Nov. 6

THE CAMPUS November 6, 2019 – Volume 113 Issue 10

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Opinion

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News

page 4 News

Sou�ce: YouTube.com/user/ChanceThaRapper

Spreading the Gospel

Paving the way for change

Making a name

A columnist reviews Kanye West’s new album, “Jesus is King,” and discusses

A School of Theatre student has started a Diversity and Inclusion Council to

An OCU alumnus was featured in Chance the Rapper’s new music video,

religious criticism.

give minority students a voice in the school’s decision-making.

“Hot Shower” which has been viewed over 4 million times on YouTube.

Gamma Phi Beta wins Homecoming Paul Dower

Left: Liana Forss, music theater

COPY EDITOR

sophomore, plays “Alice” in the

The sorority Gamma Phi Beta took first place in Homecoming this year.

The women of Gamma Phi Beta celebrated their victory Saturday in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center after taking first place in Lip Sync, first place in structure, Kid’s Choice Award in structure, second place in banner, and first place in the sweepstakes award.

The 2019 Homecoming theme was “Adventure Awaits.”

Gamma Phi Beta’s theme was “Alice in Wonderland,” and their Lip Sync performance follows the titular “Alice” as the “White Rabbit” introduces her to the OCU campus.

Greek organizations Alpha Chi Omega, Gamma Phi Beta, Phi Mu, and Lambda Chi Alpha participated in all Homecoming competitions. Miracle Marathon and Black Student Association participated in Lip Sync, Banner, and Homecoming Royalty, and the Wesley Center and FEM participated in banner. United States Institute for Theatre Technology, POM, and Spirit of Liturgical Dance also participated in Homecoming Royalty.

Awards for the various competions were given as follows: • Banner: third place, Phi Mu, second place, Gamma Phi Beta, first place, Black Student Association • Structure: third place, Phi Mu, second place, Alpha Chi Omega, first place, Gamma Phi Beta • Lip Sync: third place, BSA, second place, Phi Mu, first place, Gamma Phi Beta The Kid’s Choice Award was voted on by children from the Children’s Miracle Marathon Network who were in attendance.

Phi Mu received the Kid’s Choice Award for the banner competition, Alpha Chi Omega received the award for Lip Sync and Gamma Phi Beta won for their structure.

Alpha Chi Omega was awarded the Spirit award for the eighth consecutive year. They were also awarded the Service award.

Evan Rolls, Gamma Phi Beta panhellenic affairs vice president and psychology junior, said she and the rest of the members of Gamma Phi Beta put lot of work into Homecoming.

“We spent a lot of time and put a lot of effort into Homecoming this year; it was really important to us,” Rolls said. “I feel, well, relieved and tired, but mostly good and really excited about winning.”

Rolls said Gamma Phi Beta’s victory shows the sorority’s commitment to Homecoming and OCU. “We are super dedicated and we really do care a lot about the OCU community,” she said. “We thought that it was important to show how thrilled we were to be involved here. Our sisterhood is really important, and that’s what we focused a lot on.”

Sarah Lubaroff, dance senior, choreographed Gamma Phi Beta’s Lip Sync performance and said Homecoming is one of her favorite things to participate in for Greek Life.

“Homecoming’s been a big part of my participation in the orga-

Homecoming Lip Sync competition.

Gamma Phi Beta’s theme was “Alice in Wonderland,” and follows Alice as she tours OCU and tries to figure out what her major should be. She meets “Tweedle Dee” and “Tweedle Dum,” performed by Grace Nettrour, acting senior, and Leah Mossman, music theater sophomore. Mia Sherlock, dance sophomore, performed as the “White Rabbit,” who gives Alice a tour around OCU. Bottom right: Gamma Phi Beta’s structure depicts the Mad Hatter and March Hare’s tea table.

Bottom right: Gamma Phi Beta’s banner shows Alice arriving at OCU.

Clara Foster Student Publications

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Hannah Campbell Student Publications

Submitted

nization,” she said. “So to have such a big hand in our Homecoming this year and to have it turn out so well was a really awesome feeling.”

The titles of Homecoming king and queen were awarded to Anthony Giandiletti Jr., dance senior, representing the Spirit of Grace Liturgical Dance Company, and Emily Pereira, dance senior, representing Phi Mu. Giandiletti said he was completely stunned when they called his name.

