Oct. 23 by MediaOCU

THE CAMPUS October 23, 2019 – Volume 113 Issue 8

page 2

Opinion

page 3

News

page 4 News

Let's do the time warp again

Stay informed

Make your music

A columnist reviews the Lyric Theatre production of “The Rocky Horror

SGA officials have started a weekly newsletter to inform student senators

Project 21 students started an experimentalist music group for composing

Show.”

about SGA meetings and recognize an outstanding senator each week.

music in a new way.

but also, when you are looking at national and international recruitment, the term OKC does have a recognizable brand because of the Thunder,” Windholz said. Windholz said the experiment was mainly to see if students would start referring to the school as OKCU. “So the years passed, and, to be honest, that never really happened,” Windholz said. “The idea and the concept behind it was great, but it perhaps maybe created its own sense of confusion. We felt that it was OKCU in prospective student communication, but when students got here and they were actually a part of the student culture, they didn’t refer to it as OKCU.” Will Watson, film freshman, said he prefers the OKCU acronym to OCU. “When I was applying to the school, the website I went to was OKCU, email is OKCU and so I’ve been introduced to the school as OKCU,” Watson said. “Born and raised in Oklahoma, and all my life, people called the city OKC, and I do kind of find it absurd that we would take the ‘K’ away.” Watson said he thinks there are plenty of benefits for changing the acronym to OKCU. “I don’t think OKCU is a bad acronym at all,” Watson said. “Every school in the metro has an ‘O,’ a ‘C’ and a ‘U’ in it, and it is in some weird variation, whether it’s UCO, OCCC, OCU, or OC. There’s too many O’s, too many C’s and too many U’s.”

Watson said he did a standup comedy set for the open mic night during the first week of school and most of his material was poking fun of the acronym. “I got up on stage, and half of my material was ‘why are you guys saying OCU, I’ve been hearing it all week. It’s OKCU.’” Watson said. “No joke, that’s the most I’ve been heckled on stage as a comic.” Watson said he wants more people to talk about the absurdity of the acronym being OCU and not OKCU. Watson said, from what he has experienced, most freshmen feel similarly. “Freshmen feel similar because every email was ‘congratulations, you are an OKCU Star!’” Watson said. “They sent us merch that said OKCU. And so, we have been, not led to believe, but that has just been the acronym since we got here.” Watson said he thinks the branding for the university would be for the better if OCU changed to OKCU. “It is really absurd to me that we are getting really hung up on an acronym, and we should just embrace the K,” Watson said. Troy Freeman, music theater junior, said he is glad the university is changing back to OCU. “I personally prefer OCU because of the way it rolls off the tongue,” he said.

“OKCU” back to “OCU” Paul Dower

COPY EDITOR

OCU is officially keeping its acronym “OCU.” After experimenting with the acronym “OKCU” for the past three years, Kevin Windholz, vice president for enrollment management and university communications, said he decided to keep the acronym “OCU.” “OCU has always been the official acronym of Oklahoma City University, and that’s never changed,” Windholz said. “What the difference was, about three years ago, if my memory is right on time, because our email address is OKCU and because the website is OKCU, it had been thought often times we will have prospective students and prospective families refer to us as OKCU.” Windholz said he thought the website and email being different from other means of advertising in the school would create confusion among incoming freshmen and parents. Windholz said he and the university communications team experimented with changing the acronym to OKCU. “The communications team, about three years ago, had the thought that what we would start doing, in prospective student communication, is we would start cutting the acronym OCU, because we thought that could be advantageous for recruiting, because not only does it match what they are consistently seeing,

Miss OCU 2020 crowned Jessica Vanek

COMMUNITY MANAGER

Mackenzie McIntyre, music theater senior, was crowned Miss OCU 2020. The Miss OCU pagent took place on Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. Miss OCU 2018 was her first local pageant, McIntyre said. “Saturday night was exactly two years for me since I had started. I won talent and second runner up and Miss Congeniality at that pageant,” she said. McIntyre said she didn’t find an interest in pageants until college. Her sorority, Alpha Phi, had some members who inspired her to start competing. “They really encouraged me and gave me the courage to do it, and I fell in love,” she said. Since beginning her journey, McIntyre has been crowned Miss Queen of the West 2018, Miss Bricktown 2019 and now Miss OCU 2020. McIntyre’s platform is suicide prevention. She supports “Out of the Darkness,” an organization that hosts walks for suicide aware-

