November 2, 2022 - Vol. 116, Issues 9-11 by MediaOCU

THE CAMPUS

October 19 - November 2, 2022 – Volume 116, Issues 9-11

HOMECOMING 2022

Event-filled week planned for ‘City of Stars’ Revived traditional parade returns alongside LipSync, tailgating, volleyball Amanda Kohutek

NEWS EDITOR

New to campus? Not sure what exactly Homecoming will be after a pandemic? Here’s what’s in store for Homecoming Week 2022! • Thursday 6-8 p.m. – Homecoming OKConnect Day of Service Project (Quad Pavilion) • Friday 7 p.m. , Nov. 4 – LipSync (Petree Recital Hall) Participating student organizations will perform stories through dance, song, jokes, and more, all pertaining to the Spirit of OCU and the theme of “City of Stars.” Individual awards will be presented at the end. Homecoming Royalty will also be announced. • Saturday 10-11 a.m. – Parade (Streets around campus) A newly revived event, the mayor, former mayor, OCU alumni, and participating OCU organizations will parade around campus in their decorated vehicles. The parade begins at the corner of NW 27th and Kentucky Ave., heads east to Blackwelder Ave., and finishes near NW 23rd. 12-1:15 p.m. – Tailgate (Freede Gymnasium West Parking Lot) Tailgate with friends and participating organizations in the parking lot before the big game. 1 p.m. – Volleyball Game and Awards (Freede Gymnasium) OCU Women’s Volleyball plays Panhandle State in OCU Homecoming game. Awards for individual competitions, Spirit competitions, and Sweepstakes will be announced at the end.

Amanda Kohutek Student Publications

Top, the OCU Cheer Team performs the traditional “White and Blue” cheer on the Quad Lawn at the Homecoming Kickoff Sunday. Above, this year’s symbolic Homecoming chalkboard, based on the slates of the film industry, stands on the Quad, displaying the time and details of the Kickoff event while students prepare the show on stage.

Committee plan mixes new events, old traditions Beth Woemmel

NEWS EDITOR

Homecoming 2022 kicked off Monday for an exciting week full of fun, ending with a home volleyball game in Freede Wellness Center Saturday. The Homecoming committee has put together a thrilling week of events and competitions to uphold long-held OCU traditions as well as introduce some new activities. “We’ve been planning since the summer,” Executive Director Brittany Wyatt said. “I started planning [when] I was given this position, which was last year in the spring semester.” The committee has worked diligently to deliver an unforgettable Homecoming, adding two new events to the calendar. “One of my main goals as executive director this year was to connect us back to the city in some way, … which is through the service event,” Wyatt said. This year, Homecoming committee collaborated

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with OKConnect, setting up a service event Nov. 3 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. “We are sending 300 OCU community members, [that being] students, staff, administration, [and] alumni, into the Oklahoma City community to perform two hours of service,” Wyatt said. “We’re bussing these people to local Oklahoma City nonprofit organizations to do that service.” Alongside their service event, the committee is reintroducing an OCU Homecoming parade Saturday, an event that has not been done in decades. “From my understanding, this is our first parade in a very long time,” Wyatt said. “The spirit squads will perform, and then each organization involved in Homecoming sweepstakes competition will be able to enter a car or walking group.” With Family and Parents Day falling on Saturday, students’ families will also be able to enjoy the parade as well as the rest of the OCU community.

“We invited alumni, local community members, and staff,” Wyatt said, “so I’m really excited about that.” After a couple years of virtual Homecoming, OCU is now in its second year of in-person Homecoming following the pandemic. “Last year’s executive committee did a great job of coming out of Covid,” Wyatt said. “From what I was a part of, they had great turnout, so they left us a good foundation to kind of continue coming out of that Covid era, but still remaining safe.” The lifting of mask mandates has allowed this year’s festivities to take place maskless, becoming the main difference between last year’s Homecoming to this year’s. “Obviously we’re still concerned with everyone’s safety,” Wyatt said, “but it is not as big of an obstacle as it has been in the previous years.” Through this expanding ability to start coming closer than six feet, a feeling of connection echoes through this year’s Homecoming

Penelope Hughes The 2022 Homecoming executive committee shows off this year’s logo. Pictured are Andrew Barker (Director of Service), Lexi Harper (Director of Lip-sync), Brittany Wyatt (Executive Director), Sarah Navran (Director of Kickoff), Ivey Johnston (Director of Communications), and Maddie Milks (Director of Spirit).

theme: “City of Stars.” “I love the movie La La Land,” Wyatt said, “[and] I really like the idea of City of Stars incorporating stars for OCU.” Wyatt mentioned that adjacent to the theme’s correlation with OCU’s stars, it also represents the school’s connection back to Oklahoma City. “I really liked the idea

Page 4: Arts

Theatre program hits stride with string of productions scheduled.

