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SNOW DAY! A perfectly wintry OU landscape.Over the past few years, there have been multiple construction projects across campus — such as South Foundation Hall (SFH), Varner Hall, O’Dowd Hall and a few others. Senior Engineer Ryan Giorio and Senior Building Infrastructure Engineer Jennifer Myers sat down with The Oakland Post to share updates on the state of campus construction projects.
Funding for SFH was approved in 2021 as a Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB) Capital Outlay project, meaning it was primarily a Michigan funded project. The initial budget was $40 million, with $30 million coming from the state and the rest from Oakland University.
Due to delays and market prices shifting, a budget increase of $4.2 million has been requested and will be voted on by the Board of Trustees (BOT) at the Feb. 7 board meeting. The additional $4.2 million will be funded from either state funding or university reserves.
SFH was originally slated to be open for occupancy in Dec. 2023, but due to numerous delays, the project will not be ready for classes until Fall 2024.
“Capital projects always have challenges. There are many processes and vetting that occurs to ensure a successful outcome of a project,” Giorio said. “Current challenges in the construction market are supply chain issues, higher pricing, labor and skill set shortage and delays of delivery of materials.”
The main goal of the SFH project is to increase classroom space. Initially, the space was set to increase from 49,645 to 91,100 square feet, but had to be reduced by 6,000. With that, the number of classrooms will increase from 37 to 47.
“The primary purpose of this project is to reimagine South Foundation Hall as a modern, general-purpose classroom building to serve freshman students and to serve the entire university,” Giorio said. “These learning environments will be right-sized for modern, flexible teaching and learning modes.”
Other new features will include open collaboration spaces, as well as classroom support services to assist in technology issues. Classrooms will receive an update of furniture, finishes and technology and network communication.
Varner Hall is getting major work done in the realm of infrastructure and accessibility. One of Myers’s projects is Varner, and she said it is currently on schedule to be complete for opening in the fall.
Of the infrastructure set to be renovated, some fixes will be to the HVAC and electrical systems, as well as to lighting. The building will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), with a new elevator being added and existing ones being updated.
Currently, the first floor is being worked on as floors two through five are finished — for the most part.
“What is odd is — four and five was complete, but then it was a temporary home to some folks on two and three. And so the folks in four and five just moved out of two and three,” Myers said. “And then we’re going to prepare four and five to do a final preparation to get the permanent occupants over there.”
In addition to general upgrades and renovations, Varner will receive some new spaces — which are also on schedule.
“Varner has two additions — at the recital hall to provide expanded backstage and support space, [and] the other is shop area, offices and storage,” Myers said. The board approved a budget of $45 million in 2020 with the source being the Series 2019 Bonds.
Oakland West Campus (OWC) opened earlier this school year and is currently housing many School of Music, Theatre and Dance (SMTD) students. This area was acquired last year for $8.1 million, and currently has provoked some concerns among students, such as those regarding travel and tardiness.
While there is not necessarily much to build, some building infrastructure upgrades are taking place, such as the fire alarm and fire suppression for the building. Another step is figuring out who will utilize the building once SMTD students leave.
“We’re still working on the programming for who, particularly, will be in the building, what areas they’ll occupy and what they’ll need,” Myers said.
Another off-campus site is the Innovation and Research Center for the School of Engineering and Computer Science, which was purchased for $3.7 million. As reported by David Stone, vice president for research, the faculty will begin moving in this semester.
“The goal is to have the faculty labs occupied by the end of February,” Giorio said. “Moving labs is always a disruptive process with teaching and ongoing research.”
A relatively large project set to begin later this spring is the O’Dowd hall renovations. This will focus on the first floor, adding 250 instructional seats and 62-87 informal learning seats.
In addition to classroom space, the entry space facing Pioneer Drive will be upgraded to provide access to the second floor and function as a community hangout space. One concern for some students is parking space, but Myers confirmed the renovations will not reduce any parking space availability in lot P16 or P18.
The project as a whole was approved by the board for $9.7 million last summer.
Another project which involves athletics is the upgrade of the baseball field located beside the Recreation Center. Renovations on the field are currently underway, with some additions already completed, including a drainage system and an upgrade to dugouts.
One last project to keep a look out for is the new Visitor Center for Meadow Brook Hall. The project, slated for $2.7 million, aims to begin construction this year, and will be headed by HopkinsBurns Design Studio.
