16 January 2018

Student newspaper of the University of Tulsa

Broken phones and the value of transparency, p. 5

TU pushes #5 Wichita St. to the brink, p.3

January 16, 2018 Issue 13 - Volume 103

The value of regular class attendance, p.7

Joe Momma’s pizza re-opens for business, p.10 photo by Michaela Flonard

The Collegian: 2

Sports

16 January 2018

Hurricane shockingly close

...yet still so far

Corey Henderson eyes a teammate in the corner.

Sterling Taplin goes up for a tough contested layup.

TU’s student section attempts to drown out the Wichita St. faithful.

Martins Igbanu puts his defender through the spin cycle.

photos by Dalton Stewart

Sports

16 January 2018

The Collegian: 3

TU electrifies crowd, falls short Their 3-0 start to conference play all but forgotten, the Golden Hurricane dropped their second and third consecutive games to Houston and Wichita St. Justin Guglielmetti Sports Editor Coming off a tough road loss to Memphis that ended Tulsa’s perfect start to conference play, the Golden Hurricane traveled to Houston knowing it could reassert itself as an AAC contender with an upset over the Cougars. Unfortunately, star point guard Rob Gray and co. had other plans. Both teams came out firing and after a closely contested first five minutes of trading buckets at a frantic pace, DaQuan Jeffries tied the game at 15 with a high-arcing corner three. It was the last time TU would be in the game; Houston pulled ahead by two on a midrange jumper from Gray moments later, the first basket of what would amount to a crippling 21-3 run. The Golden Hurricane went into the break completely dejected, down an almost insurmountable 59-34 at halftime. Things only got worse in the second half, as the Cougars’ lead ballooned to as many as 40 points behind a barrage of threes. Less than a week after TU had set the American conference record with 17 three pointers against UConn, Houston broke it by canning an incredible 18 treys. Gray and sixth man Armoni Brooks led the way with five threes apiece, the latter on his way to a game-high 34 points. In the face of the miserable defeat, the team could look proudly on the play of Martins Igbanu, who displayed his increasingly fluid post game against the undersized Houston front line and finished with a career-high 27 points. The rest of the team struggled mightily from the floor, shooting just 26 percent from three and 39 percent overall. Junior Etou, the team’s leading scorer, couldn’t get anything going against the Cougars’ ball denial and trapping scheme and was held without a field goal. Thankfully for the TU faithful, the Golden Hurricane put up a much stronger effort at home Saturday against number 5-ranked Wichita St. Playing in a packed house that looked (and sounded) to be as much as 75 percent Shockers fans, Tulsa came out with the same frantic pace and aggressive scheme that it had thrown at Houston. And for the first twelve or so minutes, it looked to be working. Following a three pointer on their opening possession, Wichita St. would not lead again until four minutes were left in the half. Star point guard Landry Shamet had no answer for his TU counterpart, as Sterling Taplin toasted him early on by knocking down three first half threes. The lead would get as high as 10 for the Golden Hurricane, before the seasoned and talented Shockers fought back to take a 36-32 halftime lead.

It looked like another loss was inevitable, as Wichita St. was able to fend off every Tulsa run in the second half with bucket after bucket from Shamet and sharpshooter Conner Frankamp. The Golden Hurricane managed to get back within two on an Etou three pointer with 15:00 left to play, but several minutes and questionable calls later, the lead was back up to double digits. In the final three minutes, facing a seven-point deficit, Taplin put the team on his back with a breathtaking display of ball-handling and gutsy shot-making. He scored three of TU’s last four buckets and assisted on the other to get within two points, then watched as Corey Henderson’s three pointer from the right wing rimmed out after being halfway down. On the game’s final possession, down three, Taplin was fouled at midcourt and strode to the free throw line knowing the team needed another offensive possession. He missed the free throw, Etou grabbed the board, then spun and found his point guard retreating to the left wing. Taplin got a good look as the buzzer sounded but couldn’t knock it down, and Wichita St. survived, 72-69. Taplin led the way for the Golden Hurricane with a career-high 26 points and six three pointers, also dishing seven assists against only a single turnover in just 30 minutes. Henderson contributed with 14 points and four threes. Shamet and Frankamp paced the Shockers with 16 points apiece. Additional Thoughts Why oh why does Lawson Korita continue to start and get so much playing time? DaQuan Jeffries returned to the starting rotation against Houston and did fine, showing off his trademark length, athleticism, and quick hands. He’s not as a good a shooter as his gaudy percentages would suggest, but he’s a guy the defense has to respect from the corner, as well as the team’s most versatile defender. It makes no sense that he should be losing minutes to the smaller, less athletic, worse-shooting Korita, who is ignored by defenders on the perimeter and offers nothing as a ball handler or creator. Similarly confusing, why was Darien Jackson playing meaningful minutes early on against Houston, when we were still in the game? I’m not too concerned about Junior Etou’s recent slump. He’s an unselfish player who doesn’t force his shot, and when he knows it’s not falling (or when the other team is denying him the ball), he’ll go to work helping the team in other ways. Still, while it’s encouraging to see the likes of Igbanu, Taplin and Henderson coming up big, we could use a more aggressive Junior as we get deeper into conference play.

Hurricane Scoreboard Men’s Basketball Jan. 6: Memphis 76 - Tulsa 67 Jan. 11: Houston 104 - Tulsa 71 Jan. 13: Wichita St. 72 - Tulsa 69 Women’s Basketball Jan. 6: Tulsa 64 - Cincinnati 51 Jan. 10: ECU 73 - Tulsa 67 Jan. 13: Memphis 69 - Tulsa 48

the

bleacher creature?

New year, same Lavar Last week, the bombastic Professional Dad made waves when he declared to the national media that head coach Luke Walton had lost the respect of the Lakers’ locker room. Fake news sites like ESPN ran with this buffoon’s opinion as if it was fact and posited that it might just be Walton who was the problem with the Lakers. You know, it couldn’t possibly be the fact that they are a young, inexperienced, not overtly talented team. Even worse, Lonzo Baby doubled down on his father’s tomfoolery and refused to endorse Walton when asked about it by reporters, giving the man such glowing praise as “I’ll play for anybody,” and “I don’t decide who coaches.” Beautiful words man, that’s what any organization loves to hear from its franchise player. I’ve said before in this space that I’m not a Lonzo hater and I’d really like to keep it that way. I love watching the guy play and he’s not a net negative on the court anymore. But come on, show a little backbone next time my dude. Bored with ‘Bama Shit, here we go again. Is this how the rest of the country feels when the Patriots always win? I won’t pretend that I’m particularly invested in college football outside of TU, a consequence of growing up in the northeast. Still, it just feels goddamn awful that Alabama won its fifth national championship in the last nine years. I think the reason college dynasties feel so much worse than professional ones is twofold. One, since new players are coming in and out so often, continuity feels like it should be harder to maintain. The UConns, Kentuckys and ‘Bamas of the world all seem like they are gaming the system to be as consistently good for as long as they are. And two, they produce the Toby Flendersons of the sports world: college bandwagon fans. Bandwagoners are pretty terrible in general, but they are especially offensive in college sports. What the hell is the point of rooting for a school if you have no connection to it?? Anyway, I’m sick of Alabama. I don’t want to hear “Roll Tide” outside of the Jaime-Cersei sex scenes in “Game of Thrones.” Also, UCF were the true national champions, don’t @ me. Shame on you Tulsa No, not you TU, you did a great job. The student section support at Saturday’s Wichita St. game, the first of our new American conference “Havoc in the Heartland” rivalry, was as enthusiastic as any I can remember. But the rest of the arena? The place was a sea of the sickly yellow and black of our foes. That is absolutely embarrassing. Late in the first half, when WSU started on their blistering run to come back from an early ten point deficit, the Reynolds Center was maybe the loudest I’ve ever heard it. The place was rocking. And all of that noise was coming from opposing fans, cheering on their own boys on our home floor. There was a moment I’ll never forget when Martins Igbanu looked towards the student section with absolute despair in his eyes, pumping his arms furiously to try to get something louder out of us. Thing is, we were all screaming our lungs out. Next time, we need the rest of the city’s help.

Women’s Tennis Jan. 13: Tulsa 6 - Arkanas - Pine Bluff 0 Jan. 13: Tulsa 5 - Oral Roberts 0 Track & Field Women Allison Bailey: 3rd place 800m, 2:10.72 Baylor Reese: 4th place weight throw, 14.74 m MenAleks Rapp: 1st place weight throw 20.14 m Ben Preisner: 1st place mile run, 4:11.19 Ellis Coon: 2nd place mile run, 4:11.58 Mark Middleton: 3rd place mile run, 4:12.2 Hutch Helbig: 3rd high jump, 1.9 m Bailey Stewart: 4th place 400m, 48.45 Robert Tully: 4th place 1000m, 2:26.89

Men’s Tennis Jan. 12: Tulsa 4 - Bryant 2 Jan. 12: Arkansas 5 - Tulsa 2

Justin Guglielmetti is…

Jan. 15 - Jan. 21 Monday 15

Tuesday 16

Wednesday 17

Thursday 18

Saturday

Friday

20

19

Women’s

No No Events Events

Men’s Basketball @ Temple 5 p.m.

Women’s Basketball @ UConn 6 p.m.

Tennis

No Events

Hurricane Invite

Men’s Basketball vs. Memphis 7 p.m.

Sunday 21

Men’s Tennis vs. USF 2:30 p.m. Women’s Basketball @ Tulane 1 p.m.

The Collegian: 4

Meltdown, Spectre and what they mean for you

Three huge computer security vulnerabilities were recently discovered which put private information nearly all computers at risk. Adam Lux Satire Editor If you own a computer, tablet, or smartphone, your devices probably have a huge security flaw. On January 3, three major computer security threat discoveries made by Google Project Zero in conjunction with a number of other researchers were made public. One of the threats, named Meltdown, affects most Intel processors produced since 1995 and a few ARM processors. This means that most modern Windows computers, all Macs since 2006 and many smart devices have processors with the Meltdown vulnerability. The other two threats are lumped together under the name Spectre and affect nearly every device with a modern processor. That means your Intel or AMD windows computer, Android devices, and macOS and iOS devices. Meltdown and Spectre are hardware issues based on vulnerabilities in modern processors and revolve around a process called speculative execution. A program using these exploits could steal sensitive data from your device such as passwords, pictures, messages, emails, or documents. What does these threats mean for you? As far as Meltdown is concerned make sure you’re up to date on Windows security updates. Apple users should make sure they’re running High Sierra 10.13.2. Check your system or motherboard manufacturer’s website to see if they’re recently released a BIOS update for your computer or mother-

News

board as this will contain a firmware update from Intel. If they have make sure to update to the newest BIOS. While most phones shouldn’t be affected by Meltdown, Spectre is still a real threat. Apple claims mitigations are already in place if you have the latest iOS 11.2 update. Google phones, like the Pixel and Nexus lines, received an update on January 5th which is suppose to patch the issue. When non-Google branded Android phones will receive this patch is still unknown. Most internet browsers have also pushed out updates as they are also vulnerable to Spectre attacks. Make sure whichever browsers you use are the latest versions. All of these fixes and patches are likely to have a negative effect on device performance; however this will be highly dependent on workload and Intel claims most users shouldn’t notice any significant difference Maybe the most important point to stress here is that even with all the proper updates your information’s safety is not guaranteed. Software and even firmware solutions are not foolproof Spectre especially is a broad class of attack possibilities which one patch cannot fix and will therefore likely be a problem for a long time. There are a number of other general computer security measures you can put in place. Using two-factor authentication systems on your important accounts is something you should have already been doing. These latest threats make multi-factor systems even more valuable as they are one of the few that can protect you even when someone else already has your password information. Installing an antivirus software, however unsavory that is, might also be a good idea. More information about Meltdown and Spectre, including original research papers, can be found at spectreattack.com.

