October 12, 2022 v116 i5-8

fall break!

Students complain of gluten-induced illnesses

specifically, as well as vegan and vegetarian meals.

The Oklahoma City University dining venues serve approximately 1,600 students a day, 900 of which go to the cafeteria, while Alvin’s Market and Kitchen 1904 serve about 700 combined.

However, some students have come for ward saying they feel their dietary needs are not being fulfilled by the venues, frequent ly becoming sick due to mislabeling and cross contamination of gluten-free meals,

This is significantly dangerous in some medical cases such as celiac disease, which, if gluten continues to be ingested, oth er serious complications can occur in a student’s health such as Type 1 diabetes, anemia, infertility, heart disease, intestinal cancer and many more.

“It’s not fun having to avoid gluten,” Emma Vance, a junior business adminis tration major who lives with a gluten sen sitivity, said.

“It makes it difficult anytime I’m not cooking at home because I have to watch out for a lot of things. Gluten can be in anything, [therefore], I always have to be aware of what is in my food [down to] ev ery little ingredient.”

Vance has not always struggled with this disease, stating she developed it her senior year of high school.

“Gluten started making me sick,” Vance said, “but I wasn’t sure it was gluten yet.”

For students with gluten allergies, mealtime means a very different experience

Amanda Kohutek NEWS EDITOR

“And I’ll see you next class.”

With those words, hundreds of college kids pack up and file out of their 12:15 pm classes, hungry for their first real meal of the day.

But a few students in the crowd will reach the school cafeteria and find very little they can actually eat.

Amidst the wide span of stu dents with dietary restrictions and allergies, there lies those with celi ac disease, an autoimmune disease that restricts the person to eating a

gluten-free diet.

I am one of these stu dents.

Though celiac affects every person differently, my case is extreme to the point that I must eat a very strict gluten-free diet with no cross-contamination.

Because of this, moving from making lunches for school every day to eating from a college cafete ria has been very hard on me.

Between getting sick and just having a general lack of options, eating without cross-contamina

tion on a small campus isn’t an easy task.

But that doesn’t mean that no effort from the university is being put forth to improve.

Figuring out how best to achieve these changes for the sake of myself and other students on campus has become a top priority.

I’ve been meeting with the staff that runs the food services here on campus, and that has been a posi tive experience.

They are focused on making

food accessible for all the students on campus and, in my experience, have been active in listening and responding to the struggles I’ve brought up.

But things aren’t entirely better.

New additions like a separate fryer for gluten free foods and more labels are helpful, but there continues to be a struggle for communication when I’m eating in the Caf.

Though one or two options in the homestyle section might be labeled “Avoiding Gluten,” the struggles still come in the form

of cross-contamination at the grill and sandwich sections.

Though efforts from the head chefs are great, when I speak to the workers at the grill, the need for precautions against cross-contami nation isn’t always understood, ei ther from a lack of understanding of what gluten is or from the stress of preparing food for many other students at the same time.

This is not to say that the staff in the cafeteria aren’t helpful and kind to all the students they serve.

New programs, courses boost fall enrollment 12%

Beth Woemmel NEWS EDITOR

New student enrollment at Oklahoma City Univer sity grew significantly this year, a 12% increase com pared to last year, produced by the new curriculum, on line courses, and hybrid re

cruitment methods.

“This year, new student enrollment was up, and total enrollment was even,” said Vice President of Enroll ment Management Kevin Windholz.

“That puts us in a prime position. If everything is done correctly for next year,

[it’s expected] not only new student enrollment to go up again but the total enroll ment to go up. It was the best year we’ve had in three years.”

This year, approximately 800 new students enrolled, which included about 300 freshmen undergrads, 320

graduates, and 180 transfer students.

“To recover some of those enrollments, [it has] required some program rein vention,” said Windholz.

“There’s a greater demand for online enrollment [and] multiple tracks of degrees like a Master of Business

administration instead of a general one.”

The School of Theatre, experiencing the highest in crease in student enrollment this year, added an Acting For The Screen major to run alongside their stage act ing program. “That allowed them to have more acting

students and generated in terest,” said Windholz.

“Increases in new stu dents were across the board and were not confined to theatre.”

The Masters in Com puter Science experienced a

University chooses Crawford to lead nursing program

Natalie Turner EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dr. Gina Crawford is officially the new dean of the Kramer School of Nursing after a nationwide search.

She was originally hired at OCU in 2012, and she served as assistant dean before becoming interim dean.

She served as interim dean for over a year before becoming the full-time dean in September.

Crawford serves as an appointed

member of the Oklahoma Board of Nursing Advanced Practice Adviso ry Committee.

She is also a peer evaluator for the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing and partic ipates in numerous other nursing organizations.

She graduated from the Kramer School of Nursing in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program.

She has spent more than three decades as a registered nurse and served 17 years as a family nurse

practitioner.

This is her 10th year at OCU as a faculty member.

“I’m honored to accept this role and to continue the positive momentum we are building at the Kramer School of Nursing,” Craw ford said.

“With the nation’s ongoing nursing shortage, nursing education has never been more important. We embrace the mission of preparing the next generation of health care providers and educators.”

As dean, Crawford hopes to expand healthcare access to rural and underprivileged areas.

The School of Nursing recently launched fully online Registered Nurse (RN) and Bachelor of Sci ence in Nursing (BSN) programs, and was awarded a $37,000 grant to increase Latino representation in nursing from the Telligen Com munity Initiative.