The new center will have a new Welcome Gateway for guests, an Open-Air Plaza and Patio, a brand new Orientation Gallery highlighting moments in Meadow Brook history and more.
“A plan that will maintain the historic integrity of the estate buildings while creating modern and functional spaces — and redefine the visitor experience for everyone who walks through the gates,” the article on Meadow Brook’s website said in regards to the project.
PHOTO BY KATIE REID
An average of 36% of college students nationwide report struggling with food insecurity at some time in their postsecondary academic career, according to a recent study from the “Journal of College Student Development.”
To combat this, the Golden Grizzlies Pantry provides food, toiletries and community resources for no cost to current Oakland University students. In doing so, the pantry strives to ensure each OU student has a reliable place to receive a meal.
This past year, the Golden Grizzlies Pantry and Grizz Garments Closet moved to the Gender and Sexuality Center’s former location in the basement of the Oakland Center. This relocation has made it possible for the two resources to accommodate more items while operating from the same space.
“Before the move, the Golden Grizzlies Pantry and Grizz Garments Closet operated in completely separate buildings, which made it difficult for some students to access the resources,” Bella Levitt, the manager of the Golden Grizzlies Pantry and a master of social work student at OU, said. “Our current location is 3 to 4 times the storage space we had before. Since the pantry and closet are both in the same location, it is more accessible for students in need.”
The Golden Grizzlies Pantry is growing — not only in terms of space, but in staffing, charitable funding and volunteer efforts, as well. Currently, the pantry employs several student staff members, as well as an intern who is completing their field experience for OU’s bachelor’s of social work program.
Running the Golden Grizzlies Pantry requires great effort and community involvement. The pantry relies heavily on volunteers and student organization service efforts to keep the space well-maintained.
“We love to partner with OU student organizations to host food drives for the pantry,” Levitt said. “The pantry is a great opportunity for individuals or groups in need of service hours. We are always willing and able to accommodate students who’d like to donate their time.”
Currently, the Golden Grizzlies Pantry is in need of snacks and toiletries to stock their shelves. In particular, the pantry is seeking donations of individually wrapped snack foods, Ramen noodles, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper, paper towels and baking mixes.
“Right now, we have no Ramen noodles on our shelves, and are always looking for more individually packaged snacks to place on the graband-go cart in front of the pantry,” Levitt said.
In addition to the pantry, the Grizz Garments Closet is also in need of support. Previously only offering business casual clothes due to a lack of space and personnel, the closet has begun to offer casual clothing options as well.
The closet — which offers clothing to students in need at no cost — accepts donations from students and community members to keep its racks full. All gently used, clean clothing brought in on separate hangers are accepted.
Right now, the closet is in most need of business professional clothing for the upcoming Career Fair, as well as jeans, OU spiritwear, shoes and casual tops. With the cold winter weather, coats, gloves and hats are in high demand, as well.
To donate, students can drop items off at the Golden Grizzlies Pantry and Grizz Garments Closet during regular operating hours or schedule a contactless pick-up time.
Community members interested in hosting a food drive to further the goal of reducing food insecurity among the OU student body can email the pantry at oupantry@oakland.edu.
Those interested in volunteering can sign up for a volunteering shift online by accessing the pantry’s volunteer calendar.
PHOTO BY KATIE REIDWhen Oakland University junior Mena Hannakachl moved to the U.S., she recalls being misjudged as people assumed she was a naive, silent girl. Hannakachl receiving the Keeper of the Dream Award (KOD) solidifies that she is anything but.
Hannakachl was born in Baghdad, Iraq and moved to the United Arab Emirates to flee war at the age of four. She credits this time in her life for shaping who she is today.
“My interests and my work at [OU] actually stems from my immigrant experiences,” Hannakachl said.
Having lived in the Middle East for 12 years of her life, Hannakachl learned multiple languages, speaking Arabic, Chaldean and English fluently. She is motivated to advocate for linguistic justice as an embedded writing specialist in the OU Writing and Rhetoric department.
“I am involved in my role as an embedded writing specialist in the first year writing classes, which basically means that I am a writing TA in Writing 1020 and Writing 1050,” she said. “My mission is making sure that my students and other students at OU feel like they do belong, regardless of their background and where they come from.”