ness and prevention. “I travel the state and speak to people about my own personal story: a struggle with mental health and how seeking out medical attention is important and knowing that you have to keep going and life is worth it,” she said. McIntyre works with an interview coach to help improve her performance, she said. “I think that’s been one of the most impactful decisions I’ve made Clara Foster Student Publications to prepare for pageants. Just working on how to effectively convey who I am, my thoughts and feelings on certain topics, and doing a Music theater senior Mackenzie McIntyre was crowned Miss OCU 2020 at the Miss OCU & Miss OCU's Outstanding Teen pageant on Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. in lot of studying of current events,” she said. The Miss America organization has provided McIntyre with great Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. experiences, she said. Taylor Stephens, music theater and vocal performance senior, “Being involved in the Miss America organization has increased said McIntyre is a giving person. my confidence in a way I didn’t think was possible,” she said. “I’ve “She’s one of those people who will drop everything for you,” gained so many friendships and I’ve had so many professional opporStephens said. “She is a wonderful person.” tunities extended to me exclusively because of the Miss America Competing in pageants has changed her life, McIntyre said. organization.” “I look at the woman I was two years ago and the woman I am McIntyre was awarded a full year of tuition for winning Miss today, and there is just a world of difference,” she said. OCU. She will also compete in Miss Oklahoma in June 2020 for a third time.

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New director of campus police operations appointed Emily Wollenberg

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Campus police has a new interim director of operations after the interim chief of police took a leave of absence. William Citty, interim director of operations of campus police, was named to the position on Oct. 9. President Martha Burger sent an email to the university community announcing his appointment. Citty had previously been with the Oklahoma City Police Department for 41 years, serving 15 years as police chief. “Reporting directly to me, he will provide leadership to our police department and will assist with a smooth transition as we search for our next permanent chief,” Burger wrote in the email. Citty has experience working in narcotics and homicides, as a campus resource officer, as the public information officer during the Oklahoma City bombing, and in the tactical unit, he said. Having grown up in Oklahoma City, Citty said he appreciates the community. “I told people I wouldn’t want to be chief in any other city, because I grew up here and I loved it here,” he said. Although not originally in police work, Citty said he always had a passion for his community. “I grew up in the sixties, and I didn’t like what I saw,” he said. “A lot of things that went on weren’t very good, weren’t very pleasant.

M MEDIAOCU.com

You cannot do your job based on bias. You treat everybody the same.

William Citty interim director of operations campus police

I didn’t think much of police. But once I got in, I found that it’s a lot more professional than I ever thought it was, and I just fell in love with the idea of being a police officer.” Part of Citty’s job includes finding a new police chief, he said. “The type of people you hire are very important,” Citty said. “There’s always issues if you don’t have stability in your leadership.” Citty said the new chief must have an understanding and appreciation of OCU’s diverse campus. He said he will be working closely with Jessica Martinez-Brooks, university diversity and inclusion advocate. KC Curry, religion senior, said she has heard good things about Citty. She said the recent turnover in campus police has made them seem unreliable.

“In the future, I’d want the leadership to be involved in the campus and easy to talk to,” she said. Having solid policies and procedures in campus police is a priority, Citty said. “Everybody has to be held accountable,” he said. Citty said he has already hired two new police officers and plans to hire more. He wants to bring in more training for officers, including diversity and inclusion training, he said. “We all have bias. We develop it whether we know it or not,” he said. “The only way to deal with the bias is to know what that bias is and realize what you need to work on.” Citty said police should be constantly working to understand diverse populations. “You cannot do your job based on bias. You treat everybody the same,” he said. Citty said although the university has been dealing with issues in the past few months, he doesn’t think it exhibits a systemic problem. Students should trust that university leadership is working to address any concerns or issues, he said. “Law enforcement has a responsibility to make everyone feel safe,” Citty said. “But police can’t do their job without the cooperation of the community.”

