a student newspaper of the university of tulsa
october 3, 2016 issue 6 ~ volume 102
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News
The Collegian: 2
3 October 2016
Professor’s upcoming book to focus on Mary Shelley’s religious life Dr. Airey’s book will be part of a series focusing on historical figures and how their religion fit into the broader context of the time. Claudia Conaway Student Writer
Dr. Jennifer Airey, Associate Professor of English here at TU and author of The Politics of Rape: Sexual Atrocity, Propaganda Wars, and the Restoration Stage, is currently writing a new book on the religious life of 19th century author Mary Shelley. The book, now titled Religion Around Mary Shelley, will be one in a series of books by other authors exploring the religious lives of central figures in history and how their personal religion fit into the broader realm of the centuries in which they lived. Other figures that are being written
about include Emily Dickinson, William Shakespeare and Billie Holiday. While her first book was fueled by her own initiation, Religion Around Mary Shelley came into Airey’s life accidentally. She spoke about Shelley’s writing style at a conference in 2014 called “Leading Culture Forward” at the University of Richmond and was approached by a publishing editor who asked her to write the book. She took the offer and started shaping the work out. Mary Shelley is perhaps best known for her 1818 novel Frankenstein, but Airey wants to focus on a more collective array of Shelley’s works, saying “She wrote six other novels, two plays, many short stories and biography pieces to encyclopedias. Most of her writing happened after her husband’s death. I want to focus on those.” The book will explore three phases of Shelley’s writing. Airey conducted her research for the book at the Harvard and TU libraries, and also had the opportunity to
work at the Chawton House Library for the summer. This library is a renowned place of research into early women’s writing from 1600 to 1830. Airey worked in the very manor and stables that were once owned by Jane Austen’s brother. This is not only a literature fan’s dream, but a prime location to conduct research into a 19th century female writer. Airey’s previous book was published in 2012 and is “the first full-length study of representations of sexual violence in Restoration theater and political culture.” While Airey wanted to step away from discussing sexual violence again in Religion Around Mary Shelley, she found this hard to do. Since Shelley writes of sexual violence in her pieces, and since it seems to be a recurring theme throughout literary history up to today, Airey treats it in a “similar way” as she did in her previous book. Religion Around Mary Shelley is due to come out in August 2017.
courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Airey conducted her research at Harvard and TU libraries, as well as the the Chawton House Library, known for its research into early women’s writing.
TU student travels abroad to research Syrian refugees
Junior Julia Westbrook is currently abroad comparing asylum policies of European countries with an influx of Syrian refugees. Hannah Kloppenburg Editor-in-Chief
Julia Westbrook has had her fair share of international experiences. Before transferring to TU, she studied abroad with TCC in Japan. Now, she’s going from Denmark to Costa Rica in an effort to conduct international research. “I’m currently studying with Semester at Sea,” Westbrook explained. “Through this program I live and study on a ship and have sailed through Germany and now Greece. Tomorrow I’ll be on my way to Italy, then Spain, Morocco, Senegal, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Panama, Peru, Ecuador, and Costa Rica.” Westbrook’s journey abroad isn’t just a sightseeing trip — her end goal is a research project about the influx of Syrian refugees in Europe. She had had an interest in and concern for the plight of Syrian refugees for a while when she heard about the Tulsa Undergraduate Research Challenge, or TURC. “As soon as I heard about [TURC], I began exploring ways that I could learn about and serve refugees. Dr. Foley in the Global Education office gave me the idea to focus on the policy aspect of the situation, and my
faculty mentor Dr. Foster helped me formulate my “game plan” to take my work overseas for some hands on experience,” Westbrook said. Westbrook’s project is entitled “Comparative European Asylum Policies in Light of the Syrian Refugee Situation.” It attempts to determine the differences in asylum policies between European countries during the recent influx of Syrian refugees. She’s currently focusing on on Denmark and Germany. “The overarching goal is to determine the cultural and societal factors behind these asylum policy differences,” Westbrook clarified. “Essentially, my research asks the question: what makes countries more or less tolerant or accepting or refugees or foreigners?” In the European cities she has visited thus far, Westbrook has interviewed ten professionals representing nonprofits, government agencies and law practices that serve refugees in an attempt to get to the heart of this question. Challenges in Westbrook’s studies thus far have included reaching out to people for interviews. “Getting people to talk to me was a challenge at first. I reached out to over thirty people for interviews. I had to present my research thus far, prove credibility and legitimacy via email and keep their interest throughout the logistical planning portion of scheduling the interview. About one fifth of the original people I contacted ended
courtesy Julia Westbrook
Cafe Exil is a nonprofit in Hamburg that provides free information about navigating the asylum seeking process in Germany, where Westbrook interviewed two staff members.
up working out, but I began to make connections and build a network [within] these communities.” She also comments that the week she spent gathering primary sources from interviews was like “the ‘finals week’ of my TURC project.” However, the hard work was worth it. “I can’t even begin to explain how much I learned from each of the individuals I
courtesy Julia Westbrook
This year, Westbrook will travel through Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Senegal, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Panama, Peru, Ecuador and Costa Rica.
courtesy Julia Westbrook
Westbrook interviewed staff members at the The Danish Agency for International Integration and Recruitment for her project.
worked with. Some of the people helping me even knew each other from collaborating in the field, and they would give me advice as to how to handle certain agencies,” Westbrook said. Representing the U.S. abroad has also been a unique challenge. Westbrook explained that “every single person that I’ve interviewed in Europe (10 people now) has asked me about the United States election and our candidates.” “I’m learning more and more how important it is to be able to present your culture and society to others when traveling,” she added. “It has been challenging to explain the United States to Europeans during this strange time, and I advise anyone traveling from now until November to prepare for a discussion about American politics.” Westbrook is emphatic about her research experience and would absolutely recommend it to other TU students. “TURC has given me the opportunity to submerge myself in a topic that I’m passionate about in a productive and professional way,” she enthused. “The University of Tulsa is unique in the way it supports undergraduate research and I encourage my fellow students to pursue it.” When asked if she’d like to include a message to TU students back home, Westbrook said, “I want the TU community to know that the United States has a lot to learn about how to treat refugees and foreigners. Also, research does not have to be just writing a paper!”
Local photographer featured in new Smithsonian museum Don Thompson hopes his work will make visitors proud and reflect on the struggle and success of the African-American community. Dalton Stewart Student Writer Don Thompson has been taking photos for over 40 years, and continues to do so today. His work has been on permanent display at Oklahoma State University campus here in Tulsa and in a gallery in New York City. Now, his work is being exhibited at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. Among those photos are moments that show survivors of the 1921 race riots, which he calls a holocaust, who were living in Tulsa when he took the photos in 1994. The rest of the series shows images of the Greenwood District that Thompson took from 1970 to 1990, demonstrating the decline of “Black Wall Street” in Greenwood. Thompson received a call about his work
in 2014 from Paul Gardullo, a museum curator at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Now, seventeen photos of Thompson’s have been selected, and will be placed in an exhibit called “Riot and Resilience in Tulsa, Oklahoma”, which will be part of a larger gallery called the “Power of Place.” Out of the seventeen photos, seven of those are portraits of survivors of the Tulsa Race Riots. The remaining ten are part of images from the Greenwood District. He chose his images based on the visual expression; images that excited the viewer and showed the resilience and perseverance of the people living there. He considers himself a documentary photographer, with a purpose to “record what I consider history as it unfolds before my eyes. I try to change a view or perception of a place or of people that has been disenfranchised to one of empathy and understanding.” Thompson hopes that through the photos he has taken, people both white and black who come to see the exhibit will leave the museum feeling prideful, and take in the great accomplishment of African Americans
today despite the hardship and struggle they went through many years ago. He believes that the museum will bring the nation together in light of many recent and terrible
events, and show how African-American history is such an ingrained part of American history.
courtesy Marc Carlson, News9
The Greenwood District, pictured above in 1917 and 2013, has undergone many changes throughout the years, which the photographs Thompson provided to the National Museum of African-American History and Culture demonstrate.
News
3 October 2016
The Collegian: 3
Panel emphasizes importance of investigative journalism
photo by James Whisenhunt
The panel, which focused on the effects of trauma coverage, kicked off a two-day series of events in Oklahoma celebrating the centennial of the Pulitzer Prize.
In honor of the centennial of the Pulitzer Prize, TU invited distinguished journalists to speak on a panel last Wednesday about the “Impact of Trauma Coverage.” Kayleigh Thesenvitz Managing Editor Michaela Flonard News Editor James Whisenhunt Commentary Editor The Lorton Performance Center was dotted with just over 100 guests on Wednesday night as the audience prepared to listen to Pulitzer Prize winners and finalists speak on their experiences investigating traumatic events and institutional betrayal. The speakers were Walter Robinson, Editor-at-Large of the Boston Globe; Susan Ellerbach, Executive Editor of the Tulsa World; Ziva Branstetter, Editorin-Chief of The Frontier in Tulsa; Joe Hight, Endowed Chair of journalism ethics at the University of Central Oklahoma; and the panel was moderated by Elana Newman,TU’s McFarlin professor of psychology and research director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma. Robinson led the “Spotlight Team” that broke the story about the systemic abuse of young boys by Catholic priests in Boston, Massachusetts for which he won a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. Hight was Editor of The Gazette in Colorado Springs when they won the Pulitzer Prize in National Reporting in 2014 for a story about dishonorable discharges. Branstetter and Ellerbach were part of the Tulsa World team that was a Pulitzer finalist in 2015 for their stories on the botched executions at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. President Designate Gerard
and the church’s efforts to move him around parishes instead of revealing his crimes to authorities. Through talking to victims and lawyers, however, they discovered a pattern of molestation and church coverup. While the film ended with the release of their initial investigation, they continued to investigate and prompted discoveries of similar crimes around the globe. Stanley Tucci, who played the victim’s attorney Mitchell Garabedian, called the movie “a necessary film. Something Hollywood doesn’t do much of nowadays.” Critics compared “Spotlight” to “All The President’s Men,” to which Robinson responded “They are not. [“All the President’s Men”] is about the journalism. “Spotlight” is also about something else. To me, the brilliance of [the film] is that [the director] gave all of us a way to come to grips with what happened to the victims of the priests. And he did it with such sensitivity that we didn’t have to avert our eyes.” “The impact of what we reported, because we had the documents, left the church with no real defense,” Robinson said. Because of this, there “wasn’t any real attempt to blame the messenger,” even though Boston is a heavily Catholic city. When they published their initial story, Robinson said “We already had evidence that over 100 priests had abused children in Boston. We knew that the church had secretly settled cases with 70 of those priests”. If the church did settle the case out of court, settlements were often higher than if attorneys were involved because “their primary goal in all of this was to protect the reputation of the church and keep the secret.” The story won the Pulitzer, Robinson believes, because it tackled an important issue that’d been hidden for years. At the time, “The church was the most powerful institution, and the Cardinal the most powerful political figure in Massachusetts”.
“The passion you develop for a story, very often, most often, makes better reporting.” Clancy kicked off the event. Clancy related the importance of the panel to his own work as a psychiatrist with children who have suffered from abuse. “It is vital that everyone understand the severe long term suffering and changes in brain function abuse can bring about in its victims,” he said. “I’m thrilled that TU can continue to be part of this conversation with other universities in Oklahoma,” Clancy said before turning the floor over to Hight. Hight gave a brief tribute to Anthony Shadid, a native Oklahoman who received two Pulitzer prizes for international journalism. Shadid died in 2012 while working as a Foreign Correspondent in Syria. Hight’s personal account was followed by a short video detailing Shadid’s work and life created by the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, which premiered that night. Following the video, Hight introduced Newman and Robinson, the latter having just flown into Tulsa from a conference in Nepal. Newman began by asking Robinson about his work at the Boston Globe and the movie that resulted from their investigation. “Spotlight,” the 2015 movie, followed Robinson’s team as they worked to uncover what they initially thought was one priest’s sexual molestation of children
“For a long time, I think there’d been too much deference to the church, not just in Boston. That the Globe was willing to take this on,” was recognized by those deciding the Pulitzer, he said. “Our anger at what we found out really drove us,” Robinson said, which is atypical of the stereotypical view of a reporter’s outlook when writing, to be as detached and objective as possible. Later, Branstetter would emphasize this view, saying “The robot reporter...just doesn’t exist. You have to be able to have a heart and report what happened.” “You can’t write a powerful story without powerful voices” Robinson said. He argued that although the maxim is that reporting is 90 percent fact and 10 percent writing, he views the best reporting to be 70/30. While today’s journalism involves the internet more than in “Spotlight’s” time, Robinson hoped the movie emphasized that, “you can’t get people to tell you these stories by email, by text, or by phone call. You have to sit down, face to face.” After some discussion between Newman and Robinson, a scene of the movie in which the Editor of The Globe directs them to focus not just on one abusive priest, but the system that was facilitat-
ing abuse, was played and the rest of the panelcame onto the stage. Newman said this demonstrated the restraint the panel had to exert when covering stories; not stopping at one, but looking at the system to uncover major problems. Following the clips from the movie, the remainder of the panel was brought on stage. The topics discussed were institutional betrayal, how working on trauma impacts journalists, the reactions and pushback journalists receive when they cover major stories, how modern tech and social media have changed how they report, how the 24-hour news cycle and the importance of monetization can limit long-term investigative work and whether or not we are seeing the end or the evolution of print media.
bother him because he had learned to separate his personal and professional life. According to Ellerbach, Clanton spends extra time on projects that involve people who have been through traumatic experiences. “There have been several times where he sat there and visited with someone for maybe four hours just to be able to tell that person’s story,” she said. “I think this type of reporting requires more time, requires more sensitivity, it requires someone to put some trust in,” Ellerbach elaborated. “Most of the stories we do, we’re not worried about emotions,” Robinson said, but in the case of a traumatic story he says the concern of reporters is not to re-victimize victims.
phasized that he was taking care of himself. “Journalists don’t take very good care of ourselves,” Branstetter said. “We’re like cops, we don’t want to admit any weakness because they’re going to take you off the story.” “The thing that I get the most out of is talking to other reporters” Branstetter continued. She also talked about her moral support at home saying, “It’s good to have a good spouse who understands that when the Joplin tornado happens you’re going to be gone for two weeks or when this shooting happened that I’m working all night. I’m not going to have time to clean the kitchen.” Newman then asked how these experiences affect their news judgement.