Tears were shed as Hannakachl opened the letter that revealed she would be a KOD recipient. She had felt the need to diminish herself before finally feeling
accepted for who she really is by the OU community.
“When I found out that I am one of the recipients, my first thought was — my OU community has recognized the same contributions I was told to put aside,” Hannakachl said. “I think that was really the pivotal moment — that I can be told in one space that my voice and my languages and my immigrant story is irrelevant, but at the same space, it can also be valued and validated.”
Hannakachl has had colleagues call her social justice work controversial and abstract. She now feels they will have to take her more seriously.
Hannakachl is living proof that other students like her will be validated and valued, as well.
“I think the best part about winning KOD, in my opinion, is I now have credibility,” she said. “I don’t need my colleagues that don’t necessarily support my advocacy work. I know that my OU community sees my impact, and I feel very validated by that.”
After graduation, Hannakachl plans on attending law school to become an attorney, and has already begun studying for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). She believes she’s been put on this planet to aid marginalized voices in the way the Writing and Rhetoric department has aided hers.
“[The Writing and Rhetoric department] believed in my authentic voice, and they lifted that voice,” Hannakachl said. “I feel like I can only do so much for lifting others’ voices, but I think my mission is for all of us to do the same thing to other people,
and kind of expand that as a community.”
This article is a part of a series of articles about the 2023 Keeper of the Dream Awards recipients.
On Jan. 24, 2023, the nominations for the 95th Academy Awards were revealed. Like every awards season, the announcement brought on a slew of excitement for nominees and controversy due to omissions.
The history of the Oscars frequently comes into question as people reflect on past awards seasons’ biggest wins and moments, anticipating memorable acceptance speeches and slaps.
Conversations are also generated where people predict who is going to take home a golden statuette. Whether they’re a fan favorite or the Academy’s golden child, below is a discussion of who I believe is going to win three of the biggest awards on Hollywood’s biggest night.
Best Actress
Nominees :
Ana de Armas — “Blonde”
Andrea Riseborough — “To Leslie”
Cate Blanchett — “Tár”
Michelle Williams — “The Fablemans”
Michelle Yeoh — “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Who should win : Michelle Yeoh
Who will win : Cate Blanchett
This year’s Best Actress nominees
emerge alongside a few upsets. Viola Davis was shut out for her role in “The Woman King,” and Danielle Deadwyler was snubbed after portraying Mamie Till-Mobley in “Till.” de Armas was nominated for her controversial role in the Marilyn Monroe “biopic” “Blonde,” and in a shocking twist, Riseborough was introduced to the playing field in pursuit of the Oscar.
The abundance of controversy surrounding the Best Actress category leaves Blanchett, Williams and Yeoh in the running. However, the two to keep an eye on are Blanchett and Yeoh.
Yeoh has been praised for her role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” and Blanchett has received Oscar buzz since “Tár” was released. All in all, it should be a tight race, as both have already picked up wins for their performances this awards season.
Best Actor
Nominees : Austin Butler — “Elvis”
Bill Nighy — “Living”
Brendan Fraser — “The Whale”
Colin Farrell — “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Paul Mescal — “Aftersun”
Who should win : Austin Butler or
Brendan Fraser
Who will win : Austin Butler or Brendan Fraser
The 2023 Best Actor nominees are all first-time Oscar nominees, a phenomenon that hasn’t occurred since the 7th Academy Awards 88 years ago. However, this year’s Best Actor category is historic in more ways than one.
The category is a close race between three actors — Butler, Fraser and Farrell. Each actor has won in their respective category during the awards season circuit.
Personally, I would be pleased to see either Butler or Fraser take the Best Actor crown. Butler absolutely embodies rock legend Elvis Presley in ”Elvis,” and Fraser gives a once-in-alifetime performance in “The Whale.”
Perhaps this year’s Best Actor category can be even more legendary by resulting in a tie — which hasn’t occurred since the 5th Academy Awards.
Best Picture
Nominees :
“All Quiet on the Western Front”
“Avatar: The Way of Water”
“Elvis”
“Everything Everywhere All at Once”
“Tár”
“The Banshees of Inisherin”
“The Fablemans”
“Top Gun: Maverick”
“Triangle of Sadness”
“Women Talking”
Who should win : “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Who will win : “The Fablemans”
The 2023 Best Picture nominee list is stacked, featuring fan-favorites like “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Top Gun: Maverick” among arthouse films like “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “Triangle of Sadness.” “Everything Everywhere All at Once” personifies both fan-favorite and arthouse, which makes it the film many are rooting for.
