a student newspaper of the university of tulsa
august 28, 2017 issue 1 ~ volume 103
In Memoriam pp. 8 - 11
Library dedicated to Tulsa artist and philanthropist, p. 4
World War II vet honored at student barbecue, p. 4
Sexual Assault at TU: A survivor shares her story and a critique of the university’s prevention program, p. 5 Cover design by Madeline Woods, photo courtesy University of Tulsa
The Collegian: 2
Sports
28 August 2017
Tulsa soccer comes away winless in home opener
Sports
28 August 2017
Totally non-Tulsa centric American Conference preview
Get hype, college football is back! We know you only care about the American Conference. Justin Guglielmetti Sports Editor Can you hear that? It’s the sound of 10 million bedframes creaking and sports fans yawning as middle America emerges from its summer-long athletic hibernation. To paraphrase the Starks of Winterfell, “college football is coming.” You won’t hear a lot of talk about the American Athletic Conference on the big-name sports stations and that’s just not right, we’ve been knocking on the door of the Power Five for some time now. Never fear, ESPN’s chief print media rival, The Collegian, is here to give you the scoop. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming season in the AAC.
Junior forward Jacob Gooden (24) attacks goal towards the end of regulation during Friday night’s home opener against Wisconsin. The Golden Hurricane finished deadlocked in a 2-2 tie.
The Collegian: 3
We Still Don’t Have a QB When I was a freshman, there was a game during orientation where we had to find other freshmen who shared the same birth month as ours. After the stampede was over and the dust had settled, I found myself shaking hands with a guy who had the very same birthday as me: Chad President. He told me he was a quarterback and I’m not afraid to admit, I got unreasonably excited about being born on the same day as the future starting QB. Now we’re both juniors, the great Dane Evans has graduated, and I find out the guy isn’t even a lock for the job? Come on Coach Montgomery, I had a dream here! With the season opener less than a week away, President finds himself locked in a QB battle with Luke Skipper, a redshirt freshman out of Forney, Texas. Both are shifty and athletic scramblers, though it shouldn’t be a huge problem for the team that neither is a traditional pocket passer like Evans; you may remember that Montgomery found a great deal of success with an obscure mobile quarterback named Robert Griffin III back at Baylor. My guess is that President ends up running away with this thing. Though his arm doesn’t rate as highly as Skipper’s, he comes with a much higher pedigree (he was a former 4-star recruit) and has the advantage of having spent more time with the team and coaching staff. Plus, you know, he’s got the same birthday as the sports editor. That’s called good karma folks. Keep An Eye On… If, like me, you prefer the fuller beards and rounder stomachs of the NFL, one of the best parts of college football becomes scouring for prospects that you think will be huge at the next level. It’s a special thing to be able to say you watched guys like Adrian Pe-
Justin Guglielmetti is…
the
bleacher creature?
terson and Peyton Manning tear up the gridiron on Saturdays before seeing their illustrious pro careers unfold on Sundays. The biggest name that should come out of the AAC this year is Quinton Flowers, UCF’s senior field general who happens to not only be one ofthe top players in the conference, but in the entire country. Flowers is a dynamic mobile quarterback reminiscent of Russell Wilson and Marcus Mariota who ran for 1500+(!!) yards last season and combined for 42 touchdowns in the air and ground. He’s a bit undersized but don’t be surprised if Flowers makes his way pretty far up the big board next April. Other individual standouts: TU’s very own De’Angelo Brewer, a consensus pre-season All-Conference pick who should take over the lead back role in an offense that rushed for over 3300 yards last season; Anthony Miller, Memphis’s stud wideout who put up a 95-1434-14 line in 2016; and Ed Oliver, Houston’s sophomore DE who might just be the second coming of Ndamukong Suh. Reserve the Couch Obviously every game that Tulsa plays deserves your absolute attention. We’re probably the most exciting team in the entire history of the sport. With that said, there are a few matchups in the conference you should probably pay particular attention to. Tulsa at Oklahoma State, Aug 31: Two high-powered offenses against mediocre defenses. Prepare for an absolute slugfest, this thing is going over 100 combined points easily. Temple at USF, Sept 21: The winner of this early matchup could establish themselves as the class of the conference going forward. Houston at Tulsa, Oct 14: Remember when Tulsa was the Oil Capital of the World and not Houston? Pepperidge Farms remembers. Beyond that city v. city animosity that I’m probably making up, this game at Chapman Stadium with pit one of the best offensive lines in the country against one of the top front sevens. Memphis vs. Tulsa, Nov 3: A third Tulsa game you say? Fight me, we’re a Tulsa paper. This could decide the winner of the AAC’s Western conference and also happens to take place on the birthday of a certain QB and sports editor. It’s like a sports movie! A bad one but still. Army vs. Navy, Dec 9: One of the best rivalries in sports and yet somehow perpetually underrated, Army-Navy might be the only game in American sports that captures the rabid intensity of European football. Playoff Dreams A team from the AAC crashing the New Year’s Six bowls would be a massive development for the conference, and this year USF looks like a legitimate chance to make it. They are the most talented team in the conference and also have one of the easiest schedules, taking on all of their toughest opponents — Temple, Houston, Tulsa, Cincinnati — at home. A 12-1 finish is not unlikely. Besides South Florida, Memphis, Temple, Houston, Navy, and Tulsa all look like safe bets to make Bowl games.
Hurricane Scoreboard
Women’s Soccer Aug. 20: Nebraska 3 - Tulsa 1 Aug. 25: Kansas 2 - Tulsa 0 Men’s Soccer Aug. 25: Tulsa 2 - Nebraska 2 2OT Volleyball Aug. 26: Tulsa 3 - UTEP 0 Aug. 26: Montana 3 - Tulsa 2
Wine Time Have you ever been attending a mid-September football game, gotten up to stretch during halftime and said to yourself, “I could really use a white zinfandel right now?” Oh, you haven’t? Well...uh...just in case you get those cravings in the future, Chapman Stadium will now be serving wines, both red and white, at all five beer stands in the stadium. The school has also announced that there will be a wider selection of craft beer options. Who knew there was more to life than Bud Light?
Just End Me Fam You may have heard over the past couple months that Kyrie Irving is absolutely insane. Not only does he believe the world is flat (or he’s just an overly committed troll, but really, which is worse?), he caused a great deal of drama over the summer with his declaration that he wanted to be traded off the Cleveland LeBron James’s. I’m sorry, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Apparently Irving was not content with his three consecutive trips to the Finals because he just didn’t like sharing the spotlight with anybody else,. Funny, that tends to happen when you’re on a team with arguably the most famous athlete in the world. And look, I know I should like the idea of a superstar deciding that he wants to break up a superteam, a move that should be called the “Anti-Durant,” but I just can’t fathom why somebody would want to give up such a cushy position, especially when that somebody is one of the most overrated players in the league. Irving won’t be able to flourish on his own, he can’t run a pickand-rill and has never finished .500 as the best player on his team. Now imagine my horror when I heard last week that a trade was announced that would send Irving to the Boston Celtics for Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, next year’s Brooklyn draft pick...and my adopted son Isaiah Thomas. Isaiah bled for his team!! He suited up in the playoffs two days after the death of his sister, took a shot in the face and lost a tooth, walks around like a cowboy constantly because he’s taken so many hits from his relentless forays into the paint! And we’re giving that up for a lazy, spoiled, entitled flat Earther?? Good God Lemon! What Did You Expect? I hope none of you actually spent money on that farce that took place in Vegas on Saturday night. You know what I’m talking about. McGregor-Mayweather, the most stomach-churning spectacle in sports of the last decade. Not only are these two despicable people — Mayweather a perpetrator of domestic violence and McGregor just an unrepentant asshole — but they somehow managed to get the entire sports world to care about something that was about as competitive as a typical WWE match. If you didn’t see the “fight” when it aired and are waiting to watch it, allow me to tell you how things went down. It won’t be a spoiler, it’s pretty much like me telling you what would happen if I dropped an apple out of a tree: the boxer won the boxing match. McGregor came out aggressively, looking to use his superior size and reach to earn a quick knockout. Not a terrible strategy, he must have known he couldn’t outbox the best over twelve rounds. But Floyd just took everything completely unperturbed, rolling away from every hook McGregor threw his way and peppering his opponent with jabs while waiting for him to tire out. By the time they got to the 10th round, McGregor could barely stand or keep his hands up and Mayweather, who for what it’s worth looked visibly older and slower than we’ve ever seen him before, looked ready to put his ass on the canvas before the ref stepped in. Shocking! A man who has never boxed professionally couldn’t hang with one of the greatest ever. Thank god this thing is over. Now GGG-Canelo next month, that is going to be some serious shit.
Aug. 28 - Sept. 3 photos by Justin Guglielmetti
Midfielder Amanda Creason prepares to throw-in the ball during the first half of Tulsa’s 2-0 loss to Kansas. TU spent much of the game on the defensive, unable to break Kansas’s relentless pressure offense.
The Bleacher Creature Wants YOU Come write for the most exciting sports section on campus! We provide dental insurance, a pension plan, biweekly massages, free Super Bowl press credentials and best of all, $10 an article. Meetings are Mondays at 5 p.m. in Oliphant Hall, 110.
Monday
Tuesday 28
Wednesday 29
Thursday
30
31
No Events No Events No Events Football Scheduled Scheduled Scheduled @ OSU
6:30 p.m.
Saturday
Friday
2
1
Women’s Soccer vs. Utah Valley noon Volleyball vs. UMKC 4:30 p.m.
Men’s Soccer @ Missouri St. 7 p.m.
Sunday
Volleyball @ SIUE 12:30 p.m.
Volleyball vs. Wright State 4 p.m.
3
Women’s Soccer vs. James Madison 11 a.m.
The Collegian: 4
News
28 August 2017
Art enthusiast Jerri Jones honored with memorial library
Jerri Jones, a major contributor to the arts in Tulsa and TU, has been commemorated with a new section of Phillips Hall.
of countless organizations such as Planned Parenthood chapter, Tulsa’s Junior League, Leadership, Women in Communications chapter and many more,” Valero said. Jones was also the first female president of the church she attended with her husband. Jones was named Citizen of the Year for the Tulsa branch of the National Association
of Social Workers, Volunteer of the Year for Tulsa Hearing Auxiliary and received the Distinguished Service Award from The University of Tulsa’s Kendall College of Arts & Sciences. She volunteered at the Tulsa Botanic Garden, Tulsa Junior College, OETA, Woolaroc Museum and Brady Heights District.
courtesy University of Tulsa
In 1968, she was named one of the Outstanding Young Women of America. “TU is proud to be the new home for Jones’s art library,” Valero said. “We see the Jerri Jones Memorial Library as a place that will encourage students, faculty and members of the Tulsa community to explore, learn and inspire their work.”
TU student veteran house named for WWII paratrooper TU Distinguished Alumnus and WWII veteran Calvin McKee earns still more accolades and honors, from home and abroad. Kayleigh Thesenvitz Editor-In-Chief The TU student veteran house assumed a new name Friday in honor of World War II veteran and TU alum Calvin McKee. When war broke out, McKee’s academic career was interrupted when he volunteered his military service as a paratrooper. At least some of McKee’s motivation to join the US Army came from a strong sense of patriotism and a sense that the conflict was justified. “World War II was an absolutely defensive war to protect our country. It was a totally defensive war and it was done well,” he said in the interview with the Tulsa World. “Patriotism,” he clarified, “means the obligation of every citizen to rise to the defense of their country.” His service recently earned the Medal of Chevalier, which Grant Moak, honorary French consul for Oklahoma, says McKee deserved for his role “in liberating many southern French cities and the eventual liberation of the country itself.” After the war, McKee returned to TU and graduated with a degree in petroleum engineering, but was recalled during the Korean War. in 1956, McKee began his work at Warren Petroleum of designing and constructing gas plants, quickly being promoted to the title of chief engineer, before the company merged with Gulf Oil Corporation. For almost two decades, McKee traveled overseas, working in Gulf Oil’s gas and liquids division. After heading impressive billion-dollar projects, McKee came back to Oklahoma in 1977, as the president of Warren Petroleum. Partially retiring in 1983, he worked as a consultant in the petroleum field until 1989. Even though his service has earned him numerous accolades, including this most recent knighting, McKee doesn’t like talking about it. In an interview with the Tulsa World last year, McKee, now 94, said, “There’s no romance about war … it is a bloody, degrading thing. Horrible, nasty, degrading.” McKee didn’t choose to put his name on the building either. Tom Russell, McKee’s longtime friend, brother-in-law and fellow TU grad, donated
a large and intentionally unspecified sum to TU in McKee’s name. The contribution created three new permanent staff positions designed to assist student veterans in navigating their college and professional careers and an endowment to fund student veteran activities. The staff positions include an admissions recruiter, in charge of encouraging veterans to use their GI Bill at TU, a veteran’s affairs manager in charge of working with veterans to navigate their benefits and responsibilities and a career placement assistant to help veterans find work after completing their degrees. Two of the three full-time positions have been filled. Russell was extremely satisfied with how the university allocated his donation saying, “TU got me started, so I’ve been supportive of TU ever since.” Russell also explained why he used his donation to honor McKee. McKee wasn’t just Russell’s brother-inlaw, he was Russell’s mentor. Russell praised McKee’s “excellent moral standards and ethics,” and said, “If there is ever anyone you want to learn from it is him.” Student Veteran Association President Kate Tillotson shared this sentiment. “We’re proud to have our veteran house named after a World War II veteran and community leader who not only served in war time but refuses to romanticize war,” Tillotson said. “He represents a thought leader forged from combat and that resonates so well with our generation of veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.” “We serve in war but we do not glorify it. Cal McKee is one of us.” Tillotson said. Other student veterans shared their thoughts on honoring McKee as well. Senior Emily Harris said the group was honored to have McKee’s name associated with their organization because McKee and Russell’s friendship was one worth emulating. “They are extremely close and we are, too. I, personally, don’t know where I would be in life without my vets,” Harris said. Student Veteran Alexander Denard said McKee “served in this nation’s greatest conflict and I’m proud to honor his legacy.” “To us younger military he’s a hero and it makes me happy to think about a guy like that giving us his blessing,” Denard said.
courtesy John Lew
WWII veterans Tommy Russell and Calvin McKee visit the TU student veteran house for a barbecue.
News
The Collegian: 5
From a survivor’s perspective: sexual assault at TU
A student and sexual assault survivor reached out to the Collegian to share her story. Trigger Warning: the following account contains graphic details of sexual abuse.
