Sept. 12 by MediaOCU

THE“CAMPUS

September 12, 2018 – Volume 112 Issue 3

Campus police identify suspect in attempted abductions Emily Wollenberg

When we saw him on campus, things just started to fall in line.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Campus police identified a suspect in an attempted abduction case that occurred last semester. A man approached two female students outside Oklahoma Methodist Hall and inside Cokesbury Court Apartments on March 6. He offered a ride to the first student, who declined, and attempted to grab the second student, who screamed and ran away. OCU Police Chief Jennifer Rodgers said campus police identified the non-student suspect in August because he was placed on a watchlist on other campuses. “Speaking with the other campus officers and talking about car descriptions, things started to fall in line,” Rodgers said. “When we saw him on campus, things just started to fall in line.” But, because the victims were international students and have since returned to their home countries, there is no longer anyone available to identify the suspect as the perpetrator, officials said. Rodgers said campus police have given the suspect the notice to stay off university property, but no official charges can be submitted. “We know who it is, we know a car, and, of course, this is just a suspect, this is just our best guess of who did this,” she said. “But, without a witness, we are not completely sure.” Rodgers said, unless the witnesses return to the United States, campus police cannot make any arrests or take additional action. Destiny Carrington, psychology junior, said that, when the attempted abduction occurred last semester, campus police set out informational cards reminding students of the “Never Walk Alone” program. “They made sure they put it in the library because that’s where the girl was walking from,” Carrington said. “I think, in all, they’re

Jennifer Rodgers police chief

making the steps that need to be made to make it more safe for us.” The “Never Walk Alone” program allows students to be escorted on campus by campus police officers if they ever feel unsafe. The officers will escort students by vehicle or on foot. Campus police also dealt with a suspicious persons case Aug. 24 when two dance students reported unfamiliar people on campus trying to talk to them. Maureen Austin, dance sophomore, said she was leaving auditions in Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment and walking to United Methodist Hall when she was approached by a woman with children. The woman asked her about her religious beliefs and if she could pray for Austin. Austin said, because she is religious, she felt comfortable talking to the woman. But, when she tried to leave, the woman followed her. “She kept trying to ask me questions about where I came from, what brought me here, why I am dancing, my religious background, and just everything,” Austin said. While the woman was talking to her, a policeman approached her with another student who had informed the officer. The police-

man also approached two other men who were with the woman. Austin said the officer questioned her about the situation. “I think campus police do a good job of not only handling situations, but also following through,” she said. Rodgers said the officers determined that the suspicious persons were a religious group passing out materials. After the officers investigated, the group was asked to leave campus. Because the university is private property, no outside entities or groups are allowed on campus without a permit, she said. “They had said that they had a permit to do it. I said ‘no, this is a private university, you are on private property, you are not a student, so you need to leave,’” she said. “They’ve all been identified, so if they come back, they’ll be arrested for trespassing.” To stay safe on campus, Rodgers said students should always lock their room and car doors. She also advised students to pay attention to their surroundings when walking around campus. “If they would keep their head up and pay attention to what is around them, it would discourage someone from coming up to them with some kind of intent to commit a crime,” she said. Students also can download the Guardian app, a new initiative of the police force, Rodgers said. They can find the app by searching “Rave Guardian” in the app store. The app allows students to quickly call the police if necessary, alert the police of their location and give anonymous tips about suspicious persons. The app icon is of a blue shield, and it is available for iOS and Android. Students can call campus police at the non-emergency number 405-208-5001 or the emergency number 405-208-5911.

Orange is the New Black author to visit campus as distinguished speaker Amanda Miller

STAFF WRITER

A best-selling author is scheduled to visit campus this month as part of the Martha Jean Lemon Distinguished Speaker Series. Piper Kerman, author of the memoir Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison, will have two lectures on campus. The same memoir also was adapted into a Netflix series, running six seasons. This is the second lecture taking place on campus since the Distinguished Speaker Series was brought back last year. The series returned thanks to a donation from the Lemon family. The first lecture was technology writer Clive Thompson. Kerman will be featured in a mid-afternoon discussion, moderated by Dr. Tracy Floreani, professor of English and the director of the Center for Interpersonal Studies through Film and Literature. Waltman TheNicole discussion will be at 1 p.m. Sept. 25 in Room 100 in Sarkeys EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Science and Math Center. The afternoon session is open to students only on a first-come, first-served basis.