Clancy on TU’s kiplinger value rankings “The Kiplinger value rankings are just one of a host of rankings where TU competes on a global level. Times Higher Education ranks TU 19th in the world for universities under 5,000 students. CEO World Magazine ranked TU’s Petroleum Engineering Program number one in the world. Our cyber security programs are among the Top 3 in the nation. The Wall Street Journal ranked TU in the top 16th percentile for all universities. Forbes magazine ranked us 19th for international students. US News and World Report has us as a Top 50 Private University and number 87 overall in the nation - making us the highest ranked University in Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas. And we are Top 100 Green University. Insight into Diversity named us a Higher

Education Excellence in Diversity award winner this year. And there is more to come. Our new Strategic Plan focuses strongly on providing more scholarships, internships, career development, leadership programs, international experiences and experiential learning out in the community. We have started new programs like the discounted summer school Initiative starting this summer to help students graduate in 4 years. We added staff to the Center for Academic Support Services. We streamlined the process for learning and testing accommodations. We believe these new efforts will further improve our rankings. I am proud of where we are and excited about where we are headed.”

Steadman Upham recieves posthumous award President Emeritus Steadman Upham to be posthumously honored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Alex Garoffolo Student Writer TU received notice in November that the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) will honor Upham in February as a fellow of the AAAS. The former president’s colleagues at Ohio State, Penn State and the Field Museum of Natural History nominated him for the honor. They voted last February. The accolade is awarded to a “member whose efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications are scientifically or socially distinguished.” Upham worked in anthropology before

entering the field of academic administration. The AAAS honors him with this award based on his contributions in anthropology. He earned his Ph.D in anthropology from Arizona State University in 1980. Following that, he held positions including chief archaeologist and tenured professor of archeology at New Mexico State University before leaving for the University of Oregon in 1990. While president at TU, he concurrently held the position of professor in the anthropology department. Upham widely published in the field of archaeology. He wrote and helped edit 10 books and over 75 journal articles. Current president Gerard Clancy said of Upham and the award: “his contributions to scientific fields will be forever remembered thanks, in part, to this significant distinction.” Former president Upham’s family will accept the award in his honor next month at the AAAS Fellows Forum.

16 January 2018

A brief update on Okla. politics

In case your sole source for Oklahoma political news is this newspaper or you haven’t bothered to keep up with the subject since Thanksgiving, here is a brief list of what you missed. Kayleigh Thesenvitz Editor-in-Chief On December 15, Oklahoma Watch reported that documents released by the state Department of Health included a summary of alleged deceptions within the agency such as fraudulent budget reports to state finance officials and omissions in reporting the agency’s financial position to the legislature and the State Board of Health. On the same day the Oklahoma Watch also reported the state could lose $115 million in Medicaid funds for teaching hospitals. This happened because the state spent Medicaid dollars on training doctors for well over a decade apparently without approval. OU and OSU’s medical schools and associated teaching hospitals may also need an emergency injection of about $30 million from the legislature this fiscal year because of the dispute with the federal government over a Medicaid waiver On December 19, Attorney General Mike Hunter announced that the FBI and the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will partner with his office to investigate issues relating to the use of federal funds at the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Also on December 19, the Office of Governor Mary Fallin sent this vague email, “Today, a coalition of state leaders met with elected leadership from the Senate and the House as well as the governor’s office to

start a dialogue regarding our state budget. The coalition brought several proposals and policy reforms to close the budget deficit and started a process of finding a package that could receive approval.” On December 20, The Oklahoma Senate approved $17.7 million in funding for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to prevent provider rate cuts. The Senate also approved $26.5 million in additional funding for the Department of Human Services. Also on December 20, the Office of Governor Mary Fallin sent an optimistic email stating that estimate submitted to the Board of Equalization shows some predicted revenue growth for the 2019 fiscal year. Her email said the growth would not be enough, in and of itself, to accomplish her goals before leaving office. However, Fallin also said, “I believe we still have a great opportunity to accomplish something historic. We are operating in a very volatile political environment nationally as well as in our own state. It would be an incredible statement to the public that Republicans and Democrats can work together to solve problems.” On January 3, Governor Mary Fallin announced Secretary of State Dave Lopez will also serve on her executive Cabinet as secretary of education and workforce development. Lopez will begin his new duties effective immediately. His appointment still must be confirmed by the Oklahoma Senate. “Dave Lopez is a hard-working, energetic Cabinet member whose expertise has been very beneficial to my administration,” said Fallin. “I am asking him to take on the added task of developing and refining policies that will give students, including adult students, the skills they need to find and keep jobs in our state.” As secretary of state, Lopez serves as a senior adviser to the governor on policy, economic and legislative issues. He previously served as the governor’s secretary of commerce from 2011 until 2013.

16 January 2018

News

The Collegian: 5

Broken blue phones back in action on campus Editor’s Note: The following is a first person account of a Collegian investigation into the blue light emergency phones on campus. Because of the sensitivity of the issue, or of related issues that would complicate the lives of students and current and former employees, many of the sources asked to remain anonymous. After careful consideration, I made an editorial decision to grant anonymity. This is not something I do lightly. However, you will find that most of the quotes of anonymous sources are corroborated by TU’s account of events. Kayleigh Thesenvitz Editor-in-Chief Throughout the summer and fall of 2017, Collegian staff members received several anecdotal reports from students that had used the blue light emergency phones on campus to contact Campus Security, to no avail. Piecing together these accounts, we learned that allegedly several of the phones either didn’t work at all or had a dial tone but the calls to Campus Security never went through. The students cited the experience of being unable to use the emergency phone as one of their primary complaints regarding campus safety. Aware and supportive of TU’s recent recommitment to campus safety, we took these complaints seriously. As a staff, we contemplated how to go about investigating this issue. A couple of weeks before thanksgiving break we had assembled a team whose goal would be to catalog each blue box on campus and then routinely test them to see if they were in working order. However, the team opted not to go through with the investigation for fear of clogging up emergency phone lines and angering Campus Security. We moved on to other stories with the idea that we might come back to that story when we had a larger staff, a better plan and finals weren’t looming ahead of us. We

concluded our fall semester publication November 12. However, on November 13 a former Campus Security employee contacted the Collegian via Facebook to report that several of the phones did not work and that Campus Security had documentation demonstrating that fact. “Before I left I had a document of every specific phone that didn’t work. It looked to be about a third of them,” the officer said. “The security department actually does check the phones every month, marking the ones that work and the ones that don’t,” the officer said. “The problem is, no one ever follows up on repairing them.” This problem was corroborated by a second former Campus Security officer who said, “Only about 60 percent of blue phones were actually working when I quit and that number was fairly consistent for the three years I worked in security.” “Some of the phones will even give a ‘your call cannot be completed as dialed’ message which is bad considering there is only the one red button,” the second officer said. The following day I wrote and submitted two copies of a records request to Mona Chamberlain, TU’s director of marketing and communications, and to Joe Timmons, TU’s director of campus security. In the letter I requested documents showing the maintenance checks of the blue emergency phones for the last five years. On November 15, I photographed maintenance crews working on one of the blue phones located at the Mayo Village entrance. On January 13, I received an email from Chamberlain with TU’s response. The following statement is attributed to Richard Kearns, TU’s chief information officer. “TU has 41 ‘blue light’ phones on campus. After being contacted by The Collegian in November 2017, staff tested each of the phones and found 11 were not functioning properly. Those 11 were repaired immediately, and the monthly test at the beginning of January 2018 indicated all were in working order. Prior to November, when Campus Security tested the blue light phones, reports were submitted to a system that funneled to a single IT staff member. When that employee retired in 2017, the reports were not redirected. The solution is that any phone

TU maintenance personnel repair a blue light outside of Fisher South.

outages be submitted through the information technology ticketing system via help@ utulsa.edu. This ensures that more than one staff member sees the tickets and that the work orders are completed expeditiously. In addition to monthly checks by security officers, IT staff has been directed to test the phones regularly. Also, the courtesy phones installed at residence halls and near other doors on campus are checked monthly by Campus Security and any malfunctions will follow the same reporting procedure via help@utulsa.edu. Students and faculty who have trouble with

photo by Kayleigh Thesenvitz

technology on campus also are encouraged to report the problems to help@utulsa.edu.” The phones are all in working order, which is hopefully a comfort to many. I was not granted access to the records I requested at press time. As a private institution, TU is not legally required to honor records requests. Without access to maintenance records there is no way to confirm or dispute the account given by the two former officers as to the length of the maintenance neglect.

My goal in reporting this story, in this format, was two-fold. The first is to spread the news that TU has all of its emergency phones back in working order. The second is, by showing the process of this work, to remind readers of the importance of transparency. I hope you will forgive me for editorializing for a brief moment. In my opinion TU is a great institution — truly and deeply committed to the honorable goal of educating and caring for its students. Yet, as with any large institution, it suffers from a lack of self-reflection in the minutia of its day-to-day functions. Journalists, especially student journalists who live in and think critically about this environment every day, are perfectly poised to provide the mirror by which TU views its successes and failures. A clear view of oneself is necessary for true progress. As students we want to see TU advance too. Even students who aren’t bubbling over with school pride have a pragmatic interest in the continued self-improvement of the university. After all, as TU rises, so does the value of our degrees. The Collegian cannot perform this role if we are regularly blinded by TU’s desire to never be embarrassed. TU has every legal right to deny us access, but I argue it is in the university’s best interest to let us in. The relationship between any institution and the media is usually seen as an adversarial one. It doesn’t need to be that way at TU. We both have the same goal. Let’s work together.

An interview with Kevan Buck, TU Treasurer The Collegian sat down with Executive Vice President and Treasurer Kevan Buck, who has helped lead TU for 17 years. Alex Garoffolo Student Writer Kevan Buck landed his first job in university finances as a comptroller at Ashland University in the late 1980s. After the interview, he walked to the campus library to look up the term “comptroller.” “I was offered the position, and I said ‘sure, I can do that for you,’” Buck recalled. “Still, I had no idea what a comptroller did. I entered university finance as a ‘victim of circumstance.’” He interviewed for the position because a woman he co-taught a graduate class with knew the university was hiring. “It was quite by chance that I ended up in the university financial field,” Buck said. In 2000, Buck started his career at TU. He hit the ground running by managing the funding for a strategic ten year plan that TU’s Board of Trustees elected to implement. Buck explained that “the plan was really first formulated in the early nineties, but as often happens, it took some time to begin implementation.” The plan centered around a capital campaign that provided for renovations to the football stadium, purchasing and developing the land where the Mayo and Lorton apartment complexes now stand (along with Thomas Plaza) and creating the university’s main entrance off of eleventh street. “When OU and OSU created campuses in Tulsa, the board decided TU had to differentiate itself to attract students. One of the main ways we did this was by transforming TU from a commuter campus to a residential one,” Buck explained. When Buck started at TU, approximately 30 percent of students lived on campus. Today that number is closer to 80. TU built more on-campus housing for students. The black fencing that surrounds the campus came about from a desire to cre-

As a treasurer, it is Buck’s job to manage the school’s funding and to implement a strategic ten year financial plan.

ate a defined boundary between TU and the surrounding area. Buck elaborated, “when I first got to TU, the whole area where the main entrance, Lorton and Mayo apartments are was Tulsa residential housing, its own neighborhood. If somebody wanted to know how to get to TU, he was told ‘go down eleventh and when you get to the hotdog place, turn left.’ We [the Board] knew we needed to make a change.” During his time here Buck also saw the development of the USA West apartment complex, Collins Fitness Center and both the intramural field and soccer & track complex just west of Delaware Avenue. He helped steer TU through the 2008 financial crisis too. The university lost 25 percent of its endowment, but did not take the blow that larger institutions like Harvard did. “We left unfilled positions vacant and took measures to save money where we could. What helped TU is that we had a lot of undesignated endowment funds that were not already earmarked for specific projects,” Buck stated.

