a student newspaper of the university of tulsa
march 6, 2017 issue 20 ~ volume 102
graphic by Elias Brinkman
Sports
Soccer hosts spring exhibitions
The Collegian: 2
6 March 2017
photos by Dalton Stewart
Photos clockwise from top left: Freshman Koray Easterling challenges a Tulsa Roughneck in the exhibition match on Saturday afternoon. Senior Cameron Drackett (left) looks on as the Golden Hurricane steal the ball from the Roughnecks in the match. Sophomore goalkeeper Marcel Da Silva makes a save on Saturday.
6 March 2017
Sports
The Collegian: 3
Totally accurate baseball predictions for 2017
It’s a yearly tradition for the sports writers at The Collegian to put our sports knowledge to the test by trying to predict how this baseball season will wrap up well before a single regular season game has been played. While we are by no means experts, I can safely say that we live and breathe sports. For transparency, however, I must confess that we are two Cardinals fans (and one Yankees fan for some reason), but we will try our hardest not to be biased.
East
Justin Guglielmetti Apprentice Editor
National League Coming off a 95-win season, the Washington Nationals are poised to repeat as NL East champs behind their dynamic young offense and flamethrowing rotation. Bryce Harper is still somehow just 24 years old, coming off a spectacularly unlucky season and possessed with a burning desire to become baseball’s first cultural icon since Derek Jeter retired; put his crummy 2016 in the rearview mirror and pencil him in as the early MVP favorite. Reigning Cy Young award winner Max Scherzer might be the game’s best pitcher in a world that didn’t include Clayton Kershaw, and Trea Turner looks like the highest-upside combo of power and speed since a young Alfonso Soriano. If they’ve got one weakness at the moment it’s a glaring lack of proven talent at the back of the bullpen, but look for the Nats to shore that up in no time. Remember when the Mets’ rotation looked like it had the makings of an all-time great pitching staff? When Matt Harvey was supposed to be the next New York megastar? When Zack Wheeler and David Wright actually played baseball? Pepperidge Farms’ members. The Mets are still equipped with a terrifying collection of arms and the re-
Central Joseph Edmunds Sports Writer National League Another season, and once again I have to make the sad prediction that the Chicago Cubs are most likely going to have a better season than my St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs are coming off their best season in 108 years, and not much has changed to suggest that this year will be any different. Despite losing Dexter Fowler to the division rival Cardinals, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo still lead a lineup that remains as explosive as ever. A wild card spot seems a likely fate for the St. Louis Cardinals this season after they missed that spot by a single game last year. They added a key piece by snatching up Dexter Fowler from free agency. He will provide consistency that the Cardinals have lacked at the top of the lineup for years. Adam Wainwright and Michael Wacha have been the top pitching duo in the league when at their best, but the back of the rotation isn’t strong enough to keep St. Louis in the division race against Chicago this season.
West
Matt Rechtien Sports Editor
National League The Giants were one of the hottest teams in the first half of last season. They had a 0.633 win percentage in the first half and spent 106 days of the season in first place. The bullpen and injuries to key players like Hunter Pence and Joe Panik helped in their collapse as they managed to secure the finals wild card spot by one game. The composition of the Giants hasn’t changed drastically from last year, but the acquisition of Mark Melancon in the offseason plus what should be a healthy season from the injured part of the bullpen, there is no reason why the Giants won’t play as well as they did in the first half last season. Hot on their heels will be the Dodgers because as long as Clayton Kershaw remains a Dodger, Los Angeles will be in contention for a division title. Bringing Rich Hill back — who the Dodgers acquired from the A’s during last season — gives them another strong arm. Both teams will have the pitching, I’m just counting on the Giants to perform better on offense without their injuries to stay just ahead of the Dodgers this season, though I predict both teams will make the playoffs again this season. So what about the rest of the division? The west has had a large gap between the top and the bottom for a couple years now. The Rockies, Diamondbacks and Padres have been to the playoffs in the last ten years, but in recent history they have been
signing of Yoenis Cespedes should keep the offense in the realm of respectability, but there’s too much uncertainty here — and too much talent in the rest of the National League — to expect a third consecutive playoff berth. Bah gawd that’s the Braves’ music! The longtime kings of the NL East won’t reclaim their crown just yet, but they are well on their way. Freddie Freeman is going to keep raking, Bartolo Colon will begin attracting interplanetary bodies in orbit, and Dansby Swanson will prove himself worthy of the #1 pick. Atlanta will be a respectable-ish squad until July when they’ll ship off all their halfway decent vets. It always feels crass to talk about how an athlete’s death will affect the outlook of their team, but it’s likely that Jose Fernandez’s passing will continue to haunt the Miami Marlins for years to come. Giancarlo Stanton leads a slugging outfield that might be MLB’s best if it could just stay healthy, but talent-wise, there’s nothing much left to speak of on the roster. Philadelphia sucks. I mean I’m sure there are nice people in the city, but the Phillies aren’t some of them. Odubel Herrera is a terrific success story and Maikel Franco looks a bit like a young Vlad Guerrero if you squint hard enough, but this ballclub will find itself in the cellar in 2017.
stay like David Ortiz won’t be easy, nor will going forward without David Price, the $30 million man and former Cy Young winner who will apparently miss the season due to Tommy John surgery. But don’t feel bad for the Red Sox (seriously, don’t ever, in any circumstance, feel bad for them). Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts will lead an offense that should again be one of baseball’s best, and the rotation now includes Chris Sale in addition to reigning Cy
tickets go on sale this week. I would be piiiiissed at my management right now if I were a Blue Jays fan. After letting Edwin Encarnación walk to the Indians for less money than he could have gotten in Toronto, the Jays’ brief title window may have just slammed shut. They won’t be a bad team, still trotting out Donaldson and the most underrated pitching staff in the majors, but the Great White North should temper its expectations.
“Anything short of the ALCS [for the Boston Red Sox] will be a failure.”
American League Losing a cultural icon and lineup main-
Young winner Rick Porcello. And that’s not to mention that the Sox are going to have a healthy Craig Kimbrel firing bullets in the pen. Anything short of the ALCS will be a failure. Hah! And you thought I was going to be biased and pick the Yankees to win the division! No thanks, I’ll settle for the Wild Card and a clean sweep through the playoffs. In all seriousness, the Bronx Bombers are my pick for the second wild card, loaded as they are with young slugging talent like Gary “Effing” Sanchez and Greg “It was my impression that everybody knew that the Bird is the Word” Bird, as well as a talented rotation and lights-out bullpen. Oh, and don’t forget that Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Josh Donaldson are all free agents after this season. Bandwagon
Buck Showalter uses his voodoo bullpen magic to outperform projection models every year, so I can’t say that I feel totally comfortable picking the Orioles to finish fourth. Still, I’m banking on my pet theory that Showalter has come down with the managerial yips after failing to hand the ball over to single-season GOAT closer Zach Britton in last year’s Wild Card game. Watch the Rays to marvel at Kevin Kiermaier’s inhuman range in centerfield, or to observe Evan Longoria’s smooth swing and ponder how he fell so precipitously from “near-household name” to “wow, he’s still in the league?” despite being just 31 years old and still really good. Otherwise, don’t watch the Rays.
After you leave the top two teams in the Central, none of the other three have much of a chance at making the playoffs this season, barring some unforeseen development by an unheard-of player. The team that should sit comfortably in the middle of the division is the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates had one of the biggest fall-offs in recent baseball memory. They fell flat last year just a few seasons after finally becoming relevant to the pennant race
the Milwaukee Brewers will be bad. Very bad. There is little need to separate the analysis for these two teams, as they both did very little to impact their immediate success. As a result, don’t be surprised if either or both of them hit the triple digit loss mark this year. American League Last season, only one team was relevant from the AL Central, and we could see that same scenario this year. That’s not to say
a strong rotation behind him. The lineup is in a similar situation, with a beast in Miguel Cabrera and a supporting cast that can be good at times but lacks consistency. Expect a mediocre season, but don’t be surprised if they click at the right time and make a push for a wild card spot. Two seasons ago, the Kansas City Royals won the World Series. Last season, they went five-hundred. What can we expect this year? Looking at last season, they started off the defense of their title with a great first few weeks. Immediately following that was a terrible string of inconsistency, which leveled out into a mediocre season. When they won the World Series, they did it with solid players in every position, instead of relying on a few stars to carry them through. Their roster still looks like they are trying to emulate that, but the players can’t quite reach that same level. The Royals probably won’t break even this season. The bottom of the AL Central is in a similar situation as the bottom of the NL Central- two teams that aren’t going to amount to anything this year. Both the Chicago White Sox and the Minnesota Twins are going through rebuilding processes, so they won’t be putting up much of a fight to claim a playoff spot and could possibly hit the 100 loss mark.