She has also partnered with the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklaho ma to develop a summer nursing

camp for high schoolers.

“Based on her track record as interim dean, the respect of her colleagues and her untir ing passion for the health care profession, I’m con fident in Dr. Crawford’s ability to lead the nursing school into its next chapter,” said university President Kenneth Evans.

Dilfuza Williford, left, co-owner of Lavender Silk Farm, displays a wide variety of health food and wellness products at the Chartwells Fall Festi-Ful in the lobby of the Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center Oct. 6. Williford said some of her products would be available at Alvin’s Market. Above, student Triston Lamberson helps celebrate the fall festival. Students say they need more allergen-free food options on campus.

Beth Woemmel NEWS EDITOR

Sofia Granados Student Publications

Students recently responded to a straw poll about various food allergies posted on a blackboard in the Caf.

Beth Woemmel Student Publications

Wind Ensemble, Orchestra open season with variety

Michaela Childs ARTS CRITIC

Oklahoma City Universi ty Wind Ensemble and Sym phony Orchestra performed their first concert Sept. 12 in the Margaret E. Petree Recital Hall.

The ensemble performed first, before the Symphony Orchestra.

For their portion of the concert, they first performed Overture to “La Belle Hélène” (1864), written by Jacques Offenbach and transcribed by Lawrence Odom.

This piece was from “an original French libretto...as a spoof of the Greek myth of Helen..., which started the Trojan War,” according to the program notes.

This piece had a beautiful bright introduction with changes in the tone to calmer, slower sections of music.

Some of the brighter, brass-dominated sections felt as though they verged on a wonderful fanfare.

What especially stood out

was the oboe and clarinet features, which were both executed beautifully.

Overall, it was a marvel ous, dynamically interesting piece that greatly exhibited the ensemble’s ability to move through the music as one.

The second piece was “Suite of Old American Dances” (1950), which was written by Robert Russell Bennett.

According to the program notes, this piece was inspired by the popular dances of the time. Bennett envisioned it as a piece that would be made of “all the beautiful sounds the American concert band could make that it hadn’t yet.”

The Wind Ensemble exhibited all the contrast in the movements of this piece spectacularly.

With the first movement “Cake Walk,” it felt as though you were swaying along with jolly, heavy steps with the swinging of the music.

This movement featured some fast-paced woodwind runs that added some urgen

cy to the piece with a promi nent trumpet presence.

These woodwind features allowed for the song to still feel as though it were upbeat despite the heaviness of the musical swing.

The second movement, “Schottische,” felt conver sational among the band, almost as though some sec tion’s parts were as a response to another’s.

It made for a great cohe siveness in the piece, especial ly in sections where the band came together for swells in volume.

All this ended with a del icate woodwind feature at the end.

Movement 3, “Western One-Step”, was a more fastpaced song with a gorgeous saxophone feature.

The fourth movement, “Wallflower Waltz,” had a sway to it as a waltz normally would. It was a softer, daintier piece to follow up after the last movement.

The final movement, “Rag,” was probably my

favorite in this piece. Some thing about the jazz-like, swift swing brings you to another scene and wraps up the piece on a cheerful note.

The Symphonic Orches tra played a single piece: “Pictures at an Exhibition” (1884) by Modest Mussorg sky, arranged by Maurice Ravel.

The impact of this piece was breathtaking as each of the 10 movements is made to represent a specific art piece from Mussorgsky’s close friend.

According to the program notes, this friend, Victor Hartmann, who made these art pieces had passed away suddenly, and Mussorgsky made this piece as an immer sive experience in looking at Hartmann’s gallery.

Conductor Jeffrey Grogan showed the audience each of these art pieces before they played the piece to really put the audience in a full experi ence of the movements.

However, even with the

full introduction to the piece beforehand, I could not have predicted that the Symphony Orchestra would blow me away like they did. Each movement kept me on the edge of my seat. With move ments like “Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks”, they encapsulated the quirkiness and specific aspects to them extraordinarily. For other darker movements like “The Hut on the Hen’s Legs”, they created an ominous, and almost suspenseful, atmosphere.

This was my first experi ence in listening to “Pictures at an Exhibition”, and I was not disappointed.

The beauty of the piece was fully displayed to the audience, so much so that even some of the musicians themselves were having an emotional time after playing.

“The performance was ecstatic,” said Kiegan Ryan, a member of the orchestra.

“I felt like I was in the Mussorgsky-Ravel world, you know? Every time I get

to play, it is like I get thrown into that time, and I just don’t feel aware until after I am done. I just feel stuck in the music world, and tonight it was on fire.”

However, the astonishing part of all of this is the fact that both the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Orchestra were able to put on such a successful performance with so little preparation time.

“We put the rehearsal together in seven rehearsals,” said Wind Ensemble conduc tor Matthew Mailman.

“Only the best, most engaged, most talented, and most invested students can do something like that, so I am very proud of them.”

Those who attended the concert would agree with Mailman, that this concert was impressive among other praises.

If this is the kind of per formance put on with so little time, I can only imagine what kind of performance both groups have to come.

OCU, Children’s Theatre team up for ‘Tomás’

Ava Karas LIFE ASSISTANT

OCU students collaborated with the Oklahoma Children’s Theatre to present “Tomás and the Library Lady” Sept. 15-17.

The collaboration was com pletely funded by the Oklahoma City Foundation. All shows were free to the public, and the students involved were paid a stipend for their work.