Dear Ms. Marty Pants: A Bad Advice Column

Celebrating art

Like us on Facebook at MediaOCU

Send questions to Ms. Pants's secretary at fiacovacci@my.okcu.edu The film department is presenting an event with an Academy-Award nominated director

Taking the spotlight

Check out a gallery from the Miss OCU pageant

opinion

Students encouraged to participate in Homecoming More student organizations on campus are participating in Homecoming, marking a new era in the OCU community. Homecoming has previously been filled primarily with Greek organizations, and other student groups would only occasionally participate. See page 3 for more on Homecoming. Homecoming was never designated solely for Greek organizations. However, it seems that in the past only a few organizations outside of Greek life have been involved. Homecoming is meant to bring the entire campus together, and when just a few members of the school are participating, it is hard to get everyone else to feel included in the welcoming celebration. More student organizations have stepped up to participate this year than ever before, making Homecoming a more inclusive and approachable

event. Multiple groups, including the Female Empowerment Club, the multicultural organizations and Miracle Marathon are participating in the banner making event. By getting involved, these groups are showing that all organizations are important and deserving of recognition. Students can show support for their peers, whether that means taking a few extra minutes to check out the banners in the gym or the themed structures on the quad. Students work hard on these creations, and their hard work should not go unnoticed. Students should also make an effort to attend other Homecoming events, such as Stars on the Plaza, Lip Sync and the film screening of American Heretics. Attending these events brings our community together. These events are planned specifically to get students to participate in social events, as well as support

Talk Back “Which Homecoming event are you most excited for?”

all student organizations. Every student association or group deserves our encouragement and attendance of their events. Students also should take advantage of the opportunities to see sports events during Homecoming. OCU has multiple sports teams full of talented players who deserve the same kind of student support as the performing arts. Students should try to attend the basketball game and tailgate on Nov. 2. They should make an effort to be present at their classmates’ matches, tournaments and games to support all the talent OCU has to offer. It is important for student organizations to continue participating in Homecoming. Students should get involved, whether they are in Greek Life or not, to better enjoy and support the campus commmunity.

“I'm just happy to be here and experience the entirety of Homecoming”

“Lip Sync”

Emmy Daniels music theater freshman

Genna Parr religious studies freshman

“Definitely tailgate”

“Tailgate”

Katie Stobbe music theater freshman

Nina Eisenberg music theater freshman

“Lip sync because I'm excited to work with my sorority friends and have fun”

“Floats because it's so exciting to see how creative and artistic our campus is”

Raven Wiley dance freshman

Morgan Wanamaker dance senior

“The Rocky Horror Show” has good audience interaction, ‘night of fun’ This past weekend, I saw “The Rocky Horror Show” live for the first time at the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma. If you’ve never seen the staged version, you may have seen the film adaptation, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” that plays in the majority of movie theaters and living rooms every year around this time. Released just two years after the stage production in 1975, the film is known for its raunchy comedy and other-worldly characters. The story begins when a newly engaged couple, “Brad” and “Janet,” seek help from the nearest house when their car breaks down. The house belongs to the “sweet transvestite” known as “Dr. Frank N. Furter,” who has creat-

ed a physically perfect man, “Rocky,” in his laboratory. The night unfolds as Brad and Janet discover their sexuality with Dr. Frank N. Furter and his company of equally strange friends. To be honest, the show isn’t driven by much of a plot. The appeal of Rocky Horror is found in nostalgia and the ability to see the iconic film characters come to life in all their quirky and vulgar glory. If you’re like me and hate scary movies, Rocky Horror is the perfect way to celebrate Halloween. The show’s content is rated R for sexually charged themes and profanity, but there aren’t any nightmare-inducing jump-scares. The scariest thing about the night was the time I went to bed after seeing a

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

midnight showing. Rocky Horror is the epitome of audience interaction. Audience members are encouraged to wear costumes inspired by the film, sing and dance along to the “Time Warp,” and bring specific props like newspapers to cover their heads in the “rain.” To respect the live actors, outside props are not allowed at Lyric’s production, but audience members can buy a box with all of the appropriate props they’ll need for $5

before the show. The audience also has a speaking part in the show with callback lines that defy all traditional laws of audience etiquette. As an aspiring actor who has yet to make my professional debut, I’ll take any “callback” from an equity theater I can get! At the beginning of the show, the narrator explains the basic lines the audience calls out to the actors every time they say certain characters’ names (for the sake

of decency, I won’t share them here, so you’ll have to go hear them yourself ). For more experienced fans, there are unique and specific lines to call out that are just as funny as the script itself. I think it’s pretty impressive for actors to stay in character while being yelled at for a solid two hours. Since every audience is different, the actors get a chance to method act as they shiver with antici… …pation. Another reason to see Rocky Horror is to support our OCU students and alumni working on and offstage! Music alumni Kat Metcalfe plays “Magenta” alongside fellow music alumni Janna Schmid who plays “Columbia.” Kylan Durant, music graduate, and music seniors Marcus Canada and Brooke Melton play phan-

toms in the ensemble. Claudia Campbell, design and production freshman, and Hannah Kimball, design and production junior, serve as assistant stage managers to alumna Laurena Sherrill, the production stage manager. Overall, it was a night of fun music and innovative staging. I’d definitely recommend the show to college students as long as they know what they’re signing up for. The Rocky Horror Show runs through Nov. 5th, and tickets can be purchased at lyrictheatreokc.com, or students can volunteer to usher and see the show for free! Lyric Theatre produces this show every three years, so for many students it’s the only time to see their production.

