The Oakland Post 10.25.2023

A Trusted Source of Independent Student Journalism since 1987.

LETTER FROM EDITOR A statement on recent terrorist attacks in Israel PAGE 3

PHOTO BY LEVAIRUS HALL

Volume 49 l Issue 5 l October 25, 2023

WOMEN IN FILM

Spreading inclusion through film studies PAGE 7

TRAGEDY OVERSEAS

Providing context on the IsraelPalestine conflict PAGE 10-11

2 | OCTOBER 25, 2023

EDITORIAL BOARD Arianna Heyman Editor-in-Chief aheyman@oakland.edu Autumn Okuszka Content Editor aokuszka@oakland.edu Megan Parker Managing Editor meganparker@oakland.edu

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Lindsey Sobkowski Photo Editor lsobkowski@oakland.edu Brock Heilig Sports Editor brockheilig@oakland.edu Payton Bucki Features Editor paytonbucki@oakland.edu Olivia Chiappelli Arts Editor oechiappelli@oakland.edu

OU VS UWM On Saturday, Oct. 21, the Oakland University women’s soccer team’s battle with

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OCTOBER 25, 2023 | 3

Letter from the Editor: A statement on the recent terrorist attacks in Israel ARIANNA HEYMAN Editor-in-Chief

possibility that I was hoping for. She was either dead or in Gaza, and if you know anything about what they

As the current tragedy in the Middle East unfolds,

do to people in Gaza, that is worse than death. The way

I have been struggling to translate my feelings into

they treat you –– they’d have no food, they’d have no

words. Quite ironic for a writer, but the horror we all

water. She’d be in a dark room filled with Christ knows

have witnessed is hard to recount.

how many people, and terrified every minute, hour, day,

Of all the world issues, the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine is undoubtedly one that evokes the strongest opinions, the strongest emotions and is deeply divisive.

I have my own personal opinions on this issue, but I will not use this platform to further the divide and

and possible years to come. So death was a blessing, an absolute blessing.”

As of Oct. 15, the death toll has risen to 1,400 Israelis including 29 Americans. Additionally, Israel has confirmed that at least 199 civilians are being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.

encourage infighting in The Oakland Post comment

In light of this gruesome attack, it has been

section. However, I want to address an issue I have

disheartening, alarming and disappointing to witness

noticed in the last week which is deeply troubling.

the reaction from so many around the world. Victim

Saturday Oct. 7, was the deadliest day for the

blaming as the immediate response is unforgivable.

Jewish people since the Holocaust. In a coordinated,

Citizens should not be punished for the crimes of their

surprise attack, the internationally designated terrorist

governments. The actions of Hamas do not represent

organization, Hamas, launched a barbaric assault on the

the Palestinians’ desires and right to self-determination.

people of Israel.

So why are so many condoning this act of violence?

By land, sea and air, terrorists invaded Israel ––

Similarly, Israel’s controversial policies do not

butchering innocent civilians using tactics eerily

invalidate their citizens’ rights to safety and security.

reminiscent of Nazi Germany.

Again I ask, why have so many turned a blind eye? Did

The stories from survivors have been grisly and truly

American civilians on 9/11 deserve to be attacked by Al

heartbreaking. Thomas Hand, a father living in the

Qaeda? Why does the attack in Israel appear to evoke

Be’eri Kibbutz community, described his relief to CNN

a morally ambiguous response? There is never a case

reporter Clarissa Ward upon discovering his eight year

where terrorism should be supported.

old daughter had died in the attacks.

When is there ever an excuse for murder, rape, and

“I smiled because that is the best news of the

kidnapping? There isn’t. These barbaric acts do not

possibilities that I knew,” he said. “That was the best

help to “Free Palestine.” They have just created more

PHOTO BY THE OAKLAND POST

violence, death, and continued suffering on both sides.

As Israel prepares for an inevitable ground war in Gaza, the death toll will only continue to climb for Israelis and Palestinians. It seems like the idea of peace in the region is becoming more unattainable with each day that passes.

As the rest of the world watches the conflict unfold, we need to keep in mind that encouraging violence only breeds more violence. The fact is, Israelis are not going anywhere. Neither are Palestinians. The most talented political minds of the last century have tried to find a solution to this conflict to no avail. I certainly don’t have the answer either.

All I can say is the acts of Oct. 7 should be unequivocally condemned. I know that statement might be controversial to some –– and that’s a fact that is also difficult to come to terms with.

I, like so many others across the world, want and hope for peace. If achieving peace in the Middle East is the true objective of this conflict, inciting violence is not the means to this end. That only serves to propagate the historic cycle of violence and senseless deaths.

CAMPUS OU welcomes most diverse incoming class in its history

4 | OCOTBER 25 2023 CHLOE KUKUK Campus Reporter

Oakland University welcomed the most diverse incoming class in its history this academic year, with 26.2% of first-time-in-any-college (FTIAC) students being from an underrepresented minority (URM) group.

This closes the gap between URM students and nonURM students by 5%.

OU President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz addressed the record number in her Sept. 28 State of the University address.

“I’m very proud to report that we are becoming a more diverse university,” Pescovitz said. “In addition, the Latinx FTIAC population has more than doubled in the last 10 years. And our African-American population has also nearly doubled in the last 10 years.”

The percentage of URM faculty and staff has also remained stable over the past few years.

“Overall, underrepresented minorities make up 9.1% of our faculty and 17.7% of our staff,” Pescovitz said. “And with the support of the Black Faculty Association and the Latinx Faculty Association, we are working for even greater diversity. Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion must be affirmed each and every day.”

Glenn McIntosh, OU’s senior vice president for Student Affairs and chief diversity officer, said the increasing diversity in the student population is important.

“Exposure to different perspectives and backgrounds

fosters a more inclusive and culturally rich campus community,” McIntosh said. “Secondly, it aligns with the principles of equal opportunity and social justice, providing individuals from underrepresented groups with access to higher education, which can lead to improved career opportunities and social mobility.

“A diverse student body prepares all students for success in an increasingly globalized and diverse workforce, promoting cultural competence and adaptability.”

The same applies to the faculty and staff makeup.

“Diverse faculty members serve as role models and mentors for students from underrepresented backgrounds, contributing to their sense of belonging and classroom success,” McIntosh said. “A diverse faculty brings varied perspectives, experiences and

PHOTO BY KRISTEN ELIZABETH PHOTOGRAPHY

teaching approaches to the classroom, enhancing the quality of education for all students. It also fosters a more inclusive and equitable work environment for faculty and staff, contributing to job satisfaction and productivity.”

The increasing number of URM students at OU is promising for its broader strategic plan for 2025. One of its major goals is to “advance diversity, equity and inclusion in an environment of mutual trust and respect at all levels of the institution and facilitate opportunities and success for all community members.”

The priorities in this goal are to “establish policies and practices that support and promote diversity and inclusion” and “become a campus of choice for students, administrators, faculty and staff from underrepresented minorities and underrepresented groups.”

“Firstly, we aim to increase the representation of underrepresented minority groups among students, faculty and staff to better reflect the demographics of our region and broader society,” McIntosh said. “Secondly, we seek to create a campus climate where all individuals feel valued, respected and included, regardless of their background. This includes implementing policies and practices that promote equity in hiring, admissions and support services.

“Lastly, we aim to enhance cultural competency and diversity awareness among the campus community through training and education programs.”

Individuals can read more about the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and other departments’ work in the 2023 Annual Report. Note the updated statistics for the 2023-2024 academic year have yet to be published.

New BIO Learning Lounge at Oakland University PAYTON BUCKI Features Editor

This fall, Oakland University opened its BIO Learning Lounge, an innovative space where students taking courses offered by the Department of Biological Sciences can gather to learn, socialize and study.

Dr. Gerad Madlambayan, the chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at OU, describes the creation of the BIO Learning Lounge as a collaborative effort.

The support of the Provost Office, Academic Success Center (ACS), School of Health Sciences, School of Nursing and College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) were crucial to the successful development of the lounge.

The project began over the summer when the Department of Biological Sciences secured a space in Dodge Hall from CAS. The space was renovated to provide a comfortable space for students to learn. The lounge holds ample study space, a mentoring station, desktop computers and a kitchen area.

“Peer mentors are in the BIO Learning Lounge at all times so that students can drop in for academic support,” Madlambayan said. “We are looking forward to expanding the courses we offer mentoring for to include additional STEM classes like physics and math.”

The BIO Learning Lounge is located at 166 Dodge Hall and is open from Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. In the near future, the BIO Learning Lounge will expand its hours, closing at 6 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.

The lounge is also accessible on Fridays on an ad hoc basis through pre-scheduled appointments and Faculty

Friday sessions.

“Professors can set up their own drop-in mentoring hours in the BIO Learning Lounge on Fridays, which we call Faculty Fridays,” Madlambayan said.

“Faculty Fridays give professors more space to provide additional support to students. The mentoring sessions are available to all students taking the course, not only the students in the professor’s section.”

Dr. Jonathan Yates will serve as the faculty director for the BIO Learning Lounge. In an interview with the Oakland University News, Yates pointed out that the OU Gateways to Completion (OUG2C) project was one of the driving forces behind the lounge’s creation.

Gateway courses are required classes in a student’s major or minor that are typically the one’s first collegelevel experience in the area of study.

“With the BIO Learning Lounge, we hope to increase students’ confidence in their ability to succeed in their chosen field of study by providing mentor services for gateway classes,” Madlambayan said.

The Academic Success Center (ASC) works alongside the BIO Learning Lounge to support students academically. Many of the student mentors at the lounge were formerly staffed tutors at the ASC. “The ASC is excited to pursue this partnership opportunity with the Department of Biological Sciences,” Deborah Cash, the director of the ASC, said. “We hope to work alongside the lounge to expand the academic services available to STEM students on campus.”

Academic support is not all the support the BIO Learning Lounge provides. The lounge also offers student jobs and professional development opportunities. Isabella Limbert, the graduate assistant (GA) and manager of the BIO Learning Lab, details her

PHOTO BY COURTNEY BLACKETT

experience working at the BIO Learning Lounge.

“Initially, I was going to accept a graduate TA position at OU. Then, the BIO Learning Lounge opened, and I was selected to be the GA,” Limbert said. “This job has been a great opportunity for me because I have always thought about going into teaching. My duties at the lounge allow me to gain valuable professional experience that would be useful in the field of teaching.”