Kayleigh Thesenvitz Editor-In-Chief Carol B. “Jerri” Jones (1939-2017) was honored last Thursday with the dedication of the Jerri Jones Memorial Art Library in Phillips Hall. In her remarks of Jones’s contribution to the university, art professor Teresa Valero said, “her generosity and love of art has greatly influenced the TU School of Art, Design and Art History.” The library will display Jones’s large collection of art books and magazines, her ceramic work and many other pieces of art and crafts that she collected while traveling the world. In her lifetime Jones travelled to every state, all seven continents and more than 100 countries. “What is most obvious to us,” Valero said of the collection, “is her impeccable taste and her understanding of a simple design and the visual power that it possesses.” Jones’s husband Jenk said that Jones was excited to share her life’s collection with the TU art school. The contents of the library are only the latest of Jones’s several donations to the school, including funding three monetary awards for students each year and the donation for a new kiln. Jones received her master’s degree in Art at TU in 1984 with a specialty in ceramics. Along with her studies, Jones served as the main researcher for Tom Manhart’s international Eloquent Object exhibition. Jones was also a docent at Philbrook and Gilcrease museums for more than a dozen years. In addition to her academic and professional career, Valero noted Jones’s extensive philanthropic work. “She was either a board member, a founding member, a vice-president or president
28 August 2017
Sexual assault has been a hot topic at The University of Tulsa and campuses across the US for several years now—as it should be. Last fall’s incredibly scary and public sexual assault case appeared to be yet another a turning point for sexual violence awareness at TU in particular. When the story broke in the local media, the student body was instantly horrified … and then, angry. We realized this story, a personal nightmare for too many victims, corresponded to the same events that Campus Security had reported in a campus email as “an intruder entered [a] residence through an unlocked door early Friday morning. No one was injured, and the unidentified person left when the student awakened” followed by, in bold type, “University administrators strongly encourage students to keep doors and windows in apartments and residence hall rooms locked, even when home.” No one was injured. Lock your doors. At best, this was the result of a gross lack of communication between TPD and Campus Security. At worst, a tremendous understatement and downplaying of what was an incredibly traumatizing experience for too many students. A student group even organized a panel of university administrators and security officials; it quickly turned into an hour of students showering these administrators with tough (and sometimes emotionally-fueled) questions, and demanding change. It became exceptionally clear that TU, like all other universities, had a problem. The thing is though, we have had a sexual assault problem long before the Molina case. While this case, and others that have garnered a lot of media attention, shine a spotlight on the issue of sexual assault and are incredibly devastating to all involved, they do not necessarily represent the issue as a whole. They do not portray sexual assault in its most common form. In line with the stories that broke over summer, in the overwhelming majority of cases, assaults are not perpetrated by some unknown person who breaks into your home. They happen, each and every weekend, in dorm rooms and apartments and fraternity houses, by people you know—acquaintances, mutual friends, and sometimes good friends. It’s normal for alcohol to be involved, often in the form of binge-drinking. Some perpetrators may not have even realized they crossed a line, which is problematic. This may be a result of alcohol-impaired judgement or due to the culture we’ve created surrounding hookups, but there is a tendency for students to classify what may be an assault as a hookup. This is what happened to me, and this is what has happened to too many women and men on this and other college campuses. My assault occurred a little over a year ago. The night started out like many others at TU—a “pregame,” if you will, before the main party. I’d had a long, busy day, and didn’t have time to eat dinner before I arrived. As someone relatively experienced with alcohol, I knew the high risk of drinking on an empty stomach; it was a typical pre-going-out ritual for me and some friends to grab a meal together. My day got away from me though, and I wasn’t able to make dinner; yet, since I felt comfortable and familiar with everyone around me, I started drinking anyways. About an hour and 4-5 drinks later, I made my way with the rest of the pregame to the party. Although I call it a party here, it was a relatively small gathering—maybe 20 people. There were a few rooms in the house but the majority of people were hanging out in a living room, sitting around talking, laughing, and singing. Everyone had been drinking, but to varying degrees. One of my best friends who was there with me was completely sober, but still having a fun time socializing. Most of the guys there belonged to the same fraternity—I’d met and socialized with all of them many times before, and I felt comfortable. Eventually, one of these men came over to me and asked if I wanted to go hang out in one of the other rooms where it was a bit less noisy. The alcohol that I’d consumed so quickly was starting to hit me, but I still felt “together” so I agreed. I’d talked to this guy countless times and his request didn’t seem strange in any way. As two people with a lot of mutual friends, we’d had our share of party-conversations, and I considered him to be a decent acquaintance. We found another area that had a couple couches, and sat down—I intentionally left the door open behind me and sat across from him rather than beside him. I didn’t
know him that well, after all, and even in my tipsy state I knew people would talk if the door was closed. For a few minutes—or maybe longer, my memory quickly becomes hazy—we did talk. I remember talking about our mutual friends and him telling stories about some of them while I tried to get my now drunk brain to focus. Anyone who has consumed several drinks too quickly (especially on an empty stomach) knows one minute you can feel perfectly fine and then ten minutes later you can barely form a sentence. Unfortunately, I had reached that point: I was having difficulty keeping my eyes open, and the words I managed to force out were becoming more and more slurred. The exact sequence of events that followed are still hazy, but there are several things I do remember. I remember the guy standing up, walking to the door, and saying, “We should probably close this.” “No, it’s fine,” I replied, albeit in a more slurred manner. “Keep it open.”
was. And despite being the person who always spoke up and defended other victims when someone implied that they were, in any way, “asking for it,” I found that my first instinct was to blame myself. You shouldn’t have had that much to drink. You shouldn’t have gone into that room alone. It took me reading extensively about consent, intoxication, and incapacitation to really believe that it was not my fault. Any passerby could have seen my incapacitation, yet my perpetrator proceeded despite my slurred protests. Yes, I was intoxicated when it occurred, but just because I had accidentally mistreated my body did not give anyone else the right to do so. For a long time, I didn’t tell anyone about what happened. The first time I did, to a close friend, the initial response I got was, “Hmm…really?” After that, it was months before I tried sharing my experience again. It’s my belief that the most helpful thing you can do for someone who tells you they were assaulted is to believe them (immediately)
“I found that my first instinct was to blame myself. You shouldn’t have had that much to drink. You shouldn’t have gone into that room alone.” He closed it anyway, and sat back down, this time beside me rather than on the opposite couch. He put his arm around me and I squirmed away to create more distance. He continued coming on to me as I did everything in my capacity to move away. Unfortunately, at this point, I was virtually incapacitated. I tried to form sentences, tried telling him to stop, that I wasn’t interested, but only the first few words would successfully leave my mouth. Eventually, I blacked out completely. It may have been the alcohol, or my mind trying to protect me from the details of what was happening, or a combination of the two. Regardless, the next thing I remember I was laying down and he was pulling himself out of my mouth, getting up from his position on top of me, and pulling up his pants. I realized my shorts had also been pulled down, though my underwear remained in place. As he fixed himself, he grinned in a way that he probably thought was charming, and said, “We should probably go. People will start to notice we’re gone.” My mind raced as my panicked, intoxicated brain slowly began to comprehend, to put the pieces together of what had just occurred. The full reality of what had transpired didn’t completely hit me until a couple days later: I had been sexually assaulted, and my perpetrator didn’t think twice. For him, it was a hookup like any other. Even though I had long been passionate about sexual assault as an issue, I never thought it could happen to me. Yet, there I
and to ask them if you can help them in any way. This may seem like common sense, but I see that it can be difficult—especially when you are friends with the perpetrator. Like I said in the beginning, the vast majority of campus assaults aren’t perpetrated by complete strangers—they’re friends, acquaintances, classmates. Because this was the case for me, it was even harder to talk about my experience. Why? Because I didn’t expect anyone to believe me. People don’t want to believe that that guy (or girl) who is always so nice to them, who is a friendof-a-friend, sexually assaulted anyone. But it happens, time and time again. And that’s just the people who find out. What if the perpetrator is a male and a member of a fraternity, as mine was? What if their house finds out? Girls who report sexual assaults are often banned from the perpetrator’s house because she’s “a liability.” It’s wrong on so many levels. I’m sure if you ask them about this, they’ll deny it—but I’ve seen and heard about this happening multiple times, right here at TU. Because of all of these things, I remained
quiet for a long time. At times, it probably wasn’t the healthiest method of coping, but in the end it worked for me. I avoided parties and gatherings where I knew my perpetrator would be, knowing I could not (and still cannot) look him in the eye without a feeling of panic overcoming me. I’ve found support in a few student organizations and members of the administration who advocate for sexual assault survivors and the issue as a whole, and I know about all the resources that are available to me on campus should I want them. I never thought I would report what happened, as I had a deep distrust of the process after seeing the Molina case unfold. The day I decided to report, it was unplanned. It was a completely normal day for me until I heard about someone being assaulted the night before by someone who loosely fit the description of the man who assaulted me. Was it him? Had he hurt someone else the way he hurt me? Emotionally, it was like I was back on that couch again, panicky and powerless. Within an hour, I officially reported what happened to me. I chose to remain anonymous, and I did not want any sort of investigation or hearing, fearing the social backlash of doing so. Even without an investigation, though, I have found comfort in the fact that what happened to me has been recorded—it happened, the university is aware, and my report can be used as evidence if the same perpetrator is reported in the future. Reporting my assault was my way of silently supporting all the other survivors on this campus. It’s wrong, this campus culture we’ve created, and it needs to change. This is easy enough to say, but incredibly hard to do. In my opinion, a culture change has to start with awareness that there is a problem—and I don’t just mean the standard outrage we all feel when a sexual assault story breaks in the local news. The student body needs to be actively aware of and engaged in sexual assault prevention and response efforts. Let’s talk about sexual assault, about what it looks like on our campus, and about what we can do to intervene. Let’s talk about binge drinking, which is so often related to sexual assault. Let’s talk about our treatment of survivors, especially those who report, and why they don’t feel supported by their classmates, friends, and organizations. Let’s demand more, both from our administration and from ourselves. These are the reasons I wanted to share my story. TU, let’s talk.
“I have found comfort in the fact that what happened to me was recorded... reporting my assault was my way of silently supporting all the other survivors on this campus. ”
The Collegian: 6
News
28 August 2017
Solar eclipse rings in new year Grace McFee Student Writer
photo by Michaela Flonard
LaFortune closed for 2017-2018 To consolidate students living on campus, TU decided to close LaFortune House entirely and keep all wings of Lottie Jane Mabee Hall open. Michaela Flonard Managing Editor Last semester, The Collegian reported that Lottie Jane Mabee Hall would have one wing closed during the 2017-2018 school year. At the advent of this school year, however, LaFortune House has been completely closed, while the east wing of Lottie Jane Mabee Hall has been reopened. Melissa France, associate vice president of housing and residential life, commented that the decision to close one residence hall was more sensible instead of keeping all of the halls open with a few empty rooms in each one. “Keeping the other halls at or near capacity helps to build community and is a more efficient use of the space,” she said. In deciding to close LaFortune House, the administration considered “the size of the building, number of beds available and proximity to places where students socialize and dine.” Those students who had been assigned to the House were relocated to another hall without any concerns. The university does not plan to reopen LaFortune, but France
said housing administration will continue to monitor the situation to see if opinions change. Previously, LaFortune was known as the “international” dorm. Recently, however, according to France, “more international students were living in John Mabee Hall and Hardesty Hall than were living in LaFortune,” choosing interests and preferences over the traditional assignment. Lottie Jane, according to Savanna Deweese, senior resident assistant in the hall, is now close to full capacity, as a result of the closing. Three new staff members, two originally hired for Lafortune and one for Fisher South, are now working the east wing. “We actually have the largest freshman population of all the halls on campus this year,” she said, partly because one female wing in the freshman dorm, Fisher South, was moved to Lottie as there were more incoming male than female students. This change has been for the better, Deweese noted, as “It’s only been a week and the community interaction seems to be improved from the previous year!” “We’re all really excited about the new, upbeat vibe Lottie has because of our high freshman population,” she finished. To prevent any future maintenance problems, the physical plant will oversee the residence hall while it is closed. In the meantime, all references to LaFortune on the university’s website have been removed.
Former TU athlete arrested on sexual assault charge
If the high numbers of absent students and faculty didn’t tip the campus community off, the nature of the events hosted all around the university last Monday should have highlighted that the first day of classes for TU students was a bit unusual this year. Not every semester starts with a partial solar eclipse, after all. The elliptical nature of the moon’s orbit causes solar eclipses to happen much less often on Earth than they would on any other planet. The last time the contiguous US saw a total solar eclipse was in 1979, according to NASA. While unfortunately Tulsa wasn’t in the path of totality, many excited faculty members and interested students took field trips to other parts of the midwest to witness a total solar eclipse.
For those professors and students who stayed in Tulsa, TU celebrated with viewing parties, free eclipse glasses, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, and, of course, MoonPies. TU also generously allowed professors to cancel any class held during the eclipse, though it was not unusual to see various classes outside on the Old U splitting their attention between the sky and their class syllabus. The area right outside of Keplinger Hall might have been the most interesting set up of the day, hosting all sorts of equipment manned by enthusiastic faculty and eager students. While an especially exciting start to the school year, classes still march on and North America won’t see another total eclipse until April, 2024. The TU community definitely enjoyed the spectacle for the approximate three hours it lasted, though.
Of
Sara Serrano Student Writer SS: “What made you want to study biology?”
SS: “What is the craziest thing that’s happened to you?”
Students are increasingly healthy across the United States, but significant problems continue to plague colleges and universities.
Justin Guglielmetti Sports Editor TU’s recent trend of sexual violence on campus continued two weeks ago with the news that Will Barrow, a former defensive back for the Golden Hurricane from 20132016, was arrested in his home city of Dallas. He was transferred to the Tulsa County Jail Aug. 9. Barrow, 22, had been charged with felony rape by instrumentation and felony sexual battery in Tulsa County in July following a reported incident in his on-campus apartment last March. Court records indicate that Barrow and a female TU student had been communicating over Snapchat and shared a class during the spring semester. He then invited the student over to his apartment on March 3, where “[he] became aggressive rather quickly” according to the police affidavit. Barrow purportedly strangled and molested the female student before she was able to leave, accusations he denied when questioned by Tulsa police in March. However, Barrow also admitted in a separate interview with University of Tulsa
campus police officers that he may have gotten “caught in the moment,” although he maintained that the female student had never given any indication that she was uncomfortable. Barrow’s arrest is the fourth such incident involving TU students in the past year. In June, former men’s soccer player Lesley Nchanji was arrested following accusations of raping a fellow student after an apartment party. Colton Bradley Horton, a West Point cadet and Tulsa native, was recently charged with raping a TU student in her on-campus apartment in July. Luis Alberto Molina, a former TU student facing charges of rape, sexual battery, peeping tom, burglary and larceny was also transferred to the Tulsa jail in August following an extradition battle with San Antonio police. In a letter to University of Tulsa staff, president Gerard Clancy acknowledged the urgency of these problems but maintained that the administration is “not sitting back.” He laid out a number of measures that the school has taken recently to help prevent future sexual assaults, as well as to provide service to the victims of these crimes. These include enhanced security measures, new education programs for alcohol abuse and consent, and the creation of positions such as violence prevention coordinator, survivor advocate, and Title IX coordinator.