Buck also oversees sustainability initiatives on campus. “Stead brought a lot of energy for sustainability efforts with him from California when he signed on as president,” Buck remembered. TU took major efforts starting the in early 2000s to become greener, including low-flow faucets in student housing, energy saving light bulbs in campus buildings and creating the recycling program the campus now enjoys. Buck also participates in community organizations and sits on the board for Visit Tulsa, a group that strives to bring in as many programs and people to the city as possible. “We got NCAA tournament basketball and wrestling here and we were active in securing the Greco-Roman Wrestling World Trials in Tulsa this June.” On changes he’s seen in higher education over his career, Buck mentioned that nowadays students and parents are more focused on the end product of a collegiate education. “A trend we have today is many students want to focus solely on major-related courses and going into that field of work af-

courtesy University of Tulsa

ter school. It is not bad, just a change from when I began.” He also explained that with the age of information and advent of the internet, recruitment of new students became much more competitive. “Before technology really came into play, your average student would apply to 3, maybe 5 schools. Now we’re seeing kids who apply to 10, even upwards of 15. And because of this, they try to get the best financial deal possible from each of those multiple schools. It makes the financial aid process that much more competitive.” On TU as an institution, Buck asserted that at a school of this size with many opportunities for students to get involved and get to know professors, “we [TU] enable a student to do more. College is not just the education you receive. It’s about the holistic experience.” Buck said that he didn’t think he’d be at TU this long, but he “fell in love with the city and school.” “What TU provides for both its students and the community is simply extraordinary,” he concluded.

News

The Collegian: 6

Jan 1 3:25 a.m. While on routine patrol, University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers observed an unknown individual enter the 6th and Delaware lot. Officers stopped the individual and found them to be intoxicated. The individual was not affiliated with the university. The Tulsa Police Department was contacted and arrested the individual and transported them to the David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center. Jan 2 9:45 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to the University Square Apartments South for a water line break. Officers arrived on scene and made contact with the residents in the water damaged apartments. The cold weather had caused the line to freeze and break. The Physical Plant and Housing were notified and arrived to assess the damage. 2:30 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to the University Square Apartments South for contraband discovered by Housing staff. Officers arrived on scene and took possession of a pellet gun. The resident of the apartment stated the pellet gun belonged to a former roommate who had since graduated and left the country.

Jan 3 4:30 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to the Norman Village Apartments for an audible smoke alarm emanating from an apartment. Upon arrival, officers identified the apartment and went inside. Officers did not locate any smoke or fire, but did locate a water leak from the apartment above. The Physical Plant and Housing were notified of the incident. 6:10 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to the Reynolds Center for an ill person. A TU guest, who had been feeling ill, lost consciousness inside the arena. EMSA personnel treated the person on scene and they were later transported to a local hospital by a friend. Jan 4 9:45 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers responded to a report of an ill person at the Oxley College of Health Sciences Building. A staff member had fallen ill and was being treated inside the Hurricane Health Clinic. EMSA paramedics arrived on scene and transported the individual to St. John Medical Center for further treatment and evaluation. Jan 5 6:00 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers received a report of unwanted contact from a university employee. The employee stated they had received the unwanted contact from a student while inside Keplinger Hall. Officers were unable to locate the student the day of the report. Jan 6 1:00 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to the Mayo Village Apartments for a noise complaint. The

Nathan Gibbons Distribution Manager

US president alarms many with racist comments Last Thursday, President Donald Trump sparked bipartisan outrage when he asked why he should accept immigrants from “shithole countries” like Haiti and some African nations, according to sources with direct knowledge of the conversation. His comments came during a Cabinet Room meeting intended to negotiate a bipartisan immigration deal which Trump learned included protection for Haitian citizens. Representatives were pressing to allow immigrants illegally brought to the United States as children legal status. Representative Mia Love (R-UT) demanded an apology from the President, saying his comments were “unkind, divisive, elitist and fly in the face of our nation’s values.” The Representative, who is of Haitian descent, said in an emotional statement that her parents achieved the American dream without accepting government aid. “This behavior is unacceptable from the leader of our nation.” Representative Luis V. Gutiérrez (DIL) said the President’s comments were disappointing, “but not surprising.” He went on to say that people can now “say with 100 percent confidence that the president is a racist who does not share the values enshrined in our Constitution or Declaration of Independence.” Sources say Trump has made disparaging comments in the past about admitting immigrants from Haiti and other nations. In a tweet last Friday, Trump defended his comments, saying “The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used. What was really tough was the outlandish proposal made – a big setback for DACA!”

Saudi Arabia modernises some women’s rights For the first time in Saudi Arabia, women were allowed last Friday to spectate a soccer match as part of a larger move to modernise some of the kingdom’s laws. Though they were only allowed through family gates into family seating, analysts say this is a significant change in the ultra-conservative Muslim community’s ways. That day, the first car showroom for female customers was opened in preparation of a law announced last September that the ban on women drivers would be lifted this upcoming June. Prince Mohammed bin Salman has sworn to help the kingdom gradually become more moderate. Saudi Arabia’s religious establishment still strictly enforces many Islamic doctrines, and women in the kingdom are not allowed to travel abroad, open a bank account, get married or leave prison unless they have permission from the men in their lives. There is also a guardianship law that states women must be accompanied by a male family member to work or travel, and most restaurants have two sections, one for families and one for males. Though many have welcomed the new changes, others of the Saudi Arabian community feel that their traditions and values are being ignored and corrupted.

Australia faces harsh summer due to climate change

As highway sections connecting Melbourne and Sydney begin to melt, bats fall heatstricken from trees, and health officials warn aAustralians of a heat wave, scientists say the extreme summer heat in Australia can likely be attributed to global warming. The equally-extreme winter in the United States has triggered discussions among experts as to the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Though no one weather event can be attributed to global warming, Professor Andy Pitman, the director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes at the University of New South Wales, says that the recent events are to be expected in a world that is about one degree warmer than the average mean. “It was a meteorological anomaly, but the probability works a bit like if you stand at sea level and throw a ball in the air, and then gradually make your way up a mountain and throw the ball in the air again,” he says. “The chances of the ball going higher increases dramatically. That’s what we’re doing with temperature.” Pitman also says the issue in government negotiations is less getting politicians to acknowledge the threat and more getting them to acknowledge the severity of it. “The issue now is that the scale of concern – - and the action under way or committed to both in Australia and internationally -– doesn’t match the scale of the problem.”

source of the noise was located. Officers spoke with the resident who agreed to keep the noise down. A housing contact card was completed and a copy was given to the resident. 6:15 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to a call at Fisher West Suites for a welfare check. Officers checked inside the suite and found the TU student in question. The student advised that everything was fine. The student made contact with the reporting party. Jan 7 1:10 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to West Park Apartments for a report of property damage. A student stated that their personal vehicle had been damaged while parked in the West Park Apartment lot. Officers investigated the area to determine the cause. There are no suspects at this time. 2:30 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers responded to the Security Office to take a report of a student’s unwanted contact from a non-student who was previously trespass banned. Officers spoke with the reporting party and were informed the nonstudent had contacted the reporting party via telephone. The reporting party stated they wanted the contact to stop. Officers took the information from the reporting party and the incident will be under further investigation. Jan 8 3:00 a.m. While on routine patrol, University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers conducted a pedestrian check on 2 individuals on the southeast side of the Norman Village Apartments by the trash dumpsters. Both individuals were not affiliated with the University of Tulsa. 1 of the individuals had an active

16 January 2018

misdemeanor warrant. Both individuals were trespass warned and left campus without further incident. Contact cards were created. 11:15 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatch to John Mabee Hall for a report of a bicycle larceny. The student stated that they had last seen their bicycle locked to the bicycle rack at John Mabee Hall before winter break. The student described the bicycle to officers and stated that it was not registered with the university. The student was encouraged to file a report with the Tulsa Police Department. 12:45 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to the Allen Chapman Student Union to speak with a student who reported that they were a victim of a simple assault while inside the McFarlin Library. The victim provided a description of the suspect and officers were able to identify them as a former student of the university. The Tulsa Police Department was contacted and a report was filed. The suspect has been trespass banned from university property. 4:30 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to the Mayo Village Apartments for a report of a bicycle larceny. The student stated that they had secured their bicycle to a bicycle rack and when they returned, the bicycle was gone. The cut bicycle lock was on the ground where the bicycle had been locked. The student was advised to file a report with the Tulsa Police Department. The Collegian does not produce or edit the Campus Crime Watch except for content and brevity.

Tuesday, January 16 at 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Helmerich Hall, 121 Adulting 101 Series: Negotiating for a Salary and Benefits Do you know what you’re worth? Learn the careful art of negotiating your first salary and benefits by attending this hour long workshop for all interested business students. Wednesday, January 17 at 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Hardesty Hall, 3rd Floor Conference Room Info Session: Faculty Led Course Abroad in Spain & France Want to take a TU course abroad this summer in Spain and France? With reduced summer tuition, summer faculty-led courses have never been more affordable! Join us for a free lunch as we share all the details for CHEM 1053 in Spain & France: “A Culinary Exploration of Chemistry,” with Dr. Keith Symcox. (This course is also a Block III.) Wednesday, January 17 at 7:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Student Union, Chouteau Students for Sustainability Assembly Get involved and eat Jimmy John’s! We are starting a conversation about sustainability and direct action, and we want you to be a part. Make your voice heard on campus! Thursday, January 18 at 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Student Union, Great Hall Friends of Finance Executive Speaker Luncheon: Thomas Kennedy Thomas Kennedy, chief financial officer of The Hertz Corporation, is the featured speaker at our Executive Luncheon on Thursday, January 18, 2018. Reservations are required. You may register online or contact Judy Adair, judy-adair@utulsa. edu or 918-631-2588. Luncheons are held in the Great Hall of the Allen Chapman Student Union on TU’s campus. Check-in begins at 11:15 a.m. with the buffet lunch beginning at 11:30 a.m. We usually conclude by 1:00 p.m. Thursday, January 18 at 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Zarrow Center for Art and Education, Sherman Smith Gallery Monterey Pop: 50 years In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Monterey Pop Festival, Arthouse 18 presents the quintessential photo exhibit of this groundbreaking rock festival. The photographs are from the ​original restored film negatives and mark the first time any photographic prints signed by film director D.A. Pennebaker have been made available from this film. The curation of this exhibit has the full endorsement of Pennebaker and Lou Adler, Monterey Pop’s cofounder and producer. Thursday, January 18 at 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Zarrow Center for Art and Education, Annex Space Gallery Trendsetters in Triptych This photographic journey shines a bright light on true game-changers who had something poignant, meaningful and often prophetic to say... The exhibition features images of famous musicians, actors, artists and athletes as well as the photographers’ thoughts on their iconic subjects. The Collegian does not produce all event descriptions in the Community Calendar. Contact us at news@tucollegian.org with events.