Page 6: Opinion

It’s good to be back in person for Homecoming - but please be safe.

Page 5: Life

Smith crowned Miss OCU 2023.

Page 6: Sports

Volleyball game to anchor Homecoming weekend.

of [giving back to our] city aspect, which is through our service event,” Wyatt said. Furthermore, Wyatt derived inspiration from the color palette of the film. “That’s where our branding colors come from,” Wyatt said. “Those different colors which [are] blue, yellow, green, purple and red.” The Homecoming executive committee continues

their work tirelessly to solidify all festivities for the upcoming week. “Our Director of Service Andrews Barker has been working really hard on Homecoming’s day of service,” Wyatt said. Students that attend the service day will also be given new merchandise that day. Continued at MEDIAOCU.COM

campus seen

Sofia Granados Student Publications

October 19 - November 2, 2022

arts

Ivy Walker Sarah Filek portrayed Antigone’s death scene by walking into the light during the October Stage Two production. This production used a 2011 translation of the classic Greek tragedy, and was directed by Hal Kohlman.

SCHOOL OF THEATRE

‘Antigone’ opens Stage Two season with success Beth Westfall

ARTS WRITER

OCU School of Theatre had their first Stage Two, Black Box show of the academic year “Antigone” October 6-9. OCU Stage Two productions are given a director, cast, lighting designer, stage manager, and small tech crew to put on the entire show. There is no set besides blocking boxes used in class, and props are taken

from storage. Costumes are self-provided. “Antigone” was directed by Hal Kohlman, Lighting design by Ivy Walker, and Stage Managed by Liv McIntosh. “There are many versions of ‘Antigone,’ and I have selected a classical translation produced in 2011 by Diane Rayor,” said director Hal Kohlman in a statement on OCU School of Theatre’s official Facebook page. “I thought it was import-

ant to have a women’s voice behind a play with pervasive misogyny and a tyrant who’s decisions are blatantly dismissive of a female point of view.” Lighting designer Ivy Walker explained that, “for Stage 2, we use a repertory plot, which means that all the lights (except for a couple) stay in the same spot for all the shows. “As a designer, you have to figure out how to use those lights to communicate

a story. “We decide what colors we want the different systems to be and where we want to hang our specials, which are lights that serve a specific purpose and aren’t part of a larger system,” she said. “For ‘Antigone,’ I had talked to Hal and asked him what he wanted for the show, and he gave me the word ‘ritual,’ so I tried to communicate ritual with my design, especially in regard to the chorus.

“Greek tragedies typically take place over the course of a single day, so I created different looks for different times of day, starting with a pre-dawn look where the actors had flashlights and moving through the day. “I started with a really strong image in my head of a low backlight for Antigone’s death with her ‘walking into the light’ in silhouette, which ended up in my final design and was one of my favorite moments.”

I shadowed Stage Manager Liv McIntosh, and listened to them talk to their crew, telling them when to change lights and play sounds (called calling cues). Liv had a calm, strong voice. During the run I watched the actors perform a scene differently then they had before, and Liv kept running the show like a professional. “Antigone” was a huge success and an amazing season opener for OCU School of Theatre.

Homecoming features two theatre offerings William Peetoom

ARTS EDITOR

At the heart of Oklahoma City University’s Homecoming, the OCU School of Theatre’s Stage II season will continue with their showing of “An Almanac for Farmers and Lovers in Mexico.” The play will premiere in the Black Box Theatre in the Bass School of Music on Thursday at 8 p.m. with performances on Friday and Saturday, also at 8 p.m. A matinee showing on Sunday at 2 p.m. will close the show. Tickets are $5 and can be bought through the Ticket Office two hours before performances, on the phone 4

from noon to 4 p.m. from Monday to Friday at the Ticket Office’s phone number, (405) 208-5227, or online at the Ticket Office website. The show was written by Kate Tarker, and is directed by Ziana Ramirez, and follows the story of an American anthropologist, Flora, as she tries to marry her love, Pele. Their wedding plans run wild when Pele is turned into a bird and Flora must jump through hoops to return him to his original form before their wedding day. Stage II plays focus on acting and directing over technical flare, leading to a creative and intimate approach to shows.