Based on the book by Mexi can-American author Pat Mora, and adapted to the stage by José Cruz González, “Tomás and the Library Lady” is a work that both English and Spanish speakers can readily understand.

Tomás, the son of migrant farm workers, moves from Texas to Iowa, where he meets a librarian who introduces him to the fantastical world of reading, and in the process, improves his English, so that he is no longer afraid to face his unsym pathetic schoolteacher.

This compelling true story is based on Tomás Rivera, who learned to love books and reading from his friendship with a librarian in Iowa.

Rivera grew up to be a poet, author, and educator, and the first Mexican American chancellor in the University of California system. After his unexpected death in 1984, the General Library at the Uni versity of California Riverside was named after him.

Directed by OCU student Laura Tapia, “Tomás and the Library Lady” was brief and innocent, yet utterly touching … there were many misty eyes in the house.

The minimalist setting and the intimate nature of the Yale Theater added to the imaginative aspect of the play, and made the viewing seem more personal.

Each and every one of the actors, which included Iván Moreno (Tomás), who led the show with heart and beauty; Kathryn-Ximena Rojas (Josefa and the Nightmare Teacher); Ceci Touzón (Library Lady); and Vangeli Tsompanidis (Florencio, Papa Grande, Enrique), were masterful in their approach es to their characters, seamlessly

capturing the tender and magical elements of the story.

Senior Music Theatre major Vangeli Tsompanidis (Florencio, Papa Grande, and Enrique) said that the process was special for multiple reasons.

“The entire cast was Hispanic, so it was really wonderful for us to be able to tell this story,” Tsompanidis said.

“Our opening night was the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month, as well!”

According to Tsompanidis, the rehearsal process was brief.

“We rehearsed for two weeks where we did staging, character work, guided meditations, and did exercises with our director, Laura,

on how to free up our instincts and move on stage in alignment with our characters,” Tsompanidis said.

The cast did two shows a day, with a total of six performances throughout the run. Children from across Oklahoma City came to see the play.

“We were blessed with really great audiences,” Tsompanidis said.

“Children can be unpredictable, but it was amazing to see their eyes light up when they recognized a Spanish word … like this is the language we speak at home, and here they are using it!

“It’s really important for young kids to see their culture represented, and I’m happy we could do that for them.”

Director Matthew Mailman conducts at the OCU Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra joint concert Sept. 15. The ensembles presented a wide variety of music despite little rehearsal time this early in the year.

BRIGHT STAR

Abigail Brock and other cast members perform scenes from OCU’s season-opening musical, “Bright Star.” The Opera and Music Theater Company opened its 71st season Sept. 30-Oct. 2 with this Tony-nominated Americana bluegrass musical written by comedian-musician Steve Martin and singer-songwriter Edie Brickell.

Michaela Childs Student Publications

Wendy Mutz

ALLERGIES

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“I got tested for celiac, and that came back nega tive. When I get gluten, I have bone aches or I will get [extremely] sleepy, or some times I throw up. It just de pends.”

Like many other fresh men, Vance began her first semester eating at the cafete ria daily, which caused her to become sick quite often.

“I was eating the [then labeled as] gluten free or glu ten sensitive, now [marked] as avoiding gluten,” Vance said.

“I reached out to disabili ty services early on, and [the] first step they wanted me to take was talking to the cafe teria about their food.”

Vance met with the ex ecutive chef and toured the facilities of the cafeteria, showing the areas they en deavored to keep gluten free.

“But it wasn’t an area that they could consider fully gluten free,” Vance stated.

“Whether or not they set aside a small area, there are still ways that gluten can get there [and] ways that cross contamination can happen.”

Vance states that many of the utensils and containers used for gluten-free meals incorporated the color pur ple, such as purple knives and bowls.

This is a practice that has not been maintained over the past couple of years.

“There were still different times that it would be cross

contaminated, but I think it was almost a little bit bet ter freshman year because they had their separate glu ten-free bowls and knives,” Vance said.

“I think that kept it saf er for people who can’t eat gluten or who are avoiding gluten.”

Despite her troubles in the cafeteria, Vance found many safe options to eat in Alvin’s Market, stating that is where she goes most now.

“[Alvin’s] has specifi cally marked, individually wrapped foods that I can have,” Vance said.

“In the freezer section, there’s some gluten-free mac and cheese that I can get. Sometimes they even have the gluten-free Oreos. They have a lot of options, and I’ve also seen the vegan op tions they have sometimes.”

Unlike Alvin’s, Kitchen 1904’s description on the OCU website states, “Items can be made to meet many dietary and nutritional needs,” which for Vance has not proven true.

“[Kitchen 1904] did make me feel bad,” Vance said.

“At least when I asked, they [didn’t] have gluten-free bread. They’ll have Chicken Alfredo sometimes, but they won’t always have the glu ten-free pasta, so it’s really a hit or miss with them.”

Vance struggled with the constant sickness and lack of options for her for months. It began affecting her atten dance and ability to remain a student athlete on the school

volleyball team.

“I talked to disability services, and because I don’t have celiac, I wasn’t listened to,” Vance said.

“I had asked to be moved into somewhere with a kitchen, but they said that it’s difficult to know what degree [I was] impacted by each of these conditions and why [my] requested ac commodations aren’t neces sary. They said [my medical conditions] look well con trolled.”

Despite turning in all medical forms and docu ments Vance had, disability services would not accept her request, causing her fa ther to get involved in con vincing them of her inability to healthily continue eating at the cafeteria.

