Nov 13 by MediaOCU

THE CAMPUS

November 13, 2019 – Volume 113 Issue 11

page 2

Opinion

page 3

“

News

page 4 News

Take a trip under the sea

Inspiring through music

Don't worry, be happy

A columnist reviews “The Little Mermaid Live” and comments on Disney’s

See pictures of students performing in the Wind Ensemble and Wind Philhar-

Oklahoma City was ranked on a list of the happiest cities in the United

monic concert at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 7 in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel.

States. Read about what students thought of the ranking.

use of live action and film

Gender-inclusive housing resolution passes Senate Housing and residence life director supports potential policy change Shelby O’Brien

STAFF WRITER

A Student Government Association senator has drafted a resolution on gender inclusion in OCU housing. The resolution was researched, drafted and proposed by Sen. (Social Sciences) Reid Powell, political science/philosophy sophomore. Powell said it all started his freshman year when he talked to some of his peers about their rooming situations. “Being a freshman, I decided to go through the random process of selecting a roommate. I had never really thought about how gender played into rooming until I started talking to some friends about their living situations,” Powell said. Powell said while doing research he discovered most universities always separate rooms based on gender at birth, and, after researching OCU’s policies on housing, he discovered students are currently not allowed to live with anyone who doesn’t identify as the same gender as them. “I immediately had a problem with OCU’s policy; being a part of the LGBTQIA community, I understand what it’s like to not feel comfortable, and I wanted to create a resolution that would support all students on campus,” he said. Powell began to do research and ended up creating the resolution based on what other universities have done and are currently doing regarding the issue. “One of the best points I found while doing my research was the fact that a good roommate doesn’t have to be the same gender; in fact, it’s more important that you vibe with the other person, they have a good personality and they are someone you can get along with,” Powell said. The resolution went to the Student Service committee, where it was passed. Last week, the resolution was heard on the senate floor where it also passed. The resolution will now go to the SGA president’s desk where he will decide whether to sign or veto the resolution, Powell said.

I understand what it's like to not feel comfortable, and I wanted to create a resolution that would support all students on campus. Reid Powell social sciences senator

“In all honesty, the resolution has no power. The power is in the words we say and what students are asking for; the resolution is really just a formal request to get the word to higher officials,” Powell said. The resolution is specifically calling for OCU’s housing and residence life to offer gender-inclusive upperclassman living facilities. Trae Trousdale, SGA president, said Powell has gone above and beyond as an SGA senator. “Reid approached me about it a few weeks ago, and I encouraged him to pursue his passions,” Trousdale said. Trousdale said Powell approached this resolution differently than other resolutions because he took many opportunities to sit down with the director of housing and go over it to present it to the Student Senate. Powell said OCU could potentially be one of the first, if not the first university in Oklahoma to move toward these policies. “In my conversations with university officials that I have talked to, they all seem on board with adopting a pilot program for genderinclusive housing in upperclassmen living facilities,” Powell said. Casey Kreger, director of housing and residence life, said he thinks it’s very important because every student deserves equal access in housing. “We need to meet our students’ needs,” Kreger said. Kreger said he was able to sit down with Powell to refine his call to action a little more and make sure it was fully inclusive to all students

on campus, ranging from freshmen to professional law students. “Reid’s call to action has my support from housing,” Kreger said. Sabrina Bartley, psychology sophomore, said she thinks it would be great to allow students to feel more comfortable on campus. “OCU becomes a home for many students for a majority of the year, and I don’t think anyone should feel uncomfortable or left out based on how they identify,” Bartley said. Bartley is the secretary for Spectrum, OCU’s LGBTQ+ club on campus. “OCU already does a pretty good job being inclusive, but I think this is the logical next step, and I don’t think many people would have a problem with it,” Bartley said. Jake Harrell, religious education/English sophomore, said he thinks it is a wonderful idea. “Not only would it allow our LGBT friends on campus to feel safer in the dorms, but it could also help students who have a lot of drama,” Harrell said. Harrell said he doesn’t see an issue with people of the opposite gender or sex living together, especially because students are in college. “If it passes, I could honestly see myself living with girls, nothing against my guy roommates, but I usually get along better with my girl friends than my guy friends,” Harrell said. Harrell said he doesn’t know of many other campuses that have taken these steps, but he doesn’t see any downsides to it. “OCU could be on the forefront to move towards a more inclusive environment and support all students at OCU,” Powell said. Powell said if students want to see a policy like this passed, they need to speak out about it. “Because a resolution is largely symbolic, it will take students who support these issues to keep them accountable on continuing the implementation of this policy,” he said. Contributing: Emily Wollenberg, editor-in-chief.