William Peetoom

ARTS EDITOR

At the height of Oklahoma City University’s Homecoming, the OCU Opera and Music Theatre present their Spotlight Musical production, “She Loves Me.” The show premiers in the Burg Theatre in the Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center Friday at 8 p.m., followed by an 8 p.m. showing Saturday, and a 3 p.m. matinee showing Sunday. Tickets are $15 and can be bought through the Ticket Office two hours before per-

formances, on the phone from noon to 4 p.m. from Monday to Friday at the Ticket Office’s phone number, (405) 208-5227, or online at the Ticket Office website. The musical follows two shop employees who are at ends with each other in person but are secret pen pals through lonely-hearts ads. This naturally leads to the two falling in love and slowly realizing they are secret pen pals.

by Sheldon Harnick, music by Jerry Bock, and a book by Joe Masteroff. The show premiered on Broadway in 1963, followed by a production on West End a year later. It was revived on Broadway in 1993, once again followed a year later in 1994 with a production on West End. It had a second revival in 2016 with performances on both Broadway and West End.

The musical is the third adaptation of “Parfumerie,” by Miklós László, with lyrics

The debut and revivals all won Tony Awards for the musical.

October 19 - November 2, 2022

news Young Democrats of OCU organize, plan events beyond voting Amanda Kohutek

NEWS EDITOR

As midterm elections near, a group of OCU students have created a new student organization, the Young Democrats of Oklahoma City University, to help create community and engage their fellow students in political matters, their first event having taken place in late September. “Our main thing is just getting to know candidates because it is a midterm election cycle,” senior political science major and organization president Hannah Jacobs said. “A lot of the things we’re doing are helping voters in particular like absentee ballot voting and candidate knowledge.” With multiple upcoming events, the organization has plans for lasting beyond a fall semester’s worth of local elections. “I’m just hoping that it can have enough ‘umph’ to stay and provide resources for people to become involved,” Jacobs said. “In the spring semester, we’re going to do civic engagement as far as nonprofits and providing more opportunities for those who might want to work with local organizations.” Freshman philosophy, politics and economics major and vice president of the

organization, Kyah Alexander said she plans to keep the group active for as long as possible. “I want to make sure that I continue it until my senior year, and that the people who come after me can continue it from there,” Alexander said. “I want to keep on engaging with the community, not just within OCU, but outside of OCU.” When it comes to the origins of the group, Jacobs is the one who started Young Democrats of OCU, due to her interest in becoming more politically involved this year. “I decided to reach out to some of the organizations on campus that already existed, and there actually weren’t any that were politically active,” Jacobs said. “I wanted to host some events here and there was not a place to do that. It was just a means to an end originally, but it’s become a lot more than that.” According to political science professor and faculty advisor for the organization, Richard Johnson, a student organization similar to Young Democrats of OCU existed before the COVID-19 pandemic. “When I came to campus in 1997, there were just the remains of the group,” Johnson said. “We prospered for about 15 years, and then in

the early 2010s it trailed off a little bit. There’s interest in the group around election time but keeping it going in the non-election years has been a challenge.” Through political opportunities with the past organization, Johnson has seen students garner internships and become involved in local practical politics, and he encourages the new group to be locally involved too he said. “I’m hoping it will be a place where like-minded people can come together and talk about things,” Johnson said. “Maybe [the students can] get involved in some civic projects and tie in with some things either down the street at the capitol or at the State Democratic Party Headquarters which is right around 50th St. and Lincoln.” Although the group is focused on the democratic candidates for the upcoming election, Jacobs says that the organization, dubbed “OCU Dems,” is open to all who want to join. “ We do more things than just candidates and the elections themselves,” Jacobs said. “Our main goal is to educate first. The parties matter second.” That goes for out-of-state students as well. “If they go to school here,

Amanda Kohutek Student Publications Young Democrats of OCU members pose with local Oklahoman candidates from the panel event in the Great Room Oct. 12. Pictured are Jena Nelson, Nick Singer, Kyah Alexander, Brandon Kirkpatrick, Kenzie Moon, Blake Aguirre, Vicki Behenna and Evelyn Smith.