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Since writing her memoir, Kerman gives lectures in classrooms and bookstores. She also works with a variety of organizations, according to her website, piperkerman.com. “Piper collaborates with nonprofits, philanthropies, and other organizations working in the public interest and serves on the board of directors of the Women’s Prison Association and the advisory boards of the PEN America Writing For Justice Fellowship, InsideOUT Writers, Healing Broken Circles and JustLeadershipUSA,” her website reads. There also will be an evening lecture that’s open to the campus community, as well as Oklahoma City. The evening lecture will focus mostly on issues of women’s incarceration and prison reform, Floreani said. The student session in the afternoon will cover many of the same themes, she said. “The characters in her story and her own experience tell us something about the world we’re living in,” Floreani said. She encouraged students not to spend too much time focusing on differences between the book and the show. “What matters is whether the adaptation does justice to what the

book wants, the cultural work the book wants. That’s what I’m hoping the conversation will focus on at the student session,” Floreani said. Natalia Botello, music junior, said she has watched the Netflix series. “I honestly did not know there was a book,” Botello said. But she said she enjoys watching the show because all of the characters are different. “They all ended up in that space. They all have different stories,” Botello said. The evening lecture will be at 7 p.m. in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center. Admission is free, but requires a ticket through the Eventbrite page at okcu.edu/piper.

Officials raise university fees to keep up with rising costs Chandler White

COPY EDITOR

Students are paying more to attend OCU this academic year. Though the tuition rate is the same, university officials increased a per credit hour fee. The fee increased $300 for students taking 30 credit hours per academic year. Kevin Windholz, vice president for enrollment management and university communications, said the increase was to keep up with rising costs in things like

utilities and other services for students. “ The cost to maintain OCU naturally goes up, so, because of that, OCU has to have slightly more revenue to keep up with the rising costs,” Windholz said. “The reason we did the fee and the $300 a year was because it was a way for us to meet the need to keep up with the rising costs but still serve the students. The costs aren’t about us, they’re about the students.” While the university fee has increased, the tuition rate itself has not changed since 2014, Windholz said.

We didn’t want people to be paying thousands more a year than what they paid last year.

Kevin Windholz enrollment management vice president

“Three hundred dollars was a low impact compared to what it would have been like to raise tuition because we didn’t want people to be paying thousands more a year than what they paid last year,”

he said. Catherine Maninger, chief financial officer, said increases in costs to the university were inevitable, so university officials tried to minimize how much it would affect the

students. “The primary goal, really, is for the university to be able to offer an education that’s affordable and certainly has a return on investment,” Maninger said. “We’re not a public university, so we have to have tuition and fees, but I know that we’ve been trying to keep it down.” Students who were interviewed said they were not made aware of the change. Carlos Sanchez, English junior, said scholarships like the Clara Luper Scholarship and the Pell Grant he receives are the only reasons he can

attend OCU at its current rate. “Without a scholarship, I wouldn’t be able to go here,” Sanchez said. “Not in a million years.” Windholz said any more changes in fees or tuition will be decided by the budget committee and board of trustees by early November.

SAC announces Homecoming theme, partners with child cancer foundation Emily Wollenberg

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The new Homecoming theme encourages creative storytelling. Student Activities Council officials announced this year’s Homecoming theme last week. Homecoming will be Oct. 26 through Nov. 3. The theme is “Once Upon a Star,” which allows students to tell a story through fairy tales and fantasy. The committee decided on

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“Once Upon a Star” to let organizations be creative and go in their own direction. Madelynn Buckmann, dance senior and president of SAC, said the committee gets together during the summer to brainstorm ideas for a theme. “There’s so many stories that can be told with it, because you can go with fairy tale, with a faroff world, you can go with a mystery,” Buckmann said. “There’s so many things that can be done with it, and that was kind of the goal. Not everyone is doing

the same storyline, so hopefully more stories will appear.” Joshua Lewis, vocal education senior and Homecoming commissioner, said the committee picked a theme that reflects the campus community. “We decided on ‘Once Upon a Star’ just because it creates that journey that each of us go through, when you arrive on campus and you see everything that’s bright, everything that’s new,” Lewis said. “It’s all about that. ‘Once upon a time, I was at OCU, and then I became a

star.’” Homecoming events include lip sync, banner, float, window, and OCU Cares, a volunteer service day. Lewis said SAC has created a new partnership this year with the OK Kids Korral for Homecoming. The organization provides resources and lodging for Oklahoma children with cancer. “We’ll be sending out students to help with cleaning the facility and to help with the kids,” Lewis said. “We will continue as a university to partner

with them, and we’re going to do a big dance marathon in the spring.” A group of the children will attend the Homecoming events, and they will help judge events like lip sync, Lewis said. “We’re so excited to bring them into Homecoming week. I mean, they’re going to be at lip sync, they’re going to be giving out the awards, they’re going to be doing everything, so we’re just glad that they’ll be here and they’ll be able to experience that with us,” he said.

