The Oakland Post 08.26.2020

THEOAKLANDPOST

Volume 46 l Issue 3 l August 26, 2020

Oakland University’s Independent Student Newspaper

Fall sports further postponed until spring As a precautionary measure, fall sports have been set back once again to keep athletes and fans safe Page 15

CLEANING CAMPUS

Oakland University housing uses new methods to combat COVID-19 PAGE 4

PHOTO BY: EMILY MORRIS

DOOMSCROLLING

Stay informed and optimistic during the pandemic PAGE 11

AUTISM WEBINAR

OU Autism Center helps local families cope with the pandemic PAGE 13

THIS WEEK

AUGUST 26, 2020 | 2

THEOAKLANDPOST

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

EDITORIAL BOARD

Michael Pearce Editor-in-Chief mpearce@oakland.edu 248.370.4266

Emily Morris Managing Editor emorris@oakland.edu 248.370.2537

EDITORS

COPY&VISUAL

Ben Hume Web Editor bhume@oakland.edu

Meg Speaks Design Editor Sam Summers Design Editor

Lauren Karmo Campus Editor laurenkarmo@oakland.edu

Sophie Hume Photographer Ryan Pini Photographer Sergio Montanez Photographer Maggie Willard Photographer

Liz Kovac Engagement Editor ekovac@oakland.edu

REPORTERS

Katelyn Hill Staff Reporter Autumn Page Staff Reporter Lauren Reid Staff Reporter Dean Vaglia Staff Reporter Bridget Janis Staff Reporter Rachel Yim Staff Reporter

ADVERTISING

ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE In preparation for September, Meadow Brook Amphitheatre adjusted their sign to read “Looking forward to seeing everyone for fall semester.”

PHOTO / SOPHIE HUME

4

WELCOME BACK

Lowry Center for Early Childhood Education to reopen Sept. 8 Photo/Sophie Hume

6

NEW CHIEF IN TOWN Joshua Merchant named Chief of Staff, comes home to Michigan Photo/Brian Bierley

Kaitlyn Woods Ads Director ads@oaklandpostonline.com 248.370.4269 Molly Johns Ads Assistant

10

GREEN THUMBS

Students and professors learn the skill of gardening during the pandemic Photo/Erin O’Neill

DISTRIBUTION

Jaylon Johnson Distribution Director jaylonjohnson@oakland.edu Kimmy Guy Distribution Assistant Meredith Atwell Distributor Nico Bassman Distributor Amanda Belz Distributor Erika Beechie Distributor

ADVISING

Garry Gilbert Editorial Adviser gjgilber@oakland.edu 248.370.2105 Don Ritenburgh Business Adviser ritenbur@oakland.edu 248.370.2533

VOTE AND CONNECT AT:

oaklandpostonline.com

POLL OF THE WEEK

LAST ISSUE’S POLL

WILL YOU BE COMING BACK TO CAMPUS AT ALL THIS FALL?

WILL YOU BE USING THE BIOBUTTON DURING THE FALL AND WINTER SEMESTERS?

A) NO B) ONLY FOR CLASS C) YES, I’M LIVING ON CAMPUS D) YES, FOR CLASSES OR EVENTS

17%

A) YES, SAFETY FIRST!

28%

B) NO, I DON’T FEEL COMFORTABLE

15%

C) I’M NOT SURE YET

CORRECTIONS CORNER:The Oakland Post corrects all known errors of fact. If you know of an error, please email editor@oaklandpostonline.com.

31%

D) I ONLY HAVE ONLINE CLASSES ANYWAY

LOOKING BACK

AUGUST 26, 2020 | 3

Students Against Bullying club forms in 2011 to abolish bullying and harrassment “ AUTUMN PAGE Staff Reporter

In 2011, a club called Students Against Bullying (SAB) emerged on Oakland University’s campus to bring attention to bullying at all educational levels and, eventually, abolish it.

Tara Michener, a graduate student in the counseling department and a children’s book author, was the founder of the group. She wanted to take action against bullying, saying, “I think it’s great to research and talk about [bullying], but it’s even better to do something about it.”

Dr. Michael P. Chaney, an associate professor and coordinator of addictions specialization, was the faculty advisor for SAB. He believed it would be a good resource for students to reach out to.

“I think students come to college to learn, not to be bullied or end up [as] a suicide statistic,” Chaney said. “Students need a safe place where they can talk about their bullying experiences, and I think this group is a great opportunity for that.”

SAB believed it was important to combat bullying on college campuses, not just in elementary through high school.

Michener explained that bullying can take more than one form in university settings.

“I think that if you live in the dorms, there might be a situation there with a roommate or friends that want you to feel like you are

not as good as other people,” she said. “I think that if you are in class and maybe you give a wrong answer you might get laughed at. I do think a professor could even do that to you and make you feel as if you are not as good as everyone else.”

Moreover, opinion-based classroom discussions could be another place for bullying.

“If you are in a discussion and there’s no exact right or wrong view, I think that can get heated and turn into bullying if you’re not careful,” Michener said. “I do think that at times name calling can fall into place or people can take things personally and turn things into something that it’s not.”

Chaney believed that cyberbullying or hazing was another form of bullying. Groups like sports teams, fraternities and sororities have examples. “[Bullying] on a college campus also looks like physical harassment, sexual harassment and racial harassment.”

Chaney said.

SAB hosted many events during their time at OU, organizing many in October for National Bullying Prevention Month.

Michener developed her own video series called “Out of the Box,” where participants explained how they have been put in a box or given a label. They continued to explain how they’re more than what they had been labeled as.

“I think that we can be labeled, we can be boxed in, we can be

I think students come to college to learn, not to be bullied or end up [as] a suicide statistic. Students need a safe place where they can talk about their bullying experiences, and I think this group is a great opportunity for that.

Dr. Michael P. Chaney SAB Faculty Advisor

“

defined in so many ways, but typically when that happens, it limits our true potential,” Michener said. “So we’re going to be going around campus and seeing if people want to do these little videos.”

SAB no longer is an active student organization within OU, but should any student experience bullying or harassment, they are encouraged to contact the dean of students office.

The Oakland Post is looking for a LIFE & ARTS EDITOR Responsibilities Skills necessary

Contact

• Manage a team of writers

• Writing experience

• mpearce@oakland.edu

• Attend weekly budget meetings

• Knowledge of AP Style

• Send three writing samples and

• Attend weekly editor meetings

• Teaching/mentoring ability

• Edit stories and be available

• Good communication skills and

during Monday/Tuesday production • Produce at least one story per week

punctuality • Positive attitude and hardworking spirit

a resume

4 | AUGUST 26, 2020

CAMPUS

Housing implements new equipment, cleaning methods CAYLA SMITH Contributor Oakland University has been taking major strides with the intense cleaning of the housing facilities and preparing for social distancing.

Kevin McDougall, Oakland University’s assistant director for residential facilities, and all members of the housing department have been working since spring to make sure the physical spaces and residential processes are as safe and pandemicproofed as possible.

“My immediate supervisors and I worked all through COVID[-19],” McDougall said. “We haven’t had a day off since March.”

Residence halls have been disinfected, communal bathrooms have been reduced to 50% usage because of the reduction of students per dorm, dining halls have a limited number of seats for social distancing and common area seats have been reduced and spaced out for six feet social distancing.

