a student newspaper of the University of Tulsa
April 18, 2022 - Issue 22 - Volume 107
Eric Konkol discusses plans for TU Basketball, page 3
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David E. Sanger visits TU, page 2
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COVID anxiety exacerbates mental health issues, page 5 Dr. Tingey shares variety favorites, page 6
News
The Collegian: 2
18 April 2022
Fake Secret Service agents infiltrate government Two men impersonated Secret Service agents for over two years, fooling government officials and law enforcement. Logan Guthrie Commentary Editor At the beginning of this month, Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali were arrested for impersonating officers of the Department of Homeland Security. Taherzadeh and Ali kept up their charade for over two years and — according to the Justice Department’s account — pose a threat to the community and are a flight risk. The scheme is said to have begun in February 2020, and would have likely continued much longer than it did if the names of the two individuals had not shown up to a postal inspector in another case unrelated to this one.
The Justice Department reports that the two perpetrators had a stockpile of weapons and other military-esque equipment as well as records of overseas contacts and travel. According to a memo written by the prosecutors, “The Defendants were not merely playing dress-up. They had firearms, they had ammunition, they had body armor, they had tactical gear, they had surveillance equipment.”
Embassy of Pakistan did not immediately respond to requests for comment.” No motive for their actions have been identified, and prosecutors are still working on procuring a source of the funding for this con. “Neither Defendant is even employed by the United States government. But their impersonation scheme was sufficiently realistic to convince other government employees, including law enforcement agents, of
law enforcement agents in sensitive positions.” Four Secret Service agents did reportedly accept the tens of thousands of dollars worth of gifts that Ali and Taherzadeh offered, which included rent-free apartments. These agents have been put on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing. According to the affidavit, Taherzadeh offered to buy an assault rifle worth $2,000
“‘But their impersonation scheme was sufficiently realistic to convince other government employees ... of their false identities.’” In addition to the above information, there are uncorroborated reports that Taherzadeh and Ali have some form of connections to the ISI, the Pakistani intelligence service. According to The Washington Post, “The
their false identities,” wrote the prosecutors. “They pretended to recruit other individuals to law enforcement and their fake operation [...] and leveraged their phony law enforcement status to ingratiate themselves to other
courtesy Wikimedia Commons
The scam reportedly began in February 2020.
for one of the agents, who was assigned to First Lady Jill Biden’s personal detail at the time. In one of the two men’s apartments, the weapons found included loaded Glock 19 Sig Sauer handguns, among other related items. Taherzadeh was previously charged with assault and battery of his wife in 2013 and has since been barred from owning any sort of firearm. Other items found in the two fraudulent federal agents’ possession included Homeland Security patches, a SWAT-quality drone, hand-held radios, gas masks and body armor. Additionally, there were documents found in the men’s possession marked “law enforcement sensitive.” The two are confirmed to be United States citizens, but Ali had five different visas in his possession, two for Iran travel and three for Pakistan. It seems that he allegedly traveled to Iran just a month before he began his stint as a fake federal agent. The Pakistan visas are even older. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein has asked for the two men to remain detained until trial. Neither Ali nor Taherzadeh have entered any sort of formal plea at this time.
David E. Sanger gives presidential lecture The New York Times writer discussed cyber warfare and geopolitics. Justin Klopfer Editor-in-Chief Last Tuesday, April 12, David E. Sanger gave a public talk in TU’s Reynolds Center as part of the Presidential Lecture Series. Sanger is the chief Washington correspondent for the New York Times and the author of “The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age.” He was given a brief introduction by TU President Brad
ceived in popular media; they are not a new nuclear weapon. The real worry is far more subtle: the “selective change of data.” Cyber warfare has yet to come under any sort of humanitarian convention, leaving the realm of acceptability incredibly murky. Many fear a foreign adversary decommissioning American electric grids, though so far the U.S. has yet to renounce using such an attack on our adversaries. While the attacks seem extreme, they are still generally preferable to a traditional invasion; if they are preventing war, they can be justified, in Sanger’s view. Still, a sort of Geneva Convention will likely prove necessary as the cyber front grows in importance.
“‘We had assumed we evolved beyond this level of barbarism.’” Carson before his talk. Previous Presidential Lecture Series speakers include historian Jared Diamond, journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, and composer Stephen Sondheim. Sanger’s main topic was the evolution of cyber attacks over the last 15 years and what the future holds for this frontier. Sanger argued that cyber weapons are often miscon-
courtesy utulsa.edu Sanger is a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner and widely known for his investigative work.
