Student newspaper of the University of Tulsa
TU hires Title IX coordinator, p. 4
October 9, 2017 Issue 7 - Volume 103
Homecoming events calendar, p. 10
Stay Gold! graphic by Madeline Woods
Sports
9 October 2017
Green Wave capsizes Tulsa
Send in the lifeboats! With their season on the line, the Golden Hurricane suffers their worst loss of 2017, falling 62-28 to Tulane. Zane Cawthon Sports Writer
The Golden Hurricane suffered a defeat of titanic proportions against Tulane on Saturday, losing 62-28 and dropping to an abysmal 1-5 on the season. In a game overflowing with mistakes and mediocrity, it is hard for this reporter to choose which atrocity to summarize first. One glaring reality facing this football team is that its defense is outrageously ineffective. To give up over 653 total yards (488 in rushing yards) to Tulane should be considered unacceptable. And yet this has been the storyline of the 2017 season: opponents Oklahoma State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Toledo and Navy have all posted over 500 total yard gains over this defense. We rank dead last in the American Athletic Conference in sacks and number of passes defended and have only recorded four interceptions for the season. But by far the most damning statistic is that Tulsa’s rush defense ranks last in the entire country in almost every category: yards allowed per rush (6.78), rushing yards allowed per game (347.8) and total rushing yards allowed this season (a staggering 2,087). Watching the defense getting bowled over on Saturday was an experience akin to watching a helium balloon deflate at a birthday party no one attended. The linebackers looked winded by the end of the first quarter, and the tackling was awful. Tulane running back Dontrell Hilliard’s stellar performance was proof positive of this, with four touchdowns and several 20+ yard plays. Despite this, the real tragic outcome of the game in New Orleans was the collapse of Coach Montgomery’s offensive scheme, which in the past five games had been at least productive, if not consistent. After going 2 for 6 and throwing an interception, starting QB Chad President was replaced in the first quarter with freshman Luke Skipper, who had a decent game overall (256 yards and
a touchdown). However, this begs the question: if Coach Montgomery wants a balanced offense, why did it take six games for this change to occur? President has been struggling with passing for the past several weeks (against New Mexico in particular). If Montgomery wants a strategy, why not try doing what we’re good at? Run the ball! For all his faults, President knows how to move his feet, with 365 rushing yards and fi touchdowns this season. Skipper seems to be the better passing threat, but with juggernaut D’Angelo Brewer in the backfield, why is President being punished for his mediocre passing skills? He has spent two years training under Montgomery to take the reins. If a balanced attack is what the coaching staff is striving for, they should have corrected President’s accuracy much sooner. Otherwise, this offense should have been built around the strength of its run game in the first place. Now that the plug has been pulled on President, it feels as if Tulsa has wasted the past six games using an offensive scheme that the coaching staff never fully implemented. For the student fanbase, the 2017 season has been a colossal disappointment. An offense that produces so many yards and yet cannot put up more than 13 points against New Mexico. A defense that gives up 653 yards against a team it was favored to beat. A coach who has lost faith in his quarterback. The upcoming schedule is no cakewalk either. It’s too much to ask for a bowl game at this point, but even after all of this, all hope is not lost. If the defense plugs up some of its iceberg-sized holes, and if the offense can finally decide what kind of threat it wants to be, this team could win a few games and attract some recruits with the promise of improvement. But there needs to be some sincere introspection for that to happen.
Hurricane Scoreboard Football Oct. 7: Tulane 62 - Tulsa 28
Rowing Oct. 7: Collegiate 8 Tulsa A - 3rd place, 13:58.63 Tulsa B - 7th place, 14:24.04
Women’s Soccer Oct. 1: USF 3 - Tulsa 0 Oct. 5: UConn 1 - Tulsa 0
Collegiate 8+ 500m Night Sprint Tulsa A - 5th place, 1:40.58 Tulsa B - 7th place, 1:44.41
Men’s Soccer Oct. 7: USF 3 - Tulsa 2 Volleyball Oct. 1: ECU 3 - Tulsa 1 Oct. 6: Tulsa 3 - UCF
Monday
Tuesday 9
Men’s Tennis @ Houston Futures
Wednesday 10
Men’s Soccer vs. Denver 7 p.m.
11
Thursday 12
Softball @ Women’s Rogers St. Soccer @ Cincinnati TBA 6 p.m.
Justin Guglielmetti is…
the
bleacher creature?
Loser Sooner And that is why I had no problem with Baker Mayfield sticking OU’s flag in the middle of Ohio State’s field. On Saturday, after Iowa State’s stunning upset of undefeated, number three ranked Oklahoma, they rammed their own flag into the Sooners’ grass at midfield with the ferocity of a Rob Gronkowski touchdown spike and it was freaking awesome! We could talk about how pathetic it is that OU’s defense folded against a team quarterbacked by a former community college backup or what it means for the school’s playoff chances that they already lost (to a 2-2 team no less) before getting to their stacked end-of-season schedule. But instead let’s just focus on the incredible DISRESPEK of this action. It’s just so wonderful, we need more tea like this. Breaking News: Women Like Sports Too Soooo, Cam Newton is a sexist asshole? During a press conference last week, the Panthers quarterback sniggered at Charlotte Observer reporter Jourdan Rodrigue when she asked about the route-running ability of his teammate Devin Funchess. “It’s funny to hear a female talk about routes,” was his only response. Um, excuse me? Cam later issued the typical substandard apology that his PR department forced him into but the damage was done, his comment was enough to reveal his true feelings. Look, I don’t know anything about Rodrigue. She could very well be a crappy football reporter for all I know. But even if she is, it’s absolutely not because she happens to be a woman. This is one of the last areas of social acceptable sexism that I see everywhere, men feeling that it’s somehow okay to summarily suggest that women must not know anything about sports by dint of being women. You know who’s an amazing analyst? Doris Burke! You know who’s one of the worst in the business? Skip Bayless! Wow, it’s almost like a person’s genitalia doesn’t have anything to do with their ability to analyze a sport. Too-Late Baseball Predictions I hate those guys. You know, the ones who make predictions after the thing that they are supposed to be predicting has already started. In unrelated news, I know you’re dying to hear my thoughts on the MLB playoffs. I would love to be ballsy enough to say that the Yankees will come back from their 2-0 series deficit to topple the Indians but a man can only be so brave. Besides, they may have gotten swept by the time this thing is published anyway. If it does end up being Indians-Astros, I’m taking the tribe. With Trevor Bauer dealing, this might be the best starting rotation in the league. At least the best after the Nationals, who trot out Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez. Speaking of which, I cannot believe the Cubs are going to beat the Nats. I mean jeez, can’t they be satisfied with their one World Series win? Never fear, I’m sure the Dodgers will come out ahead when Clayton Kershaw finally sheds his reputation of postseason choker. Before regaining it when Corey Kluber beats him head-to-head to clinch the World Series for the Indians and sparks an offseason of ridiculous debates as to who is the better pitcher. Fin.
Collegiate 4+ Tulsa A - 3rd palce, 15:29.57 Tulsa B - 5th place, 15:39.45 Tulsa C - 6th place, 15:41.79 Tulsa D - 12th palce, 16:10.65
31
The Collegian: 2
Oct. 9 - Oct. 15 Saturday
Friday
13
Cross Country Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational Softball vs. Labette Community College 5 p.m. Volleyball @ Memphis 7 p.m.
Sunday
14
Football vs. Houston 3 p.m.
15
Men’s Soccer @ UCF 12 a.m. Women’s Soccer @ East Carolina 12 a.m. Volleyball @ Wichita St. 1 p.m.