The economics of it all were the main challenge for McDougall. There were

budget constraints, so trying to pay for everything presented some challenges.

Staff was limited, so getting everything cleaned with a minimal overtime and extra expenses added to those challenges.

McDougall explained that a Clorox 360 machine, that electrostatically cleans, was purchased to combat an area that is COVID positive.

They are also following both the EPA and CDC guidelines for chemicals that are approved. The new system uses a specific type of disinfectant.

The Clorox 360 is a system that helps to reduce pathogens.

The system is effective and cost efficient.

It uses 65% less solution, works 75% faster and covers 18,000 square feet per hour.

Even though Clorox is in the name, there’s zero bleach in the chemicals that are used in the machine itself.

McDougall said the 360 makes the disinfecting and cleaning process quicker.

“With the Clorox 360, we could do an entire lounge area in the matter of five minutes,” McDougall said.

Custodians will have to clean touch points and sign off to prove that they were

done, according to McDougall. These touch points are areas that are frequently touched including light switches, and door handles to restrooms.

“We use all approved chemicals that actually take care of the COVID-19 virus,” McDougall said.

The e-maintenance system makes it easy to log the work and keep track of the rooms and anything that has been cleaned.

The system is used to help students get in contact with the skilled trades if there are any repairs needed in housing.

McDougall continuously read up on new approaches to take, when it came to preparation for the new school year.

Residence hall room occupancy has been reduced to one person instead of the usual two.

Move in will be staggered by floor, over five days, to adhere to social distancing.

This is different from years prior where move in for one building would be on a specific day that week.

More changes were required in Hamlin Hall because the rooms are suites. The rooms on the end house three people — but to comply with social distancing —

one bed has been pulled leaving room for there to be space in-between the remaining two beds.

Move-in begins Aug. 28, 2020, and every resident has a specific move-in date for social distancing.

Masks are to be worn at move-in and students also have to get tested for COVID-19 prior to move in.

The Ann V. Nicholson and George T. Matthews student apartments will be treated family style because of the shared common spaces, so the number of students living there has not been reduced.

Senior Dana Cogshell will be moving into the apartments, and has a fear that not many are taking the pandemic seriously.

“I am concerned about any shared spaces; because not everyone is taking the same precautions to stay safe,” she said.

When it comes to changes and efforts, McDougall takes everything personal.

“When we are done, it will be as if I or my children were moving in,” McDougall said. “That’s how I treat all the rooms; as if it were me going in. I take everything personal and pride in how well we do here in housing.”

The Oakland Post is looking for a PHOTO EDITOR Responsibilities Skills necessary • Manage a team of photographers • Attend weekly budget meetings • Attend weekly editor meetings • Edit photos and be available during Monday/Tuesday production • Take photos for weekly issues

• Experience with photography/ photo editing • Knowledge of AP Style and Adobe Photoshop • Teaching/mentoring ability

• Good communication skills and punctuality • Team management

Contact

mpearce@oakland.edu

Send three writing samples and a resume

CAMPUS

AUGUST 26, 2020 | 5

Lowry Center to reopen Sept. 8 LAUREN REID Staff Reporter The Lowry Center for Early Childhood Education, located in Pawley Hall, is set to reopen on Sept. 8 with reduced class sizes and safety precautions in place, including daily health screenings, temperature checks and face coverings (recommended for children two and up). Access to the center will be limited to essential staff and children only.

The center offers early childhood education programming to children 18 months to five years of age, utilizing innovative equipment, materials and practices in an effort to cultivate development. Lowry strives to provide an ideal early childhood education laboratory center for OU and its neighboring communities.

The Lowry center was unable to reopen this summer and has since cut down classroom size from twenty students prepandemic to nine this fall.

They shut down in-person instruction in March when COVID-19 cases were first confirmed in the state of Michigan.

The center also employs students pursuing an undergraduate degree in early childhood education through Oakland University for their practicum placement (field experience), where they are able to gain classroom leadership experience.

“We are getting as prepared as we can to keep everyone safe,” said Lowry Center Director Ramona Borowicz. “[Our] first goal is to provide child care for families who need it, [and] for children to thrive even through a pandemic.”

Borowicz mentioned the classroom will be taken outdoors a lot, as Lowry teachers are coming up with creative ways to keep kids separated and do group activities involving music and movement. “[We are looking for ways to] support

the development of every child and do our normal routine,” Borowicz said. “Lowry teachers are very creative. We have a good team, it’s exciting to see.”

When it comes to safety precautions amid COVID-19, the Lowry Center is continuing to follow guidelines and protocol from OU, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).

A Lowry reopening committee was formed with people invested in the program, as mentioned by Borowicz.

In addition to the daily screening questions, temperature checks, masks, increased sanitation and outdoor activities. Lowry students will remain in one classroom to prevent student/staff cross-contimination.

According to Theresa Lee, a teacher at Lowry, children have been participating in virtual activities such as sharing their favorite toys.

Additionally, Lowry students and parents have had the opportunity for virtual, individualized meetings to hear about drop off and pick up procedures and meet teachers both with a mask on and off.

As far as reduced class sizes, Lee believes this will allow for deeper connections between Lowry students and staff. Although, staff may miss building parent connections and relationships, as parents will not be allowed in the building. “[We want to] keep kids safe and make [the experience] as meaningful and positive as it usually is during the year,” Lee said.

“This is just another little challenge we can all face together [that will] make us stronger.”

In light of reduced classroom capacity and increased safety guidelines there are currently no open spots at the Lowry Center. However, those looking for more information can call the center at 248-3704100 or take a look at their website.

SOPHIE HUME | PHOTOGRAPHER The Lowry Center for Early Childhood education reopens Sept. 8 with safety precautions.

PHOTO | OU MAGAZINE Chaturi Edrisinha, OUCA director of research, noted the community demand for seminars

Webinar series aids families with autistic children DEAN VAGLIA Staff Reporter

Quarantine has been a difficult time for many people, but parents and siblings of children with autism face a unique situation.

While their family members with autism are normally in programs designed to handle the challenges of growing up with autism, those services are no longer operating and families now have to handle these challenges themselves.

In order to help families during this difficult time, The Oakland University Center for Autism (OUCA) has been hosting webinars to teach parents and siblings of children with autism how to help their family members during the pandemic.

“When this pandemic began sometime in March, we had so many families reach out because they were in crisis,” OUCA Director of Research Chaturi Edrisinha said.

Along with needing to manage changes in their children’s behavior, families had to manage working and studying from home while taking care of their autistic family members. Since the OUCA was getting so many requests for help, the decision was made to virtually host a seminar series.

Seminars ran from June to August and were livestreamed around either noon or in the evening on the OUCA YouTube page.

Viewers interacted with the speakers by using the text chat function.

Topics ranged from how to set up routines, why routines are beneficial for children with autism, how to teach children with autism safe social media practices and how to use visuals as a behavioral support.

One major subject in the early days of the seminar was how to handle trauma.

“We had a number of folks in Detroit and

Greater Detroit, African American families, who were losing loved ones and it was so hard to explain to kids with autism that grandmother had died and you could not visit them,” Edrisinha said. “There was no closure and it was a very difficult situation.”