16 January 2018

Commentary

The Collegian: 7

Attendance policies vary, best left to the professor’s judgment

Showing up to class respects the professor’s time and benefits students who are looking to learn the material efficiently. Trenton Gibbons News Editor

Just as class structure greatly varies, so too does attendance policy. In your first week of the spring semester, you’ve probably experienced an onslaught of syllabuses

and class introductions, and more often than not you’ve heard the professor say that attendance is mandatory, or at least recommended. This might be more true in some departments than it is others, but I have a hard time imagining a professor who does not consider the student’s presence in the classroom to be more conducive to their academic success than their absence. In my freshman year, I slept through the same 8 a.m. class every day I had the chance. The presentations were put online; the homework was emailed out to us. I came in for exams, and even then dozed off during the final. I got a B in that class and I didn’t deserve much better. The fact is, I probably deserved worse. When I tried the same thing in a calculus course, I discovered the professor would be grading according to his own methods of solving the problems. I practically failed the first exam, and spent the rest of the semester

pulling my hair out from the stress of playing catch-up. In a lot of classes where attendance is optional, you have a chance of doing just fine, but you might have a much greater chance of finding yourself up shit creek without a paddle. Even if you feel you’re a competent enough student to ace a class you’ve hardly ever attended, consider having some respect for the professor. In some of my classes, I’ve seen the student population thin out to a third of its actual enrollment, only for a grand reunion at the midterm and final (and their respective reviews). The professors in those courses were visibly dissuaded by the low attendance, and sometimes I even felt the energy of the lectures die down with such a small audience present. I felt a lot of sympathy for my professors; as enthused and knowledgeable as they were of their course material, the students were unappreciative. Learning is a partnership, and stu-

Professors deserve to teach to the students who attend class and respect their time, not struggle to keep up enthusiasm as they work with the few students who have shown up.

LETTER

dents who don’t want to show up to class and expect an A anyway weren’t holding up their end of the bargain. So, if by some miracle you find yourself in a class where the professor could care less if you were present, the class size is large enough your absence won’t have a real effect on the overall population of the room, you are familiar enough with the course material and the professor to pass the class without ever hearing a word spoken during actual course hours, go ahead. But even the one time that was true for me, I regret skipping. I wasted a lot of time rolling over presentation slides outside of class, and wasn’t learning as efficiently as I could have been had I been present. In other words, it was a waste of my time to skip the class. Without sounding redundant, it’s for practically everyone’s benefit that you get that ass to class.

courtesy Flickr

to the editor

This letter is in response to the articles covering the sexual harassment allegations made against men in the media and government throughout the United States. To all males living in this country I issue a collective statement: enough already! Who are you to impose your sexual desires on someone because they did not give you their consent? Once again we are witnessing those in authority positions taking advantage of the situation. Resignation is the least you can do. Prosecution is the best we can do...and we will. What did you expect to gain from making sexual advances on a human being? If this isn’t an indication of the failure to grow up I don’t know what is. Those men who have permeated this transgression must seek counseling before they destroy more lives executing their perverted conquest. Otherwise time spent in prison will allow them to dwell on their evil actions while trying to survive an environment which is the closest equivalent to hell on earth. Perhaps I had the advantage of growing up with four sisters in my family which some say predispositions males to be kinder to females throughout all stages of their life. Frankly I remember times when I was embarrassed for making incidental contact with a female followed by an immediate apology. Ladies of America please be assured that the actions of a few do not represent the feelings and beliefs of the many. You are our mothers, sisters, daughters, cousins etc. that compose one equal half of the species we call the human race. For that matter do not despair because the true honest and gentle men of this country know better than to act inappropriately in your company. We will always cherish your beauty, charm and most importantly your intelligence. Now help us to drive this dreadful scourge from the planet once and for all. It is up to all of us. Let us begin. Joe Bialek Dear Editor: My boyhood hero, Robert Kennedy, often said that “Jobs are better than welfare.” As a “liberal/progressive” Democrat, I agree. But I would add that having a job that pays a good wage that is well above the government’s “official poverty line” is the human right of every American who is willing to lead a responsible and productive life. Therefore, I am proposing to you and your readers that following the November 2018 elections, our President and Congress reverse the 2017 tax cuts and instead spend $1 trillion on a new federal government jobs-creation and poverty-ending bill that guarantees a job to all responsible Americans that not only pays above the official poverty line, but also pays above the official “near-poverty” (which is 100%-125% of the poverty line) line. It is the “humane” and “just” thing to do. Sincerely, Stewart B. Epstein

tucollegian@tucollegian.org

editor-in-chief

Kayleigh Thesenvitz managing editor

Michaela Flonard news editor

Trenton Gibbons sports editor

Justin Guglielmetti variety editor

Ethan Veenker commentary editor

Raven Fawcett satire editor

Adam Lux photo & graphics editor

Madeline Woods

business & advertising manager

Brian Kwiecinski

social media & web manager

Hannah Kloppenburg distribution managers

Elise McGouran Katelyn Baker and Nathan Gibbons

@TUCollegian

The Collegian is the student newspaper of the University of Tulsa. It is distributed Mondays during the fall and spring semesters, except during holidays and final exam weeks. The University of Tulsa does not discriminate on the basis of personal status or group characteristics including but not limited to the classes protected under federal and state law. Inquiries regarding implementation of this policy may be addressed to the Office of Human Resources, 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104-9700, (918)631-2616. Requests for accomodation of disabilities may be addressed to the university’s 504 Coordinator, Dr. Tawny Rigsby, (918)631-3814. To ensure availability of an interpeter, five to seven days notice is needed; 48 hours is recommended for all other accomodations. Advertising Policy: Advertising appearing in this publication does not imply approval or endorsement by the University of Tulsa or the Collegian for the products or services advertised. For advertising information, email the Collegian at advertising@tucollegian.org. The deadline for advertising is noon on the Friday proir to publication. Letter Policy: Letters to the editor must be less than 500 words and can be sent to tucollegian@tucollegian.org. Under no circumstances will anonymous letters be published. The name of the person submitting the letter must be published with the letter. We reserve the right to edit or reject all letters. The deadline for letters is 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication. Editing Policy: The Collegian reserves the right to edit all copy submitted by all writers. This editing may take place in many forms, including grammar corrections, changes in paragraph structure or even the addition or removal of sections of content. Editorial Policy: Columnists are solely responsible for the content of their columns. Opinions expressed in columns may not represent the opions of the Collegian staff, the administrative policies of the University of Tulsa, the views of the student body or our advertisers.

Commentary

The Collegian: 8

16 January 2018

In a post-Trump world, nuanced policy vital

Officials should be elected based on their credentials, not their charisma and ability to reassure the public with a familiar face. Amanda Amos Student Writer

As the first awards show on a major network after the slew of women stepping up to confront powerful men in media and Hollywood for abusing and harassing them, the Golden Globes had hefty expectations. In many ways, it did not disappoint. Host Seth Meyers was pointed in his monologue; the Time’s Up movement debuted its first show of solidarity; Oprah was there. Critics of the show have the typical complaints of whiteness, of ostentatious wealth, of erasing media made by studios that aren’t as large as, say, Paramount. Most of Twitter seemed to agree that Oprah was the highlight of the Golden Globes, however. I tend to agree. Her speech about inspiring young black girls is exactly what the country’s children needs to see. The issue, then, comes when it is now expected that Oprah — or indeed any prominent, charismatic figure in Hollywood, liberal or conservative — will run for president in 2020. This is when it becomes incredibly important to remember that we must demand that our elected officials be well versed in policy and diplomacy and above all nuance. Yes, politicians can be staffed by good advisors, but ultimately, there is one person in the House or the Senate or even the Oval Office, and no matter how good of advisors they have, their advisors were not the ones who were elected and are not the ones making the last decision. By electing politicians without policy experience simply because of their personal

charisma is incredibly compelling, we open ourselves up to the ever-feared puppet governments of conspiracies past where the people in power are figureheads and their advisors are the ones with power and no enforceable consequences. This ending is, of course, perhaps the most dramatic of the possible endings. We can say that it ends not only with a puppet government but also a nuclear war for drama purposes. All bad stories end with explosions. The real consequences, though, remain. Presidents especially need to have a thorough and nuanced view of the world and how politics or economics or military action impact that world. They must have the ability to see through other equally valid or nuanced views of the world and consider them. Above all, they must be knowledgeable enough to acknowledge when they are outclassed and to seek advisors. This seems contradictory to the above apocalypse scenario, but the role of the advisor in either case is actually incredibly different. Rather than providing an official with a preformed opinion, advisors should presents facts based on their expertise to officials who themselves have expertise to discern the right course of action. In an age where politicians have become largely cookie cutters of each other with only slight differences between the parties, it cannot be surprising that voters yearn for “real people” with personalities that we have seen and sympathized with for years. The overwhelming charm of Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson cannot be denied. Tom Hanks is the man on whom America’s hopes and dreams of good men in Hollywood now ride. Oprah Winfrey is one of the most personable people to ever grace television. It is easy to see why there is a desire for these trusted figures to be the leaders of America, rather than the current politicians who seem to actively work against the will of the people and routinely (and perhaps unfairly) beat qualified candidates that voters get genuinely excited for. Much has been written on the conundrum of getting qualified, energetic candidates to run for office. Are they too busy doing real work in the jobs that make them qualified? Are they too afraid of public scrutiny? Are

they unable to raise adequate money to run a competitive campaign? Probably a combination of all three and other confounding factors that are individual to each candidate. The notion of voting for another career politician may feel actually painful for those who are yearning for a change in the country that felt stagnant for so long and now is actively dissolving into factions and chaos. But the current mess was made by electing an unqualified billionaire. Electing another one — whomever they may be — to fix the problems made by the first is hardly the solution. To right the course of the country, we must first steady the ship, not try to fix the problem of imbalance with more upheaval. Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing sums up this whole concept beautifully through White House Communications Director Toby Ziegler’s line, “[...] A funny thing happened when the White House got demystified. The impression was left that anybody could do it.”

The point of public office, and the Presidency in particular, is that is supposed to be difficult. The best and brightest of the country should be the ones leading it. We owe it to ourselves and to those that come after us to make the best and most informed decisions possible for the country. For most citizens, that means voting for the most informed candidate that aligns with their values. This isn’t a conservative-liberal issue. This is an issue of engaged or uninterested, of educated or not. By remaining stalwart in our preference for informed lawmakers, we show the would-be candidates with expertise that they stand a chance against charismatic politicians. In the meantime, we must educate ourselves about our representatives in government and those who would wish to be our representatives. Register to vote, read about candidates and their issues and become educated about a certain part of policy yourself. It could develop into a political career.

courtesy Twitter user @2020Oprah People are already rallying behind the idea of Oprah Winfrey running for president, regardless of her lack of experience and political knowledge.

