Student newspaper of the University of Tulsa
January 29, 2018 Issue 15 - Volume 103
Harvey takes a peek at bill written by TU students in the Presidential Leaders Fellowship, p. 5
Collegian Super Bowl picks, p. 2
Incarcerated women release third volume of poetry, p. 10 Oklahoma government approval ratings drop. Education to blame., p. 7 graphic by Madeline Woods
The Collegian: 2
Sports
29 January 2018
Hurricane not strong enough to pierce Knights’ armor
Shug Dickson put on a show and dropped 23 points, but without much help, TU’s slide continued against UCF. Joe Edmonds Student Writer
Freshman Rebecca Lescay drives along the baseline.
Alexis Gaulden rises for a jumper.
The Golden Hurricane women’s basketball team could not break their losing streak this week, dropping a pair of conference matchups. Their first game was on Sunday afternoon in New Orleans against Tulane. The game started very poorly for TU. Through the entire first quarter, they managed to only score four points, finding themselves in a ten point hole. Tulane kept up the pressure for the whole game, and scored more than Tulsa in every quarter to extend their advantage. By the end of the game, Tulsa found themselves in a 31 point hole as Tulane picked up the 70-39 victory. Tulsa returned home from a two game road trip to face the UCF Knights on Saturday afternoon.
photos by Dalton Stewart
Throughout the game, little separated the two teams. They were so close in the first half that they shot the exact same percentage from the field, making a third of their shots. UCF made a three pointer at the halftime buzzer to give them a one point advantage at 21-20. By the end of the game, the teams had exchanged the lead eight times. The fourth quarter saw more scoring than any of the others as the two teams tried to find some separation. UCF barely managed to hang on to their lead, and pulled out the 47-44 win. Tulsa now has an 8-13 (2-6 American Athletic Conference) record for the year. Their next game is at home against USF. Tipoff is Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
Sports staffers split on Super Bowl picks
We thought about going with the title: “Justin and Zane get it right, Thomas and Joe get it wrong,” but we have to at least keep up the appearance of impartiality.
Justin: OK, so I’m only batting .500 on “Bleacher Creature” conference championship predictions made in January 21 issue of the Collegian, but who cares? Last I checked, that’s still a pretty solid percentage. Besides, I got the one that counted, didn’t I? I don’t think I have to tell you that the Patriots are my pick to win Super Bowl LII. Honestly, I hesitate to even use the word “pick,” seeing as a Pats victory is about as sure a thing as an HBO pilot featuring at least two topless women for every ten minutes of screentime. Do you realize that Tom Brady has never lost a Super Bowl to a quarterback who didn’t also hold the World Mouthbreathing Championship Belt? It’s true! Don’t get it twisted, I love me some Nick Foles and think he’s got a terrific chance to derp the belt all to himself one day, but as long as Eli Manning is still suiting up in this league, nobody else has a chance to stop Tom Terrific. I’ll admit, the situation is far from ideal if you’re New England. Despite losing their starting middle linebacker and left tackle, not to mention their freaking MVP favorite QB, the Eagles have managed to roll through the competition all year. They appear to be peaking at the right time, coming off one of the biggest playoff shellackings in recent memory against the favorited Vikings. They’ll have most of the country rooting for them and have a whole bunch of “nobody believes in us” internal motivation as well. And on top of everything else, Gronk suffered a concussion after a handful of dirty hits from the Jaguars and isn’t a sure thing to suit up next Sunday. Jeez, am I talk ing myself out of this one already? I mean, can you imagine what would happen if the Patriots have to play without the best tight end in history? That’s not exactly small potatoes! They’ll probably look awful out of the gates, be down 28-3 in the third quarter, all hope will be lost, the dynasty will be ov...oh wait. Patriots 24 - Eagles 17
Thomas: I’m an idealist. You probably think I’m an idiot for that, or maybe you can agree that there should be no private land ownership. Either way, we both want the Eagles to win. Not because we care about NFL football, or even want to visit Philadelphia, but because we love America. We love the underdog; the 1776 guerrillas in blue that wreaked havoc on those redcoats. Sure, it’s the “Patriots,” but only in an ironic sense. They represent what we as Americans hate most: concentrated power. Nick Foles is a doll and a sweetheart, who has taken the reins in the absence of their great former leader. Who does this remind you of? Pretty much every great American hero ever. Additionally, and more sports-related, the Eagles spanked the Vikings, who lead by Case Keenum, had a hell of a 2017 season. Nick Foles did as well as any quarterback can, throwing 26-33 and three
Zane: Super Bowl LII is surely a punishment from a higher power. We had to have done something horrible to deserve this, right? It’s bad enough that the Patriots are appearing for the eighth time of the Brady-Belichick era (extending the ceaseless agony of AFC football fans for yet another season), but the football gods had to run up the score on us and unceremoniously crush the Minnesota Vikings’ dream season. The Skol Squad has instead been replaced by the only team as universally despised as New England: the Philadelphia Dirty Birds. It’s years like this that really make sports fans feel like curses are real. I could wax poetic on how this has to be some sort of evil conspiracy perpetuated by the Illuminati, or make some witty jabs about how Tom Brady is actually an ageless, heartless cyborg. But my heart simply isn’t in it. This Super Bowl is going to be one big bummer parade. The Patriots defense will show up at the one time they always do and will easily shut down Nick Foles’s offense. Justin Timberlake is going to perform an aggressively mediocre halftime show. Doug Pederson (who??) will give up by the third quarter, and a sixth Lombardi trophy is going to wind up behind glass in Bob Kraft’s office, which I can only assume is in some sort of H. H. Holmes-style Lovecraftian murder castle. Patriots 23 - Eagles 10
Joe: I’m tired of seeing Tom Brady in the Super Bowl, but here we are again. And as much as I want them to lose, how can you predict against them in the playoffs? Through a combination of skill, cheating, and being the commissioner’s favorite team, they have found success in this scenario so many times over the past decade. However, I have hope graphic by Madeline Woods that we will find a new, unexpected Patriots killer. With no Eli Manning touchdowns. And as much as it hurts, they beat my Falcons, to carry the anti-Patriot faithful this year, Nick Foles will who had some steam rolling after receiving their wildcard have to fill his shoes. As one of the last quarterbacks I would bid in the toughest division in the NFC. With a further look have predicted to be anywhere in the playoff picture this back in the season, the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs thor- year, he has become the unlikely hero that we need right oughly defeated the Patriots, but the Eagles showed them now. It’s time to count on the underdog story and hope that what’s what. Now, I’m no believer is causality, but essen- the Patriots organization is as disorganized as everyone has tially the gods have spoken. Eagles 42 - Patriots 24 claimed they are over the past two weeks. The Eagles will pull out the win with a heroic play in the fourth quarter. Eagles 24 - Patriots 17
Sports
29 January 2018
The Collegian: 3
HOF voters get it wrong again the Four players gained entry, but two of the best ever once again fell short, while another deserving candidate fell off the ballot entirely. Justin Guglielmetti Sports Editor
Another year, another criminal exclusion from the Hall of Fame for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. Last week, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America released the official election results for the class of 2018. The results were predictably frustrating. Though four deserving players received the 75 percent of ballots necessary for induction — Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome and Trevor Hoffman — Bonds and Clemens moved one year closer to falling off the ballot for good, tallying 56.4 and 57.3 percent, respectively. I wish this story could lead with the players who achieved immortality rather than harping on those who missed the cut, but this is just what happens when two genuine titans of the game, guys with legitimate claims to GOAT status, continue to be disrespected. I’ve said it before in this space, but it bears repeating now: I simply don’t care about the steroid issue. Was it against the rules? You bet. Did drugged-up guys gain a competitive advantage against clean ballplayers? Absolutely. But the question we should be asking is this: were steroids a magic pill that made a couple of mediocre major leaguers into MVPs? And the answer is a resounding no. Barry Bonds had already tied the MLB record with three MVP awards and become the charter member of the 400-400 club (homers and stolen bases) before he started juicing. Sure, he never would have smacked 73 dingers and broken Hank Aaron’s career record without the drugs, but even then it’s disingenuous to suggest that ‘roids had everything to do with Bonds’s record-breaking run from 2001 – 04. Most major leaguers were on something at this point, and Bonds still managed as dominant a stretch (relative to the rest of the league)
as anybody in history, perhaps only rivaled by Babe Ruth in the early ‘20s. Clemens too had already established himself as a future Hall of Famer in his drugfree youth, capturing three Cy Youngs, an MVP, four ERA titles and more than 2,500 strikeouts. Considering all the other shady figures from the game’s past who are already enshrined in Cooperstown, I hate seeing these two indelible parts of baseball’s rich history left out. Don’t worry, just in case you’re a purist who hates my guts right now for defending those no-good-dirty-rotten cheaters Bonds and Clemens, I’ve got plenty of other thoughts on this year’s ballot as well. First, an unpopular opinion: Chipper and Vlad didn’t deserve anywhere near the amount of votes they received. Jones tallied an incredible 97.2 percent on his first ballot, the 11th highest total in history, while Guerrero found his way in at 92.9 percent in his second after a more than 20-percent increase. Let me be clear, I think both guys are nobrainer Hall of Famers, transcendent talents who doubled as two of the game’s most marketable celebrities. In a perfect world, they’d each have 100 percent of the vote. But because the BBWAA is stupid, placing a restriction on the number of players that can be included on a ballot and harboring writers who wouldn’t vote for an obvious pick to uphold the meaningless tradition of nobody getting in unanimously, I have to look at things from a different perspective.
Justin Guglielmetti is…
heights in the field and at the plate than Guerrero ever did. His 1997 season with the Rockies is one of the least talked about all-time great campaigns. I’m fully on board with Hoffman getting in the hall. There is somewhat of an anticloser movement out there today, mostly comprised of context-independent statheads and WAR junkies, which believes that no reliever short of the great Mariano Rivera deserves enshrinement. Nonsense says I. If you spend the better part of two decades as a top five player at your position and set a record in a major statistical category (his 601 saves were topped by Rivera), you’re in. Another rule: if you have an award named after you and finish with a .312/.418/.515 batting line over an 18-season career, you’re a Hall of Famer. In related news, Edgar Martinez once again fell short in his penultimate year of eligibility with just over 70 percent. If he doesn’t get it next year, I riot. You know what I would really like to see from voters going forward? A little consistency with their rationale in voting. Why aren’t Bonds’s and Clemens’s percentages identical? Who would possibly vote for one and not the other? Why do character and actions outside the game seem to affect Curt Schilling more than any other player in history? Why did Omar Vizquel, a defensive whiz at shortstop who only twice posted an above-league-average offensive season by comparative metrics, receive almost five times as many votes as Andruw Jones, who smacked 434 homers and is ranked firmly alongside Willie Mays and Tris Speaker as one of the best defensive outfielders ever? Finally, let’s pour one out for Johan Santana. A two-time Cy Young winner who was ludicrously robbed of a third because voters preferred Bartolo Colon’s 21 wins to his 16, Santana was the best pitcher in baseball for a five year stretch from ‘04 to ‘08. When you strip away the mystique surrounding Sandy Koufax and examine the respective eras in which these two lefties pitched, their primes look pretty darn similar, down to their dominant primes and overall brevity of their careers. The difference of course is that Koufax is hailed as being one of the greatest pitchers ever while Santana fell off the ballot in his first year with a measly 2.4 percent of ballots. Disgraceful.