Charlene Hsiung is a student peer mentor at the BIO Learning Lounge. Hsiung believes the lounge is an excellent place for students to work and socialize.

“I love the space here,” Hsuing said. “A lot of students pop in throughout the day, which means the lounge is almost always full of students studying.”

Students interested in learning more about the BIO Learning Lounge can visit its OU webpage or contact the space administrators via email at biolearning@oakland.edu.

CAMPUS

OCTOBER 25, 2023 | 5

OUSC hosts Civics & Succulents, aims to get students involved in local elections CHLOE KUKUK Campus Reporter

The Oakland University Student Congress (OUSC) recently hosted its Civics and Succulents program in the Oakland Center Habitat on Oct. 17.

The program centered around raising awareness about voting, especially with local elections either ongoing or upcoming. This event was also part of OUSC’s broader Sustainability Month, which runs until the end of Oct. “We’re trying to get information out so people are looking at who is running for what, and they’re

PHOTO COURTSEY OF OAKLAND UNIVERISTY STUDENT CONGRESS

looking at what platforms are going to push sustainable initiatives as opposed to letting time pass by, letting different politicians who are against sustainability initiatives in general come to power,” OUSC’s Director of Sustainability, Katya Eskander, said.

Students were also able to grab a free succulent for their dorms and apartments — plants that require little water and little maintenance — provided by Greystone Gardens.

“We’re trying to get people a little bit more into greenery, a little bit more aware of sustainable initiatives,” Eskander said. “So indoor plants are loosely tied to biodiversity.”

OUSC passed out cards including information about how to register to vote, the local county clerk’s office, ongoing elections, early voting and absentee voting.

Even though Michigan had the highest youth voter turnout in 2022 with 36.5%— the largest jump from the 2018 elections — Eskander said there is still room for improvement. OU itself recently hosted the sixth annual Michigan Student Voting Summit earlier this month to engage students in politics.

“We had one of the higher registrations in the United States, and for that to only be 37% of young people, that’s still pretty abysmal,” she said.

Eskander added that local elections hold a great deal of influence.

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“Local elections very specifically have a lot of power that people overlook,” she said. “People usually will take their presidential ballot, fill in the president and absolutely nothing else… but your local elections actually hold way more power over what your life looks like and what your future looks like than people ever give credit for.

“We are the generation that is coming to power.

We’re going to be the ones that are deciding things sooner rather than later. So the sooner people start learning about what’s going on in their area, the better.”

People can either register or see if they’re already registered to vote online through Michigan’s Voter Information Center (MVIC). Voters can also view what will be on the ballot as well. To vote in the upcoming Nov. 7 Oakland County elections, voters must register in person at their local clerk’s office with proof of residency.

OUSC’s Sustainability Month continues with the Sustainability Townhall on Oct. 25 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Oakland Center (OC) Ambassador Rooms, the Plogging Run on Oct. 27 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Elliott Tower and the Sustainability Org Showcase on Oct. 30 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. near the OC food court.

To stay up to date with OUSC’s initiatives and programs, please visit their Instagram, @ouscofficial.

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FEATURES

OCTOBER 25, 2023 | 7

Recognizing the strengths of disability: Richard Bernstein PAYTON BUCKI Features Editor

On Oct. 19, the Honorable Richard Bernstein, Michigan Supreme Court Justice, was welcomed to Oakland University’s campus for a discussion entitled “Recognizing the Strengths of Disability” in celebration of Disability Awareness Month. Justice Bernstein, a longtime advocate for disability rights, is the first and only blind justice to serve on the Michigan Supreme Court.

Bernstein began the event by addressing why disability matters through a passionate speech.

“Everyone always has the question, ‘Why does disability matter?’” Bernstein said. “Disability matters because it is a unifier, it brings people together.”

Bernstein pointed out that empowering people with disabilities can aid them in becoming good leaders.

“The qualities that matter are a person’s experiences in life,” Bernstein said. “The ability to work through adversity to achieve your goals is highly valuable.”

Bernstein encouraged the audience to embrace their true selves.

“Embrace the challenges you are facing,” Bernstein said. “Through heightened awareness and passion, extraordinary things will happen.”

Bernstein shared he had to work much harder than his classmates as a blind college student at the University of Michigan. Bernstein relied on readers to orally recite his class material to him until he committed the information to memory.

ANA GJORJEVSKI Features Reporter

During her sophomore year as a film production major, Oakland University student Katherine (Katie) Reid struggled to find a campus club she fit into.

“I was looking for clubs to be a part of, and I didn’t really find a good fit,” Reid said.

Reid’s experience is shared by many students, as finding a shared community on campus can be difficult.

Luckily, feelings can spark a desire to create a new safe space and allow others in the same boat to feel seen.

Since the gender makeup of the film-making field is predominantly male, women in film are an underrepresented population in the industry.

“It’s known now that there wasn’t a club for women in film for so long. And now people are kind of like, oh wow, like we didn’t have that, there hasn’t been like a space carved out for women in film,” Reid said.

Reid — along with her classmate Emma Davis — started the Women in Film Club on campus in late 2022. The club not only directs its focus on influential female directors and the inspiring stories they tell but also the creation of an inclusive and safe community for women interested in the film industry.

“To me, the main part of it was to bring people together,” Reid said. “You’re trying to bring people together within again, the film major, but outside of that as well and create kind of just a safe space for people to come and talk about their experiences and bond over them.”

As a justice on the Michigan Supreme Court, Bernstein uses a similar system to commit case details to memory. Luckily, technological advancements in recent years have made it possible for information to be recited through an automated system.

“I have to conduct my work a bit differently than my colleagues on the Michigan Supreme Court,” Bernstein said. “Prior to oral arguments, I fully memorize and internalize the facts of the case. When it is time for a case to be heard, one of my colleagues reads a brief description of the case so I can recall the facts of the case.”

Bernstein describes feeling he has had to work ten times harder than his peers due to his disability. Instead of feeling resentful, Bernstein believes his disability has strengthened his character and leadership abilities.

“In a biblical story, there is a great battle wherein an angel blessed Jacob and gave him a new name, Israel, which means ‘one who struggles with the creator,’” Bernstein said.

“Though Jacob was left in chronic pain after his struggle in battle, he was able to become a great leader.”

To Bernstein, this story translates well to his experiences with a disability. Although Bernstein has faced barriers throughout his life because of his blindness, he has found ways to navigate through or diminish such obstacles.

As such, Bernstein has not let his disability hinder his passion for running. Bernstein has run over 20 marathons with the assistance of guide runners.

Furthermore, Bernstein has advocated for accessibility barriers to be removed in various regions

and industries. For example, Bernstein led a lawsuit against the Detroit Department of Transportation for its failure to repair broken wheelchair lifts on buses.

Bernstein subsequently won this ADA case.

When asked how colleges can support individuals with disabilities, Bernstein’s answer was simple.

“Just ask individuals with disabilities what they need,” Bernstein said. “Allow these students to choose their own reasonable accommodations. After all, accommodations are the great equalizer in education and everyday life.”

Bernstein was then asked how students may advocate for the removal of structural barriers that make certain spaces for students with disabilities inaccessible.

Examples of inaccessible spaces on OU’s campus were pointed out, including offices in buildings without elevator access and low-quality handicap access buttons.

Bernstein explained that, in the face of structural barriers to accessibility, it is important to get creative.

“First, work with faculty, deans and professors to seek out a creative, agreeable resolution that is beneficial to all parties involved,” Bernstein said. “The law requires that spaces be made accessible, so the problem must be fixed eventually.”

To learn more about Bernstein’s efforts to advance the rights of disabled populations in Michigan, please visit the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society webpage.

The club provides a space for members to freely talk about and bond over films women are often ridiculed for enjoying. Inclusion and acceptance are core values of the club.

Since the club is still relatively new, its leadership team is working on expanding its community and activities. It should be noted the club welcomes all students, no matter the major.

Reid — along with the rest of the e-board members — have gathered together to brainstorm new ideas for the club and meet their general members. To kick off this year’s meeting, they watched and discussed the 2009 classic, “Jennifer’s Body,” directed by Karyn Kusama.

In the future, Women in Film intends to view the films of many more female directors, such as Cheryl Dunye, Alice Guy, Viola Davis and Greta Gerwig. Along with these female directors, the club will facilitate conversations about outspoken actresses such as Emma Watson, Audrey Hepburn, Katherine Hepburn and Florence Pugh, to name a few.

“I honestly just want to make it chill. I want the meetings to feel like a hangout,” Reid said. “I don’t want it to feel like people have to come with these long, drawn-out notes of their insightful ideas. I want it to just be very chill and people bringing their ideas, and everyone’s just kind of talking.

“We have activities — I don’t want it to feel like a class or like there are too many things happening in the club that you have to make time for if you want to be a member. Like, kind of like drop in and out when you can.

Very non-stressful, so I’m trying to get to the freshmen.”

Campus inclusion is incredibly important to the overall comfort of all students. Everyone should have a place where they can feel free to be themselves and be surrounded by their peers. Women in Film is an example of one such group advocating for the importance of these values.

For more information on the Women in Film Club, please visit the group’s Instagram page, @ouwomeninfilm. Individuals interested in becoming a general member of Women in Film can sign up for the club’s email list.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FILM COMPANION

FEATURES WXOU Spotlight: Giovanni Moceri of ‘The GioMoShow’ 8 | OCTOBER 25, 2023

NOAH FRANCIS Features Reporter

Oakland University’s student organizations are a special sight, as they are run by students for students.

The leaders of these groups demonstrate their passion for creating community on campus by planning exciting events and projects. WXOU, OU’s radio station, is a prime example of one such stellar student organization.

Giovanni Moceri is the sports media director for WXOU. Each week, Moceri covers campus sporting events on WXOU’s The GioMoShow.

Moceri explains his favorite part about the station.

“I like being a part of a mission to grow the atmosphere of sports on campus,” Moceri said. “For the people that do live on campus that know a little bit about the sports, I want to target them. I want to grow their awareness of sports at Oakland University.”

While football is Moceri’s favorite sport to talk about, Moceri explains his favorite OU athletics sport to cover.

“In terms of like Oakland sports to cover, or even to live broadcast, it’s basketball,” Moceri said. “It’s fast, it’s action-packed, and the story’s unfolding so quickly right in front of you. All you can do is keep up and be the storyteller. So, basketball is the most fun to cover live.”