News
August 11 10:50 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate an ill person in Norman Village Apartments. Upon arrival Officers found a contractor for the University of Tulsa who felt ill and became unresponsive while working on an apartment in Norman Village. Campus Security and emergency medical services responded. The individual was transported to a local hospital in stable condition.
August 17 7:30 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to Fisher South for the welfare check of a student. A parent had called and asked officers to check on the student. Officers met with a housing staff member and then met with the student. It was determined that the student was doing well and in good spirits. The parent was contacted and informed of the student’s condition.
August 12 3:10 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were given a smart phone by the Physical Plant. The phone was recovered from an elevator shaft at Hardesty Hall. The phone’s owner, a TU affiliate, picked up the phone from the security office.
August 19 1:20 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to the Donald W. Reynolds Center for an injured individual. The individual and their spouse requested that Emergency Medical Service Authorities not be called and refused medical treatment. The individual stated they would receive treatment at their residence. The individual was escorted to their vehicle and left without further issue.
12:35 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers took a report of a student being stalked by another student. The suspect has since graduated and moved off campus. The student does not want to make a report with TPD at this time. August 15 11:30 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were notified of some individuals riding bicycles through the Donald W. Reynolds parking lot, weaving in and out of parking stalls. Officers were able to make contact with the individuals whom were juveniles. The juveniles confessed to taking property.
April 20 12:20 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to Hardesty Hall for a report of underage drinking. Upon arrival officers met with the reporting party who stated that there had been a party that had disbursed prior to our arrival. One suspect stayed behind who demanded to prove their innocence.
The Collegian: 7
August 22 12:50 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a noise complaint at the Norman Village pool area. Upon arrival Officers heard loud music. Officers spoke with a group of students in the pool and explained to them that the pool was closed. Officers also noticed alcohol in the pool area and explained to the students that alcohol was not allowed in the pool area. Only two non-TU students were old enough to drink alcoholic beverages. Officers could not observe whether or not the underage students were drinking. The students were escorted out of the pool area. August 23 6:10 p.m. While on routine patrol University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were stopped by a student concerned about an individual who did not appear to be a TU affiliate. Officers made contact with the individual and confirmed that they were a non TU affiliate. Officers contacted the Communication Center to check for previous contacts and warrants. The individual had been trespassed previously and was placed under arrest for trespassing. The Tulsa Police Department (TPD) was contacted and cited the individual and released them with a promise to appear in court. The Collegian does not produce or edit the Campus Crime Watch except for content and brevity.
Tulsa photo by Sara Serrano
Katie Murphy
KM: “I don’t know when it started. When I was really young I would always be the kind of kid that would bring in like a handful of June Bugs or whatever. And I’ve always liked life, you know, it was kind of pure. [Biology] was about why it was, about how it was. So um… I think that’s where it started. I just liked bugs.” KM: “A couple summers ago I went to Ireland, to Galway, where I’ve been once before. I took about a month and a half. I was an apprentice to a luthier, a wooden instrument maker. And while I was there, I made a cello and it actually turned out pretty good. Like, I’m proud of it.”
KM: “Oh I have it, but I don’t play the cello.”
Across US, student health on the rise, with room for improvement
Will Barrow, former starter for the Golden Hurricane, has been indicted for sexual assault.
August 9 10:50 p.m. While on routine patrol University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers attempted to initiate a pedestrian check on an individual observed riding a bicycle out of the University Square West Apartments. The individual appeared very nervous and refused to communicate with officers. Upon exiting campus property the individual got off of the bicycle, dropped it onto the street, and proceeded to jump a nearby neighborhood fence. Officers took possession of the bicycle and placed it into impound until an owner can be identified. August 10 2:40 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate possible marijuana smell coming from a room in Fisher West Suites. Officers searched the room and found a small amount of contraband. Officers questioned the student who knew about the contraband but denied ownership. The contraband was impounded in the property locker for destruction.
Humans
SS: “Do you still have it?”
courtesy Tulsa World
28 August 2017
Raven Fawcett Commentary Editor The American College Health Association (ACHA) released a study on sex, alcohol and student health on college and university campuses. Eight of the 28 schools that were included in the survey were private schools, and of the 28, seven were similar in size to the University of Tulsa. The study found that college and university students are engaging in less risky behavior than their 2005 study found, but have higher rates of anxiety and depression. Cigarette use has plummeted, with 77.4 percent of students reporting that they do not smoke in 2015. Alcohol use held mostly steady with the average amount of students’ drinks rising from 4.22 to 4.49. On average, the number of higher education students that had sex in the past year climbed to 31.5 percent, and the average number of sexual partners per month declined for the remaining 68.5 percent of respondents. There was also a more than 4 percent bump in reports of depression and more than 7 percent increase in reports of anxiety. Moreover, as of 2016 ACHA’s National College Health Assessment, 32.2 percent of respondents reported that stress led to lowered academic performance. With this new information, it looks as though colleges and universities are an increasingly safe place for students, despite the engagement in risky behaviors common
to many young adults. Regardless, students encountering such problems are encouraged to seek help. On-campus solutions include the Center for Student Academic Support (CSAS), now located in Zink Hall, the Alexander Health Center, which includes mental and physical health services and the Financial Aid offices located to the side of Collins Hall. If a student’s problems cannot be solved with on-campus services and they need to withdraw from classes, there are services in place to help them take time off from school without leaving them to pay for their entire semester. Students can receive a refund of their tuition; the percent refunded depends on the time the student withdraws from their classes and the policy only covers refunds until the seventh week of classes. After the seventh week, no money will be refunded to the student. All withdrawals, however, must be cleared through the university — missing classes will not constitute a refund of tuition from the university. More information can be found on The University of Tulsa’s official website under the section “Refund Policy.” The tuition refund policy does not include housing for students living on campus. The Housing Office, located in Fisher East, is in charge of on-campus housing contracts, and can help students looking to move off-campus or trying to find accommodations better suited to their needs. Students can move residence halls for a fee, or break their contract in order to move off-campus. Students might be healthier than ever, but problems still occur. There are many options for students at the University of Tulsa to access support networks and offices dedicated to giving students options and help when asked.
Tuesday, August 29 at 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Lamda Chi Alpha House Lamda Chi Alpha’s Watermelon Fest Dinner $5 at the door gets you all you can eat Panda Express. All proceeds will go to Feeding America to help aid in the battle against hunger.
Nathan Gibbons Student Writer
Riots erupt in India after trial of guru Riots broke out in northern India last Friday after the popular religious figure Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was found guilty of raping two of his followers in a case nearly two decades old. Singh is the leader of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, a position he has held over allegedly 60 million followers since he was 23 years old. The so-called “guru of bling” has acted in films, performed at rock concerts, and owns his own product line. Aside from accusations of rape, he also faces charges of murder and allegations that he forced castration on his devotees. After the verdict was announced, Singh’s supporters rampaged through the Chandigarh area, near where Singh was being held in court. Many of Singh’s followers, upwards of 200,00 in number, flocked to the region ahead of Friday’s guilty verdict. Riots spread to Delhi, where two train carriages were lit on fire. Thousands of police, paramilitary and army forces battled protesters with water cannons and gas canisters to restore control. At least 23 people were killed in Friday’s protests.
Barcelona marches against terrorists A half a million people marched against militant terrorism in Barcelona last Saturday. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and King Felipe VI led demonstrators behind a banner that stated “we are not afraid”. Many signs urged for peace, or said “no a la Islamofobia”, or “no to Islamophobia”. Prime Minister Rajoy had encouraged demonstrators to show that “Catalonia and the rest of Spain are united against terror.” The march was in response to the recent August 17 attack in Barcelona’s Las Ramblas area, which is popular among tourists. 13 people were killed and dozens were injured when an Islamic militant drove his van into crowds of people. Another car attack in Cambrils hours later left a woman dead. Of the dozen or so suspects linked to the case, five were shot and killed in Cambrils and four have been arrested. Police say the attackers, all of moroccan background, were planning larger attacks.
Trump pardons controversial Arizona ex-sheriff President Trump pardoned Joe Arpaio, a Arizona ex-sheriff convicted of criminal contempt, last friday night. Arpaio was due to be sentenced in October for defying a court order to stop traffic patrols that targeted suspected immigrants. Arpaio, 85, had called his conviction “a political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama justice department” and tweeted his thanks to Trump for seeing his conviction “for what it is.” Announcing his pardon, Trump said, “Throughout his time as sheriff, Arpaio continued his life’s work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration... Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now 85 years old, and after more than 50 years of admirable service to our nation, he is a worthy candidate for a presidential pardon.” Arpaio, who calls himself “America’s toughest sheriff”, is known for his unnecessary treatment of prisoners. Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy said it was “disheartening that [the president] set the bar so very low for his first pardon.”
Tropical storm Harvey hits Houston The National Weather Service has declared a flash flood emergency across the Houston Metro area, as travel becomes nearly impossible due to tropical storm Harvey’s arrival. 6.6 million people live in the Houston metropolitan area. The National Weather Service states that there have been five fatalities in the area. Of those deaths, one woman died as she attempted to drive through flooded streets and another person died in a house fire. Houston mayor Sylvester Turner says that more than 2,000 calls have been made asking for help, and urges citizens not to call emergency services unless they are in a life-threatening situation. Governor Abbott mobilised 1,800 military personnel to help with rescue and repair operations. As rescue attempts are slowed by strong winds and loss of power, the Texas coast guard has requested more helicopters to help.
Tuesday, August 29 at 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Student Union, Administrative Conference Room Crave Meet and Greet Christians Revealing the Apostles’ Vision on Earth (CRAVE) is hosting a meet and greet event with free pizza, games and give-aways! We will have a quick informational session about our group’s purpose and the activities we have planned for the semester for those interested. Open for everyone. Wednesday, August 30 at 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Student Union, Great Hall
ImpactTU Join us for the kick off of our six-week leadership workshop for freshmen! Orientation Leaders will lead table discussions about key skills for leading at TU! Free lunch will be provided. Wednesday, August 30 at 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Lorton Performance Center, 2215 Film Studies Welcome Mixer Calling all film students and faculty! Catch up with fellow Film Studies majors and alumni at the Welcome Mixer. Adam Connors, a festival representative of the second Tulsa American Film Festival that takes place October 11-15, will speak. You will learn the details of this festival and about exciting film screenings and internship opportunities available to Film Studies majors. Thursday, August 31 at 7:00 p.m. Tyrell Hall Gallery Opening: Unexpected Views Please join us for the opening of Tulsa: Unexpected Views, a photographic exhibition featuing the work of Anitra Lavanhar. Organized in conjunction with the Center’s Homelands theme, this show offers strange and unexpected images from the city we call home. The artist will talk about the images as well as her adventures poking into alleyways, abandoned buildings, and hidden streets. Free and open to all. Friday, August 31st at 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Alexander Hogue Gallery, Jerri Jones Lecture Hall, Room 211 Crystal Campbell: Take Only Pictures, Kill Only Time, Leave Only Bubbles Visiting Artist Crystal Campbell’s exhibition will be on display from August 31, 2017 through September 21, 2017 in the Alexandre Hogue Gallery. Opening Reception will be from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. and Crystal will give a lecture on her work in the Jerri Jones Lecture Hall from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Archival images, projections, sculpture, video and sound works borrow cues from medical history, disease and disability for Campbell’s first solo exhibition in Oklahoma. Campbell engages with the perception of space and disability, the tension of normalcy and the ethics of medical history for this array of mixed-media artworks centering the body as receptacle, obstacle and experiment. Friday, September 1 at 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Gilcrease Museum, Gallery 18 From My Point of View: Michael Wallis Michael Wallis, actor, historian and author, will speak about his latest book on the Donner party, The Best Land Under Heaven. Wallis will have a book signing after the lecture in the Gilcrease Museum Gift Shop. From My Point of View is an informal presentation and audience participation is welcome. Bring a sack lunch to eat while you learn! (Note: Food/Drinks carried through the museum must be in closed containers.) The Collegian does not produce all event descriptions in the Community Calendar. Contact us at news@tucollegian.org with events.
In Memoriam
The Collegian: 8
28 August 2017
The Collegian: 9
Memories of Stead Upham.
Steadman Upham – Matriculation 2014 by John M. Henshaw Department Chair and Harry H. Rogers Professor of Mechanical Engineering At the 2014 Matriculation Ceremony, President Upham told TU’s incoming freshman class what happened when he and a group of classmates were hustled off campus by some upperclassmen for a clandestine party on the very first day of his own freshman year: I soon learned, however, that bending or breaking the rules could be done, that keggers happened even at Baptist universities, and that I suddenly had awesome new responsibilities about how I was going to spend my time over the next four years. Stead went on to give our new students lots of really good advice before finally getting around to finishing that kegger story at the end of his speech: “Oh, and if you are wondering if I drank beer at that kegger on my first day of college, the answer is yes. But I quickly learned that a routine of that kind of behavior took me away from the kind of person I wanted to be, and hindered my ability to be successful…” And so the TU freshman class of 2014 learned at their matriculation ceremony that the President of their university had himself broken the rules on the very first day of his own college experience. Stead’s story was remarkable because it revealed how TU’s president was a human being, subject to the same weaknesses and temptations as the rest of us. I do not for a moment imagine that it was easy for Stead to stand in front of nearly 800 freshmen and tell that story. When I asked him, Stead graciously agreed to allow his speech from Matriculation 2014 to be reprinted in A Life of Inquiry, a collection of stories by TU faculty members that I edit. When A Life of Inquiry, Volume 2, appeared in August, 2016, it included Stead’s story along with this dedication: We dedicate this volume to our retiring colleague and leader extraordinaire, Steadman Upham. A few days later, I received an email from Stead: I can’t tell you how surprised and honored I was to read the dedication to A Life of Inquiry, Volume 2. The dedication is humbling recognition and one I will cherish always… And I will always cherish that message from Stead, along with the memory of a remarkable man.