“When I won, I was actually a little shocked, and I’m kind of an awkward person,” he said. “So when I won, I was like ‘I don’t really know what to do or how to react;’ so the video of me that my girlfriend took is kind of awkward.”

Giandiletti said he was more excited when he heard Pereira won Homecoming queen.

“She puts in so much time and dedication to her sorority, and she is such a good leader.” he said. “For me, it was cool to share that with her, and anyone who watched was like, ‘you got more excited when Emily won than when you did.’”

Pereira said she was thrilled when she heard her name called.

“It was exhilarating, exciting; I felt proud and happy,” she said.

Lubaroff said the service aspects of Homecoming made the experience feel that much better “I just think it was a really great year. I think we all had a lot of great spirit,” Lubaroff said. “There was a great addition of service into Homecoming this year, and I think that was an awesome thing to show that OCU, as a whole, can give back to our community.”

Campus Health Center increases clinic availability Francesca Iacovacci

STAFF WRITER

The Campus Health Center has a new partnership that has increased accessibility and hours of operation.

The Center began a partnership with Family Healthcare and Minor Emergency Clinic on Oct. 8.

Antonia Pratt-Reid, owner of Family Healthcare, said this partnership has opened the Campus Health Center’s doors five days a week, in addition to providing after-hours and weekend availability for students, faculty and employees.

“I think the needs for the campus clinic exceeded the previous arrangement,” Pratt-Reid said. “Family Healthcare has been in Oklahoma for 20 years, and we have three other clinics.”

The Campus Health Center is open from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Monday-Friday.

When the Center is not open, students can use their campus health insurance at another one of Family Healthcare’s locations on Northwest Expressway at 11109 Surrey Hills Blvd. Yukon, Oklahoma 73099.

Pratt-Reid said the off-campus location is open longer hours and answers after-hour calls when the clinic is closed. The off-campus Family Healthcare clinic is open from 8:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and

M MEDIAOCU.com

It's helpful to have an efficient clinic that will see students and help them quickly.

Jonah White music theater senior

Fridays, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and is closed on Sundays.

“I think it will benefit the students, faculty and employees,” Pratt-Reid said. “My staff and I are really excited for this and part of the reason is that our other clinics are not on a campus, so we’re in a whole new environment. Although we have a good population of pediatrics, it’s nice to work where there’s a focus on young adults.

There’s a lot of teaching we have the capability of spreading across this campus.”

Jonah White, music theater senior, said he heard the Campus Health Center was taken over by new management but didn’t know how it would affect students.

“I think this new partnership is wonderful,” White said. “Being on

a college campus is like walking in a petri dish of bacteria, because when one person gets sick, everybody gets sick. It’s helpful to have an efficient clinic that will see students and help them quickly.”

White also said the new hours and access to the off-campus clinic are beneficial for students with busy schedules.

“As a music theater student, my hours are all over the place, so it will be really helpful to have more flexible hours I can be seen by a physician,” White said.

In the future, Family Healthcare hopes to open access to the Campus Health Center to the general community, Pratt-Reid said.

“We’re a family practice clinic, so we take care of everyone from infants to senior citizens, and that allows for easy healthcare access, health and wellness prevention, and illness coverage for everybody,” she said.

To contact the on-campus health center, call 405-208-5090. To reach the off-campus Family Healthcare clinic, call 405-373-2400 during operating hours or 405-550-6189 for after-hour assistance.

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opinion

Theatre students encouraged to further diversity and inclusion A senior theatre and performance student started a new Diversity and Inclusion Council in the School of Theatre.

See page 4 for more on the Council.

Taha Khan, theatre and performance senior, started the Council to create more opportunities for minority students and ensure all students feel they have a voice. When other students see people like Khan taking action and ensuring students’ voices are heard, it inspires them to do the same.

Students cannot expect things to change unless they speak out and take action to make the changes themselves.

However, students should remember to go through the proper channels, like Khan did, and talk to leadership respectfully when expressing their concerns. If there are not open lines of communication between both parties, it is much more difficult to bring about change.

The School of Theatre has been facilitating workshops

and bringing in guest speakers to help educate students about creating a more open and accepting environment.