Moceri’s broadcasting skills don’t only apply to WXOU though, as he has also worked with ESPN. “There were a couple of times where they needed a sideline reporter for basketball games,” Moceri said.

“They [ESPN] have seen my work and the stuff I do on social media, and they thought I would be a good fit

to fill in for a couple of games. That ended up turning into three basketball games, and then I even did two broadcasts of baseball with ESPN+.”

While WXOU focuses on radio coverage, Moceri explains how his experience with ESPN adds another dimension of broadcasting to his repertoire: television.

“It’s a lot more coordination with TV,” Moceri said.

“You got the producer in the back giving the cameraman the signal, who is giving me the signal, which makes it difficult to sync up. Broadcast television is more timing strict because you also have to fit advertisements and other stuff. With radio, things are a little bit more self-contained.”

Moceri has mountains of stories to share about his experience as a sports broadcaster. Moceri shares one of his most memorable stories.

“The first time I did ESPN for baseball, one team [Milwaukee] is practicing some of their hitting, and there’s a 20-foot net separating the players from the audience. A rogue baseball flew over the net, and I heard someone say, ‘heads up,’” Moceri said. “Before I can even look up, the ball comes crashing down on my laptop and smashes the monitor. I was out of notes five minutes before the game. I was in such shock I wasn’t even angry. I kept the ball, and I signed it.”

For those wanting to learn more about WXOU or to join the organization, please visit the WXOU website for more information about upcoming events, job opportunities and past broadcasts.

PHOTO COURTESTY OF THE GIOMOSHOW

Mena Hannakachl gives inside look into her published memoir, “What Chaldean Girls Are” ANA GJORJEVSKI Features Reporter

Mena Hannakachl is an exceptional Oakland University student, mentor and writer. She is an immigrant, a future civil rights lawyer and an experienced embedded writing specialist on campus.

Mena Hannakachl is a progressive Chaldean girl.

Hannakachl started the long journey of writing her memoir during her first year at OU. The memoir stemmed from an assignment assigned by Professor Cathy Rorai in a creative nonfiction writing class.

“By the time she wrote this [memoir], she had developed confidence that her voice had power and that her story had value. Her classmates encouraged her to edit and expand the essay, which she did. And at the end of the course, she felt like she wanted to share her writings with a larger audience, which meant looking for a publisher,” Rorai said.

There was no lack of influence from Professor Rorai on Hannakachl — the pair had weekly conversations, which continued when she was assigned to work with the professor as an embedded writing specialist.

“My favorite person in the whole entire world is Professor Cathy Rorai,” Hannakachl said.

Along with Professor Rorai, Hannakachl had the help of a friend and fellow student, Samantha Slabaugh.

“We did not have a lot in common with each other, but as a writer and as a friend, she’s always listened to me, and I found that it is really rare in this world to find someone not only to really listen to you but also understand you on a deeper level. But there Mena was.

She always listened to me, and I’ve just done the same in return for her ever since,” Slabaugh said.

With Slabaugh, Hannakachl was able to continue to expand upon and edit her story. The pair had weekly hour-long meetings to discuss the memoir, and the meetings often ended up being several hours long.

The process of editing and becoming vulnerable to criticism was a difficult one. Often, Hannakachl would find herself taking a step back and reflecting on the memories she was divulging to the world.

“When I got the email that my piece was published, part of me was happy, of course, but part of me was terrified as hell that it was up there and that people were going to see me in a different lens. And I didn’t know what that looked like. And I didn’t want anyone to pay

PHOTO BY COURTNEY BLACKETT

me. But again, I’ve had nothing but great reactions and feedback from all over,” Hannakachl said.

Hannakachl’s memoir is a story that has touched many people’s lives, not only at OU but around the world. Some of them do not share the same cultural background but feel connected to the found identity expressed through her story.

“This [memoir] is home to all of us — regardless of being Chaldean, Jordanian, African American, or Hispanic. I come across a multitude of ethnicities, and this has really reminded me to make sure everyone has this openness and is being validated and having the impact to not pick on because of our cultural differences or our gender differences but to make sure everybody is inclusive and being respected for who they are,” one audience member said at Hannakachl’s memoir reading on Oct. 14.

Hannakachl expresses her success is owed to those at OU who helped and lovingly pushed her to pursue all of her dreams. She gave special thanks to Dr. Bailey McDaniel, Professor John Freeman, Glenn McIntosh, Professor Cathy Rorai, Samantha Slabaugh and her publisher from The Paradox magazine.

“I learned a lot, I think. I have learned that that my voice will be heard. It will be valued. It will be acknowledged — it will be uplifted but in a different space,” Hannakachl said.

Those interested in reading Mena Hannakachl’s memoir essay can access the piece on The Paradox magazine website.

FEATURES

OCTOBER 25, 2023 | 9

The newest Golden Grizzlies: Thoughts from first-year OU students NOAH FRANCIS Features Reporter

Fall is finally here, bringing college students midway through their semesters. As the leaves change from a lively green to a long-lived red, and as the weather chills down to sweater season, first-year students are forming their own opinions on their college experience at Oakland University thus far.

Anahid Gurdjian is a new OU student majoring in graphic design. She has been exploring OU for the past few weeks and explains what she thinks about it so far.

“OU is pretty good,” Gurdjian said. “I like walking around campus, and I went to the Rec Center for the first time today. It was nice, and I really like the gym. I was also happy that OU had free parking. That surprised me because at Grand Valley [State University], it was

PHOTO BY LEVARIUS HALL

much more expensive, so I was happily surprised.”

When it comes to students transitioning from high school to college, the workload for classes can be quite jarring. Gurdjian explains her recent experience with this change.

“It’s a little different than I expected, but it’s going good,” Gurdjian said. “At first, the workload was a little stressful. It was a big change, but now I’m kind of getting a grasp on it.”

As new students roll into campus life, many are unfamiliar with living on campus. Naim Stevens, a theater design and technology major at OU, explains his experience in the residential spaces on campus.

“Originally, I had no roommate,” Stevens said. “One day before the housing reassignment closed, I got a roommate. At first, I was a little bit devastated because I didn’t want a roommate, but he’s a really cool guy. I really enjoy rooming with him and talking to him. I’m also very cool with all my suitemates as well.”

While many people have an idea of what college life is like before they get there, their views can drastically change once they step into this new chapter of their lives. Stevens explains his previous expectations about college and how they have since changed.

“I didn’t find the weight in college,” Stevens said.

“In fact, that kind of drove me to not wanting to go, so I guess my understanding beforehand was that there was no real point. I started to gain this idea that being here is a perfect middle ground between adulthood and just getting out of high school, so I decided to take this step so I can be much more prepared.”

Kyla Gan, a student majoring in psychology, explains how the college experience was also different from

what she expected.

“I really thought I would be out more, and I wish I had more financial stability,” Gan said. “I definitely wish I could juggle having a college life and a job. I also thought there would be better food choices in the cafeteria.”

Gan explains some aspects of OU she would change.

“I feel like it should be easier for the students to get to class in bad weather,” Gan said. “Nobody wants to walk in a blizzard or a terrible storm. Another thing I don’t like is how everything is closed on the weekends.

If they aren’t going to keep things open late, at least let them be open on the weekends.”

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Israel-Palestine conflict

On Saturday, Oct. 7, members of the militant group Hamas that governs the Gaza Strip sitting on the Mediterranean Sea attacked multiple Israeli border checkpoints, southern towns and a music festival, with current estimates placing the death toll at 1,200 and 2,900 injured. In addition, at least 100 people have been taken as hostages by Hamas.

Israel has begun a bombing campaign that has resulted in an estimated 1,417 dead and 6,000 injured.

While we don’t know how deadly this conflict will be, statements have been indicating how far we can expect this to go.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Citizens of Israel, we are at war” and “We return fire of a magnitude that the enemy has not known.” The Defense Minister of Israel, Yoav Gallant, went even further, saying, “I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed,” and that “We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly.”

There has been an immense amount of suffering within Israel and Palestine since long before these recent attacks. In hopes of any positive end to this conflict, it’s more important to understand what led up to this recent attack and what main issues the Palestinians have.

We need to look before the founding of Israel and instead to the period after World War I when the League of Nations gave control of Palestine over to

Britain in 1922. The official purpose was to govern the Palestinians until Britain thought they were ready to govern themselves.

Britain has been immigrating its Jewish population into the region of Palestine without the Palestinians’ consent. Palestine saw a rise of the Jewish population in the region from 3% in the 19th century to 30% in 1944 as the Zionist movement wanted to make the region of Palestine their state.

Hamas saw the movement of Jewish people into Palestine as a form of settler colonialism, a process where a colonizing group comes into another people’s land to settle in that land permanently.

What makes something settler colonialism rather than immigration is the colonizer group is directly supported by another country, or they are former citizens of that country. Settler colonialism also has to be violent, genocidal and involves ethnic cleansing or the forced removal of an ethnic or religious group from a place.

It’s important to note the history of persecution and genocide committed against Jewish people, returning to the most well-known example in the Holocaust. Knowing the history of persecution against Jews helps to understand where the idea of a Jewish state comes from.

In 1947, a United Nations mandate formed a state of Israel and a Palestinian state, in which a war broke out between Israel and several Arab states. Palestinians disapproved of the mandate, seeing it as a violation of sovereignty as it gave away land owned and lived in by Palestinians to form Israel. This saw 700,000 Palestinians flee their homeland, now controlled by Israel.

This mass exodus of Palestinians, the 15,000 killed and the over 500 villages destroyed, would be known as the Nakba, or “catastrophe” in Arabic.

The Nakba and further conflicts between Israel, Palestine and various Arab Nations would see 77% of the Palestinian territory set up from the U.N. mandate taken by Israel in the 1948 war. In 1967, Israel would preemptively attack Egypt and Syria, ending the Six-Day War. This saw Israel now occupying the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip — where Hamas is located — the West Bank, the Arab-controlled East Jerusalem from Jordan and the Golan Heights from Syria.

It wouldn’t be until 2005 that Israel ended its occupation in Gaza. Still, even afterward, there would be regular bombings of Gaza, often in retaliation for

understanding the source of tragedy rockets fired over the wall between Gaza and Israel by Hamas. Israel would then go on to invade Lebanon in 1982 in an attempt to eliminate the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).

In 1983, a group called the International Conference on the Question of Palestine (ICQP) laid out some principled issues for Palestinians, including the creation of Jewish settlements on Palestinian land, the status of Jerusalem as an important holy site for Christians, Muslims and Jews, the right to statehood through internationally recognized borders and a guarantee of the protection of the rights of Palestinians.