they’re a part of this community now,” freshman PPE major and Vice President Kyah Alexander said. “ Ev e n i f t h e y d o n’t vote here, they can still be involved. There are a lot of opportunities that we’re going to have, and we just need as many people as we can get.” When it comes to potential members, Alexander said that other first-year students should also consider joining. “It’s scary, there’s no denying that,” Alexander said. “Joining organizations or trying to get your foot in the door, especially at OCU. We might be a small campus, but we have some enormous

people who are on top of their game here. It can be scary but reach out to me and reach out to Hannah. I am in your shoes.” Having been the faculty advisor for these groups intermittently since 1997 and having an election-based class of his own, Johnson has seen a lot of students become involved in politics and says he hopes to see more. “Get involved with any civic group, let alone this one,” Johnson said. “Because that’s how you make a difference. Get registered to vote, participate in a campaign, go and hear a speaker.” Recent events for the

group include a Halloween bake sale, participation in the homecoming celebrations, and a panel with local Democratic candidates in Homsey Hall, where students could listen to their positions and ask them questions in preparation for the upcoming election. To become a member or apply for an executive position of the Young Democrats of OCU, Jacobs and Alexander suggest direct messaging their Instagram page @ocudems, emailing youngdemsofocu@gmail. com, or emailing Jacobs at hmjacobs@my.okcu.edu. The group can also be found on Engage.

Civic organizations sponsor notary service for absentee student voters Amanda Kohutek

NEWS EDITOR

HarrelHallmark

OCU’s Student Civic Engagement Committee and Student Government Association are providing notarization services for students, faculty, and staff voting absentee in the Fall 2022 midterm elections.

“The Student Civic Engagement Committee and the Student Government Association are committed to ensuring that those individuals on campus, students, faculty, and staff, who choose to vote absentee, can do so with convenience and ease,” said Dean of Students Levi Harrel-Hallmark. On Oct. 12, 19, and 26, the or-

ganizations had a table in the student lounge outside the cafeteria where those voting absentee could have their ballots notarized and prepared to mail. “It’s essentially a one-stop shop for community members to come have their ballots notarized, receive the postage for that ballot, and then mail their ballot in the campus mail room,” Har-

rel-Hallmark said. Gov. Kevin Stitt and the Oklahoma Supreme Court reinstated the bill requiring absentee ballots to be notarized in May 2020, Oklahoma being one of only three states to require a notary or witness signature on such ballots. Continued at MEDIAOCU.COM

Speech and Debate team name Anthony Woodall new coach Amanda Kohutek

NEWS EDITOR

The OCU Speech and Debate team has introduced their new coach, Anthony (Ant) Woodall, as of late September and the abrupt departure of their former coach. “I was caught off guard by how suddenly the change came, but I did know it was coming,” sophomore member of the team Jackson Barnes said. “I was both excited to see what was to come, and solemn that it ended the way it did.” The new director of forensics, Woodall has a long history with speech and debate, some of it even involving OCU. “I used to compete for college forensics, and every

February, the Oklahoma State Championship would be hosted here,” Woodall said. “I came here for four years as a competitor, two more years as a volunteer coach for another school, and then for another couple of years as a judge until Covid happened. “So, when they asked if I could help, I was like, ‘I can try.’” Woodall’s first request after being offered the job was to meet the team. “There’s a lot of different cultures for college debate,” Woodall said. “Just like in different sports, you have certain cultures of what kind of plays you do, what kind of team you run, and the same thing happens in debate. “I have a very specific philosophy and I wanted to

make sure that the team knew that before they asked for me to be their coach.” The team agreed on Woodall after the meeting and told department chair Dr. Mohamed Daadaoui that they approved of them as a replacement. “They seemed to know their stuff and want to focus on what would make our team grow in whatever field we were focused in,” Barnes said. “Some of us are [interpretation] oriented, debaters, or just enjoy public speaking, and they wanted us to know that we should focus on what we wanted. “They were intelligent, well-spoken, and seemed more than ready to help our team.” Now officially the advisor, Woodall said that OCU’s

pandemic. student-leader team “In the postdynamic provides Covid era, it’s both an exciting oppora lot harder and a tunity for them. lot easier to run a “The fun part forensics team,” about having a stuWoodall said. dent-led program “ I t ’s h a r d e r is that I don’t so Woodall much have to teach debaters in the sense that a lot of as much as I have to teach universities are starting to debate teachers,” Woodall redirect resources, and it’s easier because in the wake of said. “I’ve given some of the everyone going virtual, a lot more experienced students of tournaments are offered readings on pedagogy so they online. “So, we’ve been lookcan learn how to be better teachers and better student ing at nothing but online competitions.” coaches. “The newer students are The team and Woodall getting some of those basic have begun weekly practicthings still. “So, I get to do a little bit es together and are heading forward into a year of of both.” Beyond the transition of competitions. “The transition has flowed leadership, the Speech and Debate team also face leftover fairly seamlessly,” Barnes said. “We have our next tourchanges from the Covid-19

nament Friday, and I’d like to say that Ant has made us feel ready and well-prepared in what might seem like a hectic transition.”

