The Oakland Post 3.13.2024

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HORIZON LEAGUE REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS The OU Men’s Basketball team became regular season champions on March 2, 2023.

PHOTO BY KATIE REID

Kingian nonviolence training — community building and violence de-escalation

ADRIAN JIMENEZ MORALES Campus Reporter

A tribute to community building and the teaching of violence de-escalation took place at the Kingian nonviolence training on the night of March 7 in the Laidlaw room of Oakview Hall.

Kim Reidgan, coordinator of the Meta Peace Team Detroit hub, trained around 30 attendees. With peacekeeping experience domestically and abroad, Reidgan turned a co-hosted 8-hour training into a two-hour, single-instructor crash course.

“In many cases, when you’re advocating for something, you need to know how to take the next step,” Mathew Seidel, President of the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights ( MCHR ) at OU said. “The purpose of this was to give a sample for when the going starts to get tougher and asking politely isn’t enough, how to force the issue without losing dignity.”

The training started by introducing the complexities of the topic. The left side of the room became the “not violent” side and the right one the “violent” one. Participants stood in the middle to be presented with scenarios to choose a side on.

Anti-immigrant billboard scenarios allowed the audience to delve into the complexities of the rhetorical aspects of psychological violence and the trampling of messages and symbols.

I-94 blockades and animal testing created increased complexity in evaluating the shortcomings and moral dilemmas of suffering and progress.

“Do we see the ambiguity in these situations?” Reidgan said. “That’s at the heart of being human, probably is learning to hold contradictions and

learning to live with ambiguity. There are no right or wrong answers or easy answers.”

The conversation moved into the cycle of violence, referencing Helder Camara’s theory of the three levels of violence . The first one is systemic violence including, but not limited to, sexism, ableism and racism.

“The second violence is what we read about in the paper or in the internet all the time,” Reidgan said. “All hell breaking out on the streets, you know, things happening that are explicitly violent.”

Third-level violence would be counterreactive violence.

“That’s the state calling the police telling the national guard calling the army,” Reidgan said.

In Camara’s theory, this would exacerbate level one violence, fostering the cycle.

“There’s nothing passive about nonviolence,” Reidgan said. “It’s really about causing disruption and interrupting the base-level violence.”

Later, the six Kingian principles of nonviolence were also analyzed in small groups. Principles like “nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice, not

people,” and “nonviolence chooses love instead of hate,” were evaluated by pointing out limitations but also achievements.

The final activity was a roleplay between those exacerbating violence and those de-escalating it.

“This skill is called CLARA,” Reidgan said. “This is a skill we use, not to win arguments. This is a skill that you use when somebody comes storming at you and they’re shouting. It is to isolate that person.”

Center yourself, listen to the heart, affirm humanity, respond and add information are the components of the CLARA strategy, which is the first step in a long process of change.

“Challenging systemic violence — that’s the number one violence that has to be challenged,” Reidgan said. “But in the meantime, we do this violence de-escalation to help protect the people who are challenging [systemic violence].”

The event’s organization was a testament to the principles of communal efforts.

The Honors College , Gender and Sexuality Alliance ( GSA ), College Democrats , Young Democratic Socialists of America ( YDSA ) and the Center for Multicultural Initiatives ( CMI ) cosponsored and attended the event alongside a couple of Wayne State University students.

“What we are trying to do here at MCHR is really unite everyone,” Seidel said. “To do work towards the betterment of human rights and advocacy all over campus. We are also hoping to get more interuniversity things going.”

OU Annual Giving hosts Big Pajama Party

CHLOE KUKUK Campus Editor

Oakland University Annual Giving hosted its Big Pajama Party in the Oakland Center Habitat on March 5 from 9 p.m. to midnight.

The event was hosted in the buildup to the Black and Gold Giving Day on March 6. Annual Giving Day is hosted to garner funds to support various student programs, research projects, campus expansion projects and more.

The Big Pajama Party was the first of its kind. Assistant Director of Annual Giving Kristin Rohrbeck said she wanted to host something student-centered.

“We want to do something for students — specifically for giving days — because the reason why people give and want to get engaged in giving days, in general, is typically to help our students,” Rohrbeck said. “We want to make sure we’re creating scholarships. We’re creating pathways to success for our students. By increasing the impact of gifts on Giving Day and other kinds of initiatives like this, this is how we’re able to do that.”

Additionally, she hopes that students will spread the word about Black and Gold Giving Day on their social networks through posts and photographs.

“Giving doesn’t start until midnight…so this just helps to increase that digital footprint going into Giving Day,” she said. “We don’t want to be

flat digitally.”

Annual Giving Graduate Assistant Skyler Stone added that the event aimed to garner a positive outlook on giving days.

“I just hope that [students] have a great experience around OU and the community that we’re trying to build on campus,” Stone said. “We have a bigger campus, and sometimes we spread out a little bit and don’t connect with people, other students, faculty, and we’re hoping just to bring everyone together to have a good experience.”

Students collected free sunglasses, t-shirts and buttons and enjoyed board games, puzzles, card games, a mac and cheese bar, bracelet making and a photo booth with a professional photographer.

Additionally, the Habitat showed “High School Musical” and the Grizz Den was also open nearby to play foosball and esports.

Sam Vargo, an OU student, said she appreciated the event for the destressing

opportunities it provided.

“We just like to get out and do things, especially since we’re all stressed with work and classes,” Vargo said. “It’s a great way to meet new people around campus.”

Carina Littlejohn echoed a similar sentiment.

“There was someone who just sat down with us who I would never have ever interacted with if it weren’t for them sitting down here,” she said.

Rohrbeck said it is important for students to know they have an important role in Black and Gold Giving Day.

“Students have an important role in Giving Day — not necessarily to make a gift, but to help spread the word about the amazing things happening in Oakland University including how they are directly impacted by philanthropy and scholarships, and the amazing things that we’re able to do on campus that do impact the students,” Rohrbeck said.

“If they can help get the word out to their parents, friends and extended networks, that’s especially a way that students can help to continue to grow what we’re able to do to support students.”

Although Annual Giving Day has ended, interested parties can continue to donate online For more information about Annual Giving, visit University Advancement’s website

PHOTO COURTESY OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

PHOTO COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES

Overdose identification and prevention at Narcan training

ADRIAN JIMENEZ MORALES Campus Reporter

Identifying overdose symptoms, preventing accidental poisoning deaths and reducing stigma were some of the goals of the Narcan Training conducted by the American Red Cross Club (ARCC) on March 6.

Alexandra Hicks, harm reduction, recovery and support coordinator of the Alliance of Coalition for Healthy Communities, taught the trainees in the Lake Erie Room of the Oakland Center.

Participants were given a “save a life kit,” which contained a Narcan box, gloves, CPR face shield and substance use resource guide.

Hicks explained that for the 12 months leading up to January 2022, there were over 107,000 overdose and accidental poisoning deaths in the United States.

Overdoses are caused by the abuse of certain drugs, like opioids, which inhibit nervous signals allowing for breathing.

“We have these receptors in our brains that send and receive signals,” Hicks said. “[An opiate] attaches to that receptor and blocks that signal for pain. They [also] block the signal for breath and cause respiratory depression because the brain is not able to communicate with the body.”

Narcan, also known as Naloxone, is a medication that reverses the effects of opioid overdoses.

“Naloxone has a stronger affinity for those receptors in our brains,” Hicks said. “ It will knock the opiate off the receptor, and then attach to the receptor creating a

protective barrier that allows the signals to resume. It does not get rid of the opiate.”

With Narcan lasting between 30 to 90 minutes and opiates lasting six to seven hours, Narcan commonly needs to be administered twice.

Hicks explained that because Narcan doesn’t have any psychoactive effects, it is not addictive and will not affect an individual if an opiate is not present.

In case of witnessing an overdose, Hicks instructed to call 911 first.

“This enacts the Good Samaritan Law,” she said. “It states if I’m in the process of saving somebody’s life, I will not be held liable for accidental damage.”

In Oakland County, the law also exempts illegal substance users from persecution if they call 911 and help in the efforts to reverse the overdose. However, the law varies from county to county.

Nodding out, falling asleep, pinpoint pupils and respiratory depression expressed through gurgling and snoring noises are some of the signs and symptoms of overdose.

If the individual enduring the overdose is unresponsive, Narcan should be dispensed.

“There is no cap, nothing to prime,” Hicks said. “So we do not want to pubs the plunger until we’re actually ready to use it. We’re going to insert [in the nose] all the way to our fingertips and then once it’s fully inserted, we’ll press the plunger.”

After 1-to-3 minutes, the second dose should be dispensed if the individual is still unresponsive.

Oakland University has a free Narcan dispensary machine by the reception desk of the Oakland Center.

Oakland County has 80 Narcan machines across the area.

“It is important that everyone is aware and has this knowledge because it isn’t super intricate,” ARCC President Jackson Block said. “You don’t have to know a ton of stuff about physiology. It’s something that’s very easy and pretty much anyone can do.”

“There’s a lot of stigma around substance use and a lot of secrecy and shame,” Hicks said. “The more that we bring that into the light — the more that we can have open and honest conversations — the more that people can be honest about where they are and actually start pursuing and hope that they need no matter where they are on their journey.”

For more information about the ARCC, view the organization’s GrizzOrgs page

PHOTO BY LINDSEY SOBKOWSKI

Ethics Bowl team breaks school record at national championship

DAYSHAWN FIELDS

Payton Bucki

The Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl National Championship , organized by the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE), saw the Oakland University Ethics Bowl make history by besting previous school records on Feb. 25. The team placed 17th nationally, beating big-name schools such as Tufts University and Yale University.