Katelyn Jassoy, vocal performance/music theater senior, said she wants to see more creative themes in the future, but is looking forward to see what organizations put together for the events. “I think that it’s unoriginal, because it’s like a bad prom theme, but exciting because I love Disney,” Jassoy said. Contributing: Photo Editor Elina Moon

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opinion Editors encourage students to stay safe, use resources Campus safety is a concern for students who have found their home at OCU. Twentythird Street has seen renovations and rehabilitation in the past few years, but there are always reasons to take precautions when living in the center of a city. Campus police have dealt with many safety issues, including an attempted abduction last semester and suspicious persons being on campus. See Page 1 for more on the attempted abduction. But students should always be aware of practices they can implement to help keep themselves safe and reach out to campus police if they need additional information. Many people may not realize that Oklahoma City has one of the highest crime rates in America, according to neighborhoodscout.com, a data collecting site for safety statistics. The website compared Oklahoma City to all cities in the U.S. and ranked it seven out of 100 for the crime index,

with 100 being the safest. The chances of someone living in Oklahoma City to be victim of a violent or property crime is one in 21, according to the website. Students on campus may feel they’re invincible because the bubble of OCU can feel safe and protected. Although university property is private, strangers often wander onto campus. Students should be aware of their surroundings and should educate themselves about the medical amnesty policy, which encourages students to seek medical attention in emergency situations without fear of disciplinary action. OCU Police Chief Jennifer Rodgers said students also should utilize the “Never Walk Alone” program, which allows students to receive a police escort anywhere on campus 24/7. “Please call us,” Rodgers said. “Don’t think you’re bothering us because this is part of our job, to protect the students.” Students should try to walk

Talk Back “Who would you like to visit campus next for the Martha Jean Lemon Distinguished Speaker Series?”

in groups with other students, especially at night, and stay in well-lit areas on campus. If you are going somewhere off campus by yourself, inform a friend of your plans so there is always someone aware if a safety concern arises. Students also can download the Rave Guardian app, which provides immediate contact with campus police in an emergency situation and shares the student’s location with police. Campus police work to make OCU a safe place, but students should always stay aware of the safety concerns of living in the city. Be knowledgeable and smart about safety practices you can apply to your own life to create a safer community on campus. Students can call campus police at the non-emergency number 405-208-5001 or the emergency number 405-208-5911.

"Rami Malek"

Madelyn Parker English/Spanish senior

"It would be really cool to bring in a filmmaker or photographer, like Paul Taggart." Ashley Kinard film graduate

"Michelle Obama"

"Mike Smith"

Meredith England acting freshman

Rachel Eckert elementary education freshman

"Indie filmmaker Jim Cummings"

Kyla Bruegel studio art senior

"Tom Hanks"

Johnny Richards film senior

Parking pass regulation system confusing, unfairly enforced The student body was told in an email that police would start ticketing cars parked without a parking permit or parked in incorrect areas after the Labor Day holiday. Most students took time out of their busy schedules to go to financial aid and fill out a form with many unnecessary questions, including home address and emergency contact, for a $150 permit. The process of obtaining a parking pass seems overly complicated. I had to arrive at the financial aid office, wait in line, be directed to the computers hiding in a closet, fill out the excessive

form, wait in line again, and then wait for the information to be received by financial aid. It took me half an hour to get my permit. All of the waiting seemed unnecessary. I should be able to receive the permit that I want within 10 minutes. Once I received my permit, I remained confused. Campus parking lots are not clearly marked. Identifying the lots I’m able to park in is especially difficult at night. It is easier to park closer to buildings where rehearsals are happening, but most of the lots close to these buildings are not labeled. Oklahoma City has a reputation for high crime activity.

Harrison Langford is an acting senior from Las Vegas who loves golden retrievers and the New York Giants.

Abductions and burglaries have occurred on campus. When rehearsals or practices end late, it is easier to drive home rather than wait for an escort, but I’m afraid to park closer to my buildings for fear of getting a ticket. Campus police have been through some vast changes in

the last year and a half, including a new police chief. The new chief, Alumna Jennifer Rodgers, is into her second semester at OCU. She has done a fine job being transparent with changes, including increasing the frequency of patrols, and has been kind to most all students who have

had the privilege of interacting with her. That being said, the parking tickets already started. I already received a ticket. I am frustrated with the lack of labeled parking lots around campus, making it hard for me to determine where I can or cannot park. The cost of parking tickets is high, anywhere from $100 to $200. The absence of warnings makes tickets and their cost feel like harassment to me. The entire frenzy and stigma that comes behind parking permits and ticketing just seems unfair. Students can fill out a petition that explains

why they were wrongfully ticketed. The petition hasn't seemed to work in my favor in the past. I have attempted two petitions, both unsuccessful. Change is needed when obtaining permits and ticketing students. OCU needs to have clear signage on every parking lot. If your permit matches the color of the sign, it’s okay to park there. Campus police need to give students more chances. The student probably isn’t trying to break the law and get away with it. They are just confused about where they are able to park.