The Collegian: 3
Sports
9 October 2017
NFL players: think twice before taking a knee Everyone has a right to peacefully protest the way they see fit, but kneeling during the national anthem to spite one man could end up having a needlessly divisive effect. Justin Guglielmetti Sports Editor I didn’t want to do this. I didn’t want to have to talk about politics in this space; we’ve got a news and commentary section for that sort of thing. But sometimes, a monumental event forces your hand. That event was the mass kneeling of NFL players during the national anthem two Sundays ago. If you are an avid reader of the Collegian’s sports section (I’ve heard there are at least two of you out there), you may recall an article I wrote last year about trying to keep politics out of sports. That’s become somewhat of a controversial opinion in its own right lately — Bob Costas called those with that opinion “mouth-breathers” on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher a couple weeks ago — but in short, I felt then as I do now that athletic competition is one of the last truly unifying factors in an ever-more-polarized world. Sports allow you to put your personal prejudices and biases aside and focus on the beauty of whichever game you happen to be watching or playing. Or if that’s not enough, they enable you to satisfy your primal need for tribalism in a mostly harmless environment; whether they voted for Trump or Clinton, Michigan voters know exactly where to direct all their animosity when it’s gameday against Ohio State. For this very reason, I’ve always hated reading veiled political commentary in sports coverage. Just tell me what happened during the game, not how everything tangentially relates to the hot-button topics of the day. Those are precisely the things I’m trying to take a break from! Still, I included an important caveat in last year’s piece which I will repeat now in hopes of not being branded a hypocrite: when the athletes themselves take a political stance through their words or actions (not the writers injecting politics into their analysis), everything is fair game. Think Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King...and now every athlete who made the decision to defy Donald Trump by kneeling for the national anthem. In case you weren’t paying attention to the events of two weeks, here is an abbreviated version of events. While in Alabama, President Trump told a rally of his most rabid followers that he would love to see NFL owners fire the “sons of bitches” who kneel for the national anthem and “disrespect our flag.” The son of a bitch in question was obviously intended to be Colin Kaepernick, who last year knelt in defiance of police brutality, and who no longer has a job in the league through a combination of his media toxicity and his own limited ability as quarterback. Unsurprisingly, the line was a big hit with Trump’s fauxpatriotic crowd but it didn’t go over too well with many NFL athletes. And boy oh boy did they make that known on Sunday. Let me begin here by saying that every player was absolutely, 100 percent within his constitutional rights to kneel. That’s been said a thousand times over but it’s worth repeating because any suggestion from the office of the president of the United States with free-speech-squashing implications represents a serious breach of responsibility. Trump’s comment certainly qualifies; it was a stupid thing to say and totally beneath his office. Still, I believe it remains a worthwhile question to ask not if kneeling is within the players’ rights, but whether it is a righteous or worthwhile action. Ultimately, I believe the answer to that question is no. I won’t go into the particulars of Kaepernick’s original protest because that’s not really what is at play here. The players who knelt this season were not protesting police brutality. Nor did they do so in order to purposefully disrespect the flag, anthem, armed forces or the very country itself (a drum which conservatives will not stop beating). Rather, the kneelers were sending a message to the president that he, a man they do not particularly like or respect, cannot tell them what to do or say. Unfortunately, this is not what the country sees.
Conducting a protest during the national anthem may be symbolic of something else, but the perception will always be that it is a protest of the country itself. How could it not? Donald Trump is not attending every game, standing at midfield and singing the national anthem himself. The only constant at all these events is that when the banner starts, players take a knee. And that’s going to be polarizing, because there are millions of Americans who see any sign of disrespect happening during the anthem, regardless of its intentions, as an insult to the country. That is not to say that one’s actions should be based on what is most pleasing to the masses, but I do think one must be prepared to take some responsibility for divisiveness if it stems from an action that one knows will have that effect. It doesn’t help either that there is no clear moral righteousness to the protest. Take John Carlos and Tommie Smith, who famously raised their fists in a black power salute during a medal presentation at the 1968 Olympics. The merits of this gesture can certainly be debated, as to whether or not Carlos and Smith’s action helped bring about change or further inflamed racial tensions, but at least it is inarguable that they were protesting a genuine injustice inherent to the American experience. Segregation and true, enforced institutional racism were unavoidable elements of everyday life and these men were telling the world that the system needed changing. In 2017, what is the institutional issue at play? Donald Trump? He’s not a part of the fabric of the country, he’s an elected public official who these guys just don’t like. You might say that institutional racism is still the big issue here based on Trump’s apparent ambivalence towards his white nationalist supporters, but if that’s the case, why did so many players wait until week 3 to kneel? After all, Charlottesville happened before the season began! No, it’s far from a coincidence that the kneeling started only after Trump delivered a petty insult to get a rise out of his crowd. This was nothing more than a giant f--- you. Again, that is the players’ prerogative and perfectly within their constitutional rights. But it’s also playing directly into the hands of the president and his Republican cronies who want to paint their opposition as ungrateful and unpatriotic. Trump is a ten-year-old trying to get his little brother to swat at a hornet nest by telling him he won’t do it, and the left is taking the bait hook, line and sinker. While this is only my own opinion and one that I’m sure many demonstrators would disagree with, I believe an act of reclaiming the flag as a symbol of unity would go further in strengthening the anti-Trump brigade than shunning it would. While the right-wing shouts that they are the only ones that love our country, prove them wrong by continuing to honor the flag and anthem and all they represent: the rich, powerful, free, historically flawed but increasingly egalitarian society that has given us all so much. Think this administration is setting us on a path to destruction? Fine, then show that the world that United States is strong enough to overcome insidious forces that try to destroy us from within, don’t just hand her over to them! In the end, symbolism for country matters, and you saw this last week after the tragic Las Vegas shootings. In week 4, the number of players kneeling during the anthem dropped from 180 to 52 according to ESPN, in large part because players knew exactly how it would look to protest a symbol of the nation while the nation was in mourning. Natural disasters and acts of terrorism, as horrible as they are, at least have a way of reminding us that we are all brothers and sisters under the American flag. And we should think twice before doing something that makes it look like we are throwing that away. United we stand.
graphic by Madeline Woods
Another tough week for Hurricane soccer Despite a promising start to the season, the men’s soccer team has seen their season go off the rails. Meanwhile, the women’s team’s struggles continue. Joe Edmonds Sports Correspondent Men’s Soccer The Golden Hurricane men’s soccer team fell to another ranked team this week. This time, No. 17 USF came to town. The tightly contested game started out well for Tulsa, as they earned a penalty kick 20 minutes in. Juan Sanchez stepped up and netted his first goal of this season. The rest of the first half saw more back-and-forth play, but neither team could get a goal. Shortly after halftime, USF turned up the pressure. They managed to break through the Tulsa defense, scoring three goals in the span of five minutes. Later in the half, Kay Duit was able to bring Tulsa within one, but that was as close as they could get. USF took the victory, 3-2. Tulsa is now 3-5-1 (1-2 American Athletic Conference) on the year. They have another home game coming up on Tuesday night. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. against Denver.
Women’s Soccer The Golden Hurricane women’s soccer team dropped a pair of conference matchups this week. On Sunday afternoon, they fell to USF 3-0. The Knights scored the first goal of the game within just two minutes. Later in the half, USF benefitted from a Tulsa own goal and found a 2-0 lead at halftime. Tulsa could not come back in the second half, even conceding an additional goal to fall by the final 3-0 score. Tulsa then returned home to face off against UConn. The game was very low scoring, and for the second game in a row the Golden Hurricane were unable to put any goals on the board. UConn found their goal right after the halftime break, and it was all they needed to claim the win. After the losses, the Golden Hurricane now have a 3-10-2 (1-4 American Athletic Conference) record. Next up is a home game against Temple on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
The Collegian: 4
News
Oct 1 12:25 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to a fire alarm at Chi Omega Sorority. Upon arrival Officers checked the area for a fire but were able to determine there was no fire. TFD (Tulsa Fire Department) was contacted and advised officers that it was clear and to reset the fire panel. 10:20 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched for a hit and run accident involving two TU students. One student stated that the other one had attempted to park in the stall next to their’s but struck the front passenger side of their vehicle. The student stated that the other student had left their phone number but went to class. Officers were able to track down the other student and get their insurance information.
courtesy Aiden Evans
TU campus collision: vehicle damages Norman apartment
Two students and a fluffy dog were relocated last week after a driver accidently backed into a Norman Village apartment. According to campus security reports, a student was backing out of a parking space when they accidentally clipped the car beside them. “Instead of hitting the break, they hit the accelerator, which then forced the car up and around the parking lot and into the
apartment,” said Campus Security Sgt. Claude Laughlin. Students living in the apartment have been relocated while the wall is repaired. Contractors with the Housing Department arrived at the scene within 30 minutes to assess the damage. As of Friday, Oct. 7, repairs were nearing completion, and students can expect to return home soon.
10:50 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were contacted by a resident near the university campus who stated their vehicle was stolen out of their driveway. The victim’s credit cards were used at businesses near the campus. The victim filed a report with the Tulsa Police Department and also filed a report the with university because of the close proximity of the crime and credit card use. The vehicle and credit cards have not been recovered. 4:40 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to Rayzor Hall regarding a TU affiliate trapped in an elevator. The TU affiliate pressed the emergency call button from inside the elevator. When the officers arrived the elevator was open but the TU affiliate was gone on arrival. The Communications Center notified the Physical Plant. A work order was submitted to fix the elevator. No one was injured.
9 October 2017 Oct 2 9:40 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to Kendall Hall regarding an ill person. A TU student was reported having seizures. The Emergency Medical Services Authority was contacted by a faculty member. The TU student was examined by EMSA Personnel but found no significant medical concerns. The student refused further assistance from EMSA. The TU affiliate was transported to the hospital by their family. 6:15 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a possible hit and run accident. A student reported seeing a truck reversing quickly out of a parking space, hearing a loud noise, and then saw the truck speed off. The student was uncertain of which vehicle was struck by the truck. Upon investigation it was found that the only vehicle with damage to it was a student’s car. The student stated that the white marks on the center of their rear bumper were new. The student was advised to make a report with the Tulsa Police Department. 9:15 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a report of a nude TU student at Hardesty Hall. The suspect groped and sexually propositioned another TU student in the Hardesty Hall lobby. Upon arrival, officers attempted to communicate with the suspect who appeared erratic. The suspect became combative and was restrained and arrested by TU officers. The Tulsa Police Department was contacted for assistance. The suspect was evaluated by Emergency Medical Services Authority personnel who transported the suspect to Hillcrest Medical Center for treatment. Oct 4 5:40 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to a call at Pat Case Dining for an injury. A non TU affiliate slipped and fell upon walking around a corner inside Pat Case Dining. The non TU affiliate slipped on water leaking from the ceiling. There has been a work order put in to stop the leak. The non TU affiliate denied EMSA and TFD at the scene. The Collegian does not produce or edit the Campus Crime Watch except for content and brevity.
