Nov. 20 by MediaOCU

THE CAMPUS

November 20, 2019 – Volume 113 Issue 12

page 2

Opinion

page 3

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News

page 4 News

Get swept up in jazz

Assessing acceptance

See the world through a new lens

A columnist reviews Leslie Odom Jr.’s new album “Mr.,” the artist’s first

A psychology student is conducting a survey to measure LGBTQ+ students’

Officials organized opportunities for students to experience virtual reality in

sense of belonging in Greek Life.

theater and film.

album with original music.

Faculty scholarship budget cut in half

Some professors forced to pay out of pocket for required research Paul Dower

COPY EDITOR

The faculty scholarship fund for professors has already been claimed for the semester after being cut half. At the beginning of the fiscal year, professors were told in an email the faculty scholarship fund had been cut from $80,000 to $40,000. The scholarship fund is used by professors to fund their research, which is one of the ways administrators evaluate each professor’s job: the other two being teaching and service. The professors normally send in requests for a maximum of $1,800 to fund their trips to conferences, fund their research and cover their publishing costs if they are writing books. Dr. Jake Johnson, assistant professor of musicology, said the email from the Faculty Scholarship Committee that relayed the information to the professors said there was no money left to be claimed. “The email that came from the committee said ‘we know it’s just October, but we are out of money,’” Johnson said. “‘Please send in applications for money just to justify that we need more, but don’t expect to get it.’” Johnson has made several posts on Facebook arguing for the university to restore the fund back to where it was in the previous year. Johnson also said the money the faculty was receiving was already low. “It was already a very modest amount of money that was given anyway, which was not nearly enough to begin with,” Johnson said. “It really makes it to where if I want to produce any scholarship, it is really on my own dime.” Johnson said he is disappointed in the university for making these sorts of budget cuts. “Part of our job is to create knowledge, and that is measured in a lot of ways, but the university measures it for tenure and promotion. So, we do have to produce some kind of scholarship,” Johnson said. “It almost always involves traveling and using resources to do that. By eliminating almost all opportunity for doing that, it really

How do we actually do our job if we don't have funding to do that?

Dr. Jake Johnson musicology assistant professor

put faculty in a crunch; how do we actually do our job if we don’t have funding to do that?” Tracy Floreani, professor of English, said the cuts to the scholarship funds are unfortunate for professors who need it for projects. “We assume that it was done for urgent budgetary needs and that it’s temporary,” Floreani said. “We asked if it was going to be reinstated at full amount, and we were told it was under consideration. That’s all we know.” Floreani said the cuts do pose an issue for the future of the university. “The effects are going to be indirect in the way students see it, at first, and it could have a gradual effect,” she said. “It is certainly going to be an issue. If it is a long-term problem, it would be an issue for faculty retention. If we cannot participate in our national organizations, then we can’t advance our careers, and we can’t pay for that all out of pocket.” Dr. Lisa Wolfe, professor of Hebrew bible and president of the American Association of University Professors, said the cuts were made at the last minute. “From what I understand, the faculty scholarship fund was cut in half very much at the last minute,” Wolfe said. “And so, the Faculty Scholarship Committee, which is tasked with approving requests for funds, really had no opportunity to determine the most equitable

way to distribute what funds they had, other than to just say ‘first come first serve.’” The Faculty Senate Executive Committee sent out an email on Oct. 18 disclosing their stance on the issue. “The Oklahoma City University Faculty Senate Executive Committee vehemently supports the importance of research, scholarship, artistic, and creative activities in faculty life, in contributing to the mission of the University, and the broader contributions of faculty scholarship to society,” the email read. “Our diverse academic units and their faculty deserve the full support of the University in their research, scholarly, creative, and artistic endeavors.” Jason Foreman, head of design and production and chair of the FSEC, said he met with President Martha Burger to discuss future plans. “President Burger acknowledged that faculty scholarship is really important, that the administration values it and that she is going to try and help expedite getting the funds restored as soon as possible,” Foreman said. Natalie Gregg, English/secondary education senior, said she is confused that no one informed students about the issue. “You’d think that, I don’t know, we would have gotten maybe an email, or somebody would have said something to us.” Gregg said. “I don't have specific information, but I know we have been having finacial troubles as a university. We have seen the effects of that. It doesn’t surprise me, but it is obviously concerning” Foreman said he hopes these scholarship budget cuts will not negatively impact the future of OCU. “Hopefully, it won’t have an effect, if I wear my optimistic hat,” he said. “That we’ll be able to get some funding restored this year, perhaps, and that the funding restored 100% for next year, and then, hopefully, it’s just a little roadbump.” David McConnell, interim chief financial officer, was unavailable for comment.

