2 October 2017

Collegian Student newspaper of the University of Tulsa

October 2, 2017 Issue 6 ~ Volume 103

The Certification Struggle Oklahoma recently revoked TU’s teacher education program’s accreditation due to two major issues: data collection and leadership. While students graduating before July 2018 will be certified teachers, other students have been negatively affected. School administration is working to regain accreditation, but their efforts may come too late for some students. Managing Editor Michaela Flonard reports.

“My biggest question was, well, if you have a higher standard than [the state standard], how can you have a higher standard if you have no accreditation at all? You have no standards if you have no accreditation,” asked Anita O’Daniel. O’Daniel wondered this during a faculty meeting to decide if she should be let into the College of Education for the 2017-2018 school year. While she met the state standards for such a request, she didn’t meet TU’s standards. A faculty member, during the meeting, said she couldn’t be let in because she did not meet TU standards. But the problem with TU’s education department is that it’s currently unaccredited by the state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (OEQA) revoked accreditation from TU in late June, after a site visit in Feb., 2017. The university had failed to meet standards in 2015, so a follow-up was set for 2017. When the OEQA found that the university still did not meet two out of the six state standards for evaluation, it decided to revoke accreditation. This action had not happened for 20 years in Oklahoma. Losing accreditation has had major consequences, for both the school and students. The university plans to reapply for accreditation in the fall of 2018. If the school is able to meet state requirements by that time, they will regain their accreditation. But in the meantime, TU students have been affected. Students’ Stories TU students who graduated from the teacher education program in the 2016-2017 school year were unaffected by the revocation, and the state is allowing students who are graduating before July 2018 to graduate and be a certified educator, given they take the certification related exams before that time. A music education major, with a minor in deaf education, Rachel Neely will graduate in Dec., 2017, meaning she will be “unaffected outside of the tarnished reputation the TU Education department now has.” As she is already in the student teaching process, Neely mainly needs to take the Oklahoma Professional Teaching Examination (OPTE) and

Oklahoma Subject Area Tests (OSAT) before June. While for her, the loss of accreditation was not a major hinderance, Neely has “several friends that had to transfer schools, or even drop out because their degree is now essentially worthless.” The Interim Chair of the Department of Education Robin Ploeger stated those who will not graduate by July 2018 have been made aware of alternative routes to certification. For those who are interested in remaining in Oklahoma, emergency certification remains an option. Oklahoma’s public schools are filled with teachers who have been emergency certified — in 2016, 1,160 certificates were issued — because colleges aren’t producing enough teachers and many certified teachers go out of state because of pay. By simply taking the required tests and taking 6-18 hours of college credit in education courses, graduates could also become certified teachers. Finally for those interested specifically in special education, students could obtain a Master’s degree or certificate in the field, complete a 150-hour program and any required tests. These outside accreditation routes, while possible, Neely said,

Emergency certifications cannot be transferred out of state, where Martin intended to teach postgraduation. Apart from delaying her graduation, Martin expects to “have to retake all of the accreditation courses I have already taken at TU” in her new school. Since TU hopes to get reaccredited in fall of 2018, Martin could’ve also remained at TU and taken extra classes. But, she pointed out, she didn’t “feel like it’s reasonable to risk your entire future in hopes that the university is successful in regaining accreditation, especially since that’s not a for sure thing.” Although O’Daniel is graduating this May, she will not graduate with a teacher education certification. She transferred from OSU to TU after a year, to study deaf education, but because transfer grades don’t count and she failed a class early on, she had to work to get her GPA up to TU standards to join the department. This summer, after passing the state standards for GPA, she attempted to apply for the program, only to be told they weren’t accepting applications until 2018, which led to the faculty meeting mentioned at the start of the article. Instead, O’Daniel will graduate

Some students have withdrawn from the university or transferred universities as a result of the issue.