While the seminars were mainly focused on parents and caregivers, the siblings of children with autism were not ignored.

“We recognized that — in all times but especially in the era of COVID — that the family unit has an even more essential role to play in their child’s education,” Abbigail Sievers, a seminar presenter and high school special education teacher, said.

Sievers’ own experiences growing up with siblings with special needs, along with her professional experience, helped shape her three sibling-focused seminars.

“I think a lot of times siblings can be a forgotten member of the person with autism’s team,” Sievers said. “Making sure they feel like they have a community and that their voice is heard, but also that their role as a sibling is validated is something that I found fun and really enjoyable during this time.”

Both parents and students provided the speakers with feedback, but siblings tended to be more willing to ask less sensitive questions. “[The questions siblings asked] were really good because that was something I did not anticipate,” Edrisinha said. “I did not expect those very candid and sincere questions, generally because with adults when you have questions they are a little bit more savvy and sophisticated. It was lovely and refreshing to be able to answer these genuine questions.”

While the series has ended, all of the seminars can be found on the OUCA YouTube page.

6 | AUGUST 26, 2020

New chief of staff works to advance Oakland’s impact MICHAEL PEARCE Editor-in-Chief

As a part of her vision in “Reimagining OU,” President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz wanted to add a new position to her cabinet: the chief of staff.

After a long hiring process, she decided on Dr. Josh Merchant, who returned to his home state of Michigan.

The decision to come back to the state was one centered on Merchant’s No. 1 priority — family. That family for Merchant is his wife, Carrie, and his two sons, Eli (18) and Griffin (14), whom he calls his “pride and joy.”

“Family is a big deal,” he said. “We made the decision that we had been gone a while from Michigan. Life is short — It was an opportunity to connect with family.”

As chief of staff, Merchant will oversee all staff in the office of the president. The position will evolve as time goes on, but is built to bring the plan of Reimagining OU to life by thinking of new and creative ways to grow the university.

Merchant has degrees from Albion College, Michigan State University and Western Michigan University. He has worked in higher education since the late ’90’s, most recently as the president of Buena Vista University.

What drew him to Oakland was the ability to utilize his talent and experience without the responsibility of being the president. He heard of the chief of staff job through a colleague, Berkley Browne, who works at The William Beaumont School of Medicine.

“I talked with her [Browne] … and it led me to apply for the position,” Merchant said. “The catalyst for me accepting the decision was President Pescovitz. I found her and her vision to be very compelling.”

After working for years in higher education across the country, Merchant feels he’s found a pathway that is more than a passion, but the field of higher education wasn’t always what he was headed toward.

“I started right after college working in marketing for Michigan Farm Bureau, and I never thought in a million years that I’d take an opportunity to work in higher education,” he said. “There was an opportunity at Michigan State, I was in my 20’s and thought ‘this could be an interesting opportunity.’”

Merchant found the field rewarding,

LIFE & ARTS

Junior receives one of ten $10,000 engineering scholarships for leadership RACHEL YIM Staff Reporter

PHOTO FROM BRIAN BIERLEY Dr. Joshua Merchant, the former Buena Vista president, is chief of staff at OU.

which led him to work at multiple other institutions like Albion, Buena Vista, Central Michigan University and North Florida University.

After working for various sizes of univeristies and colleges, Merchant was drawn to OU because of the size. He believes Oakland is big enough to have state-wide impact and small enough to impact students individually.

“One of the things that draws me to institutions like OU is the opportunity for impact,” he said. “Good hard work and success really does impact students. You get that big school atmosphere but yet it’s still small enough where you get to know people.”

He believes that OU has such opportunity for impact due to the proximity to a more urban landscape, like Detroit.

“The other thing that drew me to Oakland was the urban aspect,” Merchant said. “I’m a big believer in the explicit connection between city and university. A stronger Oakland University is a stronger metro Detroit area and a stronger metro Detroit is a stronger Oakland University.”

With decades of experience in higher education, Merchant feels lucky to have found a career and employer that fit him.

“I feel like I got lucky,” Merchant said. “I am very fortunate to find a career path that, quite frankly, wasn’t a job. It became a calling.”

Peyton Schmid, a junior at Oakland University, was recently named one of the ten nationwide recipients of the prestigious Ford Alan Mulally Scholarship in engineering.

The Alan Mulally Scholarship, named after the former Ford Motor Company CEO, annually provides $10,000 to only ten students around the world who best demonstrate leadership in the engineering field.

“I was completely in shock and may have shed a tear or two,” Schmid said.

“Being recognized by Ford in such a way and becoming part of the Blue Oval Scholars program is something I never thought would happen to me in my wildest dreams.”

Schmid is currently majoring in electrical engineering at OU with her career aspirations in the automotive industry. According to Schmid, having a dad who is a mechanic has led her to the engineering path. Along her academic path, her experience as an apprentice mechanic and her aptitude for the field have driven her to have the goal to be an engineer that will innovate the industry through further implementation of electric vehicles.

Aside from academics, she is also involved in a variety of activities on and off campus. Schmid explained having leadership experiences — being a resident assistant, teaching assistant, executive board member in both the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society and the Honors College Student Association — and previous career experience as an apprentice mechanic helped build her career.

As an aspiring engineer and a proponent for the environment, Schmid hopes to dedicate her career to research and improvement of current electric car systems. She would like to see electric vehicles implemented more in the market and limit the emissions of gas vehicles. She also believes the gradual phasing out of the internal combustion engine will help greatly in reducing mankind’s carbon footprint.

“Using my technical knowledge as well as some guidance, I was able to figure out a variety of issues with more ease each day and was able to do a lot on my own,” she said. “I think that my technical background will allow me to have a greater understanding [of] the function of the components I will be designing.”

She hopes this scholarship will allow her to stand out in her job search, and she is considering a career with the Ford Motor Company.

While many STEM fields — specifically the engineering field — are still male-dominated, Schmid thinks it is important that more female students are exposed to the fields at a younger age, which would help them figure out a specific path within the field.

Though engineering or other STEM field majors may sound intimidating to some students, Schmid said the students shouldn’t be scared because with hard work and passion, everything will work out in the end.

“Do your research on the field you'd like to go into and shoot for the stars,” Schmid said. “With hard work, I think anything is possible.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF USA TODAY Schmid won the Alan Mullaly scholarship, named after Ford’s former CEO.

CAMPUS

AUGUST 26, 2020 | 7

Oakland University introduces a new dean of Libraries EMILY MORRIS Managing Editor Oakland University welcomes a new Dean of University Libraries, Polly BoruffJones. Kresge Library administration is a launching pad for academics, and BoruffJones is balancing improvements, OU’s roots and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Boruff-Jones has a trail of administration experience following her into her role at OU. She began her career as a business librarian at Old Dominion University in Virginia and continued branching out into various institutions with her most recent role at Indiana University (IU) Kokomo as their dean of Library.

While at IU Kokomo, functionality and opportunity were at the base of their library.

Boruff-Jones “championed” a renovation of their library — even so, her main focus was more personal — revolving around “the library’s role in supporting student success.”

When she took a step back from IU Kokomo, she was ready for a new university to spread that message.

“With the resources I had at Indiana University Kokomo, I had accomplished what I had set out to accomplish, and I left the place in good hands,” Boruff-Jones said. “I

plan to be at Oakland for a while… for as long as I can be effective here.”