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Volleyball team wins fourth consecutive SAC tournament Shelby O’Brien

STAFF WRITER

Hannah Campbell Student Publications

Setting up for success Ella Lofton, junior outside hitter, returns the ball at the Nov. 15 women's volleyball game against Southwestern Assemblies of God University. Across four matches, the Stars won the game 25-13, 23-25, 25-15, and 25-15. The stars advanced to the Sooner Athletic Conference title match against Texas Wesleyan Nov. 16. The Stars won the tournament against Wesleyan 21-25, 25-16, 29-27, 25-20. The Stars will next compete in the NAIA championship Dec. 3. The top 18 nationally ranked teams will compete in the NAIA championships beginning Dec. 3 in Sioux City, Iowa. The opponent of the next match was not available at presstime.

M MEDIAOCU.com

OCU’s volleyball team won the SAC tournament semifinals for the fourth year in a row. The games against Texas Wesleyan University were close, with the scores 21-25, 25-16, 29-27 and 25-20 leading to OCU’s victory. Isabel Harwell, sophomore defense specialist/libero, said the tournament was a close call. “The other team actually won the first game, and I think it took us aback at first. Then, in the third set, the score was 19-23, and we came back and won 29-27,” Harwell said. Harwell said the third match was a big turning point for the game. “When we won the third set, I think it made the team realize we could do this,” Harwell said. Harwell said the tournament was very important to the volleyball team because winning it qualified the team for NAIA nationals. Sophia Salak, sophomore setter, said the team has been practicing hard to prepare for this match. “The team has been working really hard for this,” Salak said. “We don’t get days off.” Harwell said the team practices every day for two hours, lifting weights on Monday and Wednesday and focusing on building skills during the other practices. “Most practices start with drills focusing on technique, then we scrimmage against each other to push each other to be better,” Harwell said. Salak said the next step is the championship. “Normally, we would play in round one at the championship, but if you are ranked in the top 18 in the nation, you go straight to round two, and we are currently ranked as No. 18,” Salak said. Harwell said the team leaves for nationals Dec. 1 and the tournament begins Dec. 3. “At the championship, we will play three games, and if we win two out of three of the games, we will move on to the next round,” Harwell said. Harwell said the team is really excited for this opportunity.

I want to make it to the final four, if not win the whole thing.

Sophia Salak sophomore setter

“Last year, our team did not win any of the three games, so this year we are really looking forward to the possibility of moving on to the next round,” Harwell said. Both Harwell and Salak said their goals for the team involved winning. “I want to make it to the final four, if not win the whole thing,” Salak said. Harwell also said she has individual goals for the upcoming games. “My personal goal is to try to get six digs to set for the next game and to not let any mistakes control how I play in the game and just moving on to the next ball,” Harwell said. Kristen Coventon, head volleyball coach, said she knows the team can compete well against the top 25. “We wanted to go undefeated in the conference and win the regular season conference title which we have done,” Coventon said. Once the team finds out who they are playing, they will prepare by watching films from previous games those teams have played and try to see some tendencies of the specific teams. “I don’t know that there’s a magic thing we can do to prepare ourselves; I just want the team to go out there and play hard,” Coventon said.

Dear Ms. Marty Pants: A Bad Advice Column

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Send questions to Ms. Pants's secretary at fiacovacci@my.okcu.edu Read columnist Hope Melton's review of the brunch cafe HunnyBunny Biscuit Co.

Bow to the Queens

Check out a gallery from OCU Out of the Box's drag show, No Shade November

opinion

Editors argue for the support of professors, against budget cuts At the beginning of the fiscal year, the university administrators cut the faculty scholarship funds in half. See page 1 for more on the budget cuts. Professors at OCU are evaluated by three different aspects of their jobs: teaching, research and service. Normally, OCU aids professors in their research by allocating them a maximum of $1,800 for the semester to do their research. A professor’s research includes, but is not limited to, going to conferences and writing papers and books. But now, with the new budget restrictions, only the professors who applied first were able to get funding for their scholarship, and the rest of the professors have to pay out of pocket. Essentially, OCU is reducing salaries for these professors in a roundabout way. Since the professors are required to produce scholarship for the year, they are being forced to fund it

using their own salaries. These cuts are a huge blow to faculty morale, since now they have to work even harder to keep jobs they love. Many professors enjoy doing research on subjects they are passionate about, but when the main form of support for their work is cut, it can be easy to feel forgotten or ignored. Not only will these cuts negatively affect the professors, but they could negatively impact the future of OCU. Professors looking for work who have something to offer OCU might now overlook the university because of the lack of research support. With less professors coming to the university, OCU might not be as positive an investment for future donors, which could mean even less money coming in for the university. Taking care of professors should be one of the top priorities at a university since the happiness of the professors often affects the happiness of