One unique aspect of current and future cyber operations is the degree to which private corporations will be involved. When attacks target the software of Microsoft and Google, for example, these companies are likely to discover the intrusions before the government does. The data the companies hold on the American populace as well as the importance of their purposes within society may also make them prime targets for attack. An absurd but valuable example of a cyber attack came from North Korea against Sony Pictures. Hackers attempted to wipe the hard drives of Sony’s computers before the release of their film The Interview, which has Seth Rogen attempting to assassinate Kim Jong-un. The question that the incident raised was the extent to which it is the government’s responsibility to respond to such an attack. Sony Pictures surely doesn’t represent “critical infrastructure,” but it seems unreasonable to expect a private American company to fend off massive, politicallyrelated cyber attacks like this one. Sanger also retold the story of Stuxnet, a joint effort between the U.S. and Israel to destroy centrifuges in Iran. The plan began under Bush, but was transferred to the Obama administration, where then-Vice President Biden was “deeply involved” with the operation. At some point, the Stuxnet virus was leaked and eventually used by malicious actors in other attacks. Sanger argues that we have to ask whether attacks like Stuxnet are worth orchestrating in light of these conse-
quences; introducing a catastrophic exploit into the cyber ecosystem can have dire effects if it falls into the wrong hands. Sanger then shifted to discussing the current war in Ukraine. The war has shocked Americans in its brutality: “We had assumed we evolved beyond this level of barbarism,” he said of the invasion. America’s less-than-stringent handling of Russia in the past may be partly to blame for the brazenness of Putin’s attack, in Sanger’s view. “We under-reacted to the annexation of Crimea,” he specified, claiming many Obama administration officials would now agree with the sentiment.
Sanctions, the main action the U.S. has engaged in against Russia, may in turn cause Putin to resort to cyber attacks, which could possibly inflict similar economic damage. The trouble with cyber attacks, in Sanger’s view, is that there isn’t a clear imperative to retaliate. “If they turn the lights off in Warsaw … I’m willing to bet we’re not [going to war].” Sanger indicated that his next book would compare the Cold War to current international tensions involving Russia and China. In spite of the tragedy of the war in Ukraine, Sanger maintained that China is America’s “biggest long term strategic worry.”
Every
Voice Matters DEMOCRATIC SPEAKERS & Q&A
Friday, April 22, 2022 5:00pm-6:30pm Chapman Lecture Hall
President Brad Carson, Councilwoman Crista Patrick, Representative John Waldron
Sports
18 April 2022
The Collegian: 3
Eric Konkol heads Hurricane as basketball coach
Sports editor Callie Hummel talks to the new head basketball coach about his plans for the program’s future. When Coach Eric Konkol came back to the University of Tulsa after 21 years away, he noticed the growth of the school, the campus and the community. Now, he’s back to grow the basketball team in the same way. The new men’s basketball head coach at the University of Tulsa comes straight from a seven-year head coaching position at LA Tech with a 153-75 overall record. Throughout such a successful career at LA Tech and working with colleagues he thoroughly enjoyed, Tulsa stayed on his mind because of our rich tradition and community. The University of Tulsa was Konkol’s first experience as a basketball coach, as a student assistant for the school during the 2000-2001 season.
Konkol knows from firsthand experience that a good relationship with your teammates can take you much farther than just having a winning season. Konkol played his first two years of college at Wisconsin Platteville where he met Duffy Conroy. Although both men transferred their second year, the relationship they built stayed strong. Post college, the pair drove around the country together hosting basketball camps in hopes to one day become coaches. Conroy was just recently appointed to an assistant coach position with TU after spending his last seven years on the LA Tech coaching staff with Konkol. Konkol and Conroy’s story is a true testament to community and “if you do this
“Konkol has big plans for the men’s team at TU ...” Community is a big aspect of Coach Konkol’s coaching style, and he holds it to almost as much importance as decreasing the margin from good to great. Konkol thinks that “college sports are a big deal and a big part of the environment in college.” An individual team is part of the athletic department with other teams, the school with all the students and the community of everyone living in Tulsa. This can make the team feel like they are part of something bigger, feeling the enthusiasm, and play a more competitive game due to the fans’ high energy. Fostering an internal community is just as important, bringing a new phrase to the TU basketball team, “iron sharpens iron.”