Congressional election to be decided by money, voter turnout

Kevin Hern is likely to win the election to replace 1st District Representative Bridenstine because of his spending power. Nathan Hinkle Student Writer Jim Bridenstine, current House of Representatives member from the 1st Congressional District of Oklahoma, could be leaving his position due to a new role as the head of NASA. After the White House nominated him, Bridenstine is currently waiting for the Senate to decide if they approve him as the nominee. Oklahoma will have to propose an election to fill the void set by Jim Bridenstine. Voting will begin on November 6, 2018. The current nominees for the election are

Republican nominees Andy Coleman, Nathan Dahm, Tim Harris, Kevin Hern and Danny Stockstill. In addition to the Republican nominees, there is also a potential Democratic nominee named Rex Ber. In this future election, the mostly likely candidate to win is Hern due to the vast monetary resources at his disposal and his background. While one’s campaign contributions are not the only important element in a political campaign, they do hold an important role. Financing allows a candidate to use a variety of communication tools to get their message across. As opposed to his competitors, Hern’s political campaign has a massive lead on campaign contributions. According to Ballotpedia.org, Hern has received around $858,707 in campaign contributions. In comparison, the candidate with the second largest amount of campaign contributions is currently Harris who has only received $122,574. Through this economic base, he can more easily pay for advertisement across many forms of media. In a world surrounded by different forms of media, it becomes increasingly vital to catch citizens’ attention in anyway possible. Mass communication is extremely important to a candidate’s success. Without knowledge sent out to the

LEGISLATIVE

DIGEST

Legislative Digest is back and ready to tackle another session of confusion, odd law proposals and political terminology you’ll almost never use in real life. This week, we’re looking at the schedule for Oklahoma’s legislative body. What do they do and when do they do it can be hard questions to answer. If you’ve ever wondered about the basics or upcoming bills (and even if you haven’t) we’ve got you covered. The Oklahoma Legislature is set up like Congress, with a House of Representatives and a Senate. Oklahoma’s House has 101 members, all of whom are up for reelection every two years. The Senate has 48 members who serve four-year terms. State leg-

islatures are separated into three categories: full-time, part-time and hybrid. Oklahoma falls under the hybrid category, meaning they work somewhere between the hours expected of a full-time and part-time job, and their pay generally reflects that. Oklahoma’s legislative session convenes on the first Monday of February every year, in accordance with the Oklahoma Constitution. While the legislators don’t meet until February 5 this year, officials are expected to be organized and ready to go well before the first meeting. The first deadline they face is January 18 this year, at which point minor redraft requests, joint resolutions and Senate and House bills must be submitted or intro-

people, It is impossible for a candidate to achieve victory over his political rivals. With this massive lead in campaign financing, Hern has a greater chance to get his message out to the citizens of the surrounding areas. A constant issue of a political campaign is getting voters out to the polls. While vast amounts of advertising does not completely fix the issue of voter turnout, it does have an noticeable effect. According to a study in 2011 by the European Political Journal, titled “Turned on or Turned out, Campaign advertising, information and voting, stated, “informative advertisements increase voter participation and thus campaign advertisement turns out voters.” However, the effect is still effective just not to the degree originally thought. The problem of voter turnout is a constant issue in the U.S. and this is especially true for midterm elections. According to Fairvote. org, a website that works to increase voter turnout, only around 60 percent of the population voted in recent presidential election years. In midterm election years, like the Oklahoma 1st District elections, the turnout has been only around 40 percent. In addition to this, Oklahoma voter turnout in 2016, a presidential election year, was

only 58.3 percent of the population which is the seventh lowest in the country. Due to the extremely low and problematic turn out of midterm elections, the winning candidate is the one who can push their supporters to the polls. In addition to Hern’s large political war chest, he has also the advantage of his economic background. Hern currently owns 10 McDonald’s franchises and the KTAK Corporation which according to Muskogeepolitico.com which, “identifies companies that need strategic growth leadership and provides avenue for capital participation.” Through his several business ventures, he can easily showcase his business acumen over his competing candidates. As opposed to the other candidates who have backgrounds in religious activities and the police force, he has an economic background that can be seen as beneficial in consolidating Oklahoma’s budget. While he does not have the heavy religious background like political rival Pastor Danny Stockstill, or political background like Oklahoma State Senator Nathan Dahm, a mix of both conservative values and economic values will help provide Hern with winning over the average Oklahoma voter over his political rivals.

The Legislative Digest is your weekly look at the happenings of Oklahoma’s state legislature and upcoming bills and the terms to know. Raven Fawcett Commentary Editor

duced. The session must officially end on or before 5 p.m. on May 25 this year, as the legislature only meets until the last Friday in May of any year. There are over 1900 bills and resolutions already introduced between the House and the Senate. A bill needs 51 votes from the House and 25 from the Senate to pass and is then given final approval by the governor. Emergency clauses are the exception to this rule, requiring two-thirds approval from both chambers (or, 68 votes in the House and 33 votes in the Senate) . They are bills which become effective either immediately after the governor signs the law or at a specified date. These bills are useful

because bills cannot become law until 90 days after the legislative session ends without being an emergency bill. The governor has five days to approve or disapprove of a bill. If the governor does nothing, the bill becomes law. There are caveats and exceptions to the above rules and schedules, but generally, the legislature follows this process and these deadlines. There are contingency plans if anything goes wrong or deviates from the norm. Check back next week for the next Legislative Digest where, with these facts in mind, we’ll look at bills to keep an eye on in 2018.

The Collegian: 9

Variety

16 January 2018

“Evita” a surprisingly emotional experience

The biographical musical of an Argentine president’s wife, “Evita” provided an array of emotions: from humor, to wonder, to heartbreak. Brennen Gray Student Writer

These last couple of years have seen the deaths of some of the most beloved celebrities, and with Oprah recently becoming a tentative candidate for president, the story of Eva Perón makes more sense now than ever before. Tulsa Theater starts 2018 with “Evita,” a musical exploring the life of Eva Perón. Many know little of Eva, affectionately called “Evita,” and her skyrocket from the lower class to power. Those who do probably learned from this beloved 1978 musical that raked in seven Tony Awards. Essentially, a low-born girl becomes an actress who meets with Juan Perón before he is elected president. After the two married in 1945, Evita used her popularity with the common people to gain political influence. This lead to her successful campaign for her husband’s presidency in 1946. She achieved world fame from a European tour and even ran for Vice President despite having limited political

experience. She died at the age of 33, six years into her reign as first lady. The nation mourned. The musical itself was fantastic. I do not rank it as my favorite, but it surely deserved its awards. The choreography dazzled me the most. I could not believe the athletic endurance of the actors. The chorus and lead roles occasionally shared the show with two dancers, one male and one female, whose acrobatics and grace quickly became my favorite part of the show. The musical to their dance numbers kept a steady beat and dramatic melody as the lady seemed to defy gravity. It was nothing short of mesmerizing. The plot confused me at times. This was

It did this surprisingly well, but it also meant that I had to pay close attention to hear all the lines of the musical to get both the plot and the history. “Evita” impressed me with its ability to tell its own story; the writing was brilliant. Evita met with heavy resistance from the bourgeoisie and the military because she was a poor civilian, and an actress at that. The musical portrayed this with an over-thetop performance of fur-coat-clad women striking their most ostentatious poses and a company of marching soldiers who insulted Evita as they drilled. The women were a hilarious caricature of upper class citizens, and one of the soldiers showed off some impressing rifle-spinning techniques. I could not have imagined a

“It was nothing short of mesmerizing.” partially due to minor issues with hearing the singers over the music coming from the pit. It only happened occasionally, but I missed a handful of lines simply because I couldn’t hear. Since the musical tells the story of a real person, it was challenged with informing the audience of Argentine history as well as telling the story of Eva Perón.

more fun way to convey the demographics of people who hated Evita. It resonates with her past as well. Evita sings in the beginning of the production that her father was upper middle class, but since she was an illegitimate child, she received no benefit from her father’s money and thus had nothing. This explains why she hated the upper-middle class as much as they hated her.

The music left me wanting more. “Don’t Cry for me Argentina” stands as one of the most beloved numbers in musical history, and I became a fan myself. As she addresses the crowd, the audience almost feels like they on stage themselves, overjoyed to hear their first lady sing. The musical ends with Evita on her deathbed, singing one last time. The audience received little electric candles to hold up as a part of a candle-lit vigil. It made for a strong ending. The actors did a solid job, although I did not find any standouts this trip. Karlena Riggs made a great Evita, and Sean Patrick Rooney played an excellent Che Guevara. I enjoyed John Orsulak playing Juan Perón. Last, Jeffery McCollum played Magaldi, and Claire Schroepfer his mistress. I recommend this show to anyone with a heart. As the audience holds a vigil for the beloved political activist and feminist figure, they also are reminded that above all, she was an actress. While it may rub some the wrong way that it celebrates the ideas of non-political celebrities achieving federal political power, it also calls back to the deaths of many wonderful celebrities. I swear I almost heard Carrie Fisher’s voice somewhere in there. “Evita” will be performing again at the Tulsa PAC Thurs 18– Sat 20 at 8 p.m., and finally on Sunday the 21 at 2 p.m.

A dog-eared surprise in the middle of nowhere A brief account of my holiday trip to a small Texas town that harbored a sweet, literary surprise. Ethan Veenker Variety Editor I rolled into Archer City, Texas, on Christmas day to stay with my girlfriend and her family for a week. The town’s welcome sign, disguised as any normal street sign, boasted a population of around 1800. It’s in northwestern Texas, about thirty minutes south of the significantly larger Wichita Falls. There’s othing on the road until Archer City, feeling like a hiccup on an indiscriminate southward journey, where cars are forced to a stop at the town’s only traffic light, constantly blinking red at the junction of highways 79 and 25. Small-town charm is practically written into every brick of the small diners, stuffed under every layer of decades-old asphalt, suspended in the air by the weary cables holding the traffic light. It’s a town where, almost literally, everybody knows everybody. The young boys that came over to play with my girlfriend’s little brother all boasted of knowing every police officer. I’d like to say more about Archer City, but it’s truly nothing more than two gas stations (which double as a diner and a supermarket, respectively), a Dairy Queen, a large school (housing all grades, elementary through high school), a completely unsupervised gun range and a nice-looking bank. That’s not entirely true; there is one feature of ex-

plicit interest in the sleepy town: it’s the home of author Larry McMurtry. If you’re anything like me, you have no idea who Larry McMurtry is, just as I didn’t when my girlfriend’s mother excitedly let it slip. I came to learn that he’s an author, but not just any author: a successful author. But not just any successful author: he’s Larry McMurtry, a nearly-canonized figure in Texan literature, responsible for classics such as “Lonesome Dove,” “Horseman, Pass By” and even the screenplay for “Brokeback Mountain,” though perhaps Archer City residents don’t hold as much pride in that last accomplishment.

it’s now just the main store and an overflow store. McMurtry started the chain a few decades ago in Washington D.C. before moving it all to Archer City. “Booked Up” specializes in rare and out-of-print books, all used, of course. The lobby of the main store houses the especially rare and intricately bound books: huge, dusty volumes, sometimes in another language, almost always on sale for over a thousand dollars. The bread and butter of “Booked Up” is in the back, a literal garage with shelves reaching towards the very high ceiling, absolutely filled with books. The wealth of

“... [He’s] Larry McMurtry, a nearly canonized figure in Texan literature...” His larger-than-life persona wasn’t dampened when we drove by his home, by far the largest building in the town, flanked by sprawling acres of land donated to the town, now turned into a country club. While McMurtry happens to spend most of his time in Arizona, his influence on the town is heavily felt, not only through the towering mansion but also through a chain of five bookstores peppered around the place. The chain is called “Booked Up,” and while it used to consist of five different locations all housing different genres of thousands and thousands of books, it’s been downsized to just two, located directly across the street from each other. Put simply,

present genres was impressive, as was the relative obscurity of everything there. I had to keep reminding myself that these were all old, out-of-print books when I couldn’t find something I was specifically looking for. Of all the genres present in the store, from fiction, Texas fiction, western, psychology, religion, etc., McMurtry seems to host a predisposition for literary criticism and biographies. By far, this was the largest section of the store, with three full rows of shelving dedicated to Virginia Woolf, just to help illustrate how many books there were. To also help illustrate about how busy the store is, when we tried visiting the overflow location across the street and found it was

locked, an employee from the first store came and opened it for us, citing that they don’t unlock that one until they get into the real swing of the day. They’d been open for two-and-a-half hours and were closing in another one-and-a-half. They then left us alone in the store, prompting me to cross the street with my picks when I wanted to checkout. The store is something of a tourist destination, no doubt, but it doesn’t look like it’s ever overflowing with action. Things are quiet in there, the A/C unit rattles in the back, a few stray cats saunter around to find the food left out by employees. It’s a place that feels frozen, dedicated to some indistinct time in the past. There’s real pride in that store, somewhere between all those books. It obviously doesn’t pay the bills. I’m sure McMurtry keeps it afloat just to keep his passion project open. Driving out of Archer City on New Year’s Day, I marveled again at how small the town was. It amazed me how a town once-infamous for a viral photo in which children held signs at a ballgame bearing the slogan “Build that wall” (the opposing team was apparently mostly Hispanic) could nonetheless hold such a literary mecca. I shot a pistol for the first time that week, at the gun range all the way across town, on the other side of Archer City Lake. From where I stood, I could see the roof of Larry McMurtry’s mansion, towering over the rest of the buildings, even the school. I pondered the dichotomy of the town as I shot through half a magazine. Turns out I’m a bad aim.