Live action movie brings ‘Winnie-the-Pooh,’ friends to life Confession: I never watched Winnie-the-Pooh as a child. It’s sad, I know. But my girlfriend did, and that’s how I ended up seeing Christopher Robin. Christopher Robin picks up where the original Winnie-thePooh stories presumably left off, with the title character himself having left the Hundred Acre Wood, grown into an adult and started his own family while working for a demanding, soulsucking luggage company. Meanwhile in Hundred Acre Wood, “Pooh,” played by Jim Cummings, who has voiced Pooh since 1988, looks mournfully for his vanished friends. Wandering into the door through which Robin

used to come, he stumbles into Robin’s home of 20th-century London, and the two reunite. As Winnie-the-Pooh fans would expect, the stakes of the movie are reasonably low. Robin’s briefcase of “important things” controls most of the plot, being the vessel for all of his business spreadsheets and stagnant adulthood, and the characters bumble their way around London and Hundred Acre Wood in a relaxed story. There are no dark, gritty, CGI Heffalumps and Woozles soaring around the screen with Michael Bay explosions—good to see Disney is slowly kicking their addiction. Instead, as with all Winnie-

Chandler White is an English senior from Meeker, Oklahoma. He likes gothic horror and good hip-hop.

the-Pooh stories, the concepts and themes in the story are mature and surprisingly subtle. Keeping with the Pooh spirit, Christopher Robin is arguably a movie whose conflict exists solely in the title character’s head. The whole story is a battle between his outward maturity and inner childhood as his past returns to him, a universal story for anyone who has suffered the

anxiety of adulthood. This is thematically and visually conveyed with blissful cinematography, contrasting incredibly realistic displays with the whimsically animated characters, maturity and youth side-by-side. Even the color of each shot is either more or less vivid, depending on which side of himself Robin is on at the time. The dialogue also contains

these frequent thematic glimpses, as Pooh’s trademark style of simple-worded, simple-minded aphorisms give even more depth to Robin’s arc, equal parts thought-provoking and childlike. The dialogue between other characters is as humorous as one would expect from the familiar faces, “Piglet,” “Eeyore” and, also voiced by Cummings, “Tigger.” The movie admittedly loses its heart as it goes on. The portions of the film where Pooh and his friends are wandering around London feel much thinner than the rest of the movie and lead to an ending that is perhaps a pinch longer and cheesier than is necessary.

Ewan McGregor plays Robin well, but his shifts from childlike to mature can feel almost bipolar when too rushed or underdeveloped. Other characters’ reactions to seeing stuffed animals move, talk and live are definitely not the most realistic, but, come on, if you’re watching a Winnie-thePooh movie, realism is not at the top of your priorities. The live action landscape and adult characters may turn some off, but, ultimately, I was impressed with Christopher Robin. If someone like me—who never grew up on the original stories and never felt compelled to try it—liked it, then you probably will, too.

OCU Chamber Choir and University Singers concert at 8 p.m. at the OKC Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave.

Advising Session from 5-6 p.m. in Ann Lacy Admissions and Visitor 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 Women’s soccer vs. Oklahoma Wesleyan at 5 p.m. at Stars Field Kappa Sigma Military Heroes Week at Classen Coffee, 2515 N. Classen Blvd. THURSDAY Staff Council meeting from 10-11 a.m. in Dulaney-Browne

Library

p.m. in the Honors Lounge in Gold Star Memorial Building

Weekly chapel service from 1-2 p.m. in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel Kappa Sigma selling Military Heroes Week goodies 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside the caf

FRIDAY Discussion Series with Phi Kappa Phi and the Honors Program from 12-12:50 p.m. in the Honors Lounge in Gold Star Memorial Building

Weekly Play Club meeting at 7

Tokach 24-Hour Play Festival at

8 p.m. in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center SATURDAY Alpha Psi Omega Big/Little reveal at 9 a.m. on the quad Alpha Phi Red Dress Gala at 6 p.m. at Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club, 7000 N.W. Grand Blvd.

THE CAMPUS

MONDAY Final day to drop classes without a professor signature TUESDAY Doctor of Psychology Program

Women’s Volleyball vs. USAO at 7:30 p.m. at Ann Lacy Stadium Energy Speaker Series presented by Jack Balagia from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Meinders School of Business

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.

September 12, 2018, Volume 112, Issue 3

The Student Publications staff welcomes unsolicited material and letters to the editor. All letters must be signed and include the writer’s phone

Editor-in-chief: Nicole Waltman Associate Editor: Emily Wollenberg Copy Editor: Chandler White Photo Editor: Elina Moon Community Manager: Harrison Langford

Staff Writers: Callie Dewees, Mallory Scheidel, Erik Hamilton, Madison Caputo, Paul Dower, Amanda Miller, Dru Norton Columnist: Caroline Hawthorne Photographers: Carolann Stout, Hannah Rogers

Videographer: Emily Haan Ad Director: Emily Jones Faculty Adviser: Kenna Griffin

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.