Upon setting foot on Oakland’s campus, she felt a familiarity that drew her here. The community resembled Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, where she had set some of the foundation of her library administration career (eight years in varied positions).

“I like the size of the student body,” Boruff-Jones said. “It’s small enough that you can get to know people, but it’s large enough that there are lots of opportunities to do different things — that’s really what attracted me to Oakland.”

She noted that OU “values research among the faculty and students as well as having a strong commitment to teaching.”

This duality allowed her to have room for growth and continue to emphasize her mission to support students.

As the campus community is becoming accustomed to the difficulties that COVID-19 has brought, Boruff-Jones had to rearrange her initial visualization of OU too. While she wanted to dive into strategic planning to better “research” and “teach,” student support — at a baseline level — was her first chapter at OU. “It’s been interesting,” she said. “To be honest, a lot of my energy and focus in the

OPEN.USE.RECEIVE. Open your account today! oucreditunion.org/students Offer of $100 valid 5/1/2020 to 10/31/2020 for new members who qualify for membership under the OU student SEG. OU Credit Union Visa Debit Card must be activated by 10/31/2020 and 10 debit card purchases must post within 30 days of card activation to qualify. The $100 will be deposited into member’s checking account within 4 to 6 weeks of the 10th purchase.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF POLLY BORUFF-JONES

Boruff-Jones was hired as Oakland University’s Dean of University Libraries.

time that I’ve been here has been on reopening the library in a safe way for everybody.”

Kresge Library is once again open for students and faculty, and Boruff-Jones intends on remaining flexible throughout the school year to keep everyone safe and work toward bigger goals. Although COVID-19

has skewed her timeframe at OU, she remains optimistic and comfortable as a Golden Grizzly.

“To accomplish anything in an academic library one needs to be there for at least several years,” Boruff-Jones said.

Bear Bus Shut Down After A Decade

The TheBear BearBus Bus shuttle program programhas has been beenshut shutdown down after 10 10 years yearsofofservice. service.

Declining Declining ridership, ridership, an an aging agingfleet fleetand and rising risingcosts costs to to operate operate the theservice serviceall alllead lead to administration to administration and University and University Housing Housing ending the ending program. the program.

Director Directorof of Housing Housing Jim Jim Zentmeyer Zentmeyer said saidthat thatthe the biggest biggest issue issuefacing facingthe theBear Bear Bus Bus was the wasdecline the decline in ridership. in ridership.

While While the service the service began in began 2010,inridership 2010, ridership reached its reached heightsitsinheights 2012 and around 2013.

2012 “That andwas 2013. primarily because [Oakland University] “That was had primarily about seven because construction [Oakland University] projects going hadonabout on campus, seven construction some of projects which were going swallowing on on campus, up the some parking of which areas,”were Zentmeyer swallowing said. up the parking areas,” The loss Zentmeyer of parking said. spaces forced students, The lossfaculty of parking and staff spaces to park forced further students, away andfaculty at remote andlocations, staff to park and the further away Bear and Bus at swooped remoteinlocations, to ferry students and the Bear backBus to class. swooped in to ferry students back “During to class.

[2012-2013], we had about 60,000 “During riders,” [2012-2013], Zentmeyer wesaid. had“Right about 60,000 now [2019-2020] riders,” Zentmeyer we are looking said. “Right at 7,000 now to 8,000 [2019-2020] riders over wethe arecourse looking of the at 7,000 entiretoyear.”

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around While $3each per ride rider in cost 2012-2013, Housing each around longer longer operating, operating, the infrastructure the infrastructure and and ride $3 per costride about in $20 2012-2013, in 2019-2020. each ride cost shuttles shuttles are are stillstill at OU. at OU. Several shelters about The operating $20 in 2019-2020. costs are compounded haveSeveral been installed shelters onhave campus been (one installed is a when Thethe operating cost of training costs are andcompounded licensing stop onfor campus SMART (one regional is a stop transit for buses) SMART drivers when the andcost maintaining of training the and aginglicensing fleet of andregional the buses transit and vans buses) are and still the operabuses and buses drivers areand factored maintaining in. Drivers theare aging required tional. vans are still operational. to fleet have ofcommercial-use buses are factored licenses in. Drivers and the “Extending “Extending the the entire entire fleetfleet vehicle vehicle life life fleet are required of shuttlestoand have vans commercial-use require constant would would notnot be cost-effective,” be cost-effective,” McIntosh McIntosh maintenance. licenses and the fleet of shuttles and said said viavia email. email.

“We“We are exploring are exploring multivans Eventually requiretalks constant beganmaintenance. on phasing out plemultiple options including options including selling or selling repurposor theEventually Bear Bus, and talks thebegan decision on was phasing madeout ingrepurposing the vehicles.” the vehicles.” by theHousing Bear Bus, andand President the decision Ora Hirsch was made TheThe OUOU Student Student Congress Congress (OUSC) (OUSC) Pescovitz’s

by Housingadministration and PresidenttoOra end Hirsch the hashas notnot heldheld anyany discussion discussion regarding regarding the program Pescovitz’s before administration the Fall 2020 to semester. end the Bear theBus Bear situation Bus situation yet, but yet, OUSC butPresiOUSC Social program media, before websites the Fall and2020 othersemester. online dent President Ethan Bradley Ethan has Bradley indicated has indicated that the assets Socialfor media, the Bear websites Bus were andtaken otherdown online congress that thewill congress meet regarding will meet thisregarding issue. around assets for late the August.

Bear Bus were taken down One this possible issue. solution Bradley menaround “Over late the years, August. in spite of the ridertioned One waspossible shifting solution control ofBradley the Bear ship, “Over bus fleet the years, repair in issues spiteand of program the Bus mentioned to anotherwas department. shifting control of the costs, ridership, we maintained bus fleet repair the program,” issues and Vice “It Bear does Bus nottomake another the most department. sense [to President program for costs, Student we maintained Affairs Glenn theMcI- run the “It Bear doesBus] not make under the Housing,” most sense Brad-[to ntosh program,” said via Vice email.

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explore their transportation options.

Story by Dean Vaglia Staff Reporter // Photos by Sophie Hume Photographer and Emily Morris Managing Editor // Design by Meg Speaks Design Editor

Students and staff who relied on the Bear Bus to get them around campus will have to find a new way around.

The campus is bike friendly and also has Spin Scooters all over campus for students to use.

There are bus shelters around campus that will remain. Some bus stops will still be operational with the SMART Regional Transit.

The four buses are still on campus until a decision is made to either repurpose or to sell.

The Bear Bus system has been around for a decade, but the number of riders has gone down drastically.

10| AUGUST 26, 2020

LIFE & ARTS

Gardening provides stress relief, fresh food for students, professors during pandemic MEG SPEAKS Design Editor

Gardening has been around for thousands of years as a way for people to cultivate food and make a living, but with the ever-looming COVID-19 pandemic, it is also a way to relieve stress and become a positive hobby while stuck at home.

There are several reasons why gardening is beneficial to everyone involved and is available to people of all ages who have access to dirt, water, sunlight and seeds.

During quarantine, some people took-up walking or biking.