Featuring a slew of Asian actors, the film has dominated awards season, even winning Best Picture at the 2023 Critics’ Choice Awards. The only thing stopping “Everything Everywhere All at Once” from nabbing the big award of the night is Steven Spielberg.
“The Fablemans” is loosely based on the famed director and his origin story prior to making some of the most iconic films the world has come to know. “The Fablemans” is a love letter to his family, filmmaking and the movies, which is why it is a shooin to win.
The 2023 Oscars will air live Sunday, March 12 at 8 p.m. on ABC.
As the most watched event of the year, Americans tune in to the Super Bowl by the millions to see the two best National Football League (NFL) teams face off in the final game of the season to determine a league champion.
According to the NFL, approximately two thirds of the U.S. population watched the 2022 Super Bowl. Below, OU students detail their plans for the game and which part of the event excites them the most.
Spencer Kelly, Senior
“I’m ambivalent. I generally don’t have time to keep up with the preseason. So for me, the Super Bowl — I usually don’t go in expecting anything unless it’s the Lions, but when is that gonna happen?”
Ryan Gervais, Junior
“I do plan on watching the Super bowl. My favorite part is just the gameplay itself.”
Jake Popovski, Graduate Student
“I plan on watching the Super Bowl. I don’t care for the commercials — I actually watch the game.”
Conner Cole-Salen, Freshman
“I do [plan to watch]. I’m just excited to be able to hang out with my friends.”
Garrett Fetzer, Junior
“I don’t really make it a habit of watching the Super Bowl every year. If my family has plans then I’ll probably do something, but you can’t miss the halftime show. Even if you don’t watch the game live, you gotta look up the video afterwards and see what took place. That’s something you can’t really miss out on.”
Emma Bowen, Sophomore
“Yes, I plan on watching [the Super Bowl]. My favorite part is all the commercials.”
Jenetta Justes, Freshman
“I might watch it. I’m not a big enthusiast, but I may, and if I was going to say my favorite part, it would probably be the promotions and all the ads around it.”
Liam Ferrell, Junior
“Yes, I am excited — I am watching it. I’m
going to hope the Bengals win, so that’s what I’m excited for — to watch the Bengals win the Super Bowl.”
Jacob Holm, Sophomore
“I’m not really planning on anything right now, but if I got invited [to a Super Bowl party], I would go. I think it’s fun to watch with friends.”
Sydney Parpart, Junior
“Yes, I do plan on watching the Super Bowl. My favorite part is probably the commercials and the halftime show.”
Talina Black, Senior “No, and if I do, it’s for the commercials.”
Alyssa Stieber, Senior “I watch it kind of passively — only for the halftime show.”
Lauren Gamache, Senior “Yes. [The Super Bowl] always falls on my mom’s birthday, so we have a big family gathering and we just enjoy the football game together.”
Kamryn Humphrey, Freshman
“I do [plan on watching], but it’s only for the halftime show, because I’m not really a sports person. The halftime show is probably my most favorite part.”
Spencer Harris, Freshman
“The rest of my family watches it for the sports aspect, but I personally only watch it for the halftime show.”
It is evident that OU students are ready for the big game, set to take place on Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. on FOX. For more information, visit foxsports.com.
STORY BY ARIANNA HEYMAN | DESIGN BY MEGAN PARKER
“Wicked” is a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” that highlights the life of Elphaba–a green-skinned girl with undeniable talent. The show follows Elphaba through her adolescence as an underdog, giving an explanation to why she later becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.
On Friday, Jan. 27, it was announced that Alyssa Fox will be taking up the part of Elphaba Thropp in “Wicked” on Broadway this coming March, making her the very first Asian-American to be the principal actress for the role in nearly 20 years. Is this a classic case of tokenism or a genuine step in the right direction?
Tokenism is a practice of making a miniscule effort to increase the diversity within a workplace or piece of media usually for the sake of face. While diversity and inclusion is important, tokenism is usually not the best form of progress.