“This went on for months,” Vance stated.

“My dad specifically asked to have a meeting with the head of housing and a dietician that he said, ‘I as sume you would have on staff if you feel like you’re able to make these decisions for my daughter.’ And they didn’t have a dietician at all.”

Housing then accepted Vance’s request to live in Cokesbury on the final day of fall semester, allowing her to select a meal plan and cook meals that were more suited to her dietary needs.

Although, there are more students on campus strug gling in similar situations as Vance’s.

“Most of the time that I see the vegan and avoiding gluten food, they don’t get touched very much,” Vance said.

“I don’t think it’s because of the lack of people who are vegan or gluten free. I think it’s because of the type of food.”

In a statement, Chart wells General Manager Michael Miller said that less than five students have self-identified with Chart wells, the nutritional pro vider for the dining venues, about their dietary needs.

“We work with those stu dents each day to provide safe meals based on those di etary needs,” Miller said.

In a casual, unofficial sur vey, asking if students need gluten-free options, 84 tal lies voted yes.

“I feel like [the cafeteria] needs to have more options that people would enjoy,” Vance stated, “because sometimes usually vegan and gluten-free food [is] corn and a veggie plate.”

Furthermore, OCU re quires all students under the age of 21 to live on campus, which requires a meal plan, meaning Walker, Banning, and Methodist residents pay between $2,426 to $2,750.

Based on the price tags of the required meal plans, students pay on average ap proximately eight dollars per meal, with one plan costing nearly $11 per meal.

For students who can hardly eat the meals the cafe teria provides, this proves to be an ineffective use of funds for financially struggling col lege students.

“I am doing this not to [say] the cafeteria [and] disability services are bad,” Vance said.

“I’m just saying there were some problems that I went through, but they tried to accommodate me within their means.

“I think that they need to work with the actual com pany to have more accom modations available because although [the staff] tries, there’s only so much that you can do without chang ing what foods are available.”

Positive changes have oc curred within the cafeteria recently, including the addi tion of a separate, gluten free fryer at the grill, yet little to no communication has oc curred about these changes.

“A manager is always on duty and happy to discuss dietary and allergy infor mation with the students,” Miller said.

“We encourage our staff to let the students know to ask questions and we will get them answers directly.”

The Dine On Campus app is also open to students to view menus, nutrition facts, allergy information and ingredients within items in all three dining venues.

Likewise, the digital screens above food stations in the cafeteria provide sim ilar information, yet often this digital assistance is not consistently updated; for ex ample, the Dine on Campus app currently lacks menus for all three venues.

“[At this time], we have received no reports of stu dents becoming sick due to mislabeling or cross contam ination,” Miller stated.

“We prefer to have direct

communication with the student so we can find solu tions that will best suit them individually.

“The best option is to ask to speak to a manager on duty.

“Other options include Text to Solve, social media, Happy or Not kiosk at the entrance of the Dining Hall or you can leave us feedback on our Dine on Campus website [or] app.”

Communication is cru cial for students to report these discrepancies to Chart wells.

Miller stated that a sur vey will be taken in mid-Oc tober to inform them more of the dietary needs of the student population.

“We will also be inviting a Chartwells dietician to meet with students and help advise them,” Miller said.

“We will work with the student to make sure they know what we already have available to create a plan for safe healthy options.”

Oklahoma City Uni versity’s mission statement says, “We provide a diverse, inclusive, culture committed to producing graduates who think critically and innova tively, communicate effec tively and use their talents to make a local and global impact.”

But how can this be done when students feel unheard and unseen, especially when dietary needs stretch beyond diseases and allergies into re ligious practices, ideological beliefs, personal preference and more?

OCU CARE celebrates Bisexual Awareness Day via affirmation

Ava Karas LIFE ASSISTANT

Members of the Oklahoma City University community celebrated Bisexual Awareness Day Sept. 23.

First officially observed in 1999 at the International Lesbian and Gay Association in Johannesburg, South Africa, Bisexual Awareness Day is observed internationally to recognize and celebrate bisexuals and their community’s history.

OCU CARE, which stands for Creatives Advocating for Realistic Equity, celebrated Bisexual Aware ness Day by posting informational graphics on their social media

ENROLL

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students that were studying at other universities that heard about the program and transferred.”

Another department ex periencing some significant strides is the OCU Kramer School of Nursing. Both the Bachelor of Science in Nurs ing and the Master of Sci ence in Nursing now have identical, completely online courses, opening more op

GLUTEN

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outlets and highlighting bisexual students around campus.

Senior Music Theater major Arissa Brown serves as the Queer Inclusivity Branch Leader at OCU CARE and organized their response to Bisexual Awareness Day.

“My job is to make sure that queer people feel included,” Brown said. “I myself am a genderqueer and bisexual individual, so bisexual visibility is incredibly important to me because if I had seen that kind of healthy representation and acceptance as a kid I think I would have felt more comfortable with my identity sooner.”

According to Brown, the bisex

portunities for students in the workforce or off campus.

“That was a nice surprise, how the two new online en rollment programs in nurs ing came about,” said Wind holz.

“We actually saw a slight increase in new students in our on-ground BSN stu dents.”

As well as the added on line courses, OCU’s recruit ment methods have become more accessible, with a com bination of in-person and online enrollment.

It has seemed that the best op tion for me lately is to speak to the chefs in the back and request something be made gluten-free back there.

But that is not always the best option when I’m in a time crunch.