TU alum Matthew Warren takes up role as Title IX coordinator Warren will provide the University of Tulsa with legal expertise on how to navigate issues involving gender discrimination and interpersonal violence. Michaela Flonard Managing Editor
“The idea of coming back to school where I had such a great experience and helping ensure students here now have the same great experience, that means the world to me,” said Matthew Warren, TU’s new Title IX coordinator. Warren, who obtained his undergraduate and Master’s degrees from TU, began working as the Title IX coordinator Sept. 18. The Title IX coordinator ensures the university is in full compliance with its obligations under federal law, namely in access to education, access to all the benefits of being at college and the freedom from sex discrimination, sexual assault or sexual violence that could affect student’s or employee’s ability to be a part of the campus. He took the position from Wayne Paulison, who had the duties along with his role as associate vice president for human resources and risk management. Warren said creating a full-time Title IX coordinator position was an indication of the university’s plan to take the issue seriously. “When you have four different titles, you really only have so much time in the day,” he pointed out. He said President Clancy pushed for his position to be created, so that the university would “have no excuses for failing.” “By dedicating these resources we can really turn a corner and get ahead of the curve,” Warren continued. In his first month at TU, Warren plans to review TU’s current policies and procedures to ensure they are in line with the most current federal law. Several of these policies are already under review. While the federal government doesn’t
care what policies universities have in place, they expect those policies to be comprehensive. “As these revisions are being staffed and decided, I will be able to say, ‘hey, this looks good, but have you thought about X, Y, and Z,” Warren said. As part of his review, he will also look at other universities’ policies to see how TU could create the best possible policy. The University of Tulsa, Warren said, “is a progressive school; there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be ahead of the nation on how we handle sexual assault and sexual discrimination from both training and active complaints. We should be a model.” Those who were serving under Paulison have continued in their positions and with ongoing cases, as Warren doesn’t want to abandon the current system while trying to improve it. He has been looped into all the current cases.
puts on. “It’s one thing to have it on the website; it’s another when we take the time and go out and ask if you have any questions about what’s on the website,” he said, pointing out that sexual assualt is a topic many people won’t broach themselves. When he way be as at TU, Warren participated in many different organizations, and he recognizes that meeting these organizations directly may be a good tactic. As an outsider, without connection to TU’s current sexual violence programming, Warren plans to determine if any type of programming needs to be added to the current repertoire. “Are we only reaching the fraternities and the athletes right now?” he asked, as an example. “Because there’s a whole segment of campus that doesn’t fit into one of those two bubbles. We need to make sure we reach all of our students.” While wellpublicized, well-attended programming
“There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be ahead of the nation on how we handle sexual assault and sexual discrimination.” After the reviews and revisions of the policies and procedures are completed, Warren’s role will shift to a more active one. He will oversee anyone who has a role in the Title IX process, to ensure they handle each case consistently and with respect to university policies. This way, “it won’t look like one case has a different outcome because a different kind of responsible party. Everything should be handled the same way to make sure we have fairness in the system.” The other component of his job will be active involvement in each new Title IX case reported. As the point person for each case, Warren will ensure the reporting party has all resources to “fully and fairly” process their claim, but that the responding party is aware of thier rights. While these roles will devour much of Warren’s time, he also hopes to meet with organizations and participate in every sexual assault programming TU
is necessary, Warren also wants to ensure TU is “doing the less sexy stuff, more day to day.” After graduating TU, Warren obtained a law degree from George Washington University. Then he worked for the three years as an associate at a private law firm, advising employeers on how to follow federal law, the majority involving Title VII. Title VII prohibits discrimination based on sex, color, national orgin, ethnicity and religion. It relies on the same line of cases from the Supreme Court as Title IX and is handled similiarly on the court side. Warren noted TU has changed its response to sexual assualt since his time at the university. Sexual assualt wasn’t a big issue when he attended, which he attributed to past administrations not going after students to make them aware of resources and help they could provide. “I do think there was a greater disconnect beween the adminsitration and the
students,” in his time, but the current administration “wants to decrease that distance so they feel like there’s a dialogue, the right way to handle an issue so important.” The current administration is more proactive. “You have to attribute a lot of that to Dr. Clancy; he’s a psychiatrist,” he added, “He knows first-hand the effects of sexual violence are lifelong, and if we can be proactive in prevention programming, we can make a lalrger differece in the student body.” But with a rise in programming, sexual assault reporting may rise, Warren said, because people have access to new materials. In 2017, this may mean the school sees a large number of assults, but he “hope[s] that means the long term trajectory is that we really do show we’re creating a safer environment.” At the same time TU is changing, politics in the greater U.S. are also shifting. The Obama administration pressured universities to more actively combat sexual assault, most notriously in their “Dear Colleague” letter. The Trump administration is moving to change those guidelines, claiming the current system treats the accused unfairly. Warren attributed some of that to normal politics, saying, “some of the language coming out of Washington...is a little bit of grandstanding. If the Obama administration did A, we need to do B.” However, Warren said he “thinks it’s commendable they want to produce regulation based on notice and comment. That’s the traditional way you get things through.” But, Warren did not agree with the idea universities had become too victim-centric. “It is a fair point when you have a procedure you need to ensure you’re protect the rights of both students,” he said, but he believes TU does make sure the process is fair to both students. Warren said this ever-changinig nature of Title IX made him excited for his new position and looked forward to helping TU navigate the area.
News
9 October 2017
The Collegian: 5
Darknet Exposed: insights from former cybercriminal Brett Johnson, previously on the FBI’s most wanted list, came to TU to discuss the inner-workings of the Darknet and how not to become a victim of cybercrime. Cheyanne Wheat Student Writer Brett Johnson, a former cyber criminal gave a talk on what he did, how he did it and how to avoid people like him in the Lorton Performance Center Oct. 2. Before Johnson spoke, Federal Agent Preston Acramin began the night by retelling a story about one of the largest cyber crimes cases. Shadow Crew and Cader’s Market were the current English speaking fraudulent sources on the web. Special Agent Malarski found a way in and posed as another member under the name Master Splyntr. He chose to be a spammer because that was the center of cybercrime and was a very versatile method. Master Splyntr got to know other members and really sunk into his role. After just a few months, he got to know one of the administrators of Shadow Crew, Jilsi. Jilsi trusted him and assigned him to an admin role. The FBI was then running the dark market. He played his admin role for a few more months with several accusations of him being law enforcement. One of the other admins went so far to trace his computer location, which pointed at the FBI headquarters where he was placed. The FBI agents placed to help him out on security quickly shut the locator down and Shadow Cast had no evidence of that infor-
mation. Within a few months, Agent Malarski arrested 63 people including the three top masterminds Jilsi, Iceman and Brett Johnson himself. On the dark market, the vendors sell bank logins, fake IDs and Fullz. Fullz are packets full of all the identifying information about a person, including social security number and credit cards. After purchasing Fullz, the buyer uses a MSR206 machine which encodes clone cards with all the information they bought. Brett Johnson climbed onto stage and explained that he might appear arrogant but he had nothing to be prideful about. Cybercrime is a serious offense, and it is not something anyone want to be involved with. Then he began his story. As a young boy, Johnson went through abuse from his mother. “It was everything but physical abuse.” said Johnson. She would leave him and his sister alone at home for several days. To survive, they would have to go out and steal from the local grocery store. They realized how easy stealing was and began to steal larger items such as clothes and toys. Their largest item was a television. When the mother returned, she asked where everything came from. After a little more questioning, she found out they stole it. Unlike other mothers, she decided to join then and involve her own mom. They became a family of thieves. As he grew up, he continued his fraudulent behavior. In 1994 after losing his job, he financed his first marriage by faking a car accident. He cashed out with a large sum of insurance money. Next, he sold high priced Beanie Babies,
Nathan Gibbons Distribution Manager
Australian leaders debate child terror detention In Australia, politicians have proposed terror legislation that could allow children as young as 10 years old to be held for two weeks without charge. Some politicians say the legislation is necessary, as the Islamic State specializes in recruiting children. Opposition politicians and some charities, such as Unicef Australia, have come out against the legislation. Unicef Director of Communication Jennifer Tierney said, “Unicef Australia is concerned that the proposal could risk situations where children could be arbitrarily detained...children should only ever be subject to detention as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate time.” Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and state leaders approved the plans at a Coalition of Australian Governments meeting last Thursday. Australian government officials have moved recently to reform their nation’s terror legislation to combat new threats. Other measures, such as a national database of driver’s licenses and new laws against terror hoaxes, are in the works. A suspected terror plot to bring down a plane, among many other plans, have been foiled by Australian police in recent years.