“

OCU becomes first U.S. school to join international theater alliance MaKayla Baxter

STAFF WRITER

Running to Victory

Katie Gibbs Student Publications

Ilijah Coleman, senior runner, competes in the Sooner Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 9 at Woodson Park in Oklahoma City. The Stars won the championship for the third consecutive year. Oscar Kipkoros, senior runner, earned the conference individual championship for the second year in a row. Matt Aguero, head men’s and women’s cross country coach, was named SAC coach of the year for the third year in a row. The Stars will advance to the NAIA championships Nov. 22 in Vancouver, Washington, where they will attempt to win their second consecutive national championship and fifth national title in the NAIA Championships.

M MEDIAOCU.com

OCU is now an official member of the World Theatre Education Alliance. The WTEA, based out of The Central Academy of Drama in China, is comprised of 15 theater schools from 13 different countries. The OCU School of Theatre is WTEA’s most recent addition and will send students to their International Theatre Festival every other year. Lance Marsh, professor of acting and head of performance, said OCU is the first and only WTEA member from the Western Hemisphere. “Until this year, we had no affiliation whatsoever with WTEA,” Marsh said. “Because of the strong connections that had been made by Dean Mark Parker, we were able to invite the president of The Central Academy of Drama here for a meeting, and after seeing our campus and students in action, he invited us to the WTEA festival in Beijing. We were the first American school to have ever been invited.” Marsh said the eight acting seniors who attended the October conference were the hit of the program in terms of their acting abilities and willingness to learn from international instructors and experts. “I couldn’t have asked for a greater bunch,” Marsh said. “When the dean asked me to put the group together, he asked for the most talented, adaptable students possible, and we definitely achieved that. No one could have better represented our school.” Blake Sauceda, acting senior who attended the conference, said students found out the partnership had been finalized during the festival itself. “We knew, of course, that we had been asked to attend the conference as a school, but we didn’t know what would happen after that,” Sauceda said. “There was always the possibility of it being a one-time thing. When we were officially asked to become members of the WTEA, we realized we weren’t going to be the only ones from OCU to experience this. It’s going to continue, and that is

We were the first American school to have ever been invited.

Lance Marsh performance head of department

incredibly exciting.” Laura Kariuki, acting senior who attended the conference, said the alliance is important for the School of Theatre’s future. “It gets us out of our bubble,” Kariuki said. “One of the great things about the School of Theatre is that they always encourage us to broaden our horizons, and conferences like these will pop the bubble that we find ourselves comfortable in. Not just in regard to OCU, but to America as a whole.” Marsh said the partnership would never have been possible without Parker’s dedication to strengthening OCU’s relationship with China. “I think he should be given full props for all the work he’s done to make partnerships like these possible,” Marsh said. “He’s done an incredible job.” Sauceda said he is excited for future students who attend the conference. “We’re incredibly proud of the work we did, and we’re excited to see where this alliance goes,” Sauceda said. “I’m proud that we were the first ones to experience this, but I’m also thrilled that more students down the line will now be able to be a part of it as well.”

Dear Ms. Marty Pants: A Bad Advice Column

Hail, Zombies!

Like us on Facebook at MediaOCU

Send questions to Ms. Pants's secretary at fiacovacci@my.okcu.edu Check out a gallery from the School of Music's Spotlight opera, The Zombies of Penzance