The role of Elphaba has been played on Broadway by a total of two other actors of color prior to Fox stepping up to the plate. To put things into perspective, once Fox takes the stage, only three out of 25 actresses who played Elphaba fulltime are people of color (POC). Even though the numbers seem telling, it’s hard to imagine a show like “Wicked” being a culprit of tokenism.
In my personal experience, being Asian in an anglo-centric art form is taxing and, in some ways, alienating. In the specific case of theater, the lack
of representation on stage in non-race-specific literature feels as though we’re not the ones allowed to tell the story, like our perspective is not of the consensus. Although it’s entirely possible for us to be the storytellers, it’s rare we ever are.
The disparity gets worse considering how Asian actors don’t exactly have a wide selection of racespecific literature to start. Things are especially marginalized in the world of musical theater.
“There aren’t that many Asian-centric shows: ‘South Pacific,’ ‘Miss Saigon,’ ‘King and I’. And that’s just the cast. You don’t ever see a composer who’s Asian or even a person of color—that was very hard to find back then. Even now Asian composers are rare,” Helen Park, composer and lyricist of “KPOP,” said in an interview with Vogue.
From what Park is saying, the issue of diversity on Broadway is not an issue of tokenism, but one that is deeply ingrained in western theatrical history. On stage diversity is a systemic issue.
Despite the odds, Park and Fox are among numerous successful Asian artists in and around Broadway. From the legendary Lea Salonga to “Dear Evan Hansen” former principal actor Zachary Noah Piser, Asians have been making names for themselves on the Great White Way for decades.
Luckily, in shows like “Wicked,” where the world is fantastical and imaginative, there is room for diverse casting choices. Over the course of its run, “Wicked” has featured numerous talented POC in every principal role. Most recently, Brittney Johnson is the very first POC to take up the role of Glinda–18 years into the show’s run.
Fox, the newest full-time Elphaba, first auditioned for the role 15 years ago. While she was not cast on Broadway, Fox understudied Elphaba for the San Francisco cast in 2010, was a standby for the role on national tour in 2012 and assumed the same position on Broadway in 2021. Now, Fox gets to relish in the fruits of her labor this spring.
It is clear that Fox is not just a token-POC in the Great White Way, but a well-accomplished actress who is more than deserving of the role she is undertaking.
Arts Reporter
Monday, Jan. 23 to Thursday, Jan. 26 marked one of my most highly anticipated weeks of the fashion calendar: Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week.
Unlike other fashion seasons, Haute Couture Week showcases the highest quality of fashion. It is a time for fashion houses to create custom-fitted, handmade, extremely detailed and oftentimes avant-garde looks.
Personally, the show I was looking forward to the most was Schiaparelli — coincidentally, the very first show of the week. Daniel Roseberry took over as creative director of the house in 2019 and has since become known for pulling inspiration from founder Elsa Schiaparelli’s archives — an investigative game I am always up for.
This year’s collection was entitled “Inferno” — directly inspired by the first part of 14th century Italian poet Dante Alighieri’s epic poem collection “Divine Comedy.” Roseberry created three looks for each of the nine circles of hell depicted in Dante’s “Inferno” by playing with the concept of Surrealism.
Molded leather, wooden beads, pearls, gold accents and hand patinated copper allowed Roseberry to play into that feeling of Surrealism Schiaparelli is known for. There were earrings that resembled casts of faces, shoes that seemingly
molded around the models’ toes and golden keyhole motifs scattered on almost every garment.
The most eye-catching looks, however, were the hyper-realistic faux-taxidermy representations of Dante’s lion, leopard and she-wolf. The animals were constructed by hand with entirely manmade materials, but took the internet by storm,
nonetheless. Kylie Jenner even wore her own lion dress while sitting in the front row.
Another fashion house that played with the unconventional was Viktor & Rolf. While they released an entire collection of nearly identical pastel ball gowns, their presentation is what moved the collection into the absurd.
While the first garments appeared completely normal, the surprise came when gowns started to seemingly float next to the models, extend directly through the models at 90 degree angles and even hang completely upside down. The show evoked a nostalgic feeling of those magnetic dress up dolls from my childhood in a shockingly elevated way.
The final collection I feel needs to be mentioned is Robert Wun’s couture debut, as it truly showcased the mastery of a craft. The collection — entitled “Fear” — played off of typical “fashion accidents,” with wine-stained and scorched dresses, rainy umbrellas and broken heels. The impressive twist, however, was Wun’s intricate use of beading and embroidery to depict these situations.