Barcelona and Madrid rally for peace Amid escalating tension over calls for Catalonia’s independence, rallies were held in Barcelona and Madrid to push for peaceful negotiation last week. Tens of thousands of demonstrators dressed in white Saturday and united under the slogan “shall we talk” to defuse a crisis between Spain’s leaders. Rally organisers asked demonstrators not to bring Spanish or Catalan flags. “We have to find a new way forward. It’s the moment to listen to the people who are asking for the problem to be solved through an agreement, and without precipitated and unilateral decisions,” said Miquel Iceta, the leader of the Catalan arm of the Spanish Socialist party. Last Friday, Madrid officials apologised to injured Catalans who had been attacked by police during the vote for independence. Despite Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy’s declaration that the referendum was illegitimate, Catalan politicians may still declare independence this week. In a 43 percent turnout, 90 percent of Catalan citizens supported independence.
Nobel Prize awarded to nuclear abolishment group Last week, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (Ican) received the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel committee chair, Berit Reiss-Andersen, praised the group’s “groundbreaking efforts to achieve a treaty prohibition” on nuclear weapons. Citing the growing North Korean issue, she said, “We live in a world where the risk of nuclear weapons being used is greater than it has been for a long time.” Ican, a coalition of hundreds of NGOs founded in 2007, will receive 9 million Swedish kronor, about the equivalent of $1 million, a medal and a diploma this December. Executive Director of Ican Beatrice Fihn said the award was a signal that their work was “needed and appreciated.” “The laws of war say that we can’t target civilians. Nuclear weapons are meant to target civilians; they’re meant to wipe out entire cities,” she said. “That’s unacceptable and nuclear weapons no longer get an excuse.” Ican pressures nations around the world to decrease nuclear weapons development. In July, Ican helped get support from 122 nations for a UN treaty designed to eventually eliminate nuclear weapons.
Brett Johnson started small, but his thefts gradually became longer.
received the money and sent the buyer fake toys. Also he sold pirating software. His pirating business was so successful that he was forced to buy several fake IDs to make bank accounts and hold the excess cash. This lead him to Shadow Cast, where he committed unrestrained amounts of credit card and identity fraud. He and many others were caught and received 90 months in jail. He escaped the first time and went on the run for four months. He bought a Visa loadable gift card from a nearby Walmart and began hacking ATMs. He quickly accumulated $400,000 and took himself to Disneyworld and Universal Studios because he knew they were going to lock him up again soon. They captured him and put him in maximum security federal prison. Federal prison requires inmates to have jobs. John-
courtesy University of Tulsa
son’s job was teaching a Book Club/Literature Class. He admits there were no discussion over books; he taught computer fraud to others. After being released from federal prison, he vowed to never touch a computer again. Now, Johnson works for AnglerPhish. com. They specialize in helping companies to prevent fraud against them. Johnson is a spokesperson who consults companies to help them with any current crime or crime they’d like to prevent. The talk ended with Brett Johnson giving guidelines on who to protect yourself from cybercrime, and he opened the floor for questions. Students asked a variety of different questions related to hacking and security.
Tuesday, October 10 at 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Dietler Commons The Clothesline Project Display The Clothesline Project is a visual display that bears witness to sexual violence. During the public display, a clothesline is hung with shirts. Each shirt is decorated to represent a particular person’s experience, by the survivors themselves or by someone who cares about them. More information at http://www.clotheslineproject.org/ Tuesday, October 10 at 7:00 p.m. Tyrell Hall, Main Lecture Hall Dr. Resume for Health Sciences Former Oklahoma Attorney General and TU Law alumnus Drew Edmondson (JD ’79) will speak and answer questions regarding his bid for the 2018 Governor’s race. Wednesday, October 11 at 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Oliphant Hall Beta Beta Beta Plant Sale Sale of plants from Biological Science Greenhouse to benefit TU’s Pi Alpha Chapter of Tri-Beta, the national biological honor society. Wednesday, October 11 at 12:00 p.m. at 1:00 p.m. Keplinger Hall 3030 Geoscience Seminar: Rising Tide Environmental scientist Cas Bridge (PhD ‘15) will discuss “Rising Tide: Louisiana’s Plan for a Rapidly Changing Coast.”
Thursday, October 12 at 11:15 a.m. Helmerich Hall, Room 219 Artificial Intelligence A presentation by Sean Alexander, principal director of application platforms at Microsoft. Come learn how artificial intelligence is transforming how we do business.
Friday, October 13 at 5:00 p.m. Hardesty Hall, Center for Global Education, 3rd Floor Study Abroad Application Deadline For study abroad advising, please visit the Center for Global Education on the 3rd floor of Hardesty Hall. For more information, e-mail globaleducation@utulsa.edu. Friday, October 13 at 5:00 p.m. Circle Cinema Tulsa American Film Festival TAFFest will showcase independent filmmakers from across the United States, with feature length and short films. Visit Gilcrease Museum for two days of the festival, as we show independent films that focus on Native American life. For film titles and list of other venues, visit tulsaamericanfilmfest.com. Free! The Collegian does not produce all event descriptions in the Community Calendar. Contact us at news@tucollegian.org with events.
Commentary
The Collegian: 6
9 October 2017
Okla. foster homes fail children Foster parents sign up to take care of children, yet more than half of group homes failed the baseline requirements. Tori Gellman Student Writer The recent inspection failures in the vast majority of Oklahoma foster homes insult the meaning of what a home really is. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, 17 of the 22 group foster homes in the state of Oklahoma are in violation of at least one state safety requirement, not to mention that multiple homes had several infractions. Over the last decade, the number of Oklahoman children in the foster care system has greatly fluctuated. In 2007, a new child welfare act was passed in Oklahoma, resulting in decreasing numbers of foster children until 2010. However, in 2011, a class-action lawsuit that the Children’s Rights Organization filed in 2008 caused a bout of foster care panic throughout the state, including a renewed and over-exaggerated scrutiny of the entire foster care system. This panic was responsible for the rapid increase of children placed in foster care since 2011. Currently, there are over 9,000 children in the foster system, approximately 160 of which are in group homes. Specific violations uncovered in this latest inspection include expired fire extinguishers, broken glass on the floor and in the windows, mold, mildew and calcium buildup and even celery in non-functional refrigerators that had browned and rotted to the point of liquefaction. Furthermore, the vehicles on group home properties that are used to transport foster children were often
reported to be missing windows, gas caps and seatbelts. Despite these blatant safety hazards, Kristi Simpson, statewide licensing coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, dismissed recommendations for state revisions to licensing and operating requirements for group home vehicles, thus illustrating the fault that lies within the foster care system in regards to the mistreatment of children they are supposed to be protecting and providing for. I find it truly appalling that adults who supposedly commit themselves to caring for those who have no one looking out for them can sleep at night knowing that they haven’t come close to fulfilling the job they’ve taken on. People who have children, but can go to work and conduct inspections on conditions that they would be mortified to find their own offspring in, and then report them as satisfactory for hundreds of children that they’ve somehow detached from their responsibilities is completely baffling.
These children, born into the world completely innocent, are held responsible for the negligence of their parents. Or in other cases, are blamed for being surrendered to the foster care system even when the biological parents of said children were unfit to care for them and therefore thought it better for them to go to a loving home which they in fact will very rarely be placed in.
group homes. Furthermore, we need more foster parents. Oklahoma DHS communication manager Katelyn Burns says that there’s no such thing as too many foster parents. She goes as far as to say that if a day came where they had more foster parents than foster children, it would be a miracle. According to many Tulsa foster parents, while foster care is certainly challenging, it
“Specific violations uncovered in this latest inspection include expired fire extinguishers, broken glass...” With the monetary incentive that goes along with running a group home, oftentimes those who run such homes aren’t doing it out of the goodness of their heart, but rather the depth of their pockets. More vigorous screenings for potential foster home coordinators should be implemented in order to work from the bottom up in reforming
is an extremely rewarding and heartwarming experience. Hopefully the Oklahoma DHS has put the foster care system under a watchful humanitarian and governmental eye, and we will see fewer kids in the system, and the children that are, will be properly looked after.
graphic by Madeline Woods
Children in group homes face many problems, such as broken glass, broken down cars and other hazards.