September 12, 2018

news

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Elina Moon Student Publications

Setting goals Senior Midfielder Petar Djurdjevic steals the ball at the men’s soccer game against Our Lady of the Lake on Sept. 1 at Stars Field. The Stars lost, 3-1. The next men’s home soccer game is 7 p.m. Sept. 25 against USAO. Junior Defender Hailey Terrell kicks the ball during the women’s soccer game Sept. 1 at Stars Field. The Stars lost the game, 2-5. The next women’s home soccer game is at 5 p.m. today at Stars Field.

Christian fraternity active again on campus Lenora LaVictoire

STAFF WRITER

Delta Alpha Chi, a Christian men’s fraternity, is returning to campus after a hiatus. The fraternity left in 2016 after a loss of leadership, said Dr. Charles Neff, vice president for university-church relations and adviser of the club. Ryan Cabe Killingsworth, DAX vice president and biology/Spanish sophomore, said the fraternity will bring something to students the campus lacks. “We don’t really have a men’s small group on campus. There’s not really a specific organization or anything that guys can really go to talk about their faith and stuff,” Killingsworth said. Killingsworth said fellow-

ship has been an influential part of his life and is a major motivator for getting the club off the ground. “Back at home, I have this amazing group of guys that I grew up with at church, and just going through middle school and high school, we were in a small group,” he said. Killingsworth said the group got so close they would hang out outside of church functions. “Just having those relationships really helped me get through certain things in my life,” he said. Killingsworth said he is looking for prospective brothers who want to be more involved with their faith on campus. “We’re just looking for some guys who are wanting to dig deeper in their faith and who are wanting to have this strong group of guys who’s coming

That's what DAX is built upon–the unification of brothers who want to explore faith.

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together each week,” he said. Greek fraternity members are welcome to join the nonGreek affiliated fraternity, said Austin Jones, music theater sophomore and DAX president. “That way, if people wanted the option to, they could join both a Greek fraternity and a Christian fraternity, in order to have kind of that balance in their life,” he said. Jones identifies as a nondenominational Christian, but he

Austin Jones

president Delta Alpha Chi

said his family life rooted him in the church early on. He said his father is a pastor of a Pentecostal Holiness Church. “I grew up in a very religious household, and my dad always encouraged me to believe in my faith and be open about my faith,” he said. Jones said his dad has always been open-minded, and this informed his faith. “Usually, people of faith are very judgmental—my dad is

not. Love is the center of my faith. If you don’t have love, you can’t approach people rightfully with faith. I just think that’s very important to remember that, you know, even though sometimes people don’t agree with you, people are never going to understand you, you still have to love that person regardless,” he said. Jones said the cornerstones of his faith—love, understanding and acceptance—will be the DAX foundation. “That’s what DAX is also built upon—the unification of brothers who want to explore faith,” he said. The Rev. Elizabeth HortonWare, student religious life director, said she looks forward to the organization’s return to campus and its potential impact. “ Tr y i n g t o h e l p m o re

people find a spiritual home on campus is the main goal,” she said. Horton-Ware said giving men on campus a place to become leaders through their faith is a unique asset DAX offers. “I think it’ll be a great addition. You know, each of the organizations on campus is what students make it, so having the option to come at that from a faithful direction is just one more option to offer on this campus,” she said. Jones said students should watch for flyers on campus, social media and in their email for more information about the first DAX meet and greet.

Proposed religious accommodation policy tested in syllabuses Chandler White

COPY EDITOR

Faculty members are testing a syllabus section that assists students with special religious needs. A “religious accommodation” section is in the syllabuses this semester for some courses across the university. The section reads that students should discuss with their instructor any forms of religious observance that may affect their participation in the course, such as specific prayer times, holidays, dress, or fasting at the beginning of the semester. It also reads that students must give their instructor written notice of holiday-related absences two weeks ahead of time.

Dr. Charles Neff, vice president for university-church relations, said, in the past, these kinds of issues were handled one-on-one between deans and faculty. The section, he said, is meant to encourage those conversations to happen earlier. “What the policy proposal is intended to do is to promote a window in which those conversations happen at the beginning of the semester,” Neff said. The section is not a required policy yet, Neff said, but members of the Interfaith Advisory Council are attempting to make it one. In the Fall 2017 semester, the council proposed the section in response to student claims of not being able to take religious holidays off due to schoolwork. In the Spring 2018 semester, the section was sent out to the

My experience with OCU is that this is an accepting place of people of all faiths and traditions.