Officials hosted talkbacks with people from the community after almost every performance of “To Kill a Mockingbird” to discuss the impact of the show and educate the audience about the subject matter Officials also facilitated two mandatory talkbacks for School of Theatre students. The first was on Oct. 22 and was hosted by Jeff Cochran, head of stage and production management, and Kanika Brown, director of career services. The second Talkback was on Oct. 27 and featured Denise Lee from Change the Perception in Dallas. It is important that School of Theatre officials continue to facilitate these conversations and help educate students on the importance of representation and giving minority students a voice.

Students must continue to support and encourage these opportunities to educate them-

Talk Back "What country do you want to go to?"

selves about diversity and inclusion. Although it can be difficult to talk about these subjects, it is important for students to educate themselves about the struggles minority students may face.

Students should also actively learn about other cultures’ histories and practices and join minority students in celebrating their heritages. Student organizations like the Black Student Association and the Jewish Stars invite students of all backgrounds to attend meetings or events like BSA’s Black Out event or the Jewish Stars’ annual Passover event.

Students should continue to support Khan’s efforts in making the School of Theatre a more diverse and accepting place and educate themselves about other cultures.

“Australia”

“Greece”

Jane Goto business administration sophomore

Tucker Ames dance freshman

“Switzerland”

“Canada”

Fred Walter computer science junior

RJ Flud acting freshman

“France”

“Greece”

Tony Kesserwani acting freshman

Joel Jenkins acting senior

New Kanye album “Jesus is King” is surprising change of genre Usually when Kanye West releases an album, all hell breaks loose. This time, I think he’s going for the opposite effect with the release of his new gospel album, “Jesus is King.”

No matter your opinion of West, I think we can all agree this sudden change of genre is surprising. This is the famous rapper’s first album that isn’t labeled with explicit content.

In 2013, he released a song called “I am a God” where he boasted about himself and his accomplishments.

Now, we see Kanye transition from claiming he is a god to creating an entire album in reverence to God. In fact, West said the album “has been made to be an expression of the gospel and the truth of what Jesus has done to me.”

West said the tour for Jesus is King will start “right away,” making it his first headlining tour in three years. In 2016, the artist unexpectedly cut his “Saint Pablo Tour” a month short when he was hospitalized for mental health purposes.

Since then, West released two albums in 2018 that were not followed by a tour, “Ye” and “Kids See Ghosts.”

Though West has been out of the touring business, he by no means took a break from performing. Recently, he has been hosting Christian gatherings he calls “Sunday Services” every Sunday since Jan. 6. One would think a worship service would focus more on religion and less on performative elements, but it has been reported that attendees are given a dresscode and costumes assigned by

Francesca Iacovacci is a music theater junior from Clearwater, Florida. She loves zoodles, Jeopardy! and a good poop joke.

West’s producer, asked to sign non-disclosure agreements and are welcomed on an invite-only basis.

West debuted his Sunday Service concert to the public at Coachella on Easter Sunday.

Fans can expect his upcoming tour to follow the same format which is drastically different than that of a typical rap concert.

Discussing Kanye West can be crossing into controversial territory, especially since his public endorsement of Donald

Trump, which he now claims was a practical joke. The same week the album released, he also declared himself “unquestionably, undoubtedly, the greatest human artist of all time.”

West certainly has a long way to go in humbling himself, but I don’t think he deserves the criticism he’s receiving from Christians about his sudden embrace of his faith.

In his song “Hands On,” he predicts how Christians will respond to the album, singing

“They’ll be the first one to judge me / Make it feel like nobody loves me.”

Christianity, like all religions, should be about welcoming and accepting everyone, regardless of their past baggage. It is not up to people to judge others; rather, our job is to be an example of unconditional love to everyone.

That being said, I’d like to put aside opinions of Kanye West and take a look at the album itself.

“Every Hour” is a powerful and energizing opener led by a gospel choir called The Samples. The next song, “Selah,” begins with an ominous church organ, inviting us into the soundscape of a traditional religious service. Kenny G and his saxophone provide a smooth jazz influence on the

track, “Follow God.” The only song I don’t like is “Closed on Sunday,” which tries too hard to be relatable.