Before the competition, members of APPE write cases that focus on complex ethical dilemmas. Teams are provided with the cases in advance of the tournament and are tasked with preparing ethical solutions to the dilemmas.

Over spring break, OU’s Ethics Bowl team made the trip to Cincinnati, Ohio for the annual championship event. Lisa Campbell coached the six-person team, comprised of OU students John Rubarth, Ethan Pemberton, Payton Bucki, Calla Bazinski, Abigail David and Erika Luft.

Oakland’s National Championship appearance was the product of months of preparation. Following the team’s regional win at the 2023 Central States competition in November, the students spent the first half of the winter semester building their cases for the national competition.

‘For nationals, we are given 17 cases that we have to prepare,” Bazinski said. “We are only able to bring six people who can compete at a time, we have to do work on two to three cases as the primary quarterback, then six more as additional work.”

In the time before the IEB national championship, the team juggled practice, intense university work and other extracurricular activities.

“Personally, I had to take on three cases as the quarterback or the main person would be presenting the case,” Bazinski said. “I had to do three backgrounds. For myself, my strong suit is when we have to do commentary for the other team. I’ve always been a huge debate person.”

For these traits to shine, the team had to get past the nerves that come with being in a highpressure environment.

“The national championship was actually very nerve-racking,” Bazinski said. “My case, that I was the main quarterback and point-person on, was called. I was very nervous about it. Not only was this the first round of nationals, but this was a case

that I had to completely rewrite about two weeks before nationals. Even then, I was very proud of the presentation that I provided.”

The Ethics Bowl team is always looking to expand. After placing the highest it ever has on the national stage, the OU team finds plenty of reasons for other students to join.

“One of the really important things with Ethics Bowl is that it gives a lot of exposure to philosophy that doesn’t necessarily require taking courses,” Bazinski said. “You get a lot of frameworks that are applicable to a bunch of different dilemmas you face every day.”

Driving that point home, Bazinski views knowledge in ethics and philosophy to be traits that are highly valued by employers.

“Critical thinking is the main skill that is needed for most jobs,” Bazinski said. “You need to be able to critically think about situations, look at it from a bunch of different angles and come up with a solution. Many people are realizing that philosophy is one of the best ways to train that. Ethics Bowl is a really great way to dip your toes in the water.”

The Ethics Bowl team is currently in the process of recruiting team members for the 2024-25 school year. Those interested in trying out for the OU Ethics Bowl team can email John Rubarth, the club’s president, at jrubarth@oakland.edu

2024 Keeper of the Dream Award recipient: Ashamoye Mullings

NOAH FRANCIS Features Reporter

Ashamoye Mullings began her academic journey at Oakland University as a nursing major. However, she quickly realized she did not feel an intense passion for the nursing field. It became clear to Mullings that her true academic passion was to become a hospital administrator. Thus, Mullings changed her major to health and wellness promotion and has not looked back since.

With her sights set on a career in public health, Mullings spent her free time participating in a variety of different organizations and positions around campus.

“I’m involved in a lot of things around campus,” Mullings said. “I’m the Little Big Sister Coordinator for Project Big Sister , I’m a Core Ambassador and I already applied for grad school for public health, so those are the big things I’m looking forward to. Before I graduate, I want to make it one of my best years academically.”

Along with participating in several great opportunities around campus, Mullings became a 2024 Keeper of the Dream Scholarship award recipient this January. Mullings first heard of the award through her past mentor, Mariama Toure.

“During my freshman year, my mentor who was also in the Core program, Mariama Toure, was a past Keeper of the Dream recipient and I remember

her telling you that when I got older, I should apply for it,” Mullings said. “During my sophomore year, I was really nervous because I thought I was not going to be picked for that, and I wouldn’t get it. Finally, I was in my junior year and I just said I should apply for it.”

Besides her mentor, Mullings’ family was a major support during the application process.

“My mom is a really big support, along with my aunt and uncle,” Mulling said. “They really helped me confidence-wise with self-esteem. Doing good in college, joining activities to get involved, it was all possible with them. They really helped me that way.”

The process for applying for the Keeper of the Dream award can be stressful, but it can also be insightful and gratifying. Mullings explains how rewarding it was to apply for the award.

“One thing that really stood out to me when I was applying was it really makes you think about what you have done to service or help the community,” Mullings said. “It helped me think about giving back to the community.”

Students looking to take a shot at the award might feel nervous or underqualified when applying. Mullings’ advice for those planning on applying for the award is to overcome their feelings of uncertainty and just go for it.

“I would say go for it,” Mullings said. “If you know you’ve been doing well in school, you know

you’ve been a nice public figure, they’re gonna be rewarded for being a good citizen. It’s nervewracking, but I’d say still apply for it because you never know.”

After graduation, Mullings plans to pursue a career in hospital administration. One of her top hospitals to work in is Corewell Health, but she wants to find work in underserved areas as well. Regardless of where she ends up, Mullings is looking to make a difference in the lives of her patients.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MRS.RUBARTH

An inside look at the Beyeh Laboratory at Oakland University

ANGELINA TOMA Contributor

The Beyeh Laboratory at Oakland University, organized by Dr. Ngong Kodiah Beyeh, conducts research in the field of chemistry.

After earning a Ph.D. in organic chemistry, Beyeh used his time to further develop his research framework before progressing at OU.

“I’ve been doing research that can lead to new materials or specific functions that can have real-life applications,” Beyeh said. “The goal of my research is for these questions to lead to solving a practical societal problem.”

As the well-minded laboratory developed, Beyeh found personal inspiration to pursue research and application in biotechnology and materials chemistry.

“I am a minority in science which is also something that motivates me, somebody that is underrepresented in this field shows we have the ability and knowledge to make an impact on research,” Beyeh said. “My societal goal is to educate a diverse workforce, training of students, which I focus on underrepresented and minority students to give them the opportunity to see research at a productive level.”

The laboratory currently conducts an array of projects involving many students.

“We are trying to see if we can develop some kind of product that can help to disintegrate the aggregation of

a protein in the eye that leads to cataracts,” Beyeh said. “We hope my research can somehow lead to a potential solution to that problem.”

The lab is currently conducting an ongoing project to develop sensors to detect the “forever chemicals in water.”

“We are trying to develop a working collaboration with electrical chemists to see if I can develop material in my lab that can sense the PFAS and concentration in water systems,” Beyeh said. “That is another direction, that potentially, if successful can lead to solutions.”

There are many ways college and even high school students can take part in Beyeh’s laboratory.

“I have a program in the summer where I’ll be working with high school students from the Pontiac

school district,” Beyeh said. “These students are underrepresented and minorities. This program aims to encourage them to see the beauty of scientific research, and the advantage to doing such research, and how it can impact their future career.”

Beyeh continues to work with undergraduate research volunteers, honors students, graduates and post-doctoral scholars. Beyeh has future plans to allow high schoolers to conduct work in the lab.

“The expectation is to have a critical mind, knowledge and the ability to do the work,” Beyeh said. “We are always looking for students who show interest with some understanding of organic and material chemistry.”

The goal of the scientific laboratory is to make sure the projects work and develop fundamental critical thinking skills.

Regardless of the immediate success of the different projects, Beyeh is a strong champion of his students.

“I will always advertise my students, always,” Beyeh said. “I love to see my students grow, one of my biggest satisfactions I get is to see my students develop, they go to graduate school, medical and professional schools or industries is always a victory for me.”

For future information about the summer program for high school students or research, visit the Beyeh Laboratory’s webpage, or contact Beyeh via email, at beyeh@oakland.edu

OU’s Nutrition Association hosts event for national eating disorder awareness week

GRACIE MURRAY Features Reporter

Each year, from Feb. 26 to March 3, the National Eating Disorders Association promotes Eating Disorder Awareness Week (EDAW). EDAW is an annual campaign dedicated to spreading knowledge about eating disorders to educate individuals on how to support those who are affected by eating disorders.

The Nutrition Association at Oakland University was created by students to show their love of food. The group intends to provide a safe, supportive space for discussions about negative food relationships.

Ava Gottschling, currently enrolled in the dietetics program, is the president of the Nutrition Student Association

“The Nutrition Association is a group of students who all share a passion for nutrition. While some members are nutrition majors, others simply have an interest in nutrition,” Gottschling said. “We all share a love for food and have hosted many potlucks where members bring and share their favorite dishes with others.”

The Nutrition Association learned of Eating Disorder Awareness Week when talking to a nutrition professor.

“The idea for the eating disorder [awareness week] was brought up by one of the nutrition professors. She suggested having a showing for a documentary centered around eating disorders.” Gottschling said.

After the idea was brought up, Gottschling pitched the idea to the NSA board.

“Everyone was in agreement that it would be a meaningful and insightful event,” Gottschling said.

The group decided to host an event in solidarity with the campaign. After all, eating disorders are not uncommon. According to the National Eating Disorders website, 9% of the U.S. population, or 28.8 million Americans, will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.

“The main message that we were trying to get out to OU students and facility was body positivity. While the idea seems very broad, as nutrition students, it is important to us that people not only eat healthy but

enjoy eating and feel confident in themselves and their bodies,” Gottschling said.

Reports have shown that people who eat a healthy diet are known to live longer and have a lower risk of certain cancers, heart disease and obesity.

“Eating disorders still continue to be a major concern all around the world and we wanted to use our platform to continue to bring awareness to eating disorders and body positivity,” Gottschling said.

The Nutrition Association has lots of resources to help those who either have issues with eating disorders or someone they may know who has issues as well.

“Fortunately there are many resources out there to help people and their loved ones overcome eating disorders,” Gottschling said. “It is important to note that every person is different and may require different help and resources to overcome their eating disorder.”