the students. If professors feel frustrated and disrespected by new policies, they may seek employment elsewhere. Many students are frustrated their professors are not being treated fairly and may even seek education elsewhere. Students are here to learn from their professors, but if professors don’t have the resources they need to teach students, then the value of OCU’s education is at stake. Investing in professors is one of the best decisions a university can make. Professors are a part of what makes OCU so special and why a lot of students came here in the first place. If this budgetary issue is not fixed soon, the OCU community might feel the negative effects. OCU’s professors support the university, so why shouldn’t the university support them in turn?

Talk Back “Which building on campus would you like to renovate?” “Methodist Hall: they don't have any spaces for performance majors to practice.”

“Walker Hall, because some rooms are renovated, and some are not”

Cooper Clack music theater sophomore

Ashtyn Ball religious studies freshman

“Walker Hall: it's a gamble to get a warm shower in the morning.”

“Kirkpatrick Theater: it's antiquated and needs a more modern fly system.”

Viviana Goodwin music theater/vocal performance sophomore

Tyler Robbins acting freshman

“Norick Art Center: there's too much stuff and not enough space.”

“Gold Star, so that theater and religion can have their own rooms”

Jeffrey Miles film junior

Bekah Small youth ministry/Spanish junior

Leslie Odom Jr.’s “Mr.,” deemed ‘a hidden gem,’ moving Tony-award winning Leslie Odom Jr.’s newest album, “Mr.,” might not make you “talk less,” but it will definitely make you “smile more.” The “Hamilton” star has turned out to be an artistic renaissance man, skilled not only in live performance but also in film, writing and jazz. The album is Odom Jr.’s third studio album. His selfreleased debut album, “Leslie Odom Jr.,” featured the singer’s spin on 10 classic jazz standards. His 2016 Christmas Album, “Simply Christmas,” accomplished the same with some of our favorite festive tunes. If you liked “Simply Christmas,” then you’ll love “Mr.” Though it’s not a Christmas album, it has the same magical energy holiday songs do—all

the more reason to listen to the artist year-round. Something that sets “Mr.” apart from Odom Jr.’s previous albums is that it’s his first with original songs. He shared in an interview that many of the songs started out as journal entries and hold a deeply personal meaning. Odom Jr. also said he intentionally doesn’t want his fans to know the meaning behind the album’s title as to not limit imagination. He feels lyric interpretation is subjective and doesn’t want to say the title or songs can only have one definitive meaning. I like that he encourages individual artistic interpretation, but knowing what a song means to artists has never prevented me from listening with an open mind. If anything, it lets me learn more about who the artist is as

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

a person. The first single released from the album was “Under Pressure” and is about the weight of expectations. The beat of the song is catchy, and the build-up to the chorus is both powerful and anxiety-inducing. The lead single on the album is “Go Crazy” and is an electric and charismatic song about his desire for a woman who is making him, you guessed it, “go crazy.” The song has a Latin influence and features a flirtatious piano and a big brass

section with blaring horns. Like many of his songs, “Go Crazy” is very theatrical. Given Odom Jr.’s performance background, it’s no wonder he is able to capture the energy and feeling of a live performance in his recorded albums. “Go Crazy” opens with the lyrics “She walk like a woman, she sexy and free / Something in her water’s got a hold on me.” I can’t help but think these lyrics paired with the snappy intro would be the perfect track for one of those fun and breezy tampon com-

mercials. Anyways. A song that stands out on the album is actually an unaccompanied spoken word piece. “Eva’s Song (A Psalm of Life)” is spoken by an older woman and features selected verses from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “A Psalm of Life.” I found this piece particularly moving and would love to know Odom Jr.’s thoughts on this poem selection. My favorite track on the album, “Standards,” is a powerful ballad about standing up for yourself and not accepting anything short of what you deserve. It perfectly captures the feeling of the album with smooth effortless verses that build momentum to a grand, showy chorus. Close seconds for my favorite track are “Hummingbird” and “Stron-

ger Magic,” where Odom Jr. sounds like Frank Sinatra if he were born in the age of modern pop music. Overall, I think this album is a hidden gem. Some songs are catchier than others, but there isn’t one on the album I don’t enjoy listening to. Odom Jr. effortlessly combines elements of soul, R&B, jazz, pop, and even doo-wop at times to make one cohesive and distinguishable sound. Even more impressive is how Odom Jr. perfectly accomplished the ever-so-difficult task of being vocally trained in music theater while not sounding the part in his jazz and pop music. He maneuvers through his wide range with such grace and passion while telling great stories and brightening your day at the same time.