Though not sure of how long they’ll stay at OCU as coach, Woodall is ready to take on this year with their new team they said.

“I have very high hopes for the team.” “I can see just how capable they are,” they said, “and that lets me push them in a unique way that sometimes coaches don’t get to do until they’ve been in the program for a long time.”

Those interested in joining the Speech and Debate team may reach out to any of the team members for more information.

Tropical Smoothie Café caters to students at grand opening Beth Woemmel

NEWS EDITOR

Beth Woemmel Student Publications OCU students line the street, waiting to get a taste of the new Tropical Smoothie Café at their “Friends and Family” event Oct. 26, one day before their official grand opening.

October 19 - November 2, 2022

The long-awaited opening of Tropical Smoothie Café on 23rd St. across from OCU’s campus is finally over with the restaurant’s grand opening on Oct. 27, bringing healthier dietary options for everyone just in time for the Homecoming festivities. “I love Tropical Smoothie Café,” junior BM Musical Theatre major Ellis Stumbo said. “They have great smoothies and good food! [Also], their smoothies are a good size while still being at a fair price.” On Oct. 26, the staff of Tropical Smoothie Café held a friends and family event, inviting OCU

students, staff, and admin to join them for a free smoothie and meal. “[We just did a] soft open, kind of introducing us to the community,” District Manager Kay Patel said. “[We were] also just providing our team a bit of extra light training. We had lines half a mile that way (West on 23rd St.) and half a mile that way (East on 23rd St.).” In an email sent out by the OCU Police Department, Chief of Police Dexter Nelson informed students of a partnership between the Tropical Smoothie Café, the university, and the police department. “We really want to make sure we can take care of you guys,” Patel said. “We want you guys to hang

out here and do your homework and everything. So, we’re trying to come up with a discount just for you guys.” In the future, students will be able to present their student ID for a discount on their purchase at this location. “We want to make sure that everybody knows that there is an option of eating healthy food that’s considered fast food because being healthy these days is super important,” Patel said. Tropical Smoothie Café offers a diverse, vast menu that also keeps students eating healthy. “Nothing is fried,” Patel said. Continued at MEDIAOCU.COM

life Smith named Miss OCU 2023 in 41st pageant Jamison Ko

LIFE EDITOR

The 41st Miss OCU Scholarship Competition took place Oct. 22 in the Kirkpatrick Performing Arts Center where Evelyn Smith, a senior philosophy major, took home the crown after a stunning competition with 15 other OCU students. Miss OCU is a female pageant for students at Oklahoma City University who compete for the title, in addition to scholarship money to further their higher education. The competition is a pre-qualifier for the Miss Oklahoma and Miss America competitions which pride themselves on building young women of integrity. OCU has a long history with these organizations as Miss OCU has produced 26 Miss Oklahomas as a part of 40 state titles, and even 3 Miss Americas, more than any other university in the country. All these exceptional women and the others who have won the title of Miss OCU have their photos hanging in the lobby of the Kirkpatrick affectionately called the “Hall of Queens” or “Hall of Hair.” OCU’s arguably most famous and loved alumni, Kristin Chenoweth, Miss OCU 1991, has her portrait hanging amongst this gallery. Following her farewell as Miss OCU 2022, Ava Cruchon’s photo was added to the hall to be commemorated by the next generations of OCU Stars. Ava’s farewell was only one part of a very busy and full competition. OCU’s Star Dancers performed 3 numbers, as did Miss OCU 2022, Ava Cruchon, and Miss OCU’s Outstanding Teen 2022, Peyton Davis, and the Mistress of Ceremonies, Mackenzie McIntyre, Miss OCU 2020-21. In addition to this entertainment, the candidates competed in several categories. Prior to the public competition, these 16 women participated in private interviews with the judging panel. Following these private interviews, the judges wrote a question to ask these women during the public ceremony. The onstage

