The Oakland Post 4.17.2024

WOMEN’S SOFTBALL DOMINATES The OU women’s softball team won their series against Detroit Mercy on April 10.

PHOTO BY CARLEE MORGAN

OU-AAUP survey indicates significant decline in faculty satisfaction

CHLOE KUKUK Campus Editor

A March 2024 survey conducted by the American Association of University Professors at Oakland University (OUAAUP) shows a significant decline in faculty satisfaction on Oakland University’s campus in the past year.

The OUAAUP Workplace Satisfaction Survey was distributed to the bargaining unit faculty members at OU, with 42% of the group responding. Respondents were from all academic units and had a variety of ranks and years of service, and the information was anonymously published.

The survey found that faculty members are dissatisfied with their relationship with OU’s administration. 59.7% of respondents indicated that they strongly disagree with the statements, “Oakland administrators work collaboratively with faculty to resolve problems and disagreements” and “Oakland administrators are open to facultydriven change.”

Additionally, more than 60% of respondents indicated dissatisfaction with the quality of communication between faculty and the university’s administration.

“We presently operate in a top-down arrangement where our chair is told which changes and cuts are coming and then the chair informs us about it. There is no dialogue with the administration about anything,” one anonymous respondent said.

The results also indicated that faculty feel undervalued by the administration, with only 25% of respondents indicating that OU’s administration

values their work and 14.2% indicating they felt fairly compensated for their work.

“I am consistently physically and emotionally exhausted. This reality combined with the fact that last year I experienced a literal pay cut (my healthcare costs doubled) alongside a minuscule pay increase that didn’t match inflation and didn’t match my doubling of healthcare costs — frankly, this is infuriating, debilitating and leaves me desperate for another academic home,” one faculty member said.

Overall, only one-third of faculty reported that they agree or strongly agree that they are satisfied

with their work experience at OU.

“The students know and appreciate that faculty members are essential to the university. I just wish the high-level administrators would embrace this idea as well,” one survey respondent said.

Although conducted annually, the survey is relevant in light of the upcoming bargaining between the OU administration and faculty to negotiate a new contract. OUAAUP recently hosted its third annual Collaborative Labor Panel, and four faculty members approached the Board of Trustees at their April meeting to prepare for the upcoming bargaining.

“One of the reasons we started the workplace satisfaction survey is because the university does not do it,” OUAAUP Executive Director Amy Pollard said. “The fact that the union is doing this and the university isn’t is telling of the problem in and of itself.”

Key issues OU-AAUP hopes to see addressed include compensation, respect and collaboration.

“The keen sense of dissatisfaction [in the survey] is compensation issues,” Pollard said. “Another really big change is the matter of being respected, appreciated and valued for the role they play as faculty, and a return to more collaborative working relationships between administration and faculty.”

OUAAUP officially begins bargaining in May. For more information about OU-AAUP, visit their website.

Wrongful incarcerations and restorative justice: Stories from former convicts

ADRIAN JIMENEZ MORALES Campus Reporter

The Wrongly Incarcerated panel discussion, hosted by the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights (MCHR) at OU, brought five diverse speakers together to discuss the impact, testimonies and action plans to overcome wrongful convictions.

Co-hosted by the Honors College, Center for Multicultural Initiatives (CMI) and other student organizations, the event was held at the Hillcrest Hall’s Collaboration Center on April 10.

Tia Littlejohn, Co-chairperson of the MCHR, moderated the discussion and explained the mission of the various initiatives that each panelist participated in.

“Through education, community organization and action, MCHR opposes forces that suppress human dignity, freedom and justice,” Littlejohn said. “Everybody has within them a story to tell, and at some point in your life, there’s a time for you to change a narrative.”

Larry Smith Jr. is an activist and Wayne County exoneree who spent 26 years, 10 months and seven days in prison for a crime he did not commit. Smith started the discussion with an overview of his experience when his friend’s car was spotted near a crime scene.

“First-degree murder was the charge I was convicted of. I was 18 years old, I was set to go to college,” Smith said. “People say ‘keep your mouth shut when you rub into the police.’ Well, I did that and then people said I made a statement while in custody — the guy said I confessed.”

Jay Love, creator of the Justice for Girard movement and MCHR board member, explained

that Smith’s case was plagued with irregularities.

“Since there was no physical evidence tying him to the crime, authorities relied on just sights and questionable eyewitness testimony,” Love said. “Contributing factors were mistaken ID, false confession, misleading forensic evidence, perjury, false accusations and official misconduct.”

Wrongful eyewitness testimony and official misconduct also contributed to the life sentence of Temujin Kensu, Paula Kensu’s husband, in 1987. Kensu explained how she met her husband after hearing about the case.

“These were my neighbors in my community that did this to this man,” Kensu said. “So I reached out to them. And we started writing back and forth and I became an advocate for him.”

Multiple alibi witnesses confirmed Temujin Kensu was in the Upper Peninsula at the time of the crime. After these were ignored, the most important

inconsistency during the trial was the lineup in which he was identified as a primary suspect.

“We’ve had that examined by experts and they said that this is one of the most prejudicial photo lineups that they’ve ever seen,” Kensu said. “When a prosecutor wants to paint a story of a person committing a crime, they’re going to use the evidence that they want and manufacture evidence, which is what happened in this case.”

Offering solutions to these misconducts, Trische Duckworth, executive director and founder of the protest organization Survivors Speak, called for more civic engagement with elected officials.

“Judges need to be called out — if you see something, say something,” Duckworth said. “Do your research as it pertains to wrongful convictions, ask questions, call them. They work for you, they are just like you and I. They are human.”

After Love suggested eyewitness misidentification reforms as a prevention mechanism for wrongful convictions, attorney Hugo Mack also pointed out restorative justice as an avenue for improving the judiciary system.

“The system is geared for efficiency over justice,” Mack said. “We’ve got to start focusing on restorative justice. Nobody is saying not to hold people accountable for wrongs he did, but I’m saying you must never forget a person’s humanity.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF OUAAUP

PHOTO COURTESY OF GIMBEL, REILLY, GUERIN & BROWN, LLP

Tackling the GRE with Psi Chi Honor Society

ANGELINA TOMA Campus Reporter

The Psi Chi Honor Society hosted an informative workshop on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) on April 8 in the Lake Huron room in the OC.

This is a reoccurring event hosted by Psi Chi and any faculty member within the Department of Psychology at OU for all students interested in taking the GRE for prospective graduate programs.

Dr. Melissa McDonald, personality and evolutionary psychologist, provided a slideshow explaining how to endure the GRE.

“The GRE is intended to test general intellectual ability and your likelihood of success in graduate school,” McDonald said. “It’s often used to differentiate between applications in a standardized way.”

She explained the need for the test with the new changes to many graduate programs.

“The COVID-19 pandemic changed the university requirements to dropping the GRE,” McDonald said. “Universities are struggling with whether to return to requiring it or making it optional.”

McDonald addressed the concerns with the GRE and why it’s deemed unnecessary for some universities.

“It is a valid predictor of performance in graduate school, but it has potential biases,” McDonald said.

“Men typically score higher than women, racial and ethnic minorities tend to score lower, so there are concerns of applying it with the biases. “

She provided insight into the scheduling process for taking the test and the financial concerns to consider.

“The test can be expensive, so you want to know what programs you intend to apply to when taking the GRE and whether or not they require it,” McDonald said.

The workshop introduced students to study materials provided by libraries and online courses through Kaplan or Khan Academy.

McDonald emphasized the points in which it would be time to enroll for a testing session.

“When studying, you’ll find that as you take more practice tests, maybe your scores aren’t changing much anymore,” McDonald said. “This could mean it would be a good time to take the test.”

The event granted students an understanding of the scheduling process when determining how to prepare.

“Set a certain number of hours that you’re going

to study every week,” McDonald said. “Make sure to study the basic things as much as possible before reviewing the more advanced parts.”

The test can be overwhelming for any prospective graduate student, and this was emphasized in the workshop.

“Take a minute to reset mentally and do some deep breaths before tackling the next part,” McDonald said.

McDonald focused on the nervousness felt when studying and the actual test date with an assertive approach to not rush throughout the questions.

“When you’re feeling anxiety, try to reframe it in your brain that it doesn’t mean you’re not prepared,” McDonald said. “It’s your body’s way of preparing itself to meet the challenge you’re faced with.”

Students were advised to get involved with activities outside of the GRE to strengthen their applications for graduate programs.