Some organization websites with more information about eating disorders are the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), Eating Disorder Hope, the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), the National Alliance for Eating Disorders and the Academy for Eating Disorders.

For individuals struggling with an eating disorder and looking for help, they may visit Eating Disorder Hope’s eating disorder and mental health 24/7 help hotlines

PHOTO COURTESY OF BEAT EATING DISORDERS UK

PHOTO COURTESY OF OAKLAND UNIVERSITY NEWS

Model United Nations students win highest honors at Toronto conference

DAYSHAWN FIELDS Features Reporter

Over spring break, Oakland University’s Model United Nations (UN) team traveled to Toronto for the North American Model United Nations (NAMUN) conference. Eien VanRiper and Landon Julius, two OU Model UN students, were named Outstanding Delegates, the highest award at the competition. Joshua Kobus was also named an honorable mention for the award.

NAMUN 2024 was the year’s first trip for OU’s Model United Nations team. After leaving the

2023 conference without receiving a single award, the team sought to change the narrative with this year’s competition.

According to Landon Julius, president of OU’s Model United Nations team, last year’s result was really out of character for the group.

The team succeeded in performing better in this year’s competition. Eien VanRiper was named “Outstanding Delegate” for the UNWater Committee and Landon Julius was named “Outstanding Delegate” for the Nile River Crisis Committee.

NAMUN recognized Joshua Kobus as an honorable mention, something rather noteworthy considering the circumstances surrounding his participation. According to Julius, Kobus was thrust into a topic that he was unprepared for, having planned rigorously on a different topic for what he thought to be his committee. Despite this, Kobus was acknowledged for his work and argument.

“He [Kobus] didn’t get a physical award, but very high recognition from the conference as well,” Julius said. “His experience was particularly unique. He was initially thought to be on a completely different committee, so he did research and prep for everything. Comes to find out he’s in a different room, different topic, different everything. He transitioned from that and was still able to be recognized.”

In his respective committee, VanRiper represented Afghanistan. In Model UN competitions, there is a distinctive challenge: letting go of your own biases. As VanRiper says, you must show up and argue for

GrizzHacks 6: A triumphant return

NOAH FRANCIS Features Reporter

GrizzHacks 6 is Oakland University’s sixth school-wide hackathon , held at the Engineering Center throughout Mar. 9 and Mar. 10. With the competition being held for the first time since Sept. 18, 2020, GrizzHacks had plenty to offer students.

The main attraction of the event was the 24hour engineering marathon where teams created projects from the ground up and then presented their work to a selection of judges to compete for a variety of prizes. Jacob Souro, the GrizzHacks vice president, explains that the sponsors are the judges for the event and why it is fulfilling for the students participating.

“A lot of our sponsors have a sponsor track , so at the end of this event, when they [participants] get judged, they’re gonna be judged by sponsors,” Souro said. “ Whisker , for example, they’re gonna be judging their own AI/ML track.”

Throughout the event, many GrizzHacks sponsors held Tech Talks and workshops on a variety of different topics such as Little Caesars ’ Navigating your IT path, and Oakland University Credit Union’s Clean Code.

Amelio Mansour, the GrizzHacks treasurer, felt support from other parts of OU besides the Engineering Center and the sponsors. Other partners from the event included OU clubs such as

Cyber OU holding a Tech Talk, the Gaming Guild and Chess Club collaborating for a board game night during the event and the Super Smash Club hosting a room for students to play ‘ Super Smash Bros. Ultimate .’

“GrizzHacks isn’t just engineering people, but it was like the whole school kind of came together,” Mansour said. “We also had a lot of the School of Engineering faculty and staff here as well, participating and volunteering.”

Amidst the fun and knowledgeable events occurring throughout the hackathon, the participants were still hard at work, creating their projects.

Ashley Chin, an information technology student, and Agron Gojcaj, a computer science student, worked as a team for the competition. Chin explains her main reason for participating in the hackathon.

“I just wanted to experience what a hackathon is

a cause tailored to a specific nation, even if it does not align with your beliefs.

“I was playing Afghanistan, and you have to argue from the perspective of Afghanistan, right?,” VanRiper said. “Oftentimes, that means arguing from a perspective that doesn’t fit your personal beliefs. That’s an important part of the research, looking at that difference in perspective.”

VanRiper’s committee was given the task of discussing the topic of access to proper sanitation for drinking water and preserving natural ecosystems. For several reasons, Afghanistan suffers from a lack of access to clean drinking water.

“From Afghanistan’s perspective, it’s a country that has a lot of issues with accessing clean water,” VanRiper said. “It’s been contaminated by conflict and is also heavily impacted by climate change.”

The Model United Nations team will host their next event this April. Instead of participating in a Model UN competition, the team will host a conference for high school students.

“We’re all preparing for [hosting Model UN]. and doing things from the other side,” VanRiper said. “It’s a lot more work into it than you would probably think. We have to chair the committees and make sure everything is running smoothly. Instead of doing all this research into a country, you’re making rules.”

The high school conference will take place in Varner Hall on April 5 and 6.

because I’ve done projects on my own, but not under a time limit,” Chin said. “The whole experience is what a programmer should experience in college.”

From making new connections, learning new tips and getting extra hands-on experience, GrizzHacks was rewarding to many of the students. Gojcaj explains what the most fulfilling aspects of the event were.

“For me, probably meeting new people,” Gojcaj said. “Also getting work done and learning new things that will pay off later.”

With 131 participating students, spread across several different universities, the GrizzHacks coordinators were pleased to see that their extra time and effort in making the hackathon’s grand return did not go to waste. Mansour explains how it felt to help coordinate the event’s return.

“As a coordinator, it is very rewarding to see all of our months of planning and your work,” Mansour said. “It was just four of us, and we decided we should relaunch back up. We started recruiting people, and then our team grew to 11 coordinators. It’s kind of nice getting it all together.”

For more information on GrizzHacks, please visit their website at grizzhacks.org .

PHOTO COURTESY OF CODY ELDREDGE

PHOTO COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Author Fran Hauser hosts webinar about female empowerment in the workplace

GRACIE MURRAY Features Reporter

Fran Hauser, author of “The Myth of the Nice Girl” and “Embrace the Work, Love Your Career” hosted a webinar and talked about the women in the workplace who want to achieve success in their careers while also staying true to themselves.

On top of being a best-selling author, Hauser is also a leading career expert, keynote speaker, former media executive and a champion of women in the workplace.

“What I saw was an opening for a book that gave women permission and the confidence to show up as themselves at work, to not have to take on a different persona and to realize there is so much strength in feminine qualities,” Hauser said.

Hauser’s passion for uplifting working women led her to write her first book: “The Myth of the Nice Girl.”

Hauser spoke of valuable tools she had used, advice she wanted to give to other women who were also struggling in the workplace and some of her personal stories that she felt would be relatable to other women.

“I have nine steps that I have really teased out of both of my books and some of them are some of bigger mindset shifts while others are very actionable,” Hauser said. “Being nice was a huge source of strength for me, it helped me get to the sweet suite and it helped me become a successful entrepreneur. I’ve always been

known as a leader who really cares about her employees while also getting results.”

Hauser started a side hustle while at TIME, she invested in other companies and, because of that, she built relationships with other investors and companies. Hauser left her job at TIME with a large support network.

“My big advice here is to pick your head up and meet with people outside of your team, outside of your department even outside of your company,” Hauser said. “Because those meetings can be really

game-changing.”

Hauser pointed out how to get out of “auto-pilot” mode at the workplace.

“The importance of taking the time, even if you have to put it on your calendar to reflect. To reflect on what is working for you, what isn’t working for you,” Hauser said.

Hauser explained that doing valuable work in the workplace will end up creating more opportunities inside and outside of the workplace.

“For me, that was where my team and I got an enormous amount of value for the company,” Hauser said. “It got me promoted many times within the organization, it also got me exposure outside of the company. People outside of TIME Inc. were learning about me and who I am and what I am capable of and my work.”

After the presentation, webinar attendees were able to ask questions for Hauser. The questions ranged from what should one do if they are struggling with confidence in the workplace to what was the best advice that Hauser had for women.

“I started writing down any time I had a win or I got positive feedback, I call it my smile file,” Hauser said. “Whenever I need a little bit of a confidence boost, I go back to that.”

Those interested in learning more about Hauser’s story can visit her website

OU students attend the 2024 Pi Sigma Alpha National Student Research Conference

PAYTON BUCKI Content Editor

Nine undergraduate students represented Oakland University’s political science department at the 2024 Pi Sigma Alpha (PSA) National Student Research Conference in Washington, D.C. from Feb. 16 to 18. Throughout the weekend, OU PSA scholars Grace Agoubi, Payton Bucki, Murryum Farooqi, Matthew Nault, Ethan Pemberton, Taylor Richardson, Alex Verzillo, Mallory Waligora and John Yarber presented research to fellow students and scholars from across the country.

Months in advance of the conference, the students prepared their research papers. Research topics ranged from American politics to international relations.

Agoubi conducted her research on the Food Stamp Act and the societal factors that necessitated the social support program. Pemberton conducted a historical review of cigarette advertisements.

Matthew Nault, a senior political science student, completed research on the topic of U.S. maternity leave procedures.

“My research started as a two-page classroom project about state maternity leave policies. It just expanded from there…I decided to do more intensive research on the topic for my honors thesis,” Nault said.

Professor Nicole Mathew was the faculty advisor for the trip. Mathew worked closely with Nault as he prepared for the conference.

“I worked directly with Matthew [Nault] on his project. His research had some incredible results, and I think I will suggest that he submit his paper to a research journal,” Mathew said.