“The Cubs are coming off their best season in 108 years and not much has changed...” and holding that position for multiple successive years. Despite the disappointing season, their offseason was rather calm. They made few moves to bring talent into the team to compete this season. Instead, they re-signed a few important players, but that will not help them improve over last year. Look for a close to five-hundred season from Pittsburgh. The NL Central will have two teams competing to avoid the bottom place this year, and it appears to be a toss-up as the season approaches. Both the Cincinnati Reds and
that one team wasn’t good, however. In fact, they were very good. The Cleveland Indians won their first division title since 2007, and carried that momentum to a World Series appearance. Their big addition this offseason was slugger Edwin Encarnacion, who bolsters an already strong lineup. The Indians should take an even stronger hold of the division this year. The Detroit Tigers are the only other team in the Central that could possible surprise people and compete for a playoff spot, but that still isn’t likely. Justin Verlander is still elite, but he lacks
bottom of the division and the league. The Rockies will have no problem hitting — their lineup has strong bats up and down and they play in the most hitter-friendly park in the entire sport. Their struggle has always been pitching, but their rotation this year brings a lot of intrigue. Jon Gray, Tyler Anderson and Jeff Hoffman are all young and have shown promise in their limited time at the big league level, and the other two, Chad Bettis and Tyler Chatwood, focus on ground balls which is almost mandatory to pitch well at Coors Field. As long as the bullpen doesn’t throw games away the Rockies have a chance to
teams to finally turn their rebuilding franchise into a contender. And like the Royals and Cubs did in the last two years, the Astros are looking to be the next challenger to the World Series. Their strength relies on their power of their young players, particularly Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa. Bregman came up late last season and was still the Astros eighth best player with almost two winsabove-replacement. When you add in veteran Jose Altuve (who’s only 26), the top bullpen in 2016, an AL Cy Young winner in Dallas Kuechel — who had an off season last year — and
“...the Rockies have a chance to be a darkhorse candidate for the Wild Card...” be a dark-horse candidate for the Wild Card, but won’t keep up for the division title. The Diamondbacks could also see their fortunes improve, but will be hard-pressed to make a run for the playoffs this season. And finally, the Padres. They are currently the heavy favorite to take the first pick in the 2018 Amateur Draft. American League A Texas team will come out on top again this year, but not the same one that did last year. After a return to Earth after their surprising playoff run in 2015, the Astros missed out last season by five games. This season they should not only make the playoffs, but win their division, in order to make that happen. The Astros are one of the most recent
a lineup where every player could hit 20 or more home runs, you have a very strong team that should take advantage of a weakened division to make a playoff run. The Mariners, Rangers and Angels will all be close to five-hundred, and while I just read Moneyball and really like Oakland, they will finish at the bottom of the division and under five-hundred again. The Mariners were close to a playoff spot last season but couldn’t keep up down the stretch. A big reason was their ace Felix Hernandez had one of his worst seasons statistically. The Mariners will need him to turn that around this season or else they will struggle to stay at five-hundred. They don’t have a strong rotation behind the King and will probably have to rely on more than five pitchers for a large part of the
season, which will put them out of playoff contention for another year. The Rangers were the best team in the American League one year ago but will have issues keeping that pace this season. A big reason they had such a good record is that they went 36–11 in one-run games, which is unsustainable. That record alone inflated their win total for last season. The real question will be whether or not the guys behind Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels will be up to snuff this season. The Angels have the best baseball player in the world in Mike Trout. It’s kind of a shame that the rest of the supporting cast isn’t doing much to help them get into the playoffs. Garrett Richards is coming off an alternative to Tommy John Surgery so nobody really knows whether or not he’s going to be the same Cy Young caliber pitcher until late in the season after wear-and-tear have taken effect. And then there’s Albert. One of the greatest first basemen in the sport, Albert Pujols has not been the same player since he left Saint Louis, and the Angels still have five, expensive years left in his contract that will limit how much they can spend per year on free agents. While they should thrive defensively, unlike football, defense doesn’t win championships. And the A’s. They don’t spend a lot and their farm isn’t really stack at this point in time. They seem to just be starting down the road to rebuilding at this point and will probably have to wait a couple years before they see the playoffs again.
Sports
The Collegian: 4
6 March 2017
Men’s basketball drops final Justin Guglielmetti is… two games to SMU and Tulane the
The men’s basketball team ended their season with two losses to Southern Methodist and Tulane, dropping to the seventh seed in the American Athletic Conference. The seeding gives them a rematch with Tulane on Thursday. Joseph Edmunds Sports Writer Softball The Golden Hurricane softball team won three of their four games in the UTArlington Tournament over the weekend, and the fifth game was cancelled due to weather. The wins came over Incarnate Word (7–3), Saint Francis (3–1) and UT Arlington (7–0). The Golden Hurricane now hold an 11–8 record and will play their first home games of the season next week when they host the Tulsa Invitational. California, Texas Tech, Montana and Wichita State make up the slate for the tournament. Over the break Tulsa will travel to Kansas to participate in the Rock Chalk Challenge where they will take on Southeast Missouri University, UMKC, LSU, Kansas and Omaha. Following that the tournament portion of the season will conclude, and the Golden Hurricane will start conference play against South Florida in the last week of March. Women’s Tennis The women’s tennis team dominated their opponents this week, knocking off Purdue 6–1 and Temple 5–2 to start off the conference portion of the season. The women’s record sits at 12–4 and 1–0 in the American. Over the next couple of weeks the Golden Hurricane will take on Baylor, Liberty, South Florida, Central Florida and Arkansas to round out the end of March. While it may seem like a long time, the season is actually quickly approaching the conference tournament which will take place in the first half of April. Men’s and Women’s Soccer The men and women’s soccer team has started their spring exhibition season hosting the Tulsa Roughnecks and Oklahoma State this past weekend respectively. The men’s team will play against six opponents, three of which are professional teams, hosting four of their games at Hurricane Stadium. Their slate of opponents includes the Swope Park Rangers, the Roughnecks, Midwestern State, Northeastern State, Missouri State and the Oklahoma City Energy. The women’s team will participate in eight exhibition matches and one alumni event at the end of the spring. The women schedule includes; Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Kansas State, TCU, Southwestern Oklahoma State, UMKC, Central Oklahoma and Little Rock. Women’s Golf The women’s golf team competed at The Dickson Golf Tournament and freshman Greta Bruner had her career-best finish, taking fourth place with a fiveunder par score of 211. Overall the Golden Hurricane finished 14th edging out North Texas and Houston Baptist in the process. The next event for the women’s team is the BYU Entrada Classic at the beginning of next week.
Monday
The Golden Hurricane men’s basketball team allowed a season high 93 points to the eventual conference champions, the SMU Mustangs on Thursday night, leading to a road defeat. The game was decided by the end of the first half. Six minutes in, SMU scored ten consecutive points and didn’t look back from their. Their first half total amounted to 47 points and a 19 point lead. In the second half, they pushed the lead up to 30 at its largest point, ensuring Tulsa had no chance of making a late game comeback. The final score was 93–70 in favor of the Mustangs. In their final game of the regular season, Tulsa travelled to New Orleans to face off
Women’s season ends against UConn in AAC tournament The women’s season ended this weekend, and while their record from this season doesn’t look good, there is a lot to look forward to in the future. Matt Rechtien Sports Editor The women’s basketball team ended their regular season with a win, beating Cincinnati 78–61. The win earned the Golden Hurricane the ninth seed and a matchup with Memphis, who the Golden Hurricane beat in their only regular season matchup at home. After upsetting the Tigers their season ended with a matchup against the University of Connecticut. In the win over the Bearcats senior Ashley Hughes had a career-high 18 points and eight assists, playing the full 40 minutes of game time. Hughes was joined by Erika Wakefield (15), Liesl Spoerl (14) and Tatyana Perez (10) in double-digit points. Head coach Matilda Mossman discussed her reasoning for keeping Hughes in the entire game in her post-game press conference. “It wasn’t intentional to leave Ashley in, but she was playing so well I hated to take her out. Then in the second half she came out and hit a big shot so I was going to leave her in until she missed a shot and she didn’t miss until about two minutes left in the game.” “Tonight was her senior night. She didn’t make any mistakes — no turnovers, 6-of-9, guarded well and didn’t do anything wrong. It’s one she’ll always remember and she as well as fellow senior Jessica Pongonis are great ambassadors. They set the tone at practice every day and I am happy for them and how they have played in the last two games.” The Golden Hurricane and Bearcats went back and forth in the first quarter, with both teams shooting over 50 percent in the first quarter. Tulsa took a slight edge, leading Cincinnati 21–20 after 10 minutes. The second quarter did not feature as much offense as the first, but Tulsa was able
Tuesday 6
against Tulane. In their first matchup of the season, the Golden Hurricane emerged victorious in a high scoring game at home. In the reverse fixture, the Green Wave still put a lot of points on the board, but this time Tulsa couldn’t keep up. Tulsa held a small lead for the first half of the game, but the score was low as both teams were struggling on the offensive end. Tulane took the lead at 13-12 halfway through the first half, and from there they never trailed. They pushed their advantage to double digits, and held onto the 81–79 game. Despite the game being on the road, the result is still disappointing as that was only the sixth win for a subpar Tulane team this season. The Golden Hurricane finish the regular season two games below five-hundred at 14–16 (8–10 American Athletic Conference). They finish in 7th place in the conference standings heading into the conference tournament. Their opponent in the first round is going to be Tulane again, who finished 10th place in the conference. The conference tournament is hosted at UConn this year, and the Tulsa vs Tulane game will take place at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday evening.
7
Women’s Tennis No Events vs. Baylor 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday 8
to take a five-point lead of 34–29 into the half. Tulsa exploded offensively in the third quarter, starting off 6-of-7 and finishing with 31 points to take a nineteen-point lead (65–46) into the final frame. While they only made 25 percent of their shots in the fourth quarter, they held on to take home the seventeen-point win. “It’s always about making shots. We shot the ball well, everyone shot well. When you are shooting the ball well, other parts of the game you feel good about too. I am thrilled that our guys were able to manage the game the way the did, especially in the fourth quarter. They took care of the ball.” In the game against Memphis (where the winner got the reward of a meeting with UConn) the women’s team jumped out to an early lead, and held on to upset the eighth seed 60–55. Hughes and Wakefield led the Golden Hurricane with double-digit points/ In the final game, the Golden Hurricane took on the Huskies for the third time this season with similar results to the first two matchups with UConn handing Tulsa a 105– 57 loss. Mossman talked about the season. “I want to remember the season by our two previous. The way we came back after six losses in a row to win at Cincinnati and beat Memphis in the first round, that’s where I envision our future.” “I am proud of the strides we made throughout the year. We won a lot of close games with a lot of inexperience kids and I thought we put ourselves in a better position for next year.” “Our two seniors - Ashley Hughes and Jessica Pongonis - rallied at the end of the year. Their last three games of the year were really solid and we’re going to miss their work ethic, leadership and who they are away from the floor.” While the Golden Hurricane finished the regular season with only a 9–20 (5–11 AAC) record, there were things to look forward going forward to next year. The Golden Hurricane’s roster features eight freshmen and sophomores who all got a lot of playing time and experience this season. In particular Shug Dickson and Kendrian Elliott were named to the conference All-Freshman team.