“Monterey Pop: 50 Years” shows music history up close

Featuring a gallery of photos from the legendary Monterey Pop festival, the new gallery captures the energy of performance in unusual ways. Emily Every Student Writer 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of D.A. Pennebaker’s “Monterey Pop.” Pennebaker’s film is one of the most well-regarded concert documentaries of the 1960s and remains a cornerstone of American pop-culture iconography. Both the film and the art exhibit focus on the eponymous Monterey Pop Festival concert held in Monterey, California, June 16 through June 18, 1967 The Who, Jimi Hendrix, The Mamas & the Papas and Ravi Shankar are among those who played the Monterey County Fairgrounds. “Monterey Pop: 50 Years” immortalizes Pennebaker’s photos of the concert and those musicians who made it a moment fixed in the history of live music. Though set in the splendor and frenzy of the concert setting, Pennebaker’s photography is surprisingly close to and seemingly familiar with his subjects. Nowhere is the audience pictured, despite the performers being onstage in front of thousands. While the backgrounds dazzle with stage lights and an implied audience, all focus yet remains on the humanity and personality of the performers. A significant portion of the gallery is dedicated to close-ups and detail of Pennebaker’s subjects. Laura Nyro and Michelle Phil-

lips are both captured in complimentative profiles. One of the several signed pieces in the exhibition is of the flats worn by Janis Joplin onstage. Yet the quiet intimacy of those close-ups is incomparable to the explosive movement and coloring of the series of wide shots focusing on The Who’s Keith Moon. That disparity between works in the collection is to Pennebaker’s credit: each photo is as individual and unique as the musicians they seek to represent. The small distance between the camera to the musicians allows the personality of the photos to shine, both literally and figuratively. The lighting and sharp contrast in the exhibit is equally striking as it is pleasant, and Pennebaker’s eye for color dominates the collection. Lighting in unnatural oranges and blues is used to illuminate figures while leaving the background an undefined black. The rendering of Otis Redding is particularly visually dynamic, with the front-lit blues of Redding’s suit juxtaposed against the warm yellows of the venue’s lights. The use of harsh, unnatural lighting coupled with extreme close-ups hints at the dynamics of the individual figure versus the performative aspect of music. Redding still stands out as a unique individual, even while bathed in yellow lighting against a dark, nebulous background. Pennebaker takes these famous musicians away from their stage setting and allows them to be individuals. Although the main attraction of the exhibit is the people and the event pictured, there is still huge value to the talent with which those photos are created. Even if a viewer

The gallery’s design is simple: a variety of fascinating photos donning the walls.

has no interest in 1960s American music or film, the photography itself still holds up on its own. Pennebaker is not one of the bigname musicians featured in Monterey Pop setlist, but his skill with a camera is what makes the collection worth seeing. The exhibit is essentially a love note to a particular moment in American music history, and it is genuinely worth braving some cold weather to see for yourself the craft with which it is composed while it is still in

photo by Emily Every

Tulsa. It is unlikely such a caring rendition of 1967 Monterey, California, will again soon find its way to Oklahoma. I, for one, am in favor of indulging in it while we still have the chance. “Monterey Pop: 50 Years” is currently at the Henry Zarrow Center for Art and Education and is open Thursday through Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. It will continue to be open for free to the public until Saturday, Jan. 20, when it will no longer be on view in Tulsa.

16 January 2018

Variety

The Collegian: 10

Joe Momma’s a welcome “Trendsetters in Triptych” an inaddition to Tulsa pizza scene timate and emotional exhibit The newly reopened restaurant offers a decent slice, a friendly ambiance and an interesting range of specialty pizzas. Hannah Kloppenburg Social Media Manager The old Joe Momma’s marquee sits at 112 S. Elgin, marking an empty shell of a building. I don’t know if the walls are still blackened by July 2015’s fire — I didn’t go inside. Its previous occupant has moved around the corner to 308 E. First St., to a much more lively, spacious and vivacious new building. Joe Momma’s reopened last Friday to the great excitement and anticipation of many Tulsans. The pizza joint was formerly owned by Tulsa city councilor Blake Ewing, who also operated the Phoenix and White Flag. Ewing is now a minority partner and the restaurant is under new ownership. Although I never visited the pizza place before it closed due to fire damage, I’d heard my fellow TU students talking since I was an underclassman about what a shame the closing was . So naturally I found myself at Joe Momma’s with a group of friends last Saturday, the restaurant’s second day in business. The new location has a vague sports-bar vibe, but it’s offset by the zany decor. The walls are plastered with black-and-white photos of people (all with black censorship bars across their eyes — an interesting quirk and apparently Joe Momma’s signature design) and highly relatable slogans like “Pie ‘til we die.” It’s definitely an inviting space — noisy with chatter and activity, the kind of place where you can ask for crayons to draw on the paper tablecloth and bring home your collectible Joe Momma’s drink cup at the end of the night (which I forgot to do, because I’m a fool). The wait staff seemed a little flustered by the crowds but were accommodating and willing to put up with seating our large group. We started off with the Momma’s Bread, an appetizer consisting of house-made bread covered in garlic oil and parmesan and served with red sauce. Everyone in our group of six ate two or three breadsticks. It was delicious and an excellent way to ready our taste buds for more cheesy bread, but with toppings this time. Joe Momma’s pizza selection is interesting, to say the least. They offer an assortment of specialty pizzas with wild toppings and names like “Voodoo Pie,” “Natalie Portman” and “Nathan’s Unlikely Marriage.” My biggest complaint about the experience was probably that many of their specialty

pizzas are a little too experimental for my taste, with some featuring toppings like pine nuts, mandarin oranges or marinated pork. Quite a few of them involve some form of sriracha sauce, so it took me a minute to find a non-spicy option. With that said, those who like their pizza on the tamer side can always opt for a custom pie with whatever toppings they like. If you’re not in the mood for pizza, they also offer salads, sandwiches and pastas. The menu doesn’t designate gluten-free or vegetarian/vegan dishes. We ended up deciding on the Judgement Day (spicy red sauce, sliced hot link, red hot buffalo chicken, pepperoni, red bell peppers and jalapeno peppers) and the Golden Driller (house made alfredo sauce, diced Roma tomatoes, mushrooms, grilled chicken, pine nuts, roasted garlic and cheddar cheese sprinkles). My friends considered but ended up deciding against The Incinerator (salami, ham, crushed black pepper, diced jalapenos, sliced habaneros, a ghost pepper sriracha and a wasabi swirl) in the interest of maintaining their good health. By the way, if you manage to defeat a 14inch Incinerator by yourself, you earn a spot on Joe Momma’s Wall of Fame and a free t-shirt. I tried a single bite of the Judgement Day and was absolutely not having it, but my friends who are more partial to spicy foods than I enjoyed it. I thoroughly enjoyed the Golden Driller. The crust was a great consistency, the chicken was cooked well and the garlic flavor really shone. It was a solid piece of New York-style pizza — not incredible, but pretty darn good. I’d definitely recommend you stop by Joe Momma’s for a slice. My one reservation is that their pizza, while all-around solid, isn’t quite as good as some other local joints (*cough* Andolini’s) for the price point (pies range from roughly $12–$22, depending on the size). But hey, it’s not Joe Momma’s fault that they were born into a city that’s already swimming in outstanding pizza places, and they’re certainly a worthwhile addition to the Tulsa pizza scene. If you’re a fan of Andolini’s style but want a brighter, friendlier vibe as opposed to Wood-Fired Exposed-Brick Hipster Gourmet, you’ll enjoy Joe Momma’s. You’ll probably also enjoy it if you’re a fan of experimental toppings and sriracha. While not necessarily awe-inspiring, the restaurant rounds out an already thriving local pizza landscape, and I’m glad to see it back in town.

The Zarrow Center’s new gallery features triptych shots of famous and influential artists, combined with anecdotes from the photographer. Cheyanne Wheat Student Writer “Trendsetters in Triptych” is showcased at the Zarrow Center on MLK Jr and Brady. It is in the “Gallery Prep” room in the back corner of the first floor. I had difficulty finding it myself. A few of the pieces spill out of the room on the walls outside of the room. These feature familiar celebrities like Michael Jackson, Misty Copeland and Aretha Franklin. As you wander inside, the exhibit dips deeper into history. The exhibit features 16 triptych pieces of artist, musicians and actors from the Jazz Age to WWII to our modern era. If you’re like me, you don’t know what the hell “triptych” means and were probably thinking about googling it. I learned from the exhibit that “triptych” is three panel art typically placed side by side. Most of the photos were in black-andwhite which made the few in color beam with life. Each frame has one to three small blurbs written by the photographer themselves. The viewer gets to see the greats featured throughout history. Some of the photos are more intimate, taken in a home or apartment, reminding us these celebrities are normal beings behind closed doors. Others are intimate because they capture the moment where a person is alive and in their element. This is where their purpose lies and why they will be remembered for centuries. These photographers captured personal moments of these artists, musicians, dancers and actors doing what they love with purpose and passion.

This was by far one of the best art exhibits I’ve been to. It shines a light on not only these trendsetters’ lives but also the emotions in their experience with the extraordinary. Connecting the photographers’ thoughts with what they decided to illustrate bridges this gap I feel many times when examining artists work. I yearn for depth and sometimes the art can’t speak for itself. I want explanation and I want the artist’s raw emotions in their work. “Trendsetters in Triptych” handed me this on a silver platter. The piece that spoke the loudest to me was the Jazz Legends: Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis, shot in Los Angeles in 1950. Each blurb recounted on how the photographer, Bob Willoughby, was paralyzed by their music and talent. He expressed that the music just took him over and touched his heart. Speaking about Gillespie, Willoughby smiled, saying, “Oh yes, I can still hear the music whenever I see those photographs.” In Louis’s blurb, Willoughby recalls a wholesome, light moment where Ella Fitzgerald imitated Louis. Last, his reflection on Miles Davis melted me. He recounted his physical reactions in his experience listening to Davis: “There are a few musicians touched with the magic ability to communicate a feeling that is so strong, that it can make the hairs on the back on one’s neck stand up, and that … was exactly what Miles Davis did to me … Miles was connecting with everyone in the audience, if they could be touched. Singing his song to them … to me, through his enchanted trumpet.” Most of the descriptions are as informal and cozy as that, almost like peeking into someone’s journal. See this compilation for yourself. It is truly a beautiful collection of history, life and extraordinary humans.

photo by Cheyanne Wheat

Some of the eponymous “trendsetters” featured in the gallery include Elvis Presley and The Beatles.