Though the song emphasizes the importance of family values and raising children in the faith, as hard as I try, I just can’t take the lyrics, “Closed on Sunday, you my Chickfil-a/ You’re my number one, with the lemonade,” seriously.

If anything, it could be an enthralling dramatic reading for an Out of the Box audition.

Overall, I really enjoyed listening to “Jesus is King,” because it was what I least expected it to be. I think it challenges our instinct to judge others quickly and asks us to really listen before we form opinions based on preconceptions.

Columnist reviews Urban Teahouse, praises variety of choices, atmosphere If you’ve read past reviews of mine, then you may know I am somewhat of a tea fiend. I have at least a cup of the stuff every day, and I probably won’t die happy until I try every good tea shop in this city. Recently, I noticed a little tea shop just down the street from OCU called Urban Teahouse. I’ve been freezing because of this weather, and I desperately needed a nice cup of warm tea, so I decided to head there for this week’s review.

Urban Teahouse is located on 23rd street, right next to Old School Bagel Cafe and Hurts Donut. They don’t really have any flashy signage, and it’s kind of a small space, so I’ve passed by this tea shop many times without even noticing it was there. When I walked

into the space, it reminded me of most coffee houses and tea shops. It was warm, cozy and quiet. One thing I did notice was there weren’t many large tables or other spaces for sizable groups to gather, so I probably would not bring an entire friend group here. There were many people on laptops, getting work done by themselves, so I might come here by myself before my next big test to do some studying.

Just looking at the menu, I was absolutely blown away. The list of teas they offer is extremely extensive and diverse. You can get everything from a basic green tea to a chocolate chili tea and everything in between.

The tea list is divided into categories such as black teas and matchas, and then, within those

Hope Melton is a political science senior from Edmond, Oklahoma. She likes basketball, '70s music and Marvel movies.

categories, the list is divided further based on quality. They have several different levels of tea quality, with their most basic teas starting at $3 a cup and their top quality premium teas starting at $6. One aspect of the menu I absolutely loved was how it indicated the caffeine levels of the different teas. I am a college student who is perpetually exhausted, so I ended up ordering a pineapple mango tea since it had one of the highest caffeine levels.

After selecting your tea, you then decide if you want it hot or iced and what size you want.

Afterwards, you can select several free add ins, such as sweeteners and types of milk if you so wish. I still can’t believe all of the add ins are free there. At nearly every other tea shop I’ve been to, there’s been some sort of upcharge. If you want to add some sweetener, they’ll even let you decide how much sweetener you want on a scale of 1-3. Just when I thought it couldn't get

any better, I saw that they went the extra mile of noting which menu items were made locally.

I absolutely love shopping local, and I try to do it whenever I can, so I totally loved that little part of the menu.

I ended up making my tea hot and adding a little bit of stevia. My order was made in a pretty timely manner. When I received my order, it was perfectly hot which pleased my freezing cold soul. Just as I expected, it was fruity, sweet and overall delicious. I don’t have any complaints about the tea I got. Even so, I will still probably get something different the next time I come here because I am just so curious about their extensive offerings.

Overall, I would recommend this place to any tea lovers out

there or really anybody that doesn't outright hate tea. It’s so easy to customize everything to your specific tastes, so I can imagine everybody should be able to find something they like here.

Like I mentioned before, I probably would not bring a large group here, but this seems like a nice location to go by yourself or with a small group. Urban Teahouse is probably going to become my go-to study spot from now on, I liked it so much.

I loved my experience here, and I’m eager to become a regular customer. So whether you’re tea-obsessed like me, or you just want something different from your typical coffee shop routine, check out Urban Teahouse!

TUESDAY Reimagining Diversity in the 21st Century from 1-3 p.m. in The Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center

Campus Calendar Calendar items must be received in the Newsroom or stupub@okcu.edu by noon Friday for inclusion in the following Wednesday issue.