thing right, you’re gonna become the best basketball player you can be… and then you can have lasting friendships from this experience as well.” While the team is striving to foster their community, they are also looking to build it. Wanting to recruit from the inside out, the new coaching staff has hit the ground running with recruiting. Already adhering to their promises of looking for more local talent, the staff has signed two high school seniors from Texas to add to the guards for TU. There might be bigger and more athletically focused schools around the area, but Konkol is confident that pitching TU as a
“perfect marriage between academics and
pushing each other during workouts and courtesy @TUMBasketball on Twitter
athletics… individual attention, and commitment to helping young people grow” is enough to put TU at the top of their list. There is already a lot of talent on the TU team, therefore the pre-season will be spent working to polish the small parts of basketball, so the team can put them all together to play competitive games. Since “it’s a game that’s decided in a few possessions,” working on having a low turnover percentage, playing aggressively and keeping teams from having multiple shots per possession are the big picture tasks for this season. The way they are “shrinking the little margin from good to great” on those big picture ideas is seen in the daily work of players
courtesy @TUMBasketball on Twitter
practices, putting in extra time alone and fostering strengths of one another while still focusing on getting stronger at weaknesses. Konkol has big plans for the men’s team at TU and high hopes for the program in the future, but the success and community are not something he can do all on his own. He wants to make sure students know that, “We need your help, we need you at our games, we need your support, and of course we want to be connected with you.”
courtesy @TUMBasketball on Twitter
LeBron James out with injury for rest of season Commentary editor Logan Guthrie discusses the ankle injury that will keep James out of his 19th season. On April 8, the Los Angeles Lakers sent out the following Tweet: “LeBron James’ left ankle was recently reevaluated by Lakers medical staff, and it was determined that due to the ankle sprain James suffered in a game on March 27th, he will miss the remainder of the 2021-22 NBA season to allow for continued healing and an expected full recovery.”
James has still managed to have a successful season despite all of this. He averaged 30.3 points per game, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists within 37.2 minutes a night. Furthermore, his average points per game are the highest that they have been since the 2007-08 season. While James’ statistics are for an incomplete season, they are still numbers that he should be very proud of.
“He has missed a total of five games out of the Lakers’ last six ...” This confirmed a previous message from James himself on April 1, which fans hoped was just an April Fools’ Day Prank from the NBA star. Considering the team was already eliminated from playoff contention before James would have made it back on the court, the likelihood that he would have made a significant difference is not very high. This is not the first serious injury that a Lakers player has had this season. Russell Westbrook had an injury in his right shoulder that prevented him from playing against the Golden State Warriors. Anthony Davis only recently returned after spraining his foot. Kendrick Nunn had a bruise on his bone that kept him out for the entire season. The injury has not fully healed, however, he does plan to opt in for next season. With all of the injuries the Lakers have faced this year, the team has not lived up to either their potential or people’s expectations, and this has led to the second time that they have missed the postseason since 2018 when the team first acquired James. courtesy Wikimedia Commons
He has missed a total of five games out of the Lakers’ last six, so it came as no surprise when they announced he was out for the remainder of the season. He reached out to his fans and supporters on social media saying, “I appreciate it and love y’all love! Wish it was done in a winning fashion though! Gave everything I had to this season when I was on the floor! See y’all again in the fall.” Unfortunately, his missed games will cost James the scoring title he was in the running for this year. It will be interesting to see if he will be able to come back in his Year 20 next season and be able to keep up his previous pace and potentially win the title for 2022-23. The injury does not appear to be serious enough to require surgery, and he has no plans to retire before the next season. Most likely, he is still holding true to his hope and willingness to do anything to play with his son wherever Brony is drafted for his first season and make that the way he goes out.