Dear Stead: I am writing this letter with sadness in that we only had a short time working together at TU before the conclusion of your term as TU’s President. I consider myself very fortunate to have met you during my interview just over a year ago. What impressed me most was your love for TU and your genuine interest in my own work. I vividly recall you asking how my research interests would fit at TU given design and architecture does not formally exist as an academic unit on campus. We shared ideas and you listened intently on how I could be a part of the community. Your spoke with attention and concern and I knew immediately you were the kind of leader and person who cared about his faculty and wanted to make sure they could be happy and successful. It was one of the most impressive moments during the interview. After joining TU, I studied your advocacy for campus internationalization. I learned you were a former study abroad student yourself (Redlands College), studying full-immersion Spanish in Salamanca, Spain. In an interview in 2014, you said “It gave me perspective and it allowed me to understand my place and our country’s place in the world in a much different way”. With your leadership and vision, TU completed the American Council on Education’s Internationalization Laboratory (2009) resulting in a comprehensive internationalization plan you launched in May 2011. The plan included many initiatives that we see today on campus, such as establishing a centralized office for internationalization activities, creating programs such as Global Scholars and Faculty Internationalization Grants, enhancing the recruitment of international students, creating interdisciplinary academic programs and many others. Stead, we will sorely miss you at TU and all of your incredible dedication and love for the TU community, students and colleagues. With Deep Admiration, Jane Kucko, Ph.D. Vice Provost for Global Education University of Tulsa
My first meeting with Steadman Upham was quite memorable. The occasion was a dinner for newly hired faculty and staff held at Stead and Peggy’s midtown home. Though I’d never met the TU President, I certainly had heard about him. Frequently a topic of conversation in a way I’d not experienced in my prior academic postings where University presidents resembled corporate CEO’s—distant figures known only to the wealthy and well-connected—Stead reputation was more like “chief academic officer,” actively engaged in the intellectual life of our university—and a practicing scholar himself. Meeting Stead confirmed this larger than life image. Bedecked in a yellow blazer, greeting everyone as they entered the dining room, you couldn’t miss him. After all, he was the tallest person in the room, by a good margin. It was my great fortune to be seated next to Stead at that dinner. I don’t know who to thank, but I appreciate it. Our lively and wide ranging conversation touched upon my own research (Stead had read some of my writings, much to my surprise), what drew both of us to TU, and his artwork. I actually asked about the artist who produced the intriguing pointillist works displayed through his home. Stead, with a wry smile and twinkle in his eye, replied: “an eccentric artist. . .me.” But we devoted most of our time to TU’s then-recent management agreement with the Gilcrease Museum, one of the factors drawing me to TU. Stead and I shared ideas, and dreamed of creating a great research center here in Tulsa, and built around the museum’s matchless art and archives, and the history and cultural traditions that shape this place. That proved just the first of many conversations about TU, Gilcrease, and what became the Helmerich Center for American Research. I value the opportunity to transform dreams into a concrete way of drawing two great institutions closer together while raising our national and international profile. And I am enriched by my many interactions with Stead, from planning sessions in his office to chance meetings at TU tennis matches or softball games, and including emails I received after sending him copies of my publications. Notes that showed he’d read my work carefully, and wanted to engage the ideas I’d set forth. So farewell and safe travels, and my deepest condolences, and appreciation, to Peggy and the Upham family for sharing Stead with us. Brian Hosmer H.G. Barnard Chair of Western American History
Steadman Upham and MADE at TU by John M. Henshaw Department Chair and Harry H. Rogers Professor of Mechanical Engineering Don’t tell me what you value. Show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value. Joe Biden Dr. Steve Bellovich, the longtime Dean of the ENS college, passed away in 2012. At a TU event a few months later, President Upham made some brief remarks in remembrance of Bellovich. Among other things, Stead mentioned that Dean Bellovich had always been a strong supporter of MADE at TU – the student organization dedicated to designing, building, and delivering products to improve the lives of persons with disabilities. Bellovich had even coined the “MADE at TU” name – Make a Difference Engineering. Having said all that, Stead then dropped a bombshell: he announced that he was creating a generous endowment fund to allow students to work on MADE at TU projects in perpetuity. Ever since that day, the fund Stead created has allowed our students to build countless prototypes for children at the Little Light House school, adults at the Center for Persons with Physical Challenges, and elsewhere. Every single time my students make use of the MADE at TU endowment fund, I think of Stead. And I always will.
Steadman and Goldie
Tulsa lost a great leader in Steadman Upham today. Everyone seems to have a Stead story. Mine is from when we hired Danny Manning as our new basketball coach. At the start of the press conference, with national news cameras rolling, Stead took a minute to state clearly that he was not, indeed, joining the New York Knickerbockers basketball team, as reported in our student newspaper the day before. President Upham was a master of the little things, and had a way to make everyone he interacted with feel important. He will be remembered by the university and the city for the big things he did for our school, but for so many of us that had the honor to meet him in person, it is these little moments that will live on forever.
J.Christopher Proctor Collegian Editor In Chief 2013-2014
The Collegian did not produce or edit any memorial letters.
Steadman and Sonya Sotomayor
In Memoriam
28 August 2017
Zane Cawthon Dr. Steadman Upham's service to the city of Tulsa and its university has left an indelible mark on the psyche of an entire generation of students; under his kind and prudent guidance, TU made important strides from "good school" toward "great university". I'd like to be one of the first to advocate for his figurative shadow of legacy to become a literal shadow of a statue. The pose of this landmark could be anything (perhaps one of his hallmark friendly waves given to students as they passed in ACAC?) and its proposed location is not important (perhaps in the grove of trees on the east side of McFarlin?) What matters most to me is that there exist on this campus a straightforward, tangible reminder of one of the most important leaders this institution has ever seen: something made of material strong enough to weather any hurricane, something to encourage every aspiring good student to be a good neighbor and friend as well. Indeed, let us all strive to become what Stead was: loyal, always true.
Steadman and Kevin Durant For years when people have asked me what my long-term career goal is, I have answered that I want to be the President of TU. The wisdom, faith, and service that I saw exemplified in the life and leadership of Steadman Upham made an indelible impression on me during my four years at TU. He was dignified, but never pompous; brilliant, but never conceited; courteous, but never cloying; generous, but never patronizing. In mind, he possessed a genuine love for learning that spanned all arts and sciences. In body, he celebrated athletics, fitness, adventure, and travel. In spirit, I saw an intertwining of leadership and service that reminded me of Christ washing the disciples' feet. How blessed we were at TU to enjoy two terms and twelve years under his leadership. May he rest in peace, and may Peggy, the rest of his family, and the TU community find comfort. Dr. John Lepine Sr. B.A. '13
The Collegian: 10
In Memoriam
28 August 2017
The following obituary was compiled by numerous university staff and was initially published in the program for Steadman Upham’s memorial service, Aug. 19. Steadman Upham, anthropologist and president emeritus of The University of Tulsa, died July 30, 2017, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from complications following surgery. He was 68 years old. Upham served as president of The University of Tulsa (TU) from 2004 through the spring of 2012 and returned later that year at the request of the Board of Trustees to replace his successor. Upham retired as president in 2016 and planned to return to TU as a faculty member in the Department of Anthropology. At the time of his death, he was developing a course on the migratory history of humans. Upham previously served as president of Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California (1998-2004); as dean of the graduate school, professor of anthropology and vice provost for research at the University of Oregon (1990-98); and as assistant professor of archaeology, then associate professor and associate dean of the graduate school at New Mexico State University (1981-90). He completed his doctorate in anthropology at Arizona State University in 1980. Upham is survived by his wife of nearly 46 years, Peggy; their son, evolutionary biologist and Yale postdoctoral fellow Nathan Upham; their daughter, Portland architect Erin Upham Lopez, and her husband, Alejandro Lopez; their grandchildren, Orion and Aadrock; and by countless colleagues and friends. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a gift to The Steadman and Peggy Upham Endowment for Community Service and Outreach at The University of Tulsa, www.utulsa.edu/giving or 918-631-2565. He didn’t know it at the time, but one of Stead’s friends and Claremont colleagues, management guru Peter Drucker, provided what is perhaps the best one-line summary of Upham’s time at TU. The 12 years of his presidency is a case study in self-determination. Under Upham’s leadership, TU added more than 700,000 square feet of facilities; doctoral programs in chemistry, physics and anthropology; and a growing roster of interdisciplinary research institutes, including nanotechnology, alternative energy and the Oklahoma Center for the Humanities. TU also established the Mary K. and John T. Oxley College of Health Sciences, introduced the Center for Global Education and the Global Scholars Program, created the Office of Diversity and Engagement and partnered with the University of Oklahoma to establish the OU-TU School of Community Medicine. Upham also oversaw TU’s Embrace the Future Campaign (2004-11), which raised nearly $700 million for campus growth, scholarship and faculty endowments and other priorities. In 2008, Upham led the university in forging the Gilcrease Museum management partnership with the City of Tulsa – an unconventional arrangement that has benefitted both institutions by, among other things, boosting fundraising for the museum, spawning a master’s program in museum science and management and enabling a $65 million expansion of Gilcrease with funds from the successful Vision Tulsa sales tax ballot. Upham also worked with the late Walt Helmerich and family, along with other donors, to establish the Helmerich Center for American Research, providing a longwanted home for the expansive Gilcrease Documents Archive. In 2015-16, Upham led a major coup by representing the center during the acquisition of The Bob Dylan Archive – a joint effort with the George Kaiser Family Foundation. (Stead, both anthropologist and Dylan fan, admiringly noted that the archive’s treasures included the tambourine that inspired “Mr. Tambourine Man.”) During Upham’s time as president, TU consistently ranked among the nation’s top 100 doctoral universities in the influential U.S. News & World Report annual rankings. Most important are the numbers behind those rankings: a 14-point gain in the percentage of freshmen who finished high school in the top 10 percent, a 14-point gain in the 6-year graduation rate and a 3-point increase in mean freshman ACT score (from 26 to 29). The university achieved such distinctive growth not only through Upham’s leadership, but also through the dedicated efforts of many, including administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, corporate partners, foundations, government leaders and others. In short: TU’s success is the product of an extensive network of relationships – a network that flourished during Upham’s tenure. As TU’s First Lady, Stead’s wife, Peggy, played a crucial role as an ambassador for TU, planning and hosting scores of events each year and accompanying Stead in his travels. Their partnership began when a mutual friend at the University of Redlands introduced them; they married in 1971. Nathan remembers a bumper sticker on his father’s file cabinet at the University of Oregon: Subvert the Dominant Paradigm. “I remember realizing that I didn’t understand any of those words,” he said. “But in later years, I saw how that described Dad’s work.” Whatever disruption Upham’s work delivered, it did so through workmanlike substance, not pretense. His emphasis on deep excavation of major ruins was an innovative approach for Southwestern archeologists at the time. His dissertation research focused on the Southwestern Pueblo tribes of Native Americans, especially the Hopi people, and included several summers of archeological excavation at Chavez Pass, Arizona. From the field data, he developed a broad theoretical framework for the evolution of the region’s political systems during the last several thousand years of agricultural development. The resulting work, “Polities and power: An economic and political history of the Western Pueblo” (1982), did not gain much traction in the first decade after its publication but is now considered a classic of North American archaeology. Upham’s publications showed that ancient Pueblo societies were more complex and hierarchical than previously believed, with large population centers tied to smaller outlying villages through trade, ceremonies, and intensified food production before pandemics devastated the region in the 1500s. His later field work uncovered what was then the earliest example of eight-row corn in the Americas, dated to 1225 B.C., indicating that irrigation and sedentary lifestyles were present by that time.
28 August 2017
In Memoriam
The Collegian: 11
In all, Upham wrote or edited 10 books and wrote more than 75 book chapters and journal articles. In 2006, he wrote and edited a book showcasing the photographs of Edward Sheriff Curtis, a renowned chronicler of Native American culture and people starting in the 1880’s. The book resulted from a relationship Upham developed with the grandson of Curtis, who agreed to have the images from hundreds of unpublished glass negatives printed for the first time. It’s worth noting that Upham’s undergraduate degrees from the University of Redlands were in English and Spanish; his interest in anthropology was kindled during an extended trip that he and Peggy took through Mexico and Central and South America in 1974-75. The couple visited a number of pre-Columbian sites along their route. When their Volkswagen bus was impounded at the Costa Rican border, they continued by other means, making it as far as Cochabamba, Bolivia, before having to return to the U.S. (In 2012, Stead and Peggy returned to South America and completed the final leg of their trip to Tierra del Fuego nearly 40 years later.) Besides being united in their leadership roles at TU, Stead and Peggy shared a passion for art. He was an accomplished painter, working mostly in a meticulous abstract pointillist style using acrylic gel paint. She is a silversmith specializing in fine wearables. When it was time to recharge, the Uphams often retreated to their second home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where they maintained studio space and soaked up the local art scene. Nathan and Erin draw a bright line between their father’s creativity and his supportive, humanistic approach to leadership. This observation will ring true for many. A fellow university president once said he holds Stead up as the prime example of a compelling leader who is not the expected “Type A” personality. Tulsa Mayor G. T. Bynum told the Tulsa World that Stead had given him sage advice about a leader’s duty to be personally available to others. “You have a responsibility to take care of and be there for the people you lead,” Bynum explained. “It’s one of the best pieces of wisdom I’ve ever received.” As it happens, Stead had received that same wisdom from University of Oregon President David Frohnmayer. A few years ago, when a handful of TU students took to Facebook to grouse about the unfamiliar cooking smells coming from the apartment of an international student, Upham issued an impromptu video response. In a firmly corrective but respectful way, he reminded students that universities are places of diversity and learning, and they demand mature responses of us. On another occasion, he sportingly joined a group of students who approached him about making a video to promote an upcoming campus event. They struck up a simulated “rave” in the President’s Office, complete with a pulsing dance soundtrack and glow sticks. Stead even whirled a t-shirt “helicopter” style. This combination of approachability and reliable guidance doubtless played a large part in establishing Upham’s nickname among TU students: Uncle Stead. In one of his most visible and far-reaching achievements, Upham led TU in establishing the True Blue Neighbors initiative, a service program that partners TU closely with the Kendall Whittier neighborhood and with service organizations throughout Tulsa. In late 2008, Upham and his senior administrative team conceived of True Blue Neighbors as a response to that year’s harrowing economic downturn. The initiative would be a multifaceted exercise in community engagement and institutional citizenship. The pieces soon came together: a youth mentoring program at the neighboring Kendall-Whittier Elementary School, assistance for the Kendall Whittier Emergency Food Pantry and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, a Reading Partners initiative that advanced third-grade reading levels by 2.5 years, and more. Skilled tradespeople from the TU Physical Plant fanned out through the neighborhood to help with repairs and maintenance. There were T-shirts and Golden Hurricane game tickets for neighborhood kids, and help with school supplies for homes that almost inconceivably lacked even pens. The True Blue Neighbors Behavioral Health Clinic opened its doors in a new building at the corner of 4th Street and Lewis Avenue. A growing list of True Blue Neighbors project partners is led by the George Kaiser Family Foundation, an early and active participant. True Blue Neighbors has seen year-after-year increases in volunteer contributions from TU students, faculty and staff (70,255 hours in 2016), and it continues to be the primary vehicle for the university’s community engagement. Along the way, TU students and others are learning volumes about the forces that shape communities, about aligning people and resources behind goals and about hands-on citizenship. Mostly, they are learning that they can make a difference. With the succession of Gerard P. “Gerry” Clancy, M.D., to the TU presidency, the university has undertaken a months-long strategic planning exercise. The emerging outlines describe a future TU that has built ambitiously upon its culture of community engagement. Human service work continues, joined by a redoubled focus on economic development partnerships. Practical problem solving is integrated more broadly and consistently into classroom curricula. Corporate partners and alumni play an even larger role in developing TU-Tulsa partnerships. One thing is clear: Tomorrow’s TU will flow logically and powerfully from the TU that Stead led us in building. We are the fortunate caretakers of a profound legacy – with responsibilities to match. As Stead so often said: “Go TU!”