Columnist reviews local coffee shop, disappointed by lack of variety in drinks Unless you’re living under a rock, you’ve probably noticed by now that we are smack dab in the middle of autumn, and the temperatures are starting to cool down. I personally hate cold weather, and the only way I can tolerate fall and winter is with a warm drink in hand. With that in mind, I decided to venture over to one of the few local coffee shops that I had yet to try, Coffee Slingers Roasters. Coffee Slingers is located in an old brick building in automobile alley, and overall it had sort of a ‘cozy’ vibe, similar to Classen Coffee. As winter quickly approaches, I can totally see myself ducking in here to escape the cold, ordering something warm and curling up in the corner for hours. I will note that it was actually

relatively noisy when I was there, so I probably wouldn’t come here for a study session, but this might be a nice spot to just hang with friends or just to relax by myself. One thing I did notice and appreciate was their attempt to reduce single-use waste. For instance, instead of plastic or wooden stirring sticks, they had actual metal spoons for you to use. Also, unless you ordered something to go, they served it in a ceramic mug instead of something disposable. I love it when businesses try to make themselves more environmentally sustainable, so this was a huge plus for me. The last thing I'll say about the location is the parking is horrible. The parking directly in front of the store is parallel parking only (A.K.A. my nightmare).

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

There are a few more traditional parking spots nearby, but since this is downtown, it’s difficult to find one that is open. The menu at Coffee Slingers is really no frills. When I was there, I noticed there were only two specialty drinks being offered: a pumpkin spice latte and an herbal latte. The rest of the menu was filled with very basic offerings such as an espresso, an americano and a cappuccino. They also didn't have many non-coffee options,

and my tea-loving soul was very sad to discover they don’t even offer chai tea. So I just sucked it up and ordered a latte. From their menu, I got the sense they really emphasize the quality of their coffee beans as opposed to trying to get customers’ attention with sugary drinks and fancy flavorings. The prices were also between $2-$4.50, which I think is pretty standard for many coffee shops. However, I probably wouldn’t stop here every day for a morning coffee because I can

easily see those costs adding up over time, and I am just a broke college student. When I got my latte, I was pleasantly surprised at the aesthetically pleasing latte art it had going on. The little heart that was drawn in my drink was so unexpectedly cute that it took a great amount of willpower not to whip out my phone and post a picture of it onto my Instagram story. As for the actual taste, it tasted like a pretty standard latte to me. Now, I would take my opinion with a grain of salt because I really don’t drink enough coffee to tell the difference between high-quality coffee and average coffee. As someone who gets paid to give their opinions of food and drink, I should be able to tell the difference, but I just can’t. It wasn’t bad by

any means, but I didn’t taste anything special about it, and it kind of made me wish I had a specialty drink from Starbucks instead. Overall, I think Coffee Slingers has a really nice atmosphere, but when it comes to the drinks, it depends upon your preferences. If you’re really into coffee and you can tell the difference between higher and lower quality coffee, then I would totally recommend Coffee Slingers to you. If you’re like me and you find it difficult to stomach anything that isn’t overly flavored, then this might not be the place for you. Hopefully I’ll find the perfect new coffee shop before it starts getting snowy, but for now, I think I’m going to stick with my chai lattes from Starbucks.

Oklahoma City University from 12:30-4:30 p.m. in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

SUNDAY Smashcade at 7 p.m. in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University 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 Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird:” A New Play By Aaron Sorkin at 10 a.m. in Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center THURSDAY Weekly Play Club meeting at 7 p.m. in the Honors Lounge in Gold Star Memorial Building.

ingbird:” A New Play By Aaron Sorkin at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. in Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Weekly chapel service from 1-2 p.m. in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel.