Sports
The Collegian: 4
18 April 2022
Scottie Scheffler wins his first Masters
Sports editor Callie Hummel discusses the major win at Augusta National from the young golfer. Crying the morning before the final round of a major tournament isn’t the type of behavior most #1 athletes on the leaderboard would partake in, but that’s exactly what Scottie Scheffler did the morning of the first day of the Masters. The 25-year-old golfer came out of nowhere and has grown exponentially within the past year. In just February and March, Scheffler took first in the WM Phoenix Open, Arnold Palmer Invitational and a World Golf Championships Match Play event.
would have liked, Woods was simply grateful he was able to finish the entire tournament. On the final day of the tournament, Scheffler led the competitors in the #1 spot, but Smith followed only 3 strokes behind. The daunting finish with major competitors so close behind inevitably made Scheffler quite nervous. On an important tee off, he sent the ball into the tree line. This hiccup in the beginning put Smith only one stroke behind Scheffler in the opening two holes. However that initial anxiety on the final
“... at 25 years old he’s considered the best golf player in the world.” courtesy @TheMasters on Twitter
Scheffler arrived at the 2022 Masters tournament having only participated in the major tournament two other times. Playing alongside some of the best players in golf such as Tiger Woods, Cameron Smith and Rory McIlroy, Scheffler still rose to the top of the ranks quite rapidly. Tiger Woods currently has the second most Masters wins with five, most recently in 2019. Although a car accident almost inhibited Woods from competing this year, he was able to finish the entire tournament and land in 47th place out of 90 competitors. Although the placement was lower than he
morning wore off quickly, something Scheffler contributes to “feeling at peace on the golf course.” Having Scheffler and Smith battle out the win down to the last hole seems as though it will be a recurring event in the coming years — if both competitors continue with the same success they’ve achieved. Both men are part of the new generation of golfers, 30 years old or younger, who are frequently winning tour tournaments. Although Scheffler kept this unwavering concentration for the first 17 holes of the final day, the realization of his upcoming vic-
tory made him falter on the 18th hole. On the final green, his concentration turned to giddiness as he took four putts to finally get the ball in the hole. With sinking the final ball, he officially became the champion and won the tournament at 10 under. Even with his mishap on the final hole, Scheffler placed three strokes below second place, McIlroy. Winning the Masters meant Scheffler got one of the infamous green jackets that he “hasn’t taken off,” but also means at 25 years old he’s considered the best golf player in the world. His caddy, Ted Scott, also took home the flag from the final hole, and
courtesy Wikimedia Commons
has since used it as decoration in every room of his house. As Scheffler goes on to play more Opens, PGA tournaments and Masters to come, there’s no doubt his name will be seen more and more.
courtesy @justinwells2424 on Twitter
Apr. 18 - Apr. 24 Monday
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Wednesday 19
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W Tennis American AthW Tennis letic Conference American Athletic Conference Cham- Championship TBD pionship TBD M Tennis Track & Field American AthW Tennis W Tennis John Jacob’s InviTrack & Field letic Conference American AthAmerican Athtational John Jacob’s InviW Tennis Championship letic Conference letic Conference W Tennis All Day tational American Athletic All Day Championship American Athletic Championship All Day Conference ChamAll Day TBD Conference Championship pionship M Tennis Softball M Tennis Softball TBD M Tennis All Day American Ath- vs. South Florida vs. SMU vs. Oklahoma American Athletic letic Conference 10:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. State Conference Cham- Championship 5:00 p.m. pionship All Day All Day Softball vs. South Florida 6:00 p.m.
Rowing @ Iowa State All Day Softball vs. South Florida 3:00 p.m.
18 April 2022
Commentary
The Collegian: 5
COVID intensifies youth mental healthcare inequity has reported that mental health has been affected by the pandemic, the results of the poll makes sense. Val Hinkle, 23, explained why they said the pandemic had not made their mental health worse.