Rewriting history

Check out a gallery from Out of the Box's production of John Proctor is the Villain

opinion

Editors affirm the importance of gender inclusive housing One of the aspects of entering college life for the first time is living with people you don’t know. Whether you got paired up randomly, you messaged your assigned roommate on social media or you managed to keep a friend from high school along for the ride, odds are you experienced at least one semester living with someone you’ve never spent multiple days with. OCU has a historical policy preventing co-ed rooming. Reid Powell, student senate member and political science/ philosophy sophomore, has researched and drafted a resolution for gender-inclusive and co-ed housing. Housing officials have expressed approval and support for these measures. See page 1 for more information on the resolution. Gender can no longer be defined by a binary (and truly, it never could). As OCU continues to develop panels and outreach programs designed for inclusivity of gender and sexuality, they need to adapt their

policies to reflect these values. College is a time when people can question and learn about themselves in a safe environment, and this process often leads people to discover new aspects of their identity that they did not know of, or were repressed by societal norms. College is a time of transition, and for some students that means recognizing and working toward their true gender identity. Because of this aspect of young adulthood and the transformative nature of college, OCU needs policies in place to support incoming students that don’t identify with their assigned sex at birth (ASAB), current students questioning their identity and students who, during their time on campus, stop identifying with their ASAB. Policies enforcing binary, same-sex dorm assignments cannot appropriately or easily accommodate people with transgender, nonbinary, genderfluid, agender, demigender, bigender, intersex, genderqueer, or

Talk Back “What is your favorite thing about Oklahoma City?”

two-spirit identities. Humanity exists outside of a male/female binary, and the reinforcement of that binary makes life difficult and may cause discomfort for people whom that binary cannot include. A policy designed presumably for safety becomes an obstacle, a reminder of someone’s status as “other.” Even for people with cis identities, gender-inclusive housing can only serve to make life easier. If people want to room with friends of a different gender identity, no matter what that gender is, they should be allowed to do so. It’s far better to have a roommate one can communicate and live easily with than one with a similar ASAB. Genderinclusive policies will align with OCU’s values, support non-cis identities and allow people to create healthier living environments for themselves. OCU should support such measures as effectively as possible.

“The fact that it's a big city, but it still has a small town feel”

“The art crowd - even just around campus, there's always little things going on.”

Jessica Casebeer film junior

Ethan Tate studio art senior

“It has the best Thai food out of any city in the U.S.”

“All the different history and all the different things you can pour yourself into”

Shakurah Maynard graphic design senior

Kendal Willis religious education/youth ministry junior

“All the activities going on, something to do every weekend”

“Really fun things to do with friends”

Cabe Killingsworth Spanish senior

Emily Charles philosophy/political science/economics sophomore

“The Little Mermaid Live” a charming mashup of live action‚ film “The Little Mermaid Live” program didn’t go as swimmingly as expected. The ABC special aired on Nov. 5 and took many by surprise. The only thing live about this production were the songs. “The Little Mermaid Live” weaved together scenes from the original 1989 animated film and live performances of the musical numbers. Actors performed in front of a live audience on the Disney lot as the movie played on a projected backdrop. The concept was to bring the original movie to life, but it’s important to note the “live” event served as a promotion for Disney+, the company’s new streaming service that was made available yesterday. Almost every commercial during the broadcast

was for the highly anticipated streaming platform. Fans will finally have access not only to all Disney shows and movies, but also those of Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic all in one place! Personally, I didn’t love the transitioning between the two mediums, and I think it created a few awkward moments. One example was in “Daughters of Triton” where Ariel’s sisters grandly introduce her and she isn’t there. The actresses made it work and finished the song until the animated Ariel took the reins. While some of the transitions could have been smoother, others were clever and executed really well. My favorite transition was when the animated Ursula looked into a mirror and found Queen Latifah staring

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

back at her. The set design was very creative and really utilized the entire venue. I have never seen so many people on a fly system before (or should I say, a swim-system?) Almost every song involved graceful aerial work that really made the stage look like a thriving, aquatic ecosystem. In fact, Auli’I Cravalho, who played the title character, did some aerial work herself, as she sang “Part of Your World” while swimming out of the pro-

scenium and over the audience. Since the production was filmed, they had performers hanging and dancing all over the venue. I particularly enjoyed the shot of the boat during “Kiss the Girl.” “Ariel” and “Prince Eric” sat in a boat being pushed by other cast members, but the camera was positioned low to create a shot looking up at them. It really looked like the boat was in the water! The costumes were interesting to say the least. Queen