“You can’t write a powerful story without powerful voices” “It’s important to bridge the gap between your readers and the people you’re writing about,” Branstetter said, as her coverage focused on the death penalty, which many Oklahomans support. The community, politicians and readers expressed their disapproval for the story, seeing it as successful because the inmate had still died or embarrassing for the state. This reaction is an example of the “blaming the messenger” reaction expected to come with a big story. Ellerbach said “I think attitudes in Oklahoma have changed” as a result of the Tulsa World’s stories on the death penalty. “[A colleague] and I started getting these calls from the Army, starting to complain about the story“ before it had even printed, Hight said. Hight’s coverage in Colorado Springs was on veterans being kicked out of the military for minor infractions in a city dotted with military institutions. Soldiers suffering from PTSD and traumatic brain injuries were on the streets after being denied their military benefits. “We saw a lot of really high ranking officers starting to send emails and calls all saying they were embarrassed by what was occurring to these veterans and they knew something needed to happen,” Hight said. Newman noted that trauma reporting can be more challenging than standard reporting. “We don’t talk about it a lot in our newsroom, and I think that’s probably not unusual in most newsrooms,” said Ellerbach. She talked about John Clanton, a Tulsa World videographer and photo editor, and his experience with trauma reporting. Clanton had told Ellerbach that he saw his first dead body while on an airplane crash scene at 21 years old, and it didn’t
Branstetter related the topic back to a meeting she had recently with the widow of Terence Crutcher, the unarmed man shot by police in Tulsa last month. “I could have interviewed her right then and there, but I didn’t. We just sat and talked for several hours.” Newman said that what she has heard from many of the Pulitzer prize journalists is that “this kind of coverage, the one that wins the Pulitzer is about patience, restraint and not giving details that don’t tell the story.” Hight responded to that, saying, “Journalists can find and compile all of the statistics they want and get all of the documents behind the story, which are very important, but until you find a human face, until you find that human being behind that statistics you really don’t have a story.” Newman asked how journalists find the time to write these longer stories, which prompted Ellerbach and Hight to talk about the structure of news organizations and the resources available to smaller news organizations. Branstetter discussed how that system is different for an online paper. Newman then asked questions from the audience about whether the panelists have ever felt the effects of covering these traumatic stories in their personal lives. “I don’t think our team … ever had a real discussion about how is this affecting you,” Robinson said. “My wife is a nurse and she voluntarily diagnosed us all with PTSD at some point in the mid 2002.” He didn’t think her diagnosis was accurate, but conceded that the case did impact everyone on the team in some way. Hight discussed how he came to terms with reporting on the Oklahoma City bombing, and later about helping a coworker who em-
“In the 1960’s there was a journalism textbook the title of which was ‘Objective Journalism’. There’s no such thing,” Robinson said. “The passion you develop for a story, very often, most often, makes better reporting.” “There’s a reason journalists have a little dark sense of humor. You have to have something to laugh at,” Ellerbach said. “Great journalists learn how to be effective listeners,” said Hight. Newman then talked about institutional betrayal. Newman argued that an organization that was supposed to protect people, whether the Church for Robinson, the VA for Hight or the State for Branstetter and Ellerbach, should not behave in these egregious ways, and the revelation of these things is what makes them so powerful. Newman then switched again to discuss what the panelists believed was required to be a good investigative journalist. Robinson responded “To do good reporting you have to have a burning desire to find things out.” Newman’s final question was about the future of print local and investigative journalism. The panel seemed divided about the answer to that question. Ellerbach said, “I still think there is a market for printed journalism.” “Investigative journalism has a future, but here’s the caveat, as long as it gets numbers,” Hight warned. “I think people who subscribe to our papers understand that for democracy to function well it needs really good journalism to tell people what’s really going on,” Robinson said. “I’m not as hopeful about the future of print, but … I’m convinced that someone is going to figure out how to monetize a great online presence.”
photo by Michaela Flonard
Before the panel was introduced, Robinson discussed his experiences as editor of the Spotlight team and working on the 2015 film.
The Collegian: 4
News
3 October 2016
Local author examines women in Tulsa’s history A new self-published book tells the stories of women who were cruicial to the formation of Tulsa. Maureen Haynes Student Writer
“Behind every great man is a great woman,” touts an old, familiar adage. But these women don’t have to remain in the shadows of men forever. This year, local author Judith M. Prentice Jaeger self-published a book dedicated to telling the stories of the great women in Tulsa history. In her book, titled Pathfinders & Way-makers: A Women’s History of Early Tulsa, Jaeger tells the stories of women who contributed in great ways to Tulsa’s history, be they well-known names or somewhat unknown figures. “Men built buildings and built the town, but women shaped the community,” Jaeger explained. “You can build a city, but you must also provide for the community.” This is where the women’s stories began to emerge. Jaeger began her research for the book in 2009 after she retired from nursing and joined the Tulsa Public Library system. “The Tulsa history books were all about
men who were rich and famous; the ranchers and the oilmen,” Jaeger explained. “The way the books were all written was the same format, listing the women only as the ‘Wife of…” This realization then led Jaeger to begin to look at the important women in Tulsa’s history and how they contributed to the community. Jaeger’s book tells the stories of fifty-six historic Tulsa women, giving insight on the lives of all women and citi-
theme throughout the book. Jaeger points to Thelma Duncan, an educator and social leader within the community who was a crucial member of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), the first integrated social organization in Tulsa. She raised resources for community projects in the early twentieth century. “They built Greenwood Cultural Center through the nickel and dime efforts of women like Thelma Duncan,” Jaeger said.
“The women in Tulsa didn’t get everything all at once...one woman’s excellence would lay down experience for others to build upon.”
zens throughout Tulsa County’s history. The women, whose lifespans ranged from the post-Civil War era to the mid-1920’s, were chosen because they were key figures; oneof-a-kind contributors to Tulsa history. “Each woman had a role. The history couldn’t be understood all at once; each [woman] was a tree leading to an ecosystem you could fully understand,” Jaeger said. The women’s efforts, both collective and individual, had lasting impacts; a common
Greenwood Cultural Center remains open today, almost a century later, in downtown’s Greenwood District. For part of her research, Jaeger utilized the University of Tulsa’s Special Collections, housed in McFarlin Library. The Special Collections are home to the papers of Lilah Denton Lindsey, a “Tulsa Founding Mother,” who was the first Creek citizen to graduate from college. “I don’t think I would have grasped the
breadth of Lilah Lindsey and how significant her life’s work was without the Special Collections,” Jaeger said. Most of the periods of Oklahoma history are touched upon, with personal accounts of Tulsa’s interactions with the Homestead Runs (which Lilah Lindsey watched from the windows of her house), the 1918 Influenza Epidemic (which prevented the public celebration of women’s suffrage by various women’s groups) and Women’s Christian Temperance Union’s meetings (which contributed policies to the original Oklahoma State Constitution). Jaeger’s book explains in detail the complex and altering ways that women enriched the community in Tulsa, but these changes happened over time. “The women in Tulsa didn’t get everything all at once. They took roles that hadn’t been allowed or fostered for women, and one woman’s excellence would lay down experience for others to build upon.” This theme resounds through the pages of Jaeger’s book, painting a unique picture of Tulsa’s history. Judith Jaeger’s book Pathfinders & Waymakers: A Women’s History of Early Tulsa can be purchased in the Tulsa Historical Society & Museum.
TU Business student receives an award for failing
A TU professor awarded a student for failing in order to emphasize that creativity and entrepreneurship require failure. Nick Rethford Student Writer
David and Leslie Lawson Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship Tracy Suter has taken an unconventional approach to teaching in his Applied Innovation and Creativity class by awarding his student, not for succeeding, but for failing. The award, called the Fail Harder Award, is meant to highlight the idea that failure is an integral part of success, one of the core values of the class. “Success and failure are often presented as dichotomous choices,” Suter explains. “However, in the realms of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, failure is part of the path to success.” The award comes in response to the
class’s Tassel College Tournament, a competition designed to promote creative thinking. Students enter six word descriptions or “nomination speeches” of various items and compete against one other student. The class then votes on the best one and the winners of each round continue on until one is crowned the champion. In each round, students present nomination speeches about different things such as creative logos or products. Among the losers of the first round was freshman Blake Landon. His entry did not hold out against his two competitors and was promptly eliminated. But, when the class later voted on the overall most creative entry, his came out on top. This lead Suter to put together an award ceremony that included University press and Larry Wofford, chair of the Department of Management and Marketing, to present Landon with the Fail Harder Award. Suter hoped to convey with this award that the line between failure and success
courtesy Tracy Suter
Suter’s fall class participated in the Tassel College Tournament, which led to the Fail Harder Award.
may not be as distinct as traditionally believed. It is better to try and to fail than to not try at all because, more often than not,
that failure will help pave the way to future success.
ate from the Law Building to Helm Rm. 105. Upcoming events such as the “Stay Golden” Childhood Cancer Awareness event and the Picture It! Carnival were also discussed. Luke Monses, the Executive Director of Homecoming, discussed this year’s point system for the 2016 Homecoming Competition between student organizations. The new system aspires to clear up past discrepancies on the issue of points for attendance and participation. Instead of requiring a certain number of people from each organization to attend each event as in past years, the point
system now requires a certain percentage of each organization to attend. Finally, speakers from Advocacy Alliance discussed this year’s efforts towards the awareness and prevention of sexual violence. Their goal this year is to get more students involved in the Advocacy Alliance’s student committee, S.A.V.E., through their Bystander Intervention Training program. For more information about the Student Experiences Council and when the next meeting is, visit SA’s website.
Student Experiences Council updates students on SA changes The first monthly meeting, held last Monday, hoped to connect students and SA. Nick Rethford Student Writer Monday, September 26, marked the first meeting of the Student Association’s Student Experiences Council. Led by President Haley Anderson, Senate Deputy Chief of Staff Sawyer Clement and Cabinet Deputy
Chief of Staff Andrew Hansen, the Council served as a gathering place for SA to discuss their upcoming events as well as changes made within SA. It also served as a place for students to provide feedback and voice their opinions on the issues affecting the campus. This week’s meeting provided a brief update about the changes made in the last Senate meeting, including changes in the Financial Allocations Guidelines for student organizations requesting funding and the progress of Fall Senate elections. Other updates included a change in the venue of Sen-
In last week’s review of the TU Interfaith Tour, it was stated that the tour was hosted by the Malaysian Student Association and SA. The article should have also listed Sharp Chapel as a host for the tour, as they had a significant role in the planning of the event. Apart from serving as a venue, Sharp Chapel helped with event set up, underwriting the cost of food and advertising.
Sept. 20 9:30 a.m. University of Tulsa campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a possible Stalking tha had occurred off campus. Officers made contact with a University faculty member who stated a student was being stalked by an unidentified non University affiliate at unidentified off-campus locations. The two had been in a previous dating relationship ending several years ago. 3:45 p.m. University of Tulsa campus Security Officers were dispatched to a possible domestic dispute in Norman Village. Officers found a non-student had been kept from leaving the significant others apartment by restraint and shoving. The couple was separated and the non-student went home.
Sept. 22 4:20 a.m. While on routine patrol University of Tulsa campus Security Officers made contact with an individual at the Lorton Performance Center parking lot. Officers determined the individual was not TU-affiliated. After finding drug paraphernalia in plain sight, officers completed a search finding stolen property from Quik-Trip and other drug paraphernalia. Officers photographed the individual and issued a trespass warning. After ensuring the individual left campus property, officers returned the stolen property to Quik-Trip and destroyed all confiscated property. 11:25 p.m. University of Tulsa campus Security Officers were dispatched to the Lorton Village Apartments for a noise complaint. Upon reaching the apartment officers were able to hear noticeable noise coming from the reported residence. Officers made contact with the residents and issued a verbal warning informing them to lower the volume of their music and left the scene without further incident 6:15 p.m. University of Tulsa campus Security Of-
ficers were dispatched to Mayo Village Apartments for a harassing phone call. Officers made contact with a student who stated that they received a phone call from an individual who blamed them for an auto theft, which they deny. The student filled out a written statement. Sept. 23 11:15 a.m. University of Tulsa campus Security Officers were dispatched to the University School in regards to a University School student sending sexually explicit text messages to another University School student who is in the same grade. Both sets of parents are aware of the incident. The parents of the victim want no further action taken at this time. 11:15 a.m. University of Tulsa campus Security Officers were dispatched to Mayo Village in response to a suspicious person. Officers made contact with an individual who was handing out flyers for furniture. They were not a TU affiliate and had no warrants. The individual contacted their boss who then showed up. Officers explained that they are on private property and cannot solicit items on campus. Both individuals were
trespassed warned and contact cards were issued. 12:05 p.m. University of Tulsa campus Security Officers were dispatched to the corner of 1100 South Harvard for report of a suspect harassing staff. Officers arrived and made contact with the suspect. The suspect was detained for public intoxication and trespassing. TPD was contacted but never arrived on scene. Sept. 24 8:20 a.m. University of Tulsa campus Security Officers were dispatched to US South Apartment to investigate an individual sleeping in the hallway on the second floor. Upon arrival, officers detained the individual do to the presence of a firearm (later determined to be a BB gun). The individual was negative for current warrants, but had extensive criminal history. The individual had no prior contacts with Campus Security and was escorted to Delaware Avenue and trespass banned from university property. The Collegian does not produce or edit the Campus Crime Watch except for content and brevity.
News
3 October 2016
The Collegian: 5
Presidential debate fosters conversation at TU After a live streaming of the debate last Monday, TU’s School of Arts and Sciences hosted a discussion panel with professors. Nathan Gibbons Distribution Manager TU’s School of Arts and Sciences hosted a live streaming of the presidential debate last Monday, September 26th. Afterwards, a discussion panel was held among attending students, faculty and other visitors. It was hosted by Political Science professor Matt Hindman, Communication professor Mark Brewin, and English professor Holly Laird, who also co-directs the Women’s and Gender Studies Program. The debate itself lasted a little under two hours, during which the audience was urged to refrain from talking, cheering or booing. Afterwards, Laird gave her thoughts on the debate, noting how personality has become more and more important as time has gone on, adding “Personality has come to run our debates now.” She was surprised that neither Trump nor Hillary brought up political corruptness. Mark Brewin offered three lenses to view the debate through. He suggested that the audience should question who won the debate, recognize how much information was communicated by the debaters and recognize how the debate itself communicated an idea of how important political decision making is in the United States. An estimated 84 million people watched the debate, mak-
ing it the most watched presidential debate ever, topping the 81 million viewers of the 1980 debate between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. Hindman said he thought Hillary did well on race issues and keeping her composure, but that she did not speak well enough to young voters or “reassemble the Obama coalition voters.” In 2008, young voters preferred current President Obama to the next-closest competitor by more than four to one. In a recent New York Times Poll, more than a third of voters aged 18 to 29 said they would vote for a third party candidate. Professor Hindman later added that Clinton still has opportunities to appeal to American youth. After the floor was opened for discussion, one attendee in the audience argued that Clinton “pretty effectively called out” Trump on his lack of international knowledge, and wondered what students’ thoughts were on Trump’s answers. Later, when professor Hindman asked if students cared about the issue of NATO, one student replied that he did not think participation in NATO was an issue until “Trump made an issue of it” and that the Republican nominee “talks about our treaties like they’re hollow words.” Since the debate, Trump has continued to question the United States’ obligation to protect its NATO allies. “You know, so many of them [NATO allies] are delinquent” he said at a rally last Wednesday, two days after the debate. At the panel, the crowd was split between undecided voters, Clinton voters and Trump voters. One student, who said they previ-
courtesy Wikimedia Commons
A national poll found the majority of Americans thought Clinton won the debate, while 21 percent thought Trump won and 26 percent thought no one won the debate.
ously supported Bernie Sanders before he stopped pursuing the candidacy, argued that both Hillary and Donald have hawkish policy plans, and that their view of the world is “very negative”. Another student argued that both Trump and Clinton fail to be relatable where Bernie Sanders succeeded. The audience voiced their opinions on how multiple issues were handled or not handled during the debate. One student pointed out how the Israel/Palestine issue had not been discussed. Clinton’s email scandal was more briefly discussed than many imagined it would be. However, Professor Laird argued that the scandal had already been exhausted by the media.
Hindman pointed out that Trump was unable to continuously attack Clinton for her email mistakes. The Democratic nominee said she did not have an excuse for her mistakes and did not try to deflect the question. Mark Brewin said it was the “best answer she’d ever given” about the scandal. A NBC poll shows that 52 percent of likely voters think that Clinton won the debate, while 21 percent chose Trump. 26 percent said neither won the debate. Neither third party candidate Gary Johnson or Jill Stein were invited or involved in the first debate. The next presidential debate is scheduled for October 9th.