“Were steroids a magic pill that made a couple of mediocre major leaguers into MVPs?” Jones was an ultra-consistent on-base machine and an MVP, but he was also an average defensive third baseman and a middle-of-the-order hitter who only topped 40 homers once in the top-heaviest offensive stretch in MLB history. In other words, he’s got no business being included as an innercircle baseball great. Guerrero, meanwhile, managed a leap of more than 20 percent while a superior counterpart of his, Larry Walker, received just 34 percent in his eighth year of eligibility. Both were slugging right fielders with cannons for arms, athletic MVPs who became statues toward the back end of their careers. Unfortunately, voters clearly dinged Walker for playing his prime years in the offense-happy confines of Coors Field. It’s a damn shame, as Walker reached greater
Hurricane Scoreboard Women’s Basketball Jan. 21: Tulane 70 - Tulsa 39 Jan. 27: UCF 47 - Tulsa 44 Men’s Tennis Jan. 21: Tennis 5 - USF 2 Jan. 27: North Florida 4 - Tulsa 3 Jan. 28: Tulsa 4 - Yale 3 Women’s Tennis Jan. 23: Arkansas 4 - Tulsa 3 Jan 27: Tulsa 4 - Brown 0
Track and Field Jayhawk Classic, Jan. 28 Women’s 1st Place Finishers: 60 m - Aaliyah Birmingham: 7.54 400 m - Ca’Purnika Galbert: 57.63 800 m - Sabrina Monsees: 2:14.98 1000 m - Allison Bailey: 2:57.68 3000 m - Caitlin Klopfer: 10:05.96
bleacher creature? If it ain’t broke, fix it Not sure how crazy I am about that mini headline, because the NBA All-Star Game most definitely needs to be fixed. But you know what nobody has ever said, ever? “Man, this thing would be so much better if the players were all mixed up instead of on teams organized by conference.” I mean it would be one thing to suggest that the All-Stars should be selected irrespective of arbitrary conference lines but that’s not the change that was made. Instead, the league office just decided to stick to twelve All-Stars from each conference and then mix and match them accordingly. Whoopee. Hey, at least the top votegetters from each conference got to act as captains and choose their teammates like a good old-fashioned schoolyard pick’em, that’s pretty cool! Oh wait, it wasn’t televised? We didn’t get to see LeBron tap a fraternity paddle menacingly as he named Kyrie? Or watch him take five minutes to select Kevin Love to his team even though he was the last guy remaining? Or enjoy Kevin Durant’s single tear as the snek watched his three OG Warrior teammates laugh and reminisce and make fun of him on the other team? What was the point of even making this a draft if you decided not to show all the gory details??? Anyway, I’d love to end this by ranting about all the All-Star snubs but I honestly thought the picks were spot on. I might have swapped out the much-improved Andre Drummond for increasingly overrated blackhole Kristaps Porzingis, and DPOY candidate Paul George was a snub before he was added to replace the injured DeMarcus Cousins. But that’s not much to go on about. Whatever. The game will still suck. Didn’t I write this last year I won’t pretend that I watched a single set of the Australian Open this year so I can’t say much about the quality of the tournament. Come on, it’s not my fault! I’m a busy guy and everything is happening at 2:30 a.m. Anyway, I’ll just leave this here as my annual “how the hell is Roger Federer still doing this” piece. Let me remind you that the man won his first Grand Slam in 2003. He appeared with Derek Jeter and Tiger Woods in somewhat cringe worthy, somewhat amazing Gillette commercials because the three were athletic contemporaries. We’ve been saying variations of “he’s getting too old” and “this is finally it for Fed” since all the way back in 2010. And yet here we are eight years later, Roger Dodger is 36 years old, and he just won his 20th major tournament. At this point you have to stop doubting the guy. He’s not done ‘til he says he is. In Memoriam Two former Tulsa student-athletes – quarterback Jerry Keeling and basketball center Greg Stewart – passed away last week. Keeling was named to the first-team all-Missouri Valley Conference 1959 and ’60 and was inducted to the Tulsa Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998. He went on to play 15 years in the Canadian Football League as both a safety and QB, earning entry into the CFL Hall of Fame as well. Stewart was a dominant big man who led the Golden Hurricane to the NIT championship in 1981 and was named the MVP of the tournament. He was later drafted by the Boston Celtics and enjoyed a 10 year career in Spain. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of these TU legends.
Men’s 1st Place Finishers: 1000 m - Robert Tully: 2:27.95 1 mile - Braydon Rennie: 4:19.8 3000 m - Ben Preisner: 8:16.45
Jan. 29 - Feb. 4 Monday
Tuesday 29
Wednesday 30
No No Events Events
31
Men’s Tennis vs. Texas A&M 6 p.m.
Women’s Basketball vs. USF 5 p.m.
Thursday
Saturday
Friday 1
Men’s Basketball vs. SMU 7 p.m.
3
2
Men’s Tennis vs. Tulane 6 p.m.
Sunday
Women’s Tennis vs. Louisville 2 p.m.
Women’s Basketball @ Temple 12 p.m.
4
Women’s Tennis @ Middle Tenn. 12 p.m. Men’s Basketball @ USF 12 p.m. Men’s Tennis vs. Alabama 1 p.m.
The Collegian: 4
News
29 January 2018
Long-time TU Provost Roger Blais discusses career Provost Roger Blais, who’s served TU since 1977, will retire after the current academic year. Alex Garoffolo Student Writer Roger Blais came to TU from Old Dominion University in 1977. “My department had a lot of differences and infighting, and I needed a change,” he explained. His wife, who is originally from Tulsa, did not have plans to return to her home city, but they came back when Blais received an offer from TU. After he took the job teaching in the physics department, he and his wife had children. He said, “Suddenly, being in Tulsa was very good, especially having grandparents around for our kids.” Blais, who holds degrees in physics and French literature and a doctorate in experimental physics, said he first found joy for the discipline in his ninth-grade physical sciences class.
“We had a teacher who encouraged free inquiry and problem-solving,” he said, adding, “I liked that.” He built a microphone that earned honorable mention in the state science fair that year. Then he read an introductory book on the special theory of relativity. “I was hooked after that,” he admitted. “With the launch of Sputnik, there existed almost a patriotic duty to go into the sciences.” Blais pointed out that once he was in school, he knew he wanted to become a professor, recalling, “The position was good for self-directed research, which I liked.” Blais eventually served as chair of the physics department here at TU. When the need surfaced for a new vice provost in 1988, the then-provost asked him if he wanted the position. “I worked specifically on retention issues,” Blais stated.“We developed the forerunner to the Center for Student Academic Services.” In the following months, TU’s president died, and the provost stepped in as interim president. Blais then moved from vice pro-
vost to interim provost. He stayed in that spot for a year before returning to the physics department. “Then in 1997, [TU President] Bob Lawless asked me if I wanted to come back to the provost’s office. I did. Then I reapplied for the position in 1998 and have been here ever since.” As the Chief Academic Officer and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Blais is responsible for all academic departments of the university. This includes hiring, reviewing and tenuring faculty and reviewing all academic policies. Blais explained that “professors who can balance research and teaching are key to TU’s success,” adding, “Our faculty are truly invested in educating their students.” Blais also serves on the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra Board. A graduate of Leadership Oklahoma, he’s well-educated on issues that affect Oklahoma. “Leadership OK takes 50 people per year from across the state,” Blais said. “We meet once a month for nine months, each time in a different part of the state to discuss a different aspect of the state’s affairs. The meet-
ings last Thursday through Saturday. It truly bonds the participants and helps create a statewide network of leaders.” When asked what he’s most proud of at TU, Blais exclaimed that “it’s the fact that we continue to improve, year after year. We have the teamwork as a faculty and staff that brings the university continued success. I’m very pleased with that.” His advice for students going into the world is that a university education “gives students the tools for lifelong learning. You must ask yourself if what you are doing truly matters to you. If you can take pride in what you do and make a positive difference in others’ lives, you’re set. “The things that endure are relationships with other people. People who help you and people you help,” Blais asserted. Blais has witnessed more than 25,000 students turn their tassels during his time at TU. When asked about his plans after retiring, he said he was not exactly sure yet, but “I know spending time with my grandkids is high on the priority list.”
What TU’s Office of Career Services can do for you Director Shelly Holly discusses opportunities available to students through the Office of Career Services. Trenton Gibbons News Editor The Office of Career Services is bigger and perhaps more capable than ever to help students “define and clarify goals, explore alternatives, identify options and plan a job search strategy,” according to their website. The office has a wealth of opportunities available for TU students, but the greatest difficulty it faces, according to Career Services Director Shelly Holly, is reaching students so they may be aware of these tools. This article is intended to inform you of the benefits you can take advantage of and upcoming events hosted by Career Services. Students who reach out to Career Services are provided with individual assistance, meaning one-on-one communication with a career specialist. One of the most essential things you can request assistance on with this specialist is reviewing your resume. Resume assistance is personalized depending on your preferred field or the department you currently belong to. For those looking to work abroad, or even to return to a home outside America, Career Services can offer expertise regarding other countries’ resume formats, and furthermore professional customs that the student might want to familiarize themselves with. Career specialists can also build a student’s interviewing skills, particularly through on-campus mock interviews or Big Interview, an online program which offers mock interviews 24/7. Through Big Interview, students can learn what questions to expect in their industry, craft responses using the “answer-builder” tool, and generally beat out the competition in the interview process. You might also get a specialists’ assis-
tance in finding out how best to network for your career phase, whether that be through LinkedIn or upcoming job fairs. When I went in, I was shown how easy it was to connect with other through LinkedIn, finding several potential connections even after we’d filtered down to St. Louis residents who’d graduated TU and had some association to journalism. You’ll find links to Big Interview, LinkedIn and a few other online resources through the Golden OpporTUnities webpage, which can be accessed from the Office of Career Services page on the University of Tulsa website. One of Golden OpporTUnities’s main purposes is to display internship postings online. Also on Golden Opportunities can be found a list of businesses that hired TU graduates, and a list of companies recruiting on campus, whether that be job fairs, showcases or on-campus interviews for internships or professional positions. It’s important to remember that much or even most of these resources apply for students seeking further education at graduate or professional schools after TU, not just those immediately seeking job offers. Nor is the Career Services office done with you when you get the job offers you want. The office will help you evaluate your job offers, weighing the pros and cons and reviewing the rate of pay against the national and area averages as well as other factors. Besides all these readily available tools and offers, the Career Services office is hosting some events this semester. Among them are a petroleum industry job fair on February 8, and an etiquette dinner on February 16, to help prepare students for business meetings or interviews hosted over dinner. Beyond that, there’s a Suit Up Tulsa! event on March 11 where students and faculty are invited to stay after hours at JCPenney and find the right professional suit for them. You can contact the Career Services office online or head straight to their office, located on the second floor of the Hardesty Building.
