Aug. 29

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THE CAMPUS August 29, 2018 – Volume 112 Issue 2

Clara Luper’s daughter visits campus for civil rights dialogue Emily Wollenberg

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The daughter of Clara Luper, Oklahoma City civil rights activist, was scheduled to visit campus to honor the 60th anniversary of the sit-ins led by her mother. Marilyn Hildreth intended to share her memories of the civil rights movement, including the historic sit-ins in Oklahoma City, during her visit Tuesday in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. The Student Diversity and Inclusion Office hosted the event. Russ Tallchief, director of student diversity and inclusion, said Luper and her children helped propel the civil rights movement in Oklahoma. “This is really where peaceful protests began, in Oklahoma City, and Clara Luper was at the helm,” he said. Luper taught high school during a time when Supreme Court rulings mandated the desegregation of Oklahoma schools. She is famous for her peaceful protests against racism and segregation, particularly in continuous sit-ins with her children in Katz Drug Store in Oklahoma City. Prior to the sit-ins, Luper took her children to a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People convention in New York City. Her children were able to experience an environment without segregation, contrasting to the animosity they felt in their hometown. Upon returning to Oklahoma, the children felt inspired to have a sit-in at Katz Drug Store, a “whites only” shop, to protest the racism against the black community. The Katz Drug Store employees called the police, but, because the children were minors, they were not arrested. The children continued returning to the drugstore to stage their peaceful protest until they were served. The protests grew until every eating establishment in the city was integrated. Hildreth speaks about why the sit-ins were necessary and how they started. During the time of the sit-ins, Oklahoma was one of the most segregated states in the United States. She said, until she and others decided to go to Katz Drug Store to bring attention to the bigotry and hatred in Oklahoma, Oklahomans didn’t understand what was going on. She advocates for current events in Oklahoma and the important role young people play

Nate Billings The Oklahoman Marilyn Hildreth oversees the reenactment of the first Katz Drug Store sit-in. The reenactment commemorates the 60th anniversary of the sit-ins. Children protested racism at the “whites only” drugstore in the ‘50s.

in society. “It’s about the importance of the vote, the importance of speaking up against injustice, the importance of helping others,” she said. Tallchief said students should learn about segregation and civil rights history in Oklahoma City. “We’ve come a long way in 60 years, but we still have racial tensions out there. We’ve got to continue to bridge those gaps and reach out,” he said. “We have to think about what we can do as OCU students and faculty and staff to help bridge that in the way that those kids did back in the 1950s.” Hildreth said she wants people who attended the campus dialogue to understand the important role her mother played in Oklahoma history. “Not only did she talk the talk by helping others, she walked the walk, and she believed that every kid could learn,” she said. “And she worked diligently in the classroom to make sure that happened.” Hildreth said she hopes that, by telling her story, others will feel inspired to stand up against injustice. Ashleigh Robinson, music theater senior, was scheduled to

sing at the event. Robinson said Clara Luper’s legacy has had a big impact on the campus community, and students should be open to learning about her history. “Anything that provides students cultural education, especially historical cultural education, is important,” Robinson said. “The more people that choose to learn and choose to grow, the more our university will foster those opportunities and will provide other chances for people to become more culturally aware.” The Clara Luper Scholarship, started in 2003 and funded by Devon Energy, is a full tuition, room and board scholarship specifically for OCU students who excel in academics, community service and leadership. The scholarship includes membership in the President’s Leadership Class, an opportunity for emerging leaders and distinguished scholars. “Students are selected based on their embodiment of the Clara Luper spirit,” Tallchief said. “It’s open to anybody who demonstrates financial need, and they are all from diverse backgrounds. We find those people that really personify her commitment to service.” Clara Luper died in 2011. Hildreth said Luper scholars are expected to take on leadership in the community to honor Luper’s memory. “They cannot afford to sit back on their constitutions and do nothing. They must become involved in their community,” she said. The Clara Luper corridor on N.W. 23rd Street by the Oklahoma State Capitol honors Luper’s commitment to the community. “I take the scholars and we go and clean up the corridor every spring,” Tallchief said. Hildreth said she wants people to know the importance of helping others. Robinson said students should continue to learn about Luper’s legacy and impact on the community. “A lot of the established culture of our campus has to do with Clara Luper, and so many people don’t know about the work that she did in not only the Oklahoma City community, but Oklahoma state and the African-American community nationwide,” Robinson said.

Hannah Rogers Student Publications

Having a bash Caroline Purdy, music theater junior, and Jordan Wilkes, music theater senior, fight each other at the Back to School Bash on Aug. 20 on the quad. Student Affairs hosted the event that featured inflatables, food trucks and mini-golf. Students could also get a free OKCU pennant. Above: Natalie Gregg, education junior, and Halie Shelton, biochemistry sophomore, play mini-golf at the Back to School Bash. About 400 students attended the event.

Cokesbury Court enhances security, students express support Lenora LaVictoire

STAFF WRITER

Cokesbury Court Apartment residents returned this semester to new locks and heightened security. The apartment complex has been a focus for increased security in the last two years following two attempted abductions in March 2018 and a string of stolen cars and burglaries in 2016. Locks were installed over the summer on all four walkin gates and require students to enter a code to open them. “The pedestrian gates have never had any locks on them,” said Elizabeth Richardson, associate director of housing and residence life. “New locks

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were something they knew that they needed to do for a while.” Campus Living Villages, the company contracted by OCU to maintain the apartments, purchased the new locks for an unknown amount and installed them. Jordan Tarter, English senior, Student Government Association president and Cokesbury resident, said she is glad to see the new locks. “I feel a lot safer,” Tarter said. “Before, when we didn’t have those padlocks on the gates, I felt very unsafe, and I felt like my friends were unsafe.” Elizabeth Carter, business senior, has had her apartment broken into twice in the two and a half years she has lived in Cokesbury. Both times it

Elina Moon Student Publications The new padlock system outside Cokesbury Court Apartments. The system requires residents to enter a code before entering through the gate.

was a non-resident who should not have been in Cokesbury, she said. The first time, a man walked into her apartment, saw her and left. She later identified the man in court. The second time, a

man broke into her apartment and stole cookies she had baked and her mail, Carter said. Though Carter was physically unharmed, she said that the experiences left her on edge at home.

“It very much made me feel uncomfortable, like my personal space had been invaded. It made me definitely more wary of surroundings and what was happening,” she said. Despite her break-ins, Carter said she remains confident that OCU and Cokesbury staffs are doing all they can to keep residents safe. “I think they do as much as they feasibly can, but there are always more things that could be done,” she said. Tarter, who campaigned for better security during last year’s SGA election, said there are more security updates coming. She said SGA has been working to install a license plate camera on one of the drive-in gates at Cokesbury. They have set aside

about $2,145 to pay for the camera when SGA and Richardson choose the most suitable one, Tarter said. “OCUPD is helping us with placement,” Tarter said. “Cokesbury seems to be always willing to hear us out about safety issues.” Tarter said change is a slow process, but this year there has been a bigger push for more security. If students witness anything suspicious or something that makes them feel unsafe, they can call campus police at 405-208-5001 or call their emergency number at 405-208-5911.

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