Hanging beads resembled dripping water and hundreds of lightly placed sprigs of feathers gently bounced as the models moved down the runway. The show felt like a genuine performance, rather than a boring display of materialism, which was a welcomed breath of fresh air compared to so many highly-revered fashion houses that failed to deliver this year — I’m looking at you, Chanel.
PHOTO BY IMDB PHOTO BY VOGUE RUNWAYIt’s 2013. You’re sitting in a theater watching Katniss’s iconic Mockingjay dress scene, the tributes holding hands at that powerful scene when
they’re doing their interviews. Your jaw drops when Peeta says, “...because of the baby.”
Characters like Finnick and Joanna. Stories that grip at your heartstrings. You’re thrown back into the world of “The Hunger Games.”
This November will mark ten years since “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” debuted in theaters. Often regarded as one of the best book-to-screen adaptations, this film came out at the height of the dystopian genre’s popularity. Some say that Susanne Collins is responsible for the genre’s boost in popularity.
“The Hunger Games” is a dystopian series where two candidates from each of Panem’s — a dystopian society of North America — twelve districts compete against each other in a fight-to-the-death competition to entertain their leaders at the Capitol.
“Catching Fire” is the second book in the trilogy, which follows Katniss and Peeta as they are forced to reenter the Hunger Games at the 75th Games — also known as the Quarter Quell. The Quarter Quell is a special edition of the games where previous winning tributes are reaped for the games, meaning the sole female survivor from District 12 — Katniss — will automatically go back in.
Collins’ series tackles many themes commonly associated with the dystopian genre. These include poverty, hunger, survival, inequality between rich and poor and governmental control.
The movie version is pretty well done as far as
book-to-movie adaptations go. It hits the emotional and visual points of the book, and really brings the pages to life — especially with the costuming.
The world of “The Hunger Games” is very complex and difficult to bring to the screen. Having a visual representation of the dystopian aspects adds to the experience. The tributes’ outfits for their interviews with Caesar remain some of the coolest costumes I’ve seen in a movie.
The ability to showcase the tributes’ districts and personalities in the wardrobe from book descriptions is quite an impressive feat. I think that’s one of the best parts of “Catching Fire” — how beautifully the details were translated from the book to the screen.
The actors all did a commendable job of portraying the characters we know and love. Everyone gave a chilling performance that made it feel real and pulled the audience in.
It’s hard to believe this movie came out ten years ago. The topics are still relevant, which makes the movie that much more impactful. Stories like this make the audience feel something — we reflect on the real world based on this fictional setting.
There’s something that is special about this movie. The fact that a lot of it is still relevant — not to mention just a jarring story — is haunting. You’re on the edge of your seat the entire time. Even if you’ve read the books, you’re still immersed in the story.
On Saturday, Jan. 21, Niall Horan began posting a series of TikToks seemingly teasing a new song, and on Thursday, Jan. 26, the singer-songwriter officially announced he will be releasing his new single “Heaven” on Friday, Feb. 17.
The TikTok teasers began with Horan secretly listening to a song in his headphones and humorously refusing to reveal the name of the song he was listening to when asked.
The videos then progressed to him strumming an acoustic version of the song — sans lyrics — and being caught blasting the official version of the new tune alone in his car, ultimately culminating in Horan gifting fans with a live, acoustic performance of the song while wearing quirky little red sunglasses and sitting on a sunny porch step.
In preparation of the official announcement, Horan also created the cryptic website www. heavenwontbethesame.com, which he debuted to fans on his TikTok. From the first day of its launch, the website featured a tall, blue and white, cloudprinted, lit candle that progressively melted down to serve as a countdown clock leading up to the announcement of the new single.
Some fans also reported receiving mysterious
promo packages featuring the same phrase — “Heaven won’t be the same” — inscribed on the box, which contained a matching blue and white candle as well as a QR code linking back to the website.
Horan’s upcoming third album will mark his first release since he debuted “Heartbreak Weather” on Mar. 13, 2020 — also the day COVID-19 was officially declared a National Emergency in the United States.
Horan previously remarked that he had, “released an album in the worst timing possible, in the history of mankind,” so hopefully this release will host smoother sailing for the artist. He also had to cancel the accompanying tour for “Heartbreak Weather,” so this next release will also mark Horan’s return to the stage.