Thursday
bleacher creature
“They need to outscore their opponents to win” I love Charles Barkley for his no-shits given attitude on TV, his ability to make fun of himself, and his gift for antagonizing Shaq. HOWEVER, the man can also reeeeaaally get under my skin, like when he goes off on one of his patented anti-Warriors rants where he maintains that a jump-shooting team can’t win a championship and cites last season’s Finals collapse as proof, conveniently ignoring the fact that Golden State won the title literally the year before. Unfortunately, this outdated and downright idiotic line of thinking has become contagious in sports media, leading to national pundits making a living off espousing painfully unnuanced and ill-informed commentary. You get blowhards like Colin Cowherd saying things about Steph Curry like “when his shot fades, he doesn’t offer much does he?” Or he offers, you know, some of the best ball-handling and finishing skills of all time. You get headlines like ESPN’s after the Warriors’ recent two-game losing streak, that say they “can’t handle ice-cold shooting.” Really, a talented team can lose when it’s not shooting well? You don’t say! This isn’t an NBA specific problem either but an epidemic throughout sports media, where it seems to me that there is an antianalytics pushback from guys who just want to talk about their antiquated traditions, old-timey stats, and mind-numbingly common sense observations. I’ve railed against this idiocy before but it bears repeating: the nerds have won the war for the soul of sports and we are smarter because of it. Get the hell out of here with your “clutch gene.” Fantasy Time! Speaking of nerds, it’s that special time of year again. Fantasy baseball season is almost upon us! You can trust me on advice, I won my league last year and it’s just a known fact that fantasy sports are 100% skill without a hint of luck. Take these pointers my young acolytes, and ride them to glory: If you play anything other than H2H Categories, you’re not worth my time. This isn’t fantasy football; no, auction drafts are not inherently better, and using them makes you smarter in the same way that driving a Prius makes you an environmental activist; if Mike Trout isn’t your top pick because you have a gut feeling about Mookie or Altuve, maybe make an appointment with your gastroenterologist; don’t reach on pitchers, not even for the top dogs, because I guarantee you can find plenty of guys to rack up wins and Ks in the later rounds; if you want a great-value catcher likely to finish top five at his position, look no further than the Dodgers’ Yasmani Grandal. Don’t forget how much of a five-tool beast A.J. Pollock was in 2015 just because he sat out last year with a fluke injury; I know shortstop is stacked nowadays, but you can nab rising star Didi Gregorius with pretty much your last pick, and the guy is worth way more than that; ignore positional runs where everyone just starts taking the next best person at a given position and stick to the “best player on the board” (that your roster needs) strategy. Trea Turner is the real deal and I don’t actually think it’s beyond the realm of possibility that he’s a more valuable fantasy player than Bryce Harper this year; there’s nothing wrong with rolling the dice on speed demon Billy Hamilton in the middle rounds, because if the guy ever even gets a leagueaverage bat, he might be a top 20 player; if you’re actually serious about competing, go in with as little real-life bias as possible, even if it means selecting a Red Sox player; and lastly, make sure you have fun! Just kidding, this is war. There is no fun.
Mar 6 - 12
9
Softball Men’s @ Basketball Oklahoma @ AAC 6:00 p.m.
Saturday
Friday
10
Softball vs. California 5:00 p.m. Men’s Tennis @ UCF 5:30 p.m. Rowing @ Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational
11
Sunday
12
Men’s Tennis Rowing @ @ USF Oak Ridge 1:00 p.m. Cardinal Rowing @ Invitational Oak Ridge Softball Cardinal vs. Texas Tech Invitational & Montana Softball 3:45 p.m. & vs. Wichita 6:00 p.m.
State 1:15 p.m.
News
6 March 2017
The Collegian: 5
TU students, SA representative reflect on Service Day
Students look at this year’s successes and failures, hoping to improve the event’s efficiency and marketing. James Whisenhunt Commentary Editor
Student Association’s annual Service Day has come and gone, leaving volunteers and organizers to analyze what worked and what can be improved for next year’s event. From the administrative side, SA Community Service Executive Director Griffen Livermore feels that the event was largely a success. Livermore notes that a lot of work goes on behind the scenes, thanking his team of “Associate Directors [who] spend countless hours contacting different organizations… organizing times and activities for TU students to volunteer/partake in.” Another part of the work SA does before the event is securing transportation to and from all volunteer sites for the volunteers, though Livermore says that “the transportation company we used was especially helpful with ensuring every organization got to their sites on time, and returned to TU when they were done.” The end result of this work was around 375 student volunteers, close to the volun-
TU volunteers were rewarded for their efforts with a jacket, breakfast and lunch.
better marketed and provide a better experience for more volunteers. The major expenses for this year’s event came from buying breakfast, lunch, and fleece quarter-zip jackets for volunteers, along with transportation. Though exact
“There also seemed to be a lack of communication ... the other staff members were not even aware that we were helping out” teer count at last year’s event and around eight percent of the TU student population. Volunteers from 46 student groups worked at 24 sites across the Tulsa area. Livermore notes that something holding the event back is the “inability to send all-school emails,” but has faith that next year’s event will be
numbers weren’t given, Livermore says this event cost less than last year’s, and that “the few remaining lunches were donated to a local homeless shelter.” Livermore feels that the cost for these items was worth it, saying “The feedback I have heard from most students was that the breakfast and lunch was great, the fleece jacket they received is very
courtesy TU website
comfortable and that they enjoyed their volunteer experience at their sites.” Cassandra Meador, a volunteer with Fisher South residence hall who worked at the Laura Dester Shelter for children removed from unsafe or unstable homes, felt that her experience was easily worth her time. Between her group and the Society of Women Engineers, there were around 15 volunteers at the site helping to rebuild and secure a fence around the shelter. The work went fairly quickly, which meant the groups were able to spend time with the children at the shelter while waiting for transportation back to TU. Though Meador wishes that there was “more of a challenge in the actual job,” she enjoyed the opportunity to “play with the kids, attend a Tai Chi class with the kids, and even watch a little bit of Pokemon.” Brian Kwiecinski, who also worked at the Laura Dester Shelter, also appreciated the kindness of the staff for giving them some-
thing to do while waiting, but notes that “repairing and screening the fence only took about a little over an hour with all of the people that we had.” There also seemed to be, from Kwiecinski’s perspective, a lack of communication between people at the site that caused some initial issues. “[The contact we were given] was not even present at the shelter nor the staff member that we would be working with on the project. The other staff members were not even aware that we were helping out at the shelter on that day.” This experience, along with the small amount of work and the number of people at the event, left Kwiecinski feeling that “the entire event felt more like a way of saying that TU makes an impact in the surrounding community and spotlighting SA versus actually doing something for those in need and encouraging people to volunteer more than just once a year.”
a ‘striker.’ Also, large amounts of women missing work could backfire on the movement by creating animosity amongst coworkers.”
day are good and the organization is wholesome, but there exists a better way to solve the problems. When asked what she proposed instead, she didn’t know.
A Day Without a Woman: students hesitant to participate
Students say the boycott, planned for March 8 by the organizers of the Women’s March on Washington, could have unintended negative effects. Alex Garoffolo Apprentice Editor
According to the organizers’ website, on March 8, “women and our allies will act together for equity, justice, and the human rights of women … through a one day demonstration of economic solidarity.”
The organizers call for anyone, anywhere to help join the cause by taking the day off from work, avoiding shopping (except for at small businesses owned by minorities or women) and wearing red to stand in solidarity with women. A Day Without a Woman bases itself on the highly successful “A Day Without Immigrants” held nationwide on February 16 in response to President Trump’s travel ban executive orders. When asked if she was participating, senior Emma Diller said “Not really. I have never had issues of this nature at my workplace and I don’t consider myself much of
courtesy Wikimedia Commons
The protest was inspired by the success of the Women’s March and “Day Without Immigrants.”
“‘Getting fired is not on my agenda. However, I will wear red to support the cause.’” Sophomore Savanna Tryon agreed, taking her claim a bit further. “I like the idea, but for me as a student, not showing up to class or to my workplace is not practical. At its worst, large amounts of women not showing up to their jobs could turn outside observers against feminism as well. Getting fired is not on my agenda. However, I will wear red to support the cause.” The Women’s March organization claims the goal of the event is to “highlight the global power that women have in their communities while calling to attention the economic injustices they continue to face.” Its website further states that women as a whole must free themselves and society from the constant disproportionate awarding of “power, money, agency, resources” to masculinity. Mariah Pardo, a freshman, took the stance that it would be better for others to “see your worth by the work you create and do” than drawing attention to oneself with simply an absence. She also said that the goals of the
“A Day Without a Woman will not be successful without large backing and significant participation,” junior Katie Underwood responded when asked if she thought the day would accomplish its goals. “In a state like Oklahoma, you aren’t going to see large participation in something like this due to the overwhelming majority of conservatives. Other states like this one should be prepared for the same lack of response,” she continued. Add to that the fact that Oklahoma is a right to work state (meaning in many workplaces the state prohibits the formerly widespread practice of requiring a new hire to join a union) and one really sees the understandable fear a woman might have about not showing up to work. As Underwood put it, “I have a presentation next Wednesday. My professor is a woman. And if I skip class for International Women’s Day, she will still give me a zero on the presentation.” Just in case, she said she’d definitely wear red on March 8 to do her part.
TU Academic Bowl hosts first trivia tournament
Last Saturday, TU Academic Bowl hosted its first event, an on-campus trivia tournament which was open to teams from neighboring universities. Hannah Kloppenburg Editor-in-Chief
For Academic Bowl President Heather Morgan, TU Academic Bowl’s first tournament signals an opportunity for the organization to expand its horizons. “We’ve never hosted anything; we’ve always gone to tournaments but usually those are far away, like this year we went to one in Dallas and one in St. Louis. So … we thought maybe we’d host one and have something local for
schools to compete in,” she said. The tournament was held last Saturday. For those who may be unfamiliar with Academic Bowl (sometimes called Quiz Bowl), Morgan explained the premise of the club: “We compete in trivia competitions just for the fun. There’s a lot of great variety of subjects — a lot of those are academic, a lot is pop culture or sports, but subjects range from chemistry and … science to literature and things like opera or music.” Typically, she said, team members will focus on a certain subject or two, combining their talents to create a well-rounded and competitive team. Six teams attended Saturday’s tournament: one from Auburn University, one from Truman State, two from Redlands Community College and two from TU. “This is our first time ever hosting a tournament, so that was a really nice turnout,” Morgan commented.
Academic Bowl made the decision to charge a fee for entry. Half of the proceeds from the entry fees will be put into the team’s TU savings account to be used by future members. The other half will be donated to an academically-focused charity. “We’re probably going to donate that half to Kendall-Whittier,” Morgan clarified. “We’ve been in touch with them and we’re trying to figure out … where the money could best go to benefit them.” The tournament was structured as a double round robin in order to accommodate the relatively small number of teams and ensure that everyone had a chance to play multiple games. Throughout the tournament, moderators kept individual player statistics and gave prizes such as t-shirts and books to the top scorers at the end of the day. Redlands Community College (Team A) came in first, followed by TU A, Truman State University, TU B, Redlands Commu-
nity College B, and Auburn, in that order. Three of the top four individual player scorers were from TU. If you missed the tournament this weekend, fear not — Academic Bowl has a lot planned in the coming months. “Mid-April we’re hosting a middle school tournament for middle schoolers from around the state to come and compete, and then that will be their qualifying tournament to go to nationals,” Morgan said. “Right now no one in Oklahoma I guess is hosting a middle school tournament, and so they contacted us about doing that so that way the middle schools here in Oklahoma will have a chance to go to nationals.” “I’m really excited about that one,” she added with a smile. In this way, the organization plans to continue its outreach at TU and in Oklahoma as a whole.