The right to return would also be very important for Palestinians as most Palestinian descendants were made refugees in various Arab nations.

There would be attempts at peace negotiations later on that amounted to little. There would also be two instances of mass uprisings called Intifada

by Palestinians in their occupied territory — one in 1987, which saw mass loss of life from Palestinians, and a second in 2000, which saw a series of suicide bombings against Israeli citizens by Hamas.

There would continue to be rocket and retaliatory strikes by Israel between 2008 and 2023 that saw about 6,407 Palestinians killed and 152,560 injured, and 308 Israelis killed and 6,307 injured. The expansion of Israeli settlements into Palestinian territory continues to this day as well.

There are several takeaways from this conflict.

While Hamas has committed many acts of terrorism and has killed thousands of Israelis, their ability to commit violence is a fraction of what Israel can commit and has committed against Palestinians.

Israel also commits violence in flagrant violation of International Law and continues to commit horrific acts of violence with white phosphorus, an incendiary weapon that leaves severe burns. In a place like Gaza — this will harm significant numbers of civilians.

Israel can do this with the protection of the U.S., which has fully supported Israel’s attacks on Palestine.

The U.S. has sent a carrier strike group with the stated purpose of aiding the hostage situation and likely as a means to dissuade other actors like Hezbollah from joining the conflict on the side of Palestine. This has made the U.S. complicit in ethnic cleansing and possibly genocide.

Israel has now ordered the evacuation of over 1 million people from the northern end of Gaza, which has been constantly bombed for nearly a week in

preparation for what is most likely a ground invasion.

This order has been called “impossible” by the U.N. as the people in Gaza lack the food, water, or energy to make such a trip in a war-torn environment in a 24-hour timeframe.

Gaza is also a place where almost half of the population is under 18, and almost none are apart of Hamas, yet they have been attacked as if they were terrorists.

After acknowledging what harm has been committed throughout this long-standing conflict and who currently can do the most harm, we need to meet the demands of the people of Palestine as much as possible. The stealing of land and the super retaliatory strikes against Palestinians must end if any positive change is to occur.

Sites like Jerusalem, which are so religiously significant to multiple religious groups, can’t be controlled by one group.

We should also acknowledge the history of the Jewish and Palestinian people that led to this conflict to understand where both sides are coming from.

No past persecution morally justifies future attacks against civilians from any side, regardless of whether it’s seen as a fight against colonialism or a fight to protect a people that has been historically persecuted.

Hopefully, with some understanding of the history of the conflict, we can move past siding with one group or the other and acknowledge the humanity and wishes of everyone so that we can come to a better outcome.

STORY BY NOAH THOMASON | DESIGN BY MEGAN PARKER

12 | OCTOBER 25, 2023

‘¡Farsa/Farce!:’ An affair of international laughter MOE DEL ROSARIO Arts Reporter

Oakland University’s Department of Theatre holds various skilled performances throughout the year, the most recent being “¡Farsa/Farce!” — directed by David Gram.

In a combination of severe topics and humor, “¡Farsa/ Farce!” brings forth a new way to dissect everyday problems such as gender identity, sexual orientation, domestic violence and more.

Farce is a genre that seeks to entertain through the use of exaggerated, extravagant and absurd storytelling — and it is a tool used exceptionally well in this play.

“By employing the structure of farce, the two playwrights seek to engage the audience in laughter, with the goal of producing a cultural dialogue that resonates beyond the final blackout,” director David Gram said.

The first act, “The Agony of Ecstasy,” written by Sabina Berman, explores machismo, gender identity and sexual orientation with four short stories — all of which take place in present-day Mexico City, Mexico.

“El Bigote (The Moustache)” is a beautiful take on gender in a relationship, giving the audience an insight into an open relationship. The audience sees a couple arguing over the mustache — a symbol of masculinity — and what happens when either person wears it.

“La Casa Chica (The Love Nest)” shows the dangers of machismo in a relationship through a monologue of a married man having an affair. He wants control of his lover, something he believes he deserves.

In the end, it is revealed that the man is nothing short

of a man-child, quickly giving in to his lover when she shows any sort of attention to him.

“La Pistola (The Pistol)” is led by a married couple’s conversation after the man buys a gun for protection — but only in the wife’s dream. The plot twist for this one revealed the true nature of the relationship.

While in an embrace after their relationship-repairing conversation, the wife hides a knife in her waistband, and the husband hides a pistol in his.

“Los Dientes (Teeth)” shows a humorous, trippy existential crisis between a dentist and a nurse while fixing the character Ms. Berman’s teeth. This story included various props and giant lips controlled by a pulley system and was the last of the first act.

The second act switched over to Milan, Italy, in 1960. “The Virtuous Buglar (Non tutti i ladri vengono a nuocere)” was written in 1958 by Dario Fo. Unlike the first act — which consisted of various shorts — this act focused on one story of miscommunication, with themes of adultery and class disparity.

As a burglar enters a house with the full intention of simply being in and out, he finds himself in the middle of the most confusing web of lies.

The burglar’s wife calls and exposes he is hiding inside a man’s house, and the man is revealed to be having an affair with a married woman. As the story continues, we are introduced to the married man’s wife, Anna, and the mistress’s husband, Antonio.

The big reveal is everyone is married to someone else and are all having an affair — barring the burglar and his wife, who are happily married and manage to escape together.

This act was very humorous, and the plot was

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enjoyable. It also introduced a comparison of how the wealthy couples’ relationships were full of lying and cheating, while the lower class couple had a relationship of genuine love.

Everything that could’ve gone wrong did. Each character brought more to the story — even the poor two burglars introduced at the very end who had to sit through an explanation of guilt by the wealthy group.

“Non tutti I ladri… inverts the social order, casting a burglar as the hero of the piece, and the surrounding bourgeois characters as scheming hypocrites,” Antonio Scuderi and Joseph Farrell said for Southern Illinois University Press.

Overall, “¡Farsa/Farce!” was an enjoyable piece of well-written farce to discuss important topics and was accompanied by good choreography and even better performances from the actors and actresses.

If students want to support future OU Theatre Department performances, they can find a list on OU’s website.

Short Halloween classics for both readers and non-readers CHLOE KUKUK Campus Reporter

As the leaves continue to change colors, readers everywhere are settling in for the best season for books — autumn. More specifically, as the calendar creeps past mid-October and Halloween looms overhead, every cool breeze can send a chill down your spine, and every little movement in the corner of your eye could be a ghost story waiting to happen. It’s the perfect time to get cozy with a book and a pumpkin spice latte.

For many, it can be difficult to find the time to read because of all the fall festivities to plan and schoolwork to complete. However, there are plenty of short horror books to get you into the Halloween spirit — whether you’re an avid reader trying to get closer to your annual reading goal, a casual reader, or someone who wants to start reading more.

“We Have Always Lived in the Castle” by Shirley Jackson Shirley Jackson has become undoubtedly associated with Halloween due to her variety of disturbing or supernatural stories. Many may know her through her short story “The Lottery,” which has found its way into many high school English classes but is far from her most iconic work.

“We Have Always Lived in the Castle” is longer than a short story but short enough to be a smooth read at 146 pages in Penguin Books’ most recent publication of the novel.

Here is how the book is summarized on Goodreads: “Taking readers deep into a labyrinth of dark neurosis, ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ is a deliciously

unsettling novel about a perverse, isolated and possibly murderous family and the struggle that ensues when a cousin arrives at their estate.”

A copy of the book is available at OU Libraries.

Additionally, if you’re interested in watching a television series adaptation of Jackson’s work, check out The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix.

“Carmilla” by Joseph Sheridan le Fanu Although Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” has become an iconic figurehead of vampirism in literature and become the first character people think of when they think of vampirism, another literary bloodsucker predates Stoker’s novel by over 20 years — Sheridan le Fanu’s “Carmilla.”

Here is how Goodreads summarizes the novella, which sits at an accessible 108 pages: “In an isolated castle deep in the Austrian forest, Laura leads a solitary life with only her ailing father for company. Until one moonlit night, a horse-drawn carriage crashes into view, carrying an unexpected guest – the beautiful Carmilla. So begins a feverish friendship between Laura and her mysterious, entrancing companion.

But as Carmilla becomes increasingly strange and volatile, prone to eerie nocturnal wanderings, Laura finds herself tormented by nightmares and growing weaker by the day… Predating Dracula by twenty-six years, Carmilla is the original vampire story, steeped in sexual tension and gothic romance.”

The novella is available digitally through OU Libraries.

“The Turn of the Screw” by Henry James Although Henry James is known for some of his longer works — “The Portrait of a Lady” and “The

Bostonians,” to name a couple — his most famous is by far the shorter “The Turn of the Screw,” published in 1898.

The mass-market paperback edition of the novella sits at a mere 121 pages. Here’s how Goodreads summarizes its plot: “A very young woman’s first job: governess for two weirdly beautiful, strangely distant, oddly silent children, Miles and Flora, at a forlorn estate... An estate haunted by a beckoning evil. Half-seen figures who glare from dark towers and dusty windows — silent, foul phantoms who, day by day, night by night, come closer, ever closer.

“With growing horror, the helpless governess realizes the fiendish creatures want the children, seeking to corrupt their bodies, possess their minds, own their souls. But worse — much worse — the governess discovers that Miles and Flora have no terror of the lurking evil. For they want the walking dead as badly as the dead want them.”

If you like the story and want to think about it more — or would prefer something to watch instead of reading — check out The Haunting of Bly Manor on Netflix from the same creators of The Haunting of Hill House.

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OCTOBER 25, 2023 | 13

Bad Bunny releases ‘Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana’ album MOE DEL ROSARIO Arts Reporter

For the last three years, Puerto Rican artist Benito Martínez Ocasio, also known as Bad Bunny, has been the most streamed artist on Spotify. It comes as no surprise his newest album, “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana,” released on Friday, Oct. 13, has been greatly anticipated since its announcement.

Bad Bunny uses his fifth album to send a message to the music industry and his fans. While his name is everywhere, only a few know the real him. He’s alone — even in a room full of his fans. On the album, he also goes back to his roots and his love for his island of Puerto Rico.

The first track, “NADIE SABE,” sets the tone for what message this album is going to send — this song is for his real fans.