As the conference drew closer, the students completed a practice presentation for faculty members of the political science department.

Yarber displayed his research regarding racial disparities in COVID mortality rates within the state of Michigan. Yarber found that, in Michigan, white individuals were more likely to die from COVID.

These findings provided an interesting conversation for faculty, some of whom attempted to speculate why the racial disparity in COVID mortality rates existed.

The practice presentation provided students valuable advice on potential modifications to their presentation, as well as future avenues of research to consider exploring. Further, the practice allowed the conference participants a chance to build their conference ahead of the trip.

On Feb. 16, the conference participants departed for Washington, D.C. Once there, the group spent the day

sightseeing and learning more about the history of the United States.

The students were treated to an exclusive tour of the interior of the Washington Monument as well as a walking tour of the United States Capitol building.

Following an exciting day of exploring, the students got to work preparing for their research presentations.

Students were split into sessions depending on their research paper topic at the conference. During each session, students presented their research in succession. Following the presentation portion of the session, a graduate or doctoral student would provide the presenters with feedback and constructive criticism. Last, students were allowed to answer audience questions regarding their work.

“I am very proud of Matthew’s [Nault] presentation at the conference, he looked so relaxed and confident,” Mathew said. “There were a lot of really high caliber [research] papers presented at the conference. Our students did very well on their presentations. I was really impressed. I think we represented the university very well.”

Nault was initially nervous about participating in the conference. However, the conference ended up being an enjoyable experience for him.

“I was very nervous about the conference, but I decided to do it because it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Nault said. “Seeing all the research of my peer students and listening to an inspiring keynote speaker made the conference a great educational experience,” Nault said. “I also appreciate Professor Mathew’s support and all the friendships I formed with other OU students.

(Continue on our website)

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLE MATHEW

PHOTO COURTESY OF FRAN HAUSER

Do

An experimental

On Friday, March 8, and Saturday, March 9, Take Root — a dance company founded by Oakland University Assistant Professor of Dance Ali Woerner — took the stage to an excited crowd to perform and promote their evergrowing troupe of talented dancers and stage artists.

Created in 2013, Take Root’s mission is to create artistic and personal performances and make an impact not only in the local Michigan community but in spaces all over the world.

In 2023, Take Root participated in a residency in Germany which aimed to help people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease have a creative outlet and also served to educate people about the disease in general.

The next three performances did not get overshadowed by the tremendous creativity of the first one, as Anderson and the dancers put on a wonderful performance — marked by both incredible dancing and music.

The second performance of the afternoon, “Take (In),” included the whole company, and started with Anderson chopping and looping different types of drum hits.

This cacophonous sound soon snowballed into a cascade of percussive majesty as the dancers reacted to each hit and each addition to the already massive sound. Near the end, strings and other instruments were added to spice up the flashy spectacle.

The third piece, “One From The Other,” was a more intimate performance with the main two dancers giving a look into human relationships and the

The two dancers were accompanied by Anderson’s looping piano piece, and just like the other pieces they started out minuscule but got bigger and bigger

‘Drive-Away Dolls:’ A wild ride for sapphics

MOE DEL ROSARIO Arts Reporter

Fans of the Coen brothers might know Ethan Coen from some of his hit films such as “No Country for Old Men,” “Fargo” or even “The Big Lebowski.” With a track record of films that mix well-known actors with Southern culture, it was no surprise that he would direct “Drive-Away Dolls.”

The duo — who would usually produce films together — have been releasing solo projects since Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” This film was listed as Ethan Coen’s first solo directing project.

“Drive-Away Dolls” was announced back in 2007, but lacked the funding needed at the time. The film was then reannounced in 2022 with a new title, cast and working plot.

“There aren’t a lot of lesbian genre movies, certainly not back then. I wanted to make a movie that was light-hearted and had a happy ending and felt free and fun. That didn’t exist in the lesbian film world,” Tricia Cooke, co-writer and producer of the film, said in an interview with the Associated Press.

The film itself is a road trip gone awry following two main characters, Margaret Qualley as Jamie, the charismatic adventurer who starts off the film by cheating on her girlfriend, and Geraldine Viswanathan as Marian, a quiet reader and exact opposite of Jamie.

The two best friends have to go from Philadelphia to Tallahassee in one night to deliver a car and, subsequently, a mysterious package that the pair does not know is under the spare tire.

The pair’s relationship consists of Jamie pushing Marian to her limit and the two bickering. Despite the turmoil, the pair are still willing to do anything for each other.

While Marian attempts to finish off the delivery, Jamie ends up spending her time attempting to get Marian to loosen up by going to lesbian bars, but the plan backfires and Marian is forced to read at a nearby bus stop as Jamie brings another girl back to their motel room.

While all of this is going on, the two are unknowingly being hunted down by three criminals who were scheduled to pick up the car in the first place before the mix-up happened.

As the adventure continues, the car gets a flat tire and the two end up finding the mysterious package — a severed head and a briefcase.

The relationship between Jamie and Marian gets explored as well as the two go from being best friends to sleeping together.

The movie as a whole is a weird trip that I found to be entertaining. It stacked a humorous main plot with a humorous side plot and allowed for great line deliveries and some random actor cameos.

Such examples include Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal, Miley Cyrus, Colman Domingo and Beanie Feldstein. While some had more screen time than others, these roles added a different feel to the movie than it would have had otherwise.

The film had a plot that was just for entertainment purposes and, honestly, I think that made it better. It didn’t take itself seriously at all.

“There’s an underserved audience for unimportant movies, is our belief. God. Don’t you want to go to a movie,” Coen said in an interview with IndieWire.

If you’re looking for a wild ride in a shorter movie, I say give this movie a watch.

Indie rock in review: Mannequin Pussy, Bleachers, MGMT, Yard Act

CHELSEA BOSSERT Arts Reporter

A lot of indie rock albums have been released within the past three weeks. Some are good, some are really good and others… not so much. Here are a few notable albums released within the last three weeks that I either enjoyed or I did not.

“I Got Heaven” by Mannequin Pussy

This first album is from Philadelphia indie and punk rock outfit Mannequin Pussy. “I Got Heaven” delivers on the band’s hardcore leanings and tendencies while also establishing them as capable of making really solid indie rock bangers.

The title track “Sometimes” and “I Don’t Know You” all serve as the band’s most solid and dreamy material to date, while cuts like “Of Her” and “Aching” offer up a more in-your-face vibe.

While it is a bit short for my taste, “I Got Heaven” is generally succinct enough to where it does not even matter.

“Bleachers” by Bleachers

Jack Antonoff is back with his first solo full length studio album since 2021 and it might have been better for him to stay in his producing lane. “Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night” was a genuinely great and heartfelt indie rock record, and makes Antonoff’s newest self-titled record feel like a sham in comparison.

While “Modern Girl” — the lead single to the new record — is an upbeat and catchy track, the rest of the project does not carry the same momentum and fails musically on so many moments. “Bleachers” is a vapid and lifeless pop record that has good ideas at times, but

fails to stick the landing on almost all of them.

“Loss of Life” by MGMT

Released on Feb. 23, 2024, MGMT’s long-awaited follow-up to their now cult classic 2018 record “Little Dark Age” is a flattering offering in the MGMT catalog, however, it overly relies on its nostalgia-tinted aesthetic to make anything lasting.

With the case of “Mother Nature” — the lead single — it is unfortunately the best that the record offers. Almost all of the other tracks are bold experimentations with song structure, production and MGMT’s signature sound — but that experimentation does not really go anywhere.

The ideas do not stick. “Nothing to Declare” is a nice guitar driven song, but the vocals and production clash with each other — it sounds futuristic and stuck in the past at the same time.

The nostalgia goggles have blinded both the band and its audience, and if “Loss of Life” and “Little Dark Age” are indicators of anything, it’s that nostalgia fueled and recycled records are here to stay.

“Where’s My Utopia?” by Yard Act

Irreverent and self-aware, Yard Act is the type of postpunk band in the 2020s that I am incredibly pleased to see. Their first record “The Overload” was a snooty and instrumentally bland record that I really did not like, however, their newest record “Where’s My Utopia?” is a smash hit.

Tracks like “Dream Job,” “We Make Hits” and “The Undertow” are hilariously apt at making the listener question their own memories as the lead singer, James Smith, questions his own. The record also takes subtle shots at the music industry on songs like “When the Laughter Stops.”

Overall, Yard Act does a good job of blending the serious and the absurd with great, dancey art punk. If anything can be learned from this record it is that sometimes you just got to have fun in making your albums.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEWSWEEK

PHOTO COURTESY OF HARPER’S BAZAAR

‘Avatar: The Last Airbender:’ A fresh start for live-action

MOE DEL ROSARIO Arts Reporter

Modern-day Hollywood is full of new adaptations, sequels and reboots. Netflix, of course, has its fair share of such with the most recent being a liveaction reboot of “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

The live-action adaptation was first announced back in 2018, and was met with some criticism due to some fans saying that the original show was as perfect as it was going to be. On the other hand, others were excited to see a new version of liveaction that was not the 2010 film.

“I don’t think it’s any secret to say that a liveaction version has been done in the past, but it wasn’t done this way. I don’t think that it would have been done this way even five or 10 years ago because there wasn’t the same emphasis on proper representation and real diversity,” Daniel Dae Kim, who plays Fire Lord Ozai, said in an interview with Teen Vogue.

While this live-action adaptation did a better job retelling the story of the original animation, it still had its pros and cons overall.

The show did something similar to Disney Plus’s “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” in that the show was slightly varied when compared to the source material. Some changes were for the better, but some changes just changed the pacing and threw out the groove.

The episodes are an hour long each, but instead of utilizing that time and covering more ground, the

episodes focus on something and then attempt to mix in other events to happen at the same time or same location.