Ultimately, better communi cation between the students, head chefs, and Cafeteria staff, is what is needed to improve this process.

At the same time, I am aware that only so much can be done in a small cafeteria on a small campus.

There are so many shared spac es between food with gluten and

ual community on this campus is prominent, confident, and proud, and the queer community as a whole is inclusive and welcoming.

“This campus has definitely encouraged me to be present more so in a way that aligns with my identity,” Brown said.

“I have become more comfort able speaking, dressing, and acting as a queer person than I had pre viously in my primary education.”

Brown admits that while Okla homa is not necessarily the poster child for gay rights, this campus advocates for a culture wherein queerness is not only accepted but also celebrated and needed in order

During the pandemic, online enrollment and audi tions were helpful tools for students who were unable to travel to different schools due to Covid-19.

“The best example I can give is the Stars 101 ses sions,” said Windholz.

“The ones before the pan demic were 100% in-person, and then we got into 2020 and 2021, they had to be 100% virtual.

In 2022, we did three in-person and one online, and I would look for us to

food without, that finding a way to separate the gluten-free food safely isn’t always possible unless a head chef is around.

On the other hand, I have found a little more success with Alvin’s Market and Kitchen 1904.

Thanks to my meeting with Randy Largent, assistant dining service director, I have been able to get my favorite gluten-free foods ordered for the market, and I can eat the gluten-free pasta and vari ous bowls at Kitchen 1904.

I appreciate how kind the staff is, and usually leave very satisfied.

But I have struggled with the problem that there are more op tions for me in the Market than

to have a more well-rounded com munity, education, and experience.

CARE works to facilitate those values in all aspects of the diverse campus community.

OCU CARE is welcome to the entire campus.

“Currently, we work mainly with the deans within the School of Music but we have been seeking ways to branch out and find ways to connect with the School of Theatre, the School of Dance, non-vocalists and actors, musicians, or people who are not involved in the arts at all,” Brown said.

continue that pattern mov ing forward.”

Enrollment management hopes to continue the hy bridization of enrollment through other forms of re cruitment as well, moving into the future.

“The in-person will nev er go away because there’s something very rich about experience that you often can’t replace virtually,” said Windholz.

“But there will always still be these side recruit ment events on Zoom.”

in the cafeteria where I have meal swipes according to my meal plan.

Though I do have points and use one or two swipes in 1904, the basis of my meal plan is the meal swipes meant for the Caf, so it seems I may need to choose a dif ferent plan in the future.

Which is a little frustrating since I pay for this one now.

Since coming to OCU, I’ve got ten sick from gluten quite a few times, and going to classes on those days feels nearly impossible.

I’ve resorted to depending on all the microwave meals I can fit in my small freezer, and various gluten-free foods from stores like Trader Joe’s in order to not get sick.

“More than anything, we want everyone’s voice to be heard and respected.”

If you are looking to get involved with CARE, visit their social media @ocu_care, or connect with them by emailing OCUCare@okcu.edu.

“CARE is open to all however, if CARE is not your jam and you want to get involved on campus in a queer space, OKCU Spectrum is a wonderful group and is led by some wonderful people,” Brown said.

“I would also recommend seek ing them out if you are looking for more than one organization in which to find community.”

Despite the success this year with high enrollment, OCU is continuing to look for ways to continue this steady stream of growth, working to think out of the box to adapt to changing views on college education today.

“I’ve been doing this for 22 years,” said Windholz. “22 years ago, people were more focused on the college experience. Now, people are very focused on the out come.”

OCU has begun to ex

But I still journey to the Caf every school day to see if I can eat anything, having to be extremely careful with what I choose.

Learning all of these new ways of living with Celiac at school has really defined my first few months of college.

Since being diagnosed 7 years ago, I am used to asking about sep arate fryers, reading ingredients, having to leave restaurants or miss hangouts when there aren’t op tions, and making food for myself, but a shared cafeteria and college food has provided new challenges that I think should be addressed.

What is needed is more com munication between the students

plore more online options for current as well as new content to encourage growth in areas that have not seen as much growth these past cou ple of years.

“Every college and school here,” said Windholz, “I can honestly say… everybody has some new form of cur riculum that they’re working on.

“I can’t think of one col lege that’s not looking at some new program in ad dition to what they already have.”

and the school.

If most of the students who can’t eat gluten don’t eat at the Caf because of the options, then their voices aren’t heard when polls are put on the chalkboard or posted there.

The Dining Services need to know what the students with di etary restrictions really need, so reaching out through groups or an optional survey sent to all students would be a good step forward.

I know I will continue to reach out and figure out the best food options for my fellow Celiacs throughout the rest of my years here at OCU, and who knows?

Maybe I’ll start a Gluten Free Club.

‘Accessible campus’ includes food choice

Access to food is one of the most basic human needs.

Without food, nothing else is possible.

As students, we are incredibly privileged to be here in higher education, but we can’t thrive or grow without access to proper food.

This might not be a problem for some of us.

It might not be something we even think about. But for people with food allergies or sensitivities, it’s a huge issue.

Vegans, vegetarians, people with celiac disease, and other various food allergies, are struggling to find food they can eat in the cafeteria and our other food vendors.

Mislabeled items, cross-contamination, and simple lack of food are huge issues.

Luckily, the employees in the cafeteria are actively creating a more accessible food selection.