Bad Bunny even goes as far as to address a recent controversy that occurred back in Jan. 2023, where a video of him throwing a fan’s phone into water trended for hours on end.

In the song, he reveals the fan had entered his personal space and shoved her phone in his face — he also adds she was not a real fan. The song touches on how his rise to stardom has affected his mental health and how others are praying for him to crash.

“2023 is for me. For my physical health, my emotional health, to breathe, enjoy my achievements. We’re going to celebrate. Let’s go here, let’s go there, let’s go on the boat. I have a couple of sporadic commitments, and I’ll go to the studio, but there’s no pressure,” Bad Bunny

said in a 2022 interview with Billboard.

While discussing this same theme and a break up on the track “GRACIAS POR NADA,” Bad Bunny defaults back to his most well-known genre: Latino trap. This is a major win for those like me, who first

heard of Bad Bunny from his album, “X 100PRE.” He brings back his humorous and boisterous lyrical writing style for hits such as “MONACO” and, my personal favorite, “MR. OCTOBER.” This album is also a love letter to Puerto Rico and the people from his barrio. His song, “ACHO PR,” is a reminder that throughout his fame and travels, his home is forever on his island.

“When I write and I do music, my spirit is always in Puerto Rico, and I try for the music that I do to be liked by people there,” Bad Bunny said in an interview with Time magazine.

Overall, the entire album was written with a witty tone but also tackled some beautiful topics. As a boricua myself, I was overjoyed for the release and was not left disappointed.

For those who missed trap Bad Bunny, this album is a perfect reminder he is still here and can continue making the type of music he first gained recognition for.

Bad Bunny announced he will go on a North American tour in 2024. He will be making his way to Detroit on April 6, 2024. Tickets go on sale Oct. 25, 2023.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

PHOTO COURTESY OF PITCHFORK

OU hosts Golden Grizzly 24-Hour Film Challenge MOE DEL ROSARIO Arts Reporter

Making a movie is a difficult feat on its own. From three to six months of working on pre-production to almost a year of editing, it is no surprise Hollywood films take one to two years to finish.

Making a film in 24 hours is a completely different challenge, yet Oakland University’s students were able to do just that.

The annual OU Golden Grizzly 24-Hour Film Challenge took place from Saturday, Oct. 14 to Sunday, Oct. 15 — making this year its ninth year running.

The 24-Hour Film Challenge offers students the opportunity to work together as a group to create a final project, and screen it in front of an audience of their peers at the end.

A 24-Hour Film Challenge is just as it sounds. Teams of filmmakers have to work together for 24 hours straight to plan, film and edit a short film. Oftentimes — and in OU’s case — filmmakers are given a prop, location and a line they have to include for their film to be considered.

Met with many hills to climb, filmmakers participating in the challenge have to overcome time constraints they have never faced before, such as time-reduced writing time — one of the most important parts of filmmaking.

Creating and writing a script is generally one of the most time-consuming actions of filmmaking as it combines creativity, communication and ambition.

“It was hard trying to come up with a story based around the props we had, the dialogue that we had and

the shooting areas that we had as well. The script took five hours to finish, so that was probably the hardest part for me, personally,” co-director of “Carousel” Cameron Kozak said.

The 24-Hour Film Challenge is not restricted to just OU film majors — anyone can participate. From OU alums to friends, if the film festival seems interesting, feel free to sign up as a group or as an individual.

“If you’re on the fence, do it. You’re gonna have fun.

The worst thing that could happen is you will be tired,” Associate Professor of Film Studies and Production Adam Gould said.

All in all, the event was a wonderful screening of talent, creativity and sleep deprivation. Seeing the culmination of professors and filmmakers alike getting

together to watch student-made films is exciting in itself, and even if you’re not participating in the 24Hour Film Challenge, it is definitely worth stopping by to watch the screenings.

The winners of OU’s Golden Grizzly 24-Hour Film Challenge include: Best Story - There Are No Ghosts & Do Not Enter Best Cinematography - Shutter & Carousel Best Editing - There Are No Ghosts & Do Not Enter Best Performance - I Killed The Devil Best Sound Design - Michigan Jones & Shutter Create Use of Prop/Location - Stalker & Consumption Create Use of Genre - A House That’s Probably Haunted Creative Use of Dialogue - Don’t Do Anything Stupid Audience Award - Carousel Best Film - Carousel

PHOTO COURTESY OF @OUFILMSTUDIES ON INSTAGRAM

All films are available to view on the festival’s Vimeo page.

If interested in participating or watching next year’s screening, follow OU Film Studies and Production on Instagram at @oufilmstudies for updates.

14 | OCTOBER 25, 2023

This week in gaming: Major game releases NOAH FRANCIS Features Reporter

While plenty of popular video games have been released in recent years, it is uncommon for several game companies to release their major IP-intensive games at around the same time. With three important franchises releasing their games from Oct. 17-20 this year, avid players may benefit from an increased understanding of each game before choosing which one to play first.

“Sonic Superstars” The Sonic the Hedgehog series has been trying to find its footing in the gaming industry for years now.

After the overwhelming success of “Sonic Mania,” a game released in 2017, Sonic has been chasing the same high ever since, attaining mixed opinions from the gaming community.

Sega followed up on “Sonic Mania” with “Sonic Superstars,” released on Oct. 17. Sonic Superstars brings Sonic and his classic friends back to a 2-D platform. The game is filled with vibrant colors, creative level designs and twelve original zones to blast through.

While “Sonic Superstars” brings back a lot of what made classic Sonic great, some problems disappoint and frustrate players throughout.

The collectibles are tedious to obtain, the music quality is inconsistent and the game has some of the toughest bosses in the series, bringing the fast-paced adventure to a grinding halt.

Although “Sonic Superstars” is not the next “Sonic Mania,” the game still provides a solid adventure better

than other recent Sonic content. “Sonic Superstars” is a creative ride fans can explore alone or with friends.

Rating: 7/10 “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” The Super Mario series has had a bit of a hiatus in original 2-D platformers, with the latest one, “New Super Mario Bros. U,” released in 2012. Even then, fans were disappointed with the lack of creativity and charm in recently released games in the Super Mario series.

Thankfully, “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” is not another rehash of barebones Mario platforming.

“Super Mario Bros. Wonder” was released on Oct. 20 and quickly drew widespread critical acclaim.

“Wonder” gives the Super Mario series a muchneeded design update by changing the art style to a

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beautiful pastel style oozing charm from every corner.

With the addition of some creative new power-ups and a sleuth of badges, “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” is an exciting installment for players of all skill levels.

Rating: 8/10 Marvel’s “Spider-Man 2” Superhero video games have been around for almost as long as gaming itself, with Marvel’s “Spider-Man” from Insomniac Games being one of the best in recent memory. The game had style and heart throughout the cinematic journey. With an expansive add-on and a whole side game, Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Miles Morales” fans have been waiting for a proper sequel to the widely popular game.

Marvel’s “Spider-Man 2” was released on Oct. 20 to overwhelming high praise. With an expanded map, updated gadget wheel, web wings add-on and streamlined skill trees, “Spider-Man 2” takes great strides to fix the imperfections of two already phenomenal games.

While the new outfits pale in comparison to the older titles, and despite a slight delay with the main objectives icons, Insomniac’s new take on the Venom story, “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2”, is the killer app for the Playstation 5.

Rating: 9/10

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON

The Swift effect on the NFL OLIVIA CHIAPPELLI Arts Editor

I have given this article a few weeks, but I simply cannot resist anymore. After recent SNL hard launch events, it is basically my due diligence at this point to discuss this topic, given it completely commands my mind on a daily basis now.

In case you have been living under a rock, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are dating. But before I even go there, I need to rewind a little to fully explain this lore because there is a lot.

It all started with Kelce attending Swift’s Eras Tour concert at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on July 8 — already significant enough for the fatefully intertwined fact this is also the home stadium of the Kansas City Chiefs, the NFL team Kelce plays for.

On July 26, Kelce revealed on his podcast “New Heights” that he left said concert “disappointed” that he didn’t get the chance to give Swift one of the friendship bracelets he made for her with his phone number on it.

Now, this fact alone was not initially that significant.

I was of course entertained, given I eat any type of pop culture crossover up, but I truly thought my man was delusional. But after recent events, I’ve got to hand it to him — he had a friendship bracelet and a dream.

Rumors swirled for weeks about whether Swift and Kelce were dating — or had ever even met before — and NFL commentary was already becoming Swifttinged, but nothing was confirmed.

I cannot emphasize this enough: No one thought this was real. The more publicity these rumors got, the less

Swifties were buying it. However, the more Swift puns NFL commentators made, the more texts you probably got from your out-of-touch dad.

All of this contributed to the absolute shockwaves sent through the nation on Sept. 24 when Swift was spotted enthusiastically cheering Kelce on in a literal private box at the Chiefs versus Bears game with his mom.

Almost instantaneously, viewership grew by millions, teenage girls everywhere were tuning into football and Kelce’s jersey sales spiked by almost 400%. Enter: The Swift effect.

But while I was gleefully enjoying the chaos, some NFL fans started to get annoyed — excessively angry — about the 10-second max clips of Swift in the stadium.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JASON HANNA

A viral trend even went around on TikTok of men absolutely losing it when any woman in their life jokingly suggested Swift had put Kelce “on the map.”

On the other hand, Kelce himself playfully embraced the trend — even accepting a Swiftie-made friendship bracelet that spelled out the phrase.

This is where I think the situation becomes clear — and don’t get on me too hard, please.

I think football men are uncomfortable with the infiltration of Swifties into the NFL because it is like looking in the mirror. Men of the football breed have long labeled young fangirls as “crazy,” but when you think about it, the NFL is the male Taylor Swift.

Swifties will ball their eyes out at missing their preferred surprise song at the Eras Tour, and a middleaged father will flip a bus if their favorite team loses the Super Bowl. They’re two sides of the same coin.

Enjoy the love, don’t take it too seriously and close your eyes when Swift comes on screen or something.

In the end, Travis lets Taylor bejeweled, and Taylor lets Travis bejeweled, and somehow that was everything.

ARTS The fall of rap: Is hip-hop a dying medium?

CHELSEA BOSSERT Arts Reporter

I woke up this morning, checked the new hip-hop and rap releases for Friday, Oct. 13, and put on two albums: “And Then You Pray For Me” by Westside Gunn and “A Great Chaos” by Ken Carson. These two albums are radically different.