“I found it hard to be alone with my thoughts. It also worsened my substance abuse as I looked for something to numb that,” they added. Mental Health America noted that “the rate of severe depression was highest among
“... We should approach mental health the same way we do physical health.” The COVID-19 pandemic has put more strain on an already fragile healthcare system. Hana Saad Student Writer Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, I have spiraled in various ways. Granted, I have faced some issues with my mental health before the pandemic, but the ones that happened after March 2020 seem especially vicious and debilitating. At the beginning of the pandemic, the CDC reported that “symptoms of anxiety disorder and depressive disorder increased considerably in the United States during April–June of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019.” These statistics are tough to look at, but are also incredibly validating as someone who has dealt with mental health issues. Although we often hear that the pandemic has affected mental health, it was difficult for me to believe it. For a time, I felt like I was simply broken. My problems were a result of my character or genetics, not because of new stressors in my life. As hard as it has been navigating the pandemic, I was lucky and privileged enough to have the support of my family, both financially and emotionally, during the past few years. I didn’t have to risk my life to make a living. But this meant that I was in slight denial of just how deeply the pandemic affected me. A few weeks ago, I asked my followers on Instagram whether or not they felt the pandemic had worsened their mental health. Out of 62 respondents, 89 percent voted yes and 11 percent voted no. Of course, this is only an informal survey, but considering that information from the CDC and MHA
“I said no because I’m autistic and trans, so interacting with most people already feels like a gamble. Also, I graduated and now I work from home, which immensely helped my mental health. College basically killed me.” Despite how their mental health has improved, they also noted that “the pandemic has been very isolating, and it continues to be. It’s a double-edged sword. It’s been nice to have time away from people, but I still miss people. COVID-19 anxiety is very high because my partner is immunocompromised and COVID-19 would surely [kill] them. But overall [my] mental health is better. [I] wish I could go out and do some more things without fear [of] COVID-19, however.” The US healthcare system is full of inequities, often meaning the most privileged or wealthy receive the best care, with nearly everyone else falling to the wayside. This is especially true for mental health care services, which are often unavailable to many Americans due to cost or lack of resources. Mental Health America, a non-profit dedicated to promoting mental health services, recently published a 2022 report about the state of mental health in the U.S. In their studies, they considered how different factors, such as socioeconomic status and race or ethnicity, affect the treatment and outcomes for those who struggle with depression, anxiety and/or substance abuse issues. For example, they found that, “over 2.5 million youth in the U.S. have severe depression, and multiracial youth are at greatest risk. 10.6 percent of youth in the U.S. have severe major depression (depression that severely affects functioning).” Hannah Vance, 22, voted yes in the poll. She said, “as an extrovert who struggles with depression, not being able to surround myself with people worsened my depression because I find joy in surrounding myself with others.
youth who identified as more than one race, at 14.5 percent (more than one in every seven multiracial youth).” The organization also recorded how many Americans had insurance and the number of people who accessed mental health services. They reported that “over half of adults with
graphic by Amy Polovich If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, contemplating of suicide or is in need of a professional, please contact the above resources for assistance or more information.
Security officers were assigned to investigate missing property from John Mabee Hall which was had been placed outside the residential building. A non-affiliate made a delivery to this location and was notified at a later time, the alleged affiliate received partial items. The non-affiliate did not own the items and it was a business transaction delivery performed by a company not affiliated with the University of Tulsa. Copy of report forwarded to Housing and Student Affairs for their review.
April 5 2:25 pm University of Tulsa Campus Safety and Security officers were dispatched to a disturbance in progress near the Physical Plant. The suspect fled the scene before officers arrived. Officers made contact with the victim, who stated they would provide a statement at a later date. The investigation is ongoing. Copy of report forwarded to Physical Plant and Human Resources for their review. April 6 4:05 pm University of Tulsa Campus Safety and Security officers responded to the Norman Village Apartments to investigate a report of marijuana odor. Officers were unable to locate the source of the odor. Officers took a statement from the reporting party and completed a Housing Contact Card. Copy of report forwarded to Housing and Student Affairs for their review. April 7 9:35 pm University of Tulsa Campus Safety and Security officers responded to a reported burglary in the Mayo Village Apartments. Officers met the victims who stated items had been taken from their apartment. Officers collected written statements from the victims and advised them to file reports with the Tulsa Police Department. Officers were unable to identify any suspects. Copy of report forwarded to Housing and Student Affairs for their review. April 8 12:00 pm University of Tulsa Campus Safety and Security officers were dispatched to the Care
ATC Facility regarding a student who had sustained an injury at Fisher West Suites. Officers provided basic first aid to a wound on the student. The student declined Emergency Medical Services Authority and officers advised the student to seek medical examination of the wound. Copy of report forwarded to Housing, Student Affairs and Hurricane Health Center for their review. 6:50 pm University of Tulsa Campus Safety and Security officers responded to a report of a disturbance in the University Square West Apartments. Officers determined a domestic dispute occurred. No fighting resulted from the dispute and all parties involved declined Tulsa Police intervention. Officers took a statement from a TU affiliate and issued a trespass warning to a TU non-affiliate. A contact card was created. Copy of report forwarded to Housing and Student Affairs for their review. 8:20 pm University of Tulsa Campus Safety and Security officers responded to a report of smoke at the Reynolds Center. The Tulsa Fire Department (TFD) was contacted and advised the building to be evacuated. Officers arrived on scene and secured the area effected by the smoke. TFD was notified and cancelled the evacuation order. TFD rendered services and determined the area was safe but the device causing the smoke was inoperable. Copy of report forwarded to Physical Plant and Human Resources for their review. April 11 10:00 am University of Tulsa Campus Safety and
a mental illness do not receive treatment, totaling over 27 million adults in the U.S. who are going untreated.” This number has been increasing each year since 2011. Although the state of American healthcare is dismal, we should approach mental health the same way we do physical health. There are programs in place to help reduce costs of mental health services and some insurances do offer coverage for seeing therapists, for example, but many of these services are still too expensive for many Americans. Not to mention the stigma that still exists for those who seek ways to manage mental illness. Preventative care matters just as much as emergency care. True self-care — the stuff of boundaries, proper living wages and safe work environments — is what is needed to help people maintain and perhaps even improve their health.