take education courses required for their degree and then submit an application later. In the meantime, however, some underclassmen are deciding to prepare for the possibility the university will not regain their accreditation immediately. One student, who has asked to remain anonymous to preserve connections in the department in case they later rejoined, decided to change majors from education to sociology, with a minor in education. If the school regains its accreditation, the student plans to rejoin the teacher education program so they can go on to teach. The student made this decision after a professor accidentally informed the class of the

“I’m graduating with a piece of paper that means nothing to anyone, even though it says University of Tulsa on it.”

are “a lot of extra work that is put on the student’s shoulders.” Students hoping to go out of state will have to do their own research on how they may be certified. Casey Martin was one of those expected to graduate in December of 2018. Unable to reconfigure her schedule to graduate by the deadline, she withdrew from TU and currently works as a substitute teacher in Oklahoma, until she can transfer to a school in Colorado. Getting emergency certified wasn’t an option for her, for two main reasons. “I went to TU for the purpose of attaining a degree in elementary education and becoming a fully certified elementary teacher,” she said, “I didn’t go to TU to get a degree from an unaccredited school and get an emergency certification.”

with a self-designed deaf education studies major. Basically, she said, “I’m graduating with a piece of paper that means nothing to anyone, even though it says University of Tulsa on it.” O’Daniel planned to teach while she working towards a masters in occupational therapy. As she is married with two children, she said “making sure my family is taken care of is the number one priority, always,” and teaching during her graduate degree was a way to do that. “Now I have a piece of paper that says I have a bachelor’s degree, but the school systems won’t hire me,” she finished. Students who were underclassmen in 2017-2018, or new freshman as of this year, can still declare an education major; they just cannot be admitted to the teacher education program. Ploeger said these students may

graphics by Madeline Woods

President Clancy recently instated Elizabeth Smith as Dean of the Department of Education, after years of confusion surrounding leadership and authority.

department’s problems. They researched possible alternative majors to still be able to teach special education and talked with their advisor. The student summed up the advisor’s words as, “‘you’re a freshman. The university can’t do anything for you...underclassman need to leave the program.’ At that point, [the advisor] was just asking, what else are you interested in.” The student debated transferring colleges, but because they took so many education related classes their freshman year, they would’ve “lost all of them and would’ve had to start over as a freshman. Here, at least it still counts for something.” Natalie Meyer, meanwhile, has already transferred schools. Meyer is currently a sophomore at the University of Missouri, Columbia, but spent her freshman year at TU. Ultimately, she chose to leave because she “felt that staying wouldn’t fulfil my academic and future career needs, and that the University wasn’t making an active effort to help me to stay.” “The administration didn’t reach out with the steps they were taking to improve, or their apologies to students,” she said, and instead, “it appeared to me that I was being asked to blindly trust the school.” Rumors of the loss of accreditation had forced Meyers to consider switching schools during the spring semester. A professor had mentioned the possibility in March or April of 2017, but the decision happened suddenly and late in the summer. Because of this, Meyers didn’t look into “other ‘second-choice’ schools which [she’d] looked into in high school, but rather, was restricted to visiting two in-state colleges.” At UMC, she expects to have very “time heavy” semesters in order to graduate in four years. Though she hasn’t been at Mizzou long, she said “the