Last issue, February 27, the article “TU awarded federal grant for sexual assault awareness and prevention” alleged that the grant would be used for sexual assault programming, when in reality the entire grant is being used to fund the positions of Program Coordinator and Victim Services Advocate.
The Collegian: 6
News
6 March 2017
Lottie Jane closes east wing after dip in enrollment
Low enrollment and an increase in housing capacity has incited administration to close off half of Lottie Jane. Amy Cairns Student Writer
Lottie Jane Mabee Hall, the all-female residence hall, was founded in 1947 and can house over 200 residents inside its walls. Currently, Lottie Jane has 110 residents, barely over half of its potential capacity. Because Lottie Jane has been lower than full occupancy for the past two years, University of Tulsa Housing has decided to close half of the building for the 2017-2018 school year. Lottie Jane will close the entire east half of the building and half of the “USide,” removing two whole floors from its availability, and cutting 90 available spaces from over 200. A few factors have contributed to the closing of Lottie Jane. After a spike in enrollment in 2014 and the closing of Fisher East, Housing Services found themselves short 100 spots. Because of this, the university decided to build Hardesty Hall, which provides 308 additional spots. This spike, however, did not become a trend, and enrollment went back to normal, causing lower occupancy in the residence halls. In 2014, Lottie Jane third floor alone had 54 residents, whereas in 2015, that same floor
only had 22 residents. Over the past few years, enrollment at the University of Tulsa has remained fairly steady, with 4,682 in 2014, and 4,563 in 2016. With the drops in enrollment, the ratio of male to female population has shifted from a 51 percent male, 49 percent female ratio in 2013 to a 56 percent male, 44 percent female breakdown in 2016. With the drop in female enrollment, Lottie Jane is having a hard time filling its rooms. Housing Services has taken some countermeasures to ensure occupancy, like disallowing student-staff members from having roommates, changing Fisher West Suites to singles and increasing advertising and incentives for residence hall living. This drop in enrollment is not a new issue; Housing Services had to close another residence hall many years back. Fisher East was a residence hall before it was closed and turned into offices. Closing all of Lottie Jane would cause an irreparable loss to the University — once a building is closed and repurposed, it’s nearly impossible to reverse this change. Kristen Davis, current 2nd East Resident Assistant, will be on the Lottie staff next semester. When asked about her opinion on the closing, Davis said “closing half the building will be an adjustment, but bringing residents physically closer together should create a much stronger community.” With its current occupancy, Lottie Jane won’t actually be losing any residents in the closing. The 110 residents currently residing in Lottie Jane are spread out across three floors on five wings. Starting next year,
In recent years, TU’s male/female ratio has grown to a larger disparity.
courtesy University of Tulsa
about the same number of residents will be in three floors on three wings, thus allowing residents to be closer together and a tighter community. Housing Services did not want to close all of Lottie Jane due to its great history and status at the university. Lottie Jane was one of the original residence halls on campus, and it continues to uphold traditional events and values, keeping part of the university’s history alive. Lottie Jane is the only allfemale residence hall on campus, offering a safe haven for those uncomfortable with mixed-gender housing.
Senior Resident Assistant Denisha Garner said “to lose Lottie is to lose a unique community for this campus. There’s a lot of tradition here, like SYR, our annual Spring Semi-Formal (March 25) which is open to all students.“ Due to losing half of its occupancy, Lottie Jane will also be losing half of its student staff. Lottie Jane had nine student staff members in 2015-2016, 8 in 2016-2017, and will be down to five in 2017-2018. Previously one of the largest student housing staffs on campus, Lottie will now have the smallest staff out of all the residence halls.
Short responded with “there is inequality in the system, but blacks must understand that while it should be an equal system, it is not. We must acknowledge that inequality and fight it.” Turner added that while income disparity is real in America, “many public schools face issues, including my community. We all [in Oklahoma] deal with
implied that giving special treatment to any group is inherently a link in the circle of inequality that oftentimes these groups cannot escape. Sloan countered his opinion, stating “equality is giving the same opportunities to everybody. African Americans in this nation have not had the same opportunities as whites for so long … I support affirmative action because every person in this country is not inherently equal.” The panel next responded to inquiries as to whether Black Lives Matter represented reverse racism against non-minority groups. Sloan responded that unlike civil rights movements of the past, “Black Lives Matter has no central leader. Therefore, we cannot tie the negative actions of a few to the goals of the movement as a whole.” Short had a different take, claiming “black anger at police brutality is justified, but it is not a way to get outside viewers on board with the cause. When negative actions are the ones most covered by the media, it is up to Black Lives Matter activists to positively express frustrations” knowing that the cameras will be upon them.
“Wake Up TU” spotlights race relations in modern America A student panel composed of members from the TU Young Democrats, TU College Republicans, Association of Black Collegians and Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity discussed questions about race in America. Alex Garoffolo Apprentice Editor “Is racism in America’s DNA?” The first question discussed on Monday evening’s Wake Up TU event set the tone for the evening. Presidents of the TU Young Democrats and College Republicans alternately asked questions concerning race in today’s America to a student panel composed of: Amanda Chastang (representing Association of Black Collegians), Brandon Short (representing the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity), John Turner (Treasurer of the College Republicans) and Kyla Sloan (representing the Young Democrats).
In response to that question, Chastang said that “we can’t ignore our nation’s past.” The Three-Fifths Compromise, the Rodney King beating, the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Dylann Roof’s racial attack in South Carolina show the progression of racial violence through present times. These events led Chastang to conclude that there
“‘The poor inherit the poverty of their parents, and the cycle continues.’” “is embedded racism” in American society. All panelists agreed. Next, the panelists tackled the question: Is the black community in America economically disadvantaged? Sloan claimed that yes, it really is. “The ‘pull yourself up from the bootstraps’ mentality comes from the ability to enjoy privilege in life,” she said. This privilege, according to her, is something that the black community never had. “The poor inherit the poverty of their parents, and the cycle continues,” Sloan stated.
bad textbooks and are hurt by low teacher salaries and failing districts. It is not simply a racial matter here: all kids in Oklahoma deserve better, regardless of race.” Discussing the issue of whether or not affirmative action (the policy of favoring members of a group who suffer from discrimination in admission to universities) is fair, Turner told the audience that he does not endorse the use of “special” programs, further claiming “affirmative action must be phased out for ultimate equality.” He
TU Rider Network builds strong biking community Manager Lauren Wagner explains TURN’s motivations and its offcampus inspirations. Nick Rethford Apprentice Editor Tucked away in the Office of the Provost in Collins Hall is the office of Lauren Wagner, a woman with a mission. Her mission is to promote a healthy and environmentally friendly lifestyle through the TU Rider Network, or TURN for short. Established in the spring of 2015, TURN has since built a strong foundation of positive impact here at the University of Tulsa. The idea for TURN came to Wagner from the League of American Bicyclists, a national cycling advocacy organization. “I heard about the Bicycle Friendly University program that they offer,” she explains. “It is designed to encourage institutions to start initiatives that support cycling, and I saw it as the perfect opportunity to start something like that here on campus.” Recognizing that the campus already had a solid infrastructure and the potential to become a thriving bike community, Wagner decided to create a system that would unify and connect all of the different aspects on campus. “There are a lot of features of TU that would make it a great biking community. The Yellow Bike Program has been in place for over ten years now, growing more popular every year. There are bike lanes all up and down Delaware that are perfect for commuting to and from campus. The new Oxley College of Health Sciences building downtown offers the perfect bike commute between campus and downtown,” Wagner explains. “The problem, though, was that they were all disconnected, so I decided to create TURN to have a central base that connects everything.” The first time Wagner applied to the Bicycle Friendly University program was in the fall of 2015, and the university received
TURN has hosted a number of events on campus, among them races and longer-distance rides.
a honorable mention. The program awards bronze, silver, gold and platinum statuses to universities, as well as honorable mentions. “The application was 25 pages long! We went through it page by page, researching and implementing a lot of the ideas found in it,” she explains. “We may have received an honorable mention that year, but it was common for universities who had never applied before to get that status. Regardless, it was a great learning experience.” She applied again in the fall of 2016 and earned the university the bronze status. Since its creation, TURN has led a number of initiatives to strengthen and support the biking community at TU. They had a Yellow Bike relay race at last year’s Springfest and the Employee Wellness and Benefit Fair last fall. They had a commuter race from campus to the Oxley College of Health Sciences building between a shuttle bus, Dr. Clancy on a bike and Goldie on the Goldie Mobile. While the shuttle bus may have won, Dr. Clancy came in a close second.
The race was meant to promote commuting on a bike between the two locations, which is only three miles and takes about twenty minutes. They also have a yellow bike booth at the Activities Fair every fall where students can learn about TURN as well as register their personal bikes if they have one. “Fun fact: every student with a personal bike must register it at the Parking and ID Services Office for a variety of reasons,” Wagner says. “Not only does it help campus security to know what to look for if the bike gets stolen but we also donate abandoned bikes. A lot students will graduate and leave their bikes behind, so it’s helpful to be able to contact them to see if this is really the case.” Thanks to the success of these initiatives, TURN has continued to grow and have an impact. But Wagner doesn’t plan on stopping there. She has plans for continuing to build and strengthen the university’s bike community by offering more fun events, including a bike-themed event for Hurri-
courtesy TURN Facebook page
cane Thursdays this fall, and by encouraging more students to get involved in TURN. “I would love to see more students get involved! Students can bring fresh ideas and perspectives to the table, which will help TURN grow,” she said. “We have a newsletter that students can subscribe to at utulsa. edu/TURN as well as my contact information if students are looking to get in contact with me directly.” At the end of the day, though, Wagner’s main goal is to just instill a love of cycling across campus and the Tulsa community. “The purpose of TURN is to promote cycling in every form,” she concludes. “Whether that be serious biking competitions or just an easy bike ride around the park, TURN is here to support that and create a safe place for it. And I think, with the help of the students and staff here at the University of Tulsa, we can really make that goal a reality.”
News
6 March 2017
ment to check on the student’s well-being. Officers found the student asleep on the couch. Officers found illegal substances inside the student’s apartment. Officers confiscated the illegal substances.