response to these questions paired with a 25-second social impact pitch made up 15% of these young women’s scores. Candidate Number 1, Gabrielle Gore, won this section of the competition for her work with her program “Healing Heroes’ Hearts,” which uses music therapy to assist veterans. Following the interview section, each candidate performed as a part of the talent showcase. All of the candidates chose to sing or dance, except for Candidate 4, Michaela Childs, who surprised audiences with her alto saxophone performance. The overall winner of this category was Rachel Schoenecker, a music theatre major, who dazzled audiences with her vocal performance of “They Just Keep Moving the Line,” from NBC’s hit series Smash. Despite being a philosophy major, the newly crowned winner, Evelyn Smith, wowed the crowd comprised of students, faculty, family, and friends, with a lyrical dance to “I’m Here” from The Color Purple. All of these performances revitalized OCU’s legacy of producing outstanding performers. The final category of the night was perhaps the most exciting for the audience, the eveningwear category. Each woman got to walk the stage wearing a formal evening gown of their choice to show judges their charm, composure, stage presence, confidence, and personal style. Students in the crowd had a fantastic time cheering on these women as they strutted across the stage. Their cheers were naturally the loudest for the winner of the People’s Choice Award, Alexandria Magana, who won over the audience with her personality and humor. In the final moments of the competition, several women were named runners-up for the crown. These women were fourth runner-up, Gabrielle Gore, third runner-up, Kat Sweeney, second runner-up, Jenna Riling, and first runner-up, Abigail Billings. Smith was crowned Miss OCU 2023 to add to her history of pageant excel-

MISS OCU COURT

Miss Oklahoma City University Scholarship P�ogram

OCU’s Alexandria Magana, Kat Sweeney, Abigail Billings, Evelyn Smith, Jenna Riling, Gabrielle Gore and Rachel Schoenecker vied for the title of Miss OCU 2023 in the annual scholarship competition Oct. 22. Smith won the title.

lence. Evelyn has previously held the titles of Miss Oklahoma City Outstanding Teen, Miss Edmond, and was 4th Runner Up to Miss Oklahoma, where she will return to compete in June. In addition to winning Miss OCU last night, Evelyn also earned the Miss Congeniality award, an award chosen by the other contestants for the fellow participant they thought best embodied the character of a potential Miss OCU. In addition to crowning a Miss OCU, a Miss OCU’s Outstanding Teen Title was presented to high school junior, Emerson Holden. Three teens competed for this title participating in rounds judging active wear, talent performances, and evening wear. Emerson will join Evelyn in competing for a state title next June.

These two outstanding winners will receive tuition scholarships, mentorship, and countless other opportunities through their new titles. Hopefully, these two young ladies will develop a close bond just as their previous counterparts did. Ava Cruchon and Peyton Davis, the 2022 winners, both reflected on their friendship in their farewells, calling each other “the ketchup to their mustard”, an ode to the red and yellow colors of their gowns. Their relationship perfectly encapsulates what Miss OCU is truly about – friendship, empowerment, and giving back. Congratulations to this year’s winners, Evelyn Smith and Emerson Holden, and to all of the participants!

Alpha Chi Omega raises funds for awareness Jamison Ko

LIFE EDITOR

Alpha Chi Omega So�ority Alpha Chi Omega Sorority siblings Hudson James Esch, Maya Tischler and Emma Noel gather outside their sorority house in purple to honor domestic violence awareness month.

Alpha Chi Omega, one of the four sororities here on campus, just wrapped up their successful philanthropy week supporting domestic violence awareness (DVA) month. Throughout the week, the Gamma Tau chapter of Alpha Chi passed out buttons and stickers to spread awareness, sponsored a free self-defense workshop open to the campus community, and ended the week with a crowd favorite, Sugar High with Alpha Chi! Sugar High is a late-night event that lasted from 8 p.m. - 12 a.m. where the community is invited to the Alpha Chi sorority house to eat as many sweet treats as they can handle. A $5 ticket bought online or a $7 ticket bought at the door allowed supporters to come and go throughout the night as they pleased and snack whenever they

felt like it. Snacks available included a variety of pies, ice cream, cookies, kettle corn, chocolate fountain, candy, and more, all made by the Alpha Chi siblings themselves. Some, like freshman Brighton Fries, even baked treats in their dorm room without access to a kitchen. There was even a table dedicated to just gluten-free and/or vegan treats to be the most inclusive of the campus community! This commitment to the cause and organization was highlighted throughout the night with the decorations on the many tables set up. Across the table were buttons reading “Love is…” Sharpies were scattered around for visitors to write what they felt real love was. This was a part of the sorority’s intentions to highlight that relationships should be safe and healthy. Some of the signed buttons