“Demonstrate your competence in another way that shows your ability to succeed in your desired program,” McDonald said.

For more information about Psi Chi and documents related to the GRE, visit their website or GrizzOrgs.

Gender and Sexuality Center hosts Out of the Darkness Walk

PAYTON BUCKI Content Editor

On April 7, Oakland University’s Gender and Sexuality Center (GSC), hosted an Out of the Darkness Walk at Bear Lake. The walk, which was conceptualized by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), is designed to raise awareness and support those who have been impacted by suicide.

The event began with a resource fair. Representatives from the Oakland University Counseling Center, Student Congres and Veteran’s Support Services informed attendees about mental health resources available on campus. Local community organizations, such as HAVEN and CNS Healthcare, shared services available to the broader Oakland County community.

“CNS Healthcare is a community mental health agency. What makes our organization great is that we are able to serve individuals who are underinsured or uninsured,” a representative from CNS Healthcare said. “So, we get to be very accessible in a way that other agencies are not.”

CNS Healthcare brought members of its suicide prevention team to the walk. The team members provided a comfortable environment for attendees to speak about how their lives have been affected by suicide.

Staff members from HAVEN, a non-profit organization based in Pontiac, spoke to attendees about HAVEN’s role in uplifting survivors of

domestic violence and sexual assault.

“We are a domestic violence organization that has an array of services for survivors of all ages and genders,” a representative from HAVEN said. “We are an empowerment-based organization, we believe in survivors and help them through their healing journey.”

Celeste Huff, the Coordinator of Orientation and New Student Programs at Oakland University provided the opening remarks to kick off the campus walk. Huff decided to organize an Out of the Darkness Campus Walk at Oakland University because she wanted to raise awareness about mental health challenges.

“By showing up today, you are sending the message that mental health is as real as physical health. You are making a statement, that reaching out for help is the strong thing to do,” Huff said. “Suicide is a health issue that affects all of us.”

Huff pointed out that the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention provides a wealth of support services for individuals affected by suicide.

“By participating in AFSP’s programs like their International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day and healing conversions showed me that I am not alone,” Huff said.

Before the walk, an honor beads ceremony was held. Honor beads are a symbol to acknowledge how suicide and mental illness have affected lives and loved ones. Each color bead shows a personal connection to the cause and helps walkers identify others who have gone through a similar experience.

“These beads represent our dedication, our

commitment and our strength as a community,” Huff said. “We are united in our goal and determined to bring suicide prevention out of the darkness and to save lives.”

Following the honor beads ceremony, Huff allowed Team Jacob, a group of walkers from Michigan State University, to begin the walk. Team Jacob raised over $3,000 to benefit the American Association for Suicide Prevention.

To learn more about Out of the Darkness Campus Walks, visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention website.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PSI CHI0 AT OAKLAND UNIVERSITY

PHOTO COURTESY OF SACRAMENTO STATE

OU Alumni Association webinar talks reclaiming joy in your career

ANGELINA TOMA Campus Reporter

OU’s Alumni Association hosted its webinar “Beyond the Grind: Reclaiming Joy and Harmony in Your Career and Life” on April 10. The webinar addressed toxic productivity and sacrificing well-being for achievements.

Tamu Thomas, a life coach and author of “Women Who Work Too Much,” addressed the roots of toxic productivity and guided the audience in reclaiming joy in their professional and personal lives by understanding the autonomic nervous system.

“I describe toxic productivity as the unconscious, obsessive-compulsive desire always to be productive,” Thomas said. “It’s when you build your life around work and forget that the purpose of work is to make a living to live.”

Thomas emphasized that toxic productivity also affects personal levels of life, distracting the working community from self-care.

“It is a pervasive and often unconscious drive to be constantly productive to the point where it negatively impacts your well-being, relationships and ability to enjoy life,” Thomas said.

She shared examples of work-life experiences.

“We end up being like computer systems with tabs of compulsion and characterized by an obsessive focus on work and productivity at the expense of all else,” Thomas said.

Health-related concerns are affected by toxic productivity subconsciously, creating a cycle of dissatisfaction to strive for.

“We are taught that our innate need is to detoxify our bodies, making our need for selfcare secondary,” Thomas said.

She shared reassuring messages so the audience would understand that no one was at fault.

“It often leads us to detach from the present moment, ignoring the joys, relationships and self-care that make life fulfilling, and it’s marked by several key signs, including ignoring physical and emotional needs,” Thomas said.

She shared examples of skipping meals, losing sleep and harming the immune system to complete work accomplishments.

“This is often driven by guilt because we feel like spare time should not be wasted,” Thomas said. “It should be allocated to something from which we can get a tangible outcome.”

The conditioned feeling of toxic productivity impacts self-worth in correlation to how much work is done.

Thomas expanded on elevating self-worth and personal growth.

“Recognizing toxic productivity involves acknowledging these patterns and the toll they take on our lives,” Thomas said. “This requires redefining success, setting healthy boundaries and rediscovering the joy in life.”

She continued to explain the polyvagal theory by understanding the body’s autonomic responses to safety, danger and life threats through different experiences.

“Imagine this framework as a ladder with different steps, each representing how our nervous system prioritizes its reactions to our environment in a sensible hierarchy,” Thomas said.

She explained how to tackle these challenges and balance productivity and life boundaries.

“Just like we inhale, we need to exhale — otherwise, we won’t be able to live,” Thomas said. “Just like the work, we also need to be able to rest. Otherwise, we won’t be able to continue.”

The audience was advised to participate in positive affirmations by promoting safety with optimism.

The event ended with a short mental exercise and additional questions.

Visit the OU Events Calendar through the Alumni Association for more information about Thomas and future guest speakers.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WORK IT DAILY

OU to host its 36th annual Nightingale Award show

DAYSHAWN FIELDS Features Reporter

OU School of Nursing’s 36th Annual Nightingale Award show will be held on May 8, and those honored have been announced by the committee in anticipation of the night.

10 nursing categories will be recognized, with nominees being nominated by their peers and supervisors.

Each of the 10 winners will receive a check for $1,000, a Nightingale pin and a bronze statue depicting Florence Nightingale.

The awards are named after Florence Nightingale, who is heralded as the founder of modern nursing. After nursing in the Crimean War, Nightingale would go on to establish the Nightingale Training School for Nurses.

This work and her pioneering spirit are what recipients of the Nightingale scholarship embody. The scholarship is given to OU School of Nursing students thanks to the proceeds of the NIghtingale awards and sponsors like Henry Ford Health.

Winners of the awards are selected by a committee, which is composed of 10 different nurses from 10 different areas of nursing. Kate Lionas, the events coordinator at the School of Nursing, delves into the different hospital systems represented.

“They come from 10 different hospital systems, they’re not all from one system,” Lionas said. “There’s one from Henry Ford Health, one from Ascension,

Corewell, Oakland County Health Division. They make up the Nightingale Review Committee.”

The diversity in work and professional background is set for the committee’s goal of credibility. This selected group then selects nominations.

“They read every single nomination. This year we had 149,” Lionas said. “They read every single one, and then they grade it, with medical grades.”

The medical grade scale refers to the system of scoring on a number scale. Averages are taken for each nomination, and then the highest will be awarded as the winner. In the past, the difference between the winner and runner-up has been mere decimal points.

“Sometimes, between the winner and runner-up, it’s like 0.1-0.2 away,” Lionas said.

Not all categories come down to numbers this close.

The amount of nominations varies by category.

“Some categories have four to six nominations, others have forty,” Lionas said. “Staff nurse is a huge category. A lot of people nominate staff nurses. You can understand that, they are the ones who are at the bed [of patients]. You want to reward them and acknowledge the daily work they do with patients.”

The categories with “four to six” patients are different.

“Nursing research is a lot less known,” Lionas said. “That’s a smaller category, you’ve have to sort of know somebody.”

Other categories are more deeply rooted in the OU community than others.

Dr. Ashlee Barnes will be receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award at the show, having earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, Master of Science in Nursing Education degree and Post-Master’s Certification in Family Nurse Practitioner from OU.

Barnes has been a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner since 2014 and serves as a nursing educator at the University of Detroit Mercy, as well as being a researcher. She takes an interest in researching how utilizing mindfulness can improve the mental health of higher education students.

Barnes and nine others will receive their awards on May 8 in the Oakland Center’s ballrooms.

Oakland University hosts ‘Letters to Lansing’ event

GRACIE MURRAY Features Reporter

Oakland University held a “Letters to Lansing” event hosted by the Political Engagement and Civil Discourse group, on Monday, April 8.