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Multicultural Identity Mask Project Oct 23-27, 2017
Make your own -orMake one for your organization -Create your mask -Pick up your kit -Drop off anonymously Multicultural Resource Center Hardesty Hall Room 1015
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Commentary
9 October 2017
The Collegian: 7
“Grief Olympics” trivializes suffering of Las Vegas victims
People need to respect victims and the victims’ loved ones, not redirect the conversation to talk about themselves. Trenton Gibbons News Editor It’s been said that everyone reacts to tragedy differently. The random shooting at a concert in Las Vegas, which resulted in at least 58 deaths and an additional 489 injured, is undeniably a tragedy. In the wake of the massacre, many have called for greater gun
control in the United States, and some introspection on the part of gun owners. Some gun-rights proponents have accused liberals of politicizing the affair, but I don’t have a real problem with the political aspect of this tragedy. I’m not so opposed to this so-called ‘politicizing’ as I am to something I witnessed much more frequently on campus, something another student called ‘grief olympics’. “Oh my gosh, I hadn’t even had my coffee when I heard about it. It’s just about ruined my day.” This was how a student broached the topic with their classmates, in terms of how bad it had been for them to hear about the incident. I overheard plenty of comments like this, and if the speakers could manage it, they might also throw in a report of just how many people they knew in the area. “Well, I was especially worried because I have (Xnumber of) family numbers in state of Nevada and when I heard the news I was just sure it was them.” This statement is usually followed by another about how relieved they were to
hear that their loved ones weren’t among the dead, even if the possibility of this was remarkably low. I witnessed other students compiling a list of “all the things that made this week so bad.” Besides the shooting, I overheard them put a failed test on the page. The nation’s most recent disastrous shooting shouldn’t be used by the general public in some sort of social contest to see who can
likely to talk about the victims than your own emotional predicament. When I hear people focus on themselves in these discussions, it sounds like a kind of sociopathy or lack of empathy. The disaster did not affect them, so they become anxious that others will ascertain this lack of sorrow in them and go about announcing their mock-grief to other parties.
“Conversation about Las Vegas should probably not revolve around how much it ‘ruined your day’...” be the most ‘affected’ by the tragedy. It goes without saying that a crisis with a prominent loss of human life should disturb and sadden those who hear about it. The issue of discussing tragedy becomes perplexing when those engaged in the conversation make it more about themselves than the actual victims. Conversation about Las Vegas should probably not revolve around how much it ‘ruined your day’ or ‘made you depressed.’ If the tragedy really did have this affect on you, you’d be more
I can only imagine the actual grief felt by those with loved ones lost in this shooting, and it is impossible to measure the dead’s wish to still be alive. Many will genuinely grieve the victims by attending vigils in their names; others will do their part by fighting for tighter gun control in the US. Grief is a natural process and this article is not a criticism of those truly grieving in the face of tragedy, l only of those who felt the need to hijack the tragedy for some sense of self-validation.
courtesy Powers Imagery/Invision/AP courtesy Getty Images 58 were killed and 489 people were injured in the Las Vegas shooting during a country music concert.
tucollegian@tucollegian.org
@TUCollegian
courtesy Getty Images
editor-in-chief
Kayleigh Thesenvitz
LETTER
managing editor
to the editor graphic by Elias Brinkman
This letter is in response to the recent shooting in Las Vegas.
The second amendment of the United States Constitution states: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Obviously the need for a state militia has been replaced by the National Guard and Coast Guard whereby trained military personnel are entrusted with the defense of this country against domestic enemies. Their weapons are tightly controlled and safeguarded. The only two reasons for a citizen to own a firearm are for hunting or defense of the household from intruders. In either case, ownership of a handgun, shotgun or rifle is more than adequate to satisfy these purposes. There is absolutely no need for any U.S. civilian to own any weapon more powerful or sophisticated than these. Accordingly, all handguns, shotguns and rifles must be licensed and registered to the degree necessary to match weapon to owner at the click of a computer key. Furthermore, we must guarantee that the mentally ill do not gain access to them under any circumstances. Finally, if we had prohibited the purchase of more sophisticated weapons several innocent victims would not have died or been harmed at shopping malls, college campuses, Congressional meetings, churches and now concerts. We as a country must deal with this issue immediately lest our society fall back to the days when everyone carried a holster. Joe Bialek
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
The Collegian is the student newspaper of the University of Tulsa. It is distributed Mondays during the fall and spring semesters, except during holidays and final exam weeks. The University of Tulsa does not discriminate on the basis of personal status or group characteristics including but not limited to the classes protected under federal and state law. Inquiries regarding implementation of this policy may be addressed to the Office of Human Resources, 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104-9700, (918)631-2616. Requests for accomodation of disabilities may be addressed to the university’s 504 Coordinator, Dr. Tawny Rigsby, (918)631-3814. To ensure availability of an interpeter, five to seven days notice is needed; 48 hours is recommended for all other accomodations. Advertising Policy: Advertising appearing in this publication does not imply approval or endorsement by the University of Tulsa or the Collegian for the products or services advertised. For advertising information, email the Collegian at advertising@tucollegian.org. The deadline for advertising is noon on the Friday proir to publication. Letter Policy: Letters to the editor must be less than 500 words and can be sent to tucollegian@tucollegian.org. Under no circumstances will anonymous letters be published. The name of the person submitting the letter must be published with the letter. We reserve the right to edit or reject all letters. The deadline for letters is 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication. Editing Policy: The Collegian reserves the right to edit all copy submitted by all writers. This editing may take place in many forms, including grammar corrections, changes in paragraph structure or even the addition or removal of sections of content. Editorial Policy: Columnists are solely responsible for the content of their columns. Opinions expressed in columns may not represent the opions of the Collegian staff, the administrative policies of the University of Tulsa, the views of the student body or our advertisers.
The Collegian: 8
Variety
9 October 2017
“Nimrod” conference coming to campus The “Nimrod International Journal” Writing Conference will provide an open environment for readers and writers to gain crucial info about the craft of writing. Ethan Veenker Variety Editor The University of Tulsa will host 2017 “Nimrod International Journal” Conference for Readers and Writers in the Allan Chapman Student Union Oct. 20. The journal’s office is housed within Zink Hall on campus, so the conference is especially intimate. From 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. the Student Union will be flush with editors and writers alike, all looking to spread and gain knowledge of the craft. Over forty authors and editors of distinction will attend the event. Such names include American Book Award winner Jericho Brown; Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award Finalist Laura van de Berg;
“New York Times”-bestselling authors Deborah Crombie and Tessa Dare; Alex Award winner Keija Parssinen (one of TU’s own); young adult fantasy writer Tessa Gratton; memoirist Sasha Martin and literary agent Alexa Stark of the Trident Media Group. Each of these authors/editors will be hosting their own masterclass: periods of about one hour and 15 minutes in which the speaker discusses a certain topic as it relates to writing. For example, Parssinen will host “The Art of Revision in Fiction” at 1:35 p.m. For a full list of masterclass times and speakers, you can visit nimrod.utulsa.edu/conference. html. The conference interaction is not strictly related to the classes, however. It’s fully expected that participants can have candid interaction with the writers and editors between conferences, on the lunch break or on coffee breaks, etc. The “Nimrod” Conference is unique for giving attendees an opportunity to have a workshop with an actual editor for the jour-
nal. By Oct. 14, participants can submit 2–3 pages of poetry or 4–5 pages of fiction for the opportunity of a hands-on one-on-one editing workshop. In that same vein, the conference is hosting this year, for the first time, “Novel Pitch Critique Sessions,” in which participants can give their much-rehearsed pitch for their novel to literary agent Alexa Stark, who can help them fashion it into a more appealing pitch. These are held at 1:35 p.m. In registration, participants can give their first and second choices for a panel lasting from 10–10:40 a.m. (between “Digging In: Writing Through the Hard Parts” and “Editing and Publishing: Q&A”), for the morning masterclasses lasting from 10:45 a.m. to noon and for the afternoon masterclasses lasting from 1:35–2:50 p.m. The morning masterclasses host an editing workshop, but an additional one is hosted from 3–4 p.m., concurrent with the various readings that will be held on the tail-end of the conference. From 4–4:30 p.m. the invited authors/edi-
tors will host book signings, and the Conference should then come to a conclusion. In addition to the conference itself, “Nimrod” will host the “‘Nimrod’ Write Night” on Friday, Oct. 20, which entails an “Author Reception and Chat with Jericho Brown and Laura van den Berg.” This event is free and entirely open to the public, lasting from 6:30–8:30 p.m. at the Tulsa Garden Center and is held in conjunction with Booksmart Tulsa. TU students can register to attend the “Nimrod” Conference for $10. Registrations must be submitted by Oct. 14 with the sample of poetry or fiction if the participant wants a one-on-one session. Otherwise, registration will continue up through late registration 9:30–10 a.m. on Oct. 21. Participants can register online or by mailing a check with an included registration form to “Nimrod International Journal,” 800 S. Tucker Dr., Tulsa, OK 74104. Early registration is recommended for greater chance to get into the masterclasses/workshopping sessions that the participant desires.