Latifah gave a great performance, but she was physically limited by her costume with massive tentacles. Shaggy, who played “Sebastian,” had no costume-related excuse for his limited movement, or whatever you call that awkward gait of his. His “crab” costume looked like a Disney-bound Sebastian cosplay, consisting of just normal red garments. The fact that some of the ensemble members were wearing real crab costumes just made him look even worse. John Stamos and his costume were fine, though I could have gone without watching him break character to joke he should have been Prince Eric after a particularly heinous falsetto note. That’s what you get when you cast live musicals with big celebrity names instead of

hiring predominantly stageactors. Generally though, I enjoyed most of the lead’s performances, especially Auli’I Cravalho, Graham Philips as Prince Eric and whoever it was holding that sorry excuse of a “Flounder” puppet. The lively ensemble brought great energy to the performance and were definitely one of my favorite parts. Overall, the production was charming, and the actors gave great performances for the most part. I don’t think we’ll be seeing any more mashups between animation and live actors anytime soon. There’s a certain magic in watching live theater, and transitioning back and forth between the film, as cute as it was at times, diminished the live performance’s momentum and excitement.

Columnist enjoys Burger Pig vegetarian meal, criticizes lack of options So, a few weeks ago, I reviewed The Parlor and their Guatemalan food stall, El Guate. I ended up liking The Parlor so much, I went back there this week. This time, I decided to check out their burger stall, Burger Pig, to see if it could match the high quality experience I had at El Guate. I’ve already talked about The Parlor previously in my review for El Guate, so I’m not going to go into extreme detail describing the setup. But the very basic summary is it’s an upscale food court, and I'm a pretty big fan of this setup because I like all of the choices it gives me. Burger Pig’s menu consists of a few upscale burgers along with a few sides, such as garlic fries. Just like with most Parlor

restaurants, their menu is kind of small, but honestly it doesn’t bother me too much since it’s so easy to bounce around from stall to stall until you eventually find something you like. I know it sounds weird for a vegetarian to be reviewing a burger restaurant, but as I was strolling around The Parlor, I noticed Burger Pig serves a Beyond Meat burger. Even though I don’t eat meat anymore, I will admit sometimes I still find myself missing the taste of it, so I’m so happy that more and more restaurants have embraced meat alternatives in recent years, such as Impossible Beef and Beyond Meat. The prices were higher than what you would pay for a burger at a fast food restaurant, but they were pretty consistent with

Hope Melton is a political science senior from Edmond, Oklahoma. She likes basketball, '70s music and Marvel movies.

the pricing at The Parlor’s other stalls. For instance, I believe the burgers were around $8-$11, and this did not include any sides. I will say, a full meal here (a burger, a side and a drink) costs quite a bit more than I would typically be willing to pay for lunch, so I just ordered their vegetarian burger and a water cup. It still took a few minutes for my food to be made, but the overall wait time at Burger Pig was still shorter than it was at

El Guate, which was a pleasant surprise. The burger I got had Beyond Meat, sharp cheddar, aioli, lettuce, and grilled onions all served on a potato bun. To this day, I’ve never had a meat substitute I hated, but I will admit some substitutes taste much more like real meat than others. This burger tasted pretty much identical to traditional beef, and I loved it. I also thought the potato bun was super soft and delicious, and,

overall, it was a well-made burger. I only have one very small complaint; I wish there had been some ketchup or at least some other seasoning or sauce on the burger. This is extremely nit-picky, but it was a little on the bland side, and I think just one more ingredient could have resolved the issue. Other than that, I don’t have a whole lot to say about the taste. Unlike their other burgers, this burger didn’t contain any gourmet ingredients or crazy flavor combinations. I think they were just trying to offer a super traditional American cheeseburger without meat, and, because of that, it tasted like a lot of other burgers and there isn’t much to say. The cheeseburger was tasty and well-made, but I wish they had

at least one more vegetarian burger on their menu, preferably one with some fun ingredients. Overall, the meal was enjoyable. As I’ve stated, I really appreciate how places such as Burger Pig are offering something for vegetarians. However, I want to really challenge them to expand their menu and add at least one more vegetarian burger that is as interesting and original as their other burgers. With that being said, I am curious as to what a meat eater would think of this place. I’m somewhat limited in what I can review from here, but if you’re a meat eater and you find yourself at Burger Pig, then please let me know and tell me what you think.

Wanda L. Bass School of Music and OCU School of Theatre National Auditions from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. in the Wanda L. Bass Music Center

p.m. in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts 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.