tucollegian@tucollegian.com editor in chief
Justin Klopfer managing editor
Adam Walsh news editor
Shelby Hiens sports editor
Callie Hummel variety editor
Julianne Tran commentary editor
Logan Guthrie satire editor
Anna Johns photo & graphics editor
Amy Polovich
business & advertising manager
Madeleine Goodman social media & web manager
Maddie Walters copy editor
Jihan Aldada
April 13 3:57 pm Sex Offense: Rape April 14 12:00 am Sex Offense: Fondling The Collegian does not produce or edit the Campus Crime Watch except for content and brevity.
@TUCOLLEGIAN
The Collegian is the student newspaper of the University of Tulsa. It is distributed Mondays during the fall and spring semesters, except during holidays and final exam weeks. The University of Tulsa does not discriminate on the basis of personal status or group characteristics including but not limited to the classes protected under federal and state law. Inquiries regarding implementation of this policy may be addressed to the Office of Human Resources, 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104-9700. (918)631-2616. Requests for accomodation of disabilities may be addressed to the university’s 504 Coordinator, Dr. Tawny Rigsby. (918)631-3814. To ensure availability of an interpreter, five to seven days notice is needed; 48 hours is recommended for all other accomodations. Advertising Policy: Advertising appearing in this publication does not imply approval or endorsement by the University of Tulsa or the Collegian for the products or services advertised. For advertising information, email the Collegian at advertising @tucollegian.org. The deadline for advertising is noon on the Friday prior to publication. Letter Policy: Letters to the editor must be less than 500 words and can be sent to tucollegian@tucollegian. org. Under no circumstances will anonymous letters be published. The name of the person submitting the letter must be published with the letter. We reserve the right to edit or reject all letters. The deadline for letters is 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication. Editing Policy: The Collegian reserves the right to edit all copy submitted by all writers. This editing my take place in many forms, including grammar corrections, changes in paragraph structure or even the addition or removal of sections of content. Editorial Policy: Columnists are solely responsible for the content of their columns. Opinions expressed in columns may not represent the opinions of the Collegian staff, the administrative policies of the University of Tulsa, the views of the student body or our advertisers.