Sorkin at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. in Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Walker Hall Trick or Treat event from 6-8 p.m. in Walker Residence Hall

FRIDAY Exploring Entertainment Business from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Ann Lacy Visitor Center

Dance with the Stars from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Ann Lacy Visitor Center

Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mock-

2019 All-State String Clinic at

Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird:” A New Play By Aaron

Oct. 23, 2019, Volume 113, Issue 8

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

Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird:” A New Play By Aaron Sorkin at 2:30 p.m. in Burg Theatre 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 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

SATURDAY Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird:” A New Play By Aaron Sorkin at 7:30 p.m. in Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Gibbs, 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.

October 23, 2019

news

Homecoming to involve alumni Paul Dower

COPY EDITOR

Homecoming is coming around the corner, and this year, it is bigger than ever. Homecoming week will be Oct. 25 through Nov. 2 and is hosting events ranging from film screenings to tailgates. This year’s theme is “Adventure Awaits.” Student organizations involved in Homecoming choose a theme for their individual organizations and tie it in to the Homecoming theme. Megan Hornbeek Allen, director of alumni engagement, said she wanted to make alumni more involved in the Homecoming process. “One of the things that was very important to folks was revitalizing the alumni aspect of Homecoming,” Hornbeek Allen said. “We have a really vibrant student culture with Homecoming, but the alumni side has not been as highlighted as it could be.” Hornbeek Allen said that to better involve alumni and students, Homecoming includes

more diverse events. “I’m hoping that we would have enough variety that folks might be able to look at these events and find at least one that they said ‘oh, that really looks interesting to me and I want to go back,’” she said. This year, four Greek chapters are participating, including Phi Mu, Gamma Phi Beta, Alpha Chi Omega, and Lambda Chi Alpha. Other participating student organizations include the Black Student Association, FEM (the female empowerment club), the Native American Society, the Hispanic Student Association, Miracle Marathon, the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the Wesley Center. Some organizations are participating for the first time. The organizations compete in events like Structure Build, Banner and LipSync, in which they build a structure, paint a banner and perform an original lipsynced production based on the organization’s theme.

Each student organization involved submits a nominee for Homecoming royalty. The winners of Homecoming King and Queen will be announced during Lip Sync on Nov. 1. Organizations also get points for attending events throughout the week like OCU Cares OK Kids Korral, a community service event. At the end of Homecoming, the organization with the most points will be awarded the Spirit Award. Trae Trousdale, mass communications/political science junior and Stars on the Plaza coordinator, said the big event for homecoming this year is the Stars on the Plaza. “It’s a community engagement opportunity during homecoming,” Trousdale said. “It’s not reflective of any points within the homecoming system, so it’s just a time to really come together as the OCU community with our law school, our graduate students and our undergraduate students and just go out and enjoy Oklahoma City.” Trousdale said they are antici-

“ “

pating about 300-500 students and alumni. Trousdale also said most of the businesses in the plaza district will be offering deals and discounts. “We’ve got discounts from almost every single restaurant in the plaza district,” he said. “Lyric Theatre will be adding a showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show on the same night as Stars on the Plaza. Those tickets are typically $60, for our students that night they are going to be $20, for our alumni they are going to be $30.” Trousdale said he wants to make Stars on the Plaza a new tradition for homecoming. “This is the first year that we are doing it as the second annual, so I think from here on out, it’s just continuing to grow the event, continuing to make it a little bit easier and continuing to deliver a great experience to our entire student body,” he said. Contributing: Editor-in-Chief Emily Wollenberg

Sou�ce: okcu.edu

New history professor joins faculty, adapts to OCU life Hannah Prentice

STAFF WRITER

The new history professor is adjusting to life at OCU. With a new school year came new faculty members, one being history professor Natalia Starostina, Ph.D. Coming to OCU from her former job in Georgia, Dr. Starostina said she has enjoyed her time here so far. “I love to work with diverse groups of students, and that is very unique about Oklahoma City University, that we have so many students who are from various countries; it is such a privilege to work with students who represent so many different cultures and bring so much diversity,” Starostina said. Starostina also said how much she has enjoyed developing friendships with her colleagues. “I very much enjoy my interactions with my colleagues, specifically Professor Sabina Amanbayeva, who is a professor of English,”