Nathan Gibbons Distribution Manager
Stolen Van Gogh paintings recovered in Italy
Last Monday, September 26th, Italian authorities found two Vincent Van Gogh paintings stolen in a 2002 heist in the Netherlands. Both “Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen” and “Seascape at Scheveningen” will be returned to the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. The find was part of a larger investigation by police into the Amato Pagano clan, which has close ties to the nearby notorious mafia family, the Camorra. The paintings, valued together at $30 million in 2005, were found in a basement owned by Raffaele Imperiale, a wealthy and powerful drug dealer. According to authorities, he is believed to be on the run in the United Arab Emirates. The museum, which houses over 800 works and the largest Van Gogh collection in the world, is excited to have the paintings back. “The paintings have been found! That I would be able to ever pronounce these words is something I had no longer dared to hope for,” said museum director Axel Ruger.
New Jersey officials find recorder from train crash
On Thursday, September 29th, officials retrieved an event recorder from the New Jersey commuter train that sped past its stopping point and rammed into a concourse. The recorder could give investigators a better idea of what caused the crash, as it should provide information such as the train’s speed, throttle position and use of brakes. A second event recorder could not be reached as of Friday, September 30th, due to the extent of the wreckage. The packed Hoboken, New Jersey train crashed through a bumper block, went airborne, and landed on a platform last Thursday, September 29th. 114 people were injured and one woman was killed by debris in the early morning crash. New Jersey Transit has since closed transportation to and from the Hoboken station, forcing passengers to change their morning commute.
Space probe landed on comet
After a 12-year mission of numerous discoveries, the Rosetta space probe crashlanded on the surface of a distant comet to end its journey. The project involved chasing a comet in its orbit around the sun and setting a sister spacecraft on it for more research. The European Space Agency landed the Rosetta orbiter on the comet after deciding that it would be the best option. ““I was watching the images come down during the morning and each one was better than the last,” said lander system engineer Laurence O’Rourke, adding that the final pictures “really showed the surface at amazing resolution.” Rosetta and its sister craft, Philae, discovered organic compounds on the comet, some of them which form important building blocks of life. “The presence of complex molecules, some of which were previously unknown to exist on comets, still allows comets to be a possible source of introducing complex molecules and enable the formation of life on Earth,” said astronomer Dan Brown.
Largest Aleppo hospital attacked by air strikes
The largest hospital in the area surrounding Aleppo has been struck twice in a matter of days, according to the Syrian American Medical Society. The air raid against the rebel-held area reportedly used barrel bombs, or improvised explosives usually involving barrels filled with high explosives, shrapnel, and possibly chemicals. Hospital manager Dr. Abu Rajan told local media that about ten people had been wounded in the bombings. “Intensive care unit is out of order and the oxygen concentrator has been severely damaged,” he said. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that “perpetrators will have to be held to account” as the shelling of healthcare structures and personnel constitutes war crimes. The United Nations stated that, in this past week, at least four hundred civilians, many of them children, have been killed in Aleppo due to Syrian and Russian air strikes.
Philippine president compares himself to Hitler
Representatives of Rodrigo Duterte continue to attempt to clarify the Philippine President’s self-made comparisons to Adolf Hitler. In the speech on Friday, September 30th, Duterte stated “Hitler massacred 3 million Jews. Now there is 3 million, what is it, 3 million drug addicts [in the Philippines], there are...I’d be happy to slaughter them. At least if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have [me]. You know my victims, I would like [them] to be all criminals, to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition.” World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder said “what President Duterte said is not only profoundly inhumane, but it demonstrates an appalling disrespect for human life.” Since Duterte took office in June, hundreds of drug users have been killed by his police force and by vigilante groups within the country.
Friday, October 7 at 12:00pm to 1:00pm Gilcrease Museum From My Point of View: Chocolate: the Exhibition Gary Feinman, Ph.D., curator from The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, will discuss the rich history in the Chocolate exhibition. Feinman is the coeditor of the Journal of Archaeological Research. 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.) If you can’t attend the noon lecture on Friday, join us Saturday at 2:00 p.m. for the opening exhibition lecture by Dr. Gary Feinman. Free with admission. Friday, October 7 at 6:00 to 9:00pm Zarrow Center for Art & Education On View @ Zarrow: “Jenny Robinson: Struc.ture (/’strək(t)SHər/)” In large scales prints, the artist explores themes of atmosphere and corrosion. In her more recent works, she deconstructs and manipulates structures, transforming them into architectural anomalies, unidentifiable, adrift and undefined yet strangely familiar, grounded in the here and now by the armature of lines and architectural curves that form them. Opening Reception is on Friday, October 7. Saturday, October 8 at 9:00am to 12:00pm Mabee Gym, Campus Security RAD Self-Defense Class for Woman The RAD Self-Defense for women is an easy to learn way for women to defend against unwanted attention or and attack. The class consists of two 3-hour sessions. Wear comfortable clothes, class includes physical activity. Call or email the security department for details. Download the latest R.A.D. Brochure or visit RAD-systems.com for more information about the program. Saturday, October 8 at 10:00am to 1:30pm Circle Cinema Live Performance of Musical Score to Silent Film Ramona Join us for a live performance of musical score to screening of classic silent film “Ramona.” J. Donald Feagin Visiting Artists David Spear and Joseph Julian Gonzalez, film/concert composers from Los Angeles, will give a live performance of their musical score for the classic silent film, Ramona (1928), based on Helen Hunt Jackson’s beloved tale of Old California, starring famed Latina actress Dolores Del Rio, and directed by Chickasaw filmmaker Edwin Carewe. Helen Hunt Jackson’s book upon which the film is based was written as a beacon against prejudice and injustice toward Native Americans. The film also highlights the rich Latino culture of Old California. The title song, “Ramona” written by Mabel Wayne and L. Wolfe Gilbert, was an international hit, but the film, unlike the tune, was lost for 80 years. A lone print was discovered in the Czech Republic in 2010 and restored by the Library of Congress. In 2015 David Spear and Joseph Julian Gonzalez composed a new score of original themes, arranged the title song, and adapted sacred and Spanish classical music. The musical ensemble performing during the screening of the film will include TU student musicians and singer Monique Valadez. The screening and performance will take place at Circle Cinema on Saturday, October 8, 2016 at 10 a.m. for the general public and 12 p.m. for the TU community. The noon screening is free for TU students, staff, and faculty with TU ID. The general public is invited to the 10 a.m for a small admission. Saturday, October 8 at 12:00pm to 5:00pm Zarrow Center for Art & Education Painting Fundamentals with Gil Adams @ Zarrow Color theory, brush strokes and styles will all be covered in this fun two-day class with local artist Gil Adams. Learn tips on how to improve your paintings, various painting techniques and how to use light as a basic tool. Students can work in their own style of art with oil, acrylic or watercolor paints. A suggested supply list will be furnished. Adults and teens, intermediate artists and up. Registration is required. The Collegian does not produce all event descriptions in the Community Calendar. Contact us at news@tucollegian.org with events.
The Collegian: 6
News
3 October 2016
Arts Alliance Tulsa celebrates one year of fostering the arts
On October 6, Arts Alliance Tulsa celebrates the end of its first year in Tulsa and hopes to get more university and student involvement in the future. Hannah Kloppenburg Editor-in-Chief
Arts Alliance Tulsa is a United Arts Fund which includes 39 member organizations in Tulsa, ranging from the Philbrook Museum and Tulsa Opera to smaller venues such as the Spotlight Theater and Theatre Pops. One of AAT’s main tasks is providing grants to each of its 39 member organizations. However, AAT Executive Director Todd Cunningham explained that there’s a lot more to the organization than fundraising. “We help with economic development, quality of life, health and education,” he said. “Those are the four pillars of what we really try to support and advocate for.”
For AAT, economic development begins with fostering an “arts industry” in Tulsa. “[A] really big responsibility that’s come across to us recently is that cultural tourism is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and people that participate in cultural tourism — for example, they come here for the weekend, and maybe go to the ballet, and go to the symphony, and go off to the Philbrook and the Gilcrease or some other galleries — they spend more...than people who come into town for, say, a sporting event,” Cunningham elaborated. “So we’re really trying to grow that because it could be such a boon to our economy. We’re constantly looking for new industry beyond the oil industry and energy industry...Tulsa is prime for using this as a selling tool.” Promoting this arts industry also involves encouraging collaboration between AAT’s 39 member organizations, lobbying and advocacy work. “We made the presentation and also lobbied for the inclusion of the sales tax in
courtesy Wikimedia Commons
A statue in the entrance of the Philbrook Museum, which along with the Gilcrease Museum and Theatre Pops is a member organization of Arts Alliance Tulsa.
TU Campus security releases 2015 Crime and Safety Report The report showed low overall on-campus crime rates, but an increase in larceny and drug and alcohol violations from 2013 to 2015. Hannah Kloppenburg Editor-in-Chief The TU Department of Campus Security prepares an annual Crime and Fire Safety report in order to comply with the Clery Act. The recently released report can be found on the Campus Security section of TU’s website. The report provides a description of TU as well as a description of the Department of Campus Security and their resources. Campus Security does vehicle, foot and bike patrols, and their call center is available 24 hours per day. The report also includes a description of safety resources on campus such as the blue phones, bus services, safety escort service, self-defense classes and emergency phone service. Most of the first part of the report focuses on Campus Security procedures for reporting and dealing with crime. This includes a lengthy and detailed description of resources and procedures for reporting sexual assault. Instructions are given for where and when to report crime. The report also details TU’s Timely Warning Policy for notifying students of emergency situations, as well as a number of tips to prevent identify theft, on-campus safety, safety in social situations, and home safety. TU’s alcohol and drug policy, as well as the ID policy, missing student policy and weapons policy are listed in the report. The second half of the Crime and Fire Safety report is dedicated to University crime statistics. The report covers statistics from the most recent complete year (2015) as well as the two preceding years (20132014). Recorded crimes, including attempts, are listed by year, then categorized by whether or not they were committed by a
resident and whether or not they were committed on campus. Overall, TU claims relatively low crime rates. The crime boasting the highest rates is larceny. The report lists 57 counts of larceny in 2013, 57 in 2015, and then nearly doubles to 95 counts in 2015. These were all committed by non-residents. Larceny committed by residents is not listed in the report. The second most frequently occurring crime is referrals and arrests for drug and alcohol violations. There were 46 referrals for liquor violations in 2013, 52 in 2014 and 86 in 2015. Similarly, there were 11 referrals for drug violations in 2013, 27 in 2014 and 43 in 2015. Notably, the drug violation category lists more arrests — six in 2013, two in 2014 and two in 2015, with many occurring off campus. Motor vehicle theft also seems to have risen, with two counts in 2013, three counts in 2014, and 11 counts in 2015. Again, all were committed by non-residents. Burglary rates have gone down. The report lists nine incidences of burglary in 2013 and nine in 2014, all committed by residents. There are only two listed for 2015, also committed by residents. Rates of sexual assault appear to have remained consistent. The report differentiates between “Forcible sex offenses” and “Nonforce sex offenses.” The number of nonforce sex offenses is listed as 0 in all categories for each year. In 2013, there were three on-campus forcible sex offenses and one off-campus offense, all committed by residents. In 2014, there were nine on-campus offenses — six committed by residents and three committed by others. In 2015, there were five counts of forcible sex offenses oncampus, all committed by residents. Notably, the report lists one murder/homicide committed or attempted by a resident on main campus in 2014. It also lists one count of on-campus arson in 2014, as well as one religiously-based hate crime committed by a non-resident in 2014, and one count of aggravated assault committed by a resident in 2013.
the Vision package, which is historic because Tulsa’s never done anything like that. There’s very few cities — most cities do a hotel/motel tax and they use that to fund the arts. In our research we’ve found that the top 10 cities for people under the age of 35 to want to live in all had some sort of tax that went to the arts.” The Vision sales tax, which goes into effect January 1, 2017, will provide an additional $2 million for the arts over a period of 15 years. Cunningham is thrilled that Tulsa has taken this step to fund the arts. He explained that not only will the additional funding be helpful, but the legislation also
that it does help to fill in the gaps when state funding falls short. “When budgets are cut in the city, in the state, they’re not just cut for education, they’re also cut for the Oklahoma Arts Council. They’ve seen their budget cut every year for the last several years, and it’s usually a pretty hefty cut, like 16, 17 percent.” That means, Cunningham explained, that state funding from the Oklahoma Arts Council has dwindled over the years. “We will actually in our first year provide more money to the arts in Tulsa than the Oklahoma Arts Council,” he said. “That’s a big deal. Is it enough? No. But are we help-
“The value placed on the arts, as well as the availability of arts in Tulsa, improves the quality of life for Tulsans”
sets a great precedent for valuing the arts in Tulsa. “We’re one of just a handful of cities in the country that actually have a sales tax that goes to the arts. That really sets us apart from everybody else,” he clarified. This value placed on the arts, as well as the availability of arts in Tulsa, improves the quality of life for Tulsans. “We’re the only small size city that has an opera, a ballet, and a symphony. Most cities our size don’t have those things. We’re very fortunate here,” Cunningham said. AAT and its member organizations also do a great deal to promote arts education — particularly in a state where arts funding is often in danger of facing budget cuts. “Of course, everybody knows the first thing that’s cut when school funding is cut is the arts. Always,” Cunningham chuckled. However, most of AAT’s member organizations have reached out to local schools in order to help grow their arts programs. “This didn’t start with the Arts Alliance — these organizations have been doing this for decades now,” Cunningham said. “But we’re able to help coordinate and get the word out about how important it is...Pretty much every one of [the member organizations] has some sort of school program. In fact, we’ve found that combined our organizations serve 167,000 kids a year. That’s really great, really exciting,” he enthused. These member organizations can only provide for schools that are short on funding when they have sufficient funding themselves. While the fundraising AAT provides isn’t its only service, Cunningham maintains
ing to fill that gap? Yeah. We’re here to help empower them to continue to grow when they’re faced with budget cuts.” Other services AAT provides to the community include a comprehensive events calendar, which can be found at artstulsa. org, and a collaboration with Grace Hospice called For Love and Art, which strives to bring art to hospice patients and other bedridden or immobile individuals. Cunningham noted that he would love to see TU students getting involved with AAT. In the spring, AAT will host a lip-sync competition called Lip Bomb in order to fundraise, which Cunningham hopes student organizations at TU will get involved in. “We would love for TU and TU students to get involved in our campaign when it starts in the spring, to join in Lip Bomb, come volunteer — we work every First Friday in the Brady Arts District. If anybody needs a community project, this is a way they can be involved with 39 arts organizations and get some really cool experiences.” As it begins its second year in Tulsa, AAT hopes to continue fostering collaboration between its member organizations. “We’re so much more powerful and we offer so much more to the community as a combined whole,” Cunningham said. “Together we serve 1 million people annually. Individually, some of our organizations are so small that they might serve, you know, a few hundred.” “As a group, the smallest of us and the largest of us is stronger by all of us working together.”
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Sports
3 October 2016
The Collegian: 7
Major League Baseball playoff preview Sunday was the final day of the regular season, with real and meaningful October playoff baseball starting this week with the Wild Card matchups. The Collegian writers rank the playoff contenders in each league in order from most to least likely to win the World Series this season.