The Collegian: 12
Commentary
28 August 2017
Confederate monuments have no place in public
Statues celebrating the Confederacy support treason, the U.S.’s history of slavery and should be taken down. Justin Guglielmetti Sports Editor The recent tragic events in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which white supremacists and Neo-Nazis made a disturbing foray back into the public eye and took the life of an innocent protester, have naturally been the topic of much conversation over the ensuing couple of weeks. People want to understand how ideas this virulent and repulsive could still exist on such a large scale in 2017. Unfortunately, the discourse is not so simple as merely denouncing white nationalists (though to be fair, our president doesn’t seem to understand how simple that should be) and has instead become muddled with the more complicated and divisive issue of the continued existence of Confederate statues. I should begin by saying that I do not believe the participants in the so-called “Unite the Right” rally actually cared very much about the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue from Charlottesville, which was the supposed impetus for their actions. This wasn’t a spontaneous demonstration made in defense of southern pride, it was a calculated decision by the white supremacists to further divide our country along partisan lines and attempt to give themselves some semblance of legitimacy. By attaching themselves to an issue on which they know they share views with many mainstream figures on the right (a recent Economist poll indicated that 84 percent of Republicans associate the statues with pride rather than racism), the supremacists hoped to incite outrage on the left that would seek to categorize the David Dukes and Paul Ryans of the world as a single nefarious entity.
tent with their moral outrage, so would most else. All art is subjective in what a person conservatives. can take away from it, but the purpose of Remember when Colin Kaepernick was something, what it was designed to comcalled a traitor for exercising his Consti- memorate, is not up for interpretation. tutional right as an American to kneel for These statues celebrate the lives of men the national anthem? If you listened to the who did not just take up arms against their loudest and angriest voices on the right, countrymen, they did it for the explicit puryou would have thought that Kaepernick did something far more dire than protest silently at a sporting event. It was vitriol that should be reserved for a person taking up arms against our country. Now close your eyes and think for a minute. I bet if you try hard enough, you can think of an obscure little chapter in American history where a rebellious faction actually turned on its government and fought a devastating war against it! Why don’t we hit this point more often? The entire Confederacy fits the textbook definition of treason. They broke away from the Union. They elected their own president, adopted their own constitution. It may be true that the Southern states believed they were fulfilling the original vision of the United States, that they perceived the North to be the traitors, but history is written by the victors. And as much as it might displease the good old boys and Klansmen alike, the Confederacy lost the war. That means that Confederate statues glorify a tragic time in the history of the United States. if you continue to support and celebrate them, you are sup- pose (amongst other reasons) of protecting porting and celebrating treason. their right to enslave other human beings. This is of course to mention nothing of Of course that should be upsetting and ofthe emotional trauma that the continued fensive to the ancestors of those enslaved. existence of Confederate statues has likely Furthermore, why is this action something to be venerated, even if the people who did it happen to be your familial or cultural ancestors? A possible counterargument exists to the removal of the statues in that it is predicated on a somewhat slippery slope that could inflicted on millions of black Americans result in total disregarding of our own hisover the years. I cannot be the one to speak tory. After all, most of the Founding Fathers for a group of people of which I am not a owned slaves, and while there is yet to be part, and I have heard it argued that hitching as loud an outcry for the removal of statues one’s self-worth to a statue is setting one- of these men, the intellectual framework for self up for failure. But I would encourage doing so would be there if there is indeed any who think this way, any who maintain a nationwide effort to remove all statues of that the statues are really just about pride for the Confederacy in the coming months. To one’s heritage, to use a little empathy and this I would say that it is the actions that think about what they mean to somebody are being celebrated by the existence of the
“The entire Confederacy fits the textbook definition of treason. ” We must be careful in not allowing this to happen and understanding the difference between conservative politics and radical right-wing extremism. Still, this does not mean that we should simply ignore the continued existence of Confederate statues, or be okay with the fact that so many Republicans still support them. I believe unequivocally that they should all be removed from the public square, and if they were consis-
28 August 2017
Commentary
The Collegian: 13
The campus advice column is here to answer all of your questions! Submit your questions anonymously online and check back next week to see if Abby has an answer for you.
statues that is of paramount importance; i.e., that we erected them to acknowledge the fact that the founders created the wonderful country that we all call home, not that they were all deeply flawed human beings who were moral products of their time. It is because of this argument that I believe the treason of the Confederacy should take pre-
graphic by Madeline Woods
Abby Anonymous Fictitious Student Writer Q: It’s my senior year and the only new guys around campus are freshman. I’m into this one guy but I can’t decide if he’s too young for me. Help! Sincerely, Feeling Old You need to ask yourself if you’re looking for a boy just to have one around, or if you really do like this guy. If you’re looking for a guy just to have one, then good for you, but don’t forget about the juniors, sophomores, and dare I say it, grad students! Plus, I really doubt that you know every male in the senior class. If your heart (or anything else) is set on this freshman, then so be it. If you think this guy is too young for you because of his age then try getting to know him better. If you think he’s too young based on his actual maturity level, then he is definitely too young, and it’ll probably irritate you constantly. If you like this guy because you like like him, then I say go for it! The worst that can
happen is he says he’s not interested or the two of you just don’t work out. Just remember that while you’re savoring the last year of college and getting ready for the real world, he’s just getting started, and the two of you won’t always be on the same page because of that.
Buy some Febreeze and use it. In fact, use the Febreeze regularly, it’s a good habit. If you’re worried about the stain itself, throw a rug over it. A word to the wise: RA’s aren’t as oblivious as some think they are. If your RA asks about it, don’t panic, just say your friend spilled her drink.
“She doesn’t own your past, and you certainly don’t owe her a play-by-play of anything.” Q: I’m underage and I’ve never lived in a dorm before. After this party last weekend some girl was super drunk and spilled beer on my floor. It smells and the carpet is stained, and I’m scared my RA will notice. What do I do? Sincerely, Partied Hard
Q: My girlfriend wants to know about my sexual history but I’ve told her everything I’m comfortable with. She keeps pressing for more details; how do I keep her happy without giving her a play-byplay of my sex life? Sincerely, Don’t want to kiss and tell
Firstly, don’t invite that girl over again if she’s drunk, she’ll probably just spill something else. Secondly, take a breath because it’s probably not as bad as you think it is.
Hopefully, one of the things you were comfortable telling her was whether you have ever tested positive for an STI, and if you’ve been tested recently. If not, shame
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on you. If you have given her all of the pertinent information, good job. When you say play-by-play, the first thing that comes to mind is that your girlfriend wants graphic detail of your past sexual encounters. If that’s what she’s looking for, then I can’t blame you for being uncomfortable, that stuff is between you and your past partners. The most important part of any relationship is communication. Try sincerely asking her why she wants to know. Is it jealousy, or does she just want to know more about your boundaries and experiences? Maybe she’s insecure about differences in your experiences or even the number of past partners each of you has had. Tell her directly that she’s making you uncomfortable. If she wants to know about your boundaries and interests, you can work it out from there. If she feels entitled to your past and continues to push, consider breaking up with her. Everyone has their own, unique history and it’s up to you to decide how much of it you’re willing to share (past the health reasons, of course). She doesn’t own your past, and you certainly don’t owe her a play-by-play of anything.
LaFortune’s closing opens up new social possibilities
graphic by Madeline Woods
cedence when arguing for their removal, as it is impossible to spin this action as having had a positive impact on the development of the United States or the furthering of human rights. What those states did was unequivocally wrong. We don’t need to forget about the Confederacy or remove the names of those involved from the history books (indeed we must never forget the sins of the past to ensure that we do not repeat them). But we do not need to celebrate them either. Though it is probably a pipe dream, we can only hope that people on the right will be able to think about this issue logically, conclude that these statues do more harm than good, and avoid the divisive trap laid by the white supremacists to drive us apart. We’ve been through that before, and as we know, the result isn’t pretty.
LaFortune lacked the thriving social life that characterizes most residence halls on campus where students now have a better chance to live in. Lakin Freedle Student Writer As you make your way back-and-forth across campus over the next few weeks, you might start to notice a rather derelict building on the corner of south Gary Place and Eighth Street. Upperclassmen know this building as LaFortune House, while freshmen know nothing of it. LaFortune, in previous years, was a residence hall many students enjoyed living in. This hall was an option for those looking to avoid the constant pull of active socialization that most
other residence halls share. Unfortunately, past LaFortune residents discovered while applying for housing earlier this year that the residence hall was tentatively closed for the next school year. Many had high hopes for possible renovations meant to restore the residence hall to its former glory. Lindsey Prather, now a sophomore, reflected on her year at Lafortune and the condition it was in by the time she left. “They had some problems with water, but other than that they weren’t bad at all. Fisher South is in worse shape.” So maybe the rumored depravity of LaFortune was dramaticized?
“With LaFortune closing more students end up in residential halls with more magnetic social scenes.” pancakes with their fellow residents. Kassidy attended the event with maybe ten other residents. Only ten people out of the entire LaFortune population made an appearance, even with the offer of free food dangling before them. Sounds like most newcomers, students and Tulsa-Timers alike, isolated themselves in their rooms and remained that way throughout their experience. Although
“Many had high hopes for possible renovations meant to restore the residence hall to its former glory.”
A conflicting report from Kassidy Everett, current freshman, suggests otherwise. Kassidy was a Tulsa-Timer that stayed two nights in LaFortune in 2016 and is currently residing in Fisher South. She specifically stated that “LaFortune was pretty rundown. You think Fisher South is old and in need of repairs? LaFortune was worse.” Kassidy also recalled an event in the main lobby called “Jam it Up” where residents were encouraged to come and enjoy free
being alone has its perks, socialization is a necessity on a somewhat regular basis. With LaFortune closing more students end up in residential halls with more magnetic social scenes. Hardesty and Fisher South are both monumentally better social climates with at least one event planned weekly. These events help to integrate new students more directly with their peers, while LaFortune’s lacked effectiveness. On the other side of this residential de-
bacle, many people rejoice in the hall’s demise. Some claim our newest residential hall, Hardesty, replaces any need for LaFortune. Hardesty is now the largest, newest and arguably nicest residential hall on campus, so we might’ve just outgrown LaFortune. With Hardesty’s completion it seems like a waste of resources and time to build up LaFortune again. All good things end. While LaFortune House was beloved by some, the University of Tulsa as a whole has outgrown it. In regards to population, LaFortune is far from necessary anymore. Students looking to close themselves off from the social goingson of the more involved residence halls need look no further than their very own room. We all need peace and quiet every now and then, and with the assistance of a RoomPact agreement and a specialized search for a roommate that fits the social profile you would prefer, you may find Hardesty and other residence halls comparable, if not better, alternatives to LaFortune.
Oklahoma education lawsuit a loss for public schools
The Oklahoma City Board of Education’s potential lawsuit will cost more in time and money than it would provide help to schools. Nathan Hinkle Student Writer Members of the Oklahoma City Board of Education are currently deciding whether or not to sue the State legislature over the lack of funding. The board argues that the state legislature is not living up to the requirements set by the Oklahoma Constitution. Through this lawsuit, the Oklahoma City board hopes to receive enough funds in order to properly provide services to their community. However, this lawsuit is not universally accepted by all representatives of Oklahoma. Many legislators argue that the entire government is struggling to meet its needs and a lawsuit will merely be a drain on already low resources. In a previous statement, House Speaker Charles McCall
said“Every state agency has been asked to operate on less because revenues are down, yet the Department of Education has received a flat budget while others have taken cuts. I would encourage them to spend their time and money on being better stewards of the dollars they receive instead of filing frivolous lawsuits that blame others for their own poor leadership”. Opponents of the bill like McCall argue that the lawsuit would not only be a waste of time for both groups but it would also be a drain on resources with a potentially prolonged lawsuit. The school board should instead just do the best with available resources. Another case made by opponents of this lawsuit is that this lawsuit is merely a repeat of a previous lawsuit that happened back in 2007. At that time, a case put forward by the
is incredibly important because of the gravity of the situation. Over the past few years, Oklahoma has lost a considerable amount of teachers who have left due to monetary or teaching restrictions. Without additional funding in order to buy new equipment and keep these teachers, the board fears that the current situation will continue in a never-ending gradual spiral. In a statement to News Channel 4, District 93 Representative Mickey Dollens argued that “if you look back at the state constitution, Article 16[sic.] section 1… it clearly says that the state legislature has an obligation to maintain education and so far the state leadership has fallen short.” Article 13-1a of the Oklahoma State constitution states that “The legislature shall, by appropriate legislation, raise and appropriate funds for the annual
“Unless the government is purposely not giving enough resources to the school board, this lawsuit will not solve anything.” Oklahoma Education Association was shut down by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The court’s verdict was that “the plaintiffs have failed to allege facts which would give them standing to assert a violation of Oklahoma students’ constitutional rights.” While this new case will be made by the Oklahoma City Board of Education, opponents of the lawsuit claim that the case will be a similar outcome and therefore, a waste of time and resources. The OKC board argues that this lawsuit
support of common schools of the State to the extent of forty-two dollars dollars per capita based on total statewide enrollment for the preceding school year” While I believe that education spending is extremely important and useful for the future, I do not think that a lawsuit will be useful in achieving this goal. According to the 2007 case, there is already a precedent in place about similar lawsuits. Therefore, it will be difficult for this lawsuit to pass. While this court case is going on, resources
will have to be spent in order to bring this case to fruition throughout court which could be better spent on more important areas in the department. The problem with this case is twofold. If they won, the resources they received could be cut sharply by the costs of the case itself. However, one must also take into consideration where this money would be coming from. Unless the government is purposely not giving enough resources to the school board, this lawsuit will not solve anything except a meager increase in funding. Instead of this lawsuit, a better idea would be gaining the resources from taxes like the tobacco tax that are currently being attacked for being unconstitutional. This tax would raise around $215 million for organizations such as schools, nursing homes and other government agencies. However, this tax was deemed unconstitutional in the Oklahoma Supreme Court on the basis after companies such as R.J. Reynolds Tobacco and Philip Morris USA argued that the Oklahoma Constitution states that “no revenue bill should be passed during the five last days of session.”. Another problem being that the bill was started in the Senate rather than the House. In the event of a budget shortfall, it seems difficult to not allow any potential forms of management to fit the immediate need. While it is understandable that taxes slipped in at the very last minute can be potentially harmful, it is necessary when there is such a large budget shortfall. Revenue systems such as these could potentially make a big difference in funding Oklahoma’s needy school systems.