Others chose to read outside or entirely redo all possible landscaping on their property. People bought pools, grills and outdoor twinkly lights. But the only hobby that will give fresh organic food is gardening.

Erin O’Neill, a 2020 Oakland University alum, started off her garden at home after classes were moved online. She made three 4-foot by 8-foot raised beds with the help of her father. Now, she is getting fresh produce daily — just by walking outside.

“Because of COVID-19, I knew that I wouldn’t get a job right away after I graduated, so I took that time to learn a new skill that I have always wanted to learn,” O’Neill said.

Quarantine gave people time to relax and take on a new projects that they couldn’t before, some projects that may have been put off for a long time.

Other people started their gardens right at the beginning of quarantine. Dr. Rebecca Jones, a professor at OU, had been waiting until she had a house with space and the time out of her busy schedule to start a garden.

Jones said that the quarantine finally gave her time to start a garden, as well as the time to work on it. It also became a way to connect with her family.

“It’s my personal project — although my almost 4-year-old loves the digging and watering parts,” Jones said.

Kaitlyn Woods, an OU international student, is currently staying with a family from her church that has a garden in their backyard.

While staying there, Woods is helping with maintenance of the garden and picking crops.

Woods said she was never interested in gardening until she started helping out with it.

“I have been able to learn a lot that goes behind the actual maintenance of the plants and knowing when the vegetables are ready to pick,” Woods said. “Also, seeing how much healthier it is since it is fresh is such a great benefit.”

“We try to promote gardening as therapy,” Dr. Fay Hansen, from Oakland University’s Organic Farmshare said. “This is good for people with high stress levels.”

Agri-therapy is a growing practice that Hansen is interested in starting at Oakland University in the future.

It is a practice that has helped veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), according to Psychology Today. Interacting with nature often leads people to feel more connected and calm.

“One hundred percent it has helped stress, I never realized

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIN O’NEILL Alumna Erin O’Neill poses with some of her crops. O’Neill started a personal garden during the lockdown for COVID-19.

how rewarding it could be, it is so fun,” O’Neill said. “I put so much time and good energy into these plants and now I’m getting baskets and baskets of food. Spending time out there with your hands dirty is soul work.”

Working outside is a good way to get Vitamin D, which can help many different areas of your life.

According to Healthline, it can help with depression, anxiety and boost energy levels.

Getting out and gardening is not a cure for anything but a positive hobby that could help during this stressful time.

Starting a garden can be daunting, especially for those who don’t have good equipment to make a large garden, but there are many other ways to get fresh produce.

There are farmers markets in most cities. This is a way to not only get fresh produce, but also support the local community.

Caylin Dawson, an OU alum, loves to support her local

farmers market because she is not living in a space that can have a garden.

“If I support my local farmers market, I know where my food and products are coming from, I am supporting my small community and farmers, and also, buying fresh produce from the farmers market often means less plastic.” said Dawson.

If someone is part of the Oakland University community, then they have another opportunity to get involved in gardening with the Organic Farmshare.

There are classes, volunteering and the option of buying from the farmstand on the weekends.

While COVID-19 has put some of these activities on hold, there is still a way to support by being a part of the eight week program to regularly get organic produce.

Those interested can get updates on opportunities to volunteer by going to their Facebook page.

LIFE&ARTS

AUGUST 26, 2020 | 11

New trend “doomscrolling” emerges from social media ALEXIS MATTSON Contributor

Senior Noah Thompson said he gravitates toward Twitter for news. He said he wanted to stay informed about COVID-19 during quarantine, but updates made him feel “automatically weighed down by fear.”

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, doomscrolling is the new term describing the tendency to constantly scroll through negative feeds of bad news.

Dr. Janet Johnson — who has 20+ years of experience in media studies — says people tend to obsessively seek out bad news during a crisis. Johnson says this phenomenon is damaging to our mental health.

Thompson said he was eager to seek hope while scrolling through COVID-19 news, yet his anxiety climbed from continuous negative threads.

“These news articles cannot provide positive answers, hope, or reassurance from the COVID-19 virus,” Thompson said. “Many articles depict people who are angry about avoiding large social gatherings or having to wear a mask in a public setting.”

According to Brian X. Chen, a technology writer for The New York Times, “[Doomscrolling] activity can make us angry, anxious, depressed, unproductive and less connected with our loved ones and ourselves.”

Chen describes the doomscrolling experience as “sinking into emotional quicksand.”

Senior Autumn Colombo is a communication major who hasn’t taken a break during quarantine — she took summer classes and went back to work in May. In her free time her indulgence is Youtube and TikTok. “You can scroll through [TikTok] for hours and completely forget what you’re doing,” Colombo said.

“There’s also a lot of different content on there so it’s hard to lose interest.”

Colombo said she felt overwhelmed with “stress and anxiety” and admitted to deleting the Twitter app on multiple occasions during quarantine.

She said she spoke to a therapist who recommended this technique.

“I’d have to go and redownload the app, which gives me time to think about if I’m ready to do that yet or not,” Colombo said. “In the meantime, I would watch YouTube videos or hang out with my friends (outside and socially distanced).”

Doomscroller Versus Browser

Readers shouldn’t constantly have ill feelings after scrolling through news. “[Doomscrolling is] whenever you lose track of time and you’re not seeking out information from credible news sources to get the full story,” Johnson said.

Senior Jeffrey Thomas opened up about his quarantine and doomscrolling struggles.

“The initial six to eight weeks of the pandemic was hard,” Thomas said. “I was already having a hard time and the constant newsfeed of the virus just added to that weight.”

Thomas said he lost a close friend in March and that the mainstream media was not helping aid his anxiety.

“By the time I finished the winter semester I had to disconnect from social media and the news completely,” Thomas said.

Dr. Erin Meyers, associate professor of communication at OU, teaches courses that focus on the relationship between media and culture.

Adhere with Advocacy

Dr. Chiaoning Su specializes in media studies and urges students to use social media as a platform to create change. She said that social media offers us emotional engagement.

“When students read news on social media, they are not just informed of the event, but they also share an effective experience with other users when they read through the comments,” Su said.

She said she was “pleased” to see students share “social protests-oriented posts” on social media outlets such as Facebook and Instagram. “[Students] also use social media to directly advocate for social change,” Su said. “In recent weeks, Tyler Dixon started a petition online to ask OU to make “Biobutton” optional for the coming fall semester and he succeeded. I am very inspired by the spirit and activism manifested in the younger generation.”

Doomscrolling was dubbed by The New York Times because reporters said it plays off our emotions.

“Coverage of scandals, affairs, the personal lives and characters issues of public officials — rather than programs and policies — feeds the public’s distrust of our political leaders and of the media,” Gilbert said.

If someone wants a simple way to break the doomscrolling habit, they can consider switching up the sources they follow for news. The power of doomscrolling can die in the consumer’s hands.

OU Resources

This year, OU students are going back-to-school during a global pandemic. Students have enough to worry about without news anxiety.