The Collegian: 6
Celebrate National Poetry Month and National Arab American Heritage Month by listening to “Seen Jeem.” Hana Saad Student Writer T.S. Eliot may have said that April is the cruelest month, but that must have been before it became designated as National Poetry Month and National Arab American Heritage Month. Celebrate this month by listening to “Seen Jeem” — a podcast that features Arab American writers. There may be only a cou-
Variety
ple weeks left in April, but that leaves you plenty of time to explore some of the latest episodes on the show, which feature conversations with Arab Americans who write all sorts of things, from poetry to graphic novels. The name of the show comes from the two Arabic letters of the alphabet it references. They explain that “Seen ( )سJeem ( ) جis the Arabic for Q and A.” The podcast features work from Arab Americans as well as those who are part of the Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) diaspora. As stated on their website, “the Seen Jeem Podcast is brought to you by the Center for Arab American Studies and the Arab American National Museum. It is funded by the
University of Michigan Arts Initiative and the Ford Community Development Fund.” The show was created in November 2021. The first episode kicked off with a conversation with Dunya Mikhail. She discussed her poetry collection, “In Her Feminine Sign.” The conversation is illuminating. Mikhail is a talented, thoughtful writer. It was beautiful to hear her describe her work and her writing process. There truly is not a better episode in this podcast to listen to considering it covers both celebrations for this month. For fans of poetry, episode four also covers a collection by author Hayan Charara. “These Trees, Those Leaves, This Flower, That Fruit” is Charara’s latest collection. They discuss themes like memory and community in the episode. If poetry isn’t your thing, but Young Adult fiction is, then you’ll want to listen to episode five with Diana Abu-Jaber, author of “Silverworld.” A professor of writing and literature at Portland State University, AbuJaber focuses on food and identity as part of her work. The most recent episode, which is also the last episode in season one, features a conversation with Malaka Gharib to discuss her graphic memoir, “I Was Their American Dream.” Both a journalist and a cartoonist, Gharib discusses her memoir, which explores some of the facets of the immigrant experience, as well as upcoming projects. In addition to the podcast, the website features extra content in specific sections
18 April 2022
courtesy Center for Arab American Studies Seen Jeem started in November 2021.
for each page. These include descriptions of the writer’s work, their bio and videos of them reading their work aloud. This can be especially valuable for those who are aspiring writers. It is inspiring to hear the words of other writers, especially if you aim to publish something of your own one day. Lovers of the written word are sure to enjoy this podcast, as it covers a variety of genres. Season one of this podcast has been phenomenal. The seasons to come will no doubt be even better. It is a great way to stay up to date on the incredible work that many Arab American writers are producing right now in the U.S. and abroad. This podcast is available on all streaming platforms.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” a must-see A24’s latest film takes viewers on a wild, shocking and riveting ride that defies genre convention. Margaret Laprarie Student Writer You’re at the IRS. You own a laundromat. Jamie Lee Curtis is the accountant doing your tax audit. Now you’re in a different universe. You’re being told you have to save the world. Your husband eats a tube of chapstick and starts battling everyone in the IRS office, a fanny pack as his weapon of choice. You punch Jamie Lee Curtis in the face. The two of you are fighting, she has a bagel on her forehead. It won’t stop until you confess your love for her. Your daughter is evil, she’s leading you toward a giant bagel. Suddenly, everyone has hot dogs for fingers. Because they have hot dogs for fingers, activities like playing the piano must be done with your toes. Need to wipe a tear from your face? Toes. Now you’re a rock. Now you’re a rock with googly eyes. You realize how much life is passing you by, how much every little moment counts, you realize you need to repair your relationship with your daughter. You’re the main character in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” the latest film from A24, directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert!
Confused? Intrigued? You should be. I went to see “Everything Everywhere All at Once” this week knowing only three things: it’s an A24 release, it has been getting crazy good reviews and on top of those glowing reviews is the same sentiment over and over again, it is the most insane movie anyone has ever seen. Other than that, I went in completely blind. My friend Erika, who I took with me went in even more blind, as she’d never even heard of the film before we went to go see it. I highly recommend this approach. Nothing can possibly prepare you for this movie, so don’t even try. As the film carried on, Erika and I experienced an incredible range of emotions. There were several occasions where we along with the rest of the audience were laughing out loud, absolutely baffled and thoroughly entertained by what was happening in front of us on screen. Then later, cringing out loud and shielding our eyes from something that we definitely did not expect to see. And by the end of the film, I felt a tear in my eye? The movie ended, and the two of us sat there motionless, slowly turned to one another, and burst out laughing for another minute or so before we could even begin to discuss what we had just experienced. It left us both speechless. There is honestly nothing I can say that will capture the essence of this film. You have to go and see it for yourself. The premise is completely wild but somehow absolutely sensical. The characters are convinc-
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” is directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.
courtesy A24
ing and hilarious, as are almost all of their actions. You feel for them, you can’t believe what they’ve just done, you feel like you need to rewind and see it again. The plot is entirely unpredictable and riveting the whole way through. Once you make it through, a message, or several possible ones do emerge and it is clear that there really is a method to all of the madness. In classic A24 fashion, the
movie is not only mind bending and shockingly unique, it is beautiful and so highly watchable. Even though it messed with our heads and completely derailed all of the homework we were supposed to do afterwards, Erika and I agreed that “Everything Everywhere All at Once” was incredible, and certainly a must-see.