courtesy Nimrod
“The Bodyguard” gives a Gary Clark Jr. electrifies Broadway-tier performance Tulsa for two nights straight “The Bodyguard” provided an arresting and emotional performance that stands tall in its own achievement alongside the film it’s based on. Tori Gellman Student Writer One could say that Deborah Cox’s take on Rachel Marron, a character originally portrayed by the incomparable Whitney Houston, is So Emotional. Now whether that’s because she’s “Every Woman” or the “Queen of the Night,” is for anyone to say. But it’s indisputable that “The Bodyguard,” the musically-reimagined stage production based on the Warner Bros. film of the same name, was a masterful and evocative piece of art that provided audiences an escape from their everyday lives while simultaneously allowing them to experience some of life’s more difficult situations. A typical theatrical experience usually starts with a friendly reminder to silence one’s cell phone and remain quiet and courteous to your fellow entertainment viewers. “The Bodyguard” took a more explosive approach, beginning with a loud gunshot coupled with the lights going out. From there on the show remained fast-paced and exciting, alternating between intense and suspenseful insights into the mindset of a highly functioning sociopath, and coupled with exuberant and elaborate musical sequences that showcased the casts amazing abilities. The show’s leading lady, Deborah Cox, certainly lived up to the high expectations held for anyone taking on Whitney Houston’s range and infamy. Cox started her career as an R&B singer-songwriter in Canada. In the early 90’s she began performing as a back-up singer to Céline Dion, and from there decided to try her hand at a solo career by moving to Los Angeles. In 1995, Deborah Cox released her self-titled debut album through Arista Records, and released her second album, “One Wish,” in 1998. “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here,” the first single on Cox’s second album, launched her
career to new heights, spending 14 weeks at #1 on USA’s Hot R&B charts. In 2004, Cox began her Broadway career, starring in Elton John and Tim Rice’s “Aida.” Cox continued to write and release music for various movies and theatrical productions and joined the cast of “The Bodyguard” in the fall of 2016. While Cox is without a doubt the main ticket item for “The Bodyguard,” the show would not be complete without her righthand woman, Jasmin Richardson, who plays Marron’s sister, Nikki. Jasmin grew up in Houston, Texas, singing in the gospel church and writing music. She attended Abilene Christian University and earned a degree in tTheater, and then moved to New York to pursue her acting dreams. Richardson’s haunting vocals and powerful stage presence afforded her the opportunity to star in a short film alongside Kevin Reeves, as well as several broadway productions leading up to her role in “The Bodyguard.” Now I’m normally a temple kind of girl, but Richardson’s insanely strong and dynamic rendition of Saving All My Love took me straight to church. In fact, several numbers in the show evoked a strong sense of spirituality, such as with “Greatest Love of All” and “Jesus Loves Me.” These extremely emotional moments in the show were juxtaposed with a surprising amount of suspense and action found mostly in the character of The Stalker, as played by Jorge Paniagua. At one point in the show, The Stalker actually takes a gun and shines the red laser pointer of the barrel into the audience for a solid 60 seconds. The audience was truly part of the show and it was somewhat comical and terrifying to watch viewers clutch their loved ones and duck behind the shoulders of those sitting around them. The show closed as one would expect, with a fatality, a sickeningly sweet romantic gesture, and a quintessential dance number to the original Whitney anthem, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” which brought audiences to their feet with equal amounts of hand clapping and toe tapping.
One of the biggest names in blues rock made Cain’s Ballroom the final stop on his recent North American tour. Sam Harrell Student Writer
The blues. Music made by the people, for the people. Born out of sorrow and distress, the blues serves as the ultimate catharsis for a beaten soul. Famous during the Great Depression, took a back seat to disco for a while, and now in today’s world, it’s no surprise that blues is making a major comeback. At the head of this blues revival, is none other than Gary Clark Jr and his band. Part of what makes the blues so relieving and understandable is its gritty style. Back in the day, this meant old twangy guitars, sloppy sounding drums, raspy voices and maybe a washboard. Today, Clark gives a whole new
together was a wild ride. I was actually a bit disappointed he didn’t play many of his slower songs, as they are simply beautiful. However, Clark awarded an encore to the audience, who did not quiet down a single decibel since he left the stage the first time. When he returned, he was armed with his favorite Blak and Blu Gibson Casino hollowbody and a neck-mounted harmonica. He began this second set solo playing a soft gospel-y song called “Church,”, and I was pleased. The closing performance was what really set the concert apart and made it one of those special, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. His opening act all tour was a young girl named Jackie Venson, a soulful, blues guitar player and singer herself. Before the final song was played, Clark brought Venson on stage and announced that this was the final show of his tour, and felt this would be an appropriate way to end it. They proceeded to play Clark’s most popular song, a heavy tune called “Bright
“The band came out with a bang and kept it that way.” meaning to the word “gritty.” His sound stands apart from other guitarists, embodying a very distorted, bitey, yet toneful and warm sound. And it’s easy to tell that his sound is of major concern to him, as he is constantly changing guitars between songs and adjusting knobs during solos. I got to experience this sound first hand, front and slightly off-center. It is truly exhilarating. The first thing to hit you is the sheer volume, which is quite a bit louder than watching him live on YouTube. But it is by no means a simple rock concert. The band at full volume together is monstrous, but they know how to bring it down and control it. Clark’s solos are the staples of his music and particularly his live shows. His sound cuts through the air like a chainsaw and gives his incredibly expressive playing the drive and power that can melt your face or move you to tears. The band came out with a bang and kept it that way for quite a while. The night all
Lights.”. Venson was given the big solo spot, and played beautifully. Her playing isn’t as distorted and focuses less on raw power and emotion, but more on style and interesting notes. Her solo extended into an open solo, where the main “song” dropped out and only the drummer and bass player were there to give her a beat. Judging by the way Clark spoke and how the two interacted on stage, I imagine this was the first, or at least one of the few times they’d played on stage together. The concert was one for the books. I sincerely hope anyone reading this got to be there, or is at least inspired to check out the blues master. I obviously highly recommend it, even if you’re not an avid “blues” listener. His genre is definitely a blend, mixing blues with rock, alternative, indie and pop. Everybody can relate to his music in one way or another. And that my friend, is ‘cause we all got the blues.
“Time for Chocolate” a great snapshot of little-known culture
The play, written by TU’s Bruce Willis, was well-acted and featured a plot both entertaining and educational. Brennen Gray Student Writer
“Time for Chocolate,” written by TU’s Bruce Willis, played at the Nightingale theater Oct. 6–7 and will continue Oct. 13–14. Set in the 15th century during the Aztec empire’s expansion into the city-states of pre-colonized Mexico, the play brings to life a time not commonly portrayed. The Nightingale, an out of the way place downtown, is a tiny theater. The sign denoting the venue’s location humbly stood on the sidewalk on an otherwise abandoned
side street. The play had an interesting premise: a man wanted to invite all his friends over to drink chocolate laced with psychedelic mushrooms and compose poetry, all while trying to interest his son in the activity. The archetypal father-son conflict between Stone Creek and his son Golden Eagle generated humor, plot and tension throughout the work. The poetry, called “Flower Song,” involved slow, dance-like movements and figurative language. Stone Creek wanted to convince Golden Eagle of its importance as his son prepares to become a man. Willis expanded on this saying, “Plays are often set in New York, or London, but this is a piece that does something different.” As a Mexican-American, Willis emphasized the importance of the play as part of his and his family’s culture. Bringing the sacredness of
chocolate and the fascinating culture of this time period to life is a personal project for Willis. In an effective realization of Willis’s culture, the acting was nothing short of great. The cast worked together to keep the play humorous and decently entertaining. 15-year-old Caleb Henry stood out as Golden Eagle, playing off of Edgar Acosta’s Stone Creek very well. Though clearly younger than almost the entire cast, his energy and ability impressed me the most. As a celebration of culture, the play nailed it. Chocolate, as Willis said, holds a sacred place in the actor’s culture. The play focused heavily on the role of chocolate as drink of many different functions. Some red dye is added to the chocolate to make it resemble blood: a central metaphor in the culture’s religious practices. The psy-
chedelic mushrooms traditionally used in the drink worked plenty of humor into the play, all while giving the audience insight into a little-known culture. When the main character learned he had to send his son off to war, he showed enthusiasm. In the Q&A session after the play, Acosta explained that his character could not appear weak or worried in front of others, regardless of how he felt. I found this a good way to convey the culture’s mindset on war and battle. Willis explained in the Q&A that many of the characters in the play were real people. I found it remarkably easy to connect with the characters, which is a testament to Willis’s skill in adaptation. The play was funny, enjoyable and educational. “Time for Chocolate” was a sweet success.