were hanging and displayed words such as “unconditional,” “safe” and “happy.” These buttons were a huge nod to the purpose of these philanthropic events and made sure that those coming to events recognized their greater purpose. OCU’s Alpha Chi’s efforts go to directly support the YWCA Oklahoma City shelter in their efforts to provide hope and care to victims of domestic violence. Rainn.org and the One Love Foundation are also resources supported and recognized by the sorority. While the topic of domestic violence is very heavy, Alpha Chi’s siblings are grateful to the campus community for their willingness to listen, learn and support. Alpha Chi will also recognize Sexual Assault Awareness month in April to reinforce the importance of believing survivors and advocating for healthy relationships of all types.

BLAST FROM THE PAST online | on-campus | on mission

IS GOD CALLING YOU FOR MORE? Saint Paul School of Theology is forming leaders for innovative, creative ministry on OCU Campus with graduate and 3+3 degree programs.

Discorovee!r 913.253.5084 M spst.edu October 19 - November 2, 2022

Sooner who? We are from OCU!

1975: OCU only had three computer terminals for students to use in 1975 - The oldest of the three was in the business school and available for use by appointment only. The second was installed in the history department and the third was available from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the Gold Star building.

1923: On the 18th of October 1923, “OCU Girls Adopted Harsh Dating Rules” - Boys had to be conscientious when they asked OCU girls for dates, for the OCU Girls passed rules limiting dates, requiring that Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights be used for studying. Exceptions could be made for school and church events.

Jake Adebayo 1881: OCU as we know it wasn’t always (named) OCU: Our college’s beginnings 1947: OU has been trying to steal some date back to 1881 when it was called Texas OCU’s shine since as far back as 1947: A long Wesleyan College. In 1889, the institution time ago, in 1947, the wife of a Methodist was reincorporated as Fort Worth University. minister in a city not far from here spoke very In 1911, Texas and Oklahoma amalgamated highly of the performance in their church by to organize a Methodist University of Okla- “the OU choir.” homa at Guthrie, and this became Epworth The performers, however, were from our University. OCU choir. However, in 1913 that institution ceased Journalism students on returning from to operate. In 1919, the institution was rein- their field trips to New York or California, corporated, reorganized, and relocated to invariably tell of the same mistake in identity. Oklahoma City College at Oklahoma City It stirred up a lot of hostility that got some of and finally changed its name to Oklahoma the notable news media papers of the time to City University in 1922. Over the last 100 stir campaign efforts that go toward making years, our university has definitely undergone Oklahomans (Methodists, at least) OCU a slew of name transformations. conscious. 7

opinion IN OUR VIEW

Welcome home - but please be safe for all

For the first time in two years, OCU is having all in-person Homecoming celebrations. This is incredibly exciting and fun for all of campus, but students should still be cautious. We must remember that the pandemic still isn’t over. The Oklahoma State Department of Health logged 2,103 new cases of COVID-19 from October 16th through the 22nd. COVID-19 has been incredibly normalized by society, but it’s still a very dangerous virus. Even as a healthy college student, COVID can make you incredibly sick. If it doesn’t affect you, you could potentially spread the virus to anyone you come across, including those more at risk. Even without the more severe risks, being sick with COVID would keep you from classes, rehearsals or practices, and any other social gathering. By being slightly more aware and cautious, you’re preventing all ranges of COVID, including only mild symptoms. The best way to protect yourself and others from COVID is the readily available vaccines. COVID vaccines have been publicly available for well over a year, and they’re regularly regarded as safe and effective for the public. The vaccines prevent the contraction of the virus and reduce the severity of symptoms if you contract COVID. If you’ve received the initial two doses, booster doses are available to protect against variants of the virus, including Omicron. If you haven’t gotten any type of COVID vaccine, consider wearing a mask and social distancing when you’re around people. If you’re able, get the vaccine as soon as possible. Be safe, for yourself and your friends and family. Prevent the spread of COVID-19 however you can. Elizabeth Heffernan Student Publications