But students shouldn’t try to prevent accessible food selection. We should encourage gluten-free, vegan, and other accessible food. When asked if the school should provide gluten-free options, everyone should say yes. There are no reasons to not have gluten-free food, but there are so many reasons we should.

People shouldn’t have to prove that they medically require different food. People should be able to not eat gluten, sugar, or anything else just because they want to.

It’s exactly the same as not eating food because it doesn’t taste good.

We should constantly strive to make our campus more accessible, and that includes our food selection.

What has humanity done with the Moral Law?

All human beings are under the Law of Human Nature, and this is a fact.

It dictates how we ought to and ought not to behave and is uniform to all humans regardless of their cultural and traditional backgrounds.

That Law is what differentiates us, humans, from other beings.

However, I have observed that humans have been fighting with that Law or have been trying to deny its existence because of the

pressure it exerts on us; I first observe it within myself and then in others.

There is something

wrong with the world, and the cause of that wrongness is not something outside of it but rather inside—we, humans, are that cause.

That moral Law tells us how we

ought to behave, but we disregard it and keep on doing what we know we ought not to do.

And this has put us at enmity with the Creator of that Law.

I know that that Law has been created by Something which cannot be of the same nature as the beings on which it is applied; that Something must transcend time and space and be intelligent in order to be able to instruct us on how to behave.

Thus, that Something is not

mere power.

However, my aim here is not to discuss the Something behind it.

Therefore, you might be won dering why I am talking about this then, and the short answer is this:

I have been observing people around me—and myself includ ed—and realized that most of us are in what we call survival mode.

What is survival mode?

Survival mode is the lack of hope; we are hopeless.

We cannot build a society in

which everybody — I mean every single person — is truly happy if we do not obey that Law which dictates how to live a good life.

After all, what are human beings after if not happiness?

I have never met someone who wishes or wants to be miserable unless they are trying to deny that Law which by doing so only proves its existence and effect on us.

Mamadou Yafa Contributing Writer Student Publications

With the semester fast almost halfway gone, we would like to remind graduating seniors: you can hold onto some of the content you’ve created in your time here at OCU.

Since your “my.okcu.edu” account is not permanent, we rec ommend that you take steps to preserve your content.

We have created a step-by-step guide below on how to migrate your content to your personal Gmail account.

You can choose to migrate infor mation from various Google ser vices, including Google Docs, email messages, Google Drive and Google

Calendar. It’s best to begin the pro cess early, so that you have time to ensure you have what you need.

And if you haven’t already done so, don’t forget to submit your theses and dissertations to the DulaneyBrowne Library online Senior Proj ect archive!

TransferringyourdatatoGoogle Drive: This process can transfer all of

your content from your my.okcu. edu email service by creating a single downloadable file you can save on your computer.

Log into your OCU Account (this can be done on any device as long as you are using Chrome for the web browser).

1. Go to https://takeout.google. com/transfer

2. Select all the data you want to download.

3. Click Save and then Next Step.

4. Select the Delivery Method.

You can usually leave the rest on the default settings.

5. Click on Create Archive.

Note: If you choose to send a download link, you will need to log into your OKCU email account and download your file or files from there to an external drive.

6. After you’ve downloaded the archive, you can then unzip the archive and decide where you want to put your downloaded file.

Because both Outlook and Google services are cloud-based,

you can access them from just about any device, including Macs.

Simply logging into your account through a web browser gives you access to all your programs, files, and apps.

However, installing the Google Drive or OneDrive app does let you tap into any saved file created with its compatible programs with some basic editing and sharing capabilities.

We wish you a very bright future in all you do!

Adebayo Tech Archivist Student Publications

The first copy of The Campus is free. Each additional copy costs 25 cents. All contents copyright © Oklahoma City University Student Publications, 2022. All rights reserved.

The Student Publications staff welcomes unsolicited material and letters to the editor. All letters must be signed and must include the writer’s phone number, address, major, and classification. The staff reserves the right to edit all letters, and to refuse letters without explanation. Letters can be sent online at mediaocu.com, emailed to editor@okcu.edu or delivered to the Newsroom in Suite 121 of the Walker Center for Arts and Sciences. Submitted items may appear on MediaOCU.com and in the print edition.

The Campus has served the Oklahoma City University community since 1907. The Student Publications staff publishes periodically at MediaOCU.com, and in print each month, during the academic year.

Elizabeth Heffernan Student Publications

Men’s soccer,

McElyea,

Elizabeth Heffernan SPORTS EDITOR

The OCU men’s soccer team is 10-2 for the season after two 4-0 shutout victo ries against Central Christian Oct. 5th, and Wayland Bap tist Saturday.

Thomas J McElyea, senior, and Bernardo Duarte, freshman, said their streak is a result of effort, passion and dedication.

“In terms of our record, it’s never ideal to drop two

TRICK-OR-TREAT

scores double shutouts

‘Effort, passion, dedication’ help lead to season’s success

games but I think that small set back hasn’t held any of the guys down,” McElyea said.

“We’ve started well in conference and it’s about maintaining the winning form and taking it each game at a time.”

“I believe the overall record is a result of our effort. We have a very talented group, that has been work ing hard in every game and practice. If we keep the same energy, I am sure we are going to have a great season,”

Duarte said.

“I think the key to the team’s training is bringing a competitive attitude and that passion to win. Even in training no one wants to lose and so that drive translates well to games,” McElyea said.

“I think the team’s dedi cation has been the key piece in training. Everyone is com mitted and working hard every day so we can do well in the season, ” Duarte said.