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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
Raven Fawcett satire editor
Adam Lux photo & graphics editor
Madeline Woods
business & advertising manager
Brian Kwiecinski
social media & web manager
Nick Rethford
distribution managers
Elise McGouran Carlie Wisely and Trenton Gibbons graphic by Madeline Woods
LaFortune closed over the summer, causing students to be moved into other nearby halls.
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The Collegian: 14
Variety
28 August 2017
Albums to look forward to in the summer: revisited In the Collegian’s final issue last semester, I compiled a short list of albums to be released later that summer and my preliminary thoughts on them. This is the same list with my final thoughts put together. Ethan Veenker Variety Editor
Animal Collective - “Meeting of the Waters”
Animal Collective is that ideal college band; they’re the perfect group through which one can whet their appetite for experimental music. Their range goes from choppy, horrifying live recordings of screams, screeches and cymbal crashes to chilled out, slowed down layers of synthesizers sequenced around each other, soaked in reverb and punctuated with spiraling voices. Of course, though, Animal Collective isn’t for everyone; what band is? Their most
this noise in relation to Gorillaz? Well, now that I think about it, I remember hearing it at the release of 2010’s “Plastic Beach” and 2011’s “The Fall.” When a Gorillaz albums drops — moreso than other “bands” I feel — a cloud of dust is kicked up around it and, in this swirling, chaotic mess of opinions and YouTube comments left in all caps, negativity tends to rise to the top. It’s an odd phenomenon but it stays mostly true that if one directs their attention to the release just a little while later (after the dust has “settled”) the negativity is buried by a layer of dedicated fanboys who’ve persisted and made their voices heard. Nevertheless, there seems to be a little less of a buzz around “Humanz.” There are plenty of “upon more listens, I actually really like [song],” which is great, but not what I listen to Gorillaz for. I understand that that’s an ignorant thing to say, but hear me out. I think back to the times I first listened to any Gorillaz album. There are plenty of songs on all of these albums that had to grow on me, that I had to listen to a few times before I enjoyed it, but there were also plenty of songs that stuck out instantly. With the exception of the self-titled album and definitely “The Fall,” their albums have been full of songs that catch you immediately, and songs that tend to grow on you. Lots of people like to cite Gorillaz as that band without a “style,” but that’s definitely a motif of theirs: they make catchy songs. “Humanz” lacks these songs that stick out on the first listen; the whole thing dragged by like a bad mixtape for me. It felt more like I was listening to a subpar hip hop album than a Gorillaz album. Songs like “Busted and Blue” and “Charger” carry a bit more weight in my memory than the other tracks for sure, but the rest of them will have to grow on me before I can more definitely decide their worth, and
“[T]his definitely feels like a return to form of sorts, an ambient trek down memory lane.” recent release, however, merits a listen from the skeptics and the haters. It breaks the rules of this list slightly by being an EP instead of an album, but “Meeting of the Waters,” in its short, half-hour four track span, is one of the most arresting releases of the last year. Perhaps the most striking detail of the EP, what one might consider its “gimmick,” is the fact that it was recorded entirely in the Amazon rainforest. A companion Viceland documentary depicts two of the band’s members, Avey Tare (aka David Portner) and Geologist (aka Brian Weitz), lugging field recorders, guitars and sequencers through the forest, arriving at various scenic locations and recording each song. The EP isn’t as catchy or poppy as some of their more recent releases have tended to be; this definitely feels like a return to form of sorts, an ambient trek down memory lane. The field recordings captured from the rainforest are both haunting and entrancing, creating a perfect, sleepy backdrop to “Blue Noses,” the EP’s dragged out opener. The rainforest’s influence is less present in “Man of Oil,” the best cut from the EP, where Portner’s songwriting and surprisingly vulnerable voice form the basis of the track. “Amazonawana / Anaconda Opportunity” forms a nice sort of ambient border before the closing track, “Selection of a Place (Rio Negro Version),” which appears to be an alternate version of a track that would appear on Avey Tare’s sophomore solo release, “Eucalyptus,” later in the summer. My closing thought is that it’s not Animal Collective’s best release, but it’s a breath of fresh air and is worth a listen if not to just say that you’ve heard “that one EP recorded in the Amazon.” Gorillas - “Humanz”
Is it cheating to refer to other reviews when giving my own? It almost certainly is, but I need the reader to trust me when I say I have formed my own opinion: I didn’t like it. The reviews are rather positive for the most part, but there’s an unrest under the “good but not great” reviews. What is it? It, well, it sort of sounds like a scorned fanbase. Damn where have I heard
that fact alone sets it below the other Gorillaz albums. Perhaps I was too quick to say I didn’t like it, but I know I’ll never love it. Jesu & Sun Kil Moon - “30 Seconds to the Decline of Planet Earth”
in this release, another hour of bitching, disappoints me. It’s clear now that he’s just a bitter asshole, someone who doesn’t care about anything to such a drastic extent that he feels he’s become superior to everyone else. I know if he ever stumbled across this he’d laugh, tear it up and go on his way. Part of me resents that, and another part envies that unbelievable apathy. Is that all it takes? Great production by Jesu, though. alt-J - “Relaxer”
I wanted to like this album, and part of me does, really, but a larger part of me doesn’t. “3WW” and “In Cold Blood” gave me a lot of hope for this record, but those two tracks sound so obscenely unlike the rest of the album that it’s unfair, almost. In the tracklist they’re even the first two tracks, in that order, so the unprepared listener (me) thinks he’s in for more tracks like that. Then, “Hit Me Like That Snare” comes on, and the listener is left uncomfortable, as if someone just shined a flashlight directly into their face in the midst of a deep, heavenly sleep. It’s a disgusting track, honestly. I can’t find a single good thing about it, it sounds like altJ trying as hard as they can to sound nothing like alt-J. They unfortunately bring back the poor sex metaphors too, like I’m reading the carvings in a middle schooler’s desk. It’s an attempt at some stripped down, slow-punk type song, but is truly just an abhorrent assault on the ears. It genuinely ruined the album for me, though some of the following tracks added fuel to the fire. “Deadcrush” doesn’t help things slow back down to the chill, relaxing album that we were promised with the first two tracks (and the album’s title!), but “Adeline” wipes the bad taste out of the listener’s mouth, at least a little. The damage is done though: the album is uneven and aimless. It varies in tone too little to be called experimental or brave and too much to be considered a succinct album with a clear vision. It’s stuck somewhere in the middle. They clearly wanted to slow things down even more since their last album, but we got something half-baked, half-realized. We got an album stuck in limbo and that’s unfortunate. I will admit, though, that “3WW” and “Adeline” are amazing tracks in their own rights, and should be enjoyed outside the context of the album when possible. Lorde - “Melodrama”
Mark Kozelek’s newest side project with Jesu is more of the same damn thing, so if you want more of the same damn thing then I highly recommend checking this album out. I’ll keep it short because there’s too much here to digest all at once, and there’s so much here that I don’t even want to digest. Every Jesu & Sun Kil Moon song follows the same general formula. For the duration of the six to eight minute track, a looping, electronic piece of music plays. These pieces are usually, admitedly, rather good in quality; Jesu is a great producer, though these can begin to get old after hearing them for eight minutes. On top of these “soundscapes,” as they were, Mark Kozelek recites what sounds like drunk poetry. He speaks quickly and al-
I’ll admit I didn’t rabidly listen to this release, nor was I a huge fan of Lorde to begin
“It’s clear now that he’s just a bitter asshole...” most incohrently, as if he’s afraid he’s being judged on time and won’t be able to get it all out. The spoken word performance he gives is anything but musical or melodic, but he occasionally self-harmonizes for a fauxchorus type thing before jumping right back into the odd prose. I don’t actively listen to Sun Kil Moon by itself, but listening to Mark Kozelek bitch across this album and the last one may have preemptively turned me off from that music completely. Okay, okay that’s a little rude; it’s clear at least that where Sun Kil Moon is carefully constructed that Jesu & Sun Kil Moon is far more stream of consciousness. It shows a lot about Kozelek’s usual thoughts though, his angry, pretentious and unrelenting thoughts. I was at first entranced by the previous release, but his cling to form
with, but I liked “Pure Heroine” well enough and I like “Melodrama” a bit better, to be honest. “Green Light” and “Melodrama” had me a little worried for the album; I just wasn’t impressed, and I was afraid the creative undertones that were clearly present in “Pure Heroine” were gone. Looking back, I don’t know why I thought that: they’re solid tracks. I’d implore the reader to not call hypocrisy on me, given the statement I gave on “grow on me” music earlier with Gorillaz; I just expected more from Gorillaz, that’s all. Like I said, I wasn’t a huge fan of Lorde so I may not have even been giving it a full conscious listen. The return was pleasant, and showed me some tracks that flowered within an album that felt more confident, more self-empowered than anything I’ve heard from her yet. They’re ballads, as are most of the tracks on
this album, but “Green Light” is rife with emotion and power, it’s an electrifying track that I couldn’t find myself enjoying upon hearing it a few months back due to some unspoken prejudice. “Liability” seemed even worse to me, being that it dials down the poppy, dancey aesthetic. At the time I thought that this worked against Lorde’s strengths, but now I can hear that she has a knack for the slower, more stripped down sound as well. “Liability” can be a little melodramatic (ha) at times with its lyrics, but it is, for the most part, another solid song. One need only compare production credits of her two albums to get the idea that her influence was far more felt on her own music in “Melodrama” than in “Pure Heroine.” Perhaps that’s a disingenuous assertion to make, that there were contributions left unmade by her in “Pure Heroine,” an album released under her moniker, but “Melodrama” simply feels more like a solo album. I don’t find myself thinking to the producers of the track, I find myself thinking about Lorde and what she was thinking while writing the song. The album is more focused, more meaningful and — though the production is far more stripped down on this record, an unbalanced emphasis is left on the lyrics that can at times feel slightly hokey — it’s certainly depicting a heading in the right direction for Lorde. I hope to hear more of this individuality from her in the future. Fleet Foxes - “Crack-Up”
Let’s just get it right out there in the open. “Crack-Up” is a sonic, emotional triumph and is the best release from Fleet Foxes yet. Frontman Robin Pecknold’s hiatus, during which he attended university, obviously didn’t dampen his poetic potential or his musical style. If anything, they were both emboldened. He comes out of the woodwork in “CrackUp,” triumphantly singing above every other instrument. That aspect alone is perhaps my favorite part of “Crack-Up,” Pecknold’s self-harmonizing is so much more self-assured up front. “Fleet Foxes” and “Helplessness Blues” showed us he had pipes, but “Crack-Up” reminds us and solidifies that fact, particularly in tracks like “I Am All That I Need / Arroyo Seco / Thumbprint Scar” and “Third of May / Ōdaigahara.” Back in March, when “Third of May / Ōdaigahara” was released, it clearly set the bar high for a new record. I maintain that it’s the best track on the album, though the other pieces carry their own weight. “Third of May / Ōdaigahara” is special, though, with its distinctive refrain and its blistering imagery. The title is lifted partially from a Francisco Goya painting titled “Third of May” that depicts a firing squad mowing men down. This is explicitly referenced in the song with the line “And as the sky would petal white, old innocent lies came to mind / As we stood, congregated, at the firing line.” This is just one little nugget of the song, but it marks the moment where the amps got turned up to 11 and, as the percussion soaked into the song, the intensity picked up and it became the beautiful, folk rock track that is. The punches this album makes can’t be overstated. It puts the “rock” in “folk rock,” and while that may be a turn-off to some people, this album still does a tremendous job of scratching the folk itch as well as the rock itch. It’s the rare album that seeks to do two different thing and accomplishes two different things. It’s fast at times, but not too fast. It’s slow at other times, but not for too long. The whole thing feels so packed with energy, with well-controlled emotion, that I’ve listened to it a few times a week for a month now and I’m still not tired of it. It’s a wonderful, refreshing experience that’s sure to top my 2017 list and is sure to please those who love Fleet Foxes and those who are new entirely to the band. Despite a little lull in the summer, album releases in 2017 have been constant and exciting. It’s good to see that the format gets to live another year; we haven’t quite abandoned the idea of putting a bunch of songs together, not just yet. 2017 hasn’t run out of steam for album releases yet, either. More big names and big releases are slated for the remainder of the year, some of which will be featured in the Collegian, so stay tuned.