The event started out with a discussion by local politicians, even some that represented OU. The discussion was about how engagement through letters is worthy of attention.

With some help from the writers at the OU Writing Center, they helped students write letters to send to other politicians about their political questions. According to the OU Events Calendar website, “Our goal is to provide a unique opportunity for college students to interact with elected officials and delve into meaningful conversations about political engagement and communication.”

This event was co-sponsored by The Writing Center, Center for Civic Engagement, College Democrats, College Republicans and OU Student Congress.

The event’s purpose was to bring students to engage in this event by being more informed about the politics in the surrounding area, as well as to make note that their voice is important and send letters to politicians to be more engaged.

Red Douglas, student liaison with the OU Board of

Trustees, helped bring the idea to life. He had gone into the idea of how this event came about and how it made its way from a conference he attended at a different college to making it an event for Oakland.

“This idea came about after a conference I attended five years ago at Mott Community College, and we discussed in a group at that conference some ways we can bring some of our writing center skills, with the consultants that are trained at the writing center how we can bring those to intersect civil engagement discourse,” Douglas said.

Douglass explains the different co-sponsors from throughout the years.

“So we partnered up at that time a handful of years

ago with the Campus Democrats, Campus Republicans and Center for Civic Engagement which was brand new at that time too,” Douglass said. “We thought that would be a good co-sponsored event that we could bring in people from both sides of the political aisle.”

After the event’s success, OU wanted to have a similar event for Oakland students.

“This year the Campus Democrat president and Campus Republican president reached out to me at the writing center and said, ‘Is this something you think we could host?’ and I said, ‘Sure let’s do it,’” Douglas said.

Douglas had found many co-sponsors for the event so there would be more of a variety of both political parties instead of just focusing on democrats or just republicans.

“They are peripherally related to people on the planning committee,” Douglas said. “So for example, council member Ferguson from the city of Auburn Hills is a family friend of ours. A couple of the gentlemen who engage in the campus organization stems in republicans respectively, they had some connections through their work in those realms they were able to invite.”

For those who are interested in politics and want to join an on-campus organization, they can sign up with Student Congress through GrizzOrgs.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RED DOUGLAS

PHOTO COURTESY OF OAKLAND UNIVERSITY

Model United Nations team hosts competition for local high schools

PAYTON

BUCKI

On April 5 and 6, the Oakland University Model United Nations team hosted a Model United Nations competition for local high schools. Delegates arrived on campus excited to partake in an intergovernmental organization simulation that required them to discuss various world issues. The students left the conference with a greater understanding of international politics and useful debate skills.

Delegates were able to participate in a variety of United Nations simulated committees led by OU college students. The committees included the UN Environment Programme, Disarmament and Security, Human Rights Council and the UN Security Council. There was also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) committee.

Oakland University Model United Nations team members Eien VanRiper, Christopher Aranda and Dakotah Atkinson led the UN Environment Programme committee.

VanRiper, an environmental science major, was key in developing the discussion topics for the committee. He decided to highlight the issues of sustainable agriculture and climate change, challenging the high school students to debate potential solutions to these world problems.

“I had to conduct a lot of outside research to see what had already been done by the United Nations Environment Programme, and compare that to what could be done in the future,” VanRiper said. “My job was to challenge students to use precedent and past research to brainstorm ideas for the future.”

Aranda’s favorite part of the conference was gaining a new perspective as a committee chair.

“For me, the best part of the conference was chairing the UN Environment Programme committee and using the gavel,” Aranda said. “It was really cool to help facilitate an interesting conference between high school students from across the county.”

Atkinson pointed out that the conference’s main goal was to make sure attendees had fun and gained knowledge from the experience.

“We made sure to go over all the rules beforehand to make sure things made sense, so high school students could fully understand the material,” Atkinson said. “Sometimes these complex concepts can be confusing to younger students. We wanted this to be a fun, educational experience for delegates of all skill levels.”

Ethan Lehman-Pace chaired the United Nations Security Council, where delegates were responsible for maintaining international peace and security. LehmanPace was pleased that the competition pushed delegates out of their comfort zone.

“My favorite part of the conference was seeing all the delegates growing [in confidence] as the weekend went on,” Lehman-Pace said. “There were a few delegates in my committee that were not as outgoing or outspoken when they started off. By the end of the conference, they were major players, people who wanted to speak and draft motions.”

Lehman-Pace, who aspires to pursue a career in counseling, found the conference to be an opportunity for personal development.

“As someone who wants to go into clinical counseling one day, this was definitely a good experience for me,” Lehman-Pace said. “Learning how to engage with young adults in a respectful way is really important.”

At the conference closing ceremony, delegates were presented with individual awards, and the bestperforming schools were named.

Landon Julius, the Oakland University Model United Nations club president, followed the presentation by delivering awards to the outstanding conference staff members.

Larissa Giacomin and Patrick Henkel received the award. Both Giacomin and Henkel were commended for their hard work preparing for the conference and their dedication to growing the OU Model United Nations program.

For individuals interested in learning more about Oakland University’s Model United Nations team, visit their GrizzOrgs page. Those interested in joining the team may contact the club’s president, Landon Julius, via email at ljulius@oakland.edu.

PRSSA hosts ‘Mocktail Networking Night’ event

GRACIE MURRAY Features Reporter

On Tuesday, April 9, Oakland University’s own PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) organization hosted an event for students to meet with professionals, seek advice and talk about potential job opportunities and internships.

Just like the mocktail event, the PRSSA organization hosts events to help students adapt professional skills and expand their networks for those who are in fields that include strategic communication and public relations.

The mocktail event was set up as a speed dating setting. A group of students would meet with one employer for a certain amount of time before switching to the next employer, so all students could meet with every employer present.

The goal of the event was for students to make connections and expand their networking portfolio. Also, to ask employers questions about the recruitment process, receive tips and get familiar with meeting professionals.

Maddy Aude is a junior who is majoring in public relations and communication. She attended the event as she heard about it through Professor Su and Professor Gibson.

“I wanted to come to this event because I knew it would be a good opportunity to talk to professionals

in the public relations and communication industry and learn more about their jobs,” Aude said. Aude heard about the event and wanted to expand her network to see potential employers and any future job opportunities or tips.

“I was hoping that we would be able to learn more about different professions in this field and get to know more about the job recruitment process,” Aude said. “I definitely learned a lot through this event and I’m really happy that I attended.”

Rachel Rossman, another junior involved with PRSSA, was introduced to the organization by her professor Holly Gilbert.

“Making connections in Metro-Detroit is meaningful to me because I live in Northwest Indiana,” Rossman said.

According to LinkedIn, there are over 2,000 jobs that are for either communication or public relation careers across the Metro-Detroit area. In a heavily populated area such as Detroit, making connections and spreading one’s network is important when finding a job for that fits one’s career.

“Being able to expand my professional network is something that I think is very important and an opportunity I will always take advantage of,” Rossman said.

When opportunities appear, one must take advantage of those opportunities. The PRSSA puts on many different events every year for students, to help build their network and get their name out to possible future employers.

“At this event, I hoped to meet new peers and professionals and to learn new things about the professional workforce. I was able to hand out my resume and build on prior connections too which was very beneficial for me,” Rossman said.

Overall, the event became an overall success. Aude and Rossman were both pleased with the event and happy with the fact they were able to attend.

For those with questions regarding PRSSA or the Communication, Journalism and Public Relations fields, please reach out to the department by emailing comjrn@oakland.edu.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GRIZZORGS

PHOTO COURTESY OF LANDON JULIUS

Study habits from across Oakland University

NOAH FRANCIS Features Editor

Studying can be a difficult time for students, especially during their preparation for final exams. With the stress levels high and the morale low, mindless studying can feel unfulfilling or as if it does more harm than good.

This is why healthy habits can save your study sessions, whether you plan out the entire day of studying, or simply work on self-discipline. With final exams right around the corner, Oakland University students help explain study habits that work for them during this stressful time.

Taylor Bailey, a public administration major focusing on healthcare, deals with lengthy papers in their field of study.

“With my current classes, it’s mostly focused on papers, so there’s been a long process throughout the whole semester just breaking down the papers into sections,” Bailey said. “There’s just so much information all the time, so definitely breaking it up into manageable sections ensures that you’re actually understanding what you’re learning.”

A tip Bailey gives to students is to work with a classmate on your assignments.

“I think studying with a partner or a classmate is definitely useful,” Bailey said. “Just so you can gain a better perspective of how they understood it and if it’s different from yours.”