TODAY No Shade November: An Out of the Box Drag Show from 9:30-11 p.m. in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center Dangers of Being Born in Bethlehem: Empire and God's Plan

Lecture and Discussion at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the Watson Lounge in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel THURSDAY Weekly chapel service from 1-2 p.m. in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel

FRIDAY OCU Opera Presents: “Lucia di Lammermoor” from 8-10:30 p.m. in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Art Center Wanda L. Bass School of Music and OCU School of Theatre National Auditions from 8 a.m.-6

p.m. in the Wanda L. Bass Music Center SATURDAY OCU Opera Music Theater Presents: “Lucia di Lammermoor” from 8-10:30 p.m. in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

The Campus has served the Oklahoma City University community since 1907. It is published Wednesday during the academic year, with the exception of holidays and exam periods.

THE CAMPUS Nov. 13, 2019, Volume 113, Issue 11

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

Staff Writers: MaKayla Baxter, 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 Opera Presents: “Lucia di Lammermoor” from 3-5:30

Out of the Box Edge Presents: “Revolver Play” written by Luke Barrett from 8-9:45 p.m. and Talkback at 9:45 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 13, 2019

news Strike a chord Right: Emily Carpenter, harp performance senior, plays the harp in the Wind Ensemble & Wind Philharmonic concert Nov. 7. The concert was hosted in the Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel and featured performances by both musical groups.

“

Below: Members of the Wind Ensemble play their instruments in the Nov. 7 concert. The Wind Philharmonic played “Famishius Fantasticus” by Michael Markowski and “Blessed Are They” by Johannes Brahms. The Wind Ensemble played “Spilled Orange” by Judy Bozone and “Blue Shades” by Frank Ticheli. The combined ensembles played Ron Nelson's “Medieval Suite.”

Katie Gibbs Student Publications

Tap your feet Students perform in the Percussion Ensemble Concert Nov. 6 in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. The next musical performance will be the OCU Faculty Brass Quintet Recital at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 18 in the same location.

Hannah Campbell Student Publications

Education students prepare for new assessment Maxwell McIntire

STAFF WRITER

A new assessment is being introduced to students in the School of Education. Sierra Paul, a theatre and performance/education senior, and Brittany Urbina, art education senior, will be taking the performance-based Praxis Performance Assessment for Teachers this year, instead of the standardized Oklahoma Professional Teaching Examination students have taken in the past. This change is part of a shift toward the way teachers are assessed at a state level, and there are plans to implement the PPAT in place of the OPTE within the next two years. The OPTE is a written exam required as a part of universitybased teacher education, ensuring that those taking the exam understand how to teach and can work in a classroom environment. The PPAT, by contrast, is a practical assessment separated into four tasks, with an emphasis on a real-world approach to teaching. Whereas the OPTE is a written test demonstrating knowledge, the PPAT demands an application of this knowledge in a real-world environment. Paul said she and Urbina are the first ones to try out the new assessment system. “For this year, they’re only having myself and Brittany Urbina do it, since we’re art teachers,” Paul said. “Eventually, they’re going to have everybody do this.” The change is due to the different areas students can special-

I am suspending judgment at this point, partly because I keep thinking about what it costs. Liz Willner teacher education director

ize in for education. Some areas do not have national organizations giving requirements and guidelines for teaching. The state of Oklahoma has determined that for these fields of teaching, students must now take the PPAT as a part of the state’s requirements for teachers. There are currently plans to make the PPAT required for all people in university-based teacher education programs throughout the state. Liz Willner, professor of education and the director of teacher education at OCU, has also offered her hopes and concerns about the upcoming change. “I am suspending judgment at this point, partly because I keep thinking about what it costs, the three tests they have to take. Now we have the two tests and the performance assessment.”