The first one is a ginormous 21-track album filled to the brim with features — a New York boom-bap record.

The second one is a concise, 45-minute southern rage rap album. Each release has its own strengths and weaknesses as a hip-hop record. However, there is one prediction I could make: neither of them will go number one.

The Three Six Mafia legend Juicy J took to Instagram to start a dialogue about hip-hop and its alleged 40% decline in sales.

“Check the charts. Check the math. … What are we, as rappers, producers, composers, going to do about this sh*t?” the 48-year-old rapper said.

And he’s not wrong — hip-hop did not have a number-one song this year until Latto and Jungkook’s “Seven” and didn’t have a number-one album until Lil Uzi Vert’s dramatic “Pink Tape” album back in June.

In 2023, two things have dominated the charts: brocountry and Taylor Swift.

Morgan Wallen, Bailey Zimmerman, Zach Bryan, Luke Combs and Swift have completely taken over the mainstays of the Billboard Hot 200 albums and the Hot 100 singles list. Nothing seems to be stopping them.

Earlier in the summer, I wrote an opinion piece

that postulated that there was no dominant song of the summer, primarily due to Tikok not crowning a dominant trend for the year.

This leads to my second observation: is rap declining because it is becoming too niche?

Looping back to Ken Carson and Westside Gunn, these rappers are from two entirely different camps.

Carson comes from Playboi Carti’s Opium label and participates in the high-energy mumbly rage movement.

On the contrary, Westside Gunn is a Buffalo, NY native who has been in the east-coast boom-bap and drumless movement that has been building towards mainstream success for the past 15 years.

Jon Caramanica hosts The New York Times’ “Popcast,” a show dedicated to discussing pop music

OCTOBER 25, 2023 | 15

and culture. During their latest episode — released on Thursday, Oct. 12 — Caramanica and guest Jaime Brooks discussed album reviews.

During their discussion, the idea that intrigued me was the notion that one day, there will be way too many genres, niches and scenes, and the market will become oversaturated and crash.

Brooks suggests “there’s no party there” in reference to all of these special little microgenre playlists that are being created every day. This can be true of hip-hop culture.

Old school, mid-school, East Coast, West Coast, southern and Chicago hip hop birthed an incredible amount of subgenres and scenes, but what if consumers and people who decide where music and trends go in the future decide it is garbage? What if it’s happening right now the same way rock has essentially died out?

So, what does that mean for us? Well, it probably means the market shares of pop, country, hip hop and world music might finally be plateauing and leveling out. But it could also mean we won’t see any more SZAs, Kendricks, Drakes, or J. Coles.

Hip-hop might very well be dying, but I don’t think it will ever truly be dead. If hip-hop ever fully diminishes, the culture might never be the same or even any good at all. Streaming has changed music forever. It is up to us to decide for the better or the worse.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROLLING STONE

Boygenius release new EP ‘the rest’ MOE DEL ROSARIO Arts Reporter

Boygenius — the supergroup consisting of three very talented singer-songwriters, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker — debuted in 2018, and earlier this year, the trio released their first studio album, “the record” — made up of 12 tracks.

Friday, Oct. 13, marked the release of “the rest,” — a four-song EP to complete the album and say goodbye to their current tour.

“On their own, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus are three accomplished singer-songwriters.

Together, they’re a one-of-a-kind band powered by friendship, sick books and sicker songs,” Associate Managing Editor Angie Martoccio said in a cover story for Rolling Stone.

Each group member brought their own style to the EP, and as an avid listener and lover of the group, I had to stay up to listen to all four tracks!

1. Black Hole Starting with a melancholic goodbye, “Black Hole” has Baker as the primary vocalist for this track. It is not a long song — clocking in at only two minutes and 21 seconds — but it sets the tone for the album.

It is a farewell for now. Baker’s voice is a great way to begin the song, as she has a knack for this style. Listening to Bridgers and Dacus’s voices blend for the second verse is beautiful — adding to that sense of dread from a goodbye, but wishing it a safe passage nevertheless.

2. Afraid of Heights Next, we have “Afraid of Heights,” a heart-wrenching

retelling of an undefined relationship built on fear, distrust and everything in between. Led by Dacus, this song feels like you’re stuck in an argument with no chance of winning.

It’s truly another gut-wrenching track to add to the list. The song is relatively simple and guitar-based, but it effectively expresses the emotion to listeners.

3. Voyager Moving forward, “Voyager” has a similar output of emotions — with Bridgers leading this song for the group.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PITCHFORK

Listening to her small inhales between verses adds so much more emotion to the song — I could feel its weight on my chest throughout its entirety. With that amount of emotional impact, the song also manages to have a sense of selflessness and self-reflection.

4. Powers “Powers” — the final song of the EP — is once again led by Baker. I find this one the most interesting of the four songs because it uses comic imagery to explain Baker’s origins. It’s an interesting view of how people become who they are, challenges and all.

While the EP as a whole is not a genre switch or anything entirely new for boygenius, the songs are beautiful additions to their discography. Each song felt like a personal poem from the artists.

And while there is only one stop left in boygenius’ tour — affectionately titled “the tour” — we will still see the group and their bond more often than ever before.

“I think that the closeness has been a pleasant surprise for all of us. Now that we’ve discovered it, we want to interact with it and protect it however we can.

Originally, it was just a fun, lightweight idea. Now it’s my whole life,” Dacus said in an interview with The Recording Academy. “the rest” is now available to stream on any music streaming service.

Rating: 4/5 stars

16 | OCTOBER 25, 2023

‘Futurama:’ It’s been revived... again NOAH FRANCIS Features Reporter

“Futurama” is a comedy goldmine that has left fans laughing for ten seasons. The series stands out as a pillar of adult cartoons with its creative sci-fi elements, witty humor, emotional gut-punches and commentary on real-world problems with a futuristic spin.

In this creative retro-future designed by Matt Groening, creator of “The Simpsons,” protagonist Philip J. Fry travels 1,000 years into the future. Fry embarks on missions across the cosmos with fanfavorite characters such as his great nephew Professor Hubert Farnsworth, his metallic narcissistic best friend Bender Rodrigez, his team leader and love interest Turanga Leela and many more.

While the end of season 10 left the show on a decadelong hiatus, Hulu rebooted “Futurama,” bringing back veteran writers and new faces alike into the third revival of the series.

In the show’s new season, the writers incorporate several cameos throughout the season and flesh out the relationship between Fry and Leela.

Season 11 focuses on the character relationships and emotional beats. While there was nothing on the level of the episode “Jurassic Bark” from season four, the latest season gives Amy her most emotional scene yet, along with many other heartwarming moments.

The problem is more how the writers got to these emotional beats, as some feel a bit unnatural with the flow of the episodes.

A lot of moments handling exposition end up falling flat. Many scenes show characters explaining events from the previous season. However, they often explain these events to characters who were there when it happened. The writers seemed to find their footing later on in the season — the episode “Children of a Lesser Bog” stands out with its exposition dumps.

One episode I did not find appealing was the latest anthology episode, “The Prince and the Product.”

While the anthology episodes have been hit or miss to many, this new episode goes back to the old formula of Fry and Leela’s relationship, having Leela break up with Fry to marry the prince of space.

After making mountains of progress in this season alone, many took this episode as a slap in the face, but

ARTS thankfully, the episode reveals this plot line to be noncanon in the end.

Despite this small step back, season 11 immediately makes up for it in the season finale, “All the Way Down,” which plays off the theory of turtles all the way down and infinite regression. Similar to the “Rick and Morty” episode, “The Ricks Must Be Crazy,” Professor Farnsworth creates a low-powered simulation of the universe and while explaining how it runs, figures out they too are inside a simulation of the universe.

Although it has been ten years between seasons, the transition between seasons is seamless. Billy West, the voice actor for Fry, Professor Farnsworth and Dr. Zoidberg, echoes these sentiments.

“It was just like we never left,” West said in an interview with Samurai Jill. “I’m really enjoying it. I knew that the show was too good to not be in production, so it had to come back.”

Despite a rocky landing with some of the writing, “Futurama” season 11 is still the classic smart-humored show it was ten years ago. These episodes are a great start to the Hulu era — hopefully, season 11 walked so season 12 can run.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HULU

‘Something To Give Each Other:’ A queer foray into the house micro-renaissance CHELSEA BOSSERT Arts Reporter

Australian dance-pop talent Troye Sivan’s newest full-length studio LP, “Something To Give Each Other,” is an upbeat, groove-filled statement on queer love. Sivan, as confident as ever, has created a record full of potential hits and chart-toppers.

The first track, “Rush,” kicks off the record in full gear. Released as the first single and late-contender for “Song of the Summer,” it features a strong, beefy dance beat and house grooves.

In the song’s chorus, Sivan powerfully chants, “I feel the rush/Addicted to your touch/Oh, I feel the rush/It’s so good, it’s so good.”

“This album is my something to give you - a kiss on a dancefloor, a date turned into a weekend, a crush, a winter, a summer. Party after party, after party after after party. Heartbreak, freedom. Community, sisterhood, friendship. All that,” Sivan said in an interview with Rolling Stone — and “Rush” is definitely a decadent party anthem.

Queer club music has always been a part of “the culture.” Now, Sivan is taking that idea and capitalizing on it by making indulgent pop hits for the dance floor.

Slow songs still exist on the album and act as alternative R&B interludes. “Still Got It” and “Can’t Go Back Baby” are beautiful tracks with heartfelt, emotive instrumentation mixed with well-thought-out vocals by Sivan.

The iconography and imagery of the album are very much queer-centric. On the album cover, Sivan is in

the presence of another man in an intimate context.

However, instead of being portrayed as “sexy,” “bold,” or “fierce,” it is represented as joyful — Sivan can’t help but smile while being with someone he loves.

“Queer joy” — as a concept described by Yes! Magazine — is important for artists to express because, in this heated political climate, queer people are often portrayed as sullen, joyless and abnormal. However, Sivan smashes this idea by giving us what happiness means to him through a queer lens.

The beautiful soundscapes Sivan cultivates complement the warmness of his lyrics. “I see love in every space/I see sex in every city, every town/I wonder what us two could make/’Cause I feel so good around you,” Sivan sings on “Honey.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF TERRENCE O’CONNOR

“Something To Give Each Other” has alt-R&B tracks, house tracks, dance-pop tracks and more. Despite this variety, Sivan does not go for anything radically different between each track tonally, so the album feels like it’s hitting the same note throughout.