Fran Pacha, a marketing major, tends to work best away from their home. Pacha explains why studying in libraries and coffee shops works best for him.

“I forced myself to come here [to the library] pretty much because if I go home, I won’t do my work,” Pacha said. “If I’m at home, I’ll just find something more interesting to do, but this is a library, so it’s the right place to do it.”

One study method Pacha uses is the Pomodoro

The science behind the solar eclipse

DAYSHAWN FIELDS

Features Reporter

Last week’s solar eclipse may have fascinated the minds of many as they witnessed it, but the science behind it leaves the mind open for even greater fascination.

Dr. Kapila Castoldi, an OU astronomy professor who spent 15 years researching as a particle physicist, witnessed the eclipse in Ann Arbor, which experienced 99% coverage, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Even for Castoldi, with her extensive background in physics and astronomy, the latter of which was her first love, the “scientific miracle” of the eclipse was something to behold.

“There’s so much behind it, that we don’t see and we need to understand,” Castoldi said. “Can you imagine 99% of the sun is covered? It should be pitch black, and somewhat colder air. But there was still plenty of light. That told me that the sun is something so enormous, that 1% of its light was enough to give plenty of illumination to the planet.”

That visible light that illuminated the planet during the eclipse is already only a small percentage of the light — and therefore energy — emitted by the sun, eclipse or not. A full sun only gives out 400 to 750 nanometers on the electromagnetic spectrum, according

to Astronomy.com.

“A pillow is light, it’s life and fluffy. But as you start adding up one pillow above the other and above the other, in the end, they squeeze,” Castoldi said. “So these gasses in the interior of the sun are squeezed together so that the sun looks opaque. Still, it’s all gas. As you get closer and closer to the interior, from the Earth, you cannot see [those molecules].”

The next solar eclipse to cross the United States is set for 2044. There’s no ambiguity, as the science behind these predictions is decades old.

“The science started a long, long time ago,” Castoldi said. “We know very well now the orbit of the Earth, the sun and the orbit of the moon around the sun. It takes, of course, very powerful computers to do these

Technique. This method involves working as hard as you can for a set period of time without distraction, and then giving a smaller period of time to set aside the work and relax.

“I will pretty much go [study] for 45 minutes and then I’ll give myself the last 15 minutes of the hour to go watch YouTube or something,” Pacha said. “For those 15 minutes, I can kind of just reset.”

Studying alone can take a good amount of selfdiscipline to make sure you stay on task, or even start studying in the first place. This is why having a study group can be rewarding, as having others around you helps with keeping on task.

Ben Trater explains how his study group helps him stay focused on his work.

“I was still late [today],” Tranter said. “It took me a while to get out of bed since I was scrolling Instagram, and she [study group member] caught me scrolling Instagram because it said I was active. It’s harder to study on your own sometimes, so it’s good having people to get you to study.”

For students looking for extra help with writing final papers, please visit the Writing Center’s OU webpage to schedule an appointment, or visit the Writing Center in the Kresge Library, room 212.

calculations, but they are possible.”

These calculations prove that the moon’s orbit around the Earth is elliptical, which means that annular eclipses are more common than total eclipses. An annular eclipse is when only a “ring” shadows the sun.

For a total eclipse to occur, everything has to be “perfect,” as Castoldi puts it.

This time it was.

The joy it brought to people is what Castoldi and others in the department call “teachable moments.”

“Students are out in the grass with their eclipse glasses, enjoying the moment and it’s this nice phenomenon,” Castoldi said. “[In teaching] if you can understand our close-by star, you can understand everything that is going on in this universe.”

Moments such as that one are why Castoldi shifted to teaching after 15 years of research. While the eclipse may have led many to become informed on the phenomenon, astronomy courses are provided by OU year-round.

Students looking to register for astronomy courses such as PHY 1040 and 1050, please sign up through their MySAIL portal.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VOX

PHOTO COURTESY OF FORBES

April BOT meeting: AI's impact on campus, CAS progress and new medical sciences M.S.

Oakland University’s Board of Trustees (BOT) held the last meeting for the Winter 2024 semester on April 13.

The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on campus, the College of Arts and Sciences achievements and a new medical science master’s degree were among the topics discussed.

OU President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz began the meeting by congratulating the men’s basketball team for their accomplishments this season. Dressed in OU swag, the board of trustees invited attendees to celebrate the team after the BOT meeting.

Pescovitz also included a farewell note for the Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Britt Rios-Ellis, who will leave OU to become President of California State University in June. Presidents Report

A recap of OU’s accomplishments and rankings introduced the President’s Report.

“The Wall Street Journal ranked Oakland as the top university among its peers in Michigan,” Pescovitz said. “Oakland also ranks as the best value for investment among our peers and ranks first among public universities in Michigan for enhancing students’ social mobility.”

Pescovitz reported that OU has increased research expenditures while also receiving funding from state agencies like the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. These achievements took place after a budget deficit due to COVID-19 three years ago.

“We undertook fiscal measures across the university to address our deficit and our budget,” Pescovitz said. “And recently, we were notified by Moody’s that we

are A1 stable.”

Artificial Intelligence Understanding Task Force

As part of a campus-wide strategic plan, OU has created a team of faculty, staff and students to address AI’s impact at the university. Graeme Harper, dean of the Honors College, presented the task force’s goals and progress.

“We also want to think about the enhancements we can introduce — and work with faculty and staff to introduce — at Oakland that may indeed be distinctive roles that we can take and lead on nationally and perhaps internationally,” Harper said.

Harper reported that the survey committee, which assessed faculty regarding their use of artificial intelligence in the classroom and research, reflect a minimal current use of AI.

“This is the teaching question, and it was really, really simple. It was, ‘Do you use it? Do you feel comfortable with it? What do you use?’” Harper said. “More people are saying that they didn’t actually use it at this point, and to a certain extent, that they didn’t feel comfortable with using it yet.”

The next step, Harper said, was organizing activities and introducing speakers and workshop series for the next fall semester to learn how to navigate the use of these tools. One of the tentative speakers is the former head of Go-To-Market at OpenAI, Zack Kass.

“Kass will focus on the human potential of AI,” Harper said. “We want to start with a really positive message that what we’ve got here has the potential to enhance human existence.”

College of Arts and Sciences Critical and Creative Programs

A section dedicated to highlighting the progress and success of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) sheds some light on OU’s efforts to bridge the gap between right and left-brain skills.

Meaghan Barry, chair of the Department of Art, Art History and Design, and Gerard Madlambayan, chair of the Biological Sciences Department, reported on their respective departments’ achievements.

“Between fall 2015 and 2023, we experienced an 11.4% enrollment growth,” Barry said. “We were the top performer in the arts and sciences and only one of two departments in the college to experience growth during this time.”

“We do not require a portfolio like many of our competitor institutions do,” Barry added. “We see this as an equity creator. It is an active decision that we are saying, ‘We don’t care where you come from, we care where you’re going, and we’re going to help get you there.’”

Barry highlighted the importance of creativity and flexibility in students and the programs they complete. Madlambayan also championed these factors as part of the departments’ success.

“We’re active in research and academics, but we’re also doing activities both on and off campus like the student organic farm,” Madlambayan said. “We have a lot of high school outreach, study abroad programs and provide local internships to our students.”

“Our faculty now are not just interested in writing grants to support research,” Madlambayan added. “They’re also interested in writing grants to support teaching and learning that leads directly to student success.”

O’Dowd, Wilson and Human Relations Awards Commendations

Senior Vice President for Student Affairs Glenn McIntosh presented the three commendations from the board for students receiving the Alfred G. and Matilda R. Wilson Awards as well as the Human Relations Award. Rios-Ellis also presented commendation for the Don and Jan O’dowd Graduate Award.

Degree Proposal: Master of Science in Medical Sciences

Victoria Lucia, director of graduate programs at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine (OUWB), presented the proposal for a new Master of Science degree in Medical Sciences. The

program will allow students who terminate early from the Doctor of Medicine program to receive credentials in biomedical science.

“We would like to have this program so that we can better support the mission of our school, which is to graduate competent and committed physicians,” Lucia said.

Approved by the board of trustees, the program will be a 57-to-67-credit program. 55 of those credits will be earned in the preclinical curriculum at OUWB. The remaining credits will be for completing a capstone research project.

New Items for Consideration/Action

Four faculty members addressed the board of trustees regarding labor conditions at OU in preparation for the upcoming contract bargaining process.