Some examples of this include the Cave of Two Lovers in Omashu, Jet’s entrance to the show and the timeline of Aang’s [Gordon Cormier] water bending.

These threw off the pacing, which kept audiences enthralled by the show. But while some of these events can be looked over with enjoyment, other changes cannot.

Another thing that stood out to me while watching was the show’s tendency to tell rather than show, as well as the flattening of some of the characters.

Some of the characters flat-out told audiences how they felt about certain things instead of the show showing them without dialogue. Some pieces of dialogue felt forced or as if it was only included because they couldn’t convey that feeling otherwise.

Character personality flattening is another thing that got me. Some of the characters’ original spark was changed, such as Katara (Kiawentiio Tarbell). Instead of being a complex character with the duality of being angry and being the mother of the group, she is instead turned into a sort of shadow character to Sokka (Ian Ousley).

That being said, Kiawentiio Tarbell and the rest of the cast do an excellent job at playing their roles, and some like Ousley and Maria Zhang, who plays Suki, really channel their characters.

Of course, I can’t write about Avatar without talking about the beloved Uncle Iroh who was so graciously played by Paul Sun-Hyung Lee in a way that truly embodies Iroh.

The bending in the show was also pretty great to watch. I enjoyed seeing the mix of martial arts and fire bending from Zuko, played by Dallas James Liu, in live-action.

“Because of my martial arts background, the stunt team let me incorporate my own personal style and collaborate with them on the choreography,” Liu said in an interview with The Wrap.

Representation and diversity matter everywhere, especially in Hollywood. It was a relief to many when the casting of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” was revealed to be appropriate with Asian and Native American casting — as opposed to just redoing what the movie did.

All in all, this show has its flaws and its beauty, and it’s up to the viewers to decide whether they like it or not.

“Avatar: The Last Airbender” has been renewed for seasons two and three.

Greek Council and Athletics Student Government lose their OUSC voting position

NOAH THOMASON Political Reporter

A recent amendment to Oakland University’s Student Congress (OUSC) constitution was passed. The amendment increased the number of legislators from 23 to 28 and created a liaison position for the Residence Life Association, Greek Council, Native American Advisory Council, and an Athletics Student Government liaison while also allowing for additional liaisons to be created by a vote from Student Congress.

These liaisons serve the purpose of advocating for the groups they represent, informing OUSC of various issues and offering expertise on their fields of interest.

Controversially, the amendment stripped the voting position of the Greek Council and Athletics Student Government. This left some confused, but OUSC’s President Murryum Farooqi helped clear up some questions about this recent amendment.

“It took away their votes, but then it also created a process through which to add more liaisons, and since they don’t have a vote, we don’t run into the cap issue of once you hit so many voting members you can’t have anymore,” Farooqi said. “Now we can have an unlimited number of liaisons, so now we’ve really opened the doors to so many more disadvantaged groups and, you know, a much more diverse group of students.”

The vote from OUSC passed early last year with 90% support. The Board of Trustees approved the amendment in early December 2023.

The decision left those who knew about it confused because a part of the amendment increased the number of legislators not affiliated with any student organizations and removed the representation of two student organizations.

“If you look at the context of the bill, it was to increase the number of legislators that could be allocated to the legislative body,” Josef Gojcaj, Fraternity and Sorority Life representative for OUSC said. “So, the striking of the voting rights was kind of a rider under that bill, and it kind of like the Board of Trustees didn’t have a choice because if they didn’t pass it, then it would be almost seen as like, ‘Oh the Board of Trustees is against increasing representation.’ But then it’s like if they vote on it then what it specifically says on stripping voting rights away goes unheard.”

While some believe there was no public statement from OUSC or the Board of Trustees regarding their decision to approve the bill, Farooqi gave multiple reasons for the decision in this amendment.

First, there was the legal issue of having a representative for these two groups serving as voting members alongside paid legislators, when the Greek Council and Athletics Student Government representatives aren’t paid while doing the same work. The representatives for these groups weren’t paid because they are not members of the Student Congress, so OUSC cannot pay them.

“If these people were voting during our meetings, it would not be in line with employment law, and that’s what Office of Student Involvement [Senior Director] Jean Ann has told us in multiple meetings is that you cannot have two people doing the same job and only one of them getting paid,” Farooqi said.

This became a legal issue once legislators started being paid for their work in 2021, with the nonlegislator voting members doing the same work as legislators without pay.

The second reason for the decision was the Greek Council and Athletics Student Government were the only specific groups with voting member status. This

was seen as unfair to other groups who did not have a voting status as they believed the groups given voting status were majority white and only had this voting status because of their historical position within OU.

“A lot of people come and ask us and say, ‘How come just the fraternities and [Athletics Student Government] are getting this representation, what about other [organizations], what about cultural [organizations],’” Farooqi said.

Instead of privileging these groups with a voting member, OUSC has given them the status of liaisons, along with the other groups that have never had a voting member. People from the Greek Council and Athletics Student Government are also free to run to be legislators to represent their groups, but will no longer have a guaranteed seat while other groups must run a member to be represented.

One individual concerned about the lost voting status of the Greek Council and Athletics Student Government said the representatives of these groups would often miss OUSC meetings. The two representatives from these organizations said they were never made aware of meeting times, and there was no posted time for OUSC meetings for these representatives to find.

“We were never even made aware that we had a spot-on voting, well we knew we had a spot-on voting, but we were never aware of any meetings,” Kaylee Beaudoin, e-board member and events coordinator for OU’s club softball team, said. “ So, it’s like, ‘Oh, since you guys didn’t show up, we’re taking your chair away,’ but we were never given any type of notification on whether to show up or not.”

This statement was regarding the Greek Council and Athletics Student Government, as both weren’t made aware of meetings. The statements from Farooqi contradict these claims, however, as she said the representatives were made aware of meeting times, and the times are publicly available.

OUSC’s meeting times can be found on GrizzOrgs, and debate and meeting recordings can be found on OUSC’s Instagram page or directly requested from the OUSC director of internal affairs.

“This past semester, our administration, [the] FarooqiFerguson administration, they’ve had great attendance, and we’ve communicated with them from the beginning, and from past administration they didn’t show up, but it was communicated to them because our director of internal affairs emailed them a report document to at least copy paste a little message onto each week. And they did show up sometimes,” Farooqi said.

Gojcaj believes that certain groups are being silenced within OUSC by the current administration.

“I think with the current administration, there is a silencing of certain groups of people, and I think that includes student-athletes and those who fall within Greek Council,” Gojcaj said.

The sense was there was some dislike of the Greek Council and Athletics Student Government from members of OUSC, which led to them being ostracized from OUSC. There has been no indication about who specifically had issues with the Greek Council or Athletics Student Government or that there was widespread discrimination against these groups.

With the background of these two groups and their position as voting members when no one else was, the amendment has brought their position in line with all other organizations regarding OUSC.

Those who were upset at the decision believe there was intentionally little said about the decision, but the amendment was done in line with the way previous amendments were done. The meetings where the

amendments are argued for and voted on are also publicly available.

Some people voiced concerns that they believe the Athletics Student Government losing their voting status will affect the ability of some sports clubs to fund and advertise for themselves because they partially get funding from the Recreation Center, which gets funding from the Student Funding Board.

However, it is unlikely the Athletics Student Government losing its special voting status will affect the ability of clubs to advertise and fund because the Athletics Student Government is separate from club sports.

The perceived discrimination of the Athletics Student Government and the Greek Council in OUSC are part of a larger issue facing these organizations. According to Beaudoin, some clubs within the Athletics Student Government already struggle with funding and advertisements, and there is a concern these issues will be exacerbated for the sports clubs now that there is no representative for them in OUSC.

“Student Congress advertises for a lot of different things, but the one thing they will never advertise for is Greek Council and Athletics, and I have no clue why that is, and I have no clue why there is such an imbalance between Student Congress and these other activities like Greek Council and Athletics,” Beaudoin said.

Some people feel this decision from OUSC shows a lack of commitment to democratic values.

“I do think that OU embodies democratic values,” Gojcaj said. “I just think that OUSC doesn’t want everyone to be heard, and I think that them taking those voting rights away just kind of explains the lack of democratic values that OUSC has, rather than what OU has.”

This is a sentiment shared by others, but it’s hard to argue that this amendment is anti-democratic, as these groups were the only ones given special privileges as voting members, while no other organizations have ever had a special voting seat. The number of legislators also increased, which gives more people and groups a chance at representation instead of guaranteeing a spot for a few historically prominent groups.

While the discussion around OUSC’s recent decision has focused on the amendment getting rid of voting rights for the Greek Council and Athletics Student Government, there are other organizations that some feel also deserve voting rights. Residence Life Association and the Native American Advisory Committee do not have a voting representative within OUSC, which some are concerned is undemocratic of OUSC.

Some seem to wish for a voting representative for more groups and potentially all groups on campus, but OUSC seems to believe it would be more feasible to give them representation through the liaison system. This is because Farooqi was told these other groups could not be made voting members the same way the Athletics Student Government and the Greek Council were.

While some worry that there was a lack of transparency from OUSC regarding the lead-up to this vote and discussions on it, OUSC offers ways to see how they vote, their meetings and what they vote on.

Currently, there is no effortless way to search for specific issues. It is simpler to ask the OUSC president or vice president who is willing to provide transcripts of previous meetings with time stamps for video recordings.

While a few people have voiced concerns over this decision as a reflection of OUSC’s democratic values, Farooqi believes the decision was made for good reason. It was one way to increase representation for all groups, as it will let any group become a liaison that can advocate for their organization’s interest.