professors are knowledgeable, passionate and enthusiastic to craft future teachers, which is, sadly, a void I noticed at The University of Tulsa.” Throughout the process, students complained about the university’s handling of the subject and how they were not informed of the university’s problems prior to attending. “I really felt like the school cared more about covering themselves than about the students affected by the situation,” Martin said. “Personally, I felt like there were a lot of secrets being kept and people were trying really hard to keep students in the dark for as long as possible so we wouldn’t start withdrawing.”. Trying to get information out of the department was a difficult task. “Every piece of information I received I had to seek out myself and jump through many hoops to get. When I did get information, it was vague and consisted of things like ‘we’re handling it,’ which isn’t very comforting,” Martin continued. Jacqi Cole, a vocal education major, echoed Martin’s thoughts. Cole only heard about the accreditation through peers and her music advisor; the education department sent out an email much later, and had one meeting on the topic. “In that meeting,” she said, “it was expressed that no one needed to worry and that they would be okay, essentially.” The department waited to bring up the issue, Neely said, “until it became obvious that the department would actually be losing the accreditation and that the students would be facing real issues.” After the department lost its accreditation, O’Daniel heard through rumors that it had been an issue before. “I really don’t find this fair to people who came in or transferred in. You should’ve told me about this. We spend too much money as students to have to deal with this after we’ve been here so long,” she said. As Martin originally came to TU to study speech pathology, she said knowledge of the department’s issues may have affected her decision to remain once she changed her major to elementary education. While they had planned to come to college to study education, the anonymous student said TU’s reputation as a STEM-focused college had been a worry when they first joined. But the admissions advisor had assured them that “it’s a liberal arts college; it’s still well rounded. We’ll get you out with your degree.” But, “freshman year, that’s already gone,” they concluded.

Continued as Certification, pg 5

The Collegian: 2

Sports

2 October 2017

Navy weathers Golden Hurricane for win

Condomania is a fashion show featuring original fashion accessories made entirely out of condoms. Sexual health is an important part of overall health, which the Little Blue House hopes to demonstrate. Costume attire for guests is encouraged. A buffet dinner is provided and there will be a cash bar. Time: 7-10 p.m.

Location: Dennis R. Neill Equality Center 621 E. 4th St. Tulsa, OK 74120 Tickets: Tickets are purchased by donation, starting at $20. You can donate more if you choose. Tickets can be purchased at: https://www. eventbrite.com/e/ condomania-tickets-35800969664

Sports

2 October 2017

The Collegian: 3

Tulsa put up a fight against the Navy Midshipmen, but ultimately lost 21-31.

Hurricane Scoreboard Football Sept. 30: Navy 31 - Tulsa 21 Women’s Soccer Sept. 24: Tulsa 3 - SMU 2 OT Sept. 28: UCF 1 - Tulsa 6 Oct. 01: USF 0 - Tulsa 3 Men’s Soccer Sept. 24: Tulsa 1 - SMU 0 OT Sept. 29: Conniticut 1 - Tulsa 0 Women’s Volleyball Oct. 01: ECU 1- Tulsa 3

Monday

Tuesday 2

No Events Scheduled

Members of the military were honored throughout the game. TU dedicated a chair of honor at Chapman Stadium for POW/MIA.

Wednesday 3

Women’s Softball vs. Murray State 5 p.m.

4

No Events Scheduled

Thursday 5

Women’s Soccer vs. UConn 7 p.m.

Oct. 2 - Oct. 8 Saturday

Friday

6

Women’s Golf @ Denver Women’s Volleyball vs. UCF 7 p.m.

Women’s Tennis vs. ORU

Sunday

7

Women’s Softball vs. Central Oklahoma noon

Men’s Soccer vs. USF 7 p.m. Football @ Tulane 3 p.m.

8

Women’s Volleyball vs. USF 1 p.m. Women’s Soccer vs. Temple 1 p.m.

News

The Collegian: 4

2 October 2017

courtesy Flickr

The health center is now providing more birth control resources.

Alexander Health Center revives sexual health care

More birth control options, Plan B and transition resources among updates to health care plan. Kayleigh Thesenvitz Editor-in-Chief Doctors Kara Beair Butler and Michael McClendon are reinventing the public face of the Alexander Health Center. “We want to be a little more open door,” Beair Butler said. “In the past I think people have felt they couldn’t always come here and get what they need right away, and that there needed to be more time to talk about those things.” Among the updates are expansions to how the clinic can provide for the sexual health of students. “There is an issue with sexually transmitted infections on campus that we certainly want to combat,” Beair Butler. In the way of contraception, the health center is expanding to include nexplanon placement in addition to a handful of various birth control pills and depo shots. “The one thing we don’t place on campus is an IUD, but we have great connections in town to get people where they need to go quickly,” she said. The center is also making an effort to do what they can for students in transition.