The album also doesn’t really add anything to the burgeoning house micro-renaissance. Last summer, Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” injected new life into pop music by successfully infusing it with house music, ballroom, dancehall, diva, dance and afrobeat — all incredible combinations with Bey’s early and modern styles.

On Sivan’s new record, he rides the Bey wave, and while he incorporates some original thoughts into the mix, you cannot help but feel something is missing — that this might be a copy of a copy of a copy.

Sivan’s queer joy, house-worship and genuine fun all make for a surprising record, and it is a surprise I will gladly take because this means queer icons and positive change may finally be taking hold in pop culture — and in the world as a whole.

Rating: 3/5 stars

POLITICS

OCTOBER 25, 2023 | 17

House Republicans struggle to decide on a new House Speaker NOAH THOMASON Politics Reporter

The U.S. House of Representatives has been somewhat of a mess since the recent vote to remove former speaker Kevin McCarthy. The vote came down to eight Republicans and the entire Democratic Party to vote out McCarthy.

Since then, the House has been in a frenzy, attempting to pick a new speaker and get the House back to some sense of normalcy. Until a new speaker is chosen, the House cannot vote on any bills that come through its doors, meaning the federal government is currently halted from passing legislation.

For now, this won’t be a major issue as with a slight majority Republican House, a majority Democrat Senate and a Democrat President, it’s unlikely much legislation will be passed with how polarized both parties have become.

The major issue looming over this debacle with the Speaker of the House is the U.S. was nearing a government shutdown before McCarthy was removed.

This happens when an appropriations bill isn’t passed that would allocate funding to certain programs. This causes many federal employees to go without pay or no longer work if their position is not essential.

This would mean those non-essential agencies would cease to function until the shutdown has ended.

While the shutdown was averted, it was only temporary and will last until mid-November. At the rate of progress for a new Speaker of the House, it’s uncertain if the shutdown will be fully avoided.

So far, there were two votes in the House for Republican Representative Jim Jordan, with his third attempt at a vote falling through after losing a secret vote to be the Party’s nominee. Jim Jordan is a founding member of the Freedom Caucus, which makes up some of the most conservative members of Congress.

To win the role of Speaker, Jordan would have to acquire 217 votes. He was unable as he struggled to gain the support of some Republican holdouts who wanted other candidates to win.

There are different reasons why some Republicans refused to vote for Jordan. One group is Republicans from New York who refused to vote for Jordan until he supported a state and local tax deduction called a SALT tax cap. Other Republicans, such as Representative

Don Bacon from Nebraska, are moderates fed up with extremist Republicans taking control.

On the topic of voting for Jordan, Bacon said it would reward “bad behavior” to vote for a conservative hardliner when it was them who got McCarthy removed against the wishes of the majority of the Republican Party.

Before voting for Jordan, there was a vote for Republican representative Steve Scalise, who failed to gather the number of votes required. He later dropped out once it became clear that several Republicans were never going to vote for him.

The major issue for any House Republican looking to win the Speaker role is only four Republicans can refuse to vote for the nominee and have the nominee still win. With Jordan out of the race, nine Republicans are running to be their Party’s nominee.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHIP SOMODEVILLA

Zelenskyy meets with world defense leaders as questions around Ukraine support rise NOAH THOMASON Politics Reporter

On Wednesday, Oct. 11, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with 50 defense leaders from nations around the globe to discuss continued support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

This meeting comes as progress in the conflict in Ukraine has slowed down considerably compared to the massive progress made in 2022 with the recapture of Kharkiv by Ukrainian forces. This lack of progress has caused some worry about waning support for Ukraine, which has generally been very strong from much of Europe and the U.S. One major country whose support for Ukraine has been shifting is Poland, which initially helped take in millions of Ukrainian refugees. This lowering of support has come from conservative Polish people who are now less willing to aid the Ukrainians who came to Poland for safety, either because they feel they can no longer afford it or because they no longer feel like they should help the Ukrainians in Poland.

The country’s politicians have also been less willing to send aid to Ukraine. Instead, they see it as better to spend money on their military instead of sending weapons to Ukraine. The movement away from support for Ukraine by Poland is interesting as one would think they have a common shared enemy in Russia. Still, that shared adversary no longer seems to translate to full support for Ukraine.

One of the major fears that brought about this meeting is that due to the recent resurgence in the conflict

between Israel and Palestine. Some suggest this could decrease aid to Ukraine as aid is instead given to Israel.

Zelenskyy seems to be attempting to counter any fears about a lack of support by saying there is a “very understandable volume” of arms and ammunition that the West can offer for Israel and Ukraine and that one should not have to receive less aid for the other to get aid.

Within this conference, the U.S. reaffirmed its commitments to Ukraine, with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announcing an additional $200 million in aid to Ukraine for anti-tank and anti-drone weapons along with additional ammunition.

This comes as the U.S. has given more military aid to Israel in the form of ammunition and interceptors to bolster Israel’s Iron Dome defense system meant to

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREEA ALEXANDRU

shoot down rocket attacks from Hamas. This comes after the recent attack by Hamas, killing over a thousand Israelis.

Zelenskyy believes Russia will benefit from this perceived need to split support between Ukraine and Israel, stating, “I think also Russia’s counting on it, on dividing support.” If there is reduced aid to Ukraine due to the conflict with Israel and Palestine, this could impact Ukraine as it has already been making slow progress on retaking territory.

Due to the recent removal of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House, any attempts to pass additional aid through the House will be affected. This is bad news for Ukraine, which needs long-range missile systems if it is to take additional large sections of land back from Russia, according to Zelenskyy.

POLITICS

18 | OCTOBER 25, 2023

Poland’s Conservative Party ousted after eight years of rule NOAH THOMASON Politics Reporter

Poland’s recent election has resulted in a significant change in the leading party that hasn’t changed in almost a decade. Poland has been controlled under conservative leadership since 2015 by the Law and Justice Party and will now be controlled by the centrist Civic Coalition led by Donald Tusk.

The Law and Justice Party’s leadership can be roughly described as conservative and nationalist, combined with some social welfare spending to keep people happy.

Meanwhile, the Civic Coalition is made up of mostly centrist parties, but it’s a wide coalition that will have some ideological differences now that it has power.

The turnaround for the Law and Justice Party came from some of the decisions made during its eight years of power.

The main sticking point for most Polish voters who disapproved of the Law and Justice Party seemed to be the party’s anti-democratic behavior. This stems from feelings the party is growing increasingly authoritarian through laws, including the ability of the government to investigate Russian influence.

This law would allow Poland to remove leaders and state officials from the public for a decade, and people feared this could be used to remove opposition to the Law and Justice Party from public view.

The Law and Justice Party has also been increasing its control over the judicial system by removing judges who rule unfavorably to the party. This has gone so far

that the European Union (EU) has withheld billions of euros in funding until the party ceased its control over the judicial system.

Many fear Poland is moving in the same antidemocratic direction as Hungary, which the EU declared as no longer being a democracy.

Another issue the Law and Justice Party faced was heavily limiting abortion rights in Poland, especially after the constitutional court was packed with judges favorable to the party that would go on to overturn even more protections for abortions.

One major issue that could have been a deciding factor for voters was the Law and Justice Party and the Civic Coalition’s stance on the EU. The Law and Justice Party, throughout its time in power, has come

into conflict with the EU due to its tightening control over the judicial system and its anti-immigration rhetoric and policy.

Meanwhile, Donald Tusk of the Civic Coalition was once the president of the European Council, which is a major group within the EU that also wants to heal relations between Poland and the EU. The election could have a massive impact on the war in Ukraine as Poland is a key member state of the EU. While the Law and Justice Party claim they don’t intend to leave the EU, the conflict Poland has had with the EU could be problematic for the organization’s long-term health.

Poland also has a record of coming into conflict with Germany, another major EU country. This conflict is mostly because of calls on Germany for reparations for World War II and Germany’s reliance on Russian fossil fuels.

Support for Ukraine has also been compromised by the Law and Justice Party’s willingness to attack its own allies rhetorically, and the far-right support the party enjoys has led to a decrease in support for Ukraine.

Only time will tell just how impactful this change in parties will be for Poland and the rest of the world.

PHOTO COURTESY OF OMAR MARQUES

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SPORTS

OCTOBER 25, 2023 | 19

New faces, same determination: A Detroit Pistons preview KURT SZYMANSKI Sports Reporter

A fresh NBA season is upon us, and the Detroit Pistons kick off their season on the road against the Miami Heat on Wednesday, Oct. 25.

Considering the last time the Pistons took the court was in April, here’s a breakdown of the key players the Pistons added this offseason and what to expect this upcoming season.

New Faces Over the off-season, the Pistons added four key players to the roster, two of whom came from the NBA draft. The two Pistons recruits were fifth overall pick Ausar Thompson, who plays guard and forward, and 25th overall pick Marcus Sasser, who plays guard.

Thompson will bring some much-needed defense to a Piston team that ranked in the bottom five of defenses the previous season. Additionally, Thompson has shown some potential in developing a 3-point shot this off-season, something he was ineffective with during his time in the Overtime Elite League.

Sasser will provide some aggression on the defensive side and some top-notch 3-point shooting. Sasser averaged 1.6 steals per game and shot 38.4% from deep last season for the Houston Cougars.

Along with a fresh pair of rookies, the Pistons traded for two veterans this past off-season.

First, they traded for guard Monte Morris in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick back in June with the Washington Wizards. Notably, Morris has

some Michigan ties, as he grew up in Flint and was named Michigan Mr. Basketball in 2013.

The acquisition of Morris gives Detroit one of the best ballhandlers and distributors in the league. Notably, Morris tied for first in assist-to-turnover ratio this past season, dishing out 5.4 assists per one turnover.

Additionally, Morris will promote competitiveness among the group of Piston guards throughout the season. With a depth chart that includes the likes of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Alec Burks, Killian Hayes, Sasser and Morris, a few of these players will struggle to see sizable and consistent minutes throughout the season.

Next, in July, the team acquired veteran wing Joe Harris in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets. The Pistons

sent the bare minimum to acquire Harris: $110,000 in cash. On top of receiving Harris, the Pistons also acquired two future second-round draft picks in the deal.

Harris will provide the Pistons with a 3-point punch off the bench. In the 2020-21 NBA season, Harris ranked as the most efficient 3-point shooter in the league, knocking down 47.5% of his attempts.