What was the last book/movie/show that you actually found funny?
If you had to pick three songs for a Playlist of Your Life, what would they be?
I rewatched “Red” recently. What a great cast. I hope Bruce Willis will overcome the aphasia and be able to act again.
This is the most difficult question you’ve posed. I’m going to give five: (1) Thomas Dolby’s “Europa and the Pirate Twins,” a song of the 1980s expressing hope for an eventual reunification of divided Cold War Europe (I was in East Germany when the Berlin Wall fell). (2) Foo Fighters’ “Learn To Fly,” a Faustian striving and search for knowledge, music, freedom, love, and redemption. (3) Weezer’s “End Of The Game,” a search for the music and a tribute to the great Van Halen (R.I.P., EVH). As I’ve grown older, The Beatles’ “In My Life” has taken on greater meaning. It’s John Lennon’s look back with fondness on the people, places and things in his life, with a reminder that the loved ones of the present far outweigh those figures of the past. And I love and share the optimism of Howard Jones’ “Things Can Only Get Better.”
Police, The Clash, Modern English, Tears For Fears, The Romantics, INXS, the Blues Brothers, The Beatles and played our own stuff. We recorded two “albums” over two years with about 15 original songs. We were invited to an hourlong radio interview at KCMU (now KEXP), one of the early independent alternative rock stations in Seattle, housed in a small space in the basement of the Communications Building at the University of Washington. KCMU’s motto was that if any other station started playing a band’s music, they’d stop playing it. This is the station that first played Nirvana’s debut album Bleach. (Apparently, Kurt Cobain hand-delivered to this station himself the demo for the band’s first single, “Love Buzz.”) Each Sunday evening, the DJ would interview a band and broadcast several of their songs. They played our music and introduced us to Seattle. I remember at the end of the interview, the DJ closed by inviting listeners to join him again the following week when he would interview the next new band, Soundgarden. No one had ever heard of them at the time, of course. No one knew in 1987 that grunge would be the next big breakthrough in rock music. Needless to say, my band’s rock-with-a-horn-section sound was not what would go on to revolutionize rock.
What’s reading like for you? Is there a specific setting, mood, drink set-up? Usually, I read in bed in the morning. Nothing fancy. Is there a movie/show that you always return to? The TV shows I watch over and over again are “MASH,” “Seinfeld,” “The Office,” “Big Bang Theory.” Anyone who has had a class with me also knows I’m a lifelong “Star Wars” fan (episodes IV-VI). courtesy utulsa.edu Dr. Tingey teaches courses on “Faust” and “Beowulf.”
See Me After Class is a weekly column where a different professor reveals their variety favorites. Julianne Tran Variety Editor Dr. David Tingey is an associate professor of German and comparative literature who received his Ph.D. at the University of Washington in St. Louis. Beyond being an erudite professor, Tingey is an incredibly interesting man, having lived in East Germany when the Berlin Wall fell and played guitar in his own alternative rock band in Seattle whenever bands like Soundgarden were gaining traction. Tingey’s “Faust” class has been one of my favorites in my time at TU. What’s your favorite book? What book would you say all undergrads need to read before they graduate? My favorite book is Dostoevsky’s “Brothers Karamazov.” Everyone should read Goethe’s “Faust.” Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” is really powerful, too, but it’s a short libretto (set to the most beautiful music).
What’s your favorite Tulsa restaurant? Do you have any food/restaurant routines? My favorite restaurant is El Tequila. I love Mexican food. Is there a media/pop culture/entertainment/music side to you that students wouldn’t expect? I have always liked to read books written for young teens, especially fantasy: C.S. Lewis’s “Narnia” series, Brandon Mull’s “Fablehaven” series, Harry Potter, Tolkien, Michael Scott’s “The Secrets Of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel” series. As mentioned earlier, I’m a big “Star Wars” fan. I did not like episode 8, and I blame 9’s shortcomings on 8. I even enjoy “The Clone Wars” and “Rebels” cartoon series. (And don’t tell anyone, but I enjoyed “Solo” and “Rogue One.”)
Could you say more about your music/ band past? I played guitar and bass guitar in an alternative rock band in the mid-1980s (19841987) in Seattle. We called ourselves “The Buskers.” We had a saxophone, trumpet and trombone in the band. At dances we covered songs from The English Beat, The
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