theatrical director John Barton hosted classes in how to play Shakespeare using famous British actors as examples, according to the Internet Movie Database. CECTT has identified a number of local entrepreneurs who care about the Oklahoma City area and see this program as a benefit to the state. Those people see this as an admirable way to do some of their philanthropic outreach, Marsh said. “It’s obviously not as big as bringing the Thunder here, but bringing culture of an international level and creating a center of excellence in something that is as highbrow as classical theater in a place like Oklahoma City gives Oklahoma City a

kind of lift in cultural status,” he said. Alumni from the past 10 years have mentioned feeling more than prepared to take on classical works, so much so that they take jobs away from people out of schools that have much more famous names, Marsh said. During the next five years, CECTT is set to expand to partners in Russia, France, Greece, Italy, Spain and Germany, according to the CECTT brochure. “We’re excited about getting started,” Marsh said. “In the end, I think this is going to highlight something we feel very passionate about here. It seems like building on a strength we already have.”

Regional Food Bank needs student volunteers Taylor Rey STAFF WRITER

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Lauren Berlingeri Student Publications

Audition time

Bridget Davis, music theater sophomore; Emily Holguin, music theater freshman, and Sammi Kuehnlien, acting junior, wait for their Jan. 19 music theater auditions for “Curtains” and “Evita.” “Curtains” is a spotlight musical that will be performed April 1 and 2. “Evita” is a main stage musical that will be performed April 22-24.

The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma is seeking student volunteers. “We really rely heavily on our volunteer force,” said Denice Hurlbut, associate director of volunteerism. “ We h a d 3 4 , 0 0 0 p e o p l e come and support us this past year and we are so grateful for their time.” In 2 0 1 5 , t h e Re g i o n al Food Bank distributed 49.9 million pounds of food to an estimated 116,000 Oklahomans. Volunteers can sign up on the Regional Food Bank website at www.regionalf o o d b a n k . o r g / v o l u n t e e r. Students can sign up individually or as a group of five or more. To register, you must be 18 or older or signed up by a guardian. When registering, vol-

unteers can choose from stocking food, bagging and boxing food products, assembling meals for the food banks “Kid’s Café,” assisting clients, or gardening in the Urban Harvest garden. Time slots are scheduled throughout the week and are listed on the website. Morning times are from 9:30 a.m. to noon, and the afternoon shifts are from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Evening shifts are sometimes available after 6 p.m. The food bank is the largest private domestic hungerrelief charity in the state, according to the food bank’s website, regionalfoodbank. org. “It was a great way to give back to someone else and it was nice that my friends could be involved,” said Kelsey Simmons, mass communications sophomore. “It’s sad how many people go to sleep hungry.” Students also may volun-

teer at a food resource located in Moore and mobile pantries which move around to various parts of the city. “Volunteering in your community is a great experience,” said Hunter Swink, marketing senior. “I used to volunteer to provide meals at the homeless shelter. It’s nice to see people up close who are in need and interact with them, knowing that I am making a difference.” Students can also complete their service-learning hours by volunteering with the food bank. For more information or to register for a volunteer shift, visit the website at regionalfoodbank.org, email the food bank at volunteer@regionalfoodbank. org or call 405-600-3161.

Book discussion focuses on baseball, American values Alex German STAFF WRITER

“Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma” will host discussions on books about baseball and American values. “Let’s Talk About It” is a national conference hosted by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The third of five discussions was Tuesday. The last two discussions are scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 9 and 23. The theme for this series January 27, 2016

is “Play Ball” and includes five novels centered on baseball. “It’s not just about baseball. It is about the way sport has been part of American history and American values,” said Harbour Winn, director of the Center for Interpersonal Studies through Film & Literature and the Film Institute. “These novels are set in time periods within the 20th century that tells us about the American experience, the American dream, the American nightmare.” The discussions are once

The earlier you start doing things beyond what you have to do, the more they become habitual for what you value to do.

Harbour Winn

director center for interpersonal studies through film and literature

a semester as part of a cultural outreach to the community. They are open to the community and the campus.