“Jojo Rabbit” tells ‘nice, heart-warming, emotionally driven’ story “Jojo Rabbit” is a movie written by, directed by and starring Taika Waititi. The movie takes place toward the end of World War II and follows 10 year old up-andcoming Nazi “Jojo,” played by Roman Griffin Davis, and his imaginary version of Hitler, played by Waititi, as they navigate the world of Nazi Germany. His outlook gets turned on its head as he figures out his mother, played by Scarlett Johansson, has been hiding a Jewish girl named “Elsa,” played by Thomasin McKenzie, in their attic. The movie is a comedic satire poking fun at hate and discrimination and what those things mean to a little boy. I think that goal is achieved pretty well. Throughout the

whole movie, Jojo imagines Jews as nasty creatures with horns and devils inside their heads running them like a machine. Once he actually meets a Jewish person and is forced to talk to them, he begins to realize slowly that Jews are not monsters trying to destroy the world. The movie has a nice, simple message along the lines of: kids don’t really have hate in their heart yet, but they will imitate people and do what they are told, especially when those influences come from people they look up to, even if it is hateful. The technical aspects of the movie were done well. The performances were amazing, especially coming from Davis as Jojo. He displayed a wide range of emotions during the movie,

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

and it really pays off in the end. The chemistry between Davis and McKenzie was stellar, and I really believed their relationship. The cinematography was reminiscent of Wes Anderson, particularly “Moonrise Kingdom,” so if you are into quirky indie comedies, then this movie is definitely for you. Now, let’s talk about the swastika-shaped elephant in the room. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding this

movie and its portrayal of Hitler Youth and the Nazi Party. Critics and audiences alike have been pretty split on this movie. Most criticisms of the movie consist of people thinking it is not okay to portray Nazism in a comedic way and movies and that media should treat the Nazi Party seriously. If more movies like this come out, young people might not take the Nazi ideology seriously. While there are some good

and interesting points to be made within these criticisms, I don’t think they are completely valid. I do have enough faith in the American education system to teach the youth about how horrible and despicable the Nazi ideology was and how many people it continues to hurt. Apart from education, there are several pieces of media that portray Nazism as a serious threat not to be taken too lightly, such as “Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” “Shindler’s List” and “The Pianist,” just to name a few movies. I also think it’s okay to mock Nazis. I know it is a controversial opinion, but hear me out. They were people doing horrible things to a group of innocent

people just trying to live their lives in peace. I think they deserve to be mocked and not to merely be made the super serious villains of history. I’m not trying to say, ‘don’t take any Nazi threat seriously;’ you should definitely take those kinds of things seriously. I am just trying to say, every once in a while, it is okay to poke fun at one of the most evil groups and ideologies in all of history, especially when the group is widely considered to be so. “Jojo Rabbit” is a nice, heart-warming and emotionally driven film. If I were you, I would “Jojo” over to the theater right now to watch it, unless you are a scared little rabbit! Okay that pun was a stretch, but I didn’t have much to work with.

Wellness and Activity Center

“Photograph 51” at 8 p.m. in Studio F in Gold Star Memorial Building

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 Women’s Wrestling versus Texas Wesleyan at 7 p.m. in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Activity and Wellness Center THURSDAY Weekly chapel service from 1-2

p.m. in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel OCU Project 21 Concer t from 7:30-10 p.m. in Medium Rehearsal Hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center Men’s Basketball versus Pan-

handle State from 7:45-10 p.m. in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center Women’s Basketball versus Panhandle State at 6 p.m. in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center

SATURDAY Men’s Basketball versus Wayland Baptist at 1:45 p.m. in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center Women’s Basketball versus Wayland Baptist at noon in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede

Nov. 20, 2019, Volume 113, Issue 12

Staff Writers: MaKayla Baxter, Josh Eliot, Troy Freeman, Erik Hamilton, Francesca Iacovacci, Hope Melton, Shelby O'Brien, Hannah Prentice Columnists: Paul Dower, Francesca Iacovacci, Hope Melton Photographers: Hannah Campbell, Clara Foster,

SUNDAY OCU Out of the Box Presents:

TUESDAY Men’s Basketball versus Randall in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity 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: Emily Wollenberg Copy Editor: Paul Dower Photo Editor: Clara Foster Community Manager: Jessica Vanek Web Editor: Luke Barrett Ad Director: Maddie Bowes Graphic Designer: Melissa Campbell