Starostina said. “She has been a fantastic help and she is a wonderful friend and most dedicated friend I have met in my life.” Along with Amanbayeva, Starostina said she has also enjoyed spending time with her students. “I love sharing my knowledge with students and helping to expand their mind, and I love the fact that I can contribute to their success in life,” Starostina said. “I hope that from me, students can learn skills that will be very helpful in their professional careers.” Lucas Freeman, history senior, said he has greatly enjoyed his new professor’s class this semester. “I love Dr. Starostina’s excitement for both teaching and her students’ lives in general,” Freeman said. “She also brings in a lot of world history expertise and some really cool lived experiences from growing up in the Soviet Union.” Starostina moved to the United States at a young age from what was the Soviet Union and is now Russia. She said she found her

love for history through growing up in a time when so much was happening in her homeland. “Through that, I realized how important history is for shaping a contemporary national identity, and so my interest in history originated from what was happening in that moment,” Starostina said. Starostina said a fun fact about her is that she wrote poetry when she was in college, and had continued to write after college for a while, but has not done so lately due to her busy schedule. She also said her favorite movie is the 1995 film “French Kiss.” “If I could give a piece of advice to any college students, I would say to learn as many foreign languages as you can,” Starostina said. Starostina said she is happy here at OCU and loves being a part of the campus community.

SGA creates newsletter to connect with student senators Shelby O’Brien

STAFF WRITER

Student Government Association is starting a weekly senate newsletter. The newsletter, called “The Res Publica,” is being run by Abigail Banks, political science/economics/philosophy sophomore and vice president of SGA. OCU’s senate is made up of 22 students ranging from freshmen to seniors. Banks said she started the newsletter about a week ago

to try and have a better connection with the senators and form a better communication loop. “It’s something I started that has different sections, a letter from me, senate rules and a senator highlight with upcoming events,” said Banks. Banks said the idea behind the newsletter was for senate members to learn more about how senate works, but also for senate to get to know each other better. “Honestly, the newsletter was created to try to form a

The newsletter was created to try to form a better connection with the senators.

better connection with the senators and form good communication skills in a cute way that isn’t just a long email” said Banks. “I am excited to see how

Abigail Banks vice president SGA

the newsletter impacts the current senator class.” Derek Bryant, biochemistry sophomore, is one of the senators for the sophomore class.

Bryant said he thinks the newsletter is a great idea. “I think it helps keep more open lines of communication between the senators and the executive cabinet,” said Bryant. The newsletter will be released biweekly to the senate by Banks. Banks said the newsletter will always include an update from Banks, followed by senate rules that the senators may not be aware of, followed by senator of the week. Banks said the newsletter

will also highlight upcoming events for the next month that senators are strongly encouraged to attend. “My goal is to get the senate to be informed on more events, go to them and become more involved on campus,” said Banks. Banks said she hopes to continue releasing newsletters biweekly to keep senators in the loop and get to know them better.

College of Arts and Sciences to form esports management track Shelby O’Brien

STAFF WRITER

Game Design and Animation is starting a new esports track at OCU. The College of Arts and Sciences is currently in the works of creating an esports degree that will focus on the business side of managing esports events. Jeff Price, professor for game design and animation and OCU esports director, said the track was an initiative of the dean of arts and sciences and involves every department on campus. Price said specifically Amy Cataldi, dean of Petree College of Arts and Sciences, was the real driving force for starting the new esports degree in the communication department. Cataldi said the proposed esports degree is a joint effort featuring many mass communications courses and several from the exercise and sport science department as well. “This degree has only recently entered the university’s approval matrix, and we are hopeful it is met with widespread support,” said Cataldi.

We are very excited to bring this opportunity to our students, and think it will have significant recruitment impact. Amy Cataldi dean petree college of arts and sciences

Cataldi said the department is hopeful that this track is the forefront for degree offerings related to the widespread interest in esports. There are currently only a few degrees offered around the country similar to this track. “We are very excited to bring this opportunity to our students, and think it will have significant recruitment impact” said Cataldi.

Cataldi said while she did initially conceptualize and develop the degree, Beth Adele, director of mass communcations, is coordinating the effort. Anyone interested in the new esports track should reach out to Beth Adele with any further questions or concerns. Austin Hogue, music senior, is the president of the student esports organization. “From what I’ve been told, the degree will focus on esports management acting as a business degree and teaching students how to approach the esports market industry,” said Hogue. Hogue said because the track is brand new and only in the works, very few people know about it. “To my knowledge, the track is still in the planning phase and must be approved before it can officially be announced,” said Hogue. For more information on the esports track reach out to Beth Adele in the mass communications department.