“It’s something we’re really well versed in and willing to approach,” Beair Butler said. In addition, Beair Butler said, “with the efforts toward prevention of sexual violence on campus, any time someone has an issue like that, and they want to disclose to someone, we are certainly a good, safe place to come and talk about those things.” “Very surface level care was provided here before. Not bad care but basic issue things,” Beair Butler explained. “We want to be much more comprehensive for students because we recognize that copays are expensive.” The health clinic is currently working on expanding the size of the staff to allow each doctor to have more time with the student to better understand the student’s needs as well. McCledon specified that as doctors their goal would be to provide all the information so that students can make their own decisions about their health care instead of having the decisions made for them. McClendon wanted to make sure the health center’s doctors are not using “anything other than the well being of the patient, medical standards and guidelines and understanding to influence the decisions students are making about the medication they want to take.”

FREAKY FRESH! FREAKY FAST! ™

photo by Adam Lux

TU man to man: let’s talk sexual assault prevention

President Clancy and other male administrators held a panel discussion last Monday evening regarding sexual assault on campus and what TU is doing about it. Alex Garrofolo Student Writer

TU psychologist Michael McClendon opened Monday’s panel with a challenge. “91.7 percent of people who commit sexual assault at TU are men. We’re here to help the good men take this campus back.” Panel members included Earl Johnson, VP of enrollment; President Gerald Clancy; Joe Timmons, head of campus security; Mike Mills, dean of students; Derrick Gragg, athletic director; and two fraternity members, Jack Wood and Camden Schinnerer. Opening the panel, Johnson said, “we take the responsibility of caring for students we bring here seriously.” Mills told the crowd that the conversation of sexual assault is one that “starts here and continues”. He implied that the dialogue on assault is not finished at TU. Clancy followed: “I’ve seen the other side of sexual assault, as a physician.” He explained to students the TU administration “ cares about you; we want you to succeed”. Gragg added that his own son goes here. If that’s not reason enough to care, he didn’t know what was. After opening statements, McClendon posed the first question to the panel. “How has sexual assault impacted you personally?” Clancy said that as a psychiatrist, he’s seen over 400 women who dealt with sexual assault “and the scars [from the attack] last 30, 40, even 50 years.” Johnston said that every sexual assault case he’s dealt with involved a man “using his power and leverage” over a woman. Timmons added, especially of attacks he’s seen on college campuses, “the perpetrator’s friends take his side, the victim’s take hers. The true shame lies with the third party of students, of which, a majority seem to side with the accused.” He concluded that he applauds those with the courage to tell their stories. Gragg gave the example of how every friend group has that one guy who changes for the worse after drinking. “Don’t excuse the things he says or the actions he takes. It’s wrong. Alcohol does not absolve one of responsibility,” Gragg said.