TODAY OCU Percussion Ensemble Concert from 7:30-9:30 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

OCU Wind Ensemble and Wind Philharmonic Concerts from 7:30-9:30 p.m. in the Chapel Sanctuary in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel

FRIDAY Dare to Lead 2-Day Leadership Workshop at 8 p.m. in Large Gardner Room in Meinders School of Business

SATURDAY OCU Distinguished Artist Series Presents Allen Chow on Piano from 8-9:30 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

SUNDAY Oklahoma City Symphonic Band Concert from 3-5 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

THURSDAY Weekly chapel service from 1-2 p.m. in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel

Dare to Lead 2-Day Leadership Workshop at 8 p.m. in Large Gardner Room in Meinders School of Business

Weekly Play Club meeting from 7 p.m. to midnight in the Honors Lounge in Gold Star Memorial Building

OCU Out of the Box presents: “John Proctor is the Villain” from 8-10 p.m. in Studio F in Gold Star Memorial Building

OCU Out of the Box presents: “John Proctor is the Villain” from 8-10 p.m. in Studio F in Gold Star Memorial Building

The Campus has served the Oklahoma City University community since 1907. It is published Wednesday during the academic year, with the exception of holidays and exam periods.

THE CAMPUS Nov. 6, 2019, Volume 113, Issue 10

Editor-in-chief: Emily Wollenberg Copy Editor: Paul Dower Photo Editor: Clara Foster Community Manager: Jessica Vanek Web Editor: Luke Barrett Ad Director: Maddie Bowes Graphic Designer: Melissa Campbell

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Staff Writers: MaKayla Baxter, Erik Hamilton, Francesca Iacovacci, Hope Melton, Shelby O'Brien, Hannah Prentice Columnists: Paul Dower, Francesca Iacovacci, Hope Melton Photographers: Clara Foster, Hannah Campbell, Katie

Senior Preview from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in Meinders School of Business

Gibbs, Hope Melton, Stephen Jackson Faculty Adviser: Ben Felder

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

The first issue of The Campus is free. Each additional issue costs 25 cents. Contents copyright, 2019. All rights reserved.

November 6, 2019

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news

Theatre senior creates student-led diversity panel Hannah Prentice

STAFF WRITER

Taha Khan, theatre and performance senior, has helped develop a new diversity and inclusion council within the School of Theatre.

“Our goals are to create more opportunities and do more diverse shows and then also have more dynamic voices involved in conversations of season selection, casting, as well as material we are taught in class,” Khan said.

The council stemmed from students coming together and voicing frustrations about a lack of diversity within the faculty of the School of Theatre, with students deciding this would be a productive outlet to help with representation and voicing their feelings.

“I kind of came up with this idea to have a diversity panel that is allowing this missing voice in the institutional conversations, which is the reason why certain things are affecting us in a certain way, so this voice can be injected artificially into the faculty and their decisions, that way we can perform shows that have more roles for minority students or for students who are racially diverse or LGBTQ,” Khan said.

The faculty has been very involved throughout the development process of the council, encouraging Khan to pursue this and offering help and support wherever possible, he said. Khan said both Dr. Mark Belcik, associate dean of music and interim associate dean of theatre, as well as Mark Parker, dean of music and theater, have been helping him throughout this process.

“It’s a vehicle for communication between the staff and students

We think this council will be something that connects and has an impact.

Mark Parker

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schools of music and theatre dean

within the department,” Parker said. “We think this council will be something that connects and has an impact, not just through the School of Theatre, but through the other diversity initiatives happening all across the OCU campus.”

Khan said he is grateful for the support and enthusiasm he has seen from the students on this issue and looks forward to making a positive impact on the OCU campus through the diversity and inclusion council.

“It’s been great,” Khan said. “I am motivated by the students; I don’t think I could do this if there was a negative or hostile or unsympathetic student body because I just wouldn’t have the same dedication and energy.”

The council has not been fully established yet, but Parker said it will hopefully happen by next semester. So far, the structure of the council consists of seven seats, with four being classified as

legacy seats. The remaining three seats will, as of now, be voted on by the School of Theatre student body.

“When I graduate or step down, I have the ability to specifically name my successor,” Khan said. “They are still voted on, but there is no outside control about who it could be so we can maintain diversity within the panel.”

The hope through this council is that eventually, it will no longer be needed, and the issues that caused its creation will be resolved, Khan said.

“Ultimately, the idea is that hopefully the panel works itself out of existence,” Khan said. “I think we can see in the things happening on campus in the recent last few weeks, that we need to work harder. Last week, in the School of Theatre, we had a couple of guest speakers who came in, and we had a meeting about equity, diversity, and inclusion with David Stewart.