(Continue on our Website)

Super Tuesday — The Waterloo of Nikki Haley

MALLORY WALIGORA Political Reporter

On Tuesday, March 5, voters in 16 states around the country headed to the polls. Commonly referred to as “Super Tuesday,” more than a third of delegates were up for grabs for candidates vying to win the official nomination of their party.

To win the official nomination from either the Democratic or Republican party, a candidate must earn a certain amount of delegates. By winning states in the primaries, candidates will add numbers to their delegate count. This is similar to the presidential election, where candidates need a majority of votes from the Electoral College to win the White House.

Joe Biden faced no serious challenge for the Democratic party’s nomination. Both Marianne Williamson and Dean Phillips remain at zero delegates. Biden is leading with 1,497 delegates, and 1,968 are needed to win the nomination. This will be a breeze for the incumbent.

As for the Republican contests, 1,215 delegates are needed to win the nomination. Although Trump has not passed the official delegate count, he is extremely likely to secure the nomination.

Trump has been faced with more challenges. Unlike Biden, Nikki Haley posed a serious threat to Trump at

the beginning of the race. However, following Super Tuesday, she has dropped out of the race. Haley ended her tumultuous and grueling battle against Trump on March 6, ensuring that Trump will be the Republican nominee. Trump leads with 1,004 delegates.

“We have a great Republican Party with tremendous talent, and we want to have unity, and we’re going to have unity, and it’s going to happen very quickly. I have been saying lately, success will bring unity to our country,” Trump said after winning big on Super Tuesday.

Trump beat Haley by winning 14 of the 15 states. Haley won Vermont, as the state proved to be a more competitive ground for Trump, with voters being more politically democratic than other battleground states.

“The time has now come to suspend my campaign. I said I wanted Americans to have their voices heard. I have done that. I have no regrets,” Haley said following her loss.

There remains little doubt that there will be a rematch between Trump and Biden this Nov., though this rematch is one that few Americans want. Many Americans feel like it’s Groundhog’s Day, with an identical ballot as the 2020 election.

Recent polling has highlighted how well-regarded Trump’s policies are. According to a recent New York Times poll, around 18% of respondents agreed that Biden’s politics have helped them personally. An astonishing

40% of respondents agreed that Trump’s policies have helped them personally.

A vital motivating issue for Democrats who lean more pro-Trump this election is the economy. Additionally, polling suggests that Trump may be gaining support from Hispanic and Black voters — 37% of Hispanic voters said Trump’s policies helped them personally compared to the 15% who agreed that Biden did the same. These groups of voters proved to be essential to Biden in the 2020 election. With more than 8 months remaining until the presidential election, new advancements may show different polling for both candidates. The long and expansive race has only started.

NewsNation hosts a State of the Union address watch party at Oakland University

PAYTON BUCKI Content Editor

On March 7, dozens of metro-Detroit community members flooded Wilson Hall to participate in a State of the Union address watch party, hosted by the national cable news network, NewsNation. The attendees, diverse in age and background, sat as the live studio audience for the program.

Before the speech, the group was treated to a complimentary dinner. Over dinner, community members discussed what they would like to hear in President Biden’s address to the nation.

Some attendees were eager to hear Biden discuss a variety of issues, ranging from foreign policy to education. Others focused on Biden’s public-speaking ability, in light of recent concerns about Biden’s age comprising his ability to perform his presidential duties.

At around 9:30 p.m., Biden entered the U.S. House Chamber and approached the podium.

Biden began the 2024 State of the Union address with strong words about the Russia-Ukraine War. He made it clear that the United States stands alongside Ukraine, and criticized his predecessor, Donald Trump, for maintaining rosy relations with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Biden went on to discuss the importance of maintaining fair and free elections, leading him to call out his predecessor yet again for causing the Jan. 6 insurrection.

“You can’t love your country only when you win,” Biden said.

Biden then touched upon the issues of reproductive freedom, criticizing the Supreme Court of the United States for overturning Roe v. Wade.

“Women are not without electoral and political power,” Biden said. “You are about to realize that this [presidential] election.”

The economy was the next point of discussion. Biden pointed out that the economy has rebounded since the pandemic, as evidenced by job expansion, infrastructure projects and healthcare expansion.

Biden went on to highlight the importance of unions, proudly stating that he was the first U.S. President to stand at the UAW picket line this past fall.

“The middle class built this country and unions built the middle class,” Biden said.

The topics of healthcare and education were discussed. Biden showed support for the Affordable Care Act and expressed his commitment to raising the wages of public school teachers.

Biden moved onto the hot-button topic of immigration. Amidst the heckling of Marjorie Taylor Greene, Biden appeared to go off-script, holding up a button and saying the name Laken Riley. Riley, a University of Georgia nursing student, was murdered by a Venezuelan man who had entered the United States illegally. Biden called for the need for the Bipartisan Border Agreement.

“We can either fight about fixing the border, or we can fix it,” Biden said.

The topics of voting rights, educational diversity, the climate crisis and violent crime were discussed. Biden emphasized the importance of environmental protections and increased gun safety regulations.

One of the final topics Biden touched upon was the Israel-Hamas War. Despite protest signs held by numerous Democrat politicians calling for a lasting ceasefire, Biden declared his support for Israel and offered temporary relief aid to Gazans. Biden announced that the U.S. military would be

creating a temporary dock to provide Gazans with humanitarian aid.

To close out his 2024 State of the Union address, Biden recounted his life story. Born during World War II, Biden grew up in a working-class family and decided to dedicate his life to public service.

Biden responded to critics of his old age with a bit of humor, pointing out that he used to be told he was too young to be a politician and, now, he was being told he was too old to continue the job.

“I believe in America. I believe in the American people,” Biden said. “Let’s build our future together.”

Following Biden’s speech, NewsNation host Blake Burman questioned the watch party about their thoughts on the address.

Jason Posey, a registered Democrat from Detroit, found Biden’s State of the Union address to be compelling.

“I did not expect the intensity Biden brought in the speech tonight,” Posey said. “I am more likely to vote for Biden [in the 2024 Presidential election] after hearing the address.”

Lucas Zielinski, a political science student at Oakland University, was less persuaded by Biden’s words.

“He [Biden] did a good job of covering the basics, of what’s going on in the world and what pressing issues the United States is facing. However, I feel like Biden did not talk about the wars in Ukraine and Israel enough,” Zielinski said. “He could have also touched on the economy more because people are still hurting financially, despite a decrease in inflation.”

Zielinski found Biden’s address to be coherent, but not especially persuasive. After hearing the State of the Union address, Zielinski did not feel that he was more likely to give Biden his vote.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AP

Alabama IVF clinics temporarily close doors after embryo ruling

MALLORY WALIGORA Political Reporter

The Alabama Supreme Court has made a monumental ruling. The future of reproductive healthcare for fertility clinics has been changed forever in the state of Alabama.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a complex treatment for infertility in which mature eggs are collected from ovaries and then fertilized by sperm in a lab. After contact, the fertilized eggs, classified as embryos, are surgically placed into a uterus. The baby then develops inside the uterus after the surgical transplant.

IVF is one of the most common and effective types of fertility treatments, with about 4 million births being conceived through the fertilization process annually. About 1% to 2% of all US births annually are made possible through IVF. In a frustrating and challenging journey of fertilization for American couples, IVF can serve as a beacon of hope, offering promising possibilities against the uncertainty of infertility challenges.

Three couples filed a case after their embryos were accidentally destroyed in an incident at the Alabama Center for Reproductive Medicine. A patient at a clinic entered a storage room full of embryos and accidentally destroyed them. The plaintiffs were devastated by the loss of these embryos in the lab, and they took the wrongful death of the embryos to court.

This legal case brings up vital questions for reproductive health: at what point does life begin? What is considered a “person” under the law? Can you murder someone that is not fully developed yet?

The ruling states that frozen embryos are given legal personhood. The ruling criminalized the destruction of embryos under a “Wrongful Death of a Minor” law.

“This Court has long held that unborn children are children for purposes of Alabama’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act,” the ruling states.

A floodgate of responses poured out following the ruling. Couples in Alabama planning to utilize IVF have grown fearful over the possible implications of the ruling.

“Today, in 2024 in America, women are being turned away from emergency rooms and forced to travel hundreds of miles for health care, while doctors fear prosecution for providing an abortion. And now, a court in Alabama put access to some fertility treatments at risk for families who are desperately trying to get pregnant. The disregard for women’s ability to make these decisions for themselves and their families is outrageous and unacceptable,” President Joe Biden commented in an official statement.

A handful of fertility practices have halted IVF treatments since the ruling in fear of legal risk. The largest fertility clinic in the state, Alabama Fertility, shared its concerns over legal risk.

“We have made the impossibly difficult decision to hold new IVF treatments due to the legal risk to our clinic and our embryologists. We are contacting patients that will be affected today to find solutions for them and we are working as hard as we can to alert our legislators as to the far-reaching negative impact of this ruling on the women of Alabama,” the company writes in a Facebook post.

As the 2024 election continues to loom large over America, reproductive health remains a prominent issue for voters. This ruling in Alabama shone a light on the complexities of fertilization and women’s reproductive health.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES

Oakland men’s basketball team secures Horizon League regular-season championship

SUMMER WEATHERS

Sports Reporter

The men’s basketball team soared to victory on a memorable senior night against the Detroit Mercy Titans, 75-70.

In a game that featured a rollercoaster of momentum swings that left fans at the OU Credit Union O’rena on the edge of their seats, the Golden Grizzlies delivered an electrifying performance.

Detroit Mercy came out into the second half the same way they ended the first, with a lot of their shots falling for them, extending their lead 44-37, credited to the Titans’ Jayden Stone. The Grizzlies got going when Tuburu Naivalurua had a commanding dunk, setting off a series of Oakland runs.