McClendon next asked the panel: “what are the barriers at TU to sexual assault prevention and what’s the best way to talk with guys about the issue?” Clancy said “we need to shift the perception that sexual assault is part of the college experience”. He referenced movies like Old School and Animal House, that normalized the idea of wild parties and drunken misdeeds. “At TU, we need to make it abundantly clear to students that this [assault] is not normal. It is a felony,” he said. Gragg added that “you don’t have to be perfect yourself to stop a crime.” Many times, he continued, personalizing the crime helps create motivation to stop it. The athletic director referenced the 1964 Kitty Genovese murder in New York City, in which 38 people saw her attack or heard her screams, and not one person did something to stop the murder nor call the police. The case highlights the importance of bystander intervention. The administration and campus security cannot be everywhere all the time. It falls on students to look out for each other. Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler made a few remarks of his own. “Assault carries an 85 percent serve rate, and the minimum sentence is five years. So, at minimum, you’re guaranteed four years in prison if convicted. Of the roughly 400 people in this room [ACAC’s great hall], one in ten is statistically a rape victim,” he said. Kunzweiler reiterated the importance of putting a face to the victimization and the pain and concluded “you don’t need to take a class to understand how to respect a woman.” McClendon finished by telling the men in the room that the administration is not targeting them. “We know the majority of you are good guys. We aren’t saying you all are the problem, but you all can help each other be part of the solution,” he said. Advertisements of the panel marketed it towards men because, on average, men commit the majority of reported sexual assaults. The Advocacy Alliance and its student arm, SAVE, encourage any interested student to take a basic bystander intervention course. For more in-depth training, the course to become a trainer is only four hours. Four hours is not a lot of time when it comes to potentially saving a life, McClendon said. “I spent more than four hours this weekend alone just watching football.”

WE DELIVER! VISIT JIMMYJOHNS.COM TO FIND A LOCATION NEAR YOU photo by Adam Lux

2 October 2017

News

The Collegian: 5

continued from Certification, cover The Issues OEQA looks for six main standards when evaluating schools: I. candidate knowledge, skills and professional dispositions, II., assessment systems and unit evaluation, III., field experiences and clinical practice, IV., diversity, V., faculty qualifications, performance and development, and VI. unit governance and resources. For each of these categories, OEQA evaluates how the school meets this criteria for both initial and advanced students (graduate level). In 2017, TU did not meet the assessment system and unit evaluation, as well as the unit governance and resources. Standard II involves, according to OEQA forms, that “the unit has an assessment system that collects and analyzes data on applicant qualifications, candidate and graduate performance, and unit operations to evaluate and improve the performance of candidates, the unit and its programs.” Standard VI is described as “the unit has the leadership, authority, budget, personnel, facilities, and resources, including information technology resources, for the preparation of candidates to meet professional, state and institutional standards.” These two standards were also not met in 2015. Ploeger attributed this failure to improve between 2015 to 2017 to “a lot of transition in leadership with several individuals serving in interim leadership roles...there were things that ‘fell through the cracks” Without stable leadership, the assessment within the program didn’t occur, leaving TU without evidence for the OEQA visit. In May, after the site visit but before the loss of accreditation, President Gerald Clancy reorganized the two academic units (the School of Urban Education and Department of Education Studies) into one department, called the Department of Education. Ploeger believes this change will help solve the leadership issue. Clancy has since named Elizabeth Smith as the new chair of the department. “With this change in leadership, we have essentially been able to start over,” she claimed. The department worked this summer to write new Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) and restructure the assessment plan. Overall, standard II ensures schools collect data on their program to improve it and mandates assessments. Initially, in 2015, the university was told they needed a systematic and comprehensive assessment system, they needed to collect, analyze and evaluate data about their program regularly and they should use data for program improvement.

The OEQA decided that TU still had not improved these areas in 2017, and added new areas for improvement. These areas involved being unable to provide evidence they share certain data, and that graduate/ employer surveys are conducted. In addition OEQA said, professional community members should be involved in the assessment system and TU needed to share this data with students to help them improve their performance and programs. In fact, evidence TU provided to OEQA said “at this point, we do not see a need to share aggregate data of the whole Teacher Education Program. However, we will con-

sider this, as it may be an opportunity for candidates to see what is expected of them and their classmates.” While Ploeger cannot speak for past years, the college analyzed data during the spring and summer this year. This information, she said, has “led to changes that will be implemented in the assessment system.” The college plans to continue these analysis days in the future. During these, Ploeger expects students “will be invited to participate and offer their feedback for program improvement based on both the data and their experiences.” Starting this fall, the Education Advisory Board and Teacher Education Council, an outside organization, will help with reviewing program assessments. Internally, the Teacher Education Council, comprised of all education faculty and at least one faculty from each of the subject areas from education, has been reorganized. This group will review program assessment