Over 400 companies recruit on campus and/or hire annually AEP/PSO AmeriCorps Bank of Oklahoma BP Cargill Chevron Chesapeake Cimarex ConocoPhillips Cox Communications Dell, Inc. Devon Energy Department of Energy Ernst & Young FBI/CIA/NSA/IRS Google Helmerich & Payne Hogan Taylor
TU students have gone on to attend graduate and professional schools including The Art Institute of Chicago Cambridge University Carnegie Mellon Cornell University Dartmouth College Duke University Georgetown University
JET- Japan Exchange & Teaching JP Morgan Chase Koch Industries Magellan Midstream McElroy Manufacturing NORDAM ONEOK OXY USA, Inc. PennWell Publishing Phillips 66 Pricewaterhouse Coopers Samson Resources Schlumberger Spirit AeroSystems St. John Health System Verizon Williams WPX Zeeco
Johns Hopkins University New York University Northwestern University Rice University Stanford University The University of Tulsa University of Virginia Vanderbilt University Villanova University
The Color of Law: a hidden history of racist legislation Visiting lecturer Richard Rothstein gives talk on the largely-forgotten history of racism in federal housing programs. Alex Garoffolo Student Writer In his book “The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America,” Richard Rothstein examines the history of segregation in American housing practices. As he terms it, “We need to look at the history of racism concealed in federal zoning laws.” The 20th century saw desegregation in many places. It first began in law schools, eventually spreading to whole universities, public places, grade schools and work sites. Yet, as Rothstein pointed out, “Every major metropolitan area in America is segregated in some way. And we do nothing about it.” Why? “Because the issue is hard to to fix and analyze. So we rationalize the current situation as the norm,” Rothstein told the large audience that had packed into Lorton to see him.
“We take residential segregation as de facto, simply a result of personal and informal practices,” he explained. In fact, the Supreme Court said as much in a 2007 case, Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1. School districts in both Seattle and Louisville had attempted to integrate districts, hoping to thwart the large racial divides the cities had. The Supreme Court struck down their integration efforts because of not “being sufficiently narrowly tailored.” However, as Rothstein noted, “the segregation in American housing is actually de jure [by law].” Government policies are the reason for segregation in many American cities. Rothstein explained that the Public Works Administration, during the Great Depression, built segregated public housing projects for white and black workers. World War II increased the need for projects as many black workers moved to new places t for factory jobs. The 1949 Housing Act passed by Congress allowed for construction of even more segregated public housing projects. Eventually, white citizens began leaving cities in the white flight wave of the 1950s and 60s.
Black housing projects had long waiting lists while white housing projects stood deserted and vacant. These black workers eventually moved into the white housing projects as well. Then jobs left cities and the projects became the “vertical slums” we know today. Mass-produced suburbs like Levittown enticed white people to leave urban areas by using government subsidized mortgages. These mortgages were cheaper than paying rent to live in a housing project. And since the Federal Housing Authority subsidized the programs, only whites received such cheap loans. This process helped set the wealth gap between white and black people in America today. These houses in the suburbs, owned by white people, appreciated in value and allowed white people to afford better lives while the projects of the inner cities kept blacks trapped. Real estate licensing companies had strict racist guidelines. A realtor’s license could be revoked if one sold a black family a house in a white neighborhood. Then there’s the policy of red-lining. City planners would zone blocks on city maps where only black people could reside. Busi-
nesses either never went near those areas or were not allowed near them because of zoning codes. As Rothstein put it, “The most serious social problems in our society today are due to systematic residential segregation,” adding that integrated school districts set kids up for greater success. He summarized, “Gang problems, police confrontations, bad school districts that fail students ... all of these happen in areas of towns that are predominantly populated by minorities. “It could have been a whole different story,” Rothstein concluded. “If the next generation does not learn about this issue and work to change it, they will be as set up to fail as the current one. Residential segregation is not de facto, it’s de jure. But it does not have to be this way.” Richard Rothstein is a research associate of the Economic Policy Institute and a Fellow at the Thurgood Marshall Institute of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. His most recent book is “The Color of Law,” available now.
News
29 January 2018
Jan. 18 11:55 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to John Mabee Hall to conduct a welfare check. Officers discovered the student in their dorm room asleep. The student was told to contact the reporting party. 6:10 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to the Allen Chapman Student Union Lot for an improperly parked vehicle. The reporting party stated that the vehicle was parked in the designated House Mom parking space and did not belong to the sorority. Officers were unable to determine the owner of the vehicle, and it was towed off campus without incident. 6:30 p.m. While on routine patrol, University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers conducted a pedestrian check on an individual inside the indoor turf facility at Mabee Gym. The individual was not affiliated with the University of Tulsa, and stated that they were waiting on some TU students to play soccer. Officers informed the individual that the facility is not open to the public and that they were on private property. The individual was trespass warned and escorted off campus property. Jan. 19 9:35 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to Keplinger Hall for a report of stolen property. Upon arrival, Officers met with the reporting party and identified the items that were missing from a lab. Officers were able to identify a suspect.
2:02 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers towed a vehicle off campus from the Keplinger/Law Lot. A vehicle was found parked contrary to university policy and officers verified that the vehicle had been previously tow warned. Towing of the vehicle was authorized by the on-duty supervisor and the vehicle was towed off campus without incident. 5:30 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers conducted a welfare check on a student in the University Square Apartments West. Officers received the request from Student Affairs about the well being of a current student. Officers were unable to locate the student at their on campus residence. 12:40 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to the Mayo Village Apartments for a noise complaint. Officers located the source of the noise and spoke with the resident of the apartment. A housing contact card was issued. 10:30 p.m. While conducting security at a registered fraternity party, University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers confiscated a false identification card that was used to gain entry into the party. Officers verified that the date of birth listed on the state ID did not match the date of birth listed on their student ID. The student admitted to using a sibling’s ID. The ID was impounded at the Security Office. 11:15 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers conducted a party shutdown at the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity house. Officers working security at the event noticed multiple violations of the university alcohol policy. Officers on duty were notified and shut the party down. The Collegian does not produce or edit the Campus Crime Watch except for content and brevity.
Nathan Gibbons Distribution Manager
Nearly 100 killed by Taliban in Afghanistan At least 95 people were killed last Saturday when attackers drove an explosive-laden ambulance past a police checkpoint into a secure zone in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul. The alleged target was an interior ministry building. The Taliban, who also killed 22 in a Kabul hotel last week, have since claimed the attack. Aside from those who were killed, 158 people were injured in the blast. According to the deputy spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, Nasrat Rahimi, the attacker made his way through a police checkpoint by telling police he was transporting a patient to Jamhuriat hospital. Officials say that all cars passing through the checkpoints must be searched and their drivers must show proper identification. Officials will now have to investigate how the driver made it through. The Afghan government accused Pakistan of providing support for the attackers. The United States cut its security aid to Pakistan after saying Pakistan’s government had failed to take proper action against terrorists inside its borders.
Rainfall swells river Seine in Paris After weeks of heavy rainfall, the river Seine is expected to peak at a water level nearly 20 feet above normal. Paris has put riverside businesses and homes on high alert as the river threatens to overflow. The Louvre museum was forced to close a lower gallery, touring boats have been tied up and police have closed riverside roads. Reporters also say rats are being flushed out from their usual habitats below ground. The Zouave, a statue of a French soldier from the Crimean War that the city has used as an unofficial marker for water levels, was submerged up to his waist last weekend. In 1910, historical flooding submerged the statue up to its neck. Mayor Anne Hidalgo said the recent summer waves and flooding was “clearly a question of the town adapting to climate change.” The mayor warned that the water level would remain high through the upcoming week as the river drains slowly into waterlogged soil.
Digital exchange loses millions in Japan A hacking attack on its network may have cost one of Japan’s largest digital currency exchanges $534 million worth in virtual assets, representatives said last weekend. The firm, Coincheck, assessed its losses in NEM, a lesser used currency, and froze all deposits and withdrawals for all currencies except Bitcoin. The attack is alleged to have taken place early last Friday, but security did not catch the breach until nearly nine hours later. A representative told Japanese media that the lost funds may not be able to be reimbursed. The exchange kept the funds in an online “hot wallet”‘hot wallet’ as opposed to a “cold wallet”‘cold wallet’ in which the currency would have been stored securely offline. Company chief operating officer Yusuke Otsuka told the media, “We know where the funds were sent … We are tracing them and if we’rewe’re able to continue tracking, it may be possible to recover them.”” In 2014, another Tokyo exchange, MtGox, was forced to close its doors after $400 million was stolen from its network. If last Friday’s theft is confirmed, it will be the largest theft in digital currency’s history.
The Collegian: 5
TU’s Presidental Leaders propose Okla. legislation
The students’ legislation has been adopted by Rep. Nichols for the upcoming legislative session.
Kayleigh Thesenvitz Editor-in-Chief “Never underestimate the power of an 18-year-old,” said TU President Gerard Clancy, beaming with pride. Clancy was eager to brag about the 135 students of the Presidential Leaders Fellowship and the influence they have already exercised in Oklahoma. Specifically, the class wrote and proposed a piece of legislation called the “Oklahoma Economic Development Long-Term Investment Act.” The bill included a fifth-day initiative, to give students in four-day districts access to learning opportunities on the fifth day; a solution to make bond issues more flexible for schools; a method for increasing the prevalence of charter and partnership schools; marijuana legalization as a method of reducing opioid abuse and a list of other public health improvement plans; and improving trade relations with China in such a way that Oklahoma benefits. Revised and adopted in two parts by Rep. Monroe Nichols, the bill will appear to be voted on in the upcoming state legislative session. HB 3000 is called the “Fifth Day School Partnership Act,” and will provide for virtual instruction taught by student teachers for the 20 percent of school districts across the state that have four-day school weeks. HB 3001 will authorize the state board of
education to issue bonds for teacher compensation. “Unfortunately, the lack of state funding continues to hinder educators in the classroom,” Nichols said. “I’m thrilled that TU students are stepping up with well thought out and innovative approaches to improving education across the state.” “These two reforms would be huge wins for Oklahoma kids and educators, and I’m extremely proud to represent TU in the legislator, but even prouder as an alum,” Nichols said. The Presidential Leaders Fellowship is a three-semester program taught by Clancy and visiting assistant professors of community medicine Terrie Shipley and Adam Seaman. Leadership programs for incoming students are common among four-year universities, so Clancy wanted to be sure that TU’s class would be effective. “The word leadership is a big word that can mean many things,” Clancy said. When conceiving the class, Clancy said he understood people struggle building their leadership skills in complex environments. Drawing from a wealth of personal experience, Clancy taught students how to break down complex problems into manageable steps. For Clancy, teaching is an implied part of the job description. “How can I help run a university when I’m not in the classroom?” he said. Incoming freshmen were required to apply for the class with an essay. Now students are in their second semester, where they are primarily learning personal development skills. As sophomores they will be putting their brains together to solve a real-life problem, the topic of which has not been decided.