28 August 2017
Variety
The Collegian: 15
Father John Misty provides extravagancy and intimacy at Cain’s Ballroom Wednesday night saw the return of Father John Misty to Tulsa, equipped with a bigger band and no less rambunctious. Ethan Veenker Variety Editor
On Wednesday night, a crowd of people struggled in unison to clear their pockets for the security check. After many the waves of a security wand and a few cursory glances at crinkled tickets, the audience gradually seeped into Cain’s Ballroom. For once, no music was playing over the speakers prior to the set. All that filled the room was the excited conversation amongst the crowd and the deep red lights that lit up the stage and bounced all around. At about 8 p.m., though, four particularly trendy looking individuals took the stage. The pianist/vocalist, who could be a poster child for well-kempt curly hair, a bassist wearing an ascot and a newscap and a guitarist wearing a glittery, sequined shirt. The drummer took a seat at a drumset with bandanas tightly wrapped around all the heads, to strictly dampen their sound. They were on stage for about 45 minutes and played eleven songs. Their music was agreeable and funky. Rich basslines chugged along behind each song and the vocals and guitar took turns neatly sitting on top of that bed of bass. The keyboard and the guitar paired together with a perfect recipe for delectable dream pop which is, in the studio, actually a duo between those two performers in the first place. As far as live acts go, this was one of the best-mixed ones I’d witnessed. Although you couldn’t make out what the vocalist was singing most of the time and despite a few feedback issues, the mixing was incredible. Her voice acted like another instrument, it fit in with the rest of the music so well that I didn’t even consider it necessary to know what she was saying; I just liked listening to her. I’d like to be cynical and attribute the good mixing to where I was standing, but if anything I was standing in a bad spot. My right ear took a real beating that night, given my proximity to the stage, but I could still tell that the sound had been very fine-tuned. Beyond the technicalities, though, Tennis was just great fun to watch on stage. The vocalist mentioned it was their first time in Tulsa and also that it was their last performance in the tour, assuring us that because they got to go home the next day that they’d be getting very drunk that night. They danced around and showed a true mastery of their instruments; the vocalist really impressed my caveman-mind by effortlessly playing her keyboard with one hand while looking around at the band and the crowd, just chilling out and seeming to take it all in while her fingers seamlessly found their places. Eventually we all said our goodbyes, though. After another half hour of no music and awkward lighting, the stage went dark and nine men came out and grabbed their instruments. This detail alone impressed me. There was a brass/woodwind section com-
Despite the performance being part of the Pure Comedy Tour, Father John Misty’s whole discography was represented.
prised of three men in the back that switched between flutes, trumpets and saxophones throughout the entirety of the concert, three pianists, a drummer, a guitarist and a bassist. As the band began playing the first measures to “Pure Comedy,” Father John Misty made his way onstage and, much to the crowd’s delight, broke into singing. He seems like a man that was born for the stage. His expressions, both facial and otherwise, are so humorous and almost overdone that they match his persona and lyrics perfectly. Basically, imagine a live performance as snide and smartass-ish as his studio recordings are. It was great watching
of the concert using just his voice. The set grabbed songs from his entire discography. There were live versions of songs that seemed indistinguishable from the studio versions, songs such as “Chateau Lobby #4 (In C for Two Virgins),” “Birdie,” “Real Love Baby” and “True Affection.” Other songs got fantastic makeovers, like “Nancy From Now On” with its new drumheavy second and third verses that pushed the previously slow and sensual song along with a newfound rhythm and cadence, and “Things it Would Have Been Helpful to Know Before the Revolution,” with an extended instrumental breakdown (meaning
“I felt more like I was watching Josh Tillman on stage than Father John Misty...” him. He had a ridiculous amount of energy and danced perhaps even more than he sang onstage. Occasionally he’d grab a guitar and play along with the band, but he spent most
an orgy of noise and crash cymbals) toward its end and some wonderful Father John Misty dance moves to go along with it. The encore’s songs in particular got great treatment, with “Holy Shit” getting another crazy instrumental breakdown in the middle of the performance, just before the final verse (present in the studio version but dragged out and even crazier live) and a completely solo and acoustic rendering of “I Went to the Store One Day,” during which I found myself clearing my throat in preparation to sing along on the final line. I could write pages and pages about each song he performed and how he did it — I certainly took enough notes to do that — but I’d rather talk about my favorite part of show: his banter and his interaction with the audience. Father John Misty, known otherwise as Josh Tillman, is frequently seen as a selfabsorbed asshole who takes himself too seriously. This may be true for Father John Misty, but not for Josh Tillman, and I felt more like I was watching Josh Tillman on stage than Father John Misty, which is absolutely a good thing. He was smiling and telling jokes between songs the whole night; it was wonderfully entertaining. At one point early in the set he popped a cough drop on stage and went into a spiel perhaps dedicated to his wife (“Darling…”) about him recently taking up the habit of steroids. He assured her that, despite his new muscle-y, sweaty form, it was still him, and that it was just him and her against the world. The absurdity of the thing, all said in the middle of the performance of “When You’re Smiling and Astride Me,” had me in a fit of laughter. During the performance of “When the God of Love Returns There’ll Be Hell to Pay” he admitted to the crowd that he had a respiratory infection (explaining the cough drop from earlier) and made jokes for the rest of the night about how he was “dying.” courtesy BrooklynVegan.com Father John Misty, seen here performing at Austin City Limits, is known for his bold performing style. My favorite part of the night is probably when he stopped in the middle of “I Love
courtesy Sub Pop Records
You, Honeybear” at the end of the original set. Just before entering the song’s final refrain he crouched on the stage and didn’t get back up. I could see the band behind him laughing and sort of looking around, confused. I stood up higher to get a better look and saw him still crouched there with a huge, stupid-looking smile on his face, staring somewhere off to his side into the crowd. The band began to play up to the refrain and he held his hand out, stopping them completely. He stood at the edge of the stage for a few more seconds and said “Did you get it?” Then he laughed and, standing back up, signalled at the band and broke right back into song. After finishing and walking offstage for a good thirty seconds, he returned for an encore. I couldn’t see, but my strong inference is that he stopped the song to take a selfie with someone standing right next to the stage. He also had some great banter in the encore. Before going into “Real Love Baby” he reminded the crowd of his respiratory infection and jokingly asked for help with the next song. While on that same train of thought, he poked some fun at frontmen that always ask for help when playing popular songs in an attempt to get crowd cooperation. He said he couldn’t do that “camp counselor” style hype trick, and, reminding us that he “genuinely” needed help due to his respiratory infection, said “I would never lie to you, unlike, unlike Chris Martin.” After a long bout of laughter between him and the crowd, he outed himself as a Coldplay fan and broke into song once more. I think the last thing a lot of people expect at a Father John Misty concert is the genuine feeling he gives off. He’s a fun, charismatic guy and he also happens to make great music. It’s a concert you’ll want to attend whether you’re a fan of his or not. Involving, again, interaction with the crowd, there was a fun little parallel between me and a girl hoisted on top of someone’s shoulders. She being the only person like this in the crowd, his eyes landed on her and he spoke to her a bit, asking her name and what not. He mentioned with a chuckle that being on someone’s shoulders like that could get her kicked out of the venue. Her friends spoke up for her, informing him that this was her first concert, and for a second I was brought back to my first concert: Father John Misty at the Cain’s Ballroom in Fall of 2015. That was during the I Love You, Honeybear Tour, and here I was, two years later, seeing him again, during the Pure Comedy Tour at the same venue at about the same time of the year, and there’s that girl sitting on someone’s shoulders having her first time. “Well, let’s not get her kicked out her first concert, guys,” he said with a smile, and went into the next song. I listened, swaying, dancing, smiling back.
The Collegian: 16
Variety
28 August 2017
Brigsy Bear demands tears and laughs, gets neither
Despite originality and charm, “Brigsy Bear” doesn’t accomplish everything it sets out to do. Trent Gibbons News Editor
Before each showing of “Brigsby Bear”, Circle Cinema has included a brief introduction by Oklahoma native Kevin Costello, who cowrote the film. In it, Kevin makes it clear that this is a bit of a passion project, a work so quirky and unique that he’s not only surprised it was made, he’s practically embarrassed to have others watch it. Having seen the film itself, I understand both sentiments entirely. “Brigsby Bear” is remarkably unique. The film opens with James Pope, an immature twenty-six year old, obsessively watching a children’s show. This show within the movie, the fictional ‘Brigsby Bear,’, follows the adventures of an animatronic bear and his magical accomplices against the relentless Sun-snatcher. James is unabashedly infatuated with this narrative: his only friends are anonymous accounts on an online “Brigsby Bear” forum, all of his clothes are stitched with the show’s icons, and the closest thing he has to a romantic interest is Arielle Smile, one of the magical twin girls who accompany Brigsby Bear. All understandable, since his life is limited to a bunker inhabited only by himself and his parents, who equip gas masks each time they need to brave the otherwise ‘toxic’ air. He does not leave the bunker regularly, only sneaking out occasionally to stargaze. Not twenty minutes into the film, change arrives in the form of the police, who rescue James from his captivity. Very quickly James is
told he was abducted as a child from his actual parents, that the air is not toxic and, among a great many other things, that the show he knew and loved was in fact made by his captors. It’s amazing that the first act of the film requires so much text in its summary when the rest is so simple: Pope struggles with adjusting to his new life and instead devotes himself to finishing the tale of “Brigsby Bear” in a homemade movie. In the transition from his bunker to real life, I realized this was going to be a ‘fishout-of-water’ comedy of sorts. I can’t really conjure up any other films in that category which I remember greatly appreciating, but if one such existed, I can only think that the ‘fish’ at its center must be a likable, or at least greatly entertaining character to watch on screen. James Pope, unfortunately, is not. His complicated past should justify to a great extent his strange immaturity, but still I found myself more irritated by some of his quirks than I was amused or even sympathetic. From his first moments outside the bunker, ballooning his cheeks so as to avoid the toxic air, to his cringe-worthy minglings with his sister’s friends, I never found him all that pitiable. Kyle Mooney, who plays James Pope and wrote the film with Kevin Costello, might be largely to blame, for both his roles. The movie has no scenes that moved me much at all; it often dissolves dramatic tension for the sake of comedy, and portrays what is in reality a pretty tragic existence as a dark comedy. This approach would’ve been fine with me — none of the drama of this movie could’ve done a much better job than “Room,” which covered similar ground in terms of its themes of captivity and its ef-
fects — if much of the film had been funny, rather than just simply quirky. “Brigsby Bear” has a shortage of likable characters. Much of this stems from the supposed likability of much of the supporting cast, especially those college-aged characters, unfortunately, who are written so desperately to be liked that I couldn’t help but feel the exact opposite towards them. The only performances that really stuck out to me in this film were those of Greg Kinnear, playing the lead detective on James’ case, and Mark Hamill, as the man who produced “Brigsby Bear” and pretended to be James’ father for so many years. Kinnear does an impressive job making his character likable, even when he’s making mistakes, but seeing Hamill was my main motivation for seeing this film at all. Naive of me, I now realize, for thinking he’d be in so much of the film as he was the
trailer. All in all, Hamill gets a screen time a fraction of what his character deserved. I appreciate Hamill’s extensive career as a voice-actor; nonetheless I maintain hopes of seeing him apply his acting talents on the screen, not just behind it, beyond Luke Skywalker. It’s a shame to have written so negatively about such an original film, especially when the big screen these days is so crowded with generic superhero sequels. However, just as a well-made but thoroughly unoriginal film deserves criticism, so too does a wholly unique film with a few flaws that do much to subtract from its quality. Here those flaws are, to me, the total lack of any real emotional impact; I did not really root for James Pope or any of his friends. If ever I did hope to see his speedy recovery, it might just be that I was exhausted of seeing James Pope’s struggle otherwise.
Brian Kwiecinski Business Manager Last Thursday, Dietler Commons — also known as the Old U — was completely encircled by the bustling groups that make up the backbone of TU student activities. Known as First Thursday officially and called the Activities Fair informally, this event was the first Hurricane Thursday of the new year. Earlier in the morning, students may have noticed the massive circle of tables and chairs set up on the Old U; however, this could not have prepared them for the intensity the Activity Fair generated when it was in full swing. Students arrived in droves, filing between the tables and grabbing their free Schlotsky’s sandwich boxes from the nearby tent. SA kicked off the event with an unveiling of their new shirts with many eager students lining up for their newest symbol of school spirit. Meanwhile, Housing was present at the Fair in full force, checking students in for the Hurricane Thursday drawing at the end of the semester. Once a student has checked into seven Hurricane Thursdays, they will be entered into a raffle for a multitude of prizes. Some of the possible winnings are an Amazon Echo Dot, Priority Housing Selection next year, Powerbeats2 by Dre, and gift cards to various restaurants and retailers. As students passed by, they were able
to grab up any number of free items ranging anywhere from the new Hurricane Thursday shirts to selfie sticks to umbrellas. In addition to check-ins and free TU paraphernalia, the Housing section also hosted some of their associated organizations. First was the National Residence Hall Honorary, followed by the Residence Hall Association, and at the end of the line was the Office of Digital Media. The NRHH is a service and leadership organization composed of the top 1% of students who are housed on campus; they will be hosting the Throwback Thursday Hurricane Thursday on October 19th. NRHH also works closely with the Residence Hall Association (RHA), another Housing organization that brings together the Hall Governments and other residents from across campus for planning campuswide events. In addition to Housing, many other organizations were present at this kickoff event. A plethora of religious and equality-oriented organizations were all over Dietler Commons, showcasing the incredibly diverse population both on and off campus. Also represented was the various fraternities and sororities on campus, both Greek and independent. Some of the independent groups were Phi Mu Alpha and Sigma Alpha Iota (SAI) who make up some of the top music students on campus. Along with those core groups, there were also fun and entertaining clubs such as Smash Club — a club dedicated specifically to the Super Smash Bros. Franchise — the Capture the Flag team for aspiring programmers, and a graphic design club known as DigiCo (short for Digital Collective). Also handing out shirts at this event was DVIS (Domestic Violence and Intervention Services) which provides students with
Brigsby Bear attempted endearment but garnered only annoyance.
courtesy Sony Pictures Classics
a 3rd party alternative for those who have been affected by sexual assault and other cases of interpersonal violence. They provide a rape counselor, advocate, legal support, and other related services to students in a completely confidential context. They have a 24 hour hotline for any situation, the number for that is (918) 743-5763.
A familiar table at First Thursday.
With so many entertaining and impactful organizations being represented at this tremendous start to the new school year, this First Thursday gives a glimpse to all the new students on campus that they are in for so many involved and developmental experiences in the years to come.
Brennen Gray Student Writer Every Tuesday at 7 p.m., The Gypsy coffee shop in downtown Tulsa hosts an open mic night. The Gypsy looks much like one would expect: crowded, subversive, alternative, and unapologetically a downtown coffee house featuring loud rock music. On one of the walls hung an Einstein quote I found suiting to the mood: “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited, imagination encircles the world.” The opening act brought his own beat and some rhymes to match. The coffee shop transformed into underground rap club. While his voice seemed amateur and his music did not quite blow me away, the originality of the performance kept me interested. The quick pace of the music opened nicely for the evening.
Next, the announcer called “Kenny,” who seemed to prefer his electric guitar over his voice; I never once heard him speak before he began. I unquestionably award Kenny with a top review. The rapid, pumping sound told a story that changed tones almost as quickly as it shredded through its notes. It started off with an electric sound like that of classic rock but with a taste of metal. When it slowed I detected a little Jazz in the beat. It went from triumphant to angry to raging, ending with a long ending riff that tied it together. It was raw power. He left as he came: silent. Robert, a man with a red beanie and acoustic guitar, took the stage next. Robert had all-around skill in his music, but no particular category blew me away. His lyrics were not written to be poetry, but they made great song lyrics; and his music was not astounding, but had a unique sound. The night’s first band, Cherokee Rose, took the stage next with Kenny making his return. Their music seemed like a soundtrack to an over-the-top action movie. It blared so impossibly loud, I wondered if I were sitting on the speaker itself. However,
There were plenty of good films and bad films masquerading as good films this summer. Let’s discuss a few of them real quick.
The Big Sick
world marked by heroes and valiant deeds, knowing he’s capable of such feats but just left without the opportunity.