“Healthcare costs us twice what it did a year ago. Our salaries have not gone up to keep up with inflation and all these salaries are lower than most of our peer institutions,” CAS associate professor Annette Gilson said.

“Please recognize our contributions and realize that we want to keep offering excellent classes and services, but we must be fairly compensated,” Karen Miller, CAS faculty member and former OU-American Association of University Professors (OUAAUP) president said.

“By enhancing faculty satisfaction, we strengthen our academic community and work towards fulfilling our mission of excellence and education and research,” Caitlin Demsky, OUAAUP vice president, said.

“When the faculty and the administration stand together, when we trust and respect each other, when we collaborate to face challenges together, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish together,” Michael Latcha, OUAAUP president, said.

John Stewart, former state legislator, and Beth Stewart, executive director of the Michigan Philharmonic, addressed the board of trustees to request a 60th-anniversary celebration of Meadow Brook Hall.

“We just want to say that any opportunity that we have to celebrate great musical venues where wonderful music performances have happened for over 60 years is a reason to celebrate,” Beth Stewart said. The meeting was adjourned without any further comments from the public.

STORY BY ADRIAN JIMENEZ MORALES

DESIGN BY BARRET SCHETTLER & MEGAN JUDY

Girl in Red is ‘Doing It Again Baby!’ with new studio album

MOE DEL ROSARIO Arts Reporter

Marie Ulven Ringheim, best known as Girl in Red, is a Norwegian singer-songwriter that is best known for her releases “we fell in love in october” and “girls.” She initially gained popularity for “i wanna be your girlfriend,” her debut single.

Despite her known success, Girl in Red had only previously released one studio album, 2021’s “if i could make it go quiet,” and on Friday, April 12, she released her sophomore album, “I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!”

The new album kicks off with the track “I’m Back,” which details Girl in Red’s battle with mental health over the past couple of years. Despite her fight, she wins and the song continues on a hopeful note saying how she’s doing better and feels like herself again.

The titular song “DOING IT AGAIN BABY” was released as a teaser for the album and picks up the beat of what the album is: New and improved music from Girl in Red.

Next, “Too Much” brings forth a heartbreaking tale of the singer’s spouse claiming that she is “too much” for her. Girl in Red details how she always had to turn her personality and love down for this partner. This song was also released as a teaser before the album.

“Phantom Pain” is a recall to the heartbreak the singer felt when her now girlfriend first cut her off before the pair had officially started dating.

“This is about when I met my girlfriend three years

ago, but before we called each other girlfriends, we were dating, just not officially. It turned out she wasn’t really free to date, so she cut me off the day after we had met and we were making out,” Girl in Red said for Apple Music.

Containing the only feature on the album, “You Need Me Now?” features Sabrina Carpenter in an upbeat and spiteful song about being done with someone post-breakup. Carpenter enters the song with a quick interlude that fits her personality and one that I personally really love.

“When I was writing this song, I knew Sabrina’s voice would be a great instrument to add. She’s an amazingly talented singer and writer. We wrote some stuff back

and forth on FaceTime, and then she recorded it in the studio and immediately slammed it out — it was so good!” Girl in Red said for DIY Magazine.

Girl in Red has been with her girlfriend for three years now and details the night they first met in “A Night To Remember.”

In “Pick Me”, Girl in Red talks about one of her biggest insecurities, which is losing her partner to a man and the jealousy that follows it.

“Ugly Side” also broaches the topic of her insecurities. The song acknowledges that side of her that she is not proud of. It’s a song of self-reflection for the singer and she knows that this side of her is negative.

Wanting to bring closure to the matter, “New Love” details the feelings that come with watching an expartner fall in love with someone else for the first time. While the singer was struggling with that for a while, she wrote this song as a farewell to those feelings.

The last song of the album “5 Stars” wraps up the theme of creating new music for audiences everywhere and wondering if they’ll enjoy it.

Overall, “I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!” brings a new sound for Girl in Red and it’s a good one. She wanted to make songs for fun on this album, and she definitely achieved that goal.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DIY MAGAZINE

Student advocacy or self-interest? OUSC scholarships under scrutiny

NICHOLAS KABLAK Mallory Waligora

Oakland University Student Congress (OUSC) is the official student government for Oakland University. They serve to advocate and represent the student body. However, questions surrounding OUSC’s budget and leadership loomed large during the election process.

OUSC’s budget is public information, however, one must email and ask the organization to receive official financial information. The organization has a budget of $363,000 per academic year (including summer 2023, fall 2023 and winter 2024). The summer budget is $130,000, the fall budget is $107,000 and the winter budget is $126,000.

$363,000 can do a lot of things for OU students. That could cover over 25 student’s tuition — giving them a full ride. That could buy 3,445 textbooks. That could also buy you 66,120 Slim Chickens Crispy Chicken Sandwiches at the Oakland Center.

OUSC is allocated funds directly from the Student Activity Fund (SAF). These funds are distributed among student organizations around OU. OUSC receives substantial funding from SAF allocation. OUSC receives $13,000 in the summer, $58,000 in the fall and $55,000 in the winter directly from SAF. This totals to $126,000 total per year directly coming from OU funding.

On the Executive Office section of the budget sheet, two scholarships are allocated under OUSC’s funds. The Presidential Scholarship and the Vice-Presidential Scholarship. The Presidential Scholarship gives $2,500 per year to the serving president of OUSC, and the Vice-Presidential Scholarship awards $2,000 to the current vice president.

Some might argue that OUSC students should earn money from their volunteer work. After all, the student’s hard work in the organization should come with a financial reward — the scholarships are a good idea to help financially support the president and vice president.

However, OUSC members get paid an hourly wage for their work on campus. In addition to receiving a salary, the president and vice president also receive a scholarship from the organization’s budget.

According to the OUSC Budget sheet, the president earns a maximum yearly salary of $17,730 for the summer, fall and winter semesters. Combined with the presidential scholarship of $3,500, that’s a total of $21,230 per year.

Additionally, the vice president benefits from this arrangement. The vice president earns a maximum of $16,650 per year. In addition to this salary, they also earn an extra $2,000 per year through the Vice President Scholarship. That’s $18,650 total.

When randomly interviewing three students on campus, none were familiar with the organization. In fact, none of them had attended any of its events or seen any of its initiatives in action on campus.

“I understand why some of the budget might be necessary for certain events, but at the same time I feel like a lot of that money could be going to other important sections of the university,” sophomore Matilde Rabajoli said. “I’m not trying to diminish their work, however, there’s a lot more aspects of the university that could use a higher budget. It’s a bit unnecessary.”

“So, they take scholarship money out for themselves? That’s a bit weird,” freshman Brody Pollard said.

Pollard suggested an alternative option: giving the scholarship money to lower-ranking and newer OUSC members to encourage their future participation in the organization.

“I feel like they should instead give the scholarships to the legislators. OUSC should help the people inside the organization and help raise them up,” Pollard said.

“I feel like they should be extending an extra hand or an extra scholarship to more members. Maybe OUSC should give the money to future members that might be getting into the club during the year — that might help more,” Rabajoli said.

Some students, including presidential candidate Joshua Kobus, argued that money allocated to OUSC should be spent helping the student body as a whole, not simply giving the leaders scholarships. As an organization set out to advocate for students, shouldn’t more money be spent on actual students?

Kobus campaigned on the idea of transparency for the 2024 presidential election. On the official presidential ticket platform, he explained his grievances with the budget system and OUSC’s transparency.

“The congressional budget nor their actions and meeting minutes have been easily accessible to the public, requiring you to reach out to the OUSC email to specifically request the information,” Kobus said. “The students deserve to see where their money is going to.”

On his platform, Kobus delved into the topic of OUSC funding and how the executive board is receiving scholarships.

“OUSC is funded by students’ tuition, so that money deserves to be used with utmost respect. In recent years, however, they’ve been giving themselves scholarships,” Kobus said.

Currently, the president and vice president receive two scholarships – directly coming from the organization’s budget. Kobus instead suggested that this scholarship money be allocated to OU students, not OUSC executives.

“My very first act will be getting rid of this completely. Not a single penny left. With the presidential scholarships gone, the money saved will go toward another form of scholarships: Students will have the opportunity to nominate others to receive scholarships in blocks of $1,000,” Kobus said.

Kobus lost the OUSC presidential election to the Garcia-Brumer slate. On their platform, there is no mention of the scholarships in question.

“And so, the fact that the vice president and president get scholarships kind of shows where the priorities really went. I think it kind of went away from the students and more towards satisfying the president and vice president,” Kobus said.