Maybe now our TikTok For You pages can get a nice refresh after being forever dominated by Harry Styles’ everlasting “Love on Tour” and The 1975’s Matty Healy’s chaotically insane onstage antics.
In addition to his upcoming release, Horan is also gearing up to be a first-time coach on season 23 of “The Voice” — premiering on Monday, Mar. 6 — which will see him alongside the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton and Chance the Rapper.
I personally cannot wait to feel the inevitable notalgia of Horan’s own contestant days on “The
X Factor” — this time with him seated on the other side of the judges table.
Fans can pre-save and pre-order Horan’s new single “Heaven” now.
PHOTO BY IMDBJanuary has not been the greatest month for the book industry so far. HarperCollins Publishing (HC) employees have been on strike for more than 50 days now, starting in November.
HC is considered one of the “Big Five” publishing houses - along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Livre, Simon & Shuester and Macmillan. These publishing houses dominate the traditional publishing business.
HC employees–around two hundred and fifty in total– have unionized in order to push back against the low pay, lack of diversity and grueling schedules. Union workers and authors that are supporting the union all want one thing from the big time publishing house: a fair contract.
“HarperCollins has agreed to a number of proposals that the United Auto Workers Union is seeking to include in a new contract (the union is affiliated with the United Auto Workers Union Local 2110). We are disappointed an agreement has not been reached and will continue to negotiate in good faith,” a spokesperson for the publishing house released a statement.
The strike has gained support from many authors under HC. Young Adult author Elise Bryant recently mentioned the strike while promoting her newest book, thanking union workers that helped her bring
the book together.
With rallies and protests, the union will not back down from this fight, even when it’s dead silence from their employers.
More than 150 literary agents signed an open letter that supported the strikers and pledged not to submit new books until a resolution came to be:
“A successful HarperCollins, and a successful publishing industry, relies on our friends on the picket line, and so we stand in solidarity with
them and ask that HarperCollins return to the bargaining table and grant them a fair contract. In the meantime, we will omit HarperCollins editors from our submission lists.”
Through all of the backlash and push back, the people at HC have been silent. People are demanding change and that their voices are heard. Still, the union continues to press forward with their goal for better treatment from the taxing enterprise taking advantage of their passion for the industry.
As of Last Wednesday, Jan. 25, HC announced they have come to an agreement to undergo negotiations with its employee unions with the help of an independent mediator. After this statement from HC, the union released their own:
“We are hopeful the company will use this opportunity to settle fairly and reset our relationship. This means our pressure campaign is working. The strike will continue until we reach a fair contract agreement. Please continue to hold the line.”
The union and HC both appear to be hopeful that an agreement will be made and put into action so employees can get back to work in the renowned publishing house. It’s clear that the union won’t stop until the goal of a fair contract is achieved. Employees deserve livable wages and equal treatment. They deserve credit, respect, equality, and so much more for what they do for the publishing industry.
The Oakland women’s basketball team welcomed the league-leading Cleveland State Vikings to the O’rena on Saturday, Jan. 28. The Golden Grizzlies were brutally outmatched in the second half, and it led to a 72-51 defeat.
The first half wasn’t nearly as much of a struggle. In fact, the Golden Grizzlies put together a solid first quarter.
Brooke Quarles-Daniels and Alexis Johnson combined to score Oakland’s first nine points, and Breanne Beatty added a layup late in the first quarter.
Oakland never trailed in the first quarter, but Cleveland State’s Deja Williams connected on a jumper with four seconds left to tie the game heading into the second.
Seven of Cleveland State’s 11 first-quarter points came at the charity stripe, which was rather indicative of how the remainder of the game would play out.
The two teams traded buckets in the second quarter, but the Golden Grizzlies began to pull away from the 9-2 Vikings, and the potential for an upset became much more than just a hopeful thought. Kennedie Montue made a 3-pointer with 2:10 to play in the half, giving Oakland a 27-19 lead. However, things completely fell apart from then on out.
Oakland could not stop fouling, and Cleveland
State went on a 7-0 run to close the half, trimming the lead to one point going into halftime.