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deans of each school to suggest that faculty include it in course syllabuses and test if it was effective. Neff said professors in Petree College of Arts & Sciences included it, as well as all those in Kramer School of Nursing and Wimberly School of Religion. Many professors kept the change in their syllabuses this semester.

Dr. Charles Neff

vice president university-church relations

“My experience with OCU is that this is an accepting place of people of all faiths and traditions, and there’s high faculty/ staff acceptance as well as student acceptance, and this really just kind of crystallizes what we believe in as a university,” Neff said. “It helps to formulate our position in a way that makes it clear to all students, faculty

and staff that we value religious accommodation, and we value all religious traditions within the scope of the university.” Neff said, because the feedback from the spring semester was all positive, the council decided in late April to push the process of making the section a policy more earnestly this semester. The section also is intended to be open-ended, Neff said. The section reads: “the instructor, at his/her own discretion, will make reasonable accommodations wherever possible.” “In certain cases, accommodation may not be possible because of the nature of the performance or because of the team schedule, but all indications are that our faculty and staff try to be as accommodating

as possible within the bounds of their class, performance or sporting event,” Neff said. Lisi Levy, acting sophomore, said the section makes her feel more respected as a Jewish student. “I feel like I am not letting my schoolwork down as much because it’s in the syllabus,” Levy said. “I think there’s just a bit more of a higher standard of respect for what I practice.” Neff said there will likely be an Interfaith Advisory Council meeting this month to refine the final proposal and submit it to the university policy committee for approval.

Cross country teams earn top rankings in NAIA preseason poll Dru Norton

STAFF WRITER

The men’s and women’s cross country teams top the charts in the NAIA preseason top 25 poll. The men’s cross country team is No. 1, and the women’s team is ranked seventh. The poll was voted on by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences. It is the first time since 2015 that the men’s cross country team has been ranked No. 1. “It shows that we’ve earned some respect,” said Matt Aguero, head coach of track and field and cross country. Aguero has coached 19 individual national champions, 86 allAmericans and 165 national meet qualifiers. He joined OCU’s program two years ago. “We’re training hard,” said Junior Max McNeill, NAIA track and field all-American. “We meet six days a week for practice, so I’m running about 90 miles a week.” September 12, 2018

The team feels like a family. Running together is almost like therapy.

Tyler Berge

senior runner

OCU has many returning members from the previous season. Along with McNeill, Senior Mark Shaw, Juniors Isaac Roldan and Oscar Kipkoros, Sophomore Kyle McKinley, and Graduate Oaklin Davis have returned this year to compete for the national title. On the women’s team, Juniors Sheridan Hoyer and Alexas Vargas, and Seniors Tyler Berge, Lydia Mato, Anna Palacios, and Kassidy

Williams have returned after placing third as a team last year at the NAIA Women’s Cross Country National Championship. “We lost some key players, but I think we are still going to be a strong team,” Berge said. “We just aim to make each race better than the last.” Berge has been to the NAIA Nationals three times. As a senior, this year will be her last time to compete. “The team feels like a family. Running together is almost like therapy,” Berge said. “I’ve run with these girls for almost three years, and it’s crazy how much time has passed.” The national championship will be Nov. 16 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “We strive to get on the podium, so that’s top four, and both the men and women were third last year,” Aguero said. “I think we have a good shot on both sides to do that this year.”

news Feminist art exhibit showcased at Norick Art Center Caroline Hawthorne

STAFF WRITER

The Norick Art Center has a new exhibit showcasing feminist art. The exhibit, Take a Seat, was curated by Jarica Walsh, an Oklahoma artist, and Trina Kopacka and Cayla Lewis, arts management professionals. Heather Lunsford, director of the school of visual arts, said the exhibit was inspired by feminist movements through the years. “They were inspired by women running for office,” Lunsford said. “I think the #MeToo movement had something to do with that.” Walsh said she found inspiration from women in her life. “I was also inspired by women that I know who are running for Senate and representatives,” Walsh said. The title of the exhibit is based on a quote from the late Frances Perkins, a former United States secretary of labor. The quote reads: “The door might not be opened to a woman again for a long, long time, and I had a kind of duty to other women to walk in and sit down on the chair that was offered, and so establish the right of others long hence and far distant in geography to sit in the high seats.” Walsh also has a political piece in the exhibit inspired by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass).