data, discuss any curriculum changes and other program issues. According to Ploeger, “being able to get this group together on a regular basis will help ensure that all faculty are on the same page and are all working in moving the program in the same direction.” Students didn’t necessarily feel like they’d been affected by the assessment system. Most, however, did note they were aware of leadership problems in the department, addressed by state standard six. OEQA’s major finding for this standard was that the department didn’t have clear leadership or authority, and that faculty, stu-

dents and department leaders were confused about the department authority and leadership. They found “discrepancies in the evidences describing the organizational structure and leadership of the unit.” While on site, OEQA “observed numerous examples of operational confusion, inefficiencies, and gaps in task assignments and completion both in the operations of the unit, and in the preparation and management of the site visit.” After the visit, Ploeger said “all faculty now understand their role in the department and there is solid leadership in place.” Students noticed this tension throughout their studies, and the effect it had on their education. While “professors in the education department at TU are amazing...you could definitely tell there was a disconnect between the leadership and faculty. There was always tension and there wasn’t clear leadership from what I saw,” Martin said. Neely provided an example from her attempt to become a student teacher. When

she was attempting to be placed in a school, she had to wait until about two months into the spring semester to be placed. “It took me going to my music advisor and him emailing the coordinating orchestra teacher to allow me to attend the school,” she said. Because of that, she started her observations after spring break, meaning she spent most of her finals week at the high school instead of studying. In her experience, “those kinds of issues happen all the time, and it is very frustrating as a student.” “Communication between advisors, specifically one that I worked with, was essentially nonexistent” and caused the problem she experienced. Even after the department’s issues became evident, Neely reported that getting placements for student teaching was difficult. In this matter, “even the coordinating teachers I am working with at the high schools expressed frustration about communication.” Cole supported Neely’s claim, saying others had to wait “until more than half the semester get placed into a school to observe, which is stressful and sometimes unrealistic due to how many hours of observation are required.” She added that “there hasn’t been clear communication or adequate organization. We really don’t know what’s going on or what is expected of us.” From 2015 to 2017, TU did improve in one area. In 2015, standard one for advanced candidates was not met; by 2017, the school was able to pass for that requirement. Looking Forward After the reorganization and changes that have occurred, Ploeger believes the department will move past this issue and be better for it. “Faculty are thinking about new and innovative ways to approach teacher education,” she said, adding that the program and courses are being reviewed to determine how to best prepare students to teach in the diverse schools in the state and nation. While one faculty member left after the spring of 2017 and another will be leaving at the end of the current semester for other opportunities, Ploeger believes “the faculty who are here now are committed to improving the education program and want to see it regain accreditation.” The department also wishes to hire additional faculty. Students hoped the university would learn from the loss of accreditation. As Neely said, “the best hope is that the department will get their accreditation back as quickly as possible so there is only a small amount of students affected by this event. For me, my biggest hope for the future is that the department will learn from this, and that it will grow into a better program than it’s ever been.” For those interested, the OEQA documents regarding the 2015 and 2017 site visits can be found on the Collegian’s webpage.

Politifact Okla. announced in series of small meetings Reputable online fact-checking service Politifact will partner with the Tulsa World over the next year. Kayleigh Thesenvitz Editor-in-Chief In a series of intimate gatherings used to spread the news, a team from Politifact, a popular online fact-checking service, announced their plan to launch Politifact Oklahoma in an effort to garner respect in the red-er states of the union. Wednesday at noon, 14 people gathered for lunch in the conference room outside of the media studies department in Oliphant Hall. Around the table sat Politifact Executive Director Aaron Sharockman, Amy Hollyfield, the associated editor of Politifact and the deputy managing editor of the Tampa Bay Times, and Jon Greenberg, a Politifact staff writer. As students and professors gobbled up pizza, Sharockman explained Politifact’s goals, and why they are coming to Tulsa. Politifact was launched in 2007 with the goal of fact-checking politicians leading up to the 2008 election. Since that time the site has published more than 13,500 fact-checks. Before joining Politifact, Sharockman was a local politics writer. “Politifact was such an amazing opportunity to get out of the he said, she said, horserace, somebody’s always winning, somebody’s always losing type of journalism,” Sharockman explained.