A well-meaning but poorly-written book for students “OMG, the Things I Learned in College” is an attempt by author Bob Roth to share his wisdom to college-bound students, but is so full of mistakes and borderline-offensive scenes that it’s best to avoid. Raven Fawcett Commentary Editor Coming out of winter break, the mostasked question (aside from “What are you going to do with your life, seriously, what, you mean you don’t know?”) was “What have you learned?” If I didn’t have a great answer then, I do now. What I learned in college was to not read “OMG, the Things I Learned in College,” a book by Bob Roth. Roth has written six books to help college students through job searches and their academic life. His work, both in book and article form, focuses on what he calls “helping college students achieve their employment and career goals.” This one focuses on fictional students who broadcast their advice and struggles on a live radio show. The radio format is intriguing. The characters can give advice and not sound like they’re preaching or trying to talk down to the reader. It’s their job to say things like this. It’s an imaginative take on the genre of well-meaning books that spend a lot of time giving advice without justifying their ideas or providing dissenting opinions. The two hosts often disagree with each other or find new aspects of a problem to talk about that feels genuine. “OMG” is the kind of book I’d give to my parents to assure them the world I live in is easy to navigate. All bad things are clearly bad, and I know the difference between good and bad things to do. I even got them this book, so we could more easily talk about my college experiences, and they could learn my hip new slang, like “OMG.” It wouldn’t be that bad of an idea. There are helpful lists that include suggestions for

what to do if you’ve had your identity stolen or how to work your way toward a job you want. My parents might be impressed that I’d taken the time to share the book with them and want to share this new stage of my life and some problems it might include. There’s just one problem with that (well, two if you include the nine-page sex scene that doesn’t seem to serve any purpose besides being a sex scene): the book can’t help my relationship with my parents any more than it added to my understanding of college. The story gets bogged down in the details. “OMG” is about two college radio show hosts, Jackie and Scott, who work on their campus, providing hard-hitting analysis of and advice for college life and the experiences of Scott’s friend, Doug, who also narrates the book. Here’s where it gets tricky, though. Doug is introduced in the third chapter, not the first, and drops out of the narrative on and off, surprising readers each time the story switches to “I” statements. Scott has

can readers learn from nine pages describing a single sexual encounter? The smut was not used to examine a healthy relationship, or even discussed in terms of what you should learn in college. It didn’t even take place during the narrator’s time in college! The woman in the sexual encounter also goes on to die from a drug overdose in a later chapter. The sex scene was alluded to during the discussion of her death. There were times, like this, when I felt voyeuristic and deeply uncomfortable reading about these examples, as though I were participating in the simplification of these fictional (but plausible) tragedies. Out of 30 illustrations (including the two on the covers), five included naked or topless women, and two included nearly naked men. The undressed men were only in pictures with undressed women. Almost 17 percent of the illustrations featured underdressed women, but their lack of clothing added nothing to my understanding of college or the book itself. Readers gain nothing but a sensational

“Out of 30 illustrations ... five included naked or topless women...” a girlfriend off-campus, who is only mentioned in conjunction with sex or when she calls the station and the narrator says that the girlfriend probably meant it as a warning to Jackie, Scott’s coworker. Both are awkward subplots that snap the reader out of the narrative flow of the book and fail to provide a compelling story. Serious issues are approached as extreme examples. Abuse, for instance, is illustrated by a scene where a man yell obscenities at his girlfriend in front of a crowd. While that can happen, life is rarely so simple, and abuse rarely so public. Sexual content is added, seemingly for shock value—what

picture that does not add anything to the women’s plotlines or characters. Anyone who has even a half-hearted appreciation for grammar, punctuation and general readability are better off avoiding the book altogether. Nouns are capitalized in what I assume is an effort to make them sound important, but it lends to vague writing that seems to avoid specifics—calling the university in the story the University, for instance. Punctuation happens to the story, instead of pacing my eyes or connecting important ideas. The use of commas actively and frequently confused me.

Worst of the stylistic sins of the book, a new paragraph is not started every time a new person says something, leaving no clues as to who is speaking at any moment. I practiced my best grandmother impression every other page. “What? Who’s saying that? Can you repeat that?” Roth does not seem to understand college life as it stands. In college, I learned a lot of serious things: how to work hard even when I’m overwhelmed, how to skim over a hundred pages of assigned readings per night and how to talk to people who deal with things I’ll never begin to understand and respect their life experiences. I learned a lot of funny things, too: that I can cite Urban Dictionary in academic papers when appropriate, that burritos taste better after 2 a.m. and that each bathroom on campus has its own benefit and drawback (the third floor Oliphant bathroom is the best place for an afternoon breakdown, complete with tears and sniffling, for instance). What I didn’t learn in college was that, as Roth would have you believe, a career track should be decided on in the first semester of your freshman year or realizing only in college that you have to work hard to get a job you like in this economy. He pushes the idea that your future job should line up with your current major, even though people get jobs that are unrelated to their major all the time. Ultimately, Roth failed to create compelling characters or a meaningful plotline. His examples were distracting and unhelpful. The jokes often came at a woman’s expense. The helpful information was lost among irrelevant anecdotes. Worst, Roth seems to underestimate the reader’s life-savvy, constantly giving out advice on topics that readers should already know while glossing over pieces of advice that would be genuinely helpful if he discussed them more. Roth’s hard work and thoughtful suggestions fail to outweigh the flaws in “OMG, the Things I Learned in College.”

The Collegian: 11

“Star Wars VIII” a truly welcome addition The controversial new film’s greatest strength lies in its grit and its incorporation of women.

(Major spoilers follow)

Emma Palmer Student Writer Rian Johnson’s “The Last Jedi” could have been another generic blockbuster, but instead, it’s a thoughtful piece of art that engages its audience — and takes risks by doing so. Art today is by nature political. To willingly ignore that fact is to erase the power of the film, to neuter it. If we consider “The Last Jedi” without political context, we lose much of its thematic importance: the significance of not just Rey, our main female protagonist, but also of all the women in the background, the ones who serve minor roles and have no names. The fact that some of the “red shirts” are women is indicative of women having more agency in the “Star Wars” universe. And the women in the film aren’t all cookie-cutter blank slates meeting a quota — there are old women, young women, women of all different races. This matters, and it matters a lot. As a little kid, I remember feeling a deep sense of injustice at the fact that Leia and Padme were my only options when I was playing “Star Wars” with my friends. Now I watch with pride as my little sisters opt for both lightsabers and space buns. By giving the rebellion over to the women, Johnson has widened the possibilities of the stories he can tell and the audiences he can reach. Johnson paints a dark picture in his conclusion to the original trio’s lives. “The

Last Jedi” is what happens after everyone gets their happy ending; stories are comedies or tragedies depending when they end. Life is cyclical, and while it hurts to see our heroes become grayer versions of themselves, there’s a realism that brings a more redemptive light to the ending than a sugar-coated candy world would. The glimmer of hope in “TLJ” is worth more because of the struggle to get it. It’s precious, because it’s dwindling. In this sense, it is kindred in spirit to “The Empire Strikes Back,” and while it pays homage that film, “The Last Jedi” also frees itself of the burden of remaking the same stories as the original trilogy. It’s an idea that’s important — a passing of the torch that defies the status quo. Nostalgia is increasingly being peddled to the masses, with shows like “Stranger Things” and films such as “It” and the upcoming “Ready Player One” indicating that many people want to live in this amalgamation of everything from the eighties. No new “Star Wars” film will ever live up to the nostalgia of what George Lucas did 41 years ago. Johnson knows this, and while some things will never change (cute aliens, spaceship fights, revolution), he takes risks that pay off. One of the underlying themes of “The Last Jedi” is the poisonous nature of nostalgia — how living in the past can leave people toxic and bitter. It’s a gutsy move to reject nostalgia culture in a franchise that makes its money off people’s childhood memories, but it pays off. By warning of the dangers of getting stuck in the past, Johnson honors that past while looking toward the future.

Variety

16 January 2018

“Star Wars VIII” a “Star Wars VIII” might be worst one yet mixed bag The film has its blunders, and plenty of them, but the positives ultimately outshine any glaring negatives. (Major spoilers follow)

Trenton Gibbons News Editor I don’t know that I even consider myself a “Star Wars” fan per se, but it is a series I find myself thinking of much too often and, thanks to the new trilogy of sequels and proposed spinoff films, discussing even more. “Star Wars” is something of a cultural phenomenon, and so it can be difficult to peel away the institution (the legendary status of the films, the rampant merchandising, both the canon and non-canon extended universe material and a rabid fanbase) and really look at the source material. I’m not going to say “objectively” look at the source material because taste is subjective. That all being said, subjectively I very much enjoy the original trilogy, I think the prequels are trash, I think “The Force Awakens” played it too safe and finally, and that “The Last Jedi” is the best “Star Wars” film since “Return of the Jedi.” Then again, that isn’t saying much. For almost every good decision made in the making of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” there’s some questionable or downright bad one to counteract it. Right at the beginning, I enjoyed seeing General Hux’s weaknesses being played up for humor but disliked Poe’s Marvel-like spewing of quips. I enjoyed the look of the casino and the races inhabiting it, but disliked Rose’s painting with a wide brush (why is she so positive they’re all arms dealers?) and that dreadful scene of the stampede. The visuals of the hyperspace kamikaze scene were great, but the implications of hyperspace being some untapped military strategy with wildly destructive potential perplexed me even in the theater. There’s a wealth of little decisions that are similar. These are just some examples of positives and negatives (porgs) which left me with a feeling of ambiguity about the film. I still enjoyed the movie a lot, but I have a hard time saying it was great. Although I’m very willing to argue this film’s redeeming qualities with anyone who wrote the whole thing off as atrocious. For one thing, Kylo Ren became an exponentially more interesting character in “The Last Jedi.” His character arc reached its peak in this film with his betrayal of Snoke. When I think of how much I enjoyed seeing “The Last Jedi,” I think most often of the Rey/Ren side of the story and especially their climactic battle in the throne room. What makes Kylo Ren so interesting by the end of “TLJ” is his al-

most fourth-wall breaking motivation: out with the old, in with the new. “The Force Awakens” suffered from a serious reluctance to try anything new; almost every character and event of that film shared a parallel with “A New Hope.” Here, I almost see Rian Johnson forcing JJ Abrams’s hand to make this trilogy something new and fresh. Despite this effort, I predict watching the ninth Star Wars film in utter frustration, as Abrams pulls back the reins and resorts to more tired franchise tropes. It shouldn’t be too surprising to even see yet another Death Star, as unoriginal a concept as that now is. But then again, a good portion of the “Star Wars” fanbase seems to have a hard time swallowing anything in these films that subverts their expectations. (Maybe as many people thought these subversions were bad for more reasons than them being unexpected; my argument isn’t with them at all.) Many audience members seemed absolutely floored that Snoke didn’t conform to their over-informed theories of his origin, or that Rey might in fact lack familial ties to some previously introduced character. The best example of this, however, is Luke’s characterization in the film. Mark Hamill is partially to blame for the negative backlash here, since he so vehemently voiced his dislike of Johnson’s direction for his character, from the noble knight he’d become in the original trilogy to something of a disillusioned hermit for the bulk of “The Last Jedi.” Never mind the horrible events that have conspired to put him in such a state, or the fact that characters become more interesting the more complex they are. In Hamill’s mind and that of many die-hard “Star Wars” fans, Luke isn’t merely a fictional character, he’s a religious icon. For them, to portray him making morally-questionable decisions or questioning his beliefs isn’t an interesting take for the character; it’s absolute blasphemy. As for his death, I think it could have been executed better, sure. But I think it was necessary if Rey’s to shine at all in the next installment, since so much of her role was overshadowed by him in this one. If you loved or hated this film, and it’s your own opinion, I couldn’t care less. But Star Wars has become a sum even greater than its innumerable parts. Disney is largely composed of corporate-minded agents who lack artistic vision; the “Star Wars” fanbase’s loudest members can often be more driven by the institution of the series than their subjective opinions of each installment. The best way to avoid enabling or becoming either is to judge each movie on their own merits. You don’t want to see the next one? Skip it. Maybe then this series can finally end.

courtesy Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The most recent entry in the legendary saga was met with a slew of positive and negative reviews alike.