PHOTOGRAPHER | ALEXIS MATTSON

Meyers said social media is not entirely awful. She said you should always be checking sources, “no matter There are perceptions that the media seems to be litwhat social media or news platform you are using.” tered with fake news, but it’s not completely true. AcMeyers said that she believes the Black Lives Matter cording to Science Advances’ April 2020 research armovement has grown because of social media. That soticle, “fake news comprises only 0.15% of Americans’ cial media is “connecting people who would not have daily media diet.” easily found each other before, building coalitions and Journalists pride themselves on copy editing. Look helping to shed light on issues that have long been out for any spelling or grammar errors or all capital swept under the rug.” She said she is proud of the OU headlines that trigger emotions. If an article seems misstudents who use social media to advocate for change. leading, check the URL to see where the information is Senior Autumn Colombo said she doesn’t believe socoming from. cial media is all toxic either, “…there is often hate and Because consumers tend to be attracted to conflict or misinformation spread on social media, but I believe bad news, reporters can angle stories in certain ways to that it also can foster communication and growth begrab the public’s attention. tween communities.”

“Conflict is one of the primary elements of news,” OU It’s not just COVID-19 news people are doomscrollJournalism Director Garry Gilbert said. “The for-profit ing through. Colombo said she tried to have a positive media…put too much emphasis on conflict and drama, outlook toward scrolling through election news. because editors and marketers know that conflict and “I believe social media can be a place to understand drama help drive broadcast ratings, bring eyeballs to both sides of an argument, and watch people break our websites and sell print publications.” down piece-by-piece why they support who and what policies they see as most important,” Colombo said.

Credibility of News

PHOTOGRAPHER | ALEXIS MATTSON

The OU Counseling Center is located in Graham Health Center (GHC). Students can receive six free sessions with licensed psychologists or interns.

Another option is the SEHS Counseling Center, which is a no-commitment, no-cost counseling center where students can receive therapy from master’s level counseling students. Applications are on OU’s website if a student wishes to talk with someone.

“Anxious thoughts cannot survive under reassurance from the people who love you,” Thompson said.

CAMPUS

12| AUGUST 26, 2020

Students express concern about cost of online classes EMILY MORRIS Mananging Editor

Following an atypical tuition freeze for the 2020-2021 school year, some students still bode financial concerns as September approaches.

Sixty-eight percent of Oakland University students report that three or more of their classes have been moved online (16% with two, 10% with one and 5% with no newly online classes), according to a recent poll from The Oakland Post.

While many classes are pushed online to abide by COVID-19 safety precautions, Student Congress President Ethan Bradley admits that some students are skeptical of the value of online classes opposed to in-person.

“I have heard a lot of students are upset about it [the tuition freeze]... the perception is the services that the university is providing are not going to be of their typical quality this year,” Bradley said. “Students seem to feel that that should be reflected by tuition.”

Online classes pose an array of challenges including living off campus with less than ideal study spaces or simply a poor internet connection, according to Vice President of Student Congress, Annabella Jankowski. Aside from technical complications, some students may not feel as comfortable in social distanced classrooms. Even amounting to these standards, Oakland University had to pull strings to allow a tuition freeze — an additional reduction to cope with the challenges of online classes or adjustment to distanced classrooms doesn’t seem to be in the cards.

Approving the tuition freeze led OU to withdraw roughly six million dollars from reserve funds and salary cuts for some of the OU community. President Ora Pescovitz announced in

OAKLAND POST ARCHIVES Students are looking for alternative financial support.

an official email that the necessary salary cuts included, “… reductions for executives and Deans range from 3-5% with the President taking a 20% reduction.”

University officials reconsidered these salaries to prepare for the fall semester amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, but there still may be further adjustments in funds needed for the school year. For instance, OU housing refunded many of the over 3,000 students that were living on campus when the university converted entirely online for the remainder of the winter

semester in March, leaving OU with less income than usual.

The impending semester could offer similar complications, as well, because some students may opt to live off-campus with increased online classes.

“I feel that it appears to be an unfortunate necessity…

Unfortunately, from the student perspective that has different effects than how it was intended,” Bradley said.

Oakland University hasn’t offered any other additional resources for the entire student body this year — like a university-wide tuition decrease. There are, however, individual options to help students who are financially struggling because of the pandemic, like the COVID-19 relief fund and on campus food pantries.

The COVID-19 relief fund does not yet have an expiration so that opportunity will be available for the school year.

The campus food pantry is located on the bottom floor of the Oakland Center in room 49G and will operate Monday Thursday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. for interested students this fall.

Jankowski reiterated that OU Student Congress welcomes anyone that “wants to voice their concerns” at their general meetings at 4 p.m. on Mondays. If there are more alternate financial routes to take, conversation is where action can start.

Oakland University hasn’t been able to please all students with a tuition freeze, but a school year amidst the COVID-19 pandemic will be riddled with changes and updates — how those changes and updates will affect returning students is yet to be determined.

“For the students that are concerned about the principle of the matter, I don’t feel like there was much else the university could do, but for students that are struggling financially as a result of this, there are some other resources,” Bradley said.

YOU CAN FIND US ON THE

VISIT US ONLINE WWW.OAKLANDPOSTONLINE.COM

AUGUST 26, 2020 | 13

OPINION AOC deserves better from the DNC and NBC AUTUMN PAGE

for the record. Then, they explained that Ocasio-Cortez had previously endorsed Sanders, and her mentioning him was part of the rules.

Basically, they just said everything Ocasio-Cortez did in her original tweet, just many hours later.

How does a news outlet as big as NBC not get wind of this earlier? Especially when the person who the article is about mentions it and tags them. I’m sure NBC has public relations teams and heads that approve what articles go out — so how did that manage to publish?

The headline didn’t get fixed until 1:15 a.m., which is an odd time for someone at NBC to decide to change it.

“Because a 1:15am tweet to slip under the radar after blowing up a totally false and divisive narrative across networks isn’t it.” Ocasio-Cortez said.

Ocasio-Cortez also mentioned that NBC never apologized for the title. One NICOLE MORSFIELD | OAKLAND POST Twitter user, Teafor2and2fort, brought up a good point saying, “Unsure how The Democratic National Convention they can expect for the American people (DNC) was held from Aug. 17-20, and to trust them when they pull this kind of U.S. House candidate Alexandria Ocasio- stunt and then never formally apologize.”

Cortez (NY-D) spoke briefly. Not only did I think this is how most people feel when she have one of the smallest amounts of it comes not only to the media, but the screen time, one minute and 37 seconds to government in general. be exact, but the NBC network published a This is how women in politics, news article with a questionable headline. I especially influential women, are treated. thought the U.S. was supposed to progress She is the future of politics, a major news forward — it’s really disappointing to see outlet shouldn’t treat her like this that we’re regressing.

Many people agree with OcasioBecause of how her speech was phrased Cortez that the original article caused by a news outlet, people ended up confused. damage and widespread misinformation.

The title said that she seconds the “At first I was outraged at you cause nomination for Bernie Sanders for president I read their title. Now I’m LIVID at of the U.S.. This made it seem like Ocasio- them for causing more divisiveness than Cortez doesn’t support Joe Biden.

Trump does.” user @PaceyWilliams said Ocasio-Cortez claimed that while the via Twitter. title was a case of clickbait, it wasn’t a Headlines might not seem important, mistake in a tweet. She took to Twitter to but some people only read headlines clear the air.