Season Forecast Expect the Pistons to improve their record this season, but not by much. Although they likely won’t finish as the worst team in the league again, they will still be at the bottom of the barrel in the Eastern Conference.

Much of Detroit’s success currently relies on how the young core will continue to develop this coming season.

With Cunningham back from injury while putting the NBA on notice in Team USA scrimmages, Ivey showing significant improvements in all facets of his game at the end of last season, and center Jalen Duren growing immensely as a player this past off-season, these three players are the ones to watch ahead of the season.

Additionally, this is head coach Monty William’s first year with the team. Williams will likely prioritize experimenting with different lineups and plays throughout the season to see what works as opposed to immediately winning.

So, fasten your seatbelts, Pistons fans. A bumpy road of a season lies ahead yet again. But it’s a journey filled with potential and excitement as the Pistons write a new chapter in Motor City basketball.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NBA

Oakland Athletics: A week in review (Oct. 15-21) BROCK HEILIG Sports Editor Basketball is just around the corner, and athletics at Oakland have never been busier. Here is a comprehensive breakdown of how OU teams fared in competitions this week (Oct. 15-21).

Women’s soccer It was an uneventful week for the women’s soccer team, which started the week at an even 5-5-5. The Golden Grizzlies had two matches this week, one against Green Bay and one against Milwaukee.

In 180 total minutes of soccer, neither Oakland nor its two opponents scored a goal. OU drew twice, making its overall season record 5-5-7.

The Golden Grizzlies will take on Detroit in the regularseason finale on Wednesday, Oct. 25. Oakland currently has 14 points in the conference standings, tied for fourth place in the league.

Women’s golf Bridget Boczar won first place in the Chippewa Invitational, which took place on Monday and Tuesday of last week. She helped the Golden Grizzlies to a second-place finish in the event.

Youngstown State came out on top, but Oakland finished ahead of the University of Illinois-Chicago, Central Michigan, Green Bay, Ferris State and Detroit Mercy.

Boczar (-1) was the only contestant to finish the event with a score below par. The closest competitor finished five strokes behind with a score of +4.

The Chippewa Invitational concludes the fall season for the Golden Grizzlies. They will now await the spring season beginning the first week in February.

Men’s golf The men’s golf team also competed in an invitational over the weekend, and the Golden Grizzlies finished in third place out of 11 teams at the Xavier Invitational.

Oakland was incredibly consistent throughout the threeround event, finishing in third place after the first round and staying put throughout the remaining two rounds. The only teams finishing with a better score than Oakland were Xavier (second place) and Western Kentucky (first place).

The Golden Grizzlies finished with an overall score of 869 (+29), 11 strokes better than Eastern Kentucky, the fourthplace team.

Other competitors included St. John’s, Northern Kentucky, Butler, Morehead State, Austin Peay State, Tennessee Tech and High Point.

The men’s golf season is now over as well, and their spring season is set to begin on Feb. 19.

Men’s soccer Oakland improved its conference record to 5-2 this past week with a 1-0 win over Robert Morris on Saturday, Oct. 21.

The win succeeded a 4-0 home loss to No. 13 Louisville on Senior Day, but the Golden Grizzlies are in a great position to win the regular season league championship.

OU currently has 15 points in the league standings, which puts it alone in first place. IUPUI is right behind Oakland with 13 points, but the Golden Grizzlies control their destiny for the league title.

With two conference matches remaining, Oakland will play Green Bay and Detroit, two teams in the top half of the league standings, to try and claim their spot as league champions.

The match against Green Bay will be on Saturday, Oct. 28, and the regular-season finale against Detroit will be on Wednesday, Nov. 1.

Men’s basketball It was a rough start to the season for Greg Kampe and the Oakland Golden Grizzlies. Although its game against Walsh University was an exhibition and didn’t count toward the overall record, Kampe’s squad looked suspect.

Trey Townsend finished with 22 points, and Jack Gohlke added 15, but Walsh’s Kobe Mitchell couldn’t miss from beyond the arc. The sophomore guard poured in 32 points in 37 minutes as the Division II Cavaliers upset the Golden Grizzlies at the OU Credit Union O’rena.

Kampe and Oakland will take on Wayne State on Monday, Oct. 30, in the team’s second and last exhibition game, before the regular season starts in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 6 against Ohio State.

Volleyball With back-to-back road matches on Friday and Saturday, the Oakland volleyball team split their slate of games this week against Robert Morris and Youngstown State.

Robert Morris handled Oakland rather easily on Friday night, taking care of the Golden Grizzlies in four sets. Krista Rice’s squad bounced back, though, with a straight-sets victory over YSU on Saturday night.

The Penguins, which are 2-10 in the Horizon League, were thoroughly outmatched by Oakland in the match.

With seven matches left in the regular season, Oakland sits in fifth place, but it’s just two games back from the leagueleading Milwaukee Panthers.

Oakland will host three home matches this week against Purdue Fort Wayne, Northern Kentucky and Wright State.

20 | OCTOBER 25, 2023

Detroit Lions crushed by Ravens in Baltimore SUMMER WEATHERS Sports Reporter

The Detroit Lions fell short to the number one team in the AFC North, the Baltimore Ravens, with a final score of 38-6.

The Ravens are a ruthless team and were unstoppable on their home field. From the opening moments, it was evident the Detroit Lions saw the Ravens at full power, getting into scoring position first on their first drive with early conversions.

The Ravens, led by dynamic quarterback Lamar Jackson, wasted no time in asserting their dominance.

Jackson’s ability to scramble and make plays on the run immediately posed a significant threat to the Lions’ defense. He went 21-of-27 passing for 357 yards, proving to be too much for the Lions’ defensive line to contain, which was the main storyline of this game.

The Ravens’ defense constantly harassed Jared Goff, sacking him multiple times, which led him to force some of his throws, and the Lions could not establish any offensive rhythm.

“Offensively, we never got into rhythm early, you know, and we just kind of felt like they were playing with house money over there,” head coach Dan Campbell said. “You get up so much by a certain point in that game, then it’s, shoot, they’re kind of doing whatever they want to do. Lamar beat us; he hammered us with his arm, you know. He threw the ball extremely well. He ran when he needed to, and we did not handle it well. Our energy was good, which is crazy.

“You come out of a game like that and look at the

score. Our energy was good, but our details and discipline, which has been so good over the last four, five weeks, was not good enough, and just like we win as a team, we lose as a team.”

The Lions managed to get on the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter, as rookie sensation Jahmyr Gibbs scored a touchdown on a 21-yard run with 14:03 to play in the final quarter. He ran at full speed and remained untouched. While the Lions weren’t having the best game offensively, Gibbs’ play was a major bright spot, as this marked his first NFL career touchdown.

As the Raiders came out on top at the end of the game, both teams are now 5-2 and are still number one in the standings in each of their divisions.

SPORTS

The Lions can harness the lessons learned from their challenging loss against the Baltimore Ravens and use this game as a powerful source of motivation.

“It’s here; it happened; it’ll motivate us moving forward,” Campbell said.

Every setback offers an opportunity for growth. This defeat catalyzes the Lions to reevaluate their strategies and forge ahead with renewed determination and unwavering dedication, transforming this defeat into the winning foundation they are trying to build.

They will take from this and make those strides toward getting back on a winning streak. The Detroit Lions will now prepare to face the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday, Oct. 30, at 8:15 p.m. at a sold-out Ford Field.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TOMMY GILLIGAN

Women’s soccer holds UWM Panthers to a draw KURT SZYMANSKI Sports Reporter

On Saturday, Oct. 21, the Oakland University women’s soccer team’s battle with the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (UWM) Panthers ended in a draw at the Oakland Soccer Field.

“I’m proud of our team,” head coach Juan Pablo Favero said. “It’s an impressive performance for such a young team, one that I think will help give them some confidence moving forward.”

The tie moves OU’s record to 5-5-7 overall and 3-1-5 in the Horizon League. Additionally, the tie breaks a five-game losing streak the Grizzlies have had against the Panthers.

Notably, the Grizzlies are just the second team this season and the only team in the conference to hold the Panthers, who lead the Horizon League standings, scoreless.

“We changed our tactics to neutralize their attack because it’s so lethal — they’re such a good team,” Favero said. “They have so many dangerous players.

We felt that if we defended properly, it would give us a chance to win.”

The Grizzlies opened the first half with possession of the ball. Both teams started off the game relatively patiently, taking the more accessible passes while slowly progressing up the field.

As the game advanced, the Grizzlies had difficulty getting the ball past the UWM midfielders. The Panthers instantly swarmed the team and clogged up passing lanes as soon as the Grizzlies pushed to get the ball out of their territory.

Despite the offensive struggles, the Grizzly defense consistently gave the Panthers problems. Although UWM attempted four shots in the first 14 minutes of the match, the Panthers were unable to attempt another shot the rest of the first half.

While OU got some breathing room and opportunities to score later in the first half, the Panther defense held strong, and both teams entered halftime scoreless.

The Panthers opened the second half with the ball and continued to keep up their offensive intensity.

However, the OU defense matched that intensity as they broke up multiple early Panther attacks.

In the 48th minute, the Grizzlies got their best chance at scoring a goal all game. Midfielder Macey Wierenga attempted a shot deep into the penalty box,

PHOTO BY KATIE REID

and midfielder Shannon Brown attempted a second shot seconds later.

Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, Panther goalkeeper Kendall Edwards made two incredible saves.

Ultimately succeeding in keeping the Grizzlies scoreless. Notably, both shot attempts were OU’s only two in the entire game.

“I think we were all in disbelief that ball didn’t go in,” Favero said. “Credit to their goalkeeper, but I’m going to have to look at the video because I still don’t understand how she made those saves, especially the second save.”

Despite the Grizzlies improving on their possession, the rest of the second half mirrored the first half. The OU defense continued to deny a UWM goal while the offense remained stagnant, resulting in a draw.

Next, the Grizzlies will travel to Titan Field on Wednesday, Oct. 25, to take on the Detroit Mercy Titans in their final game of the regular season.

“We got a different challenge coming on Wednesday, and we’re gonna have to make sure that we are up to that challenge and meet those expectations,” Favero said.

Currently, the Titans trail the Grizzlies in the standings by two points, and the Robert Morris University Colonials are one point short of the Grizzlies in the standings.

An OU win or tie against the Titans will clinch a playoff appearance for the team. However, a loss to the Titans could result in the Grizzlies missing the playoffs.