The one-point halftime lead was essentially a gift for Oakland, which committed an astounding 14 fouls in the second quarter alone. The 14 fouls resulted in 22 second-quarter free throw attempts for Cleveland State. Luckily for Oakland, the visiting Vikings made only 10 of the 22 attempts, leaving 12 points at the free throw line.
The Vikings built a seven-point lead before three minutes had elapsed in the third quarter, and things were unraveling rather quickly for the Golden Grizzlies.
The Cleveland State lead blossomed to as many as 11 points, but Oakland was able to trim it back down to seven heading into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter was a total disaster for Oakland, and any hopes of a comeback were quickly put to bed. Cleveland State doubled its lead in just over three minutes, and the Vikings advanced to 19-3 overall and 10-2 in the conference.
In the end, Cleveland State attempted a whopping 46 free throws in the blowout win — by far the most Oakland has given up in a game this season. The Golden Grizzlies allowed 30 free throws in a game against Toledo back on Dec. 21.
For the Golden Grizzlies, the 72-51 loss drops them to 10-11 overall and 5-7 in the Horizon League.
Right now, Oakland sits in a tie with Milwaukee for seventh place in the Horizon League standings. If the Golden Grizzlies can sneak their way into the top five in the conference standings, they will earn a bye in the conference tournament — which starts on Feb. 28.
However, if they cannot, as long as they finish in the top eight, they will earn a home game in the first round of the tournament.
Oakland will now enjoy a long break before its next game on Friday, Feb. 3 at home against Milwaukee. The game will tip-off at 7 p.m. and will air on ESPN+.
Sports Editor
With a 6-3 Horizon League record, the Oakland men’s basketball team visited Calihan Hall on Monday, Jan. 23 to take on the Detroit Mercy Titans. Point guard Jalen Moore scored 32 points, and the Golden Grizzlies finished off the Titans, 76-67.
Junior forward Trey Townsend scored eight of Oakland’s first 10 points, and although the visiting Golden Grizzlies fell behind by six points early on, Townsend’s strong effort quickly brought them back even with Detroit.
Coming out of the under-12-minute media timeout in the first half, Oakland’s scoring contributions came from multiple sources, as opposed to just Townsend.
Keaton Hervey made a free throw, Osei Price connected on a 3-pointer and Rocket Watts added five points all before Detroit scored its next point. Hervey, Watts and Chris Conway all led the way for Oakland in the ensuing minutes, and the Golden Grizzlies found themselves up 34-14 with 3:12 to play in the first half.
Although Oakland had built up a large lead, it wasn’t insurmountable for the NCAA’s all-time leading 3-point shooter, Antoine Davis. Davis began to get hot, and despite going scoreless in the first 17 minutes of the game, he finished the first half with eight points.
The Titans trailed by 13 points at the break, and it was clear they still had high hopes of beating their rival.
Detroit Mercy guard A.J. Oliver came out hot in the second half, single-handedly cutting the Oakland lead down to seven points with 17:22 to play.
Oliver was virtually unstoppable, and Damezi Anderson added a few buckets, too. It quickly began to look like the Golden Grizzlies might hand over the lead.
With 10 minutes to play in the game, Oakland led 50-48, and Detroit had almost come all the way back from its 20-point deficit.
From that point on, Oakland slowly but surely began to stretch its lead, thanks to the heroic efforts of Moore. The senior guard finished with 32 points, 14 of which came at the free throw line.
“I think Jalen [Moore] had a little chip on his shoulder coming in tonight because the whole prep for this — the whole media was about the guard from Detroit,” Head Coach Greg Kampe said. “He never said anything, but [there was] just a little different way he went about the game tonight.”
For Oakland, it was the eighth consecutive win at Calihan Hall and the 12th win overall in the last 13 meetings. It’s been pure domination of the Titans as of late, and Kampe hopes to continue that streak going forward.
“The game means the world to us,” Kampe said. “We don’t lose to them. That’s the mindset you have to have, and our kids buy into it, and it’s a big deal for us.”
Oakland is now 9-12 overall and 7-3 in the Horizon League, which many may not have expected after the way the season started.
“We’re 7-3 at the turn,” Kampe said. “0-2 to 7-3, 2-11 to 9-12. Got to give these kids a lot of credit. Now we’ve got to keep going.”
PHOTO BY BIJON STIGGER Breanne Beatty prepares to take a shot during Saturday’s Cleveland State game.