Sharockman announced the launch of Politifact Oklahoma. Starting soon Politifact will begin factchecking Oklahoma politicians, and will publish those fact-checks in the Tulsa World. For now the project is a year-long experiment. “After the election we all kind of sat back and thought about what happened,” Sharockman said. “What we noticed is that we were not trusted nearly at the same level among Republicans and Trump voters as we were among Clinton supporters.” Sharockman cited a poll which indicated that 88 percent of Trump voters thought media fact-checking was skewed or biased. For Democrats that number was in the 40s. In order to improve credibility and trust with Republicans, Politifact is setting up branches in three cities: Tulsa, Mobile, Alabama, and Charleston, West Virginia. Part of building that connection is setting up many small meetings with different groups across the city. Before Wednesday’s campus meeting, the team had already sat down with members of the Republican Party in Tulsa, and had another team-member canvas potential readers at the Guthrie Green during food-truck Wednesday. Wednesday night the Tulsa World hosted a panel at the Central Library for citizens to attend. Then Thursday, the Politifact team set up shop and a local brewery, which they heavily advertised on Facebook. “You’ll start seeing our fact-checks in the Tulsa World as soon as next week,” Sharockman said.

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

Nick Rethford

distribution managers

Elise McGouran Carlie Wisely and Trenton 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.

The Collegian: 6

Sep 20 4:00 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a missing cellphone. Officers spoke with a TU student who informed officers the phone was lost between the Delaware parking lot and the Norman Village apartments. At this time no phone matching the description has been turned in as found property to the Campus Security Department. 5:00 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a possible hit and run collision. A University of Tulsa employee’s vehicle was hit while parked. The other vehicle could not be located. 5:30 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate 3 juveniles loitering near Allen Chapman Student Union. The juveniles also reportedly heckled TU affiliates. Officers made contact with the juveniles, who were non-TU affiliates. Officers trespass warned each, and escorted them off campus. A contact card was created for each of the juveniles.

News 6:30 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to a fight in progress near the Reynolds Center. Upon arrival, officers determined there was an altercation was between 2 TU students. Officers interviewed both parties and received statements and determined it was mutual combat. Sep 21 6:15 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to meet with a TU affiliate who wished to file an incident report. They reported the inappropriate behavior of another TU affiliate. The behavior has occurred since August and the investigation is ongoing. Sep 22 9:40 a.m. While on routine patrol University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers observed two individuals walk onto campus from a neighboring street. They claimed to just be passing through the campus. The couple were not students or affiliated with the university. One individual had two outstanding traffic warrants. Both subjects were trespassed and escorted off campus. A contact card was issued. 2:45 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a possible larceny report at Oliphant Hall. Upon arrival Officers spoke with a student who had their silver Razor brand scooter taken from the bike rack at Oliphant Hall. The scooter was unsecured and the investigation is on-going.

Nathan Gibbons Student Writer

Protests against arrests in Hong Kong Last Sunday, thousands of demonstrators protested against the recent arrests of Umbrella protest leaders in the streets of Hong Kong, while China celebrated the 68th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. The prisoners, Joshua Wong, Alex Chow and Nathan Law, led hundreds of thousands protesters as they called for a more democratic form of government in 2014. Avery Ng, chairman of the League of Social Democrats, expressed his worries of a diminishing opposition force and growing regulations against political expression in China. “When you’re facing an authoritarian regime, the best they can hope for is for people to stay silent,” Ng said. Multiple activists involved in the Umbrella protests are now facing prosecution from Hong Kong. Kong Tsung-gan, author of “Umbrella: A Political Tale from Hong Kong,” said “Never in Hong Kong’s history have so many opposition politicians and activists faced court proceedings against them.”