American League: Red Sox the team to beat National League: Cubs poised to break curse Justin Guglielmetti Student Writer
Boston Red Sox - The prohibitive favorites in the AL to advance to the World Series, the Sox are peaking at the right time, having won 11 games in a row en route to a division crown before losing a meaningless series to the Yankees. Led by MVP candidate Mookie Betts, resurgent veteran Dustin Pedroia, and the ageless wonder David Ortiz, the Sox boast one of the best offenses MLB has seen in years, a well-balanced group that should keep dominating no matter what postseason aces or pressures they encounter. Questions remain in the starting rotation behind Cy Young contender Rick Porcello (worth his $20 million a year after all!) and David Price, but this team has the experience and talent to claim Boston’s fourth World Series of the 21st century. Texas Rangers - With a run differential of a mere +13 (compare to the Red Sox +186) and an unbelievable record of 31-11 in one run games, there is a lot to suggest that the Rangers haven’t been entirely deserving of their American League-best record. Nevertheless, Texas finds itself playing for the pennant with home field advantage due to a fair amount of good luck and a phenomenal bullpen. The unheralded crew of Sam Dyson, Jeremy Jeffress, Matt Bush, Tony Barnette and Jake Diekman has shouldered a huge load for the Rangers’ injury-wracked rotation and been absolutely dominant in the process. If Texas finds itself with a lead from the sixth inning on, it will be in as good a position as any team in the league. Also key to their success will be the play of Carlos Gomez, the tempestuous talent who has played like a superstar again since being acquired off waivers back in August. Baltimore Orioles - Throwing out a rotation held together by fairy dust and scotch tape and relying on an offense entirely dependent on home runs, most pundits predicted a collapse for the Orioles that would take them out of the playoffs after leading the American League East for the majority of the season. The Red Sox ended up taking the division but with one game left in the regular season at publication, the Orioles have clinched a wild card spot. How
did they do it? For starters, it’s an unfair characterization to paint the O’s as just another power-hitting team. Led by AL home run champ Mark Trumbo, Baltimore challenged the all-time record for home runs in a season, ultimately falling just 14 short with 250. And as with the Rangers, the bullpen has been a revelation, with closer Zach Britton in particular setting the world on fire. Britton has enjoyed perhaps the best season a relief pitcher has ever had, registering a microscopic 0.55 ERA to go along with 71 Ks in just over 65 innings and an AL-leading 47 saves. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to do much good if the team can’t get him the ball, and with a bare bones rotation behind mediocre staff ace Chris Tillman, the O’s don’t stand much of a chance to advance to the World Series. Cleveland Indians - Just a few weeks ago, the Indians were poised to enter the postseason as favorites to win the pennant, but a rash of injuries to their superb trio of starting pitchers — Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar — has left them scrambling just to stay afloat. A balanced lineup, one of the best defenses in baseball led by SS Francisco Lindor, and an excellent bullpen (noticing a theme with these elite teams?) highlighted by trade deadline acquisition Andrew Miller should keep the Tribe in the mix, but unless they can find some magic in the replacements to the rotation, Cleveland won’t be getting a second championship in 2016. Toronto Blue Jays - Playing in any other division besides the ultra-competitive AL East, the Blue Jays would have probably already clinched a playoff spot rather than be fighting for their lives on the last day of the season. As it is, they’ll hope that their crew of veteran mashers and strong rotation can lead them deeper into October. Though their offense has struggled occasionally compared to 2015’s juggernaut, the Jays were able to weather the offseason loss of David Price to field perhaps the best top to bottom starting rotation in the American League. Rogers Stadium is a veritable 10th man on the diamond as well; fans without a rooting interest should consider cheering on Toronto just to experience what baseball is like played in front of a college football crowd.
Joseph Edmunds Sports Writer Chicago Cubs - The Chicago Cubs have had one of the best seasons in club history. They are the only team to reach 100 wins on the season. They haven’t won 100 games since the 1935 season. It’s been an unusual sight to see the Cubs performing so well this season. After being the clichéd club for not winning a World Series title in over 100 years, they look poised to change that this year. As hard as this is to believe, it’s hard to see anyone beating them in the National League. Their pitching has been dominant all season long, as they have the best ERA in the National League. Look for them to comfortably reach the NLCS this year, and don’t be surprised if they break the most cliched championship streak in professional sports. Washington Nationals - The team that owns the second best ERA in the National League looks to be the Cubs biggest obstacle to the World Series. They have a matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round. An important note for this series is that the Nationals clinched home field advantage. The Dodgers have 53 home wins, second in the NL only to the Cubs. However, they won less than half of their road games this year, compared to the Nationals who won a majority of both home and road games this season. Look for the explosive middle of the lineup featuring Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, and Stephen Drew to give the pitching staff enough cushion to propel them into an NLCS matchup with the Cubs. Los Angeles Dodgers - The final of the division winners for the National League, the Dodgers once again are in the playoffs. The pitching staff is going to have to carry this club if they wish to make a long playoff run, as they were middle-of-the-road in terms of offense this season. They also are entering the playoffs on a bit of a cold streak, dropping their final two series to a pair of division rivals, the Padres and the Giants. Staff ace Clayton Kershaw is going to have to break his history of struggling in the playoffs and shut down the Nationals lineup for the Dodgers to make it out of the first round.
New York Mets - The Mets ended up on top of a 3-way race for the two National League wild card spots, and await their matchup with either the San Francisco Giants or the St. Louis Cardinals. The Mets are another team that relied heavily on their pitching throughout the season, as they were in the bottom half of the NL in terms of runs scored. They have Noah Syndergaard slotted to start in the wild card game. He has had a quality season, with a 14-9 record and a 2.60 ERA. However, it’s hard to see the Mets moving past the divisional round if they win the wild card game, as runs will be especially hard to come by as they face the Cubs pitching staff. San Francisco Giants - If you follow the trend of the 2010s, the Giants are poised to win the World Series. They have won each of the even years since 2010, so why should this year be any different? With the final wild card spot in the NL on the line, they have stepped up and played well against the Dodgers to try and stay ahead of the Cardinals. Additionally, their pitching staff has kept pace with the other pennant contenders in the National League. However, they are another team that has had a solid pitching staff with an unreliable offense, which seems to either explode or disappear unpredictably. The Giants are another wild card team that I can’t see getting past the Cubs pitching if they win the wild card came. Saint Louis Cardinals - The Cardinals season has been a different story from the other two wild card contenders. Their offense, relying a lot on the long ball, has been more consistent than in years past. Different from recent years, though, they have struggled in the pitching department. Their usually reliable starters have faced injuries and inconsistency throughout the season. They entered the last game of the season needing a victory and a Giants loss to make the playoffs. Down the stretch, they have had some relievers pitch a lot of innings early on while the starters struggled with inconsistency, and I expect the pitching problems to prevent them from making it far in the postseason this year. Note: At press time, the San Francisco Giants and Saint Louis Cardinals were still contending for the final National League Wild Card spot.
Men and women’s soccer earn the wins, both fall to Connecticut bleacher creature Justin Guglielmetti is…
The men’s soccer team suffered a tough loss to UConn while the women’s team split their conference roadtrip. Joseph Edmunds Sports Writer
The Golden Hurricane men’s soccer team played a pair of home games this week, first against Missouri State and then against conference rival UConn. The game against Missouri state was a defensive struggle, as each team vied to gain control for the majority of the game. As a result, the first half ended scoreless. It wasn’t until the second half the only goal of the game was scored. Kay Duit drew a penalty, which was taken by defender Zack Stavrou. He netted the shot, scoring his first career goal and giving Tulsa the 1-0 victory. Their conference matchup against UConn also involved a lot of defense. The first half saw a lot of possession from the Huskies,
as Tulsa struggled to find a rhythm. Half an hour into the game, Tulsa goalkeeper Jake McGuire made a nice diving save, but the rebound fell nicely for another Husky shot, and they got the only goal of the game. Late in the second half, Tulsa drew a penalty, but when Rollie Rocha converted the kick, it was re-taken because a Tulsa player entered the goalbox too soon. On the second kick, the UConn goalkeeper guessed correctly, and managed to save the shot. Despite a lot of pressure in the second half, the Golden Hurricane couldn’t push through to score an equalizing goal. Tulsa now is 5-3-2 (1-1 American Athletic Conference) on the season. The next face USF on Thursday at 6 p.m. In women’s soccer this week, the Golden Hurricane faced off against No. 21 UConn in their first American Athletic Conference matchup of the season. The game didn’t start out in Tulsa’s favor. Ten minutes in, the Huskies opened the scoring with a goal. The Golden Hurricane
Cane Calendar: Mon. - Wed.
Thursday
Oct. 3 – 9
Friday
Women’s Men’s Soccer Golf @ UCF @ The Course at Yale 6:00 p.m.
No Events
Women’s Soccer vs. Cincy 6:00 p.m.
responded quickly, though. Within two minutes, they answered with a goal of their own. The tie didn’t last long, as UConn retook the lead ten minutes later, netting a second goal. The second half played out similarly to the first half. UConn scored the first goal of the half, with Tulsa answering within two minutes. Again, UConn had an answer after the Tulsa goal, and this one put them ahead 4-2. Tulsa couldn’t come back from that deficit, and the final score remained at that. In their second conference matchup, they faced the Temple Owls on the road. Tulsa again fell behind in this game, but not as soon. It took 40 minutes for the first goal to come in this game, and it gave Temple a 1-0 lead heading into halftime. Shortly after halftime, Tulsa tied the game with their first goal. Then, they proceeded to take the lead halfway through the remainder of the game, and earned the 2-1 victory. Tulsa is now 5–6–1 (1–1 American Athletic Conference) on the season. Up next is a matchup with Cincinnati at home, on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Volleyball vs. Temple 12:00 p.m. Football vs. SMU 7:00 p.m.
Saturday
Sunday
Volleyball vs. UConn 12:00 p.m. Women’s Golf @ The Course at Yale
Women’s Soccer vs. East Carolina 1:00 p.m. Women’s Golf @ The Course at Yale
Trust the Process? Close the blinds, open the tub of ice cream and crank up some R.E.M., 76ers fans. I know you must be hurting right now and I just want you to know that it is okay to cry. You’ve put up with such an unbelievable load of crap these past three seasons that the United Nations has officially declared the Wells Fargo Center a hazardous waste zone. You’ve had to just sit there and take it as Sam Hinkie has run your once-proud franchise into the ground, all but purposefully throwing games by gutting your roster and throwing out a mismatched collection of DLeague players every night. You’ve listened as Hinkie says to “trust the process,” to allow for this temporary stay in the cellar while he collects draft picks and assets that will turn the team into a contender. You’ve watched Joel Embiid prepare for a career in the WWE by becoming steadily more ripped from the bench, Jahlil Okafor allow approximately 10,000 uncontested layups a game and Nerlens Noel fumble the ball every time he gets it further than 15 feet out, as it has become painfully obvious that the best players on your team will never lead you anywhere worth going. And now somehow you have to deal with your recent Number 1 pick, the possible savior of your franchise, Ben Simmons, sitting out at least the first three months after he has surgery on his right foot. Someplace, somewhere, Allen Iverson and Julius Erving are shedding a single tear. Tebow Time Quick update on the Tim Tebow baseball situation: HE HIT A HOMERUN ON THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL PITCH HE SAW! HE SMASHED THAT THING SO HARD NINTENDO IS SUING HIM FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT! CHOO CHOO M*********ER, THIS HYPE TRAIN IS ABOUT TO LEAVE THE STATION…. Whew, I’m sorry, I’m not sure what just came over me.
3 October 2016
The Collegian: 8
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3 October 2016
Commentary
The Collegian: 9
SNAP Challenge proves $4.40/day isn’t enough
The SNAP Challenge gave a small glimpse into the difficult issue of food insecurity and how hard it can be to have a healthy diet with so little money. James Whisenhunt Commentary Editor Last week, TU’s Women’s and Gender Studies department hosted the SNAP Challenge. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, colloquially known by its former name Food Stamps, gives lowincome, unemployed and homeless Americans a meager amount of money to buy food with. The keyword in that last sentence is meager, as the average amount that SNAP recipients got in June 2016 was $124.97, or $4.16/day. TU’s SNAP Challenge allowed participants to spend $4.40/day, or $30.80 for the full week, on groceries to live on. Other stipulations for the challenge included not accepting food from others and not using previously owned groceries. Once I decided to participate in the challenge, I went to Reasor’s and immediately realized I would have issues affording my usual groceries. I was able to afford the staples of my weekly diet (cereal and milk, granola bars and pasta), and a surprising number of items were on sale, other items like meat, spices and cheese were easily out of my fiscal reach. The first few days, my diet was surprisingly unaffected. Cereal or a bagel and eggs before I leave in the morning, two granola bars for lunchtime and late afternoon, and pasta for dinner when I get back home. Considering I’m a fairly small person who doesn’t require many calories, I was able to get along fairly well at the start.
By the fifth day of the challenge, all I had left to eat was breakfast food, rice and carrots. My other vegetables and fruits had started to go bad by this point, as I bought all the food on the first day and tried to ration it throughout the week. Part of the problem I encountered may have been that I didn’t have a great idea of everything I would need. Another part, though, is that it was difficult to come up with something resembling a well-rounded diet with the budget. Of course, my one week experience can’t even begin to compare to actually living in poverty. I was frequently turning down (and, near the end, once accepting) food provided from events and work, which doesn’t happen nearly as frequently outside of college campuses. I drank an almost absurd amount of water during the challenge in an attempt to keep myself from feeling hungry, and clean water isn’t always available in lowincome neighborhoods. Speaking of water, I wasn’t worrying about paying other bills, like water, electricity and rent in addition to having enough food. I was also only feeding myself, which is important because the amount of benefits per person drops with every person added to a household. For the 2015 fiscal year, the average benefit per person per day was $4.73 for a household of 1, $4.21 for households of 2 and 3, $3.87 for a household of 4, and the trend continues.
courtesy Wikimedia Commons
The SNAP program provides aid to over 40 million Americans, though it may still be difficult for those people to buy healthy food without skipping meals.
benefits, so they may be able to use a small part of that income for food, but they will also receive less benefits as their income increases. Thankfully, scaling down benefits with income isn’t very severe in SNAP, relieving the severity of the “welfare trap” some find themselves in when taking a raise or promotion but losing benefits doesn’t result in a net benefit. For the 70% of SNAP households without someone working, SNAP benefits may
“By the fifth day of the challenge, all I had left to eat was breakfast food, rice and carrots.” One could argue that, with the larger overall amount of money, the family has more power to buy in bulk, but (at least in Oklahoma) all monthly benefits are given out at the same time, so any SNAP recipient could effectively buy in bulk; people in larger households just have less money per person to work with. For the 43.4 million Americans (614,624 Oklahomans) currently receiving SNAP benefits, this is of course better than nothing, but is most likely not enough for them. Just over 30% of all SNAP households have someone working in addition to receiving
photo by James Whisenhunt
These were the groceries I bought for the week. It seemed like a good amount, but went surprisingly fast.
be the only money they can consistently rely on for to pay for groceries, and it’s often hardly enough. Current spending on SNAP is approximately .4% of the US federal budget, and is predicted to lower as the economy continues to recover from the 2008 recession. Enrollment in SNAP reached a high in 2013, but has been slowly dropping the last three years. This can be good and bad. As the economy is expected to recover, more people will be able to work and not need the assistance anymore (good!). However, as enrollment goes down, so will spending, and budgeters need to be careful not to cut back too far and allocate less money per person enrolled in the program (bad). For those that still need the help, carefully scaling back without making deep cuts, ideally to the point that there is more money for each of the lower overall number of participants, could be crucial in allowing low-income Americans and their children to have a healthy diet. Another aspect to consider is the availability and affordability of fresh food. This is something Hillary Clinton hinted at on the campaign trail, saying that she will allocate money to farmer’s market and local food promotion programs, though neither candidate seems to have detailed how much they would allocate to the program.