Tuesday, January 30 at 1:00 p.m. Hardesty Hall, 3rd Floor Conference Room Study Abroad 101: Summer Core Looking to go abroad this summer? Drop in as CGE Advisors share in-depth about our Summer Core programs! Tuesday, January 30 at 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Helmerich Hall, HELM 121 Best Resume Writing Tips Workshop Discover how to highlight your qualifications, target employers and develop an eyecatching resume that gets you noticed! Tuesday January 30 at 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Mayo Village Apartments & Student Activities Center An Evening with Bishop Konderla The bishop of the Diocese of Tulsa will cover to campus for dinner with any and all who are interest in a conversation with him. Wednesday, January 31 at 12:00 p.m. to 12:50 p.m. Keplinger Hall, 3010 (formerly U2) Geoscience Seminar Holly Woodward Ballard, assistant professor of anatomy at Oklahoma State University-Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, will talk about “Nanotyrannus or juvenile T. rex? Clues from within the bones of tyrant lizards.” Wednesday, January 31 at 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Hardesty Hall, Multipurpose Room Gilman Scholarship Luncheon Are you eligible for Pell and planning to study abroad? Staff from the Center for Global Education will discuss the Gilman Scholarship application process and give advice. Lunch provided! Friday, February 2 at 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Hardesty Hall, Multipurpose Room Study Abroad Returnee Lunch Back from studying abroad? Join us for lunch and take the next steps! Get to discuss your experiences with others who went abroad Learn how to incorporate your study abroad experiences into your resume and job/grad school interviews Find out how to get involved in the international community at TU and within Tulsa and more! The Collegian does not produce all event descriptions in the Community Calendar. Contact us at news@tucollegian.org with events.
The Collegian: 6
Commentary
29 January 2018
TU should make pictures of potential rooms available
Incoming students deserve to see the rooms they might move into on the university’s website, especially if they can’t see the rooms in person. Hannah Kloppenburg Social Media Manager According to one of TU’s own University Ambassadors, the tour route for potential new students only includes one residential a stop at a showroom in Hardesty Hall. None of the other residence halls are shown on the tour. It certainly makes sense to show Hardesty Hall to incoming students, as it’s the nicest, most updated residence hall. It’s also set in a central location on campus, so it’s probably easy to stop in along the course of a tour. The issue with only showing Hardesty, however, is that most of the dorms on campus look nothing like it. They’re not nearly as updated, nor do they have even remotely similar layouts. Every residence hall on campus is unique, which is great for providing a variety of living options to TU students, but not so great for University Ambassadors. Ideally, they would be able to show a room in each residence hall, but it’s not realistic to expect them to trek all over campus and hit every hall during the limited amount of time they have during tours. Because of this, it’s difficult for incoming students to have a good idea of what living options are available to them before choosing their housing. They might be disillusioned and unhappy with their housing selection when they sign up for a room in the John expecting it to be like the Hardesty
suites. That’s not conducive to fostering happy, comfortable freshmen. An easy solution would be for TU to update the photos and information available about each residence hall on the university website. As it is right now, there’s a separate page on the TU website for each residence hall. There are floor plans and written descriptions of the amenities of each hall, which is all well and good, but it doesn’t allow students to visualize each one — certainly not in the way that an in-person tour of Hardesty does. There are some pictures on the website, but they show a limited view of each residence hall. There are nice photos of students in their rooms, outside the hall or in common areas, for example, but they’re not helpful in visualizing how the rooms are set up. The page for Fisher South is the only one that shows the inside of a dorm room. What’s more, the photos that are available aren’t even necessarily accurate. The single photo on the Fisher West page, for instance, isn’t a photo of Fisher West — it’s a photo of the back entrance of Fisher South. TU could make the housing decision much easier for incoming students by providing more complete photos of the inside of the dorms — views of a room in each hall, as well as photos of the common areas. A 360-degree viewer or panoramic photos of the rooms would be even better and would be relatively easy to implement on the website. This simple change, along with the floor plans and written descriptions already provided, would eliminate the need to show multiple dorms during tours while still providing a complete and accurate view of the housing options available to incoming students. Ultimately, improving the information about housing options will give potential new students an accurate perception of the diverse housing available at TU and make it easier for them to choose a housing setup that truly fits their needs.
John Mabee’s showroom
Hardesty Hall’s showroom photos by Michaela Flonard Showrooms are available but under-utilized resources for visitng students and TU’s website. This is especially important since dorms vary widely in size, layout and available ammenities.
Two groups propose problematic Okla. budget fixes
Oklahoma Democratic Caucus beats out Step Up Oklahoma’s budget plan with emphasis on feasible taxes. Nathan Hinkle Student Writer Groups Step Up Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Democratic Caucus have proposed budget plans to fix the issues Oklahoma currently faces after months of gridlock over a new state budget. According to their website, Step Up Oklahoma is a “nonpartisan group of business, civic and community leaders.” With the assistance of lawmakers, they hope to fix not only the budget crisis of Oklahoma but also some of the problems in the way the government is run. To fix the issues of the Oklahoma state budget, Step Up Oklahoma proposes a series of new taxes and tax credit removals. The major focus of this money is to increase the salaries of teachers across Oklahoma by $5,000. Additionally, it will increase the salaries of school principals. One of Step Up Oklahoma’s biggest sources of new revenue would be a cigarette tax of $1.50, which they stipulate would raise $243.9 million and is 31.2 percent of their total revenue. Through this new tax, they hope to raise a substantial portion of Oklahoma’s budget to stop any potential cuts to the state budget. However, this is not a new tax but rather a repeat of the previous tax bill created in 2017 that was declared unconstitutional by the Oklahoma Supreme Court because of when the bill was passed. Other taxes include increasing the gross production tax of oil wells, a tax on renewable energy production, a motor fuel tax and a increase in income taxes. The Oklahoma Democratic Caucus proposed the Restoring Oklahoma Plan in 2017. The Oklahoma Democratic Caucus takes a similar approach to the budget plan promoted by Step Up Oklahoma while avoiding the shifts concerning state and local governments. Restoring Oklahoma focuses more on removing sales tax exemptions on corpo-
rations than creating new taxes. Restoring Oklahoma provides a smaller tobacco tax that will raise around $150 million for the state government. It also proposes moving the gross production tax of oil wells from two percent to four-to-five percent. However, a more major focus of Restoring Oklahoma is removing a series of tax credits that are unnecessary to the current Oklahoma government. For example, the budget plan proposes removing “sales tax exemptions on services to specific industries: oil and gas, construction and certain entertainment production such as motion picture production.” The plan argues these industries already can receive tax credits for working in Oklahoma, so they should not be able to double dip. Both groups have similar goals in mind, but they attempt to reach it in different ways. While both plans take effective steps to fix the budget, the actions taken by Restoring Oklahoma are more effective, and Step Up Oklahoma’s additional governance reforms are problematic, due to the consolidation of power through the governor and unclear and unnecessary oversight.
Similar tax reforms in Restoring Oklahoma are more beneficial to Oklahoma than new taxes because they don’t affect such a wide audience. For example, all citizens are affected by a motor fuel tax, but most citi-
balances. For example, one reform in Step Up Oklahoma seeks to “increase accountability to citizens by granting the Governor direct appointment power over the eight largest state agencies.”
“While both plans take effective steps to fix the budget, the actions taken by Restoring Oklahoma are more effective...” zens of Oklahoma are not affected by Combined Corporate Reporting, which requires companies with headquarters in Oklahoma to report all nationwide profit on their state tax forms. This allows the state government to obtain the necessary resources without heavily affecting the average citizen. While it is important the government is properly funded, it should not be heavily detrimental those who cannot afford it. However, the major problems with Step Up Oklahoma is its governmental reforms. These reforms attached to the budget plan attempt to produce a more efficient and open government. To speed up the flow of government, they negatively alter the balance of power by reducing the system of checks and
graphic by Madeline Woods
These agencies include leaders such as the head of the Department of Education, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Head of the labor Department and the Corporation Commissioner and the regulator of gas and oil drilling. Previously, applicants had to go through a series of agency boards to accept or deny the governor’s choice for these positions. By removing these boards and giving the governor complete control, you remove a system that helps confirm the best candidate for each position. With this new reform, the governor of Oklahoma is free to staff important state officials without having them confirmed by several different groups. While this speeds up the process of hiring new officials, it could easily be used for nefarious means. Additionally, some of the reforms propose concepts that already exist in the Oklahoma state government or are not properly explained. For example, the budget plan requires items such as a line item budget with effective legislative oversight and an independent budget office that will identify fraud and mismanagement in the government. However, these items are already in existence. According to an article on www.OKPolicy.org titled “Step Up Coalition adds to Conversation but plenty of work left to do,” the Oklahoma legislature already line-items parts of the budget, and the Oklahoma state government already has a state auditor and the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, whose sole job is monitoring fraud in government. Therefore, these reforms are either useless additions or concepts that are not fully fleshed out. Both Step Up Oklahoma and Restore Oklahoma both provide an important set of ideas on how to fix Oklahoma’s budgetary crisis. However, Step Up Oklahoma faces issues due to its major effects on the average citizen, its problematic optimization of government and its unclear or useless legislative reforms. Due to these reasons, Restoring Oklahoma provides a better example of a future Oklahoma budget and should be pushed for in the coming year.