Student starts new acrobatics club Matthew Lavery

STAFF WRITER

There is a new club tumbling into Oklahoma City University. Cooper Clack, music theater sophomore, has started a new acrobatics and tumbling club on campus. “Acro club hosts free acrobatic and tumbling masterclasses,” Clack said. “They are meant to help students improve upon their acrobatic skills.” Clack said he started the club in order to help students with affordable tumbling and acrobatics lessons. October 23, 2019

“I will be teaching the classes with help from Tasha Hinex, the pom coach,” Clack said. Students do not need any experience to join the club. “If you are wanting to learn new tricks or flips, come in,” Clack said. “Come in either with something you’ve always wanted to do or ask what to start out with.” Clack was initially interested in starting the club based on his background in acrobatics. “I was a gymnast at a young age, and I wanted to share with people how to learn tricks and flips in a safe environment.” Clack said. If students want to get

involved, they can follow the acrobatics and tumbling club's Instagram, @acroclubokcu, and sign up by sending in their name, email and phone number. Cass King, vocal music education junior, was excited about the new club coming to campus. “It’s basically meant for anyone who is trying to build up their resume,” King said. “So if you’re trying to get special skills, like somersaults, it can help with that.”

Gearing up and loading out

Katie Gibbs Student Publications

Students gear up with laser tag guns and sensors at Student Activities Council’s Laser Tag event. The event was 7:30-9:30 p.m. on Oct. 17 in L2 of the Methodist Hall parking garage. Inflatable obstacles were blown up to create an arena where students could play laser tag against each other.

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Anonymous Facebook account spreads kindness at OCU Jessica Vanek

COMMUNITY MANAGER

An anonymous Facebook account is changing the way students express kindness. Compliments OCU is a Facebook page which was started on June 29, 2019. Since then, it has gained popularity online. Students are asked to send kind messages to the account, where they are posted publicly. Compliments OCU said their inspiration for the account came from their summer job where they worked with children. “Their positivity was infectious, and I found that the littlest thing would either make or break their day,” they said. “One day, after consoling a little girl who was crying, I told her that I really liked the bow in her hair. Her mood flipped, and she seemed to forget that she was ever crying.” Compliments OCU said even the smallest compliment can affect someone’s day. “Now, I know it’s different when it comes to college students, but in today’s world I felt like there needed to be a platform of

When I made this account, I knew that even if only one person messaged me, it would be a success. Compliments OCU facebook account

nothing but positivity to try and balance the heartache,” they said. Compliments OCU said they have seen some positive change come from starting the account. “Since my identity is concealed, many of the changes I’ve seen come from online,” they said. “I see people support each other by ways of kindness and calling out when they see hate and injustice.” Since its establishment the account has been successful in spreading good vibes. “When I made this account, I knew that even if only one

person messaged me, it would be a success,” they said. “I’ve received and posted over 100 compliments, which is far beyond what I expected.” Bailey Bovenschen, music theater/vocal performance sophomore, said seeing someone post about her made her smile. “It made my day ten times brighter than it was,” Bovenschen said. “I think that it’s really nice to have compliments from other students because I know for students like myself, it makes our day a little less stressful.” The account was created for a simple reason, Compliments OCU said. “There can never be enough kindness,” they said. “The amount of love and kindness people have expressed to others is so heartwarming. My goal is to continue spreading that positivity, one compliment at a time.”

Project 21 starts new group for experimental composition Maxwell McIntire

STAFF WRITER

Project 21 has recently started a new internal group for creating and performing experimental music. Project 21 is a student organization aiming to help students develop and perform new compositions. The group contains students from a variety of majors, including students studying composition, acting and premed. Within the organization, a smaller group of students is aiming to develop experimental music. The experimentalist group within Project 21 composes songs based around improvisation and Shelby O’Brien musical hypotheses and is open to adding new members from STAFF WRITER the student body. Dr. Edward Knight, composer in residence and the director of composition at OCU, is the faculty advisor for Project 21. “I arrived here in 1997, and we didn’t call it Project 21 then because there were only a few composers on campus. So my mission was to recruit composers so that within five years there was a whole studio of composers. Once we had a decent number of composers, we started organizing things in a different way. It eventually became student-run, and it became a regular student organization,” said Knight. Project 21 has a variety of performances and presentations throughout the year. The new experimentalist group focuses on more experimental ways of creating and performing music. Ben