In an interview with The Oakland Post, current Student Body President Murryum Farooqi explained what she saw as the purpose of the scholarship. Farooqi argued the scholarship allows disadvantaged students to be president as they otherwise couldn’t afford to work off their hourly pay alone.

“The reason it was started was for accessibility and to make sure that people of all socioeconomic backgrounds can be in Student Congress,” Farooqi said.

Farooqi also pointed out that the president is able to donate the scholarship money if they so choose. Farooqi claims she has done so and that the next president, Jimena Garcia, has also done so.

“You don’t want to just get rid of the whole

policy… as soon as someone comes who needs it, should they have to reinstate that and argue all over again?” Farooqi said.

The topic of scholarships was heavily debated during the presidential election both this year and last year.

“I remember when I brought this up at the debates. Farooqi came up with multiple different excuses. She said that she actually donated the money, which there’s no proof of,” Kobus said. “Later, she explained the reason now is that they work off the clock, so they kind of need the scholarship money. They tend to go back and forth on excuses because I don’t think it’s justified. I think most students disagree with the whole scholarship thing.

“If I were to donate the scholarship money, I would at least show proof of it or a receipt – but they have not done that at all. And so I think their definition of donation is really that they’re just pocketing the money,” Kobus added.

Farooqi claimed that Kobus was being hypocritical in the interview, as he had past membership in the Student Life Lecture Board (SLLB) who, according to Farooqi, has less transparency than OUSC.

“It’s important that the president of SLLB is calling out OUSC for budget transparency, which we are transparent about. The SLLB budget is not transparent,” Farooqi said.

“Student Life Lecture Board is completely a volunteering job. I don’t get paid for it,” Kobus said. “The purpose of the club is to bring popular speakers on the campus — like Josh Peck. It states in our constitution bylaws that financial information with the lecturer’s agency is confidential. SLLB can’t be spreading information unless the agency gives us permission to.

“The difference between OUSC and SLLB is that OUSC is supposed to be like representing the students. That’s why I’m arguing that they should be transparent. Whereas all SLLB does is bring out speakers to campus.”

Farooqi also pointed out that Kobus gets similar benefits, such as financial compensation, as a resident assistant.

“We have candidate Josh, and then there’s Josh in real life,” Farooqi said. “Candidate Josh is all for morals, ethics and no scholarships. But in real life, he gets free housing and dining because he’s an RA.”

“If you work for housing, you’ll get housing benefits. Being an RA is a job – you’re working for housing to compensate you for housing,” Kobus said.

Later in the interview, Farooqi criticized Kobus for being the child of a faculty member and receiving scholarships from being a relative of a faculty member.

“He gets a percentage off his tuition because his dad is a professor. So in real life, he’s benefiting from scholarships and whatnot. But when he’s campaigning, suddenly it’s unethical to take anything in exchange for work. The context is strange,” Farooqi said.

“That’s the result of the teacher’s union reaching an agreement with the university,” Kobus said. “I do have a scholarship, but I also have many other scholarships that I earned through merit.

(Continue reading on our website)

Budget breakdown: Does OU’s Student Congress really need more m oney?

NICHOLAS KABLAK Political Reporter

The Oakland University Student Congress (OUSC) has recently concluded its elections for the next year. This event has brought the organization’s budget to the forefront and is drawing questions that the next student body president, Jimena Garcia, will have to answer.

OUSC is funded by the Student Activity Fund (SAF) allocation, which is funded by OU students’ tuition money. According to the OUSC budget sheet, this amounted to $55,000 just for the winter 2024 semester, $58,000 for the fall 2023 semester and $13,00 for the summer 2023 semester.

With this amount of funding, funded by student tuition, the question ought to be asked: is it necessary?

On April 9, The Oakland Post sat down with Student Body President Murryum Farooqi to discuss the financial funding of OUSC. She expressed she feels that OUSC and all other student organizations should be getting more funding.

“We get $20 per student. Other universities are so much higher. They’re like $50, $80, $100, $200,” Farooqi said.

Farooqi also explained the money that isn’t used rolls over into the next year. That is to say that every dollar not spent by OUSC is saved to be spent next year.

Although OUSC desires more money, and will definitely be lobbying the university administration to achieve this, there are many areas of surplus in the organization’s budget.

According to the OUSC budget sheet, $1,000 was

allocated for pronoun pins, and less than $50 was spent. $4,000 was allocated for office renovations, but not even $400 was spent. A total of $1,700 was allocated for the Director of Community Engagement for the summer semester — none of it was spent. This is just a handful of many other examples.

“We just allocate huge amounts, just in case,” Farooqi said.

In the interview, Farooqi explained the desire to get more funding per student allocated to OUSC is driven by the fact that student enrollment is decreasing. Farooqi is concerned that as student enrollment decreases, OUSC’s budget will also start to dwindle. This concern is legitimate, considering that OUSC funding is directly pegged to the amount of students.

Farooqi stated she did not feel the funding for OUSC was a present problem but a future problem. Farooqi also made clear the negotiation with OU’s administration for more funding should start soon so that the changes can be made in a timely manner.

“You start a conversation [with the administration] and then you just have that same conversation 15 times,” Farooqi said.

Farooqi felt that financial burdens were the main cause of decreasing student enrollment. Therefore, Farooqi made the case that with more funding, OUSC could help curb these hardships.

“We can take some of that burden off and basically pay for professors to take the time to make textbooks for you and your classes,” Farooqi said, referring to the affordable course materials initiative.

These facts still do not discount the large amount of untended funding OUSC reveals in its budget sheet. Especially when $1,500 was allocated for handouts for housing and none was spent.

These gaps in the allocation of funding seemingly reveal a problem for OUSC. The money set aside for individual projects, events and expenditures is always well above what is needed. This leaves a massive reserve of untapped resources for the organization. Yet, OUSC leadership feels money is running out and seeks to increase its funding.

While OUSC has a history of helping students with financial burdens, the shadow of an ill-kept pocketbook looms large. OUSC demands more funding — perhaps they already have it.

The Vatican rejects gender-affirming surgery and surrogacy

MALLORY WALIGORA Political Editor

On Monday, April 8, 2024, the Catholic Church issued a document stating the church’s view on gender. The statement reaffirmed its strong opposition to gender-affirming surgery and gender theory.

The declaration, titled Dignitas Infinita (meaning infinite dignity), highlights the Vatican’s concerns for human dignity amid a wave of pro-LGBTQ movements around the world.

“This Declaration does not set out to exhaust such a rich and crucial subject. Instead, its aim is to offer some points for reflection that can help us maintain an awareness of human dignity amid the complex historical moment in which we are living,” Prefect Víctor Manuel Fernández wrote in the opening to the declaration.

One of the most important topics covered in the declaration was the subject of surrogacy. The text takes a very strong opposition to the practice, explaining that surrogacy violates the dignity of the child along with the surrogate mother.

“The Church also takes a stand against the practice of surrogacy, through which the immensely worthy child becomes a mere object,” the declaration explains.

The declaration cites Pope Francis’ words as clarity on the subject of surrogacy.

“The path to peace calls for respect for life, for every human life, starting with the life of the unborn child in the mother’s womb, which cannot be suppressed or turned into an object of trafficking. In this regard, I deem deplorable the practice of so-called surrogate

motherhood,” Francis said.

In the same statement, he expressed his hope that the international community will soon prohibit the practice of surrogacy globally.

The declaration argues that surrogacy violates both the dignity of the child and the dignity of the mother. The statement explains that every single child has an alienable dignity starting from conception. Additionally, every child has the right to have a “fully human origin” (i.e., not be artificially induced).

The declaration goes on to explain how surrogacy violates the dignity of the pregnant woman. The Vatican argues that the woman is detached from the child growing inside her. She is a mere subservient to the desire of others.

Later on in the statement, the Vatican shares its updated stance on gender theory. The section begins with a kind statement, expressing respect for every person and denouncing horrible actions against those in question.

“The Church wishes, first of all, to reaffirm that every person, regardless of sexual orientation, ought to be respected in his or her dignity and treated with consideration, while every sign of unjust discrimination is to be carefully avoided, particularly any form of aggression and violence,” the declaration wrote. “For this reason, it should be denounced as contrary to human dignity the fact that, in some places, not a few people are imprisoned, tortured, and even deprived of the good of life solely because of their sexual orientation.”

The declaration goes on to make its case against gender theory.