— that’s their only source of news. For “Convention rules require roll call a well-known news source to let this and nominations for every candidate that happen and not fix it quickly only shows passes the delegate threshold,” she said how much change needs to happen. via Twitter. “I was asked to second the Everyone has their phone on them nomination for Sen. Sanders for roll call. nowadays, and the first act of change I extend my deepest congratulations to needs to be that regarding the response @JoeBiden - let’s go win in November.” times of something like this. I get that not Once this was said, the article should’ve everyone wants to be by their phone all been taken down and/or changed within the the time, so don’t mess up a headline. hour. Ocasio-Cortez has a big following, Ocasio-Cortez is right to be mad. As and she even tagged NBC on Twitter, so at she said, this isn’t just going to happen to least someone at NBC should’ve heard. her. It will, or could, happen to Biden and NBC ended up deleting the tweet with his VP Kamala Harris. More members of the misleading title and added an editor’s their party, or even a Hollywood actor, note. They took a picture of the original title could be victims of this.

Staff Reporter

14 | August 26, 2020

CAMPUS

August OUSC student concern forum addresses health and safety plans LAUREN KARMO Campus Editor Ethan Bradley, president of Oakland University Student Congress (OUSC), posed many questions to administrators during OUSC’s student concerns forum on Tuesday, Aug. 11.

Topics from this month’s forum included health and safety concerns and what the university plans to do when faced with the reality of students getting sick on campus.

Students are asked to wear masks inside any campus building or within six feet of others outside. Students don’t have to wear a mask if they are in a private room with the door closed. Daily screening and symptom monitoring is expected of every student who plans to step foot on campus. Should a student violate health and safety regulations by not wearing a mask, ignore housing guest policies or any other measures, they will have violated the student code of conduct.

“A lot of that enforcement will come through the dean of students’ office,” said Jessie Hurse, associate dean of students and deputy title IX coordinator. “We have protocols in place to ensure we make any and all attempts to be educational first and foremost, but what we are willing to do is hold students accountable for not adhering to the public health mandates issued by the state and the university.”

Should a student refuse educational attempts to follow the regulations, they could be expelled from the university.

“Any time a student is found responsible for violation of the student code of conduct, the ultimate penalty or sanction could be removal from the school,” Dean of Students Michael Wadsworth said.

“But, we have a progressive conduct system. We’ll be meeting with students, we’ll be talking with students, we’ll be doing whatever we can to get compliance and help those folks continue to be successful students and participants of our community, but we will follow our system and if that ends up leading to something like that, then it does, but that isn’t where we start out, that’s for sure.”

Leading the response on the health side of protocols was Graham Health Center

LAUREN KARMO | CAMPUS EDITOR OUSC held their August concerns forum, with topics ranging from health and safety concerns, plans for reopening the university and COVID-19 safety regulations

Director Nancy Jansen, ANP-BC. When asked about how to handle suspected illness, she said on-site testing will be available for any student showing symptoms, as well as antibody testing.

Students will be asked to either wear the BioButton or fill out screening questions accessible via MySail in order to monitor symptoms.

According to Jansen, if a student does appear to be showing symptoms, the health center will make a recommendation on the next step, whether that be self quarantining or getting tested. Information on how many cases reported in the OU community is being documented and accessible on the Graham Health Center’s page on the OU website.

“Currently, our process is to of course identify a case and notify the [Oakland County] health department,” Jansen said.

“That individual is then interviewed by the health department, and immediate contacts are told to quarantine. Beyond that, I do put information on my website, just general numbers, about the number of cases, so at this point we’re relying on the advice of the health department to notify the people that need to be quarantined.”

Prior to move-in, all students planning

to live on campus must test negative for the virus.

This, however, will be the only time housing students will be asked to take a test unless they have been exposed or are showing symptoms. Should an individual in housing contract COVID-19, University Housing Director James Zentmeyer has asked each student to list a secondary location for them to isolate in.

Should a student be unable to have a secondary location to isolate in, university housing has come up with some solutions for quarantining.

“We also know there are a variety of mitigating circumstances where there is always the existence of a possibility where moving home is not a viable option,” Zentmeyer said. “That could be medically related, that could be family related, that could be all sorts of issues involved. We have located a number of locations on campus to isolate in.”

If an isolating individual is a part of the housing meal plan, food will be delivered to them at a safe distance. University housing is currently working to create a plan for food delivery should a student without a meal plan need to quarantine on campus.

Questions regarding the logistics of doing classwork while quarantining also came up, as students were wondering what options they had if they were unable to attend their in-person classes.

Interim Associate Provost Anne Hitt reminded students that there is no university-wide attendance policy, but professors have been asked to be more flexible and understanding when students may need to miss class.

“The faculty have been asked to preferably record and stream their in person classes so that students who get a red [BioButton screening] and can’t make it to school or have some other thing happen so they can’t make it, can keep up with things,” Hitt said. “If somebody really gets sick with COVID-19, they may end up in the hospital or something horrible, so the regular procedures that we do will be in place.”

Should a professor get sick with COVID-19, the university has arranged for there to be alternate or backup professors for most classes aside from specific higher level, specialized courses.

While the university is confident in their health and safety requirements, they warned that another university-wide shutdown similar to the one last March would occur if the state were to return to phase three of the MI Safe Smart Plan.

“All the directives we have in place will protect everybody, not just certain individuals with risk factors,” Jansen said.

“We’re all in this together, we all have to be. If we’re all doing these very important behaviors all the time, we will make the environment much less risky for all of us. We all just have to keep that in the forefront.”

The next student concerns forum will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. via Google Meet.

For more information on OU’s return to campus plan, visit the OU website at oakland.edu/return-to-campus.

SPORTS Fall sports coaches adapt to Horizon League postponing competition until spring

AUGUST 26, 2020 | 15

MICHAEL PEARCE Editor-in-Chief

Almost a month after initially announcing the fall season would not start until at least Oct. 1, the Horizon League announced on Aug. 13 that fall sports would be pushed to the spring.

“Guided by its core value of student-athlete well-being and considering further developments in the outbreak of COVID-19, the Horizon League Board of Directors, acting on a recommendation from the League’s Council, has decided to postpone fall competition for the fall season,” the official press release said.

Soccer, cross country and volleyball will all be shifted to the spring season. The pandemic has now canceled two seasons for cross country athletes, after the outdoor track season in spring 2020 was canceled when the virus first shut down schools.

“Everybody understands the background of what’s going on, I just think it’s extra frustrating for our cross country athletes because they lost their outdoor track season,” Cross Country Head Coach Paul Rice said. “We all know there’s no way to run cross country in the spring because of the outdoor track season.”

Rice is also the director for the track and field program.

Many cross country athletes will take part in the outdoor track season and the cross country season, which is now not an option.

“This is really painful for our cross country athletes — I feel really bad for all of them and our entire coaching staff,” Rice said. “We’ve worked really hard to not only prepare them for this fall, but also get them through some very challenging times in their lives.”

For the coaches, the last five months have been a challenge. A silver lining is the youth of the cross country teams. There are no seniors affected.

“It’s wearing us out — it’s wearing the coaches out — me in particular,” Rice said. “Trying to keep everything on the right path is a challenge. We’re bummed, but at the same time we have a really great group of athletes that are going to be around for several years.”

Juan Pablo Favero, head coach of the women’s soccer team, sees a silver lining with his squad as well. His athletes and staff have maintained their perspective on the situation.