29 January 2018
Commentary
The Collegian: 7
The Legislative Digest is your weekly look at the happenings of Oklahoma’s state legislature, upcoming bills and the terms to know. Raven Fawcett Commentary Editor
We’re back with the latest and greatest (for a given definition) legislation passing through Oklahoma’s legislature. Bills, once introduced, are then passed off to different committees to be considered more in-depth by people who are (usually) more familiar with or passionate about that subject area. Here’s a quick look at some of the more interesting bills circulating in legislature right now: SJR52: This Oklahoma constitutional amendment, if passed by Congress and then approved by Oklahoma voters, would lower the number of votes necessary to pass a revenue bill or lower tax rates from 75 to 60 percent of Congress. This is great if you trust 60 percent of Congress with your finances and not the other 40 percent. But I have a general rule: if you need to lower the number of people who must agree with you to get something done, you should take a long, hard look at what you’re doing. There’s a reason revenue bills are hard to pass, and it’s because they’re important. You shouldn’t have to rely on only one political party or faction to change laws about money. SB1097: The first four pages of updates to this piece of legislation are just changes from “State Penitentiary” to “Department of Corrections” and using the uncapitalized “district attorney,” so never say government doesn’t keep up with the times. It goes on to add important clauses, such as not allowing prior convictions of possession of a controlled substance to impact current sentencing. Some second-time felonies would be limited to no more than the maximum sentence plus a quarter of the maximum for the first offense. Second offenders can serve up to 125 percent of the maximum time for a first offense. A cap on sentences, while probably too high for most crimes, can only be an improvement, as many people are sentenced to long stays in prison for relatively inoffensive crimes. The bill has been referred to the Senate Public Safety Committee. SB1045: Oklahoma government compensates used tire facilities for their services, which is logical and surprising all at once. The bill, which in the past has allocated money to used tire facilities in other ways, would update the amount given from $54 to $75 per ton of processed tire material. (It takes around 100 tires to make a ton, maybe more if they’re used.) Inflation affects tires and the economy, and government’s taken notice. Leftover funds that used tire facilities could have used for equipment would no longer be available for use. The money still benefits the companies in other ways, even if it doesn’t go directly to the equipment. Because the bill centers on money, it was sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee. SB919: The Parole of Aging Prisoners Act is a new piece of legislation that would allow the Pardon and Parole Board to parole prisoners over 70 years old if they are not a threat to public safety. Aging prisoners would be eligible for parole if they’ve served ten years or at least a third of their sentence, whichever is shorter. If my grandmother were in prison, I’d be cheering for this bill. As she’s not, I’m still cheering, there are just fewer tears involved.
Okla. education woes cause disapproval ratings to soar
Voters condemn the legislature and Governor Fallin’s work, but not for their legislation or general policies as one might assume. Nathan Hinkle Student Writer A recent poll created by Sooner Poll, an independent non-partisan Oklahoma political pollster, stated that Oklahoma support of their government is currently at a low point. Of 419 eligible Oklahoma voters, 58 percent have an unfavorable view of Governor Mary Fallin’s work while 57 percent of people have similar objections to the Oklahoma state legislature. Democratic voters were more likely to
distrust the current government but Republican voters weren’t far behind. Republican reported unhappiness with Fallin’s performance at 44 percent, while 46 percent had negative opinions on the legislature’s performance. So what is the cause of this distrust? Some argue that the distrust in one’s current government is primarily based on the bad economic climate. I argue that the state of Oklahoma education is the primary cause for voter distrust. In 2018, the Oklahoma state budget is projected to rise from the deficit that has plagued years past. According to the State Board of Equalization, an agency that controls tax administration, general revenue is expected to rise $425 million in 2018. This is primarily due to increased sales and income tax. It is projected that a tax concerning the sale of alcohol will rise from $63 million to $95 million due to the new sale of alcohol in grocery stores. This overall increase in revenue is a key tool in fixing the current state deficit incurred throughout the years. While revenue might have increased throughout Oklahoma, state departments are still in desperate need of new funds. The Education Department is a prime example
with a current request of over $500 million for an increase in teacher salaries as well as general needs such as instructional materials for a large base of students. Due to this lack of funding, Oklahoma education has had troubles providing teachers a competitive salary and students a proper education. For example, according to a poll from the University of Oklahoma of 250 former Oklahoma teachers, those who left Oklahoma for other states gained an average salary increase of over $19,000.
poll by the Oklahoma Education Association, seven percent of those polled have a positive view of the legislature’s actions toward education funding. Fallin only did slightly better at 12 percent. Additionally, 50 percent of voters viewed education as the top priority for future funding. This support for funding is also not just a form of weak-willed acceptance. 70 percent of those polled were in favor of a tax that moved the gross production of oil and gas wells up to seven percent.
“...education in Oklahoma in 2017 was ranked 47 out of 51 states...” In addition to this budget difference, education in Oklahoma in 2017 was ranked 47 out of 51 states, including Washington, D.C., by a publication called “Education Week” that compiles data on statewide education. Through this report, Oklahoma received a D+ with primary losses in education spending and education status. Oklahoma voters have noticed the problems in their state, and education ranked among the highest issues. According to a
While one may argue that the Oklahoma Education Association has a clear bias towards education spending, it still shows the immense support that Oklahomans have for improving their education system even at personal cost to themselves. Due to the data provided, it is possible to conclude that the current distrust in Mary Fallin and the Oklahoma legislature stems from the lack of support in funding important areas such as education.
graphic by Madeline Woods The disapproval ratings for Governor Fallin and the Oklahoma state legislature pale in comparison to the public’s distaste for education funding, suggesting that education affects people’s view of government.
Whistleblower bill would provide necessary protection
A new whistleblower bill, if passed, will allow state employees to file civil action lawsuits. Alex Garoffolo Student Writer State Rep. Bobby Cleveland introduced legislation this week aimed at strengthening the rights of whistleblowers. HB 2528 amends current statutes to allow employees who’ve reported wrongdoings the right to file a civil action lawsuit against their former employers and coworkers. If prosecution is successful, the whistleblower would also be entitled to recover the full costs and attorney fees. Rep. Cleveland said the bill intends to give state employees more power after “listening to agency employees across the state
express fear of retaliation,” adding, “I realized our current laws just aren’t enough.” This provokes wonder: about just what kinds of affairs have state employees not come forward? If state employees fear retaliation, that not only means a hostile work environment, but it also means there are problems happening at work that supervisors know would likely be reported. It’s no secret that budget cuts have left many state agencies on the business end of austerity measures, often to the detriment of thousands of innocent Oklahomans. Budget cuts can drive departments to desperate measures. Oklahoma currently has a record number of emergency teachers in schools across the state. Because the state education budget was slashed to pieces, school districts hire teachers who have the minimum amount of education, pay to take a quick little licensing exam and teach for an academic year on a short-run contract. They don’t even need to be schooled in the subject they teach. Then there’s the proposal of shortening the public school week to four days, an idea for which Governor Mary Fallin was publicly chastised at an event by a potential investor who said something along the lines of, “There’s no way I’d bring my business to Oklahoma; you all can’t even keep your schools open five days a week.” There is also the ongoing scandal in the
Department of Rehabilitation in which judges sent rehab patients to what amounted to a work camp program in which patients performed wage-free labor in exchange for staying out of jail. They were threatened with going to jail should they ever decide to not work. It all begs the question: just what else is out there? And more importantly, if the state legislature doesn’t pass a law designed to protect the state’s workers, just what kind of message does that send to the thousands of people on the state’s evershrinking payroll? This bill’s passage could represent a wa-
Cleaning up state agencies could save the state thousands of dollars by streamlining departments and increasing efficiency. That is, if there’s anything to clean up. Perhaps there’s nothing shady happening and the whistleblower law would go largely unutilized. However, if a state representative talked to workers across Oklahoma and they told him they felt “a fear of reprisal” if they reported something from work to law enforcement, that seems like a clear sign of a problem. Moreover, if the legislature doesn’t pass this bill, it will be one more failure to
“Any measure intended to protect the increasingly-ignored working class in this state only serves to help...” tershed moment, much like the #MeToo campaign for sexual assault victims. If passed, Oklahoma could see whistleblowers coming from all sorts of places, hoping to shine a light on practices that have been kept as open secrets for years. Of course, it also means more lawsuits, more court costs and a burden on the legal system. But that’s what the legal system is for: protecting us, the citizens of this state. Any measure intended to protect the increasingly-ignored working class in this state only serves to help, if only the legislature will pass it.
stack on all the rest, one more way our politicians in this state managed to silence the very people they claim to represent. If this bill does fail, no matter what kind of political reason that’s given, it’s a blatant slap in the face to all Oklahomans. Not only that, but it’s an indirect sign that our legislators don’t care to allow us to come forward about crimes with dignity. What does that say about the state of our democracy? If passed, the bill takes effect on November 1 of this year.