Willner said. Two of the other exams required are the Oklahoma General Education Test and the Oklahoma Subject Area Test, which together can cost up to $175 to take, not including the potential added cost of resubmission fees. The OPTE currently costs $140 to take. The PPAT has a price tag of $300, with a $75 resubmission fee, significantly raising the total cost of these examinations. The PPAT is not a standardized assessment, meaning that submitting and grading it is more prohibitive than the OPTE, which is both standardized and multiple-choice. However, Willner said she believes it has the potential to be a blessing in disguise, keeping teachers who are unable to demonstrate a practical application of teaching theory out of the classroom. “Maybe we’ll keep some people out who shouldn’t be there,” Willner said. Depending on how the assessments go for Paul and Urbina, along with others taking the PPAT in the next few years, Willner said the OPTE may be phased out and replaced with the new assessment for everyone in university-based teacher education by 2021.

SGA senators plan meet and greet with students Matthew Lavery

STAFF WRITER

OCU students are going to get a chance to meet their Student Government Association representatives. Constellation is setting up a series of meet and greets so OCU students have the opportunity to really get to know the senators who are representing them in the SGA. “An idea that I have would be to table outside of the caf,” said KC Curry, religious education senior and director of Constellation. “For other senators, the at-large ones, we’re going to look into seeing if we can do events for them, what they picture for themselves to look like.” There is not a set date for

November 13, 2019

these meetings yet. However, Curry said they will be starting sometime this month. “We are going to have a planning meeting on Tuesday,” Curry said. “I hope to have them table during November for the Greek senator and the ones that have specific senators.” Curry said her reason for organizing these events is to better connect students with the senators representing them at the university and give them a chance to voice their thoughts. to their senator. “Sometimes if students don’t want to talk to higher ups, it would be better for them to talk to students about concerns about the school,” Curry said. “If they don’t know who their senator is, this is how we can get to know them.”

Curry said she hopes to have all of the SGA senators involved with the project. Jacob Harrell, religious education and English sophomore, said the coming meet and greets are going to be important. “I know that there are students who don’t know who their senators are or don’t have the wonder to go find out who their senators are,” Harrell said. “Making it more available will be nicer for the students who are not as involved.”

Hannah Campbell Student Publications

Return to sender Above: Delaney Schneider, business freshman, and Cabe Killingsworth, Spanish senior, face off in the Delta Alpha Chi Jungle Pong tournament on Nov. 6. The game is played like table tennis, but the ball must make contact with the ground, be struck back to the table and the two sides must switch until a player is eliminated when the ball bounces on the ground twice. Right: Right to left, Logan Gwinn, exercise science junior, Jocelyn Schifferdecker, religion/mass communications freshman, and Cabe Killingsworth, Spanish senior, celebrate their victories in the Jungle Pong tournament. Schifferdecker came in first, Killingsworth came in second and Gwinn came in third. They were rewarded with medals, and Schifferdecker was awarded a decorative pong paddle.

news Confronting the past Top left: Kate Waldron, music theater freshman playing “Ms. Gallagher,” confronts “Mr. Smith,” played by Sam Pottinger, music theater sophomore, in the OCU Out of the Box production of “John Proctor is the Villain” by Kimberly Belflower. The show follows a group of high school students reading “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller as accusations of sexual assault begin to destabilize their community and personal relationships. Bottom left: Lisi Levy, acting junior, directs the cast of “John Proctor is the Villain” during rehearsal. The show performed Nov. 9 and 10 in Studio F in Gold Star Memorial Building. Bottom right: Delanie Ayers, acting junior playing “Raelynn,” and Ellie Howell, psychology sophomore playing

Shelby O’Brien

“Shelby,” perform their final project about the “The Crucible” and challenge Mr. Smith.

STAFF WRITER

“ “

Stephen Jackson Student Publications

Mainstage opera deals with themes of misogyny Shelby O’Brien

STAFF WRITER

OCU’s first mainstage opera, “Lucia di Lammermoor,” touches on war, women’s struggles, and loss. Karen Miller, assistant director of opera and music theater, is directing the production. Miller said she is sticking to the standard take on the story of “Lucia.” Set in the Scottish Highlands, Donizetti’s bel canto opera is a portrait of a young woman caught between war-

ring clans and forced into an unwanted marriage by her brother, leading to murder and madness. “One of the challenges has been connecting the story to present day while presenting a story that is set in the 17th century,” Miller said. Miller said she knew she wasn’t interested in telling the standard female victim story. “‘Lucia’ has many universal themes that are very topical and relevant still today; the story shows men using their power to control women,” she said. Miller said the cast spent a

‘Lucia’ has many universal themes that are very topical and relevant still today.