OCU Out of the Box Presents: “Photograph 51” at 8 p.m. in Studio F in Gold Star Memorial Building

Katie Gibbs, Stephen Jackson, Hope Melton Faculty Adviser: Ben Felder

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

November 20, 2019

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news

Student surveys Greek Life on LGBTQ+ inclusivity Shelby O’Brien

STAFF WRITER

A student is collecting data about students’ feelings of belongingness in Greek Life. Sabrina Bartley, psychology sophomore, created a survey assessing students’ sense of belonging and inclusion in OCU’s Greek organizations, specifically comparing heterosexual members’ responses to LGBTQ+ members’ responses. Bartley said the survey started as a research project for her social psychology class. “We have to research and do a whole presentation and paper about a topic of our choice for my social psychology class, so I decided to study sense of belonging in Greek Life because it’s something that I thought would be really interesting to look into,” Bartley said. Bartley said research has shown that Greek Life, in general, has not had a great history with LGBTQ+ belongingness, and LGBTQ+ identities have not always been accepted. “As somebody who is in Greek Life on campus and also identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I really wanted to see how the rest of our campus felt in terms of Greek Life and belongingness,” Bartley said. Bartley is a member of the sorority, Alpha Chi Omega. She said there hasn’t been a ton of research done on LGBTQ+ individuals in Greek Life and, specifically, their experiences with sororities and fraternities. “I wanted to do a quick little survey to see how our students felt about it and see how Greek Life on our campus is doing and if we’re doing enough to make sure everyone feels included and feels like they belong in their house and in their chapter,” Bartley said. Bartley said the survey was set up to measure how far OCU

The data would directly inform our community on who feels safe and included within Greek Life. Russ Tallchief student diversity and inclusion director

has come as a community. The survey is open to both heterosexual and LGBTQ+ individuals, and Bartley said she will then compare the differences between the acceptance they feel within Greek Life. “By measuring belongingness, I am measuring whether the individual ever feels excluded or if they feel like the black sheep within their chapter at times,” said Bartley. Levi Harrel, dean of students and fraternity and sorority life advisor, said his knowledge of the survey came from students posting in the OCU private Facebook group. “Being the staff member who oversees the fraternity and sorority community, I find the survey to be of particular interest because I want to know what our students are feeling, their point of views and where we are missing the mark,” Harrel said. Harrel said as both a fraternity man and LGBTQ+ individual himself, as well as someone who did their dissertation research on belonging in the fraternity and sorority community, he finds the research to be very compelling. “I absolutely see this survey leading to change on campus in the future; knowledge is power,” Harrel said.

Erin McBriarty, cell and molecular biology/psychology sophomore, said she thinks there is inclusion within Greek Life but not necessarily representation. “I think the survey is a good idea to help our campus realize how the LGBTQ+ community feels in organizations like Greek Life,” McBriarty said. Russ Tallchief, director of student diversity and inclusion, said the work Bartley is doing is very important. “I think OCU has a unique campus culture that is inherently inclusive, which is not always the case in Greek Life at other universities,” Tallchief said. Tallchief said he thinks the survey will be a unique snapshot of the LGBTQ+ community in OCU’s Greek system. “I believe the data from the survey has the ability to inform our diversity and inclusion efforts as an institution; the survey allows direct student engagement and retention, and the data would directly inform our community on who feels safe and included within Greek Life,” Tallchief said. Tallchief said the survey should help pinpoint some areas where organizations and the university might need some work and training. The results will be presented in Bartley’s social psychology class and may be presented at the undergrad psychology research day, which is open to the public. For more information, contact Sabrina Bartley at ssbartley@ my.okcu.edu to get involved in the survey or find out more information about the results once the survey is concluded.

Acting professor utilizes forgotten music recording studio Hannah Prentice

STAFF WRITER

An acting professor discovered an unused recording studio in the Wanda L. Bass Music Center. The studio has now been designated for use by the School of Theatre for students to do voice-over work, record music and more. Geoff Koch, on-camera acting professor, said he plans to incorporate the recording studio into his classes in the near future. “My hope for my classes is that we can expand the skill set of our actors to make them more employable in voice-over, books on tape and session singing by giving them experience on mic as well as providing them with material for their online portfolio before they graduate,” Koch said. Koch said this opportunity will help students diversify their careers in the future.