Donald Trump has mentioned that he feels the program has issues with fraud, although data from the Agriculture Department shows that rates of overpayment and underpayment have been on a fairly steady decline for the last 25 years. The idea of the “welfare queen” has grasped the American psyche ever since Reagan coined the term, but the reality is that people using SNAP are in serious need of help affording food for themselves and their children. The income cutoff for SNAP benefits is a net annual income of 100% of the national poverty line. This is $11,880 for a household of 1, $16,020 for 2, and $20,160 for 3. With costs like rent, utilities and transportation relatively fixed, food is one of the few areas where one can make cuts to cover for other areas. USDA data from 2014 shows that, on what they call a “thrifty plan,” the average cost of food per month for a man age 19-50 is $187.50, and $166.90 for a woman of the same age. For children, cost starts at $95.30 when the child is one year old, and steadily rises to $157 when the child is 9-11. Using these numbers, about 1/5th of a person’s total net income would go to food, potentially leaving them unable to pay their other bills. The SNAP program allows these people more opportunity to buy healthy food, which can often be more expensive or difficult to reach in poor communities, and allow them to use their limited income for other expenses. In an election year, when the elected official could mean 4-8 years of any given economic ideology, the importance of telling your local and national representatives about the importance of bringing down levels of food insecurity in the US can’t be overstated. Vote, write letters, and try the SNAP Challenge for yourself. It certainly isn’t an accurate picture of living in poverty, but rather a close examination of one section in a complex piece of pointillism that allows you to step back and understand the whole picture just a little bit better.
Oculus Rift shouldn’t be affected by creator’s investments
Palmer Luckey’s donations to Trump PACs shouldn’t be negatively impacting the Oculus Rift. Nathan Hinkle Student Writer Oculus Rift creator Palmer Luckey has recently come under fire for giving money to support an unofficial Donald Trump meme creation group known as Nimble America. This group’s goal is to spread potentially offensive memes against Hillary Clinton on places like Reddit and other sites. Oculus Rift is a device that people look through that creates a world that one can mess around in the game world provided by the creator. In counteraction to this, people and corporations who are in the process of creating games for Oculus Rift, such as Scruta Games and Tomorrow Today Labs, have come out and stated that they will stop supporting Oculus Rift and instead focus on other VR competitors like HTC Vive and Playstation VR. These means that titles such as Computer Janitor VR, Transporter Room 3 created by Scruta and New-
ton VR by Tomorrow Today Labs won’t be coming to the system, which were going to be a good series of titles on Oculus Rift. While speaking with your wallet is a good idea to fight for issues that you believe in, the prospect of canceling your support for something over one high-ranking member supporting something you don’t believe in is a little bit over the top. The problem with this is that Oculus Rift is not just composed of one man, it is a large corporation with thousands of people working for it. Oculus Rift was bought out by Facebook in 2014 for $2 billion. The beliefs of one man who doesn’t even own Oculus Rift anymore should not determine its failure. There is a difference between a single person such as Palmer Luckey giving money to something one doesn’t believe in and an entire large company going against something. It would be a completely different story if Oculus Rift as the company supported something like this foundation. As an example, this scenario is different from the Chick-fil A incident in that the actual company helped provide funds to a foundation that helped promote the anti-LGBT movement. The whole company’s persona involves around these sets of beliefs and not just one man. If one does not want to support Palmer Luckey in the future because of this, that is in their rights. However, you should not attack the whole ship for one of its parts. I think the only major reason you should not buy an Oculus Rift if you had already planned to do so is because it is a bad product.
graphic by Elias Brinkman
Though Trump benefits from Palmer Luckey’s donations, it shouldn’t adversely impact the company.
The Collegian: 10
Commentary
3 October 2016
Debate moderators should remain impartial
Though politicians may not be completely factual in their debates, the job of factchecking should be left to the American people instead of moderators. Justin Guglielmetti Student Writer Well everybody, at long last we’re back in it, the most exciting season that sports have to offer. No, no, I’m not referring to the return of the NFL. This thing is more special, happening only once every four years. The Olympics? No, those ended in August! I’m talking about presidential debate season, which began last Monday with a pitched duel between Democrat and Republican candidates Hillary Clinton and
Donald Trump, respectively. Just like any great sporting event, the debate offered tons of juicy footage ripe to be broken down in the film room for future gameplans, and provided hours’ worth of commentary for talking heads to drone on about on cable news panel shows. And of course, what kind of spectacle would it have been without a little controversy? I’m not sure it’s possible for Clinton or Trump to breathe any more without somebody calling it a scandal, but the one that was at the forefront of this debate was ostensibly beyond either of the candidates individually. It focused on a simple question: should the moderator of a debate (or the network/organization showcasing or hosting it) be responsible for stepping in to factcheck the candidates? This issue is not new, not even to the forefront of discussion in a presidential election. In 2012, during a presidential debate between incumbent Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney, moderator Candy Crowley stepped into correct Romney when he asserted that President Obama had taken two weeks to call the September 11 attack in Benghazi, Libya an act of terror. Opinions on Crowley’s decision to become a part of the discussion varied widely; some praised
courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Candy Crowley’s correction of Mitt Romney in 2012 should not be repeated by other moderators.
TPD set a good example for handling police shootings
Tulsa Police Department’s response to the shooting of Terence Crutcher was a professional act that other departments should look to. Dalton Stewart Student Writer
This transparency from the Tulsa Police Department is what I would call a very high standard for other departments to look at. They handled the situation incredibly well, and this is the reason why instead of having riots, parts of Tulsa came together and united. There was no need for the entire speculation of not knowing exactly what happened, or saying “We don’t know what actually happened! How can we trust what the cop says?! They’re just trying to cover themselves.” No, instead, TPD came forward and admitted that something drastic had happened, and wanted the public to watch the videos, and understand the facts for themselves, instead of letting a swirl of rumors and speculation get out of control. As a result, we saw a community come together, peaceful protests and gatherings, and no rioting or the need to declare martial law. Now, could they have handled it better? I’m sure they could, though I don’t know how. There is almost always a better way to handle situations, and no one really prepares for something like this to happen. It’s a tragic and incredibly sensitive event, and there is never a perfect way. People will be upset regardless as they mourn over the loss of a loved one. Look at the recent Charlotte shooting. The Charlotte Police Department did not release the video in a timely manner, and left it up to speculation and rumor. That speculation led to the general public creating an uprising and rioting. Nevertheless, other departments could take a lesson or two from Tulsa on handling such sensitive and tragic events.
When Terence Crutcher was fatally shot, I remember hearing the news on Facebook and thinking “not again.” News like that just really saddens me, and everyone starts to make assumptions and you can’t tell what actually happened versus what people are saying happened. From the perspective of the Tulsa Police Department, this is a disaster waiting to happen. However, the transparency of the department was one of the highlighting things that they did well in the wake of the shooting. I believe strongly in the transparency of our police departments, for a couple of reasons. First, it holds the department to a standard the public decides on. Police departments are here to serve and protect us, and those they serve and protect are going to be the main people that judge them and see their actions for what they are. Second, and most importantly, it inspires a sense of accountability. If you know that your actions are going to be review and scrutinized, hopefully you will think through your actions a bit more. Now, a lot of people bring up the argument that you have no time to think in certain situations, and I understand that. However, this reason is why officers undergo the training they do, so that they can make these extremely important decisions on instinct rather than active thought. Accountability would make it much harder to abuse power. If you know that someone might possibly courtesy Wikipedia see your actions, hopefully you decide not Tulsa Police Department was impressively to take that course of action. transparent in handling Terence Crutcher’s death.
her rebuking of Romney’s supposedly factually incorrect revisionist history while others saw her as violating her journalistic integrity by acting biased and taking Obama’s side. As can be expected, these thoughts on the matter were split fairly evenly down party lines, with Democrats lining up in support of Crowley and Republicans against her. So far, the same dynamic has been true in the 2016 election cycle. On Sunday morning, the day before the debate, Clinton running mate Tim Kaine called on the media to fact check Trump, saying that it was “unfair” for his candidate
in favor of their own, or even worse, that the media will actually manufacture dishonesty when there is none. At this point, most liberal people who are reading this will probably scoff and insist that I’m part of the problem with political division in this country by giving a voice to those conspiracy nuts on the left. But liberal media bias is no bogeyman. Liberal news outlets (CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, etc.) make up a far greater market share of the country’s media industry than do their conservative counterparts, and that is before taking into account the largely liberal leanings of
“Some right-wing viewpoints are based on distorted data, but they don’t have a monopoly on this phenomenon.”
to have to make her own case while simultaneously acting as a “traffic cop” for her opponent’s lies. Conservative pundits on the right, meanwhile, insist that being able to rebut and debate opposing viewpoints is a vital quality in a presidential candidate. Without any context, an unbiased observer would likely side with the Democrats on this issue, as their stance seems based on transparency and an effort to tell the truth and educate the populace. It would appear that they have nothing to hide by insisting that everything said in a debate be fact checked; meanwhile, when the other side asks for the license to say what they want without fear of a third-party interjection, it would seem to open up an obvious channel for misinformation. However, the reality of the situation (like always) is that it’s not such a black and white issue. What Republicans fear in a fact checker is actually something different than having their policies exposed as outright lies, because believe it or not the party made up of more than just a bunch of charlatans peddling snake-oil ideas to the American public. Certainly some right-wing viewpoints are based on distorted data, but they don’t have a monopoly on this phenomenon; such is the case for the left and center as well. Almost nothing discussed in a geopolitical context is empirically factual in the same way that mathematical and scientific principles are. In most contexts, what each side labels as a “fact” is merely a single-minded way of looking at a particular piece of information. For instance, the left insists that a higher minimum wage will result in greater economic prosperity for the middle class because they can point to a situation, without context, where that was indeed the result. Does it matter that the right can point to another non-contextual situation where the opposite was true? No, each side simply insists that it is right. So what is it that explains the GOP’s seemingly irrational fear of fact-checking? The answer is one that is used so much by Republicans that it’s starting to become a boy-who-cried-wolf situation: liberal media bias. It’s not that they are afraid of having lies exposed on the whole, it’s that they believe their opponent’s lies will be omitted
the entertainment and sports industries. Politifact, the most popular fact-checking website on the internet, is owned by the Tampa Bay Times, which endorsed Hillary Clinton for president all the way back in February. In addition, their consistency and fairness in evaluating the statements of political figures has been called into question by numerous pundits, even some liberal ones like Rachel Maddow. Amongst their most notable gaffes: Clinton’s statement that Bernie Sanders called President Obama “weak” and “a disappointment” being rated as “Half True” just because he had once expressed criticism that didn’t even use those words; and Donald Trump’s statement that most Syrian migrants are men being rated “False” even though by the United Nation’s own estimates, this is true for those coming into Europe and the United States. We can use a more specific debate-related example as well, looking back to the 2012 presidential debate moderated by Crowley. Part of the reason why her interrupting of Romney became such a hot-button issue was that Obama had not unequivocally called the Benghazi attack a coordinated terrorist act as she (and he) insisted that he did, only saying non-specifically during his Rose Garden speech that “No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation.” You can insist all you want that the media gives everyone a fair shake, but there exists plenty of evidence to the contrary. Truthfully (if I can use such a word in this article), humans are not machines and will naturally be subject to all sorts of biases and prejudices. True objectivity, the kind that we demand out of our journalists, is really something that is utterly impossible to achieve, so maybe we should stop pretending that there are any people out there who exhibit it. That doesn’t mean that journalists should stop attempting to cover the news in as fair and balanced a way as possible, but that they shouldn’t presume to tell us what is true or not regarding political issues. Leave that judgment up to the American people. So moderators, feel free in the future to hop in if one of the candidates insists that the Earth is flat or that 2+2=5. But for just about everything else, I’m inclined to ask that you just do your job and ask the questions.
tucollegian@tucollegian.org editor-in-chief
Hannah Kloppenburg managing editor
Kayleigh Thesenvitz news editor
Michaela Flonard sports editor
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Trenton Gibbons commentary editor
James Whisenhunt satire editor
Sam Chott photo & graphics editor
Elias Brinkman
business & advertising manager
Paul Moses web manager
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distribution managers
Nathan Gibbons, Adam Lux 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 accommodation of disabilities may be addressed to the University’s 504 Coordinator, Dr. Tawny Taylor, 918-631-3814. To ensure availability of an interpreter, five to seven days notice is needed; 48 hours is recommended for all other accommodations. 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 12 pm on the Friday prior to publication. Letter Policy: Letters to the editor must be less than 500 words and can be sent to tucollegian@tucollegian, or dropped off at Oliphant Room 110. 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 pm 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 opinions of the entire Collegian staff, the administrative policies of the University of Tulsa, the views of the student body or our advertisers.
Commentary
3 October 2016
The Collegian: 11
Consider the future of the Supreme Court when voting
Although candidates’ views on the Supreme Court haven’t been examined, their potential nominees are important to consider. Michaela Flonard News Editor During an election, presidential candidates are bombarded with topics to consider, from how to deal with ISIS to their tax returns. One issue that’s been getting relatively little coverage this year is their choices of the next Supreme Court judge. But this issue should highly factor into who is elected president. Currently, one seat is open on the Court, left vacant by Antonin Scalia’s death. His death split the court into four conservative-leaning judges (Roberts, Alito, Thomas and Kennedy) and four liberal-
leaning judges (Ginsburg, Breyer, Kagan and Sotomayor). Republicans in the House and Senate, in an unprecedented move, have refused to call a vote on President Obama’s nominee, in hopes of a Republican victory that will steer decisions their way. This gamble means the election of a liberal candidate would swing the court liberally, while a conservative would re-establish the previous status quo. Obama’s current nominee, Merrick Garland, is considered politically moderate on the liberal side. Picking such a candidate was good PR; the Republicans’ refusal seemed even more absurd. The next President, however, will have no such restriction. The nominee must still be voted on, but neither Clinton, who has been leaning heavily left, nor Trump, whose racist, sexist tendencies have made him a favorite of the alt-right, would be assured to pick such a moderate nominee. The nomination could also affect the current members of the Supreme Court. A study released in the Journal of Legal Studies last year found Chief Justice Roberts, who generally votes conservative, may swing more “moderate when his vote cannot change the outcome”. This swing has been
courtesy Wikimedia Commons
The vote over Merrick Garland being postponed was a political move by Republicans.
graphic by Elias Brinkman
The death of Antonin Scalia means that the next US President will have a significant impact on the Supreme Court.
evident in two cases after Scalia’s death, where he joined the liberals in favoring affirmative action and abortion rights. If Clinton elects a liberal judge, this change in balance of power may require a shift in Roberts’ vote, according to the authors, to better fit with the majority, although they did not expect him to give up his core conservative principles. A Tump election would reinstate the status quo. The next president may have the chance to pick multiple justices, further tilting the court one way or another. Justice Breyer is 78, Justice Kennedy is 80, and Justice Ginsberg is 83. Since 1971, the average age of retirement among justices has been 79, so it is likely the next president could nominate more than just one justice. The recent terms’ dockets featured cases about health care, abortion and same sex marriage; so far, no cases currently on the docket rival the blockbusters of previous terms. This upcoming term faces cases about racial bias in the criminal justice system, immigration and detention, accountability for big banks in racially discriminatory mortgage lending practices, and voting rights and redistricting. Any justice appointed by the new president might deal with cases involving transgender rights or refusal of service to same-sex couples. According to Jeffrey L.