Oakland’s very own Trey Townsend, who continuously proves why he is the Horizon League Player of the Year, made his presence felt with back-to-back buckets. His contributions were later followed by a huge triple by Blake Lampman, as he tallied a total of 20 points for the night.

Despite Stone’s offensive rhythm still on display, the Grizzlies remained resilient. A pinpoint bounce pass from Townsend to Chris Conway for the jam put Oakland ahead, 53-52. The Titans showed that they refused to back down, attacking the rim and relying on foul calls that sent them to the line in order to stay close with less than two minutes left on the clock.

In the final moments of the game, with the Horizon League regular season championship within reach, Lampman had tightened up on defense and

completely disrupted Detroit Mercy’s offense. Then, a key play later, he found Jack Gohlke for the triple that erupted the OU Credit Union O’rena. The tension continued to grow as the Titans’ Tobin Schwannecke quickly knocked down a 3-pointer of his own from the corner to trim the lead to two, 72-70.

With only 17 seconds remaining, Trey Townsend again had bodied his way to the basket, scoring through contact and converting on the and-one opportunity from the stripe that gave Oakland the five-point advantage.

Oakland was locked in on defense on Detroit

Mercy’s last possession, resulting in their efforts coming up short. The Golden Grizzlies had sealed the deal and defeated their rivals in their second meeting, delighting the home crowd as they were named Horizon League Champions of the regular season. It was evident that in crunch time, Oakland’s plays were executed to a tee, which, in the end, could not be stopped.

For Oakland’s seniors — Trey Townsend, Blake Lampman, Jack Gohlke and Rocket Watts — this win held special significance. Before their dedicated tribute videos graced the screens, head coach Greg Kampe was able to express the immense impact they have had on the men’s basketball program to end the night.

What’s Next?

The Golden Grizzlies aren’t done yet. With an impressive victory in the first postseason play at the OU Credit Union O’rena against Purdue Fort Wayne, winning 75-65, they are primed to extend their success further and are determined to make a deep run and have the chance to compete in the NCAA Tournament. The First Four will begin on Tuesday, March 19.

Grizzlies fall short in baseball showdown against Michigan Wolverines

KURT SZYMANSKI Sports Reporter

On Wednesday, March 6, Oakland University’s baseball team came up short to the University of Michigan (U-M) Wolverines with a final score of 13-5 on the road at Ray Fisher Stadium.

The loss marked OU’s ninth of the season and the first loss to the Wolverines since 2018, snapping a two-game win streak the Grizzlies have had over U-M dating back to the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

The game featured 12 different Grizzlies batters — six players tallied seven hits and four recorded RBIs, including Sam Griffith, Brandon Nigh, Lucas Day and Ian Cleary. Notably, both Nigh’s and Day’s RBIs came from homerun swings.

In comparison, the Wolverines sent 10 different players up to bat. Seven of those 10 players batted in a runner, and two of them, Bradley Navarro and Cole Caruso, delivered home runs.

After both teams remained in a stalemate through the first two innings, OU scored first in the top of the third inning.

Aidan Orr sent the ball far into left field, resulting in a double. With a man on second base, Drew Gaskins grounded out, sending Orr to third base. Griffith brought Orr home on the following at-bat with his groundout to second base. By the end of OU’s chance to bat, the team led U-M 1-0.

At the bottom of the third, the Wolverines responded promptly. Following a triple from Kyle Dernedded, U-M got five additional hits in the inning, rallying the score to 6-1 in favor of the Wolverines.

In the next inning, OU got on the scoreboard once again. After Cleary was hit by the pitch to open the inning, Nigh sent the ball deep to left center, marking the Grizzlies’ first home run in the game.

On the following at-bat, Day went back-to-back for the Grizzlies, shortening the deficit for the OU as the Wolverines still led 6-4.

However, in the bottom of the fourth inning, U-M had a response for the Grizzlies once again. Dylan Stanton drove in two more runs for the Wolverines with a single to right field, expanding

the U-M lead to 8-4.

Despite being down, the Grizzlies had a small resurgence in the top of the seventh inning, with Trent Rice tripling to right field. Rice made it back home on the next at-bat thanks to a single from Cleary, bringing the score to 8-5 and inching OU closer to the Wolverines.

In the bottom of the eighth, U-M’s bat caught fire. After a single off Stephen Hrustich’s bat, Mack Timbrook was able to score, bolstering the Wolverines’ lead to 9-5. Following the U-M score, Jonathan Kim singled up the middle, and an OU pitch hit Navarro, loading the bases for the Wolverines.

With a full house, Caruso homered for a grand slam on the first pitch of the count. By the end of the inning, the Wolverines poured in five runs to extend their lead for the last time in the game to 13-5.

OU had a chance to right their wrongs at the top of the 9th but couldn’t complete a comeback, ultimately losing to the Wolverines.

On deck, the Grizzlies will host the Cleary University Cougars at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13, at the Oakland Baseball Field for the team’s home opener.

After their solitary game against the Cougars, the team will travel south to face the Northern Kentucky Norse in a three-game series starting on Friday, March 15, and ending on Sunday, March 17.

Notably, the series against the Norse marks the start of conference play in the Horizon League for the Grizzlies.

PHOTO BY KATIE REID

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOLDEN GRIZZLIES

Recapping the first 11 games of Oakland baseball’s season

EVAN BLANCHARD Sports Reporter

Spring means many different things to different people. For some, it means the return of some green in our bland midwestern color palette. For others, it’s about Easter and hunting eggs with your family. But for me, it means the beginning of one of my favorite sports, baseball.

Seeing as professional baseball doesn’t start until early April, my cravings for baseball became fixed on Oakland University’s team. So how have the boys fared over the first 11 games of the season, from the opener against Saint Mary’s in mid-February to a trip to Miami, Ohio?

Preseason Expectations

Before the season started, Perfect Game, a baseball publisher, named four Grizzlies to their preseason allconference team. Starting catcher Brandon Heidal, infielder and pitcher Brandon Nigh, reliever Brandon Decker and ace pitcher Hunter Pidek all found themselves on the list, joined by freshman pitcher Brody Krzysiak for Freshmen of the Year.

Oakland was picked to finish third in the Horizon League by the conference’s six head coaches. Coming off of two consecutive conference championship appearances, Oakland is looking to break through and bring a championship to Rochester.

Games 1-3 Against Saint Mary’s College of California

The Grizzlies opened their season with a trip out west to Moraga, California, where they took on the Gaels in three games.

In the first game of a doubleheader on Feb. 16, Hunter Pidek pitched a beautiful seven-inning shutout with four strikeouts. First baseman Lucas Day had a big day at the plate, with four runs batted in, including a home run. Center fielder Reggie Bassey went 5-5 on his at-bats, adding three stolen bags. Reliever Shane McAlinden would come in for Pidek and finish the game with two shutout innings. Pidek would earn the victory with a 5-0 win.

Later that day, in the second game of the doubleheader, the Gaels’ bats erupted to the tune of 13 runs. Oakland’s Brandon Decker could only make it through four innings, giving up six hits and four runs. The relief staff didn’t fare much better, giving up an additional nine runs from five homers. The Grizzlies couldn’t get much going on offense, either. A double from designated hitter John Lauinger scored the only two runs in the game. A 2-13 loss ended the first day of the season.

Two days later, Oakland again took the field with a chance to win the series. As the innings passed by, it appeared the Grizzlies were facing a repeat of Game 2. Going into the eighth inning, they faced an 11-1 deficit. Starter Sean Fekete got beat up in three innings, allowing eight hits and five runs. Freshman Brody Krzysiak was called upon to stop the bleeding but allowed five runs of his own in 2.1 innings. Finally, in the eighth inning, Oakland was able to get to Gaels reliever John Damozonio with five runs in the inning. Multiple Grizzlies hit single after single to trim the lead. Finally, in the ninth, Lucas Day hit his second homer of the season to make it an 8-11 game with the Gaels on top.

Games 4-6 at Eastern Kentucky University

The next stop on the nonconference schedule was EKU in Richmond, Kentucky. Game 4 saw Pidek again take the mound for the Grizzlies. Colonels’ catcher Silas Shaffer hit a homer off Pidek in the second inning before a single brought two more Colonels home. Pidek would finish the day with six earned runs in just under five innings. Oakland catcher Brandon Heidal hit a home run of his own to go with three hits from center fielder Bussey, but the Grizzlies fell short 5-11.

Looking to get back in the win column, Brandon Decker started Game 5 and had a much better outing in his second start. In 6.1 innings, he gave up only two runs. Right fielder Ian Clearly had a day at the plate, going 3-4 with two doubles for two RBIs. Lucas Day hit yet another home run and finished with two RBIs of his own. Oakland would win 5-4, with Aidan Manzella earning the save despite giving up two runs in the ninth inning.

Again facing a chance to win the series, Oakland wanted to put an exclamation point on the early season and get back to .500. And put an exclamation point, they did. Heidal hit a grand slam in the first inning, which was then followed by an eight-run third inning. Multiple Grizzlies had exceptional days at the plate, but Sam Griffith excelled, going 3-5 with 4 RBIs, one short of Heidal’s five. In total, 10 different Grizzlies had RBIs for a total of 19 runs. The game was called in the seventh inning, a 19-5 Oakland victory.

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All roads lead to Indy: Horizon League men’s basketball semifina l preview

EVAN BLANCHARD Sports Reporter

Everyone knows that the ultimate college basketball stage is March Madness, where 64 teams compete in single elimination to win the national championship.