But how has OCU exe cuted their training in games?

What’s the soccer team’s mindset when approaching a different competitor?

“I think the proper mind set is to always see each game as their own thing. You can’t get caught up in past results or performances, good or bad, but the overall mindset going into each game is to never be out worked,” McE lyea said.

“On each game day, I try to concentrate the most and come with a positive mindset, looking for a win.

We know we are very capable so that helps boost our con fidence,” Duarte said.

The two athletes also spoke on their team’s goal for the season.

“I’d say the ultimate goal for the team is to make a statement this year and show that OCU is and will always be a strong compet itor and challenge for the major honors as this program always has,” McElyea said.

“Our goal is to be the conference champions. We

also want to get into the national tournament for the first time ever, especially because we have a lot of seniors and a very good team, that is working hard for it,” Duarte said.

The soccer team’s next game will be on Oct. 15 against John Brown in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.

It should be interesting to see how the Stars approach this game and how their record holds up.

Basketball senior appreciates new coach’s philosophy

Elizabeth Heffernan SPORTS EDITOR

The Oklahoma City University Women’s basketball team just got a new coach, Kris Seigenthaler.

“Having a new coach come in your senior year is always scary, but Coach ‘Seig’ does a great job with taking the challenges with us,” said Kelsi Fitzgerald, a senior basketball player from Moore, Oklahoma.

“She is willing to walk through the uncomfortable process of change with us and our assistant coach. I look forward to her winning men

tality and her ability to see the best in us, even if we don’t see it.

“Coach ‘Seig’ holds us to a high standard on and off the court and wants the best for us. She knows what it takes to have a winning pro gram, and I can’t wait to see what we do this year.” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald was asked about Sei genthaler’s coaching philosophy and the impact it might have on the players.

“Yes, this year her philosophy is ‘leave your legacy’ – that is what OCU women’s basketball is all about. Leaving your legacy means

DEFENDER

leaving our program better than how we found it, and for the next players that come into our program.

“I like this philosophy because as a senior I don’t have that much longer as a player, and this gives me the motivation to leave OCU better than how I walked in.

“Leaving my impact on my teammates has been my goal since the beginning, and I will continue to make this program a home for my teammates. “ Fitzgerald said.

“(Former) Coach Tahah was a great person and what I miss about her is how understanding

she is about the difficulties of being a student athlete. She was very committed to our program and the success of her athletes. Coach Tahah was a great person and I know she will be very successful at Marlow.” Fitzgerald said.

Previously, Seiganthaler was the assistant coach at Loyola University at New Orleans, where she helped the Loyola Wolf Pack go on a 91-22 win-loss rampage.

Before coaching, Seigenthaler played college basketball at the Uni versity of Montevallo in Alabama, where she also received her bach

elor’s degree in Kineseology.

In 2017, Sei ganthaler was included on the Women’s Bas ketball Associa tion’s 30 Under 30.

Seiganthaler

The women’s basketball season won’t begin until Nov. 3 against Wiley College (Texas). This will be a home game for the Stars, and it will be interesting to see them take on their first team of the year alongside their new coach.

WALKER

Continued

Allen Thompson was the 1994 NAIA Player of the Year during his time at OCU.

Players are only eli gible to join the Hall of Fame five years after they wrap their last collegiate baseball season, so Walker didn’t become eligible until 2016, meaning that the inductee didn’t have to wait too long until he was recognized for his record-setting seasons at OCU.

nized for this award, especially because most people that receive it are liberos or back row players.

“It is a great accomplishment, and I am so thankful for it. “ Steward said.

A non-libero in volleyball is a player in the back row who specializes in defense. These players are also not allowed to serve during the games.

Steward attributes her success in games to the way she practices.

“The driving factor in my training that has helped me win this award has to go to the drills we do in practice in preparation for games, as well as watching film and scouting out the teams we are playing.

“It is so important for me when watching film to pay attention to setter and hitter ten dencies and apply that to in game situations,

I also believe practicing how I intend to play has helped me because I put such an empha sis on working on my blocks in practice in the days leading to games,” Steward said.

Although she attributes her success to practice, she also isn’t hesitant to thank those who helped her on her journey to winning this award.

“I would credit my success from the games that helped me win this award to my coaches Kristen Coventon and Baleigh Mur phy-Garner who are always giving feedback and helping me be as successful as possible, and to my pin hitters for helping to set up the blocks and their communication with me at the net which always helps things run smoother.

“I could not have done it without my awesome teammates!” Steward said.

It should be interesting to see how Stew ard thrives throughout the rest of the season after claiming this award.

SOCCER

Continued from Page 6

boost I needed personally to start being more clinical and working harder. I also only have 9 games left as a student athlete so I’m playing every game like it’s my last to make myself and my family proud.” Hill said.

This is the family-driven athlete’s second time being recognized as the conference’s offensive player of the week, meaning that she must be doing something right.

“My first day of training I had no idea what to expect. Even if I was last, my only goal was to put my 110%.” Gonzalez added.

“This achievement means a lot, like I said it’s nice to be recognized, I’m hoping to make it into conference team this year, and to score some goals when my family comes to visit in October.

“As for the team we’re hoping to get a Top 3 or better finish in conference and make it as far as possible in playoffs, with nationals as the main goal!” Hill said.

“This achievement means so much to me! I felt like I wasn’t doing as good as I wanted. So, I had no words when my name came up twice. Moving forward I will show up with a smile on my face and continue to put my blood, sweat, and tears into every game,” Gonzalez said.