Ethan Veenker Variety Editor Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
I found myself feeling for Peter, getting impatient with him, getting angry at him, getting scared for him and, finally, at the end, agreeing with him. One of the more mature superhero films I’ve seen, ironically about a high school student.
they were so good. The dueling lead guitarists made me feel like I was eavesdropping on the world’s loudest conversation. George came next to take me back to the ‘90s. His guitar and voice reminded me of slow Greenday songs like “Good Riddance” and “Wake Me Up When September Ends.” While I found his lyrics hard to hear over his guitar, he sang notes that I found worked seamlessly with his sound. A thoroughly enjoyable performance. The next man wore jeans and a black cap. He played an unmistakable rock and roll. It sounded like “Rock This Town” by the Stray Cats got hit with the soul train of its roots. His jazzy solos and Big-Bang-Era bass accompanying him made me want to buy an Elvis album and bring the word groove back into common usage. I caught him after his performance to ask him about himself. He simply replied, “I play rock and roll and it makes me happy.” His name is Hector Ultreras, and he plays for a band called The Mules. His performance ranks at the top of the night due to his pure rock and roll. The first female act, Chelsea Anderson, brought an acoustic ukulele and my favorite
I’m glad this movie was a commercial success. For the most part, I enjoyed it, and I enjoy this group enough that I’d be willing to see them in future films. This movie pales in comparison to its predecessor, however. Where the original film had varied environments, an organic connection of interesting characters and an emotionally investing final fight, its sequel has a rather static setting, confusing character motivations and a finale that I kept hoping would just end already. I enjoyed the film, but it wasn’t about the Guardians of the Galaxy. Sure, the stakes in this film are higher, but they don’t feel that way, not in the slightest. The film’s main focus was in the many different character arcs it was wrangling all at once, and that left our main storyline, the one between Star Lord and his father, feeling rather left out to dry.
photo by Kayleigh Thesenvitz
voice of the night. Not only did she perform with the largest voice range, complete with trills and melisma, but she exhibited a voice that was made for the ukulele. She had an unmistakable touch of melancholy in her voice that blended with a joyful rhythm. I asked her how long she had been playing. “Only a year,” she replied. “I learned because my friend passed away, and he loved the ukulele.” She said she began practicing on a labeled drawing of ukulele on a piece of paper. The following act sounded a little heavy for my taste but offered a new sound. It certainly had power in its rhythm, and no small amount of grunge. His voice seemed from the early 2000’s era. The Gypsy’s open mic night makes for a unique Tuesday night experience. While the acts ranged from mediocre to shockingly good, the underground atmosphere and possible potential of each fledgling artist match the starry-night painted ceiling: unlimited.
DC Comics has had a sort of film renaissance in the last few years. In an obvious attempt to compete with Marvel’s cinematic universe, they’ve reintroduced characters like Batman, Superman and now Wonder Woman with their own, respective films (though the solo-Batman film hasn’t yet been released). Their efforts have been mostly poor, with films like “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Suicide Squad” garnering mostly negative reviews, but “Wonder Woman” has proven to be DC’s greatest critical success since their new cycle of movies began. Critics raved about “Wonder Woman” all summer, and while I enjoyed the film for the most part, I’m a little confused about all the high reviews. The film is pretty, and Gal Gadot and Chris Pine give excellent performances with great chemistry, but every other aspect of the film falls flat. From the shoehorned side characters (one with a downright embarrassing depiction of PTSD), to the ridiculous antagonist with a bushy mustache, to the overbaked message of the film. The soundtrack was mostly forgettable, save for Wonder Woman’s admittedly kickass theme. The German characters all speaking English was odd, but forgivable for the most part. The depiction of WWI was just pitiful, and while I can see how that may not bother a great majority of the film’s viewers, it really grated on me. All the pieces were present in “Wonder Woman,” but they didn’t come together in a satisfying way. Perhaps if the movie had another hour or half hour of screen time and a bit more of Diana kicking ass, we could have had a great superhero movie that perfectly balances the goofy with the gritty. The film we got focuses far more on the former, though, and I think it detracts considerably from the grave message that the movie stumbled to get across.
every scene from the movie, right up until the protagonists finally sit down on a train that will take them home. The sudden cessa-
“After this film, if I try hard enough, I can pretend the two Andrew Garfield movies were just a fever dream.”
Rom-coms have fallen out of grace with the film community over the past decade, and for good reason. They’re usually phoned-in, joke-recycling, predictable pieces of trash. That being said, “The Big Sick” may be one of the best romantic comedies I’ve ever seen, and its genuineness is as much due to the actors’ amazing performances as it is to the fact that the story told is true, more or less. Kumail Nanjiani’s performance is deadpan but brilliant at times, and Ray Romano, Holly Hunter and Zoe Kazan bring their acting chops to the stage too, making for a film that you can’t help but smile to. Nanjiani’s depiction of his attempt to break away from his native Palestinian culture is heartbreaking and insightful and the sacrifices that he makes for Emily as she lay in a coma are believable and impactful. The movie is just all-around good; it’s a watch you won’t regret, though perhaps not a film you’ll find yourself returning to time and time again. Baby Driver
Wonder Woman
Underground bubbles to surface at Gypsy open mic Open mic night at the Gypsy Coffeehouse was a great sampler of Tulsa’s amateur and its extraordinary.
A short look at this summer’s films
The Collegian: 17
Dunkirk
TU’s Hurricane Thursday overtakes the old U The University of Tulsa hosted TU’s organizations and clubs at the Activities Fair last Thursday so that students could get a glimpse of how they can get involved in the coming year.
Variety
28 August 2017
Hard to say much about this film. It’s chaos, it’s despair, it’s urgency, it’s tense, it’s masterful. One of the best parts of this movie was the sound design and the soundtrack, which was composed by Hans Zimmer specifically to induce anxiety. Unlike most of Zimmer’s other notable scores, no specific tracks from “Dunkirk” stand out in memory. The genius of the soundtrack was mostly in its subtlety, its understated design that reminded the viewer each and every second that time was running out. A ticking clock is heard in almost
tion of the ticking that’s been going all movie — so present to the point that the viewer practically tuned it out — that the viewer is jarred and caught off guard. This adds a greater effect to what would otherwise be an innocuous scene of a boy falling asleep on a train. It’s been, of course, receiving extremely favorable reviews, but a lot of people still yell into the void that there’s not enough character development (or memorable characters at all, for that matter). Given what I just said about the SpiderMan film, you’d think I might agree with the importance placed on characters but I don’t, not this time. Not because I’m a Christopher Nolan fanboy, but because this movie is clearly depicting something that’s greater than the characters themselves. Spider-Man is about Spider-Man. Dunkirk is about a military operation. The only character that seems to go through profound change is Peter, and that makes sense because he’s the only (surviving) character that the crowd can assume has not seen any combat or warfare at all. He is clearly shown to have learned a lesson and to have changed due to his father’s taking him directly to a combat zone. The rest of the characters have no necessary change to make: they’ve been here, they’ve seen it all, they just want to get out. A lot of armchair film critics said they couldn’t feel attached to the characters, they couldn’t feel themselves really wanting the characters to make it out alive. I don’t see how. It’s a war film with hardly any dialogue, the attachment doesn’t come through intricately woven speech but rather the stark depiction of how terrified all these men are and we, the audience, should sympathise and pity with their struggle. It only seems human.
Edgar Wright has never let us down, and “Baby Driver” is just another jam-packed, detail-oriented triumph that I’ll find myself watching as many times as I can in the future. Everything in this movie clicks, every part of it is on-tempo and it provides such a hair-raising, seat-gripping experience to coincide with the film’s technical mastery. There are certain parts of the plot that feel a little contrived, and a few certain details of the film (mostly firearm-related) that made me wince a little, but this movie’s absolute solidity helps hold it above semantic criticism. It’s definitely my favorite film of the summer, and is shaping up to be my favorite film of the year. Spider-Man: Homecoming
Join the choreographers and editors from Pointe Magazine and Huffington Post for an interactive panel discussion on gender and dance, and how women are breaking boundaries. Is this the best Spider-Man film? No, 2004’s “Spider-Man 2” still holds that title. Is this the best Spider-Man film since then? Oh yes. After this film, if I try hard enough, I can pretend the two Andrew Garfield movies were just a fever dream. “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” being the character’s second film reboot, spends remarkably little time on any real origin story, and instead just explores Peter Parker’s character development as he struggles through a
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The State-Run Media
28 August 2017
the
State-Run media Officially pardoned by Donald Trump.
How to write a Christian rock song in 5 easy steps Former Christian rock performer Sam Harrell shares the biggest industry secrets for professional Christian rock musical composition. Sam Harrell Take notes, Skillet! Have you always wanted to spread the word of God through song? Use your musical talents for praise and worship? Make a whole bunch of money? Then put on your Life Church T-shirt and keep reading, because today we’re gonna teach you how to write a Christian rock song! 1. The Style First things first before we get into the nitty gritty, your style. In Christian rock, there are basically two different categories that your style will fall under: the Old Testament or the New Testament. In the Old Testament style, the music is heavy, distorted and loud; reminiscent of the days when genocide and cannibalism were like intramural sports. Black leather and dyed hair is a must, and nothing says “praise be” like a flying Vshaped guitar. In the New Testament style, however, you want a softer touch. Something that says “The path to happiness is through love, not child sacrifice.” Grab an acoustic guitar, some thrift shop clothes that make you look like Johnny Depp, and maintain a 6:1 background singer to lead singer ratio. 2. The Intro Now that you’re ready to rock for Jesus, you’ve gotta start off on the right foot. Christian rock is all about creating atmosphere. So start off with some ambience, just strum the guitar however you want and hold any note down on the synth. Some might say it’s “out of key”, or it’s “bad”, but that’s probably because they’re just atheists. 3. The Verse This is the part where you start to get the crowd going a little. Stop shredding your
axe, throw your hands in the air and start busting out lyrics that sound like bumper stickers in your best teen pop star voice. Make sure you close your eyes and wince, too. Wince like your life depended on it. Wince until you think you’ve winced all you got, then wince a little more. This is very important, because without it you won’t look nearly evangelical enough. 4. The Build Here we are at last, the build. The build is the most important section of any good Christian rock song, which as we know of course is every Christian rock song. So tell your drummer to put four on the floor (they’ll know what it means), then start strumming along to the beat quietly. Again, it doesn’t matter where you put your fingers because this part is supposed to sound tense and uncomfortable. Start getting louder and louder, feel the tension rising like Lucifer whispering in your ear to do a sick kickflip in an area clearly marked “no skateboarding” and the pressure is building and building because you just know it would be so dang rad to do it and every nerve in your body is telling you to do it but you just keep fighting because you know you’re about to hit that beat drop into the chorus and everything will be alright. 5. The Chorus Ah, sweet release. This is really the only part you need chords, but it’s alright if you can’t play them. Nobody will hear you anyway because you’re trying to play an acoustic guitar over 12 other amplified instruments. So just have the band cycle through 3 or 4 chords and KEEP WINCING! Remember that this is where the audience will be fully engulfed by the lord’s presence, because even God likes to let loose a little. Well there you have it! Five easy steps to becoming the next top 40 christian rockstar idol sensation! Oh and don’t worry about an outro, just play the intro again, pray a little, and don’t forget to ask everyone to stop by the gift shop on the way out. Then sit back, relax and watch the tithes roll in (get it?).
graphic by Madeline Woods
Jesus giving his “jam sesh on the mount.”
What upperclassmen are really saying (a guide to slang on campus) State-Run writer Madison Connell compliles a guide of TU-specific nicknames and slang on campus. Madison Connell Knows all the slang, yo Freshmen year can be confusing, as a former freshmen to another. One thing that all freshmen struggle with is picking up the hot lingo on campus that the cooler upperclassmen have created. Don’t worry freshmen, I have your back with this (sometimes surprising) list of slang upperclassmen use. 1. Allen Chapman Student Union: ACDC, the food is a highway to the freshman fifteen hell. 2. Dietler Commons/ Old U: DC, not for the abbreviations but for where Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman hang out. 3. Doctor Clancy Gerard: Doctor Who. As the newest incarnation, his companion is Goldie, and his TARDIS is the goldie mobile. 4. Fisher North: Party Central. Sorry freshies, only upperclassmen get in. I’ve said too much already. 5. Football team: The Money Drain™ 6. Goldie: bad girl. Okay, I can not even joke about this, she’s a sweetheart, she even has her own adorable instagram page. Give her all the pets. 7. Hurricane Fountain: Shower
8. Hardesty: Motel Hall. Least liked dorm on campus, it needs lots of upgrades and its tiny rooms resemble a shabby motel. Don’t even try to live here, leave it for the upperclassmen. 9. Kendall Hall: The Square. It’s such a beautiful symmetric cube shaped building, hard to miss. Also because of the nerds that practically live in this building. 10. Keplinger: The PWDGD (Place Where Dreams Go To Die) 11. Lafortune: Litfortune, where it is “lit” 24/7. Not literally, of course. Candles aren’t allowed. Fire hazard 12. Lottie Jane Mabee: No Man’s Land. 13. McFarlin Library: MacDaddy. It’s like when my father read bedtime stories to me. Well, if I had a dad. 14. New U: By default, Marvel. I’ve walked in the middle of an argument between Iron Man and Captain America before, it’s a dangerous time. Be careful not to run into the Hulk, he blends in with our beautiful green grass. 15. Presidential Scholar: Sugar daddies. They have infinite dining dollars, date them for the perks. 16. Resident Assistants: Mommy. They make you clean your room AND be safe? Must be my mother. Ask them to read you bedtime stories. 17. University of Tulsa: UT. Only narcs call it TU. 18. Yellow Bikes: Nerdmobiles. Have you seen our ACT scores?
propagandist Adam Lux Head Propagandist
graphic by Madeline Woods Sam Chott moments before his unfortunate end.
Hello, and welcome back students, faculty and any other slubs that read our prestigious publication. I hope you all had a tolerable summer and that none of your loved ones got disappeared. Alas, it is my morbid duty to inform the campus of the unfortunate end of the State-Run Media’s former Head Propagandist, Sam Chott. Our beloved Sam was walking down the street, minding his own business, drinking a PSL he’d been saving for months, when out of nowhere a lead-filled piano fell on the poor bastard. He didn’t even have time to get out one of his signature “oh no’s” before he was more dead than Harambe memes. Now I know there was some controversy as I was in the building that the piano fell from … and I was the one that filled the piano with lead. However, after some … let’s call it explaining, the local police department cleared me of any and all wrong-doing. As per Sam’s family’s request, his body was cremated via
giant magnifying glass during the eclipse and his ashes will be kept on my desk in the State-Run Media’s office. All are welcome to come pay respects during normal office hours. In happier news I’m in charge now, which means that the journalistic integrity and quality of the State-Run will be better than ever. In fact there’s no need to fact check any of our articles or to get your news from any other sources. I promise to hold the truth as the highest standard of our publication. If any of our articles fails to present the facts correctly and fully I promise to publically apologise if and only if irrefutable evidence of such failure is made public. Even then I’ll still probably try to place the blame on someone else. In summary, you, the reader, can trust the State-Run so much so that you’re actually legally required to trust any and all information we present. Yours forcibly, Adam Lux Head Propagandist