Variety
Portugal. The Man quirky and loud 9 October 2017
The pop rock band played a set that relied more on the experience as a whole than the individual songs. Ethan Veenker Variety Editor
Droves of fans filled the Cain’s Ballroom for a sold-out Portugal. The Man concert October 5. An unsettling broth of angry and already-drunk people filed in, butting heads and causing general discomfort for a good few hours. Opening for Portugal. The Man was Norwegian producer Lido. I can’t say I’ve ever attended an EDM concert, so Lido was certainly a first-time experience for me. He was charismatic and talkative for the whole night, eager to share with the crowd again and again that most of his set was improv despite his usual production of “what you might call ‘remixes.’” His setup seemed unique as far as EDM live-sets go. In front of him, facing the crowd, was of course a wall of synthesizers, keyboards and sequencers. Behind him, however, was a sprawling drumset that circled around and effectively trapped him within a little square of composition. For most of his tracks, after noodling around on the keyboards and getting a solid loop going, he would turn around and unload on the drums, something that was genuinely entertaining given how good he was at the drums. His ability to seamlessly switch between the keyboards and the drums was mind-boggling at times, and his drumming consistently overpowered the loops he concocted. For parts when he went slower and merely sang over the intimate loops he’d created, it elicited vague thoughts of British producer James Blake, though the latter’s work tends to bear on a far more experimental side. Even so, Lido expressed through the whole night that he was playing “weird shit.” I’m not the biggest benefactor of EDM, so it’s hard to describe Lido’s set in a musical sense. A sound engineer offstage — with whom Lido had some entertaining banter — seemed to put forth a few samples for each track that Lido would then distort and wiggle between a few chords and melodies. The samples consisted overwhelmingly of high-pitched voices saying a few words on a loop, usually derived from trap songs, a common trope in EDM. To his credit, however, if his performances were truly improv than his ability to make it all work onstage garners a certain respect in its own right. One song of his in particular that stood out to me was one that had the warm sound of plucked violins. I couldn’t tell if it was a sample that he worked into the song or if it was merely an effect he’d produced on a synthesizer that he had on an arpeggiator, but it was pleasant to hear regardless. He ended the set with two remixes. Lido wasn’t expecting anyone in Tulsa to know him, so he was surprised when someone who’d be attending the concert reached out through Twitter and requested that he play his remix of alt-J’s “Left Hand Free.” He obliged, and by the reaction of the crowd, it seemed to be the highlight of his set. After that he went on a spiel about how uncommon it was for artists to allow openers to play remixes of their tracks. He stated how cool and nice the members of Portugal. The Man were and then went into a remix of their recent hit single, “Feel it Still.” After that he ended the set and bid us goodnight. I didn’t keep track of just how many songs he played, but it was somewhere around six or seven from memory. Maybe a half-hour after Lido left the stage, Portugal. The Man came on suddenly. The band consisted of a pianist, a pianist/ guitarist who seemed to be on guitar for most of the night, a drummer, a bassist and the frontman vocalist with his own guitar. The head of the drummer’s bass drum bore an image of Weird Al Yankovic with the words “We wouldn’t be here without Weird Al Yankovic.” As they took the stage, projected behind the band were words that went something like “We’re not very good at stage banter, so tonight’s performance will feature slogans written by management.” Sure enough, there was no talking on the stage that night, save for a “thank you” at the very end and a brief exclamatory statement from the bassist when they retook the stage for an encore. Their first song was an overwhelmingly loud cover of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall.” After this, things started to break down for me. I’m not a rabid fan of Portugal. The Man, but I’m somewhat acquainted with their discography. There were definitely songs that I recognized from the night, but the whole set had a quality about it that seemed to blend everything together. The style in which the music was provided didn’t merit that intricate attention be paid. In fact, it encouraged quite the opposite.
The band was in control of their music all night. Loud songs gave way to long, droning intros that fed into more loud songs. They were capable of changing their sound on a dime, with every noise stopping at once several times, an effect so jarring that the listener is reminded where they are for a minute. Opportunities for improvisation seemed ample but rarely undertook, save for a few stand-out moments. One in particular involved the heavy chord progression that leads into the Beatles’s “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),” a progression that the second guitarist played steadily for perhaps forty seconds while the frontman skipped around stage with his own shrill solo. The encore consisted of one track: a cover of Oasis’s “Don’t Look Back in Anger.” It was rather tame and quiet compared to the rest of the night’s set, and was a nice sendoff for the incoherent concert-goers. A thick fuzz was present behind each song for the night’s entirety, a fuzz that inspired the listener to not focus on what song was being played next but to instead bob their head along to it regardless. Save for the few times where the band completely muted between songs, there was always a noise onstage, and it was always a loud one. Portugal. The Man was clearly there to give more of a visceral experience than a technical one, meaning, again, that the concert-goers should be expected to remember the concert all as one lucid moment rather than in bits-and-pieces where the band played this or that. The backdrops were at all times creepy or crazy iterations of nude CGI characters or of timelapses of colored oil dripped into water. The characters would stare at the crowd, often times spinning in some infinite loop or contorted in ways beyond comprehension; the worst stares came from the ones with pupils. A stand-out backdrop nightmare consisted of a ring of baby heads that the point of view constantly shifted to and away from. That’s not to say that any of the images were grisly or gory. They were all obviously crafted from amateur-ish 3D models and were all intended to look just fake enough so as to teeter on the edge of the uncanny valley. A few songs into the set, the backdrop got more words that read “We are Portugal. The Man! Just making sure you’re at the right concert. / Thank you for buying and/or stealing our new album.” These backdrops combined with the trippy lights that at times replaced them and with the music that was a mesh of fuzz and cadence created a concert that even the stoniest critic should have at least tapped their foot too. I’ll say that I could have used a bit more experimentation, however. Certainly, the concert sounded rather unlike their studio recordings; they were all adapted into cacophonous and chaotic live versions. Beyond these changes, however, the same general structures of the original songs can be easily determined. With the visceral effect Portugal. The Man was going for, I feel they could have better reached their goal by changing the very structures of the songs and also by having no points of silence in the night, but merely a constant and assaulting barrage of noise over which they could have played all night. My largest complaint of the night, however, comes from the crowd. Certainly, a sold out crowd isn’t expected to provide a comfortable experience, but most concerts seem to bear crowds that are more or less warm with each other. Not everyone’s becoming best friends, and sure there’s a few people fighting, but most concerts seem to more-or-less breed environments of comfort. That night’s crowd, however, seemed to enter the venue already hating each other. A good number of the patrons seemed to pregame the concert, arriving drunkbeyond-reason even before the opener had come on. Everyone butted shoulders with each other, and each basic sense of friction with another person was typically met with a dirty look or a flashed middle finger. A few verbal fights broke out, though I didn’t see any evidence of anything physical. The multitude of drunk people that melded with the inexplicably angry, sober people that night, however, made for an environment that I felt was bound to erupt at any minute. Eventually, as the concert drew nearer
photos by Noah Beard
Lido (top only) and Portugal. The Man both had stage designs that emphasized color, though Portugal. The Man had bizarre CGI backdrops to go with it.
started traveling around the crowd as the concert neared its end. This final act of the night was paired with more witty remarks on the backdrop, coming in order as “Y’all like… / Smoking weed???
“Portugal. The Man was clearly there to give more of a visceral experience than a technical one.” to its conclusion, tensions seemed to ease. Most of the problem patrons had either quieted down or had been exiled to the back after leaving to get more beer. A few blunts
The Collegian: 9
/ Getting fucked up? / Discussing politics at family gatherings / That’s badass!” When they came back on for the encore, the backdrop read “That’s right kids. No
computers up here. Just live instruments,” possibly alluding back to a comment Lido had made in his set about Portugal. The Man being “lucky” that they didn’t have to deal with computers onstage. All-in-all, the concert was very enjoyable. When I was able to block out the people around me, I was able to find some genuine enjoyment in the songs that I was only partially familiar with. The music as a whole left a little to be desired, but the experience was a net positive one and it surely made a lasting impression.
The Collegian: 10
Variety
9 October 2017
9 October 2017
Variety
The Collegian: 11
Tulsa State Fair not for everyone, but go anyway
Taken individually, the various antics of the State Fair seem disgusting and abject, but as a whole it makes for a warmly entertaining experience. Trenton Gibbons News Editor
The Tulsa State Fair is a tradition well over a century old, though I doubt anyone was selling car insurance or hot tubs there until more recently. The fair runs for eleven days, and attracts over a million visitors each year. It was while staring at a butter sculpture depicting some uncanny-looking individuals that I started to wonder if irony played any sort of part in the organization in the Tulsa State Fair. The butter sculpture is one
of many so-midwestern-it-hurts attractions; livestock competitions, pick-up truck sales and vendors upon vendors of deep-fried guilt food make up a portion of the remainder. It occurred to me that, at some point, state fairs might have become a caricature of themselves, flanderizing until they were so distinctly midwestern that it became almost morbidly appealing for people like myself. None of this is meant to insult the people for whom the fair’s attractions are especially appealing. I do imagine, however, that a sizable portion of the fair’s visitors are like me: viewing the fair as an annual occasion to immerse yourself in an atmosphere you wouldn’t ever usually prefer. Really, if you’re a college student or anyone else just headed to the fair for some fun, you’re more likely to find it in the rides and games than anything else. The good news is
the fair has plenty of both; the bad is that the two can get expensive pretty quickly. Ride tickets were $1.25 a piece — with some discounts for buying larger quantities — and I personally never found any rides that cost under three tickets. In fact, I managed to blow my tickets pretty quickly on a couple rides, one a kind of “egg-roll” where passengers were revolved over the park, their cars spinning head over heels, that took 8 tickets each. They don’t even take tickets for the “extreme rides,” where I saw prices like $30 per passenger. The games and booths, meanwhile, offered some serious prizes with some serious luck required to get them. Keep in mind that entry to the park, and just parking nearby, weren’t free either. Add to that a wine slushie and some other food items I purchased, and you might understand why I was regretful I hadn’t determined a budget before attending the fair.