Two to three OCU students attend each discussion, Winn said. “For students, it is a way to

develop a habit of being,” Winn said. “It’s a way of giving value to a habit that you think can help you grow. The earlier you start doing things beyond what you have to do, the more they become habitual for what you value to do.” The books to be discussed are The Boys of Summer by Roger Khan and Wait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin. All books are loaned to participants for free and can be picked up in Dulaney-Browne Library, room 207 or 211. “By discussing books, you

get a better understanding of them and discover things you wouldn’t have otherwise,” said Alex Speight, acting sophomore. “Plus, it is super interesting to see how other people interpret the stories based on their background or upbringing.” The campus also hosts discussion series on films, documentaries, and poetry. More information can be found at www.okcufilmlit.org.

news Wrestling women qualify for Olympic Trials Maleyia Vaughn WEB EDITOR

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Cou�tesy o� OCU athletics

What’s up, coach?

Freshman Wrestler Becka Leathers speaks with Coach Archie Randall on Nov. 14 at the Missouri Valley Open Tournament in Marshall, Mo. Leathers won the tournament, earning her second championship title of the season. She will compete for a chance to go to the Olympics during the trials April 7-8 at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

Winning and weight are always on the minds of two members of the women’s wrestling team. “Everything revolves around being a champion,” Freshman Becka Leathers said. Junior Cody Pfau and Leathers qualified for the Olympic Trials during the U.S. Open during Winter Break in Las Vegas, but qualifying for the qualifier doesn’t mean much to them, Pfau said. Although the wrestlers didn’t think qualifying mattered, Pfau won the qualifier, which Coach Archie Randall said is a big deal. Pfau has been wrestling for 13 years and has won nationals at multiple levels. She competes in the 48 kilos weight class and concentrates on hydration to maintain her weight, she said. Pfau focuses on balancing her weight, but she said ice cream is her favorite thing to eat. Pfau said she only has time for wrestling and school. “If I actually had time for a life, I would spend it painting and reading,” she said. Leathers placed seventh in her division to qualify for the trials. “I was actually disappointed in my performance because I didn’t perform well,” Leathers said. “There was no time to celebrate.” Leathers has been wrestling

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for nine years and describes herself as a “decorated” wrestler due to all the titles and awards she has won, including bronze medals in Sweden and Brazil and a gold medal in Cuba. Leathers hasn’t decided if she’s competing at 53 or 58 kilos, but her focus is getting her weight down. Leathers is on the Dolce diet, which is an all organic and earth-grown foods diet, she said. Leathers doesn’t eat any sugars or dairy. She only has low-fat and low-carb foods and also focuses on hydration. “If I could eat anything… I really like Chinese food and love breakfast food, all breakfast food,” Leathers said. Like Pfau, Leathers said she doesn’t have much time for anything besides wrestling. “When I’m not wrestling, I’m running. When I’m not running, I’m lifting. My world is kind of consumed by it,” Leathers said. “I have a really nice relief with Alpha Chi Omega, and I like to explore. That sounds so typical, but if I have a day off, I’ll definitely head down to the Wildlife Refuge in Lawton and go on a hike or go to the lake. “I also love to bake, that’s

one of my favorite things. But mostly wrestling, all the time.” OCU alumna Michaela Hutchison and 2016-17 recruit Rachel Watters, a senior at Ballard High School in Huxley, Iowa, also wrestled at the U.S. Open and qualified for the trials qualifier. Randall said there are more qualifiers and he expects at least five to six more team members to qualify for the Olympic Trials. The next qualifier is the Women’s College Wrestling Association Championships on Feb. 12-13 in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center. Pfau and Leathers agreed their focus is winning nationals. Then, they will focus on training for the Olympic Trials. The Olympic Trials are scheduled for April 7-8 at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. “We have a good shot to get to the Olympics,” Randall said. “You never know who will win, but Cody Pfau is our best shot.”