“The Church recalls that human life in all its

dimensions, both physical and spiritual, is a gift from God. This gift is to be accepted with gratitude and placed at the service of the good,” The declaration argues. “Desiring a personal self-determination, as gender theory prescribes… amounts to a concession to the age-old temptation to make oneself God.”

This statement caused criticism from several people who are part of the LGBTQ community. For many same-sex couples, surrogacy is one possible way for them to have a child. As the world continues to change and develop, the pope is faced with a nuanced challenge: how to treat others with respect but also hold a firm stance on its Catholic views.

PHOTO COURTESY OF OUSC

Brock’s Thoughts: Scottie Scheffler is the ultimate family man

BROCK HEILIG Sports Editor

Scottie Scheffler was ready to give it all up.

$3.6 million and the most prestigious, beautiful jacket in the world. It was all gone if he got the phone call.

“What could possibly be more important than $3.6 million,” you might ask.

Well, for Scottie Scheffler, the best golfer in the world right now, having a baby is more important. And it absolutely should be. And if he got the call that his wife was in labor, Scheffler was ready to give it all up.

Prior to the beginning of the 2024 Masters — the most iconic golf tournament in the world — Scheffler, whose wife remained at home, pregnant, said he would withdraw from the tournament and head home to be with his wife if she went into labor.

He entered Sunday, the final round, with a oneshot lead and just 18 holes away from winning his second green jacket, but when asked if he would still leave if his wife went into labor, Scheffler doubled down.

“I’m sticking to my word,” Scheffler said. “Fortunately I’ll be here at the Masters for quite some time (in years to come). I think you only have your first child once so I’d rather be at home if that’s going to happen.”

But as the day went on, I wondered if Scheffler really would’ve done it.

He was leading by at least three shots for the

majority of the back nine. The Masters was his to lose — all he had to do was not screw it up.

Still leading by four shots on hole 17, it was clear Scheffler was going to win. No player could choke away a four-stroke lead in just two holes.

So what would’ve happened if the call came then, I wondered.

Would he give it all up?

It’s one thing to say it, right?

“Oh, sure, I’ll throw away a chance at $3.6 million and a second green jacket if I hear my wife is going into labor.”

But when you’re on hole 17 and have a fourstroke lead and $3.6 million is calling your name, it would be hard to do it, at least for me.

Luckily for Scheffler, that scenario didn’t play out. He finished out Sunday’s round with a score of 4-under to secure the victory and earn his second green jacket. But while he was putting on the most esteemed jacket in the world, Scheffler didn’t seem to care.

“I feel like playing professional golf is an endlessly not satisfying career,” Scheffler said. “For instance, in my head, all I can think about right now is getting home. I’m not thinking about the tournament. I’m not thinking about the green jacket.”

“But no (yeah), it is a very very special time for the both of us. I can’t put into words what it means to win this tournament again and I really can’t put it into words what it is going to be like to be a father for the first time. I’m looking forward to getting home and celebrate with Meredith. It has been a long week here without her.”

In the midst of one of the greatest moments of his life, Scheffler can’t think about anything else but his wife, Meredith, and their baby.

Scottie Scheffler is not just a fantastic golfer, but he’s the ultimate family man, and his words and actions from the 2024 Masters should be lauded.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ADAM CAIRNS

Bring out the brooms: Oakland softball sweeps Green Bay in three-game series

KURT SZYMANSKI Sports Reporter

The Oakland University softball team swept the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB) Phoenix in a three-game series that started with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 13 and ended on Sunday, April 14, on the road.

With the series win over the Phoenix, the Golden Grizzlies have won every single series up to this point in the Horizon League, placing the team near the top of the Horizon League standings.

Additionally, this marks the Golden Grizzlies’ first series sweep this season and the first sweep OU has had against the Phoenix since the 2021 season.

Game 1: Oakland 9, Green Bay 1

In game one of the series, Brooklyn Plitz was an unstoppable force, tallying three hits on four at-bats and three RBIs. In the series’ first game, Plitz led the team in both hits and RBIs.

Sydney Campbell took the pitcher’s circle for the Golden Grizzlies and never left. Campbell struck out four batters and only allowed five hits through seven innings, marking her 12th win of the season.

The Golden Grizzlies wasted no time in the top of the first. Reese Ruhlman singled up the middle, sending Maci Brown home for OU’s first lead of the afternoon.

After rattling off a run, the Golden Grizzlies took complete control of the game and never looked back. In the second inning, OU notched three more runs

following a homerun swing from Plitz, and in the third inning, a fielding error from the Phoenix put the Golden Grizzlies up 5-0.

Throughout the rest of the game, OU continued to expand their lead. During the fifth inning, Leah Bieniewicz brought Taylor Carraway home to bolster the OU lead to 6-0. In the seventh inning, Kamryn Troyer, Madi Herrington and Bieniewicz individually notched RBIs to give the Golden Grizzlies a comfortable 9-0 lead.

UWGB did score a run in the bottom of the seventh, but it was too little and too late, and the Golden Grizzlies snagged the first game of the series 9-1.

Game 2: Oakland 7, Green Bay 4

Three batters, Troyer, Herrington and Brown led the way for OU in the batter’s box, each tallying two hits. Troyer also led the Golden Grizzlies in RBIs in the second match with three.

Alyssa Balcom and Mary Newton handled business on the mound, with Balcom pitching five innings while allowing six hits and striking out two batters. Newton gave up three hits in two innings and struck out one batter.

Despite their setback in game one, UWGB struck first in game two. A single from Hailey Heckenlaible brought Bella Herman home, giving the Phoenix a 1-0 lead to end the first inning.

Although the Golden Grizzlies remained quiet in the first two innings when it was their turn to bat, OU more than made up for it in the third inning.

Following a two-run home run from Brown, Ruhlman and Carraway made it to base safely, allowing Troyer to send both of them home, giving OU a 4-1 lead.

After the Golden Grizzlies jumped ahead, both teams remained scoreless through the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

That’s until OU caught fire in the seventh inning. Jen Krizka brought Brown home on a single, and Troyer connected on a triple to bring home Allisa DiPrima, who pinch-ran for Krizka. Remarkably, Troyer scored off a passed ball to close out the inning, putting OU up 7-1.

Despite the six-point Golden Grizzly lead, the Phoenix responded in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring three runs to bring themselves within striking distance of OU. However, the Golden Grizzlies prevailed, winning the game 7-4.

Game 3: Oakland 4, Green Bay 1

In the series finale, Troyer spearheaded the OU offense. Troyer led the team in hits and RBIs, recording two hits and two RBIs.

Campbell was the starting pitcher in game three and, like usual, never left the mound. Through seven innings, Campbell gave up just five hits on her way to striking out two batters for her 13th win this season.

UGWB scored first in the second inning, as the Phoenix pieced together three consecutive hits to send Aidyn Messmann home for an early 1-0 lead over the Golden Grizzlies.

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Oakland baseball takes series 2-1 against Purdue Fort Wayne

EVAN BLANCHARD Sports Reporter

The Golden Grizzlies baseball team got back to over .500 in their series win over the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons. OU now sits at 18-17 with 20 games remaining in the season. Let’s take a look at how Oakland prevailed in this three-game series.

Game 1: Oakland 6, Purdue Fort Wayne 11

Hunter Pidek took the mound for the first start of the series. In the second inning, he let up a home run to PFW’s Ben Higgins, driving in two runs. In the third inning, the real damage started. Pidek let up seven baserunners in the inning, punctuated by a triple that drove in two runs. At the end of the third inning, Oakland was staring at a 7-0 deficit.

Pidek was able to get past PFW without another scratch in the fourth. In the bottom of the fourth, third baseman Brandon Nigh came up to bat for Oakland and cranked a solo home run to make it a 7-1 game.

In the top of the fifth, Pidek would allow his last run, giving up a homer to Micheels of the Mastodons. His day was done after five innings with eight runs (five earned), six hits and three walks.

Tanner Ware came in to relieve Pidek and retired the three batters that he faced in the sixth. The Mastodons eventually got to him in the seventh; Ware would walk the first batter he faced and then give up a single and a double that drove in a run. A fielder’s choice play drove in one more run to bring it to 10-1.

Oakland would tack on five more runs late, including back-to-back solo shots from right fielder Ian Cleary and Nigh. It was too little, too late, though; Oakland would lose the game 11-6.

Game 2: Oakland 8, Purdue Fort Wayne 3

It was Shane McAlinden’s turn on the bump to deal with the Mastodons. The freshman let up a double on the first batter he faced, followed by a single that brought in a run. McAlinden was able to escape the inning without any further damage.