Elina Moon Student Publications

All She Needs is Her Turqouise Earrings and Red Lipstick is one of the pieces of art at the Take a Seat exhibit. The exhibit features artwork from more than 10 female artists. It is open until Oct. 3 in Norick Art Center.

ing pieces. In addition to Walsh, other featured artists from across the country are Christine Aria, Marilyn Artus, Alexis Austin, Latasha Dunston, Nicole Emmons-Willis, Raven Halfmoon, Holy Mother Collective, Angie LaPaglia, Janice Mathews-Gordon, Katie Pendley, Marissa Raglin, Shelby Rowe, and Katy Seals. Walsh said she hopes to inspire conversations about women in power and encourage women to get involved in politics. “My hope is to draw attention for women in office and to open up the conversation of whether we’re being represented,” Walsh said. “Women should be a part of the political conversation, and this exhibit gives people things to think about.” Students have expressed interest in and support for the exhibit. Mandy Sigale, theater performance/music junior, said she loves the idea. “I love when women get together to talk about feminism and to bring an artistic eye into a debate about how society should be,” Sigale said. The free exhibit is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 3 in Nona Jean Hulsey Gallery in Norick Art Center. An opening reception will be hosted at 6 p.m. Friday in the same location.

“I have a collage of her,” Walsh said. “It is compiled of security envelopes I received in the mail, and it questions what makes us feel safe.” Artists were either commissioned or asked for already exist-

Student opera performance group returns after three years Mallory Scheidel

STAFF WRITER

A student-run opera performance company has returned to OCU. OPERAtions is a student opera company that was reintroduced this semester for the first time since 2015. The company is run by artistic directors Chelsea Mondesir and Solveig Neseth, opera performance graduates. Hallie Schmidt, vocal performance junior, works alongside the two as production manager. “This will be my last semester with OPERAtions,” Mondesir said. “We wanted Hallie Schmidt to be on the team so that when Solveig and I leave, we have someone else to keep it going.” Mondesir said the former OPERAtions ended in 2015 because no one stepped up to run it. “I’m sure that we’ll have some people that we’ve cast this semester that will start helping with the management side of things for next semester,” Mondesir said. “We’ve brought it back, and we want

to make sure that it doesn’t fall off the grid again.” Neseth and Mondesir said they had the idea to restart OPERAtions independently of each other. They decided to work together after separately pitching the idea to Dr. David Herendeen, director of opera and musical theater. “We both made another meeting with Dr. Herendeen together, which I think really worked out better anyway because it ended up being a lot of work for just one person,” Mondesir said. Herendeen approved the project. “The first auditions were really great,” Neseth said. “We had a lot of interest. Way more than we thought. Three times the applications we were expecting.” For their auditions, Neseth, Mondesir and Schmidt sat in on the opera auditions for the Wanda L. Bass School of Music and allowed students the option of auditioning for OPERAtions as well. “Out of 150 people who auditioned, we had just over 100 people interested in us,” Neseth said. Anyone who auditions for

Student Publications a�chives Students perform Sous le Dome Épais during a performance of My Happy Place

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on Feb. 5, 2015 in the Medium Rehearsal in Wanda L. Bass Music Center. It was the last OPERAtions performance before the group’s return this fall.

the opera can audition for OPERAtions. OPERAtions’s first production will be an about 10-minute opera called A Hand of Bridge by Samuel Barber. Rehearsals started Sept. 6. The cast is four people. “It’s the shortest one-act that is frequently performed,” Neseth said. “We didn’t have to cut it down at all. We’re doing the whole thing.” They also will perform some scenes from the opera separately. “In pre-show, there are 20

other kids, so they will be doing ensembles and famous numbers of the opera genre,” Mondesir said. “Crowd pleasers. The greatest hits.” Both performances are taking place alongside OCU Stripped’s production of The Spitfire Grill. Stripped is a student-run musical theater troupe. “We’re going to have the short, one-act opera in the intermission of Stripped, and then we’re going to do opera scenes before Stripped starts,”

Mondesir said. Mondesir said the scenes will start about 30 minutes before the Stripped production and take place in the Hall of Queens in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. The one-act opera will be performed in the hallway by Petree Recital Hall. “They’re doing a lot of things in the theater school right now, so it was really hard to find a weekend to perform, but Stripped was awesome enough to collaborate with us,” Neseth said. Mondesir said it will be a bit of a free-for-all for space, so the exact locations of performances in Wanda L. Bass Music Center are not set in stone. “We’re sort of piggy backing off of Stripped because they have such a big audience,” Mondesir said. “There’s a lot of people that come to Stripped, and they don’t really know about OPERAtions, so we want put that out there so they’re aware of it.” Mondesir said OPERAtions will have their own time and space next semester. “We’re really excited for that,” Neseth said. “We’re going to be in the Medium Rehearsal Hall.”