lot of time collaborating, specifically the two women, double cast, playing “Lucia.” “Lucia’s vocalism is very difficult, and adding the specificity in acting to tell a specific rather than general story was very

Karen Miller opera and music theater assistant director

important to me,” Miller said. Miller wanted to be able to communicate to the cast the world they were entering as a group within the production. Miller said one of the hardest scenes for the cast to rehearse

during the process was the “Mad Scene.” “I wanted to portray a traumatic experience where Lucia is forced to protect both herself and her psyche in both delusions and moments of clarity to show how truly terrifying these moments were for her,” Miller said. Simón Gómez, music theater/composition junior, is an ensemble member in “Lucia” and is also understudying one of the principle roles. “Karen pays such close attention to detail and is incredible,” Gómez said.“The rehearsal

process has been very efficient.” Gómez said because the opera is in Italian, it’s important to make sure everyone is reacting correctly for the context to come through clearly to the audience. “Lucia di Lammermoor” will be at 8 p.m. Nov. 15-16 and at 3 p.m. Nov. 17 in Kirkpatrick Theater in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. “This is a great group and they have been truly wonderful to work with,” Miller said.

Oklahoma City ranked as one of top happiest cities in nation Jessica Vanek

COMMUNITY MANAGER

Oklahoma City made the list of the top 182 happiest cities in America. WalletHub, a service for credit scores, annually ranks the cities in America based on happiness of their residents. According to their website, the resource used positive-psychology research to determine which cities had the happiest people in them. Oklahoma City was ranked 128th. The website categorized 182 of America’s most populated cities. This is the third year Oklahoma City has placed 128th. WalletHub uses multiple sources to create the yearly list, including U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mental Health Services Administration and more. Topping the list this year was Plano, Texas. The position was previously occupied by Fremont, California. The list was created based on multiple factors: depression, sleep, sports participation, suicide, work hours, income, and divorce. All of these subjects were compressed into three categories: emotional and physical well-being, income and employment and community and environment.

I think it’s pretty happy, and I’m pretty happy here.

Nathan May music theater sophomore

Vladia Cortest, marketing sophomore, is a resident of Norman, Oklahoma. Cortest said she would like to see more about how the website came to decide the ranking system. “I guess that’s actually kind of surprising to me because Oklahoma City is so big and spread out,” Cortest said. “I can see how people living downtown in good areas would be happy. I just have a strong love for Oklahoma as a whole, not just the city.” Viviana Goodwin, music theater/vocal performance sophomore, is also a resident of Oklahoma. “Having grown up in this area, I didn’t see it a lot as a kid. But the simplicity of Oklahoma City is what makes it happy,”

Goodwin said. Yuki Mise, ELS freshman, said the sights in Oklahoma makes her happy. “I like the nature,” Mise said. “There’s little countryside, but Oklahoma has a lot of nature. I went to Memorial Park, and it was beautiful.” Nathan May, music theater sophomore, is a resident of Texas. May said Oklahoma City offers a happy ambience. “I haven’t been to too many cities in my time, but of the ones I’ve been to, I’ve had a pretty nice time here,” May said. “There’s lots of really nice people, lots of really cute houses and shops and restaurants. I think it’s pretty happy, and I’m pretty happy here.” Janki Patel, third year law student, said multiple things go into making her happy in Oklahoma City. “If I’m going to be dead honest? The food,” Patel said. “But, when I came here two years ago, there was nothing. A lot has expanded as well, like Scissortail Park. Oklahoma City is rapidly growing, and there’s more to be happy about now than two years ago.”

Sprinting ahead of the competition Members of the women’s cross country team race at the Sooner Athletic Conference women’s cross country championships on Nov. 9 at Woodson park. The Stars won the race with 25 points.

Katie Gibbs Student Publications

Shooting for glory Far right: A.J. Crockwell, senior forward, reaches for the ball, and Eric Wattree, senior guard, moves to block the competition at the Nov. 5 men’s basketball game against Baker University. The Stars won the game 66-58. Right: Darrion Willies, senior forward, prepares to shoot a free throw during the Nov. 5 basketball game. The next home men’s basketball game will be Nov. 21 against Panhandle State in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center.

Stephen Jackson Student Publications

November 13, 2019