Religious group invites new members to mass, discussion Sage Tokach

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LIFESTYLES EDITOR

The Catholic Student Association invites new members to join them for weekly mass and religious discussion. Though inactive for several years, the group restarted through St. Francis Church, where members attend mass each Sunday. “After mass each week, we stay at the church to eat doughnuts and talk,” said Juliana Elliott, dance management senior and CSA president. “We just restarted last semester, but we want to expand the group, start service projects and get together during the week to pray.” CSA meets at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at the Team One Pavilion to walk to St. Francis of Assisi Church, 1901 N.W. 18th St. After mass, they discuss the students’ faith, their church communities at home and anything going on in their lives. They also talk about the day’s service and address questions about the Catholic Church.

It’s nice having other young people to attend mass and talk about beliefs with. Molly Eder dance freshman

“The Catholic Student Association is important because it gives us a sense of community,” said Molly Eder, dance freshman. “It’s nice having other young people to attend mass and talk about beliefs with.” The club’s membership varies from five to eight students each week. Anyone is welcome to join the group on Sundays, regardless of their religion, Elliott said. CSA members also invite the entire campus community to

the Ash Wednesday mass, led by St. Francis Church’s Father Lance Warren, on Feb. 10 in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel. The time has not been decided yet. In Christianity, Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent with a day of fasting and a mass where the pastor blesses them with ashes to remind attendants of their mortality. Lent is 40 days before Easter. It is a time of prayer and penance, in preparation for Jesus’s resurrection. “We don’t want to just be another club where people feel like it’s an obligation,” Elliott said. “We want it to be stress free and allow students to interact with the Catholic Church in an inclusive environment.” Students can join CSA on Sundays at the pavilion, arrive at St. Francis Church at 10:30 a.m. for mass, or show up afterward for doughnuts and discussion. Email Elliott at jlelliott@my.okcu. edu for more information.

Student athletes set new record on Athletic Director’s List Sage Tokach LIFESTYLES EDITOR

A record-breaking 198 student athletes composed the Fall 2015 OCU Athletic Director’s List. The list, compiled each semester, honors athletes who achieve a 3.0 grade-point average or higher. The list’s average GPA was 3.15 last semester. Student athletes set the previous record in fall 2013, when the list included 197 athletes. “It means that the athletic department is committed to the mission of OCU,” Athletic Director Jim Abbott said. “This drive shows up in the teams’ competitiveness, academic accomplishments and service they do in the community.” Last semester, 15 studentathletes made a 4.0 or better GPA. Sixty-six had a 3.75 or better, and 116 posted a 3.5 or higher. The list includes members from the following teams: – Cross Country and Track and Field: 32 – Wrestling: 28 – Rowing: 27 – Soccer: 27 January 27, 2016

All the coaches and staff invest so much time, energy and money that it would be wrong to not give everything that you have in the classroom.

Keeley Brewer sophomore midfielder

– Pom/Dance: 20 – Cheerleading: 14 – Golf: 14 – Baseball: 11 – Basketball: nine – Volleyball: nine, and – Softball: eight “Balancing athletics and academics is definitely hard, but it’s incredibly worth it to show that you are fully capable of working hard on the field and off,” Sophomore Midfielder Keeley Brewer said. “All the coaches and staff invest so much time, energy and money that it would be wrong to not give everything that you have in the classroom.” Another student athlete said sports help him through the rough times, academic or otherwise. “The balance isn’t too hard when you do something you

love,” Senior Runner Dylan Smith-Sutton said. “For me, that something is running. Pressing hard in athletics means pressing equally hard in academics and vice versa.” When one coach saw the list, he said he was proud but not surprised. “Isn’t that why kids go to school? To get good grades,” Track Coach Conor Holt said. “It goes to show the quality of the kids we recruit here to the university, as well as the coaching staff. We will continue to grow athletically and academically, so I hope the university grows at the same pace and invests more in the operating budgets of all the athletic teams. It’s not a sprint. It’s a marathon.”

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Andrew Robling Student Publications

Give me the mic Brandon Stalling, music theater freshman, sings “Not Over You” by Gavin DeGraw during his performance at the first Winter Open Mic Night Jan. 14 in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. Open Mic Night, hosted by the New Student Orientation Leaders and First Year Experience, served as a way for students to express their talents. The next Open Mic Night has not been announced yet.