Feb. 7 1:25 p.m. While on routine patrol University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers received a report of a faculty member receiving a threatening phone call from an anonymous caller. The anonymous caller was a parent of a student and was upset about content discussed in class. The investigation is ongoing. Feb. 8 8:00 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to the Brown Village Lot to investigate a Hit and Run Motor Vehicle Accident. Officers identified the victim’s car and confirmed the damage. Officers were unable to locate the suspect vehicle. Feb. 9 9:40 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security were dispatched to Norman Village Apartments to investigate the welfare of a student. Officers arrived at the student’s apartment and knocked on the door twice with no answer. Officers then keyed into the student’s apart-
Feb 10 3:30 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security were dispatched to Mayo Village regarding a student refusing to leave a resident’s apartment. Upon arrival, the student was getting into a truck. Officers stopped the student and determined that the student was intoxicated and the truck did not belong to them. Officers escorted the student back to their own apartment and told them to remain there for the rest of the night. The key to the truck was returned to the owner. 10:40 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security were dispatched to University Square South Apartments in regards to loud music and people urinating off of a balcony. Upon arrival, Officers located the apartment with excessively loud music. Officers made contact with both residents and advised them that the party was being shut down due to someone urinating off of the balcony. Officers shut down the party and completed contact card. 9:30 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to Brown Village Apartments in regards to a smoke detector going off. Upon arrival, officers could smell
Nathan Gibbons Distribution Manager Kansas shooting survivor invited to India Ian Grillot, the American man who tried to intervene in a fatal attack on two Indian men in a Kansas bar last month, has been invited to India. Many Indians, including foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, widely praised Grillot as a hero. Last Thursday, Indian diplomats met with Grillot to invite him to visit India when he was able to. “We will stand with you,” Houston-based consul general Anupam Roy told Grillot. The 24-year old American said he had always found India interesting. “I think I’ve found myself a good reason to go there now,” he told the Hindustan Times. Grillot was hit by a bullet in the hand and chest when he tried to stop Navy veteran Adam Purington from shooting at Indian engineers Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani. Kuchibhotla was killed and Madasani was injured. Adam Purington has been charged with charges of first degree murder and two attempts of first degree murder.
Sentences for hate crimes in Georgia Two people have been found guilty of threatening a black family at a child’s birthday party in Georgia years ago. 26-year-old Jose Torres and 25-year-old Kayla Norton, both white, wept last Monday when their sentences were read by the Douglas County judge. They were given 13 years and six years in prison, respectively. The two were “motivated by racial hatred,” said Superior Court Judge William McClain. At least 15 people are charged over the incident in which a group named “Respect the Flag” arrived at a birthday party in July 2015 and threatened attendees’ lives. Jose Torres was brandishing a shotgun during the event and has been sentenced for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He and Norton were both sentenced for violating Georgia’s street gang and terrorism prevention laws. Melissa Alford, 47, hosted the party for multiple family members’ birthdays, including the upcoming birthday of a seven-year-old. “They terrorized us,” Alford said, “They pulled out guns and knives, called us racist slurs and they threatened to kill us. And that was terrifying.” Two others charged with threatening the party had pleaded guilty and were given shorter sentences.
Polish politician investigated for hate speech During a discussion of gender pay gap, Polish politician Janusz Korwin-Mikke said last Wednesday that women “must earn less than men, because they are weaker, they are smaller, they are less intelligent.” An independent of the European Parliament, KorwinMikke founded the right wing political party Coalition for the Renewal of the Republic, Freedom and Hope in 2015. Iratxe Garcia Perez of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party said of the comment, “I know it hurts and worries you that today women can sit in this house and represent European citizens with the same rights as you … I am here to defend all European women from men like you.” European Parliament President Antonio Tajani has launched an investigation under the basis of Rule 11 of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, according to a European Parliament statement given last Thursday. Rule 11 states “members’ conduct shall be (characterized) by mutual respect … members shall not resort to defamatory, racist or xenophobic language or (behavior) in parliamentary debates.” Penalties for violation of Rule 11 include a reprimand, fine and/or temporary suspension.
Calais mayor bans distribution of food to migrants Calais Mayor Natacha Bouchart, a member of the conservative Republican party, issued a decree last Wednesday banning any public gatherings of migrants or refugees in Calais, a city which has garnered attention since it began receiving migrants in 2015 due to the very visible suffering of its refugees. He argues that food distribution in the area has led to massive crowds and heightened tensions in the district. The ban effectively stops aid groups from distributing food to refugees and migrants within the French city. “These past few days, a regular and massive presence of individuals was noticed in the industrial zone of Dunes. This presence was due to the distribution of food to migrants,” Bouchart stated. Human rights and aids groups have criticized the ban. “We are appalled at the ban on distributing food to refugees in Calais, which deprives the most vulnerable people — including unaccompanied minors — of the basic human right to food,” said Sue Jex, head of UK Operations for the refugee support charity Care4Calais. The ban is part of a larger operation meant to avoid another makeshift refugee camp from forming only months after officials struggled to demolish the Calais “Jungle.”
The Collegian: 7
and see smoke through an already opened apartment door. The student said that they managed to put out the fire and shut their alarm off. The student said that their roommate left a cardboard box in the oven and that they did not know it was in there when they started to preheat the oven. Officers made sure the fire was completely out and ventilated the smoke out of the apartment. Feb. 11 12:30 a.m. While on routine patrol University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers observed an individual grab another individual around the head and neck area and drag them down a breezeway in Mayo Village. Officers separated the two individuals and it was determined that they were both students in a dating relationship. Tulsa Police Department (TPD) and the Housing Resident Director were contacted. TPD wrote a report for Domestic Violence. Officers were ensured that both individuals were staying in separate apartments for the night. Feb. 12 9:30 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity to investigate a possible missing person. Upon arrival officers made contact with a concerned parent stating their underage child was at a party last night on frat row. While Officers were searching for the child they learned that they had gone home with a current student. The child was found at the student’s residence and reunited with
their parents. They left campus without further incident. Feb. 13 2:30 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers towed a vehicle off campus from the McFarlin Lot. A vehicle was found parked contrary to university policy and officers verified that the vehicle had been previously tow warned. Towing of the vehicle was authorized by the on-duty supervisor. While Storey was in possession of the vehicle, the owner arrived on scene and paid for their vehicle to be released. 4:40 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers dispatched to Fisher West for found property. Upon arrival the officer was informed that a bullet was found while cleaning out a desk of a vacant office. The item was placed into the property locker and marked for destruction due to it being contraband. Feb. 14 2:00 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security were dispatched to the Law School. A 4-door car driven by an unidentified individual pointed a toy gun at a TU affiliate. Officers search the area but were unable to locate the subject’s vehicle. The Collegian does not produce or edit the Campus Crime Watch except for content and brevity.
Tuesday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. Lorton Hall, Room 301 Tackling Implicit Bias in Higher Education: An Interdisciplinary Panel Join SAVE and GRASP for an interdisciplinary panel discussion on the impact of implicit bias on higher education. Panel members are from clinical and industrial/organizational psychology, Black Law Association and SAVE. Light refreshments will be provided.
Wednesday, March 8 at 9:00-11:30 a.m. Helmerich Hall, North Room Employer Showcase and Classroom Visits: Grant Thornton All business students are welcome to visit with recruiters from Grant Thornton in Helmerich Hall Lobby, 9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. to learn more about available internships and full-time positions. Members of Beta Alpha Psi are encouraged to attend the monthly meeting and lunch provided by Grant Thornton from noon-1 p.m. in HELM 219.
Wednesday, March 8 at 12:00 p.m. Keplinger Hall 3030
Geosciences Seminar Dr. Rob Forkner, Statoil Research Center, Austin, TX, will speak on the subject of “Oceanic Anoxic Events: Research results from an industry perspective.” Wednesday, March 8, at 12:00-1:00 p.m. Helmerich Hall 105 Personal Investing Strategies for Students & New Alumni Steve Wyett, Chief Investment Strategist, Private Wealth for BOK Financial will be talking to college students and recent graduates about personal investing strategies. Food will be provided.
Wednesday, March 8 at 4:00-6:00 p.m. Dietler Commons
Puppy Playday This is a group project for a management class. We are partnering with Tulsa ASPCA and TU Students for Animal Welfare. We will bring the animals to campus and display them on the Old U. For $1 to be donated to ASPCA, students can play with the puppies as great stress relief from classes and exams.
Thursday, March 9 at 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Allen Chapman Student Union
Drama Festival All students in Primary 1 and up will participate in our annual Drama Festival, which will be held at the Allen Chapman Student Union. Performances are given twice - once during the day at 9:00 a.m. and again in the evening at 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 9 at 7:30-9:00 p.m. Lorton Performance Center, Meinig Hall Concerts with Commentary: Poetry and Prose The University of Tulsa School of Music continues its Concerts with Commentary series with a program of vocal and instrumental chamber music entitled “Poetry and Prose.” Soprano Judith Raiford, cellist Diane Bucchianeri, and pianist Brady McElligott will present Vincent Persichetti’s cycle, A Net of Fireflies, based on Japanese haiku verse, as well as songs for cello and soprano by Jake Heggie, and the premiere of a trio based on texts of Eugene Field with the composer at the piano. The Collegian does not produce all event descriptions in the Community Calendar. Contact us at news@tucollegian.org with events.