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“Few performers make a living doing just one thing over the course of their careers,” Koch said. “Long careers are built on versatility and adaptability to whatever the marketplace offers.” Andrea Strickler, acting senior, said she also hopes this recording studio creates opportunities for students to become involved in voice acting earlier in their college careers. “I think it’ll give students the opportunity to dive into the work sooner,” Strickler said. “I know that our on-camera class and things such as voice-over work, students really don’t discuss that type of work until our senior year, but knowing that we do have a space like this that can be used for voice over work, I think that will create the opportunity for students in the classroom setting to be able to become involved with that while being an underclassman.” Koch said the space is currently being renovated and will hopefully be ready for students to use next semester, if not earlier. “This is a really exciting opportunity and discovery for us, because I know for me, personally, I have always wanted to get

more into voice-over work and things like that,” Strickler said. “Knowing that we have a resource like that on campus for us to use is something I am looking forward to. Strickler said she is excited to use the space before she graduates. “I am really hoping that people do follow through with making sure that we are able to use a space like that.” Strickler said she hopes this trend of utilizing previously dormant spaces continues throughout OCU. “I am really excited that this is something that has been brought to our attention, and I think if we find that the space is really useful, to then see if there are other spaces on campus that could be used more beneficially by students,” Strickler said. “I think the more spaces we have for people to hone their craft with a campus like this with so many performers, the better off we will be.”

Official creates Mass Comm professional advisory board Francesca Iacovacci

STAFF WRITER

The mass communications department has created a new advisory board called the “communications council.” Beth Adele, director and assistant professor of mass communications, created an advisory board composed of alumni and industry professionals. The board currently consists of 22 people. Their first meeting was on Oct. 11. “It’s really important for academic programs to have internal advisory boards to make sure that what we teach in the classroom remains relevant,” Adele said. “People

don’t form advisory boards unless they’re really excited and ready to listen to what is going really well in the department or what needs to be improved.” Adele also said industries that work with communication majors are some of the most dynamic in the business. “They’re always changing with new technologies and new consumer preferences,” she said. “When your primary job is to make sure the curriculum is preparing students for the workplace, it’s very important to touch base with industry professionals and those who are doing the work.” Adele said the communications council allows alumni

It's important to be able to talk to people in the field right now.

Katie Allsup music theater, mass communications minor junior

to advise the department and allows the department to show alumni the university is proud of them and their work. “A council with alumni involved allows me to listen to colleagues and peers and helps me strategize,” she said. “It makes mass communications

not a department of one, but a think-tank for the betterment of the students.” Katie Allsup, music theater junior with a minor in mass communications, said the new advisory board is an especially good idea because the department has been taken over by

new leadership. “There’s been a huge transition in the mass communications department leading into the semester,” she said. “I think this communications council is good because the students need to know what’s relevant right now in the industry in order to take full advantage of our education in the department.” Allsup also said the advisory board is beneficial for both networking and learning about the industry. “It’s important to be able to talk to people in the field right now, not just to make personal connections, but to further your knowledge of the tools you’re going to need when you gradu-

ate,” she said. Adele said the communications council will meet twice a year and subcommittees will meet between two and four times a year. The subcommittees will be formed based on how alumni and industry professionals prefer to be most involved, such as updating curriculum or showing financial support. The communications council’s spring meeting is set to be open to students within the department. For information about upcoming events or any questions, contact Adele at badele@okcu.edu.

Shantay, you stay Right: Andrew Wilson, acting junior, performs as Crystal Ball at the OCU Out of the Box drag show: No Shade November. The show was Nov. 13 in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. Wilson performed a song by Fleetwood Mac. Below: Turner Carson, acting senior, performs as Liza With a D and lip syncs to “Mein Herr” from Cabaret and “Boobs” by Ruth Walis. The Drag Show cost $3 to attend and served as OCU Out of the Box's annual fundraiser. The event featured student and professional drag queens and kings. Hannah Campbell Student Publications

Get fit with Zumba

Hannah Campbell Student Publications

Above: Students go through Zumba exercises at the Kappa Sigma Zumba event on Nov. 12. The event was part of Kappa Sigma’s philanthropy week raising money for Military Heroes. Students of various majors gathered in the large rehearsal hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center to learn the fitness-centric dances. Below: Students continue learning Zumba, using the space’s mirrors to watch their dance moves. The event was student-led.