The Collegian: 8
Variety
29 January 2018
Award-winning musical proves it’s worth its salt “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder” came through Tulsa last week, and the variety of songs and characters helped illustrate why it won a Tony in 2014. Michaela Flonard Managing Editor “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder” was not a whodunit, but rather a who did it. The wildly popular and award-winning Broadway musical came to Tulsa last week to the delight of audiences. The musical opens with a gruesome number foreshadowing the plot — a warning to audiences to avoid the play — but also foreshadows the tone of the music. While the lyrics suggested a gothic, murderous musical, the beat and instruments contrast wildly, more peppy and boisterous, a theme repeated throughout the show. This opening number also demonstrated the strength of the scenery to come; a digital back screen was used throughout much of the play and used well, effectively teleporting the audience to the location and mood of the scene. From there, the play is performed in retrospect, as Monty, played by Blake Price, writes in his memoir the true accounts of how he became the Earl of Highhurst. Immediately, the scene switches to backstory, introducing Monty after his mother’s death, when Miss Shingle, played by Kristen Kane, comes to tell him that his mother was part of the D’Ysquith family, disinherited for marrying for love, a major theme of the play. Miss Shingle is the one who truly sets the events in motion; she plants the seed for Navarro’s following crimes. Sibella Hallward, played by Colleen McLaughlin, also sets him on his path. When Monty goes to tell his upper-class mistress about his potential fortune, she dismisses him, singing the number “I Don’t Know What I’d Do.” In this number, Sibella comes across as a selfish social-climber, reminding me of Paris Hilton, but as the play progresses, she reveals an intuitive, honest side which Monty loves. Deciding to use his new-found family to improve his station, he contacts Lord Asquith for a job. Rejected, he visits the Highhurst castle for a taste of his denied wealth, where the current Earl sings one of my favorite numbers, “I Don’t Understand the Poor.” While the musical set in 1907, the sentiment of the rich not sympathizing with the poor, seeing their station as a result of their poor choices, translates to modern times. Monty tries the reverend of the family as a last-ditch effort; but he too looks down on Navarro’s mother, and when Monty is given a choice between saving the man and letting him fall off the church tower, he chooses the former, setting off a course of murders. Slowly, the next seven heirs ahead of Monty die in “accidents” he engineers. Each death comes with a touch of comedy, some in the manner, some in Monty’s attempts and some in their interactions with Monty. All the heirs demonstrate themselves to be deserving of death, at least in Monty’s point of view, generally all look down on the lower class and Monty himself, comfortable in their rich lifestyle. As these heirs die, Navarro’s life continues to improve in unforeseen ways. Lord Asquith, Sr. takes him on for a job, and he quickly climbs the ranks and becomes like a son to the Lord. Though Sibella gets married to a rich gentleman, she continues to be a part of Monty’s life. While on a mission to kill another heir, he meets Phoebe D’Ysquith, a smart, book-loving woman. As she’s not in line for the earldom, he isn’t forced to contemplate her murder. His
wardrobe improves as his wealth and status grows, a nice visual touch, and he also becomes more confident, especially in his dealings with Sibella. One of the best songs, “I’ve Decided to Marry You” showcases his struggles between the two women, both literally and figuratively; Pheobe and Sibella are in opposite rooms, with Monty trying to keep them separated as Phoebe announces she’s decided to marry him and Sibella waits to leave after their most recent tryst. He loves each of them, and in the end, can balance them both. At the start of the second act, with all the other heirs dead, Monty and Pheobe, now engaged, are invited to Highhurst with the current earl, along with Sibella. Throughout the night, he attempts to poison the earl, but without success. Somehow the earl still dies. For this death, Monty is charged with murder, and with that, the musical catches up to the present — Monty closes his memoir, letting the rest of the events play out as they will. Suffice to say, there’s a few more songs as Monty’s guilt is decided and the aftermath. But the ending of the trial and the love triangle are both satisfying, even with the suspense. One of the most amazing things about the play is that one actor plays every D’Ysquith heir, including the earl. Some of the costume changes were so quick I was astounded. He fully inhabited each character: the jittering, uncomfortably weird priest, Monty’s first kill, was a far cry from Lady Hycinyth, the society-lady hell-bent on charity work. Having the same actor for all the heirs added a bit more laughter, even when the changes were well-done. The song selection varies from humorous to more serious. “Better With a Man” perhaps generated the most laughs; Monty sings this with Henry D’Ysquith, who is heavily implied to be gay. Lyrics alone, the subtext of the song plays into this gayness, with Monty flirting back, but the actions of the characters heighten the subtext — Henry must constantly excuse himself as he’s overwhelmed by Monty’s closeness. “The Last One You’d Expect,” which closes out the first act, is a reflection by multiple characters, from Lord Asquith to Pheobe, on how Monty has surpassed expectations to become what he is. Even the serious songs have a drop of humor — “Why Are All the D’Ysquiths Dying?” is sung demurely at Lord Asquith Sr’s funeral, bemoaning the recent tragic events to the family. Yet lines within the song suggest a mood other than sadness — “Why are all the D’Ysquiths dying / What a tasteless way of showing off” and “To lose one relative one can certainly forgive / But how can you excuse losing two / Or three or four or seven.” Those were outstanding as well. Both Phoebe and Sibella had excellent soprano voices, and while Sibella’s may have been a touch lower, their similar voices, combined with their opposite wardrobes, emphasized they were two sides of the same coin and that Monty needed both to be completely happy. Altogether, the cast numbered only ten, but this fact was surprising at the end; it seemed at least twice as many were necessary for all that had transpired. Since the musical will have left Tulsa by the time this article has been published, I would still recommend listening to the soundtrack; while watching the performance does add to the humor, the songs by themselves still carry weight. Overall, the musical was fantastically written and fantastically performed in Tulsa. The same group, Celebrity Attractions, that organized this musical will put on “Finding Neverland” in March and “The Sound of Music” in April.
courtesy Celebrity Attractions
The performance of “I’ve Decided to Marry You” included a literal barrier, illustrating Monty’s attempt at keeping the two women separate.
courtesy Celebrity Attractions
Monty’s first meeting with Phoebe, whose intelligence and spirit inspires his infatuation with her.
The entire cast was onstage for the climactic death of the earl, a surprising moment for Monty due to his own failed assassination attempts.
courtesy Celebrity Attractions
Variety
29 January 2018
The Collegian: 9
Tulsa Zine Night a niche, “Paddington 2” surprisingly charming, worthwhile underground experience Prominent in Tulsa’s underground literary scene, Broken Thumb Press hosts Tulsa Zine Night annually in an effort to bring zines to the forefront of Tulsa’s art culture. Ethan Veenker Variety Editor Thomas von Borstel Student Writer Brennen Gray Student Writer The pH Community House is tucked away at the end of a neighborhood on Phoenix Avenue. Featuring a mural of a koi fish on its north wall, the building is small and unbecoming, easily mistaken for a house were it not for the bewildered fish and the eclectic paint job. Its interior sported one large room with a bar off to the side and a bathroom tucked in the back. The focal point of the room that night was a small, slightly elevated stage at the end. The room was filled with candles, both lit and unlit, giving the impression that we were stepping into a seance. A chest stood off to the side with two ornate hourglasses sitting on either side of a large, oval mirror reflecting the ceiling. A clock in the back of the room seemed to be permanently stuck on 8:05, but closer inspection revealed all the numbers replaced with “now.” Seating was sparse, but that proved to be a non-issue, as the event seemed rather niche to begin with. Broken Thumb Press hosted Tulsa Zine Night at the pH Community House last Saturday, January 27. The general idea for the night was a zine carnival of sorts, or a place to meet interesting people and discuss Tulsa’s flowering literature scene. The venue’s speakers hosted a nonstop playlist of modern prog I didn’t recognize, and several piles of zines lay scattered around the room. On their Facebook event page, Broken Thumb Press links to an article hosted by Barnard College that defines a zine as “[s] hort for magazine or fanzine, zines are selfpublications, motivated by a desire for selfexpression, not for profit.” Present at the Zine Night were an array of publications from Tulsa and beyond, mostly various volumes of “Broken Thumb Press” (their eponymous zine) and the new volume of “The No Tulsa Sound,” for which the Zine Night doubled as a release party. Jessica Sanchez, along with her husband Ricardo, run Broken Thumb Press. Jessica, a graduate from Northeastern State, started zine printing in college and never looked back. They are incredibly active: printing art, poetry, music, body image and even dream-themed zines. Their printing style is charming, aesthetic and grungy at the same time. Compiling cut-outs, maps, assortment of images, religious pamphlets, Cherokeelanguage cartoons and other miscellaneous art, the press laminates the pages and photocopies them before silk-screen printing the zines.
Despite the humble turnout, the room was without want of interesting characters, all overflowing with personality. Each person casually placed their zines on the bench and picked up a few others had left. One person owned a press in Kansas City, Missouri, working as a FedEx driver to make ends meet. They plan to move to Toledo, Ohio, to start another press. Their approach to conversation was eclectic at best. The conversation lasted for about 45 minutes and touched many subjects, including the underground literary scene of the Midwest, law school and pornography. They asked us what we were doing with our lives and we each replied that we were just three English majors trying to make it. “Terrible idea,” he said. After a few remarks about our inevitable careers of cabdriving, he took an earnest tone. He embodied the punk-rock writer aesthetic that Broken Thumb employs, but he also seemed to meld perfectly with his own zines that he’d brought from Kansas City. “At some point, I was working three jobs,” he said, “and I ran out of time to write.” Balancing work with managing a zine proves difficult for many writers. Getting submissions, compiling them, and finding a press takes dedication, and all before a writer can start getting their own works out there. The event was rather small, but it seemed that with each person that came in, the stack of zines in the corner grew. One person brought in a large box, out of which they pulled a brightly colored, glitch-art zine called “The Youth of America Today,” interspersed with random scenes of manga and a print of a Buddhist-looking temple taken from an odd angle and displayed without context. There are no words in the zine, and it seems to exist just for its own aesthetic reasons. On the tail-end of the night, another person hauled in another box, this time filled with dozens of inch-long mini-zines. They said they were a substitute teacher and excitedly recounted that they’d had some of the children they taught make their own zines to help spread zine culture and awareness. Of these, our personal favorite was one titled “Jazzy Flowr,” which featured only the line, “I love you so much.” Through its casual renditions of Tulsa Zine Night, Broken Thumb Press hopes to gradually bring back the Tulsa Zine Fest from 2015. It’s certainly a niche art form, or at least in Tulsa it seems to be. Sanchez expressed the troubles she’d had in getting submissions, and the amount of time between volumes is indicative enough of the volume of submissions. All the same, zines are a passion project at heart, and the Sanchezes clearly enjoy their craft. They’re working to spread the word about their zine, in addition to zines in general. It’s worth a shot; from Broken Thumb Press or not, zines range from cheap to free and provide a truly varied view into the heart of our city and the people who live here.
While not the first film a college student would think of seeing, “Paddington 2” elicits a general feeling of wholesomeness that makes the admission price worth it. Emma Palmer Student Writer
From the first scene on, I was entranced by the simple charm of “Paddington 2.” It was almost culture shock going from the saccharine, caffeinated trailers that played in front of the movie to the gentle, thoroughly engaging world of Paddington. “Paddington 2” is a charming piece of cinema, the kind of thing you want to see in a an alleged children’s film. In an age when consumerism is marketed even to the youngest in our society, and many blockbusters aimed at children are pure tripe and cashgrabs, “Paddington 2” is a refreshing change of pace. Paddington is never that wisecracking, smart-aleck protagonist we’ve seen so many times, but rather exemplifies humility and kindness in a quieter way. “Paddington 2” is ultimately a reminder of the goodness that exists in this world. The movie wears its heart on its sleeve and never sacrifices its ideals. Paddington’s motto, a piece of life advice given to him by his aunt Lucy, is “If we’re kind and polite, the world will be right.” Paddington Bear doesn’t just say these words, he lives them. In every sphere of his life, he treats people with grace and politeness. This is demonstrated early on in a delightful scene showing what a day in the life is like for Paddington. The small marmalade-loving bear weaves his days with little acts of kindness, like reminding a neighbor not to forget his keys or helping the garbage man study for exams. It’s a sequence that gets at the heart of “Paddington 2,” and it’s such a whimsical life that “kind and polite” seems easy enough to follow. However, due to a wrong-place/wrongtime situation, Paddington’s circumstances change for the worse, and he finds himself in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Al-
courtesy StudioCanal
Paddington’s story celebrated kindness and immigrants, a lesson the world could use today.