“We are disappointed with the news … but both the staff and our players understand that this is bigger than soccer and bigger than us,” Favero said. “It is something we have no control over and have to accept.”

According to Favero, the fall sports all have the “burden” of doing summer preparation on their own. This gives them more time than usual to prepare, which Favero feels is a silver lining.

“When we show up in early August, we have a very short window of time to do a preseason — it’s really not enough time,” Favero said. “If we get to play in the spring and we get to train in the fall, it will give us more time to get our new players acclimated to our culture.”

PHOTO | EMILY MORRIS The soccer scoreboard will remain blank for the fall, after the Horizon League announced they were suspending compeition until spring. Soccer, cross country and volleyball will all have their seasons pushed to the spring.

Following the announcement, coaches are unsure about what practices and training will look like.

Coaches and athletes are awaiting direction from the Horizon League and the athletics administration at OU. “I know our athletic director, Steve Waterfield, and the rest of the administration are committed to trying to find a way to allow all of our sports to at least continue training,” Favero said. “There is so much unknown.”

Both Favero and Rice prioritized the health and safety of their athletes above all else, especially considering the long-term cardiovascular damage that COVID-19 can give those who survive it.

Favero said the soccer team might have to train in smaller groups instead of the whole team at once.

Precautions he envisioned might include masks or other mitigating shields.

“The last thing we would want to do is to jeopardize anybody’s health and anybody’s future playing opportunities,” Favero said.

Despite the need for testing, Rice echoed Favero’s

statements about the situation being more than sports.

“The reality is, we’re athletes,” Rice said. “We’re not frontline workers. We aren’t number one on the list to get tested, and we shouldn’t be. So, we can’t expect all these tests to be made available for us when there’s a lot more important things that need to be done with all the tests.

Favero and Rice both expressed pride in their students for the way they have handled the pandemic thus far.

“Our kids all know and understand,” Rice said. “They’re smart enough to realize what’s going on.”

The women’s soccer team wrote a statement after the Horizon League announcement was public. Neither Favero nor his staff encouraged the statement, the team crafted it on their own.

“There are people who are losing their loved ones and losing their livelihoods,” Favero said. “For us to complain about not playing a sport would be tonedeaf. I’m really proud of our young women and their appropriate response to these challenging times.”

16 | AUGUST 26, 2020

SATIRE

Housing implements honor system MICHAEL PEARCE Editor-in-Chief

Oakland University housing is on the cutting edge of university policies, as they unveil their newest ground-breaking innovation in on-campus safety: the honor system.

Instead of properly compensating night watch employees to enforce the new COVID-19 policies on guests and large gatherings, housing will rely on the tried and true honor system.

A policy equivalent to leaving a candy bowl out on Halloween, housing expects lonely, bored students to never bring a guest to their room.

Surely, these young adults can refrain from sexual intercourse and debauchery if left without any supervision or consequence.

It’s like how prisons are operated — no guards, no bars and no locked doors — the prisoners just stay there on their own free will!

The honor system has been referred to as “nearly flawless” by Steven Hawking. It is the single governing principle that helps people follow rules.

In addition to the honor system, housing has provided students with free condoms. These condoms must only be used alone, however, but housing believes that students will do what is right, and not anything selfishly.

This genius policy from housing has sent shockwaves through the OU community. Many are calling the honor system “the next great governing style.” One anonymous world leader said “holy garbanzo beans, this puts me to shame.”

The Oakland University police department will also be working in accordance with the honor system.

The police will never come into a students room,

instead they will sit outside and gently paw at the door saying “pwease stop dwinking alcohol, you’re only 19.” This broad-sweeping police reforming took a whole 20 minutes to teach.

Some students have taken issue with the honor system, saying it is “totalitarian” and “communistic.”

“This is about my freedom,” junior Tex Mekks said. “I can’t be living under such a dictatorship.

How are my buddies and I supposed to hang out and break the rules under the honor system? It’s nearly impossible! Oakland has completely stumped me.”

The night watch employees — scratch that — employee, will be required to watch every building like a hawk, making sure that no students are defying the honor system. They will also be forced to wear a mask over their mouth, nose and eyeballs to make sure that students feel trusted.

In return, housing has graciously offered to not cover their housing anymore and pay them an unlivable wage.

Other universities, like Michigan State and Central Michigan, have already increased measures to prevent the spread of disease.

Those universities are either closed or near closing, but yet Oakland remains, moving steadfast through the mist of COVID-19 like a ship in the night, with a glowing beacon of hope: blind faith.

“I would never have anyone over to my dorm now, because I would just feel really bad for disappointing Oakland,” freshman Pantera Onfire said. “Above all else, Americans are selfless, kind and caring people.

I try to uphold those values whenever I get a booty call. Sorry, you can’t come, I’ve got a world to save.”

Students like Onfire are rallying around this new policy, and making sure that their consciences are clear. The only thing that will stay full is their love and adoration for OU Housing, because now they know they are trusted.

MICHAEL PEARCE | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Snapchat Hotdog and I are thoroughly vibing in my OU dorm last school year. Now, the new guest policy is preventing me from hanging out with any of my friends, especially Snapchat Hotdog.

EMILY MORRIS | MANAGING EDITOR

The flock settles in parking lot one after their long journey.

Anti-maskers force seagulls onto campus EMILY MORRIS Managing Editor

In a world where Oakland University lies almost empty for an entire summer, the seagulls saw a chance, and they took it. Reread in Don LaFontaine’s voice if you didn’t already — the voice actor, I’m not talking about the Subaru dealership.

With anti-mask children running awry across beaches throughout the country, the swooping beach hazards were forced to find a place to nibble on crumbs and trash.

Now the once plentiful parking spaces in P1 have been reclaimed by the seagulls.

The flock initially considered that Bear Lake could be a safe haven from the snotnosed beach babies, but that maroge quickly vanished when they landed. Bear Lake is a generous name for unaware incoming freshmen for what is actually a cesspool of throwing — failing students throwing school supplies, frustrated professors throwing tweed jackets and glasses and, of course, frat boys throwing nothing in particular but swearing it went the farthest. Then all the donations melt into the green goo that is Oakland University’s Bear Lake.

In response, the seagulls attempted to blend in with current OU wildlife — the deer.

They have been the backbone of the university for years,

silently controlling every move on campus. Members of the herd are even rumored to have stopped traffic with a moment’s notice just to remind university officials who’s in charge.

Without a Disney princess to intervene, the deer and seagulls wouldn’t be living — or singing — harmoniously together anytime soon.

Although a fairytale wasn’t in the cards, the seagulls pressed on.

They saw only two options: wander through the Oakland University wildlife preserve for 40 years or skip to the Promised Land. Since doves usually have biblical preference, the seagulls went right to the Promised Land, or parking lot one.

Parking lot one is no land of milk and honey, but an occasional slim puddle and the green goo runoff from Bear Lake were good enough for the seagulls — anything to escape the beaches oozing with COVID-19.

Although their story isn’t a fantasy or worthy of the Holy Book, it’s a timeless tale of the struggle and triumph of claiming parking spots in P1. Students and seagulls aren’t that different, after all.

Classrooms will be missing many students this fall, but the seagulls will be there — a new beginning.

So next time an urge for a traditional seagull chase wells up inside of you, remember their story.