Oakland was determined to start off faster this game. Center fielder Reggie Bussey got things going with a leadoff walk before left fielder John Lauinger hit a single. Cleary was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Nigh. Unfortunately, he hit into a fielder’s choice, and Bussey was tagged out at home. With the bases still loaded, second baseman Carter Hain and first baseman Lucas Day hit back-to-back singles to bring in three runs. At the end of the inning, the Grizzlies held a 3-1 lead.

McAlinden dealt with PFW in the top of the second, giving Oakland a chance to extend the lead. Shortstop Sam Griffith led off with a single and took second on a balk. Cleary would hit a clutch double with two outs to score Griffith. 4-1 Grizzlies.

There was little action on the basepaths until the bottom of the fifth when Lauinger doubled to left field and was brought home by an Aidan Orr single. For PFW’s part, they were silent until the top of the seventh, when Higgins hit a two-run home run off McAlinden. The Mastodons cut the lead to only two.

McAlinden responded with two straight strikeouts, followed by a single that ended his day. The freshman had a really strong start, going 6.2 innings with six hits, three runs, two walks and six punchouts.

It took the Grizzlies until the bottom of the eighth to get on the board again. Heidal would score on an error by the PFW pitcher, followed by a Nigh single with the bases loaded that brought in two more runs. OU finished the inning with a comfortable 8-3 lead.

Brandon Decker finished the final 2.1 innings for Oakland. He slammed the door on the Mastodons with two strikeouts to end the game. He didn’t allow a single hit or walk in his appearance.

Game 3: Oakland 8, Purdue Fort Wayne 5

Decker was tabbed as the final starter of the series against PFW. The Grizzlies got going early once again, Lauinger walked in the first inning, then Cleary doubled and Nigh walked to load the bases. After an Orr strikeout, Oakland was down to their last out in the inning. Luckily, Hain stepped up to the plate and hit a single to bring Cleary and Lauinger home. Hain was picked off at first but allowed Nigh to get home to make it a 3-0 game after the first frame.

Decker did a great job with the Mastodons through his first four innings. He worked himself out of a few tight spots, such as in the first inning after he surrendered a double and a single to his first two batters. He got his next three batters out on soft contact. The next few innings were all bloop singles, strikeouts or groundouts.

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Three names the Detroit Lions could add to their team on draft night

KURT SZYMANSKI Sports Reporter

With the NFL Draft set to kick off in Detroit on Thursday, April 25, all NFL general managers around the league, including Lions general manager Brad Holmes, are busy putting the finishing touches on something they have worked all year for.

Here are three prospects the Detroit Lions could end up selecting with their first-round pick on draft night.

Chop Robinson | DE | Pennsylvania State University

After last season, it’s clear the Lions need some extra bodies on the defensive front, and Chop Robinson, a first-team All-Big Ten selection, is one of the best names available to solve that issue.

Notably, Robinson finished his last season with the Nittany Lions with 15 tackles, four sacks, and two forced fumbles.

Although Robinson played defensive end at PSU, he has the size and speed to also play outside linebacker. Holmes and the Lions will consider this ahead of draft night after beefing up the defensive line in free agency.

With the traits to move all around the front seven, Robinson possesses an ability not many other prospects have in the first round, making him a name to watch ahead of draft night.

Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | University of Alabama

Just a couple of months ago, the Lions landing Kool-Aid McKinstry in the draft seemed like a dream

come true — now, that dream can be made possible. After suffering a foot injury that required surgery, McKinstry was forced to miss the NFL combine.

As a result, McKinstry’s draft stock slid. At times, McKinstry was touted as the top cornerback in this draft class. In recent mock drafts, experts routinely have McKinstry available toward the end of the first round.

Regardless, McKinstry will be healthy by the start of the season and still had a solid showing for the Crimson Tide before his injury. The All-American had 32 tackles last season and defended seven passes.

Selecting McKinstry bolsters the Lions’ secondary, which routinely did not perform well last season. By the end of the season, the Lions finished sixth worst in the NFL for defending the pass, allowing an average of 247.4 passing yards per game.

Rome Odunze | WR | University of Washington

Hear me out on this one.

Nearly every draft the Lions have had under general manager Brad Homles has been shocking.

In 2022, Holmes traded up with the Minnesota Vikings to select wide receiver Jameson Williams from Alabama. In 2023, Holmes traded down to take running back Jahmyr Gibbs from Alabama — a move that raised some eyebrows but worked out nonetheless.

Given Holmes’ track record, it’s feasible that he can pull off another deal to move up in this year’s draft and shock Lions fans once again. However, rather than trading up with the Minnesota Vikings,

Holmes could target the ninth pick currently held by the Chicago Bears.

To make a deal happen, Holmes would likely have to trade the Bears the Lions’ first-round and third-round picks this year and another first-round pick next year. But the Lions, in turn, receive one of the most talented wideouts in Rome Odunze from the draft class.

Adding Odunze to a receiving room with the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, and Williams gives the Lions a receiving corps that few teams in the NFL could rival.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF AP NEWS

Oakland women’s softball wins Metro Series against Detroit Mercy

EVAN BLANCHARD Sports Reporter

Oakland women’s softball defeated the University of Detroit Mercy in their yearly Metro Series against their archrivals. The Grizzlies took the first game on April 9 and then split the double-header the next day. This is the fourth year in a row that Oakland has won the series against the Titans. OU now stands at 1613 on the season as of April 11th. Let’s look at some highlights of the three-game series.

April 9, Game 1

The Golden Grizzly women wasted no time in the first game of the series. Designated hitter Reese Ruhlman started the scoring with a home run to left center field, driving in teammate Brooklyn Plitz and taking a 2-0 lead in the first.

Oakland remained scoreless for the next few innings. Fortunately for OU, so did the Titans, as pitcher Sydney Campbell absolutely shut down U-of-D. The redshirt senior pitched a shutout over five innings, allowing only one hit and one hit by pitch.

In the 4th inning, the Grizzlies started to mash. Plitz and second baseman Maci Brown hit back-toback doubles after Madi Herrington lined out. With women on second and third, catcher Jen Krizka reached on an error by the U-of-D shortstop, driving in a run. The Titans would change pitchers after that, but unfortunately for them, the infield kept making errors.

On the very next at-bat, Ruhlman would reach on a fielder’s choice. The Titans’ shortstop would again

commit an error, allowing Krizka to take second and Brown to score (two back-to-back unearned runs).

After a Taylor Carray foul out, first baseman Maggie Murphy got hit by a pitch to load the bases. Center fielder Kamryn Troy walked to the plate and hit a huge double, driving in two more runs. Shortstop Jenna Johnston then reached base on yet another error by the Titans, bringing home another two runners. To cap it all off, Herrington cranked a triple to right field, bringing in Johnston and claiming a 10-0 lead.

Campbell would dominate the Titans in the top of the fifth, and the game was called a mercy rule, a 10-0 victory for Oakland and a win for Campbell.

April 10, Game 2 (Game 1 of double-header)

Game 2 of the series proved to be a much more defensive affair. Titans pitcher Jordan Kavanaugh had her best game of the season, going a full seven innings

with only five hits, a walk and one run. The Grizzlies just couldn’t get good contact off her.

The lone run came in the second inning courtesy of a Jenna Johnston groundout to second that brought up Kamryn Troyer. Oakland had a chance to score another run in the fifth inning, with Maci Brown advancing to second on a passed ball, but Jen Krizka grounded out.

U-of-D scored their two runs in the fourth inning with a double from Borg. The game could have been very lopsided, as Oakland allowed 14 Titans on base. Starter Alyssa Balcom took the loss after allowing four hits, two runs and four walks in 3.2 innings. U-of-D evened the series with a 2-1 win, taking their first win over Oakland since 2019.

April 10, Game 3 (second game of double-header)

Seemingly smarting after a dreadful offensive performance earlier in the day, Oakland came out and drove in three runs in the first inning. After getting women on first and second, Troyer hit a single to right field, followed by singles from Herrington and designated hitter Mia Konyvka, scoring three runs. In total, Oakland had six baserunners in the first inning, matching their baserunners from the entire previous game.

The second inning was more of the same. Johnston doubled, followed by a Plitz single on a bunt. On a passed ball at home, Johnston scored and Plitz advanced to third. A Maci Brown flyout scored Plitz on a tag-up. The score stood at 5-0 after two innings.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF CARLEE MORGAN