An incoherent story and inconsistencies within the established canon bog down the tepid “Last Jedi.” (Major spoilers follow)

Justin Guglielmetti Sports Editor I want to start this off by making it absolutely clear that I am not a film elitist. I’m not the kind of douchebag who can’t enjoy anything besides “The Godfather” and “Citizen Kane.” Movies are made for all sorts of reasons and should be judged accordingly; I’m not going to critique a Liam Neeson suburban-dad’smidlife-crisis-fantasy action movie the same way I would a Liam Neeson dense historical drama. Now, with all that said … “The Last Jedi” was a steaming pile of hot Bantha poodoo and either the worst or the second-worst film in the entire “Star Wars” franchise depending on how I’m feeling about “The Force Awakens” that particular day. God, where to begin. Was this movie “all bad”? No, few things are. There were some breathtaking visuals that I can’t possibly criticize — Laura Dern’s lightspeed kamikaze attack, Kylo Ren and Rey’s pitched duel against the Red Man Group, Adam Driver’s memetastic no shirt, granny pants combo — but these were wrapped up in an incoherent and deeply unsatisfactory story. What the hell was up with Finn and Rose’s stupid casino-planet sidequest during which they accomplished absolutely nothing to advance their own character arcs or the plot of the movie? Isn’t this exactly the sort of thing that people have blasted the prequels over (and for the record, the podrace in Episode I was infinitely cooler than those giant rabbit horses and Benicio del Toro’s inexplicably stuttering master thief in this one)? Admiral Holdo’s idiotic refusal to tell anybody about her plan for the Resistance made no sense in-universe, instead serving as a cheap trick from director Rian Johnson to spice up an otherwise forgettable character by making the audience think she’s a villain. Don’t even get me started on the slapstick Marvel/ Disney humor that infected this movie from start to finish (Hux and Poe’s phone call, Maz Kenata’s cartoonish advice session while engaged in a shootout, Luke’s guzzling milk from the teat, playing with grass or brushing his shoulders off) which completely removed any tension or weight from their accompanying scenes. Still, these types of cosmetic flaws would not be nearly enough to make me hate this movie. Dislike sure, but not hate. No, the true deal breaker for me was the total disrespect towards the framework established by the previous movies in the “Star Wars” canon. Like them or not, the original six George Lucasdriven films told a tight story when taken together as a whole. Sure they featured the Republic, the Empire, the Rebellion, the Jedi, the Sith, but at their core, they were the saga of Anakin Skywalker and his son Luke. Anakin is introduced as the Chosen One, an onthe-nose Christ analogue down to his virgin birth, a person with greater strength and significance to the Force

than any other, who will destroy evil and restore Balance™. Of course, he falls to the Dark Side and almost destroys those he was supposed to save, before being redeemed by his son and ultimately fulfilling the prophecy by killing his master. He dies in the process, but it doesn’t matter. The galaxy is saved, and evil (at least Dark Side of the Force evil) is vanquished for good. Roll credits. Now you can dislike that story all you want, call it cliché, unoriginal, whatever. But it’s the story that exists, the labor of the man who created this whole universe in the first place. And my biggest fear when Disney acquired the brand, that they would completely ignore the resolution of the originals with a new Light vs. Dark sequel (as opposed to a non-Force-centric sequel or a prequel so as not to disrupt the canon), has now been realized. In fairness to Rian Johnson, this is as much J.J. Abrams’s fault as his own. It was Abrams who started off this new trilogy as a nostalgia-driven rehash, essentially recycling characters, locations and plotlines from the originals. But I can’t let Johnson off the hook. He didn’t have to double down and invalidate so many things from Lucas’s films. Abrams pretty much left Luke a blank slate. It was Johnson who decided to butcher his character and make the man who redeemed the irredeemable (Vader) insecure and incompetent enough that he would contemplate murdering his own nephew upon observing the latter’s slightest doubts. It was Johnson who decided to give Rey (who apparently doesn’t even have Skywalker blood!) and Kylo Ren the most raw power of any force user, conveniently ignoring that this was the entire point of Anakin’s character. It was Johnson who decided not to give any backstory or explanation to the seemingly ancient, incredibly powerful, randomly existing Lord Snoke, instead passing off the responsibility to any one of the dozen shitty books that will probably be written about him. It was Johnson who missed the opportunity to make the destruction of Starkiller Base impactful to the First Order, instead opting to stick with an even more exaggerated Empire-Rebel dichotomy than the original trilogy, which at this point might as well have never happened! In short, it was Johnson who decided to do his own thing with this film, making characterization and plot decisions without any regard for having them match up with what came before. Know this: though it was far from a flawless movie, most of my criticisms of “The Last Jedi” are based on how poorly it fit in with the rest of the series. If you take issue with that, if you think that I should be looking at this film on its own merits and not relate it to its predecessors, I’m sorry to tell you that you’re just wrong. I can’t view “Star Wars VIII” as a standalone (and neither should you) because it wasn’t a standalone; it’s the eighth movie in the series for God’s sake! Does this make me a nerd who cares too much about the the continuity and canon of a fictional universe? Probably. But that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.

The State-Run Media

16 January 2018

the

State-Run media We support Judge Judy for president.

How to take advantage of your “friend” from high school that has over 250 bitcoins What’s hotter than bitcoin right now? Other people’s bitcoin. Thomas von Borstel Prefers Dogecoin

The twenty-four karat gold bitcoin medallion that your “ friend “ bought.

courtesy Pixabay

Oprah vs. The Rock: Battle for 2020 The Democratic Party will give their blessing to the winner of this wrestling match. Sara Serrano Hopes Oprah uses a folding chair Coming to Madison Square Garden in 2019, a wrestling match of presidential proportions, the ultimate battle of brawn and sheer star power for the 2020 Democratic nomination: Oprah Winfrey versus Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson! With The Rock recently teasing a presidential run on The Ellen Show and Oprah’s rousing speech at this year’s Golden Globes catapulting her to the presidential spotlight, plans are already being put in place to accommodate these VIPs into the world of politics. The two will go three rounds in a no holds barred wrestling extravaganza complete with a mid-match intermission for policy speeches and so Oprah can do her thing. “I’m really excited for this match! I’m planning to unveil the tenets of my new healthcare program: WinfreyCare.” Oprah said in an interview last week, “I’ll save the details for the fight, but it’s basically ‘You get healthcare, you get healthcare, YOU ALL GET HEALTHCARE!’” Points will be awarded for holds, feelgood quotes, and general violence, doled out by the match referee and moderator Lester Holt.

“I think moderating Clinton v. Trump has really prepared me for this event. I can’t imagine anything more heated than that, but we’ll try.” Holt says, “I just have to work on my one-liners, you know, to really give America a show.” The Rock has been tight lipped about what plans he has for the country, but remains confident. “I’m a bit nervous about getting into my leotard again, but I’m pretty sure I can hold my own against Oprah, at least in the ring.” The Rock commented, “Have you seen my films? I’m a pretty great actor.” Establishment politicians might settle for boring debates to hash out issues, but that would be too ‘politically correct’ for these superstars. Consider this following the Republicans’ recent model of success. Nonetheless, news of the impending fight has still garnered criticism from politicians still stuck in the past. “Are we really doing this now?” says President Obama, just one of the many voices against this fight, “If this is considered normal, I am seriously worried about the future of the party. At least Joe is having a good time.” And that he is. “I already bought out the whole front row. I’m working on merch. I honestly cannot wait.” says Biden, “Oprah 2020 for life.” Whatever the opinions are, the facts are that in a 2020 presidential election against, most probably, Trump, a one-night-only spectacle of force is the Democratic Party’s best chance at finding their capable contender.

“...I’m pretty sure I can hold my own against Oprah, at least in the ring.”

Bitcoin. You’ve probably heard this word recently. There’s a lot of hearsay on the nature of the aged cryptocurrency. “What the hell’s a cryptocurrency?” “How can something made from nothing be worth something?” “Dude, I bought five fake IDs on the darkweb with MY bitcoin.” Whether you are a hardened veteran or newly shod greenhorn in the cryptocurrency world, the golden era (or bubble as many speculate) is now. Bitcoin recently hit its highest value, reaching an exchange rate of almost 19,000 bones. It has currently fallen , due to newbie investors jumping off the hypetrain and a brief flooding of the market. Now the cryptocurrency is only exchanging for a measly 13,500 dingos. No matter whether it’s worth $20,000 or $10,000, that kid in high school you kinda remember had a wallet of over 250 bitcoins he had acquired from the GFX work he did for a RPG forum in the mid-2000s. Worth mere cents then, he now owns over 3 million buckaroonis in assets. That’s a lot of money for a single young gentleman to consume on his own, so you might as well help him out. Here’s how to do it. 1) Message him on Facebook talking about all of the “great times” you spent together, and don’t forget to specifically recall the time you bumped into him in the hallway and joked about his size. That was a really bonding moment for you two. 2) Once you’ve reeled him into an intimate conversation with your dubious compliments, make sure and create a bond with him over your mutual affinity for “PC games.” Make sure to mention your favorite game is “8-ball mini pool.” 3) Now that mutual interest has been es-

“Dude, I bought five fake IDs on the darkweb with MY bitcoin.”

Second-semester freshmen anger, annoy The newly emboldened second semester freshmen are way too confident in their ability to be successful in college to the annoyance of everyone else. Adam Lux Head Propagandist As classes start back up a new breed of college student joins us: the second semester freshman. Because of these overconfident, self-concerned brats, upperclassmen are now terrified to hang out anywhere freshmen are likely to be: the caf, Fisher South, physics II classes, etc. “God they’re just so terrible,” said one RA who preferred to stay anonymous. “Yesterday I was just minding my own business studying for my upper level psych class when some freshman came up and started telling me which professors I should be taking. I’m a fucking junior.” “Yeah I basically have this whole college thing down,” said Kaycee Smathers, a second semester freshman who had just asked

The Rock has faced down John Cena but is he ready for Oprah?

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

tablished, begin your masterplan. Bring the conversation around to bitcoin. He’ll never see it coming. Mention your “rig” and when he counters with his “monster beast of a machine,” compliment his “specs” whether or not you know what a “dual octacore processor” is. 4) Here’s the make-it-or-break-it stage. Make sure to mention that one taco truck in town that takes bitcoin. Tell him you’d like to meet. If he counters with, “I’ll buy,” you’re in. 5) In this pivotal stage, you must balance your lust for his acquisitions to your seeming genuine desire to know this person. It is clear that cash is worth far more than human relationships, but learning to balance your deepest desire with an outward affability will help smooth the road when dealing with those romantic idealists who believe in the power of human connection. 6) Now, you’re definitely getting bored listening to his nonsense; going on about “internet privacy” and “net neutrality.” Make sure through the discourse to pepper in plenty of “mhm, yeahs” and very emphatic “UHUHs.” Once you’ve satiated his stream of bitter meme related jabs at cultural standards, you’ll pose your most bold question yet: “I’d really like to start investing more in bitcoin. Have any ideas?” 7) You’ve done it now. He realizes that this was all an act in an attempt to suck up to him for his current wealthy status. He screams at you under the metal pavilion directly next to the now very confused staff of the taco truck. Something about how you’re the fifth person from high school who has tried to reconnect and he feels like everyone is just using him even his mother who calls for extra cash to go shop at least once every three days. Of course, you don’t hear all of this because you managed to sneak a peek of the code for his BTC wallet on his phone and you are now walking away satisfied, as you drain his account.

me where the library is. “I’m taking 14 hours this semester so I’m going to be super busy but I’m still planning to go to at least two parties every weekend.” The TU administration sent out an email advising all non-freshman to “keep a stiff upper lip,” and that “this problem only lasts a semester.” Gone are the days where freshman are fresh-faced and open-minded, always respectful to their elders. “They’ve even started hitting on us,” said one senior, “some of them aren’t even eighteen yet. I’m twenty-two for Christ’s sake. And before you ask, ‘I’m a sophomore by hours’ is not a good pick up line.” “Now that I have a semester under my belt I’ve really matured,” said Chet McDonough, a second semester freshman. “I just feel like I need to date someone more mature now. I need a woman not a girl,” he continued while sipping a Four Loko. While some upperclassmen find solace in the fact that soon these little monsters are going to be sophomores, others are saying “that’s even worse!”

“Yeah, I basically have this whole college thing down.”