Stewart is a production manager with Disney Parks Live Entertainment. He facilitated a Talkback after the Oct. 26 performance of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

“He talked about something I found very fascinating in how inclusion is actions, inclusion is on a personal level and diversity is a numbers game,” Khan said. “He said that you don’t have diversity, or your diversity won’t last, if you don’t work on the inclusion part as well. And so I think in working at the inclusion aspect, I think we will see more diversity here at OCU that we want,” Khan said.

“Only Human” show workshopped at OCU opens Off-Broadway Erik Hamilton

STAFF WRITER

“Only Human,” a musical which was workshopped at OCU, recently opened Off-Broadway.

The final workshop of the musical performed at OCU in October of last year. It is scheduled to run Off-Broadway from this October until January of 2020, starring Gary Busey playing “God.” “It was definitely a really awesome experience,” said Cheyanne Marie Osoria, music theater graduate. “In the beginning, we didn’t really know what to expect. The callbacks were so odd. We didn’t realize how intense it was.”

Osoria said the callbacks had somewhere from 30 to 40 performers, and only six were cast. Adam LaPorte, music theater/music composition senior, said they were taught music there, then their callbacks were recorded, since the creative team could not attend.

“It’s essentially a retelling of the creation story,” LaPorte said.

Laporte played “Lou” (Lucifer), and Osoria played “Maggie” (Mary Magdalene). Osoria said the story takes place in Heaven portrayed as an office space.

“The beautiful part they told us was when we workshopped it, we basically helped finalize their decisions,” Osoria said. “They really loved Adam. Adam got to use some of his skills with composition, and I got to use some of my music directing skills. I got to make it my own. They took a lot of our ideas and took it to the final product, which was really cool for us.”

LaPorte said the production was a stripped down showing, with a set consisting of blocks, rolling chairs and a band. He also said potential donors attended the performance.

“They flew out a lot of the interested investors or people who

It was a really invaluable experience to watch people in the midst of the creative process who are doing this on a professional scale.

Adam LaPorte music theater/music composition senior

had some sort of stake in the show to see it,” LaPorte said. “They did some previous workshops in New York over the last eight years or so, and this was the culminating final workshop, so a lot of people who had been following the project for a while came here to see how it had evolved.”

LaPorte said the same creative team which worked on the workshop at OCU worked on the Off-Broadway production. He also said the composer of the show plays Lou in the Off-Broadway cast.

LaPorte said he wants OCU to continue to do collaborations like this in the future.

“It was a really invaluable experience to watch people in the midst of the creative process who are doing this on a professional scale,” LaPorte said. “It is ultimately really grounding to realize that the people who are doing the thing that you want to be doing are also just human beings who talk to and interact with you, and not these far off entities who are untouchable.”

Hannah Campbell Student Publications

Flying high at Homecoming Kickoff OCU Cheer performed at the Homecoming Kickoff on Sun., Nov. 27, alongside OCU Pom, OCU Pep Dancers and the Ahhx Chords. Each participating organization presented their banner at the event, homecoming T-shirts were handed out, and the week of festivities began.

Campus technology updates copiers across campus Jessica Vanek

COMMUNITY MANAGER

OCU is due for some new copiers, and the campus technology department is working on that mission.

Gerry Hunt, chief information officer, has been assigned to take charge on the new copier project.

“We are replacing our copier fleet across campus,” Hunt said. “It’s a project that will hopefully be happening in the next two months.”

Hunt said the current copiers on campus were purchased eight years ago. The printers were bought through RK Black, the oncampus print supplier. The university decided to repurchase from RK Black for the next fleet of copiers.

“Typically you have a five-year lease with the company,” he said.

“Once we made it to the end of those five years, we decided the copiers were working fine, so we kept them around for a little longer.”

The printer-copiers are not as up-to-date as they could be, Hunt said.

“They’re very old. They’re well past their prime,” he said.

Hunt said the new fleet of copiers will be an improvement upon the older ones.

“Over an eight-year period, things are bound to change. They’re newer, they have some extra features that the others didn’t have,” he said. “They’re quieter, they’re faster, and they’re new.”