November 20, 2019

news

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OCU hosts virtual reality events, acting workshops MaKayla Baxter

STAFF WRITER OCU officials have been hosting events for students to learn about and experience virtual reality. Representatives from the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company visited the School of Theatre on Nov. 8-9 and provided students with a virtual reality experience. The CSC showcased “Hamlet 360: Thy Father’s Spirit,” an immersive, 360-degree virtual reality adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” where viewers are “cast” as the ghost of Hamlet’s dead father. Adam Sanders, CSC managing director, said VR is a unique, distinct medium that allows audiences to completely immerse themselves in the story. “Really, VR does away with the idea of a ‘frame’ altogether,” Sanders said. “When watching film or theater, there are lots of reminders that you’re watching an abstraction and that you’re not actually a part of it. The best VR experiences are those that hide and disguise that audience removal.” Sanders said adapting “Hamlet” into a VR production was challenging at times. “It’s not something people have completely adapted to yet. Some find it uncomfortable and hard to sit through for long periods of time because you’re basically sitting with a computer screen a couple inches away from your face,” Sanders said. “We condensed our version of the play to an hour, which is just long enough for us to explore all the possibilities of VR while still offering a complete, contained story.” Sarah Martin, acting junior, said the CSC went to great lengths to make the experience as immersive as possible. “We were given both goggles and really large headsets,” Martin said. “The really interesting part was that we sat in chairs that could swivel and roll around, so I really felt like I was in the room with the actors.” Martin said seeing the play through the eyes of Hamlet’s father enhanced the experience. “When the ghost gives his monologue to Hamlet, the camera-

The film industry’s changing and becoming more technological.

Heather Lunsford director School of Visual Arts

work is set up to where Hamlet is looking straight at you,” Martin said. “Also, when you look into reflections, you see yourself as the father, which is very interesting.” Martin said some of the camerawork showcased the darker, more terrifying parts of “Hamlet.” “For ‘Ophelia’s’ drowning, they placed cameras into a tub of water where the actress playing Ophelia thrashed and drowned right beside you, which was horrifying,” Martin said. “Sometimes, with VR, the logic side of your brain kind of goes away when it experiences horrible things, so during that scene I had to remind myself that I wasn’t actually underwater and that I was okay.” Sanders also hosted workshops for students about acting in VR. Sanders said VR acting differs from theater and film acting and presents its own set of challenges. “With theater, actors work very hard to project their performance across space and time to an audience,” Sanders said. “Film actors also work hard, but that relationship with the audience is primarily established through cinematography and editing. With VR you kind of get the worst of both worlds, which I say only half-jokingly. You have the responsibility to project your performance while also treating the camera as the audience itself, without receiving that immediate feedback.” Martin said she encourages other actors to take advantage of virtual reality theatrical experiences. “Watching virtual reality acting gives a unique perspective into the possibilities of connecting with an audience who is behind

a screen,” Martin said. Officials from the School of Visual Arts also organized a CGI and VR workshop with deadCenter Film during the same weekend. “You see so many films nowadays and there is the incorporation of CGI, technology, virtual reality,” said Heather Lunsford, director of the School of Visual Arts. “All of those are in films now. And now with our new game design and animation classes, we really wanted to do a collaboration and a workshop with deadCenter where we bring in people from the industry and talk about those things and let students experience our new technology here and talk about how film is moving in that direction.” Lunsford began organizing the event about two months ago. She said deadCenter does educational outreach and they’ve previously done screenwriting workshops with the film department. “The film industry’s changing and becoming more technological,” Lunsford said. “Rarely do you see any movie now that has no technological aspect to it.” Lunsford said the event included a panel discussion on CGI and virtual technology with members of the industry, a Q&A session with the panelists and a virtual reality job fair, amongst other sessions. “I think it’s really interesting. I’ve wanted to work in some CGI stuff,” said Marty Gibson, studio art senior. Gibson said they were double majoring in studio art and film but dropped their film major to graduate earlier. Gibson said the integrated knowledge of film and computer graphics is very valuable to people wanting to work in the film industry. “That’s kind of been, I wouldn’t say a problem, but one of those things that needs to be worked on; that film, art and computer graphics don’t work together at this school,” Gibson said. “But now that we have more teachers coming in and stuff, I’m noticing that it’s starting to get better, and I just wish I wasn’t a senior right now.” Contributing: Staff Writer Erik Hamilton, Copy Editor Paul Dower

Esports club, teams looking for sponsorships Erik Hamilton

STAFF WRITER

The Esports club and teams are currently looking for and acquiring sponsors. Two of the sponsors OCU Esports currently has are HyperX and Twitch. Twitch is a streaming service, and HyperX is a company that sells gear to gamers. Jeff Price, director of OCU Esports, said sponsorships aren’t always monetary and can involve endorsement through goods and/or services. “Twitch is going to be providing information for us, for setting up all of our streaming, especially when getting our new facility,” Price said. “They’ll be providing assistance with that, especially giving us access to a lot of