Teams have two ways to qualify: 1) you win your conference tournament to automatically qualify, or 2) your season resume is good enough to earn an at-large bid. The Horizon League is a traditional one-bid conference, meaning that it usually only sends one team, which is the conference tournament champion. That means that, realistically, the only way for Horizon League teams to make it to the Big Dance is by winning the conference tournament.

On Monday, March 11, the semifinals of the tournament begin at 7 p.m. The matchups are No. 1 seed Oakland against No. 7 seed Cleveland State at 7 p.m., and then No. 5 seed Northern Kentucky takes on No. 6 seed Milwaukee at 9:30 p.m.

How will these matchups go? How did the Grizzlies fare against these teams in the regular season? And when the dust settles, who has the best chance to punch their ticket to March Madness?

Game 1: No. 1 Oakland vs. No. 7 Cleveland State Vikings

The Grizzlies defeated the No. 8-seeded Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons on Thursday, March 7 to advance. It was a huge victory that redeemed an early December loss to the Mastodons, a 98-77 drubbing. Cleveland State had to go through second-seeded Youngstown State to get to the semifinals, and they did it without leading scorer and all-conference

first-teamer Tristan Enaruna. The Vikings took the lead with 11 minutes left to play in the first half, and they never relinquished it. So, how do Oakland and CSU match up?

The two teams split the series in the regular season. Cleveland State thoroughly handled Oakland on Dec. 28 in Cleveland to the tune of a 75-67 victory. At halftime of that meeting, the Grizzlies trailed 41-23. Ten turnovers for Oakland in that first half led to multiple easy runouts for the Vikings, and multiple missed layups on the offensive end didn’t help either. The Grizzlies looked out of sorts and overwhelmed on defense.

In the second half, some life came back into Oakland on defense. They turned CSU over 10 times themselves and started to claw their way back into the game. As their defense held strong, the lead was finally down to four, but the Grizzlies couldn’t quite get ahead. A rough 5-25 showing from the 3-point line and 10 missed free throws held them back from finishing the job.

As a manager for Oakland, I can say that the longest I have ever waited for the team to be done in the locker room after a game was at Cleveland State after that loss. There was an over-45-minute discussion. That post-game talk in the locker room proved to be a pivotal point in the season. Ever since then, Oakland has gone a whopping 16-2.

On Feb. 3, Oakland took their revenge. The Vikings came to the OU Credit Union O’rena and left with an 83-71 loss. After an early 11-10 lead, CSU would never reclaim the advantage. The Grizzlies took much better care of the ball, committing only seven

turnovers compared to 16 the first time they played. They also hit their free throws, going 23-23 from the charity stripe and outrebounding CSU 42-34.

The biggest key to Oakland defeating Cleveland State again in the semifinals is to keep them out of transition. If Enaruna plays, they have an NBAcaliber athlete ready to lead their fast break, followed by Tae Williams, another excellent rebounder and transistor. If Enaruna doesn’t play, then the focus will be turned to fifth-year point guard Drew Lowder, whose 17 points helped lead the Vikings to an upset over Youngstown State.

My (partially biased) prediction is that Oakland will have a dominant win, something along the lines of 87-73. Trey Townsend will have a huge game, and Blake Lampman will find his shooting stroke after an off-game against Purdue Fort Wayne.

Game 2: No. 5 Northern Kentucky vs. No. 6 Milwaukee

In the regular season, these two teams split, with NKU taking the first matchup in January and Milwaukee avenging that loss with a one-point win in February.

On Jan. 18, Milwaukee traveled to NKU, looking to get to 5-2 on the season. It was a close contest the entire game, with the largest lead going to the NKU Norse. They were up nine with 16:32 left in the second half. The Milwaukee Panthers managed to bring it back to being down by only a point, but then the game blew open.

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Trust the process: Troy Weaver’s day in the life

SUMMER WEATHERS

Sports Reporter

Troy Weaver’s dedication and strategic leadership as the Detroit Pistons General Manager reflect a blend of experience and innovation needed to shape the franchise’s future.

A glimpse into Troy Weaver’s day is nothing short of pure commitment, starting his days early. The first order of business is a meeting with his trusted assistant, where he is briefed on the day’s agenda. This sets the tone for productivity in all his daily operations.

Weaver then engages in a series of meetings with players and coaches and remains persistent in having these interactions, as they serve as a time to build rapport, address concerns and provide support to the entire team and staff. He also prioritizes meetings with his leadership team to determine the vision of the organization — some of the most critical duties of the day.

Having to navigate the demanding landscape of his front-office role, he has mastered a balance that allows him to consistently achieve a lot of his organizational objectives despite the high-pressure situations.

“Mainly, it’s staying patient in the midst of the restoration,” Weaver said. “We know where we want to go, and it takes time, so it’s a lot of pressure every year on putting a team on the floor that’s competitive, so a lot goes into that, but it’s staying patient and staying true to our core values.”

Weaver knows he has a tall task ahead of him. It

is no secret that the Pistons have been struggling this season, but given Weaver’s record of accomplishments as a fixture in the NBA world for years, he has worked with many esteemed organizations, proving his expertise in player evaluations, trades, draft picks, and other acquisitions that have resulted in some outstanding choices.

A year after he took over as the Pistons GM, he started his recipe by obtaining the number one overall draft pick in 2021, Cade Cunningham. Next, in 2022, the Pistons drafted both Jaden Ivey

and Jalen Duren. Continuing his tactical moves, Weaver successfully secured Ausar Thompson in 2023. Collectively, they are a young core building towards the blueprint.

One of the hallmarks of Weaver is his elite ability to connect the dots between the franchise’s shortand long-term goals — making informed, tough decisions and accumulating valuable assets both through wins and losses.

The newest players added to the roster during this year’s NBA trade deadline display his keen eye for talent and commitment to building a more cohesive team.

Remarkably, these significant moves have left the Pistons with up to an impressive $60 million in free agency funds for the summer. What does this mean for the team? Weaver can continue to seek out top talent that can contribute to the restoration.

With the adversity that the Detroit Pistons are facing right now, Weaver is more than ever devoted to creating a strong culture with an unwavering pursuit of success that Detroit fans can look forward to.

“It is the assignment,” Weaver said. “It’s the job. When you walk into a situation, you want to leave it a better place, and the goal here is to restore the Pistons — that’s the goal, and that’s what I wake up every morning aspiring to do.”

Weathering the storm is a part of the process that we all can take heart in preparing for, but the sun will eventually come out. Trust the process.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CLUTCHPOINTS

Greg Kampe praises home crowd: ‘They willed us to the win’

BROCK HEILIG Sports Editor

Oakland led for more than 37 minutes on Thursday night in its 75-65 win over Purdue Fort Wayne at the OU Credit Union O’rena. Up by as many as 23 points in the victory, the Golden Grizzlies proved why they earned the No. 1 seed in the Horizon League Tournament.

In front of a season-best 3,721 fans, Greg Kampe’s Golden Grizzlies put on a show. Highlighted by roofraising dunks from Osei Price and Trey Townsend, as well as an and-one 3-pointer from Jack Gohlke, the players and fans seemingly fed off the other’s energy all night.

After leading by nearly a quarter dollar, things got tight late in the second half thanks to Purdue Fort Wayne’s feisty press. The Mastodons cut the lead to six, but Oakland was able to finish the deal. Kampe admitted after the game that the team relied on the crowd.

“We worked all year to get this home game. And at the most important time, we used that crowd,” Kampe said.

Blake Lampman and Rocket Watts combined to shoot a perfect 6-6 from the charity stripe after Purdue Fort Wayne cut the lead to six to help stave off the Mastodons.

As well as Oakland played, Kampe couldn’t help but give the raucous crowd props after the game.

“I will tell you, we’ve played tournament games here before — that was the biggest crowd we’ve ever had for a tournament game,” Kampe said. “And they willed us to the win. They were fantastic. Our students, our swimming team, obviously, but the students were back. I mean, that student section in the old days was like

that every game. It didn’t matter who we were playing. They were like that.”

Perhaps the strong turnout was a factor of it being the last game of the season at the OU Credit Union O’rena, or maybe it was because the Golden Grizzlies had earned the No. 1 seed in the league tournament, but there was a different energy in the building on Thursday night.

Ironically, none of Oakland’s three leading scorers — Townsend, Lampman or Gohlke — reached double figures, but rather Watts and DQ Cole carried the scoring load in the victory.

Cole’s 14-point first half and Watts’ 12-point second half kept the crowd energized and engaged throughout the night, even when it looked like the Mastodons were

making a comeback.

“For many years, I didn’t realize how lucky we had it here. Because what you saw tonight is how it used to be every day. And the pandemic hit, and nobody came, and as the year went on, I think word got out about how good this group is, and that was unbelievable tonight.”

Oakland will now head to Indianapolis, where it will compete in the Horizon League Tournament semifinals against No. 7 seed Cleveland State.

Surprisingly, the top-seeded Golden Grizzlies were the only favorites to win in Thursday night’s quarterfinals. No. 7 Cleveland State upset No. 2 Youngstown State, No. 5 Northern Kentucky knocked off No. 4 Wright State and No. 6 Milwaukee defeated No. 3 Green Bay.

The path is now wide open for the Golden Grizzlies, which stand just two wins away from punching a ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.

Watts gave his early thoughts on the matchup against Cleveland State.

“Cleveland State’s a great team,” Watts said. “I feel like it’s gonna be a great game. We’re gonna have some good practices before we play them. We’re gonna watch film, and our scout team will do a great job, and we’re just gonna have fun out there and get a win.”

Oakland and Cleveland State will tip off on Monday night, March 11 at 7 p.m. from Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis. The game will air on ESPNU.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JUNFU HAN