Fisher, a law professor at Stanford, cases involving race may also be part of a new trend, including racial and ethnic bias in the criminal justice system, redistricting, and fair housing. The Court does appear to be waiting for a new justice before hearing some cases. For instance, a significant religious case, Trinity Lutheran Church v. Pauley, No. 15-577, has yet to be scheduled, although the Court agreed to hear it January 15. Other cases accepted on that day were heard by the end of the last term in June. Another case, Gloucester County School Board v. G.G., No. 16-273, which features transgender rights, has been granted a stay, which sug-
in the case. The Supreme Court was the one to declare gay marriage legal in the US, a sweeping nationwide change that circumvented years of fighting at a state level. In the future, the court has the ability to do the same in other topics, like transgender rights. And the ideological makeup of the court will play a large role in what it decides. Whoever is voted in November 8 as President and in Congress will select that future by who they nominate and confirm. Considering how long justices are in office, and the sweeping decisions they can make, the fate of the Supreme Court should be a factor in every voter’s mind. Those engaging in “protest voting” – vot-
“Those engaging in ‘protest voting’... should consider the effect of their vote stretching far into the future.” gests the Court may be willing to debate transgender rights. Some have speculated the Court may be cautious in accepting controversial, partisan cases until it is back at its full number, so they do not result in a 4-4 decision. All of these future cases will create precedent that will affect Americans far past those involved
ing for a third party because they like neither of the establishment candidates – should consider the effect of their vote stretching far into the future. The candidates have issued statements on potential nominees. Voters should examine these nominees and factor this into their vote.
Universities, donors must discuss donation implications
Large donations to universities require clear communication of limitations and intentions. Trenton Gibbons Variety Editor
University donations, especially rather sizable ones, can sometimes be as much of a blessing to the administration as they are a curse. The benefits are obvious, the consequences are rare and measured. Consider the case of the University of New Hampshire, who recently used part of a deceased graduate’s donation of his 4 mil-
ture and film that caused others to perceive him as ‘quirky’ or, at the very least, unique. Before his death, Morin did specify that he would like $100,000 of his fortune to be used for the school’s library, and the administration was sure to use the exact amount — no more, no less, but especially no more — for that purpose. Still, many questioned the decision to use his funds for football when in fact his life’s passions had been rooted elsewhere. Claire Cortese, a UNH alum and avid blogger, expressed her dislike for the decision online, where she criticized the administration’s flimsy excuse that Morin had in his brief retirement begun to follow football closely on TV. It’s a rare scenario, but only because the donor is dead. Many private universities feel the presence of donors in their decision-making. If they don’t, some donors would argue, they should. Oklahoma State alum Boone Pickens might
“Many private universities feel the presence of donors in their decision making.” lion dollar estate to purchase a new jumbotron for the college’s football stadium. The graduate, Robert Morin, had been a librarian on the campus for over five decades, fostering a love for litera-
be one of the most impressive donors in the country, contributing $165 million to OSU football when the athletic director asked him to, in addition to a number of more general donations to the
administration. Pickens’ influence on the university, such as deciding how the athletics department spent its money and who it hired, began to irritate students and faculty alike, and many at OSU began to resent the big expectations set out by big donations. I have no quarrel with universities accepting large donations, and even less of one with the big donors themselves. Some alums strike it rich; some alums have a sincere love for their college that goes beyond “the best years of their life.” The inherent overlap means big donors will always exist, and the inherent costs of running a university (see: budget crisis) means college administrations will always be more than willing to take the money. I think, when it comes to these donations, communication is essential. If the intent of the donation is restrictive, the college must honor the wishes of the donor. While I don’t necessarily believe it was Robert Morin’s dying wishes that his funds go towards a brand new jumbotron for the football stadium, the University of New Hampshire violated no agreement, legal or otherwise, when it made that call. Morin specified a hundred thousand dollars to go to the library; the school contributed just that much money, interpretation of will be damned. It is equally integral that donors
courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Boone Pickens’ investments made him a significant player in OSU’s decisions.
understand the limitations of their donation. Universities can’t serve a single entity and stay faithful to their current student body, and big donors need to respect that. Most colleges already have guidelines in place concerning just what kind of a say big donors get in terms of
university policy, but administrations need to distance themselves from donors whose money is not meant to simply benefit the university, but to give them some sort of power over it.
the Collegian: 12
Variety
3 October 2016
TU alum Byron Lind finds a career in comic strips
Byron Lind shares his experiences with creating his comic strip, Cliff Notes, for The Collegian in the mid1980s. Nick Rethford Student Writer
When someone mentions the words comic strip, those silly but endearing Sunday funnies that we all read growing up come to mind. Whether it was the meaningful life lessons found in Calvin and Hobbes or the playful banter between Archie and his friends, it was those ten second joys that always seemed to brighten our Sunday mornings. Byron Lind was no exception. In fact, he liked them so much that he eventually decided to make his own, Cliff Notes. Byron was a very active student during his time at the The University of Tulsa in the early 80s. He played for the men’s soccer team, was the event artist for the student government, and held his very own spot here at The Collegian as its paste-up artist. “When I worked at the Collegian, we did not have computers yet to do layout and design so all of the ads and stories had to be type set,” he explains. “We then trimmed the art to fit on the layout page and applied a hot wax to the back (through a wax machine) so it could be burnished into place. The completed pages would then be sent off to the presses. Desk-top publishing nowadays makes everything so much easier!” It was also right here at TU that Byron created Cliff Notes, the story of freshman Cliff Notes and his four roommates. The
comic strip follows the five young men as they live out their college lives at James Buchanan University, known for its reputation of “enrolling even the most under-achieving, procrastinating high school graduates.” Often featuring a variety of colorful supporting characters, the comic strip highlights the struggles and challenges that almost any college student can relate to. When creating his strip, Byron took inspiration from the surrounding campus, including the drunken shenanigans of his classmates and those drivers who can’t seem to tell the road from the sidewalk. He even took inspiration from himself. In fact, one of his favorite strips (pictured below) depicts Cliff so caught up in his thoughts and the excitement of being in a college lecture that he ends up missing most of it, something that Byron often found himself doing. The result was a popular comic strip that spanned over the course of most of his college career and even a few years after he graduated in 1985. Today, Byron manages his own greeting card company, a product of his love for cartooning, but he hasn’t forgotten his time at The Collegian. In fact, he is currently updating his comic strips, including his favorite one, as well creating brand new ones. He hopes, with the help of some of the biggest syndicates in the country, that one day the nation will love his comic strip as much as he does. “I’m very glad that I had the opportunity to work for The Collegian,” he concludes. “It has opened so many new doors for me. Without it, I never would have created my comic strip. I learned so much, and made so many friends. It’s an experience I courtesy Bryon Lind Cliff Notes draws upon Lind’s college experiences from attending TU. Above: Two original Cliff Notes wouldn’t trade for anything.” strips. Below: Two strips that have been updated for current publication.
When it comes to cookies, Clinton trounces Trump
In a cookie recipe contest between the presidential candidates’ spouses, Melania Trump attempts to evoke patriotism while the Clintons resort to their tried-and-true formula. Sam Chott Satire Editor
In a cookie contest traditionally entered by presidential candidate’s spouses, Bill Clinton’s oatmeal chocolate chip cookies far exceed Melania Trump’s star cookies. The year was 1992. The Cold War had officially ended, the space Shuttle Endeavor made its first flight, and Hillary Clinton said, “I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession which I entered before my husband was in public life,” in response to allegations of favoritism by the Democratic Party towards her law firm. The allegations of favoritism would die down somewhat, but the “cookie” comment would continue to haunt Clinton. Rather than seeing it as an ambitious woman’s dedication to her career, significant parts of the nation interpreted it as a slight against stayat-home mothers. Family Circle, a homemaking magazine, began running a cookie contest where the wives of presidential candidates submitted cookie recipes, and readers could send in their votes. Clinton submitted an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie
recipe, which won, and she submitted it again for another win in ‘96. Fast forward 20 years, and the core conceits of the contest are being challenged. The contest used to be exclusively between wives, but the Clinton cookie was billed as being from the Clinton Family, and Hillary Clinton, who was forced into the contest by sexist backlash, now has a good chance to become the leader of the free world. This year, Melania Trump submitted an ultra-plain star cutout sugar cookie, while the Clintons submitted the same recipe that
gredient that came through most strongly was the eggs, thanks to two egg yolks, giving the cookies a bit of an omelette-y taste. The seemed to be mostly about texture. If you’re into reading way too much into recipes, like I am, then you could say that these cookies are a reflection of Trump’s willingness to change his platforms on a whim, based on the feeling he gets from a crowd or whatever gets him more retweets. You could also say that they represent the blandness behind the character of a rich businessman that he’s cultivated.
“These cookies are a reflection of Trump’s
willingness to change his platforms on a whim” Hillary won with twice. Despite Bill Clinton’s veganism, their recipe has eggs. Melania Trump’s cookies are a cipher. The only ingredients are flour, baking soda, butter, confectioner’s sugar, eggs, and sour cream. There’s no salt, there’s no vanilla extract, and there’s nothing that I would traditionally think of as a “flavor.” Even the sour cream is apparently only there to provide moisture and activate the baking soda. I fed them to several people, and got varied responses, but they were all around the theme of blandness. One person said that they tasted like animal crackers. Another said that they tasted like they should be dipped into something, likening them to Fun Dip dipsticks. I personally found that the in-
If you want to be more generous, you could say that they represent an willingness to provide a cookie that’s acceptable for everyone. An unwillingness to offend doesn’t seem to be very characteristic of Donald, but maybe it’s a message from Melania. Look, I know that these recipes were probably submitted by interns, but maybe Melania, by submitting a recipe that can’t possibly offend anyone, was sending Trump’s opposition a peace offering — or an apology. The Clintons’ recipe is a much more traditional recipe. Cookie enthusiasts will see parallels to the iconic Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe, with shortening instead of butter, slightly different sugar proportions, and the the addition of rolled oats.
The cookies were good, but not exceptional. They were crunchier than most chocolate chip cookie recipes, but a little dry as a consequence. In contrast to Trump’s cookies, they did have a rich depth of flavor, with brown sugar, oatmeal, vanilla extract, and chocolate all in evidence. This recipe could be read multiple ways. Its similarity to the Tollhouse recipe could be seen as a cheap imitation — taking a classic, well-loved recipe and filing the serial numbers off. Alternatively, the recipe could be seen as a tribute to an American classic. In an election where a major narrative of Clinton is her “inauthenticity,” maybe this is just a recipe that she loves, and she’s showing authenticity by insisting that her favorite cookie recipe be submitted, regardless of the response. Perhaps the Clintons are is submitting the same recipe three times in a row, in protest of the burst of sexism that began the contest. Look, it should be pretty clear by now that I’m pretty much With Her, but I like to think that, in terms of cookie tasting, I can overcome that bias. Given that the Clintons currently have triple the votes that Melania has, it seems like most of Family Circle’s readers also prefer the Clinton’s cookies. The contest ends on October 4th, so as of press time, there will be one day to participate in the least important part of the presidential election. You can vote on Family Circle’s Facebook page.
Melania Trump’s Recipe Clinton Family’s Recipe
photos by James Whisenhunt
Makes 4 dozen cookies Prep 15 minutes Bake at 350° for 10 minutes per batch Requires 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ tsp baking soda 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 2 egg yolks 1 egg white 2 tbsp sour cream
• Combine flour and baking soda. Set aside. • Beat butter and sugar until blended. Add egg yolks, egg white and sour cream. Beat
until smooth. • Beat in flour mixture until dough just comes together. Form into 2 disks, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. • Heat oven to 350°. Roll out one disk on liberally floured wax paper with a floured rolling pin to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 21/2-inch star cutter, cut out star shapes and place on a wax-paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with second disk. Gather up scraps, form into a disk and refrigerate. • Bake 10 minutes per batch, until lightly golden. Slide cookies onto a cooling rack and cool. • Re-roll scraps, cut out additional stars and bake.
Makes 4 ½ dozen cookies Prep 15 minutes Bake at 350° for 12 minutes Requitres 1 ½ cups unsifted all-purpose flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 1 cup solid vegetable shortening 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar ½ cup granulated sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 eggs 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats 1 pkg (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Heat oven to 350°. Grease 2 large baking sheets. • Combine flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. • Beat together shortening, sugars and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy. Add eggs, beating until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour mixture and rolled oats. Stir in chocolate chips. • Drop batter by well-rounded teaspoons onto greased baking sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Cool cookies on sheets on a wire rack for 2 minutes. Remove cookies to wire rack to cool completely.
3 October 2016
Variety
the Collegian: 13
Swedish rock band Ghost blesses Tulsa in ungodly concert Swedish Pseudo-Satanic band Ghost’s recent concert at Tulsa’s Brady Theater played well upon the band’s unique presentation and cult following. Nathan Gibbons Distribution Manager Occult rock band Ghost turned the Brady Theater into a thoroughly entertaining satanic concert last Tuesday, September 27th. The genre-bending band’s anonymity, theatrics, and unique sound really set this band apart from other performers. When we first showed up, it became obvious that Ghost attracts an audience from all around the board. Some attendees boasted Ghost merchandise from their past concerts, mostly their Oklahoma City performance. Some people, dressed in chains, leather, and even some robes, really ‘came out of the woodwork’ for this one, likely attracted by the occult. Dressed in a nameless ghoul costume that likely cost him no less than $200, one fan stopped for pictures and talked excitedly about meeting them before. I have always been wary of openers. The idea of sticking a band in front of the one most everyone paid good money to see falls apart the minute that band proves they can’t hold the audience. In this sense, Carpenter Brut “cheated.” Playing their heavy electronic music as loudly as possible while barely moving on stage, they distracted the audience with 70’s and 80’s styled exploitation music videos. Too much of the perfor-
mance was the audience watching a projector screen that showed almost nothing but nudity and violence. I can barely remember how some of their songs sounded, if that’s saying anything. Carpenter Brut’s finish was met by a fair amount of praise, but the audience didn’t really get excited until fog began pouring on stage and a ritual chant played through the loudspeakers. Eventually, the lights dimmed and dark silhouettes entered the stage. The crowd roared until the lights kicked back on, revealing Ghost in all their classic costumed glory, and the band began playing their new hit, “Square Hammer”. Pope Emeritus III, the vocalist, and his Nameless Ghouls boast a great stage presence. Pope Emeritus wears a black and satanic version of papal robes, equipped with crosses and all. The Nameless Ghouls likewise wear black robes and metal masks with devil horns and faces. The costumes have changed over time, but the group has remained anonymous from the beginning. The group has clarified often that the anonymity is not supposed to attract attention, but rather allow their audience to focus on their music. Ghost’s unique sound is something to be recognized and praised. Their instrumentalization and satanic vocals call back to their genres’ roots while still remaining catchy and original. They’ve taken influences from classic rock and underground metal, and name David Bowie and Kiss among their inspirations for theatrics. In concert, the group didn’t stray far from their studio recordings. If you’ve listened to their albums, you know
The concert’s surreal lighting helped the event resemble a black mass.
what you’re going to hear (just louder). Ghost pulled from each of their albums for the concert, and I was thrilled to hear hits from “Meliora” like “He is”, “From the Pinnacle to the Pit”, and “Cirice”, which won them a Grammy last year. Even songs from “Infestissumam,” my personal least favorite, sounded great in person. Saying the event was high energy would be an understatement. The band, even while hidden behind costumes, brought enthusiasm and a love for their music to the stage. The instrumentalists traveled the stage rocking out with one another while the keyboardist stood stoically as reverent as if he was witnessing something divine. A guest female bassist, characterized by a metal ponytail extending from her mask, got plenty
courtesy Wikimedia Commons
of her own solos. The enclosed venue lent itself well to the dark performance. A back curtain, combined with lights, looked like the stained glass windows of some unholy church. Pope Emeritus’ eerie voice filled the place with lyrics such as “our father, who art in hell” and “pray for all to die”. The audience chanted along to Hail Satan and some praised Emeritus reverently during songs. The band handles their satanic themes in a tongue-in-cheek manner without taking away from its qualities. They’re half a celebration of all things unholy and half a celebration of great music. I highly suggest trying to see any live Ghost performance you can and checking out their music if you haven’t already.