the Collegian: 8
Variety
6 March 2017
Dirty Projectors take a drastically different turn with rhythmic, beat-driven new album David Longstreth removes the guitars and backup singers in favor of deeply thematic, if not clunky, lyrical content on “Dirty Projectors,” the artist’s self-titled seventh album. Ethan Veenker Apprentice Editor “Hold up,” begins David Longstreth on the song “Death Spiral.” As the track charged into full swing, those words pretty accurately described my reaction to this album. “Dirty Projectors” is the seventh studio album by the band of the same name. Of course, calling Dirty Projectors a band nowadays is not nearly as accurate as calling it “David Longstreth and others.” Dirty Projectors reached their most mainstream success with “Stillness is the Move,” a leading single from their 2010 album “Bitte Orca,” back when they could still be considered a true band. At that point there was still a rather solid group. Longstreth would later refer to the people that toured their next album, “Swing Lo Magellan,” as his family: his definitive version of Dirty Projectors. Longstreth had the the deepest connection to one specific member of this family: Amber Coffman, a guitarist/backup-singer for Dirty Projectors, for whom “Stillness is the Move” was written. The band never
core. There was no guitar, no vocal harmonies — just Longstreth and a piano. Or so it seemed. It’s a rather somber and depressing track; this is in no way assisted by the fact that Longstreth’s vocals are pitched extremely down. This seemed a shame at first, given that he is a ridiculously talented male vocalist (someone I’d put at the top of the indie scene in that regard), but the reasoning behind this choice was soon evident. An overwhelming sense of melancholy could be derived from the track, and as it went on, seeming to consist only of depressive vocals and piano chords, a beat kicked in — an electronic beat, something you’d hear in a hip hop song. It started off simple, just a few toms here and there. Soon, a shaker was added, and by the time we got to the refrain it had completely fallen through as a banger-of-a-beat with impressive upward sweeps from a self-conceived sample. “Keep Your Name” was suddenly an R&B song. It was rather unexpected and, as stated earlier, rather divisive. That’s what this album is, put simply. It’s an electronic R&B album; it’s beat-driven, conservatively complemented with physical instrumentation. It’s also fairly easy to determine what the album is about, given that the first line of the first song is “I don’t know why you abandoned me.” Each song seems to be Longstreth making a reflection on his relationship with Amber Coffman. Unfortunately, the lyrics are the weakest aspect of this record. Longstreth is known for
“That’s what this album is, put simply. It’s an electronic R&B album; it’s beat-driven, conservatively complemented with physical instrumentation.” quite reached stardom, so the specifics of their relationship was kept rather well hidden, especially their separation. No one really knows when it happened — a rather nice deviation from the norm when it comes to artists’ privacy — but it’s clear that “Dirty Projectors” is a nearly-solo breakup album. In late 2016, Dirty Projectors released “Keep Your Name,” the first single and first track of the album. It featured Dirty Projectors in a way that had never before been heard. The height of their popularity had come from their intricately composed guitarwork and vocal harmonies. Their nearly arrhythmic style had helped to create an entirely unique sound that was all their own, a sound that listeners either hated or loved. The reaction to “Keep Your Name” was positive for the most part, but divisive at its
rather poetic vocals on past efforts: nothing pretentiously undecipherable, but also not entirely blunt. “Dirty Projectors” is filled with lines that leave no room for digging. “I don’t think I ever loved you,” “that was some stupid shit,” “our love is in a death spiral,” “all I have is my love of love,” and “cool your heart,” just to list a few. David Longstreth makes no effort to mask what this album could possibly be. It’s clearly a breakup album, and he’s clearly under constant emotional duress as a result of said breakup. The lyrical bluntness, however, keeps the album from harboring the punch it’s entirely capable of. That all being said, the criticisms being made, this is a damn good record. “Keep Your Name,” while a polarizing song, is one of the best on the album. It lost
courtesy Domino Records
Brooding but sometimes cheesy, “Dirty Projectors” looks back on a failed relationship.
its punch for me when I first listened to the album, due to me having played the single on repeat for so many months, but its gooey R&B goodness is one of the highest — and thankfully one of the first — moments on the record. “Death Spiral” has a beat that could kill, with Longstreth rapping in his own deliberate and contained style. The bridge of the track feels like it could have been pulled straight from a Kanye West song. “Up in Hudson,” clocking in at seven-and-a-half minutes, is probably the best track on the record. Jam-packed with strings and brass, it balances the physical with the electronic nearly perfectly and has probably the least-cheesy lyrics of the entire album. The entire song works as a narrative to how Longstreth and Coffman met, fell in love and even how Longstreth wrote “Stillness is the Move” for her. “Little Bubble” serves as the token slow track, oozing with drippy and bubbly effects and a smooth beat that one may find oneself involuntarily lulling their head to. “Ascent Through Clouds” is probably the most unique track on the record. It starts with wistful and, for lack of a better description, cloudy vocals from Longstreth, and as it seems the song is fading into a close, a glitched-out beat kicks in like some sort of mutated IDM song. It builds up and up, threatening to break some unseen barrier between music and noise before it falls silent and Longstreth’s soft vocals seep
back into the listener’s ears. The final track, “I See You,” is perhaps the most unfitting, but is also definitely a grower. A smooth drum beat and church-like hammond organ lead us into the track, the latter being the overwhelming leading-feature of the track. Eventually, as the track drags on, the dissonant organ starts to sound better and better, and Longstreth’s vocals plastered on top of it become cozy and relaxing. Beyond the musical aspect, however, this song reigns as the ever-important closer to the story. This was a breakup album. As Longstreth repeats in “I See You:” “The projection is fading away,” perhaps alluding to Dirty Projectors itself. None of the “Swing Lo Magellan” family are present for this record, but they are all mentioned in the thank-yous of the liner notes, with Amber Coffman preceding all the other names. The entire track is accepting, forgiving and heartfelt. It’s an uplifting song. “The projection is fading away, and in its place, I see you.” Longstreth finally moves on with this track, finally finishing the poignant if not rather preachy message the album set out to broadcast. It’s honestly a perfect ending to the album and contrasts deliciously with the first track, “Keep Your Name.” In this meditative finale, Longstreth makes an ever-applicable observation, a realization that lifts weights off shoulders and sets gazes to the future: “I believe the love we made is the art.”
RAW Open Mic an engaging outlet for TU’s aspiring poets TU’s Reading and Writing Club showed off impressive, vivid poetry with a wide range of themes. James Whisenhunt Commentary Editor Last Wednesday, instead of the group’s standard weekly meeting, TU’s Reading and Writing Club held an Open Mic Night event. The event was held in the Student Union Alcove, which fit the group’s modest needs (16 chairs and two tables for food and a presentation signup sheet) very well. One complaint I had from the start was how long it took for the event to begin. I arrived a few minutes late, around 7:05, but the readings didn’t start until 7:18. The event itself went from that point until around 7:46, which means a 28 minute event took 18 minutes to begin. It certainly didn’t detract from the event itself, but it would be nice to have a more strict event schedule. The event itself consisted of about 10 people presenting anywhere between one and three poems they had written. Themes and inspirations ranged from love and childhood nostalgia to thematic recreations of
popular rap albums. One person also performed an acapella rap of Twenty One Pilots’ “Car Radio,” in what may have been one of the most unexpected throwbacks to the Hot Topic days I’ve worked so hard to distance myself from. Generally, most of the presenters had the same strengths and weaknesses. Among the writers’ strengths was their use of colorful descriptions to conjure up vivid images. I was impressed by how multiple poets were able to take the same theme in different directions, and I never had a moment where it seemed to me like a particular line didn’t fit together with the others. The general weakness was a lack of performance energy to accompany the readings. Often, people were simply reading directly from their papers or phones without much inflection change or emphasis on particular lines or words. The poems themselves were solid, but the levels of physicality and emotion that take a simple reading and make it a performance weren’t present. Of course, quality performance comes with practice, which is exactly what RAW is providing. Even though I just listened, I enjoyed the event and it provides good experience and opportunity for community and feedback among TU’s poets.
tucollegian@tucollegian.org editor-in-chief
Hannah Kloppenburg managing editor
Giselle Willis Cuauhtle news editor
Michaela Flonard sports editor
Matt Rechtien variety editor
Trenton Gibbons commentary editor
James Whisenhunt satire editor
Sam Chott photo & graphics editor
Elias Brinkman
business & advertising manager
Paul Moses
social media manager
Kayleigh Thesenvitz web manager
Sam Chott
distribution managers
Nathan Gibbons, Adam Lux and Trenton Gibbons
The spoken pieces filled the room like a pen fills paper.
courtesy Pixabay
@TUCollegian
The Collegian is the student newspaper of the University of Tulsa. It is distributed Mondays during the fall and spring semesters, except during holidays and final exam weeks. The University of Tulsa does not discriminate on the basis of personal status or group characteristics including but not limited to the classes protected under federal and state law. Inquiries regarding implementation of this policy may be addressed to the Office of Human Resources, 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104-9700, 918-631-2616. Requests for 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.
Variety
6 March 2017
the Collegian: 9
Tulsa author tackles Tulsa Race Riots in newest novel Jennifer Latham discusses how the characters in her new novel represent Tulsa’s history. Michaela Flonard News Editor After Jennifer Latham’s first novel, “Scarlett Undercover,” which featured a Muslim-American girl as the face of a hardboiled detective agency, she’s moved onto a topic closer to home — the Tulsa Race Riots. Latham’s newest book, “Dreamland Burning,” is a mystery set in two periods, one during 1921 and one set today. To tell the story, Latham created two characters. Rowan Chase provides the modern voice of a 17-year-old mixed race girl whose parents are a prominent African-
pean-Americans, who had come out to try to make a fortune in the oil boom, and … Native Americans because this was Native American land. They were moved here by the government.” “To tell the story about the race riot, race war, race massacre ... I had to have a really diverse array of characters,” she said. Both of the characters struggle with privilege of different kinds. According to Latham, Rowan is moreso grappling with that, as she comes from wealth. “She’s perceived as African-American when she goes out, because her skin’s brown … but she’s also someone who’s had a lot of sheltering by her parents and is grappling with a lot of the privilege that a lot of white teenagers also grapple with.” Although one of Rowan’s friends, James, is aromantic asexual, Latham said “I didn’t consciously choose to have to have an asexual or transgender character, it’s just who
“Latham said she aims to create a cast of diverse characters to mimic life.” American lawyer and the scion of a rich oil family. Will Tillman, then, is the voice of the past, as a 17-year-old-mixed race boy who’s part Native American and part Caucasian. Rowan’s main aim throughout the novel is finding out more about the skeleton discovered behind her home during construction, while Will faces conflicting pressures from a local Ku Klux Klan member and a burgeoning friendship with two locals from Greenwood. Latham said she aims to create a cast of diverse characters to mimic life. With “Scarlett Undercover,” she wanted to write a hardboiled detective story and cared about how Muslim-Americans were being treated at the time. “My kids are in school with a lot of Muslim-American kids, and they’re just their friends. I wasn’t seeing those kids being depicted in the national media,” she said. With “Dreamland Burning,” Latham said her “job was to make some really horrific historical events come alive. So I had to find a way to recreate that world in a way that would let readers connect with it emotionally.” Her characters reflect the makeup of Tulsa — “Tulsa was made up of AfricanAmericans who had Greenwood … Euro-
James ended up being. I didn’t decide to have that kind of diversity, it just was how James was.” After writing these characters, Latham had sensitivity readers review the manuscript and comment on her portrayal. These included a biracial (African-American and white) author and members of the Native American community. Between the two narratives, Latham admitted the 1921 narrative was easier. “I think Rowan was harder because it’s really raw, like the violence against unarmed people is really hard to grapple with. I also know more kids like Rowan, so it was harder to come up with a fictional version that didn’t draw too much on the kids I knew. So I struggled with her parts more.” Additionally, she favored “writing Will’s old fashioned way of speaking; it’s how my grandparents spoke — all the silly things he said, it’s things my grandparents say.” While Latham has written many diverse characters before, she acknowledged that if someone doesn’t feel comfortable writing like that they shouldn’t do it. But to her, writing that way is her job. “Everybody I write is made up, but they have to have roots in the experiences of real people,” she said, “So my job is to imagine myself in the shoes
of other people around me in order to bring the world around me to life.” She pointed out that “I am a white cisgendered woman. If I could only populate my books with white cisgendered women, they would be so one-dimensional and boring, and I wouldn’t want to read them. So I want to write the world I see around me, the world I care about, a diverse world.” The book took about five and a half years in total to write, with the first three years dedicated to research. Latham started her research at McFarlin Library’s Special Collections, which houses some of the remaining legal documents of the time. From there, she moved to the internet, gathering information from the Tulsa Historical Society, the CityCounty Library and recordings of survivors. These recordings shaped her characters the most, as they gave the perspective of those who had lived through the Race Riots, both those in Greenwood and white Tulsans. Some local teachers and librarians have already seemed interested in teaching “Dreamland Burning,” but Latham hopes to get the book to as many Tulsan school kids as possible. She hopes it “has enough of an emotional impact that it sticks with them, and they even want to go out and find a little bit more and connect what happened in 1921 with some of the things that are happening right now.” Her inspiration for the book arose from her work with younger kids. Although trained as a school psychologist, Latham taught seventh and eighth grade English when her school needed a teacher. During her tenure, she took her class to the Greenwood Cultural Center. When there, she said that “One of the two hallways in the center has pictures of survivors and I was walking down that hallway, with kids twelve to thirteen … but it made me say, this is a story I really want these kids to connect to.” A few fiction and nonfiction accounts surrounding Greenwood exist, but as the event isn’t widely known, there are much fewer than other historical traumas like WWII or the sinking of the Titanic. Latham hopes this will begin to change, saying “I’d love to see a lot of books about Greenwood so it can be told from all sorts of different perspectives. This is something authors of color, I’d love to see embrace it; high school kids, I hope it inspires them to talk to their families, find family history and write about it, because that’s a perspective I can’t represent.” Musician John Legend is currently producing a show on Greenwood, set to air
courtesy Little Brown Books for Young Readers
The book primarily follows two diverse characters.