educational documentation.” Price said the sponsorship with Twitch may benefit the curriculum of the new major in the mass communications department. Price also said the sponsorship with HyperX will provide the team with equipment and may help furbish the esports arena when it’s built. “The biggest thing is give ourselves better equipment to compete with,” said Chris Winkel, economics junior and OCU Esports president. “It’s a small thing, but it’s really noticeable. If you have better equipment, you feel confident and you give yourself a better chance to compete with other teams that have the same equipment.” Winkel said OCU Esports currently has five or six sponsors. He said this is a good

number of sponsors, considering the organization has not existed on campus for more than a year. He said he thinks they’ll get more sponsors soon. “I’ve got nibbles from three or four companies here in Oklahoma City that are interested in being sponsors for our group,” Price said. Price said one company he’s trying to connect the team with is Alienware. “Generally speaking, sponsors are pretty eager to hop in, especially since college esports is growing really quickly,” said Winkel. “I’m confident we’ll be getting more in the near future.” OCU Esports can be found on Instagram as @ocu_esports.

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Performing killer vocals Top: Students perform in the Wanda L. Bass School of Music’s mainstage opera, “Lucia di Lammermoor.” The show, directed by Karen Miller, assistant director of opera and music theater, is an Italian opera by Gaetano Donizetti which tells the story of members of opposing houses in Scotland carrying on a secret affair. Right: Cassi Gardner, vocal performance senior, performs as the title role. The opera had performances at 8 p.m. Nov. 15-16 and at 3 p.m. Nov. 17 in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. Katie Gibbs Student Publications

Mail Center manager helps students for over a decade Jessica Vanek

COMMUNITY MANAGER

Emily Bradley, Mail Center manager, has been helping out Oklahoma City University students for over 10 years. Bradley works in the Mail Center in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. She manages every package and letter received by any student not living in Cokesbury Court. Bradley said she has been working at OCU since fall 2009. “I had a previous colleague who had been at the university for a few years, and she brought me on board at the bookstore,” Bradley said. Bradley made the switch over to the Mail Center in spring 2012. Bradley said the Mail Center traffic flow can get crazy. “Mornings can be a little hectic,” she said. “For a while it was just me on Monday morning. It’s been a little harder to get student workers this year for the times that I really need them.” Bradley said the Mail Center can provide a couple hundred pieces of mail in one day, which includes letters as well as packages. The Mail Center has multiple student employees through federal work study. Jackson Buhr, music theater sophomore,

I would like to get us switched over to getting students text notifications when they have packages.

Emily Bradley manager Mail Center

is one of the students working in the Mail Center. Buhr said Bradley is great at her job. “She’s super awesome, and she’s on top of everything,” Buhr said. “She’s very productive and efficient. She makes sure that students always get what they need.” Bradley said her favorite part of her job in the Mail Center involves getting to know the students of OCU. “I didn’t get to interact with them as much when I worked in the bookstore, except for the students who worked there. Up here, I get to know them a lot better: by name, by face, by voice.

And that’s been the best part of it,” she said. “I also get to know the ones who work for me, especially if they work here for their whole OCU career.” In addition to managing the Mail Center, Bradley also serves as the treasurer of the Oklahoma City University Staff Council, a group of faculty who work to unite the campus through service and action. Bradley said she hopes to provide some accessibility improvements for students living on campus. “I would like to get us switched over to getting students text notifications when they have packages. This is something that our newest system is capable of; it would just be making the transition,” she said. Addison Saviers, religion junior, said she appreciates everything Bradley does. “She’s amazing. Emily is really personable, and she really knows her stuff,” Saviers said. “One time, I had two pieces of mail delivered to the wrong box, and she unlocked every box just to find this one specific letter. Then, she made sure that it never happened again. She’s fantastic; I love her.”

Reach for the stars Right: Taylor Sylvester, senior center, shoots a layup at the game at 5 p.m. Nov. 16 against Haskell Indian Nations University in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity

Escape to Margarita-ville

Center. The Stars won 82-46. The Stars,

Top: Jace Jordan, cell and molecular biology senior, and

ranked third in NAIA women’s basket-

Samuel Moore, economics/finance senior, pose for a picture

ball, improved to 4-0 overall. Sylvester

at Kappa Sigma’s Margarita-ville event to raise money for

scored 15 points for the Stars and led

their philanthropy, Military Heroes.

the game with 10 rebounds. The next home game is at 6 p.m. tomorrow

Right: Tristan Hutchinson, theater and performance senior,

against Panhandle State University in

makes virgin margaritas at Margarita-ville. The event was

Abe Lemons Arena.

from 8 p.m. to midnight Nov. 15 at the Kappa Sigma house.

Stephen Jackson Student Publications

November 20, 2019