Smoke Break: a conversation with Jr. Jr.’s Josh Epstein
On September 29, Detroit-based indie pop duo Jr. Jr. (Josh Epstein and Daniel Zott) performed at Cain’s Ballroom, promoting their self-titled third album. Paul Moses sat down with Epstein to discuss life on the road performing, advice for young adults and the music scene in Tulsa. Paul Moses Business Manager
Paul Moses: I know you just got done with the sound check. You seem pretty calm — are there any last minute preparations y’all have to do before shows? Josh Epstein: No. I mean especially right now… we’re not playing last, so it’s not our production. That’s usually the bulk of what we do. All of our stage stuff, our lights, projections… we’re doing that. It’s actually a lot less stressful to not be the last band. PM: Do you prefer to be recording or out on the road? JE: I would prefer to be recording. Not that I mind being out on the road, but I just like creating more. PM: I’m sure being on the bus for however long has to kill you at some point. JE: I don’t know — I think we’ve learned how to do it. The first time you get a bus, you kind of party, since you’re not driving. That makes the tour brutal. I think we’ve all found personal ways to do it. Me, I just can’t drink when I’m on tour. For others, they just need to have their video games with them. I have my dog with me… you know, little subtle things that make it alright. PM: Does the dog do pretty well? JE: Yeah, he’s great. Great. PM: I read that your first album was recorded in someone’s basement. JE: Yeah, Danny’s grandma’s basement.
PM: Have y’all kept doing that, or was that just for the first album? JE: That’s how we work. We each have our own little crappy studios and just work on them. We go get together with our friend Ben West and make it sound a bit better at the end. I know sometimes we go work with him at the beginning, but yeah, we still record it and do everything ourselves.
PM: When you record an album, do you have a concept for the album already, or do you do individual songs and then put it together? JE: The first album was just individual songs. But this time, we just have an idea. It’s not a concept, just an idea that we want to approach writing. PM: Has it been harder to come up with more and more material as you’ve had more albums released? JE: No, that’s never a challenge for us. I know a lot of bands have writer’s block and stuff, but for me, writing is what I do, and I would consider myself more of a writer than anything. I’ve just kind of developed tools to help myself always be productive. There’s never really a time when I don’t have an idea. PM: Who have you not toured with that you’d like to? JE: I’d like to tour with the Flaming Lips. I’ve just loved watching their show, it would be cool to watch that show every night. I’d love to tour with Broken Social Scene, honestly. I kind of miss the way they used to sound, and hope they get back out there. They were a band I grew up listening to. PM: Do you have any life advice for college students in general? JE: I have life advice for people who are younger than me in general. I’m in my early thirties, and been in a band since I was 21, so I would say just that it’s scary to me that I feel like we’ve arrived in a moment where we all need to realize that the present is our present. It’s not what’s happening on
courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Jr. Jr. changed their name after a particularly sentimental note from a Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan.
TV, it’s happening here. It’s a little scary to me that people still aren’t willing to get involved with things that are really important. By that I mean, certainly like politics right now. Fixing the system and making sure that it represents our voice, because the younger generation… race is way less of an issue for us. Gender identity, gender issues are less of a social discomfort for our generation, and we need to make that heard, and make our voices heard. Gay marriage shouldn’t be part of the election issues, it should just… be. PM: What does the process for choosing tour locations? It seems like Tulsa gets a lot of better names than you’d probably expect for a city this size in the middle of Oklahoma.
JE: We’re not really in charge of that, but I think it’s generally just a routing issue. You know, where does it make sense to play after the next show. It’s a really big country, especially out west. On the east coast, it’s a little easier, because everything’s 4 hours apart. Tulsa’s right in the middle of a lot of things. We haven’t played here too much, but this seems like a nice place to play. PM: Well, welcome to Tulsa. JE: Thanks! Maybe somebody at the University of Tulsa can book us for Homecoming or something. PM: That would be great. JE: Yeah, it would be fun to play in a college.
Ceramicist Teri Frame turns her craft into a performance Teri Frame recently used her skills as a ceramicist to host a uniquely artistic performance in the Alexander Hogue gallery. Adam Lux Student Writer Teri Frame is an assistant Professor of Ceramics at the University of WisconsinWhitewater with an MFA from Pennsylvania State. She has completed art residencies at the MacDowell Colony, the Australian National University, and The Museum of Outdoor Arts to name just a few. Last Thursday she put on a performance at the Alexandre Hogue Gallery in Phillips Hall to celebrate the opening of a series of her work in the gallery. The performance opened with Frame putting on a mask made of grey clay. She was seated at a desk facing the audience and had a mirror in front of her. She then began taking strips of clay and adding them to her
mask, starting with the nose. She continued adding clay, working it into position, and smoothing it out. She was clearly trying to transform the mask into something else but was not yet certain what it was going to be. The nose got longer and thinner and she began working on other features of the mask. Throughout the performance she seemed to
thing seemed to change. Up until this point her movements seemed graceful and controlled but very suddenly they became violent. She began slicing off large chunks of clay and reshaping what was left into something completely different. Very quickly the mask became more monstrous. When she was finally done the mask was
“Up until this point her movements seemed graceful and controlled but very suddenly they became violent.” lead the audience to think she was going one way only to change some small aspect and make the mask look completely different. At times it appears almost as a rabbit, or a fox, or a horse. She seemed to finally settle on a dog with a long snout and floppy ears. She was beginning to add some finishing touches, smoothing areas and adding features, when some-
a beast, with a gaping jaw and large fangs. She looked at the final work in the mirror and, seemingly finished, took off the mask and let it smash into the table. Ceramics is not often thought of as a performance art, but Frame is able to make the act of working with clay something to be seen. Both her stage presence and technical skill make her a perfect candidate com-
bining for these usually separate mediums. There were a few hiccups with the merging of these two forms. Namely, at the end of the performance I felt like it had been rushed, like it hadn’t actually gotten to the place it was supposed to. Frame too seems a bit frustrated with the performance, although it was hard to tell where the actor ended and the artist began. Clay is a medium that often requires a level of concentration and perfection that can take a large amount of time. Performance, on the other hand, is by definition time limited. I feel as if the project was a bit too large for its 45 minute length. I do not see this problem as stemming from a lack of skill, but from a clashing of the two mediums Frame combines. A video of the performance, along with other pieces of her work, will be on display at the Alexandre Hogue Gallery until October 27th. If you have any interest in ceramic or performance art it will definitely be intriguing.
Variety
the Collegian: 14
3 October 2016
DEERPEOPLE’s new LP marks a newfound unique sound Three years after their last EP, DEERPEOPLE has revamped their style and their production. Ethan Veenker Student Writer There’s nothing quite like finding a band whose discography spans a musical lifetime. Hearing the band’s own sound develop gradually from album to album is incentive enough to listen. Stillwater-based band “Deerpeople” (stylized as DEERPEOPLE) has brought us just this incentive in their first LP. DEERPEOPLE surfaced in 2010 with their self-titled debut EP. The five-song collection hit all the right notes of neo-folk. Buzzy guitars, soulful vocals and an organ backing every song kept it fresh and interesting at every turn. Two years later, DEERPEOPLE went down a slightly more avantgarde route with “EXPLORGASM,” their second EP. “EXPLORGASM” tuned the folk feel back a little bit and instead brought us a collection of slow baroque melodies peppered in between noise pop tracks. Two of the songs on the five-piece were even sung entirely in French. Then there was a hiatus. An unfortunately long hiatus. The band found themselves commonly touring with other bands, though. Three years eventually did pass, however, and they released a short 30-second loop
of guitar-born noise via their social media. A visit to their website got the same loop playing over and over again. A few days later, “THERE’S STILL TIME FOR US TO DIE,” their first full-length, was released. Where the self-titled debut was electrofolk and the follow-up was noise-folk, “THERE’S STILL TIME FOR US TO DIE” came as a lo-fi surf rock album. Recorded in The Flaming Lips’ Pink Floor Studio, the album is under 40 minutes with 12 songs.
cakes,” the track from which the 30-second tease loop was grabbed. “Reprise Pt. 1” finally begins to tune the lo-fi aesthetic down a tad and begins to slow the pace of the album. Prior to that track, the songs had catchy hooks, fuzzy guitar and aching vocals. “Reprise Pt. 1,” or, rather, the outro for “Pancakes” marks a transition in the album. DEERPEOPLE’s trademark organ makes its return and the guitars soon begin to form
“Fantastic guitar melodies, a tight beat... and a wonderfully enigmatic flute make it a truly unique track that bridges the gap between noise pop and surf rock.” The best place to begin discussion of this album is to discuss the beginning. “No. 4,” the record’s opener, is a bombastic noisepop masterpiece. A few seconds of slow, melancholic singing and piano begins the song, but the band seems to almost lose their patience as they rush into the lo-fi, fuzzfilled, dance-inducing second movement of the track. The line, “As God as our witness / You know that we’re coming so hard,” lets the listener know that this album is going to hit and it’s going to hit hard. A 42-second “Prelude” follows before “Funbar,” another lo-fi piece of pop. The train doesn’t stop between “She Skates Boards, and She Gets Real High” and “Pan-
a more ambient purpose. “Reprise Pt. 2” and “Impala Abdul” certainly bring the tempo back up a little bit, but nothing quite matches the ferocity of five tracks for the rest of the album. This is a welcome change of pace. While the first half of the album is good in its own right, it suffers from the fact that each song utilizes the same recording and performing techniques. It feels like between the songs they didn’t change any pedals or effects, as if they were recorded straight into each other. While that is a cool possibility, you can find yourself missing this half of the album unless you’re practicing active listening. The aforementioned “Reprise Pt. 1” marks
the point where you begin to remember the names of the songs. “Impala Abdul,” for example, is the obvious high point of the record. Fantastic guitar melodies, a tight beat kept by the rhythm section and a wonderfully enigmatic flute make it a truly unique track that bridges the gap between noise pop and surf rock. The album takes a few more sharp turns. “Rusty and Michelle” has what sounds like a picked guitar play for its entirety as male and female voices sing to and with each other, twisting round and round in a wonderful ballad. “All They Left Were His Feet” seems to be the token dark track. Reverbed guitar and a haunting violin melody create a song with a jarring disconnect from the rest of the relatively fun sounding album. It serves as the perfect buffer between the entirety of the album and its closer, “Sad Dad Sunday,” which seems to mix elements from both halves of the album into one quick track. “THERE’S STILL TIME FOR US TO DIE” is a wonderful progression of sound for DEERPEOPLE. Although they’ve been jumping from style to style with each release, they seem to be finding their own niche and creating a sort of DEERPEOPLEstyle. That’s the mark of a unique band. Their first full-length certainly didn’t let anyone down with all its uniqueness. It may be relatively different from prior releases, but it’s a work of art all on its own and I hope to see many more departures of style from DEERPEOPLE in the future.
Local Ethiopian cafe provides unique cuisine
A small restaurant in Tulsa offers a brief and tasty trip to Ethiopia and Eritrea, cultures whose culinary arts are largely absent from the Tulsa area. Michaela Flonard News Editor
Tucked away in a small strip mall on Lewis is Tulsa’s only Eritrean and Ethiopian Cafe. Run by Yonas Abraham and his family, the cafe welcomes visitors with decor of their culture. When we visited, the owner greeted us immediately, explaining the two sheets of menu. With the amount of dishes on the menu, this was helpful, but ultimately, the preciseness of the descriptions was lost by the time drinks had been ordered. The vastness of the menu offered something for everyone. Vegetarians or vegans would be satisfied with the many choices available, from lentil combinations to a collard greens mix, but for those devout omnivores, there were chicken, beef and lamb entrees. Each section offered a choice of entrees or a combination, which generally gave a sample of every entree in the section as well as a few of the vegetarian options. The menu helpfully informed us the combo meal would be enough for two or more people, which calmed any worry about the initially expensive looking menu items. As
for drinks, the different types of coffee and tea available rivaled a coffee store and provide for an excellent way to end meal with friends. A split plate of veggie and chicken sambusas started the night. The pastry and sauce were the stars of this dish. Beautifully golden-brown on the outside, the pastry was the perfect thickness to add flavor without overwhelming each bite. Inside was either a mixture of lentils and spices or chicken and spices. The veggie ones became my favorite, so I was more than a little bitter when someone ate more of them than I could. The chicken ones were a little drier, which was partly why they weren’t my favorite, but they promised flakes of spiced chicken with each bite. The sauce, viscous and a light red-orange, was sweet with a bit of a kick at the end. I would’ve been satisfied with calling it a night after that dish, but we went ahead and ordered an entree anyway. The lamb combo, which offered all three lamb entrees and your choice of four vegetarian entrees, was almost too much food for three people. Injera, a sourdough-risen, spongy flatbread, covered the plate and provided a dividing line between entrees. This bread was used to sweep up the food, making this not the best place to wear your nicest clothes. For someone used to chapati and roti, the sourdough taste was a little unnerving, but I still managed to eat my share. The lamb entrees showed a remarkable diversity of cooking techniques. One was cooked to a melt-in-your-mouth consistency, while another was spicier but still very
photo by Michaela Flonard
An appetizer of vegetarian and chicken sambusas introduces cafe-goers Ethiopian cuisine.
tender. The last had chunks of meat and vegetables. For vegetables, we’d chosen collard greens, green beans and carrots, lentils in both sldkf and slk. The green beans and collard greens mixes both had been cooked to a consistency where they remained solid but were mushy in your mouth, and the seasonings on these made them stand out. The lentils were a warm, thick dish that I really wish I knew how to make. The struggle with this meal became deciding which entree I wanted the most of, leaving those less favored to my dinner companions. But even with this hardship, each of us made sure to try everything. All throughout dinner, the desserts in the counter at the front had tempted me. In the end, we settled on a flaky peach pastry and a
caramel wrap. Other choices included cookies, which were thicker than any I’d ever seen, and pastries with different fillings. Later, it turned out there’d been some miscommunication and that one of us thought the other was getting a cookie, but this just became more reason to return. The caramel wrap had a thick layer of pastry, and a thicker layer of caramel filling lining the bottom. It wasn’t totally what I’d been expecting, but it was gone by the next day anyway. For those looking to break from their dietary norm, this cafe promises a comfortable, yummy time. Nowhere else in this city, unless your family or friends are from these countries, can provide you with the same experience. Just be sure to bring someone to share the dishes with.