Thank

for

as

Irene Sanchez Figuera, mathematics, works the bake sale table for the women’s wres tling team in the student center outside the Caf Oct. 6.

Sofia Granados Student Publications

Walker to join College Hall of Fame

2011.

Kirk Walker, a former OCU base ball player, is being inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in Lubbock, Texas.

Walker, a native of Bakers field, California, graduated from Oklahoma City Uni versity in 2011, where he was a four-year starting shortstop for the Stars and majored in business.

He was born in 1988 and was the Gold Glove Award recipient in the 2010 NAIA World Series. The Gold Glove award is given to the best defenders of each position in the league.

Walker was named the Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Year on May 7,

Walker still holds various OCU baseball records, as he has the most alltime runs scored, hits, runs batted in, walks, and total bases.

He started 232 of his 242 appearances at games during his college career, and he also managed to make his way to the top of the NAIA league with 1.774 hits per game.

After he graduated, he was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 26th round of the First-Year Player Draft. He was their 806th pick.

One of Walker’s high school coaches, Allen Thompson, was a monu mental influence on Walker’s decision to go to OCU.

Legesse: ‘Be a teammate you want to have’

Mid-season, coach talks about his

Bethany Bishop SPORTS ASSISTANT

harriers

strength training days, two running work outs, and one long run.

Whataretheoff-seasonexpec tationsforaplayer?

We are a year-round sport, so we don’t have much of an off-season, but we tend to dial the intensity back a little and focus a little more on recovery during our “off-season.”

What’s your leadership and coachingphilosophy?

I am all about coaching people instead of athletes. I focus on grow ing as people and that tends to take care of their developing as athletes.

We constantly preach being a teammate you want to have and everyone giving their best version to their team. That has always kept everyone motivated.

Who we are and what we do as members of our team represents not only us, but everyone associated with our team and school. We are excited every time we get an oppor tunity to compete for our team.

Whatdoesyourtrainingconsist ofusually?

Our typical week consists of 6-7 days of anywhere between 40-90 miles of running, two weight room

HowdidthepastMSUCross Countrymeetgo?Whatmedalsdid theteamgetandwhatplacewasthe teamranked?

The MSU race went well. Our men’s team came home as champi ons and our women came home as runner-up. We competed well and it was a great successful meet.

Whenisthenextbigcrosscoun trymeetandhomecrosscountry meet?

We are hosting the conference championship on Nov. 5 at Eldon Lyon Park. That will be our next home meet.

When did the cross country seasonstartandend?

Cross Country started the first week of school and ends Nov. 18 at the national meet.

Three Stars earn Player of the Week honors

player of the week.

The OCU Volleyball team is 9-10 this year after a loss to John Brown University.

However, for the week of Sept. 24, Rylee Steward, a junior from Edmond, Okla homa, claimed the title of NAIA defender of the week. She was the first OCU player to do so since 2017.

“Upon receiving the award, I was surprised and very excited,” Steward said.

“To get the conference award as a middle block

er was a huge accom plishment for me, so to not only be nominated for the national award, but to receive it was truly an awesome feeling.”

Steward also said she was aware that she was the first since 2017 to receive the achievement.

“Yes, I was told that I was the first one since 2017, and the first non-libero ever; it feels really cool to be recog-

OCU’s women’s soccer team is 9-1-2 for the season.

The players have been putting in their best effort to uphold OCU’s great record for the season – two players especially standing out as they were recog nized as SAC players of the week.

April Hill, a senior psychol ogy major from Pesterfield, England, was recognized as offensive player of the week on Sept. 18, and Irene Gonzalez, a freshman from Oklahoma City, was also recognized as defensive

“Getting the award is obvi ously a great achievement,” said Hill.

“I was happy, I worked hard on our away trip, so I was happy other people saw that too, our conference is very competitive so for anyone on the team to get it is an amazing achievement. It wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of all 25 girls on our team.”

“When I first heard about the award, I had no idea what it was,” said Gonzalez.

“I honestly thought the team was messing with me. Now

receiving it twice, it’s the best feeling ever. As goalkeepers, we don’t get much recognition. I was and am still smiling with absolute joy.”

In giving credit to her team mates, Hill demonstrated the tight-knit nature of the team.

Hill also gave an insight into her training philosophy and what she believes propelled her to receive this award.

“I like to train the way I play, and I take soccer very seriously. I think getting dropped from the starting lineup gave me the

OCU Athletics

Coach Frezer Legesse stands with members of the Stars men’s and women’s cross country teams at the Missouri Southern Stampede.

Elizabeth Heffernan SPORTS EDITOR

GOLF

Elizabeth Heffernan

Elizabeth Heffernan

Gonzalez

Hill

Walker

The OCU Cross Country teams are now more than halfway through their fall meet season.

Earlier this fall, we had a few questions to ask Head Coach Frezer Legesse about the season and the team.

OCU Athletics

The OCU women’s golf team concluded its fall season with three wins in four events, including Tuesday’s top finish at the Central Oklahoma Grace Shin Invitational on Tuesday at the Golf Club of Edmond. Now ranked No. 1 in the NAIA according to the Women’s Golf Coaches Association, the team includes, above, Makayla Tyrell, Paige Wood, Carrie Bowers, Maddi Thomas and Logan Allen (front), and Natalie Gough, Meghan Charles, Blaine Bruton, Jamie Welsh, Morgan Palermo and Aubrey House.