Askren, composition sophomore, is the founder and head of the experimentalist group. Askren said he believes it’s important for people to be exposed to more experimental forms of music. “People don’t know what they want until they see it,” said Askren. Askren said the aim of the experimentalist group is to ask questions and make hypotheses around music, experimenting with the form using elements contained within the scientific method. Among the several pieces performed, the experimentalist group showcased a “democratic chorale,” in which Askren and Tomi Vetter, piano performance junior, developed a series of improvised chords and created a full song around them in real time. Another one of the experimentalist pieces performed was simply referred to as “Orange.” Askren invited audience members and other performers to come up, put an orange post-it note on their head, and create an improvised musical interpretation of what they felt the color orange would sound like. Both Project 21 and the experimentalist group are open to any students willing to participate. Students interested can contact Dr. Knight for Project 21 and reach out to Ben Askren for the experimentalist group. Katie Gibbs Student Publications

Students perform in the Project 21 concert titled, “An Evening of World Premieres,” on Oct. 1. The concert featured work created by OCU student composers.

Student stage manages touring show, works in three different venues Jessica Vanek

COMMUNITY MANAGER

Audrey Mantia, design and production senior, has tested out new realms of theater. Mantia studies stage management and props design. She recently worked on her first tour. “I was the stage and production manager for ‘Bad in Bed live,’” Mantia said. “Bad in Bed live” is a show written by Shelby Simpson that encourages audience participation. Mantia said the show is interesting because it is unlike traditional theater. “It’s kind of like a book reading on acid,” she said. “Like standup meets theater meets a book reading with ’90s rap and sing-a-long incorporated.” Mantia said she was first involved with the production in 2018. She was recruited by Matthew Alvin Brown, a local actor and director. “I was his student and stage manager for many years, so we had had that connection

October 23, 2019

going,” she said. “The writer of the show said she wanted to take it on tour.” The Oklahoma City production sold out every performance, and Simpson wanted to see how the show would work outside of the area, Mantia said. Mantia was involved in a proof-of-concept tour this summer, where the show was produced in three different venues. The show went to Tulsa, Denver and Kansas City in August. Mantia said the show was very successful. “The feedback that we got was exceptional,” she said. “It’s a great show because it’s not traditional theater. It’s like a party. We prompt the audience to dance and get involved, so it’s great to get non-theater people exposed to the arts without thinking they’re being bribed into seeing ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.’” Mantia said she held multiple positions over the course of the run. She began as a production manager, then transitioned to production and stage manager.

Submitted Audrey Mantia, design and production senior, was the stage manager for a touring show called “Bad in Bed live.” The show went to Tulsa, Denver and Kansas City.

“I had just got back from another summer job in upstate New York working at Stagedoor Manor,” she said. “The day I got back, I immediately went into rehearsal.” Mantia said the tour made her access new elements of her technical theater education. “I was having to learn so much about tech that I didn’t think I needed to know, like Projectors and Qlab,” she said. “We tried to plan ahead by working with the venues and seeing if our tech would line up with theirs, but a lot of it

involved thinking on our feet.” One location involved Mantia having to troubleshoot with the projector and using her knowledge from her lighting design class. “I said, ‘Aaron Mooney please speak to me now. If you’re out there in the universe, please come to me,’” she said. Mantia said each location showcased a different style of theatrical design. “Tulsa was traditional proscenium, Denver was a thrust in amphitheater and Kansas City was in a bar,” she said.

Mantia said she also was working with people who were not used to theater. “We had a lot of dancers who were very talented but had never worked with a stage manager before,” she said. “My main goal is being an advocate for the performers as well as the other artists involved.” Mantia found an interest in stage management four years ago. “I was heavily involved at Lyric Theatre’s academy,” she said. “I was a bored homeschooler who basically lived up there. Mantia was the stage manager for the children’s performance of “Annie Jr.” at Lyric Theatre. She was also a props intern and young children’s supervisor that summer. Mantia has been involved in the arts for many years, she said. “I was a dancer for nine years and played piano. I have hip dysplasia so I can’t dance anymore, and I have tendon issues in my right hand from a surgery that had gone wrong, so I can’t play piano anymore,” she said.

“Being able to be immersed in a show and in the music and call cues and really use that internal rhythm I have made me realize that, while I may not be getting applause at the end of the day, I’m still having to give my all.” Mantia said stage management is very fulfilling for her. “After you call a really complicated cue sequence and it just goes right and all the cues fire perfectly and all of the deck cues ran seamlessly, there’s no better feeling, honestly.” she said. Mantia said the show does not rely solely on her. “It’s not a solo. I could just be calling cues, but without having the light board operators and the backstage crew members, nothing would happen,” she said. “While I am kind of the conductor for the show, my job couldn’t be done without performers onstage and crew members backstage. Every single person is necessary.”