Gilcrease After Hours brings the Western saloon back to life The Gilcrease Museum’s latest After Hours event featured four classic cocktails and corrected misconceptions about the American West. Sam Chott Satire Editor
The event aimed to inform guests as much as entertain them.
courtesy Gilcrease Museum
Saloons in the Old West brings to mind a particular image — bar fights, card games and shots of whiskey. While there was plenty of gambling, the rest is part of a romantic idea that the Gilcrease After Hours event, Liquor of the American West, attempted to dispel. The Beverage Director at McNellie’s Group, Tony Collins, discussed how boomtown saloons were much more elegant than we normally give them credit for. Rather than dusty, wooden buildings, the saloons were usually nice buildings that served food and cocktails. Those cocktails were the focus of the event. Collins talked about four cocktails, each of which showcased a different element of historical cocktails. The Improved Whiskey Cocktail, for example, which included small amounts of absinthe and maraschino liqueur, was one of the first evolutions beyond traditional cocktails, which were once just spirits, water, sugar, and bitters.
I really enjoy hearing about food history, so I really enjoyed listening to Collins. Even though he only talked for about half an hour, he brought in interesting history, like the fact that whiskey only started to overtake brandy in popularity after a pest decimated grape production in the 1800s. If you weren’t into food history, though, the Gilcrease was also serving the cocktails that Collins discussed. I had a Martinez, which Collins had described as the missing link between a Manhattan and a Martini. Made with Old Tom gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur and bitters, it was sweet but not cloying. A friend got the Claret Sangaree, which was red wine with muddled fruit, a relative of sangria, but prepared individually rather than in a bowl. I stole a sip, and it wasn’t as tannic as I expected, which was a little disappointing, but still good. Western folk band Bandelier was playing where the cocktails were being served. The band’s music fit the theme of the event, but it felt as though they were trying too hard to create an upbeat atmosphere–they seemed most comfortable when they stuck to slower, more traditional folk. Though they played well, the restaurant room of the Gilcrease wasn’t designed with acoustics in mind, and you could definitely hear it. Gilcrease After Hours events take place on the last Friday of every month, and are free for the general public.
Variety
3 October 2016
the Collegian: 15
The Tulsa State Fair attracts vendors and visitors alike
Despite their price, the rides were a popular activity for children and adults alike.
The State Fair matches the expectations I’ve developed from years past, for better and for worse. Trenton Gibbons Variety Editor The Tulsa Oklahoma State Fair is upon us once again, bringing with it — or perhaps, dragging out of hiding — a sea of vendors, rides, and activities I’ve come to expect from visiting in years past. The vendors vary greatly, but few bring an element of entertainment to the whole thing. Some stalls mean to sell you life insurance; others expect you to purchase home appliances like washing machines or full-sized fridges.
Still others sell products, such as wigs or overpriced cowboy hats, that appeal to such a niche audience it’s a wonder they have any sort of business at all. The vendors here don’t share a common theme or skill set like they might in a cultural festival, and a number of the salespeople seem to lack a serious passion for their wares. Besides these stalls, there were a number of displays and exhibits inside the fairgrounds’ buildings. Among these was a competition for the most artfully crafted cake. Many of the entries served as homages to beloved works of fiction, such as a particularly impressive Alice in Wonderland cake, while others acted as memorandums, one such being a tribute to soldiers lost in combat. Almost all demonstrated a high attention to detail and seemingly impossible
photo by Michaela Flonard
level of skill, piquing my interest in a culinary field I’d never given much thought. Less refined was the food actually served at the fair. I’ll concede that this is perhaps already the most notorious quality of any public fair, especially that of the Midwestern state variety. But let me reaffirm that this infamy is well-earned. Deep-fried Mac & cheese, deep-fried oreos, deep-fried watermelon, deep-fried “you name it and we probably have it.” It’s a miracle the food stores have lines, but I guess some people’s morbid curiosity goes a bit farther than spectating. They have to taste the insecttopped pizza to fully appreciate it. For whatever reason, there seems to be a novelty food items quota for state fairs, and Tulsa exceeds expectations. Of course there are rides at the fair, most
Left: The fair’s activites included the usual game-booths and contests. Right: Among the foods the fair was willing to fry, Oreos proved popular with visitors.
of them fitting the archetype of spinning and inducing nausea. Kids weave in and out of sloppily themed fun-houses, the murals on the side, depicting cowboys and drunkards, usually coming off as oddly grotesque rather than appealing. These attractions don’t come free with the fair’s general admission. Instead there are booths where you can purchase ‘coupons’ for $1.25 apiece, many of the rides requiring two or three coupons to ride. There’s a good chance I don’t need to tell you how expensive this event can become. Among the long lineup of bands and performers at the concert was American Authors, who played Saturday night on the Oklahoma Stage. The band gathered a sizable crowd, though the layout of chairs and other barriers prevented much of the crowd from becoming too engaged in the music. Authors performed a few songs from their new album, ‘What We Live For,” though I honestly flinched anytime the singer urged the audience to buy it as soon as possible. Still, the crowd took well to the concert, and any enthusiasm I might’ve lacked I chalked up to my not being a fan of their work anyway. For better and for worse, Tulsa’s Oklahoma state fair is a state fair. It has petting zoos, merry-go-rounds, and cheese on a stick. Whether or not these things actually appeal to you might mean little in the grander scheme of the state fair, which like a natural event we can expect annually to move through Tulsa for a few days at a time. Even if it sounds like I had a bad time — and I might’ve if I hadn’t gone with friends — I’d still recommend visiting the fair, especially for non-Tulsans. The fair can be a confirmation of your worst nightmares about the Midwest, or it might even be the embodiment of your Oklahoman dreams. Either way it’s worth checking out.
photos by James Whisenhunt
“Author” tells the story of a literary persona gone rogue “Author: the J.T. LeRoy Story” is as informative on its intriguing subject as it is a commentary on society’s relationship with celebrities. Claudia Conaway Student Writer American author Laura Albert took pseudonyms to a new level when she created the persona of “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy”, an outspoken young boy who lived an adolescence of sexual assault, prostitution, pimping and hard drugs. Under JT’s name, Albert wrote the raw cult novels “Sarah”, “Harold’s End” and “The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things”. When the books started gaining attention by publishers and celebrities alike, Albert decided to dress her sisterin-law, Savannah, up to look like LeRoy and send her as her surrogate to public events. Soon the entire world believed that Savannah was actually LeRoy, who was believed to be the author of the novels. The real author, Albert, acted as LeRoy’s British roommate and assistant, “Speedie.” It all came crashing down for the writer when the New York Times printed multiple articles dispelling the “literary hoax.” In the explanatory documentary, “Author: The J.T. LeRoy Story”, Albert takes us through what brought her to this charade and why, to her, it wasn’t a charade at all. The film continuously cuts between today’s Albert talking directly to us, videos and photos of Albert’s younger years, and phone calls between “J.T.” and his psychologist, publishers, his celebrity friends and journalists. It was easy, at times, to get confused as to when events actually happened
because of the incessant mixing of past and present in Albert’s stories. The similarities between Albert’s own troubled past and LeRoy’s make it easier to see how the boy came to exist in Albert’s mind. The cast of celebrities that mixed themselves into J.T.’s life added surrealist fun to the film. There were recorded phone calls to J.T. LeRoy from Courtney Love of Hole, Shirley Manson of Garbage, Italian actress Asia Argento and Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, who also became an intimate friend of Albert’s. With each celebrity that came into the mix, LeRoy became a little bit more alive, and Albert hid behind him until the very end. The further in you went, the documentary felt more and more like a memoir told by Albert about LeRoy’s fake memoirs. She never felt comfortable in her own skin, and J.T. LeRoy felt even more uncomfortable in Albert’s skin, so it was difficult for her to admit to being the author of the book except to a few intimate friends. When the Times made sure LeRoy’s gig was up, Albert had to not only face the hundreds of people who believed that Savannah was LeRoy and that LeRoy was the writer, but the numerous celebrities that had put their reputations on the line to back up the story that the character was a real person. She wasn’t about to grovel, apologize or cry to the public, however. To Albert, after all, J.T. LeRoy was a real as she was. His “history” presented in Albert’s books belonged to LeRoy even if he wasn’t real, and it belonged to the books themselves. The film ends by hinting that however unreal the character may be, a piece of writing is always unto itself, not the writer. The writing is alive itself and has its own past and future, separate from the author.
Laura Albert recounts the strange experience of being overshadowed by her own pseudonym.
courtesy IMDB
3 October 2016
The State-Run Media
the
State-Run media Back by popular apathy.
Trump to kickstart economy by giving out small loans
After Trump discussed his small million dollar loan in the debate, he announced a plan to give out small loans to the upper class. Mary Loveless Trickle-down lender
Everyone knows Donald Trump is one of the wealthiest men in the U.S. today. Accusations have been made about how he acquired his wealth, including tax evasion, not paying workers and by hanging on the coattails of his father. What isn’t well known, though, is that Trump is a self-made man. During the first presidential debate last Monday, Trump hinted at the inspiring story of how he took a small million dollar loan from his father (and the family real estate business) and turned it into a multi-million dollar empire. Trump’s story has given supporters a new idea for how to
end poverty. Fans of Mr Trump have begun lobbying to require big banks to give million dollar loans to all upper class millennials. These twenty-somethings will then make some bad investments, lose all of the money and be given more. In addition, there will be numerous events held to help the young billionaires-to-be make the connections Mr. Trump relied so heavily on. When these citizens eventually make their fortunes, their wealth can trickle down to the lower classes. Trump commented on the plan, “Great idea. Great. Love it. Love my fans. They have the best ideas. The best. Gonna create HUGE problems for Crooked Hillary.” Upper class citizens have flooded Wall Street with their maids and gardeners in an effort to be taken seriously. When asked if they have any links to the Occupy Wall Street movement, a spokesperson yelled, “No! We would never beg for money like those lazy hippies!”
Never subscribe to monthly boxes again with this 1 easy trick
graphic by Elias Brinkman
Pictured: Some fine American voters. We don’t know who that lady in the back is, though.
Voter registration guide (sponsored by the GOP)
For the good of the nation, the State-Run Media has decided to bring you a voter registration guide. Note: this guide was funded by the GOP. Sarah Odom Voting re-districtor
Election season is quickly approaching, and still a lot of people haven’t registered to vote. To help out, we have some tips on how to register and vote. We’ve rephrased the instructions for the common white male, the men who are different, the women-folk, and even democrats so we don’t offend anyone by not being “politically correct”. Straight White Men: Go to the site usa.gov/registerto-vote and fill out the application available. You can even do it online. Express your god-given right to have a say in the inner workings of government and remember to go out on November 8 and pick the man you think is best for the job.
Those Other Men: Think of all the good things white straight folks have contributed to this country. Now think of what you’ve done. Is it close? If no, then let us keep doing the good job us straight white males have been for hundreds of years. We’ve been able to vote for a lot longer time, so overall we have way more experience. Not to mention that way over half of politicians are like us. Really, when have we done you guys wrong?
Women: Take a moment to think about your children or future children. What would they want? They’d probably want you to be with them. You should go to them. Honestly, there’s so much that you could and should be doing right now. Are your dishes all clean? What about your laundry? How are your children? Did you clean your house today? Is there a hot dinner ready for when your husband comes home? What’s that? You have a job and haven’t gotten around to these things today? You expect your
husband to help out with all these things? How dare you! Being a mother is the most important job you have. You’re making your family suffer by pursuing these selfish ‘dreams’ you claim to have. Go take care of all of these things and if you get back without being too tired, we’ll tell you how to vote. Immigrants: Look, you’re new here, and some of you might be illegal. So just leave the voting, politics and the ultimate decision on how to handle you up to us. After all, we were born here, you just chose to come here to escape the dangers, prejudices, economic collapse probably created by the exportation of natural resources and/or war in your country under the illusion that America is a safe heaven. Our ancestors came over for similar reasons, but that doesn’t matter right now. So don’t overstay your welcome, just stay home this election season. Democrats: Burn in hell.
Facebook’s “register to vote” feature evolves
Box Box is disrupting the subscription box industry.
A new monthly subscription box has begun shipping a random monthly box to subscribers. Adam Lux Backed it on Kickstarter A new company has achieved overnight success this past month. The company, called Box Box, is a monthly subscription based delivery service, but with a twist. Box Box will ship a different monthly subscription box to your door every month. “It’s great,” said one of Box Box’s subscribers. “Now I don’t even have to think about what useless junk that I’ll never use I want shipped to me every month.” In their first two weeks, Box Box has already racked up 100,000 subscribers. “Every month you’ll get a different monthly subscription box shipped in its very own Box Box branded box. That’s double the box-opening fun!” said a Box Box spokesperson in an interview, even though we didn’t schedule an interview and he just showed up at my door one morning. Every month your box will be completely random with no way to opt-out of certain services or specify certain items in which you
graphic by Elias Brinkman
would be interested. One month it might be Lootcrate, the next a do-it-yourself taxidermy kit. And so far there’s no way to return a box you don’t like. When asked for confirmation that there was no way to return an unwanted box the spokesperson replied “That’s correct, and all for the low, low price of $89.95 a month.” Despite its expense and randomness, Box Box’s numbers are hard to criticize. It’s even had a noticeable impact on other subscription based delivery services like Lootcrate, Dollar Shave Club and even beauty supply box Birchbox, all of which report losing over 10,000 subscribers since the Box Box site went live. The State Run was able to get in touch with the company’s founder, Barron Elingston, and ask about his inspiration for starting this service. “I noticed the great success of subscription based delivery services and I just wanted to be the first one to take that next logical step.” Jackson Waters was one of the very first people to subscribe to Box Box and claims that he is “very satisfied,” with the service. When asked if he’s received any good boxes from the service yet he replied “Yeah, I mean I’m sure I have. I can’t think of any right now but I totally have.”
Don’t worry if Facebook wants to use your webcam and microphone – it’s just diagnostics.
Facebook’s reminders to vote have expanded; they now remind users to clean their rooms, call their mothers and more. Sarah Odom Sold soul to Zuckerberg
After their helpful reminders to register to vote became a success, Facebook decided to branch out into other helpful reminders for their users. Their new algorithm analyzes the lifestyle of a user and gives custom reminders such as paying bills, buying presents for birthdays and even cleaning rooms or doing the dishes. Most users found the reminders very helpful. Marcy Mack,
a Farmville pro and avid poker, said, “This is like, so great! I used to just get reminders to harvest my crops and stuff, but now my Facebook will tell me “don’t forget to take your meds’ or ‘you should call your mother today, Marcy’ and ‘please go to sleep, Marcy, the farm will still be there in the morning.’ Y’know, helpful things like that.” Some users have become concerned with how specific the messages can get. John Harvey, a college student, told us, “The reminders started out pretty innocent, like ‘hey, you should go vote’ and then became stuff like ‘you should call Amy again, she seemed nice’ but it got really creepy later.” He then pulled up some of the messages from his reminders.
graphic by Elias Brinkman
“John, you shouldn’t watch those movies so late at night, they give you nightmares” one read. Others included “Why can’t you commit to a relationship, John?”, “You shouldn’t eat three cheeseburgers and a large fry in one sitting, John” and “John, what do you think you’re doing trying out for the play, you know you aren’t an actor. Don’t lie to yourself, John. Just become the marketing advisor like your mother says, John. You wouldn’t want to disappoint her, John.” Marcy Mack summarized the issue for us. “Well,” she said, “I know it’s data mining for all this information on me and my hobbies, but at least it’s data mining that cares!”