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editor-in-chief
Kayleigh Thesenvitz managing editor
Michaela Flonard news editor
Trenton Gibbons sports editor
Justin Guglielmetti variety editor
Ethan Veenker commentary editor photo by Ethan Veenker
The event exuded casualness, with backlogs of zines stacked on benches and free for the taking.
though Paddington is adequately disheartened, he is not crushed to despair. Instead of wallowing in self-pity or anger at the injustice, he sets out to make the best of his new life by making new friends. Hijinks ensue. One of the things “Paddington 2” does well is teach its morals in a anecdotal way, never coming off as preachy. Rather than being told what to do or how to act, characters’ ideals, and more important, their actions, shine through as being noble and worthy of replicating. While aware of its target base of viewers, “Paddington 2” isn’t condescending towards its young audience, in effect growing the potential viewership so that the film is enjoyable even to the average college student. Truly a “family movie,” Paddington is one that all permutations of family can enjoy, from youngest of tots to the most elderly of grandfathers. It’s affecting in the sincerest way, and every emotional beat is well earned. The ending had much of the audience misty-eyed, myself included, and I came out of the theater reminded of how important it is to be grateful for the small things. The aesthetics of “Paddington 2” are superb, and watching it is reminiscent to diving into your favorite childhood book. Though the prison sequences are clearly inspired by Wes Anderson’s “Grand Budapest Hotel” (right down to the pink prison jumpsuits), it replaces Anderson’s quirk with charm enough to feel, if not quite original, enjoyable nonetheless. The production quality of the film is excellent. You never for a second doubt Paddington’s bear-ness. The performances are wonderful, especially Sally Hawkins as Paddington’s warm and adventurous adoptive mother Mrs. Brown, and Brendan Gleason as the prison-hardened chef Knuckles McGinty. “Paddington 2” is a celebration of immigrants and found family, and in a time where immigration is a hotly contested debate, it’s a breath of fresh air. I truly believe that if everyone saw “Paddington 2” the world would be a kinder, more polite place, and that would be right.
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The Collegian: 10
Variety
29 January 2018
Panda Bear’s new release daring in its limited format A solid IDM EP, Panda Bear’s “A Day With the Homies” is perhaps more interesting because of its limited-run, vinyl-only release, a confounding distributive decision. Ethan Veenker Variety Editor CD copies of Panda Bear’s (a.k.a. Noah Lennox’s) 1999 self-titled debut are difficult to track down, and even the copy on which I may or may not have spent around $200 is of dubious origin. I choose not to believe I purchased a bootleg. In any case, it’s surreal to stare at that album, that oddly pubescent and distant piece of work, in conjunction with Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories,” on which Panda Bear was a featured artist. It is indeed surreal, but there is also something humorous in holding in your hands both the work of a timid, twenty-year-old kid and the work of a collaboration fifteen years later on from which that same kid would win a Grammy. Panda Bear went from hard-to-find obscurity to Grammyaward-winning in a decade-and-a-half. Now in 2018, he’s somewhat scaled back to hardto-find obscurity. In somewhat of a daring decision, Panda Bear’s most recent EP, “A Day With the Homies,” enjoyed a limited-run, vinyl-only release on January 12. It sold out quickly online, and I was lucky to find a record store in LA that had an online store and a few copies left unclaimed. This review may be a couple weeks late, but frankly it was a difficult release to get my hands on. There is no official digital rip, no CD, and the only way I could have heard the EP would have been through one of the many low-quality vinyl rips that surfaced on fansites. I figured that if Panda Bear only released it on vinyl, it
record itself. The limited-run, vinyl-only EP could barely have blander packaging. Normally I wouldn’t criticize a release on its packaging, but when the whole idea of the release is that it is of a physical format only, one expects something a bit more. To expound on this, I’m not an audiophile. I couldn’t tell you the sound difference between MP3s, FLACs or WAVs, and I’m not a vinyl purist. I understand that, in terms of fidelity and sound quality, digital supersedes analog in every sense. That said, I enjoy collecting vinyl. I don’t understand why “A Day With the Homies” had to be vinyl-only, however. The tracks are all electronic, as Panda Bear’s solo works tend to be. In typical Panda Bear style, he blends the sample with the original work, the digital with the analog; it ultimately adds up to a pleasant experience on every track, a welcome change of pace since 2015’s glitchy, sometimes abrasive and cold but equally gooey and warm “Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper.” The choice to release music that is largely digitally-produced on only a physical format is an interesting one, however, and one that I don’t quite understand. I see no advantage that vinyl could give the music; decent mastering and mixing will always deliver a better listening experience on the digital format. Perhaps, though, he just wanted to release a fun novelty EP. In any case, it’s a record worth adding to one’s collection. Musically, the record marks a slight departure from the aforementioned 2015 album, as well as 2015’s “Crosswords” EP which was essentially a collection of B-sides and Panda Bear’s most recent release until “A Day With the Homies.” He retains the poppy, synth-heavy beats he’s been known for since revolutionizing the genre with 2007’s “Person Pitch.” While Panda Bear’s solo work has been surprisingly distinct from his work with Animal Collective, influences of
their 2016 album “Painting With” can be heard in the vocal melodies of some of the tracks, notably the opener, “Flight.” Panda Bear does a good job of retaining his sound, however, and doesn’t betray his overdubbed vocal tracks to the hocketing that pervaded Animal Collective in 2016. Panda Bear’s previous works feel mostly like songs in the traditional sense, however, with beginnings and middles and ends. “A Day With the Homies,” in contrast, feels like a genuine attempt at an IDM release, with each song feeling like an extended
club cut. This is perhaps the influence behind the vinyl-only release, harkening back to the days when clubs only played bangers on wax. For each song, Panda Bear lays out a beat in the first few minutes and sings over it in three or more ghostly voices. There are tinges of verses and choruses, but the songs can mostly be defined as straight, upward lines. This isn’t a bad thing, because Panda Bear’s production is always enjoyable and, for lack of a higher word, masterful. “Flight” is a lovely opener with its surf rock feel and its funky synthesizer roll, while “Part of the Math” slows things down with a simple ticking sound for percussion and long, drawn out notes over which Panda Bear sings. Despite such bare production, Panda Bear’s vocals and drum loops always fill the gaps in perfect ways. Panda Bear is, for the most part, a fan of long build-ups on this EP. “Shepard Tone,” for example, features a rather lengthy intro of only a spasming hi-hat and what sounds merely like blowing wind. Also ever-present on the EP are long, drawn out notes and tones over which Panda Bear layers percussion and simple melodies. I already mentioned the notes on “Part of the Math,” but “Nod to the Folks” features the most notable example, with repeated downward tones akin to WWII-era bombs heralding their ar-
rival or a double-tracked tornado siren. The uncanniness of these downward tones is striking, but their presence with the rest of the song’s ingredients just feels a little lacking and undercooked, making for the weakest track on the release. The final track, “Sunset,” brings back both the tapping percussion and the slow build-up. In typical IDM form, the song carries onward with new instruments and sounds added incrementally as it soars upward. The beat continues long after Panda Bear has sung his last words, and then abruptly ceases as the needle rolls out of the last groove. Panda Bear’s newest album is his most fearlessly electronic one yet. That’s not to say that his other releases were crafted from primarily analog components, but his other pieces all felt markedly unique and his own. Panda Bear has always claimed to take inspiration from IDM artists such as Aphex Twin, and it seems in this EP that he has attempted somewhat to mirror that genre in a more to-the-point manner. It’s not typical Panda Bear, but if anything, it’s a decent EP featuring above-average IDM that I’m glad to have in my collection. Buy it if you find it, but don’t fall prey to the inevitable online scalpers.
now holds at every women’s prison in Oklahoma. Ellen Stackable, the founder and executive director, started off the event by discussing the creation of the organization. As a lifelong teacher, she was inspired by a similar class in a men’s prison and wanted to bring it to women, seeing it as a restorative, therapeutic practice. While she was initially warned no one would continually attend classes, the group now helps about 150 women per week with a long waiting list in some prisons. As budget cuts continue, programs such as this are the core of rehabilitative measures in prisons. Several volunteers read poems from their students. Each was able to speak about the writers, so that you would not only gain an understanding from what the poet had written, but from a friend as well. The first poem, read by Hanna Al-Jibouri, was a sobering tale from a survivor of domestic abuse, by someone who was never caught. The next, “Ode to the Absence of Heroin,” was more joyful and thankful. “Description of My Queen,” read by Kate Forest, was
an adoration of the poet’s mother, of her strength, beauty and wisdom. These poems, along with others, showcased how poetry works for these incarcerated women: some as therapy for past events, some as gratitude and celebrations of important changes to their lives, but all helping them to move forward or let go of pain. The audience, which spilled out of the designated room and into the store itself, was then told to open envelopes given to them at the beginning. These envelopes, each marked with a six-digit number, represented one of the poets whose pictures were stationed around the room. Each included a poem, and audience milled around, looking at the poets and their self-written descriptions. This reflected Poetic Justice’s desire to give power back to these women; they created their own rules for each class and were asked before included in any media. The second part of the event featured the short documentary “Gray Matter.” The piece interwove Poetic Justice’s classes with interviews of poets and those outside working to change incarceration in Oklahoma.
The interviews further humanized these women, demonstrating their pain, strength and story, while activists provided concrete knowledge about the system in Oklahoma and its problems, of which there are many. By the end, I, presumably along with others, was misty-eyed but also angry at the state for its failure to address its issues. A short Q&A followed, including Stackable; Megan Hickey, who directed and produced the documentary; Vanessa Blaylock, the Oklahoma field director for Prison Fellowship, formerly incarcerated; and Kassie McClung, a writer for “The Frontier.” They told stories of sentencing in the state, which can be harsher than neighboring states and slanted against women. Overall, they reiterated the need for people to contact state and city representatives to demand change and support their sisters. Poetic Justice, along with other organizations aimed at serving incarcerated persons, is always in the need of volunteers or funding. Anyone interested should visit their website at www.PoeticJustice.org for more information.
“...[He] blends the sample with the original work, the digital with the analog...” should only be listened to on vinyl. Nevertheless, I can’t quite see the rationale behind Panda Bear’s decision. The five-track EP clocks in at just under halfan-hour and is extremely sample-heavy, with the record insert even bearing YouTube URLs to the sources of many of the samples. Such packaging is fun, and Panda Bear has always been forthcoming with where he gets his samples, but for a vinyl-only release, one would expect more fanfare. There is the record sleeve, the record insert and the
courtesy Domino Recording Company
Musically, the EP is populated with long, ringing tones overlaid with beats and vocals.
Poetic Justice, Vol. 3 eye-opening, rage-inducing
The event focused on poetry from female inmates in Oklahoma, also featuring a screening of the documentary “Grey Matter.” Michaela Flonard Managing Editor
Oklahoma has almost double the number of incarcerated women than any other state in the U.S. This fact kept coming up during the Poetic Justice event at Magic City Books last Saturday.The event was part of Poetic Justice’s desire to visit all 77 counties in Oklahoma this year, to bring the stories of the women they work with to all Oklahomans and to foster a desire for change within the state. The event also celebrated the release of Poetic Justice’s third volume of collected poems. Incarcerated women in Oklahoma involved with Poetic Justice wrote each of these poems during classes the organization
A showcase of art that one inmate made with the same dimensions as her cell window accompanied the reading.
photo by Michaela Flonard
Variety
29 January 2018
The Collegian: 11
“To Be Seen” an examination of division between art and audience
Sarah Gross’s installation at Living Arts, with its inclusions of ceramics and Islamic-inspired architecture, challenges the audience more with each piece. Emily Every Student Writer
Sarah Gross is a veritable connoisseur of human and visual divisions, and her ceramic exhibit “To Be Seen” is proof. The exhibit is based on motifs of ornamentation in Islamic architecture and is composed of three ceramic wall pieces and a ceramic installation. “The Line You Cannot Touch,” one of Gross’s wall pieces, consists entirely of large ceramic quatrefoils. Each ceramic is in its own gradient of blue hues, and the overall palette resembles a cool-toned seascape Monet may have painted.