The Tulsa State Fair provided a varied experience as usual, including the rides , the food and the gallery of ornate cakes.
Condomania is a fashion show featuring original fashion accessories made entirely out of condoms. Sexual health is an important part of overall health, which the Little Blue House hopes to demonstrate. Costume attire for guests is encouraged. A buffet dinner is provided and there will be a cash bar. Time: 7-10 p.m.
My friends and I managed to enjoy ourselves there for a few hours. If we’d planned a little better, we might’ve been there the night of a concert or show we were actually interested in. Instead, I tried to deafen myself to the echoing voice of a young pop star who spent a lot of time feeding her underage audience “inspiring” quotes. The fair is a great event, for perhaps a different audience than college students on a budget. I doubt many people at TU spend more than a night or two there, and even then I hardly see them perusing the more practical, boring stalls of the fair. I actually would suggest visiting the fair, especially if you’ve never been before. The fair can be a fun curiosity — a place to try strange foods and ride some rides you wouldn’t find anywhere else. Just maybe don’t expect to get as much out of it as your local Tulsan.
photos by Michaela Flonard
Location: Dennis R. Neill Equality Center 621 E. 4th St. Tulsa, OK 74120 Tickets: Tickets are purchased by donation, starting at $20. You can donate more if you choose. Tickets can be purchased at: https://www. eventbrite.com/e/ condomania-tickets-35800969664
The State-Run Media
9 October 2017
the
State-Run media Wow you guys are just really gross!
Calls home skyrocket as freshmen reach “4-day limit” on underwear Phone companies report record high calls to moms from campus as freshmen realize they don’t know how to do laundry. Adam Lux Head Propagandist Tulsa administration officials received calls from all the major cellular providers this past week with reports of unusually high volumes of calls to moms made from TU’s campus. The companies never explained how they knew these calls were intended for mothers but they assured us that this was a real phenomenon. “We don’t have any information about the content of the call wink wink so you
exceptions to this trend were the RAs. After some probing questions it became apparent that all the freshmen residents had called their mothers last week asking how to do laundry. Now you might be wondering, as our field reporters were, why so many freshmen are just now having to do laundry for the first time. This is when the “4-day rule” was brought up. Apparently there is a idea running around the freshman class that underwear can be worn four times before it needs to be washed. “Yeah you wear it forwards, backwards and then inside out forwards and backwards. That’s four days worth of underwear.” said Brian Lazz, a freshman who was apparently not embarrassed enough to make us omit his name.
“Yeah you wear it forwards, backwards and then inside out forwards and backwards. That’s four days worth of underwear.” may want to look into this yourself,” one of the cell companies said in the call without explaining why they actually said “wink wink” over the phone. The administration was clearly too busy doing…something probably, so they handed this job off to the Collegian, who passed on this juicy article because “it’s literally the worst idea for an article that we’ve ever heard.” Because of this it once again falls to the State-Run Media to cover the important stories that you, the readers, care about. The State-Run started questioning students across campus about the last time they called their mother. Frankly the State-Run is disgusted. These people gave birth to you, you can at least check in to tell them you’re not dead. Our reporters started hitting paydirt when they questioned students in Fisher South. Almost everyone in Fisher South had called their mother within the past week. The only
While underwear has the “4-day rule” other forms of clothing, according to freshman, can be worn for even longer. Shirts are being worn for over a week, and some freshman claim to having worn the same pair of pants for a month. One freshman told reporters that she had been wearing the same bra since August. “We tried to deal with this issue weeks ago,” said Fisher South RA Jamie Stanton, “we had an informational session, ‘How to do laundry,’ but nobody came. We had free pizza. It wasn’t even Mazzios!” “Yeah I heard about the laundry session but I figured I had everything under control,” said Lazz “I’m just glad this whole thing worked itself out and that I can finally breath freely… metaphorically and literally.” said Stanton “Hopefully they’ll start doing their laundry more often.” At press time the freshman dorm smells significantly better than it did just a few weeks ago, much to the relief of the RAs.
Disgruntled vandal not willing to waste more than two eggs on McFarlin’s doors After the recent eggings of campus buildings, the State-Run Media tracked down the culprit for an interview. Adam Lux Head Propaeggist Reports have been coming in for the past few weeks, from both Campus Security and the Collegian, that some buildings on campus, namely McFarlin Library and Helmerich Hall, have had eggs thrown at them. This activity, known as “egging,” is often
According to those close to the egger, he rarely studied, and when he did it was usually in the five or so minutes before a test was about to start. In reference to why he egged Helmerich Hall he said, “That was mostly just a practice run. At first I thought about egging Keplinger but I thought that would be too obvious. I’m trying to take my egging to the next level. I want to be considered with the other great meta-eggers like “Fueggo Egg” and “Eggsy.” The State-Run was unable to identify who “Fueggo Egg” or “Eggsy” are.
Example of the toxic over-worn underwear.
graphic by Madeline Woods
5 things University Ambassadors want you to shout as you walk past their tour groups
Help those kids make the right decision with these patent pending persuasive lines. Sara Serrano Has no complaints about TU
Ah yes, the winds are getting colder, the chlorophyll in leaves is being destroyed and giving way for carotenoids and anthocyanins to do the brunt of photosynthesis, and prospective applicants to the University of Tulsa are once again roaming around campus, shepherded by friendly UAs. Autumn has arrived. Don’t you remember being bright-eyed like them? Searching for the perfect establishment to house and educate you for the next four years? Well, now is the time to help those kids make the right decision! (the one you made, obviously) Here are five University Ambassador approved things that you should say as those tours pass you by: 1. “Wow what a great university that we both are attending for only 60,000 dollars a year.” This one is obvious, but you gotta let the kids know the bargain they would be getting here and what better way to do so than to explicitly tell them? It is suggested that this line only be used when passing by with a companion as to not seem creepy and/or unhinged from reality. 2. “What delicious and nutritious food that I am consuming. Yum yum.” The freshman fifteen is real concern for some people. Let this line rip while holding a plate of pork chops and green beans,
preferably whilst licking your lips, to let them know that that trope is just a myth at the University of Tulsa. Maintain direct eye contact to better get the point across.
3. “Look at me! I’m definitely not hiding tears behind this smile stemming from an unrequited desire for social intimacy!” Make sure to give a big smile! This one is great for making sure they understand how socially fulfilled you are here so that they can better picture themselves in the same satisfactory position.. 4. “I love that this place is so dependent on the oil industry. Those guys are great.” Now, this might be a turnoff for the “green thumbs” in the group, but hey, they wouldn’t fit in here anyway. Too many PEs. 5. “I am completely content with the choice I have made that is certain to affect, whether adversely or positively, the outcome of my life and whether or not I will be able achieve my ambitions, even though I have no idea what those are yet. I definitely had a enough information to make an informed decision and am experiencing no regrets.” The best part about this one is how vague it is. It can apply to so many things, every student in that group will get something good out of it! The only problem is its length, so make sure to walk briskly or bike alongside the tour group so they can hear everything you have to say. Feel free to bring your own personality to the lines and really flesh them out with hip slang or regional colloquialisms! The kids will dig it!
“Does it look like I’m made of money or something?” used as a way of recreation or as a display of displeasure in the establishment. During his regular Sunday coffee run the State-Run’s glorious leader, Adam Lux, noticed the eggs on the Library’s east entrance. In particular he noticed that only a handful of eggs had actually been thrown. After some astute detective work, the State-Run was able to track down the egger, a student on campus who agreed to give an interview if he could remain anonymous. Well actually he wanted us to call him “The Eggomaniac” but this is a respectable publication so fuck that shit. The culprit is a sophomore in the ENS college who is currently struggling with his grades. “I’m just so sick of studying all the time and not getting good grades,” said the culprit, “I guess that’s why I egged the library. I saw it as a monument standing in spite of my failures.”
When asked why he only threw two eggs at the buildings the culprit responded, “What? Does it look like I’m made of money or something? I’m not wasting a whole carton of perfectly good eggs.” He seemed unphased when informed that a dozen eggs costs less than two dollars if you get the bargain brand. “Listen, don’t tell The Eggomaniac how to do his job alright. There’s a reason I’m a professional and your not. The art of egging takes years to master, maybe decades. I’ve been egging things since, like, middle school so back off.” he responded. Campus Security wanted to remind all students that it’s fine to let out your frustrations by abusing buildings on campus as long as you clean up after yourselves. The student has yet to egg any other buildings but Campo has assured the StateRun that if he strikes again they will be able to catch him.
“The Eggomaniac” displaying his leftover eggs.
graphic by Madeline Woods