in 2018. Broadway may also soon feature something around the topic, as a playwright and musician in New York reached out to Latham because he’s interested in doing a hip-hop play about the subject. “Dreamland Burning” is pitched as a young-adult novel, but Latham doesn’t believe that college students should avoid it. “The only reason it’s shelved with YA is because the publisher has to decide where to shelf it. So the characters are in their teens but there’s nothing watered down about the violence and racism.” Further, “I wouldn’t say send your fifth grader to read it because there’s racial slurs, there’s violence. It’s not a kids’ book.” Latham’s newest book integrates both time periods effortlessly, leading readers to flip quickly between the time periods. Rowan’s story is most relatable to readers, as she deals with figuring out college preparations. Her experiences in modern Tulsa reference local sights and knowledge, making her part even more relatable to locals. Will’s part, by contrast, brings back images of the past, both nostalgic and horrifying. As for her next book, Latham is looking into World War Two as a potential subject. She plans to potentially tie two time periods together again, but focus on kids in the United States during the war and how they deal with the draft taking loved ones.
Had a better Spring Break than this guy...?
...send us your photos at tucollegian@tucollegian.org and we’ll feature them in an upcoming issue!
The Collegian: 10
Commentary
6 March 2017
LEGISLATIVE
DIGEST
Raven Fawcett Apprentice Editor
The Legislative Digest looks at the bills and resolutions passed by Oklahoma’s state legislators in the last week.
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Legislation, in the form of bills (a term which here means rules people have to follow) and resolutions (a term which here means “Congress knows a thing, see how much they know about it”), is read during Congressional sessions. To oversimplify a bit, Congress votes on legislation or passes it to committees who have more time for and expertise on relevant subjects and who can then give the larger governing body an opinion on how they should vote. Committees are a battleground for bills. SR 3: Last week, football got a standing ovation in the form of Senate recognizing the state championship winners. This week, Senate shows their diverse interests by passing a resolution to acknowledge the Wilburton Diggers’ Academic Team Championship win. The government might not be passing legislation to keep schools afloat, but at least they still recognize academic achievement. HB 1845: REAL IDs are finally here in Oklahoma, caps lock and all. IDs that are compliant with the Department of Homeland Security’s REAL ID Act have more security measures, such as physical details that make fake IDs easier to spot, and include all necessary personal information that administrators can use to keep track of potential fraud Their status is clearly marked on the ID itself. Noncompliant IDs are less secure (they do not have the same small marks or technological integration) and not accepted as proof of ID for federal procedures after 2020 in Oklahoma, as the state has a limited extension from the federal government to institute these changes. Noncompliant IDs are still okay to use in voting procedures, but people will likely need to bring an alternate form of ID or a compliant ID with them to airports starting January 22, 2018, the deadline the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has decided upon. The bill is 33 pages and dictates the allocation of funds raised from IDs and policy nitpicking. SB 349: Republican Senator David Holt proposed a failed pre-registration act that would allow 16-year-olds to register to vote in elections when they turn 18. Before they can truly understand the horror of the mid-semester summons for jury duty, kids could fill out the paperwork to vote starting at 16 years old. The paperwork would stay on file and applicants could change their details (address, for instance) as necessary with a driver’s license or other form of identification. Those who participated would not have to do anything once they turned 18. Instead, they would automatically be registered to vote. Was the bill vital to the functioning of our democracy? Absolutely not. But it would have given people a better chance to register in time for their first election and maybe increase voter turnout. SB 37: The committee on education failed a bill that would require schools to have classes at least five days a week except on weeks with holidays, weather permitting. The questions we have to ask ourselves here are why did Republican Senator Kyle Loveless feel the need to write a bill like this, and why did the education committee not more seriously consider it? Most pressingly, what is being done to help schools in Oklahoma, as they are clearly suffering? Time will tell how the education system will survive, but it seems Oklahoma congresspeople won’t be the ones to do the talking about possible solutions. SB 611: Senator Gary Stanislawski introduced the failed Senate Bill 611, which would have allowed charter school students to participate in extracurricular activities at their local public school. No mention was made about scheduling conflicts or transportation guidelines in the bill itself. Would charter students have to leave classes early to try out for sports at a public school? Would they have enough interested students to create a separate team? The bill does not address key issues that one would expect a legislator, who is paid to think about these things, to take into account. Inevitably, red tape would spring up if the bill had been passed. Recreational leagues organized by the city are also real and available to charter students. Bills like this serve no purpose and only serve to waste governmental time, even if they do make the bill’s writer seem more productive to constituents. SB 747: The failure of Senate Bill 747, proposed by physician-turned-legislator Senator Ervin Yen, is a loss for him but a win for uterus-havers statewide. The bill aimed to limit the presence of midwives during births where the parent had a cesarian section for a previous child. Women could still give birth at home, but midwives — who are trained to help people give birth, even in cases where there is an increased risk of problems due to a previous c-section — would not be legally allowed to be present. There are better ways to ensure safety during childbirth, ones that do not increase the medical risk of births.
County-level liquor laws promote democracy
SB 221 benefits local communities by giving them power to decide when liquor stores in their counties should be open. Nathan Hinkle Student Writer A new bill would allow each of the 77 counties in Oklahoma to vote on whether liquor stores will be able to open from noon to midnight on Sunday. Senate Bill 211 was put forward by Senator Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma City. This bill by Senator Bice is a continuation of previous bills that she has previously set forward to revamp Oklahoma’s alcohol laws. Each county will have the ability to either enact the bill or put it away. This bill is a continuation of the current trends on alcohol that were started by State Question 792. State Question 792 allowed full strength alcohol in grocery stores. This new bill seeks to settle the unequal balance between grocery stores and liquor stores. Because of State Question 792, grocery stores could be seen as better liquor stores in 2018 because they have the ability to be open on Sundays as well as being able to sell full strength alcohol. Bryan Kerr, president of the Oklahoma Retail Liquor Association, stated during an interview with NewsOK that this new bill “would level the playing field a little for me. It’s just another piece of making things at least a little closer to fair if and when grocery and convenience stores begin selling wine and beer.” There is also another reason why Sen-
ate Bill 211 is countyby-county instead of the general state. There are currently 18 counties in Oklahoma that are known as dry counties. This means that restaurants and bars can only sell low point beer — between 0.5 and 3.2 ethanol per weight. Through this county-by-county bill, the people of a certain community can choose the procedures that properly fit their communities. This allows dry counties to keep their current policies in place while allowing other counties in Oklahoma to make up their own opinions on the subject. This method of voting hopefully makes the debate local rather than statewide. Oklahoma’s current laws on alcohol are connected to its birth. When the state of Oklahoma was a mix of Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory, alcohol was not
graphic by Elias Brinkman
Giving each county its own say in determining liquor store laws allows people more power over the decisions that affect them directly.
ritories because, according to Oklahoma historian Bob Blackburn, “they wanted to protect the Indians whose lands had been allotted in severalty, allotted on land that was individually owned. They said you’ve got to keep alcohol out.” This law and the work
“Other people in different counties can have vastly different opinions than me and both of us can vote for what we personally believe in.” officially allowed in Indian Territory in an attempt to stem the rampant alcoholism many Native Americans experienced. This would later become a problem in 1907 when Oklahoma attempted to become a state. Congress argued that alcohol could not be brought into the former Indian ter-
of prohibitionist Oklahomans eventually created a law in the Oklahoma Constitution that banned alcohol besides low point beer. Blackburn stated, “the theory is that you can’t get drunk on 3.2 beer.” In the modern era, prohibition laws like these are less widely supported and should be replaced
with laws that fit the population better. Therefore, this bill allows each county to decide attributes of their own communities. This bill promotes the process of democracy in which people get to vote with their fellow citizens over how they think their communities should be run. I personally think that liquor stores should be open on Sundays because it is fair to the liquor store owner and gives people the ability to both receive a wanted product and help out the local economy. However, regarding this bill, other people in different counties can have vastly different opinions than me and both of us can vote for what we personally believe in. The ability to state one’s opinion of issues that affect one’s livelihood and wellbeing is the essence of democracy and should be supported in potential bills like this one.