In addition to buying new copiers, Hunt said the school has also decided to decrease the number of printers they have, mainly due to minimal use in locations besides the library. The decision to narrow down the fleet from 158 to 96 copiers campus-wide was made over the summer.

Hunt said printers are going to be moved out to more public locations, so students don’t have to exclusively go to the library to print and copy documents.

“The Methodist Hall copier will be moved out into the hallway, and the Walker Hall copier, which is currently only being used by one person, will be moved to the lobby for more open use,” he said.

The only thing keeping the new copiers from being installed is a small technical issue, Hunt said.

“They’re trying to resolve a technical problem with swipes right now, but once that’s resolved we will be sending new ones out to replace the old fleet,” he said. “The printers have been purchased and are currently at RK Black.”

Katherine Abel, acting junior, said the printers can be a little unpredictable.

“I think they’re okay. The only frustrating thing is that, for some reason, the printer will switch and print on really long paper,” she said. “I’m excited for new ones because this one in the library seems like it’s always out of whack.”

Hunt said the new devices will help improve accessibility for students.

“Especially with mechanical electronics like a copier with moving parts, with wear and tear from use, the devices are going to have problems over time,” he said. “We’re excited to get these new devices rolled out.”

Falling in love, eating brains and singing high C's “The Zombies of Penzance” ran Oct. 31 - Nov. 3 in Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center.

The show is a spooky spoof on the classic operetta, “The Pirates of Penzance,” written by Gilbert and Sullivan. The new version maintained the score of the original, but changed the lyrics to reflect a plot that included zombies.

Left Top: The pack of zombies attempt to kidnap, marry and eat the family of zombie-hunting sisters.

Left Bottom: Zoe Dongas, music theater junior, and the rest of the daughters of the ‘zombie killer’ prepare to attack and kill the zombies to bring safety to their family.

Right: Nathan LeBlanc, music theater sophomore, plays “Zombie Sam,” the right-hand man of the “Zombie King.”

Hannah Campbell Student Publications

November 6, 2019

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Theatre alumnus cast in Chance the Rapper music video Emily Wollenberg

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A School of Theatre alumnus was featured in a Chance the Rapper music video.

Preston Chapman graduated from the School of Theatre in 2018. After moving to Chicago, he signed with Gill Talent O’Brien Group. Chapman said Shelby it was his agent who booked him the gig.

“My agent calls me outSTAFF of the blue one day, and she essentially WRITER said ‘you need to be on set tomorrow for a Chance the Rapper music video,’” Chapman said.

The music video is for Chance’s song, “Hot Shower,” which has over 4 million views at presstime and was trending No. 2 on YouTube when it came out on Oct. 28.

The video features Chance, Kel Mitchell, New Girl’s Jake Johnson and rappers MadeinTYO and DaBaby.

Chapman plays a character named “Doug,” based off the titular character from the Nickelodeon series, “Doug,” who Chance mentions by name in the song.

Not knowing what to expect when he showed up to the set, Chapman said he was surprised to be handed a costume and sat down in a booth.

“Then Kel Mitchell from ‘Good Burger’ comes up, and I froze,” Chapman said. “He shook my hand. He was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.”

Then the director told Chapman the talent would sit across from him in the booth, he said.

“I started to clench my toes because I was starting to freak out a little bit,” he said.

Chance’s bodyguard walks in and asked if the crew was ready, Chapman said.

“And in walks Chance the Rapper,” he said. “I am not kidding when I say this guy is glowing. I had never seen something like that.”

Chance sat down and leaned across the table, Chapman said.

“He goes, ‘what’s up dog,’ and he shakes my hand,” Chapman said. “I said, ‘hey man, I’m a huge fan.’ He goes, ‘I’m a fan of you too, bro.’”

The whole experience was a whirlwind, he said.

“I had like no time to process any of this,” he said. “By the time it hit, we had wrapped. I was walking home, and I could not believe anything that had just happened.”

Chapman said his agency is based in the south side of Chicago and his agent had connections to Chance who is originally from the south side.

Chapman said his training at OCU prepared him well for a career in the industry.

“Your training shows when you come up here,” he said.

“More than anything is the preparation to learn how to handle yourself in those situations and be a professional among other professionals.”

Chapman said preparation is an important part of going into the performance world.