STAFF VIEWPOINTS

The pursuit of God leads us to true happiness When I was a teenager, a relative of mine told me, “you cannot miss something you never had.” I did not understand what he meant until the day I lost someone I cherished. I was only left with memories of that person to hold on to, in hope that one day that void would be filled. However, what I did not know at the time was that that statement was going to change my understanding of God and life drastically. How can one miss something they never had? In order to miss something or someone, you need to have enjoyed them for some time and created

bonds with them, and suddenly, they were taken away, and then you started missing them because you have experienced them and only have memories of them to hold on to, in the hope that one day you will enjoy them again. What I want to talk about in this essay is the longing that all human beings have, longing for happiness. All humans are after happiness, and this cannot be denied. How can we be after something

miss something they never had? I miss my mother because I have lived with her and enjoyed her presence. Can you miss my mother? You might think this is an absurd question! Most likely, you will respond by saying, “I have never met your mother; how can I miss her?” Now let me ask this, why are you longing for happiness? It means that we humans have experienced true happiness once. We have experienced it through Adam and Eve. In the same way we have inherited sin from them, we have also inherited everything they ever experienced. We are missing happiness because

we have never experienced unless we actually have? How did we come up with the notion of happiness? To understand this, we need to go back to the Creation story in the Book of Genesis. The first humans ever created, Adam and Eve, and parents of all human beings experienced that highest Good because they were living in communion with God. The true happiness of human beings is living in communion with God and because of their disobedience, all humans were separated from Him and lost that happiness. Again, I want to ask: how can one

we once enjoyed that felicity in God, and that’s why we are desperately seeking it. Adam and Eve were truly happy—until they disobeyed God’s commands—because they were living in communion with God. Only God can fulfill that longing you have. Money, fame, education, women for men; men for women, drugs, anything but God will never fill that void that is in us. Only the Almighty God is big enough to fill it. Therefore, we ought to pursue God. Mamadou Yafa Faith Writer Student Publications

Better passwords provide better protection! It’s the fourth week of the Oklahoma City University Cyber Security Awareness Month! Just like in the physical world around us, the OCU IT unit urges us all to be even more aware of our surroundings online. In the world of cybercrime, black-hatted crooks are always after sensitive data like passwords and account login credentials. They also try to urge victims to take action in haste, like sending money or making transfers of Bitcoin or other hard-to-trace cryptocurrencies. Rather than actually hacking exploits in computer networks or systems, criminals can do this by preying on a victim’s trust.

This act of manipulation is called social engineering, and it has been proven to be a very successful (and much easier) way for criminals to get what they want. As our lives become more and more digitized, social engineering tricks and tactics have become more sophisticated and harder to spot. The OCU campus technology team has spent the past week delving into how social engineering works, some common scams, and cons to look out for, and how you can protect yourself and the school.

One helpful habit that the OCU campus technology team encourages us to adopt is the use of strong passwords – or, even better, multi-factor authentication that is phishing-resistant, where possible. Here are some simple ways to secure your accounts through better password practices:

get creative – Just always remember, length is the key! 2. Unique Account, Unique Password: Having separate passwords for every account helps to thwart cybercriminals. At a minimum, separate your work and personal accounts and make sure that your critical accounts have the strongest passwords. 3. Keep Your Password Safe: Everyone can forget a password. Keep passwords stored in a safe, secure place away from your computer, like a password manager. There are many tools and apps available, and Microsoft offers one for personal use – OneDrive Personal Vault.

1. Make Your Password a Sentence: A strong password is a sentence that is at least 12 characters long. Focus on positive sentences or phrases that you like to think about and are easy to remember (for example, “I love puppies and kitties”). On most sites, you can use special characters, and some allow spaces, so

4.Lock Down Your Login: Fortify your online accounts by enabling the strongest authentication tools available, such as biometrics, security keys, or a unique one-time code through an app on your mobile device. Your usernames and passwords are not enough to protect key accounts like email, banking, and social media.

For additional information on creating strong – and long – passwords? “Google is your best friend” ... but it seems you haven’t recognized it yet! Jake Adebayo Tech Archivist Student Publications

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OCU Student Publications / THE CAMPUS / MediaOCU.com

Editor-in-Chief: Natalie Turner Managing Editor: Doha Hana News Editor: Bethany Woemmel News Editor: Amanda Kohutek Sports Editor: Elizabeth Heffernan Arts Editor: William Peetoom Life Editor: Jamison Ko Photo Editor: Bibek Maharjan Video Editor: Deserail Rose Tech Archivist: Jake Adebayo

Arts Critic: Michaela Childs Arts Writer: Beth Westfall Life Assistant: Ava Karas Faith Writer: Mamadou Yafa Staff Writers: Bethany Bishop, Jeremy Creek, Anjali Harrison, Tyler Wright Staff Photographers: Mace Lowrance, Sofia Granados, Mackenzie Shaw

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