6 March 2017
Commentary
The Collegian: 11
Oil tax cuts to blame for lack of school funding
Schools have lost their final funding safety net, and the only solution is fixing the state’s broken tax policy for oil companies. Kayleigh Thesenvitz Social Media Manager Amidst ever-dwindling school funding, a new budget concern has appeared. In addition to the 60 million dollar reduction in appropriated funds for common education from the 2016 to 2017 fiscal years, the 1017 Fund, also known as the Education Reform Revolving Fund, has dried up. The 1017 Fund generated money from taxes that were used directly for education without having to be funneled through the often politically charged appropriations process. In the last few years, Oklahoma’s education system has been dependent on cash reserves created by that fund in order to sustain themselves while the state’s economy flounders. However, those cash reserves are gone, and even if the economy were to magically improve, schools would not be able to collect any of the money they would have received from the fund. I feel like I’m stuck in a situation where all of the news articles and editorials I’ve ever written about education are now a glowing neon sign that reads, “I told you so,” and I find no self-righteous joy in saying that. Oklahoma is so broke that any sort of reappropriation of state funds would do more harm than good. The top ten receivers of state funds in order are: common education ($2.46 billion), health care ($991 million), higher education ($810 million), human services ($651 million), corrections ($484.9
million), mental health ($324.8 million), transportation ($154.9 million), career tech ($118.3 million), juvenile affairs ($92 million), public safety ($89 million), and all the other government agencies combined (nearly 200) only receive $634.9 million. While those numbers seem large, a glance at the commentary section on any given week will tell you just how much Oklahomans with mental health issues suffer, how overcrowding affects Oklahoma jails, or how awful road conditions are. The problem in our state isn’t that there are some public sectors taking the available money from everyone else, rather that there is simply not enough money to go around. Cutting funding to other agencies would also contribute to a self-defeating cycle. Much of those funds go into the pockets of government workers in those agencies. If you cut their pay, or their jobs entirely, you make it harder on them to be consumers in the marketplace and generate revenue for the state. Any Republican pundit will tell you that what this state needs is to get the economy going again, and they’re right. The state generates revenue from taxes, and you can’t get taxes without a healthy economy. However, the solution the Republican party has been putting forward for years now is to cut taxes on business, especially big business like oil and natural gas, and that solution has almost singlehandedly led to the problems we have today. In 2014 the oil and natural gas industry was looking great, like the world’s purest batch of heroin. So what did Oklahoma do? We cut taxes on the oil and natural gas industry all the way down to just one percent on production for horizontally drilled wells and provided various other exemptions and incentives to get companies to choose Oklahoma over other states. And can you guess what happened next? Every major oil company in the US came to Oklahoma, just like Republicans hoped. However, taxes were so low that the state actually made $282 million less than it could have had they not changed the tax structure in 2014, and in 2015 the state lost $379 million, according to OK Policy.
Right now, however, Oklahoma is too addicted to care. We know the right solution. We can’t cut any more taxes because there are no more taxes to cut. We can’t increase
heal our economy by continuing to give tax breaks to companies that will exploit our generosity and give us nothing in return. Oklahoma needs progressive taxation on
“We can’t cut any more taxes, because there are no more taxes to cut.” sales taxes anymore without suffocating consumers. We know we need rehab, but like Amy Winehouse we say, no, no, no. Republican pundits cling on to the idea that if we raise taxes on the oil industry they will leave, and the Oklahoma economy will be worse off than it is now. Once again, they are right. However, just like a heroin addiction, the only way the state is going to be able to stop our self-defeating dependence on oil is to quit it cold turkey. We cannot
business, and incentives for entrepreneurship and small business growth, but we can’t even begin to pursue those kinds of policies until we can get the oil industry to stop leeching our natural resources without paying for them. We cannot fix our roads, provide for our families, treat our mentally ill or fund our public schools until we come to terms with and bring an end to our harmful addiction to oil.
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6 March 2017
The State-Run Media
the
State-Run media Wiretaps are the new interviews.
SA misinterprets student, brings in NEEDTOBREATHE for Springfest
courtesy Vimeo
Gonzalez didn’t even ask her roommate if it was a good time to get sick.
Student gets flu, doesn’t even consider roommate’s feelings An inconsiderate TU student got the flu during midterms. State-Run reporters talked to the victim, her roommate. Hannah Kloppenburg Chugging Emergen-C Sophomore Heather Phillips was shocked to discover last Tuesday morning that her roommate Sara Gonzalez had had the gall to emerge from her bedroom with a particularly bad case of the flu. The State-Run Media was able to interview Phillips in her apartment shortly after the discovery. “I just can’t believe she would do this to me,” Phillips scoffed, looking derisively at her wheezing, runny-nosed roommate, who was curled up on the couch under several layers of blankets. “I mean, she knows I have a bunch of tests coming up this week. It’s really inconsiderate of her to expose me to the flu during midterms. Who DOES that?”
“It’s just plain dumb of her to get the flu during this time of year,” she continued as Gonzalez feebly attempted to drag a box of tissues toward herself. “Like, she definitely wasn’t washing her hands enough.” “She probably wasn’t taking extra vitamin C, either, even though I told her she needed to,” Phillips said, sighing heavily and with an air of superiority. “I just can’t believe she would pull a stunt like this after all we’ve been through together as roommates. It’s really selfish of her, honestly.” “I hope you heard that. You’re honestly being really disrespectful of our friendship,” she snapped at her roommate, who was beginning to shiver violently despite the warm weather and the blankets she had wrapped around herself. Gonzalez was unavailable for comment, as every time the StateRun reporter attempted to interview her, she was racked with coughing fits and unable to form a comprehensible response.
graphic by Elias Brinkman
Randall McStephens, seen here at the moment of the announcement.
While SA was announcing the Springfest band, an asthma attack was misinterpreted as a call for the band “NEEDTOBREATHE.” Amy Cairns Professional breather Reporters at the State-Run Media sat down with the Springfest Advisory Board to find out just how they selected this year’s musical guest. Randall McStephens, Student Association Music Expert, met with the rest of the Springfest Advisory Board to discuss potential bands for the 2017 Annual Springfest Concert. With the previous year’s concert being such a hit, SA had a lot of pressure on their shoulders to pick a band that would bring in a massive crowd. “We were really excited to hear what Randall had to say, he’s always right at the top of the trends, and always knows what music is
in,” Springfest Advisor Mariah Ludd told reporters at the StateRun Media. “Music is his life. He gets so into it.” A reporter from the State-Run Media was able to attend the exclusive Springfest meeting. McStephens approached the front of the room, and began his speech. “Alright fellow Springfesters, we need to pick the hottest band possible, we have a rep to protect, and I know just the band.” As McStephens finished his sentence, the lights dimmed, and smoke began to creep around the floor. McStephens, clearly making his suggestion as dramatic as possible, began grasping at his chest, and gasping for air. He frantically looked around the room, before running to his backpack, searching for an unknown object. “He loves to be dramatic,” said SA Representative Chloe Johnstown. “He has to be as overzealous as possible, it’s just who he is. None of us were surprised by his behavior.” McStephens, still frantic, returned to the front of the room, and began to make choking ges-
tures, as he started to slowly turn blue. “He’s going to announce it via charades! Genius!” cried Johnson. “Okay… he’s pretending to choke… breathing?” McStephens gestured at his lungs, and made squeezing motions at his mouth before ultimately collapsing. “Breathe? The British pop band?” cried Ludd, overly excited by this game. “No! I got it! NEEDTOBREATHE!” The members of the Springfest Advisory Board cheered, excited that they had solved the mystery. “We didn’t even need to come up with another suggestion, everyone was so pleased by McStephens’ performance,” said Ludd. “Even Randall passed out from the excitement! We had to call Campus Security to come revive him. This concert is gonna be legendary!” After the meeting, McStephens informed reporters that he hadn’t intended for that to be the band, that he was in fact having an asthma attack, and needed his inhaler. “I was going to suggest Nickelback… but I guess this works too.”
just get put in a pile in Red Room, but every Mike Pence sees them he goes into work he feels a tinge of regret.
Male Genitalia.” More recently, Mike Pence has taken advantage of his proximity to Trump to sign “Executive Order 13771: Gay People, Just Knock It Off Please, Nobody Appreciates That Stuff.”
Fast Facts: All you need to know about executive orders Executive orders can be hard to understand; we liked them under Obama, but now we don’t like them? Here’s what you need to know about this mysterious presidential power. Sam Chott Checker and balancer Don’t have time to skim the first paragraph of a Wikipedia article? Thanks to the tireless efforts of State-Run researchers, you can now grab some Fast Facts™ and get on with your day!
2. Each president gets exactly three executive orders. While the orders’ powers are broad, they cannot be used to get more executive orders, change the rules of executive orders, or travel to a universe the same as this one but with higher executive order limits.
3. Executive orders are traditionally written in the blood of the president, to symbolize sacrifice to the nation. Barack Obama sparked controversy when he switched to red ink for sanitary and archival purposes. During his campaign, Donald Trump promised to use his own blood, but after his election refused to allow the press to DNAtest his orders.
“Anyone who can get into the Oval Office... can sign an executive order” 1. The first president to use an executive order was James Buchanan, who executively ordered everyone to not do a civil war. It did not work.
4. The Constitution permits the use of executive orders in Article II, Section 3, Clause 5, but you can only see it if you squint really hard until the phrase “[the presi-
dent] shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed,” looks like “the president can just say things and they turn into laws.”
5. If you find yourself targeted by one of Donald Trump’s executive orders, try to get as far away as possible while he charges up. If you get hit, mash the A button to regain control before he follows up with a combo attack. 6. The only way to undo an executive order is to burn the skeleton of a former president by the light of the full moon. Grover Cleveland, having been two presidents, can be used to undo two executive orders, but his body can only be found by following a series of clues, and no one wants to deal with that.
8. Anyone who can get into the Oval Office and get to the president’s desk can sign an executive order. This allowed Al Gore to put “Executive Order 13034: Providing Funds For A Documentary About Global Warming” into action in 1998, and Dick Cheney’s unsuccessful “Executive Order 13395: Change Slang Referring To
t h e time a s
7. If you have a problem with an executive order, send a letter to the White House! If you send a physical letter, it’s harder for them to ignore it. Letters are never read, and Trump, bringing his executive powers to bear.
9. Executive orders are subject to many checks and balances, such as... uh... Now you know everything you need to know about executive orders! Check out the next article in our Fast Facts series, “All you still need to know about Hillary’s emails.”
graphic by Elias Brinkman