These light colors contrast with the heft of the ceramic itself: each individual quatrefoil is at least eight inches by eight inches, and they bulge outward from the gallery’s wall. There are nearly forty of these pieces, together making up what appears to be an empty frame against the wall. This is the first of many divisions and screens implicit in Gross’s work. The heavy-set frame is exclusionary from both the external and the internal. The geometry in the piece screens an empty piece of wall from the viewer, and it begs the audience to examine themselves and their perspective in relation to this screen. The exhibit is borderline alienating. To quote Gross’s artist statement, “Closeness does not establish intimacy.” This lack of intimacy is nowhere clearer than the installation piece, titled “Consumption,” which I mistook as an actual barrier blocking the front wall of the gallery when I
first walked in the building. The installation is referential to the iconic red carpet seen so often in media and celebrity culture, complete with the velveteen red ropes blocking off the viewer. The piece replaces the red carpet with hexagonal red ceramic pieces. The ceramics are not flat, but instead bubble up in large organic blobs. This renders the ceramic itself to be facsimile of an actual carpet: somewhat similar in looks, but impossible to use. Again, the piece consists of barriers. Instead of a frame, there are ropes blocking off the art. This, of course, is a part of the installation, but it also works as yet another screen against the audience. Gross challenges the audience to take selfies and “participate in the crassness of a VIP event,” but the art itself remains nearly unapproachable. This is due partially to the use of barricades and organic yet alien
The gallery is deceptively simple in display, with each piece featuring intricately made and placed ceramic chunks.
photos by Emily Every
“Firmament,” not discussed in the article, helps to further display Gross’s affinity with ceramics.
shapes, but also to the preconceived barrier between viewer and art. The other pieces of Gross’s exhibit explore the use of arches in a two-dimensional space, representationalism in a three-dimensional space, and intentionally incomplete patterns. Gross never stops challenging the predetermined, all while staying faithful to the Islamic ornamentation theme. “To Be Seen” is on display in the front room of Living Arts in the Brady Arts District until Thursday Feb. 15 with free admission. While it may be easy to be turned off by the conceptual questions Gross aims to bring up in her work, the exhibit itself is grand, playful and valuable to see even outside the context of the artist’s statement. A floor-length ceramic red carpet is fun; contemplating issues of screens between viewer and art is completely optional.
The State-Run Media
29 January 2018
the
State-Run media The snacc that smiles back: Tide Pods.
Tide launches adult-proof packaging
With written and verbal warnings not being an adequate deterrent for curious nibblers, Tide Pods now test mental fitness before use. Sara Serrano Dares not indulge in the forbidden fruit
Photo of the calculator after Felt installed some of his upgrades.
graphic by Madeline Woods
1893 calculator runs DOOM (1993)
TU CS major Anthony Felt spent all of last finals week modifying an old mechanical calculator to run everyone’s favorite classic game. Conner Maggio Windows 95 User
Local TU sophomore Anthony Felt, who had previously installed “DOOM” on an electric tea kettle, has recently made headlines by getting a calculator from 1893 to run “DOOM.” Witnesses say that they noticed a scrawny and socially awkward boy trying to steal an old calculator from a glass case in Keplinger. They did not call Campus Security or anything because “it didn’t seem like a big deal at the time,” adding “We just kinda figured that that’s how Keplinger works.” Despite Keplinger’s wild-west nature, Felt was caught on the buildings single security camera. However, Campus Security “just kinda figured that that’s how Keplinger works.” Felt spent every minute of finals week last semester trying to program “DOOM” (1993) into his calculator, and just like a compilers project, didn’t finish it until five months later. Now the calculator may not have a screen, or controls, or sound, but he finally managed to install the software by crudely attaching a micro SD card and a GTX 1050 with duct tape and copper wire. There is no screen, but the real joy of “DOOM” does not lie with the visuals. It all lies with the gameplay. The game, as expected, ran perfectly. No lag or hiccups at all, running at a full 60 FPS. The controls are a little wonky, you
use divide to shoot, control dial to pause and movement works by wiggling the number dial. All other controls were cut for simplicity’s sake. So no buttons for the run or use buttons, but you really do not need those to play this game, you just have to be really good at “DOOM.” Anthony Felt said, “Basically I am the best programming student ever, and if anyone has any internship opportunities, I am available for hire. Please. I am very desperate. I do not want to go back to supervising Bible camp. I will take any job, whatsoever. I can’t deal with it anymore. The screaming children and mosquitos are absolutely unbearable.” Later, when asked about the actual thing he did, he said, “Oh well it’s kinda a meme, and that’s why I spent hundreds of hours of my life creating it. I am just really passionate about what strangers on the internet think about me. ‘DOOM’ is really an okay game, definitely not my favorite. I prefer games like “Skyrim,” but that does not come to calculators until 2020. It took every bit of computer science I had ever learned from Google to do, but overall it was definitely worth the effort and will continue to decorate my apartment living room until I leave this university.” Truly an impressive display of talent coming from the University of Tulsa’s school of computer science. Every single part of this story is revolutionary and will definitely change all technology ever made from this point on. When asked about the impact of this on the history of calculators, Felt added that “it is a shame that the makers of the ancient calculator were not alive to see their creation being perfected. This is the single greatest thing done with a calculator since I calculated how much I had earned in Bitcoin last month.”
“Oh well it’s kinda a meme, and that’s why I spent hundreds of hours of my life creating it.”
Photo taken after the controller’s arrest.
graphic by Madeline Woods
In response to multiple injuries and deaths associated with people attempting to eat their Tide Pods product for reasons ranging from satiating a primal urge to gaining internet fame, Procter & Gamble has now relaunched the product with new adult-proof packaging. A spokesperson for the brand spoke on the decision in a recent press release. “Procter & Gamble cares deeply about the safety of our patrons. In light of the new ‘Tide Pod Challenge,’ we have now deemed it necessary to heighten our safety precautions to both protect customers and limit liability in cases of misuse. We hope the public understands and continues to use our products as directed.” The new packaging unveiled last week in stores across the nation to the confusion of many. Each Tide Pod now features a triplelock protection system, with each layer testing different levels of mental fitness. The first layer features a breathalyzer test, checking to see if the user has vaped in the past 24 hours. If passed, the layer breaks free and the user may continue.
The second layer scans the room for recording equipment. If the sensors detect a camera in near vicinity to the user, the Tide Pod automatically self-destructs and sends out an Electromagnetic Pulse to destroy all nearby electronics. If the room is cleared, the user can move on. The final layer is simply a question of the user’s intentions. “To eat or not to eat?” Answering correctly grants access to the laundry pods. “These security measures will be randomized to assure veracity,” continued the spokesperson. “Again, we apologize that this has become a necessary feature, but we assure that the cleaning power of Tide remains just as fantastic as before.” The public has had mixed feelings about this product redesign. “Well, I for one think it’s great! These days, it’s not just kids that need supervision.” says concerned mother of four Shelby Fosters, “Millennials will put just about anything in their mouths.” The internet, however, has not taken so kindly to these changes. “How DARE @Tide try to stop us from partaking in thE mOSt DanGErOUs SnACc??!! I thought this was AMERICA!” said Twitter user IntellectualMeep. “Ok um but further forbidding the forbidden snack is just gonna make wanna me snack on it more, @Tide,” user KayJay28 tweeted. Time will tell if these safety measures will be effective. Let’s just hope that people don’t try to eat bath bombs next.
“How DARE @Tide try to stop us from partaking in thE mOSt DanGErOUs SnACc??!!”
N64 controller on parole after 20 years After its landmark conviction and 20 year sentence, the N64 controller reflects on what it means to be a game controller in today’s society. Brennen Gray Fan of the Dreamcast controller After 20 years in prison, the N64 controller was released on parole. The video game controller terrorized the hands of young gamers by giving them blisters in the middle of their palms before finally being caught in a shootout with police officers in the late ‘90s. The game “Mario Party” often required gamers to spin the analog stick as fast as they could. People quickly found the best way to do this was with one’s palm, which caused blisters. Nintendo, Mr. 64’s lawyer, claimed that kids playing “Mario Party” could just use their thumb and forefinger. The opposing lawyer claimed, “Yeah, but that’s just freakin’ dumb, man. It’s way faster to use your palm,” which won the Supreme Court case in a 9-0 vote. Originally, Mr. 64 was sentenced to death by becoming obsolete, but Nintendo pulled a brilliant move to defend its client and released a ton of crap that was not nearly as beloved as Mr. 64. His sentence was then revised to prison time. The judge gave his opinions on the reasons for Mr. 64’s release. “I mean it’s a controller. I really don’t even know if there is a law about that,” said the judge. Since the controller began coming to
America from overseas, many parents have worried about their children playing with them. This caused a divide in America as many believed the controller’s crimes came from the fact that he was a controller, while others claimed this was stereotyping. Controllers’ rights groups blasted the conviction in the first place, and some believe their hand in the nationwide controversy helped to ease the judge’s decision. Some interest groups take credit for the national attention the case got in the first place. “Look at that one guy. The football player? C. J. Stilton? F. U. Sultan? O. J. Simpson! No one had even heard of him in the ‘90s because people were still talking about the landmark case of N64 v. the U.S.,” commented an anonymous worker at the Committee for Controllers’ Rights. In an exclusive interview, Mr. 64 shared his thoughts on the situation. “Being a video game controller means everyone tries to use you. Sometimes you get blamed for others’ mistakes.” When asked, the controller seemed indifferent to Nintendo’s promise to give out gloves purely for the use of “Mario Party.” Nintendo also refused to comment on the settlement, probably because he likes to pretend it never actually happened. Mr. 64 was very willing to talk about his plans, however. “I got arrested when I was pretty young. Now that I am free, I plan to start a family, have a few kids, maybe settle down in a cardboard box in your grandma’s attic,” Mr. 64 told us. Mr. 64 was last seen passed out drunk in a park after a string of bar fights. No one is sure if this is a violation of his parole considering he had no deadly weapon since his notorious analog stick was removed in prison.
“Being a video game controller means everyone tries to use you.”