Lyndsey Boyer, music theater graduate, said she is supportive of the group starting up again. “I think it’s a great opportunity for students to get more opera exposure and experience, and the new leaders,” Boyer said. “Solveig and Chelsea are open to giving new students a chance.” Mondesir and Neseth said they hope to create a fun, community-based organization that will benefit the student body. “We thought it was important to have OPERAtions because we have a lot of singers at this school and not enough performance opportunities, so we wanted to give everyone a chance to be cast in something,” Mondesir said. Schmidt said people who are interested in Stripped also will be interested in the group. “Opera is for everyone,” Schmidt said. “We have amazing singers and amazing music, so if you’re excited about Stripped, you’ll be excited about OPERAtions.”

First theater performance of season to highlight female performers Paul Dower

STAFF WRITER

The first theater performance of the fall season will be the Stage II production of Uncommon Women and Others by Wendy Wasserstein. Showtimes will be at 8 p.m. Oct. 4-6 and at 2 p.m. Oct. 7 in the Black Box Theater in Wanda L. Bass Music Center. Harrison Langford, acting senior, is directing the show. “This show is about the identity of women and how they are paving their way through a testosterone-dominated society,” Langford said. “It’s also about friendship, the stresses of college and honesty among friends.”

Langford said he chose the show due to the number of female roles and because it gives women more opportunities in the School of Theater. “It was my belief that the spark from the last few years shouldn’t die, and that mostly or all-female casts should still hold a place among School of Theater productions,” he said. Langford’s choice of the play also was influenced by his previous experience with the author’s work, he said. “I came across it after falling in love with Wendy Wasserstein’s work last year as I was searching many plays for monologues,” Langford said. “Uncommon Women came up as a recommended read on my iPad, and

I think we were very intrigued by the fact that a male director offered and was excited about directing a feminist play.

Courtney DiBello co-coordinator Stage II

I read it in hopes that I could submit it for Stage II.” One of Langford’s biggest challenges is being a male directing a feminist play, he said. “I’ve had to overcome criticism, harsh words and rumor spreading,” Langford said. “While these mental obstacles were hard to overcome, I kept

my goals in sight—to have fun, to better theater at OCU and to grow as an artist.” Courtney DiBello, assistant professor of stage management and co-coordinator of Stage II, said she was intrigued that the play was being offered by and to be directed by a male. “I think we were very

intrigued by the fact that a male director offered and was excited about directing a feminist play,” DiBello said. “I think with the #MeToo movement, it also felt very interesting and appropriate and of our time.” Adelaide Ross, acting senior, portrays “Holly” in the play. She said she enjoys being in an allfemale cast. “This is actually the fourth show in a row I’ve worked on with an all-female cast, and I definitely prefer it,” Ross said. “The energy is high, and we all relate to each other so strongly.” Ross said she also appreciates Langford’s attitude toward the cast. “Harrison is also very respectful and open to our ideas and

thoughts,” she said. “It’s a great space to be in.” Tickets will be $5 and can be purchased in advance. All tickets will be available through the ticket office in the Ann Lacy School of Dance and Entertainment. There are only 66 seats for each performance. Editor’s note: Harrison Langford is the community manager for Student Publications. He did not participate in the writing or editing of this story. Elina Moon is the photo editor for Student Publications and is involved in the production. She did not participate in the writing or editing of this story.

Dining officials celebrate caf grand reopening, plan new programs Jessica Vanek

STAFF WRITER

Students returned this semester to a newly-renovated caf. Caf officials celebrated the grand reopening in August. Chartwells is starting its second year as the primary food provider on campus. During the summer, the space was given new flooring, paint, light fixtures, furniture, and decorations. Televisions also were mounted on the walls to show calorie counts September 12, 2018

and menu items. Dining officials plan to introduce new programs for students. A farmer’s market will take place every second Wednesday of the month outside of the caf. There also will be occasional cooking classes hosted at the grill. The caf will continue to host Midnight Breakfast, an event for students to get breakfast from 10 p.m. to midnight during midterms and finals week. The caf also is expanding its outreach to students. Students can now download the Dine

Elina Moon Student Publications

The newly-renovated caf includes photographs on the walls and new lighting, flooring and furniture. It was renovated during the summer.

on Campus app where the caf will post its menu every week. Students can also download Rockbot, an app that allows them to request what music

plays in the caf during dining hours. Emily Anderson, director of dining services, oversaw the renovations and program

planning. “I think, now that we’re settled after our first year, that we really want to push it,” Anderson said. Willie Butler, weekend brunch chef at the grill, is entering his 13th year working on campus. “I think it’s a good change, and it was time for change anyway,” Butler said. “It makes you guys feel welcome. It makes it feel homey.” Butler has also been experimenting with a new coffee pancake with pecans, cinnamon, coffee extract, and caramel

sauce. Joey Derby, acting freshman, had his first brunch at the caf this past weekend. “Not only is the caf clean and very well-maintained, but it has a cool photo wall that represents the student body perfectly,” Derby said. “And Willie’s pancakes are delicious.” Students can follow caf promotions and events on the Twitter page @OCUdining.