“Nobody owes you anything,” he said. “Everything you get is earned. Put your head down. Do your work. When opportunity meets preparation, that’s when magic happens.”

It’s important to have a solid support system wherever you go, he said.

When oppor tunity meets preparation, that’s when magic happens.

Preston Chapman acting alumnus

“If I did not have that, I would not be as happy as I am,” he said.

Chapman said he is glad he moved to Chicago because of the TV and film, the theater scene and the OCU community.

“You better believe we all take care of each other,” he said. “I’ve gotten a few jobs just by virtue of knowing someone from OCU.” John Metcalf, acting senior, said he appreciated the choice of costume for Chapman.

“I think it’s very interesting that Chance decided to dress Preston up as the character “Doug” from the Nickelodeon series,

“

“Doug,” specifically in his ‘Quailman’ costume,” he said.

Metcalf said he is excited that Chapman was able to get high-profile work.

“It shows to post-grads who might not want to move to LA or New York that Chicago is a viable choice of city for getting work,” he said.

Sierra Paul, theatre and performance/education senior, said she was excited that Chapman was able to get a really good gig.

“I just think it’s super cool, and it shows us that a degree from OCU truly prepares you for whatever career in the industry, whatever that might be,” she said.

Paul said she is impressed with the OCU alumni.

“It makes me so proud to be an OCU star,” she said.

Students should take chances when moving to different markets, Chapman said.

“The move is the biggest transition you’ll ever make,” he said. “It feels daunting and it should, but it’s the single most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.”

Sou�ce: YouTube.com/user/ChanceThaRapper

Preston Chapman, acting alumnus, plays “Doug” in Chance the Rapper’s latest music video, “Hot Shower.” The character is based on “Doug” from the Nickolodeon television show “Doug.”

Career services hosts international student visa forum MaKayla Baxter

STAFF WRITER Career services is hosting an event to help international students get settled after they graduate.

OCU alumni and Immigration Lawyer Matthew Stump will host a forum in order to help students who plan to settle in the United States after they finish their time at OCU. “It is our H1V Visa forum,” said Kanika Brown, director of career services. “Every year Matthew Stump comes and talks to our international students.”

Brown said the forum will be for international students who are planning to stay in the United states.

The forum is in place to answer any questions that foreign students may have about the process of becoming a citizen and staying in the United States to work.

“The one great thing about it is whatever questions they have, any questions that the students have, Matthew is very open to

Any questions that the students have, Matthew is very open to answer.

Kanika Brown career services director

answer,” Brown said.

Brown said Stump will introduce them to the types of forms they will need to fill out to successfully work in the United States.

“Students can ask him questions like ‘I graduate in May, but I am interested in working,’” Brown said.

The forum will teach international students about all of the

different opportunities they will have upon graduation.

“There are certain companies that will pay for their actual OPT or their visa,” Brown said. “He gives them statistics and numbers that they can be on the lookout for.”

OPT refers to the Optional Practical Training period during which students can work for one year on a student visa towards getting practical training to complement their education.

Mikel Kendrick, acting sophomore, said he thinks the forum could help make the international students feel more connected to the campus.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Kendrick said. “I feel like the more events we can do to incorporate them into campus life and student life, to give them more opportunities to meet people and feel more like they belong on campus.”

Celebrating Dia de los Muertos Ellissa Bailey, chemistry senior, Brianna Miles, criminal justice sophomore, and Cabe Killingsworth, Spanish junior, enjoy Day of the Dead themed treats at the Dia de los Muertos celebration on Oct. 29 in the student lounge in Tom and Brenda

Hope Melton Student Publications

Turning heads

McDaniel University Center.

Clara Foster Student Publications

Top right: Junior wrestler Chase Vincent grapples his opponent during his duel in the Oct. 31 wrestling match against Texas Wesleyan. The Stars won the match 47-3.

Left: Junior wrestler R. J. Walker hypes up the crowd to celebrate winning his duel in the Oct. 31 Wrestling match.

Bottom right: Sophomore wrestler Austin Loza flips his opponent during his duel in the match against Texas Wesleyan. The next wrestling match will be at the Oklahoma City Open at 9 a.m. on Friday in Abe Lemons Arena.

November 6, 2019

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