Puerto Rico recovers from Hurricane Maria Last Saturday, Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló stated there is much more work to be done on the island in the wake of Hurricane Maria, but that the federal government was fulfilling his requests. “We need to do a lot more in order for us to get out of the emergency,” the governor said, “But the other thing that’s also true is that the administration has answered and has complied with our petitions in an expedited manner.” At least 16 people have died on the island due to Hurricane Maria, which struck two weeks ago and left millions without electricity or access to cash, gas and running water. In a response to the mayor of San Juan, who had claimed the federal government wasn’t doing enough to distribute aid around the island, President Trump tweeted against officials who “want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort.” Governor Rosselló stated that the island, with over three million citizens, could see a rising death toll if aid does not improve soon.

Spain tracks down on Catalonia Referendum Last Sunday, Spanish national police raided polling stations and beat back crowds of voters as they tried to deny the legitimacy of Catalonia’s independence referendum. Catalan President Carles Puigdemont condemned “indiscriminate aggression” against voters as images of riot police fighting voters began to circulate. Spanish authorities have attempted to invalidate the referendum, a vote which has been declared illegal by Spain’s top court. Over 90 of around 2,300 polling stations had been successfully closed by authorities, according to the Spanish Interior Ministry. Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría has publicly disputed the images circulating, arguing that officials’ objectives were to confiscate voting materials, not to target civilians. She also condemned the Catalonian government for their “reckless” behavior. “The referendum couldn’t be held, and it’s not been held. To carry on with this farce makes no sense, it doesn’t lead anywhere,” she said. Some from Catalonia, a wealthier region of Spain, have called for independence for years due to what many pro-independence politicians see as an unfair tax revenue redistribution program, and differing values from the whole of Spain.

Sep 23 8:30 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers met with a university staff member who discovered some drug paraphernalia inside H.A. Chapman Stadium. Officers took possession of the it and verified it was an illicit substance. The material was impounded in the property room to be destroyed at a later date. 1:45 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a possible assault. Officers met with a student who came to Campus Security to file a report documenting an assault against their person which occurred at the Sigma Chi fraternity house. A written statement form was completed and the investigation is on-going. 2:18 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to a report from a game attendee about an ill person by the opposing team’s bus. Officers made contact with the campus visitor and gave them a water. The visitor stated that they were not ill and did not need any medical help. The individual left without any other incident under their own power. 2:30 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a possible a physical altercation that occurred on 8th Street during the football game between a student and an alumnus. When officers arrived on scene, no one wished to speak about the incident, and the parties involved were gone. Officers later identified a victim of the altercation who suffered facial trauma.

2 October 2017

A written statement form was completed by the victim and a witness of the incident. The investigation is on-going at this time. 4:15 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to H.A. Chapman Stadium for an ill person. An elderly individual was standing outside of Gate 4 when they fell ill from a known medical condition and passed out. Emergency Medical Service Authority were called to the scene for medical assistance. The individual was transported to St. Francis South Hospital. 11:30 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate an alcohol violation at the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. An anonymous person contacted the Department of Campus Security online to report underage drinking at the Kappa Sigma Fraternity house. A walkthrough was conducted and violations of the university alcohol policy were observed and the party was shut down. 4:55 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to speak with a student who wanted to report a possible sexual assault that happened to another student. Officers made contact with the victim who admitted they had been sexually assaulted. This investigation in on-going. The Collegian does not produce or edit the Campus Crime Watch except for content and brevity.

Tuesday, October 3 at 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Student Union, Alcove Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs Information Session Interested in a graduate degree in public policy or international affairs? Join the world’s top graduate schools in interational affairs and public plicy for a panel on the application process, admission requirements, financial aid and scholarships, career opportunities and more. Tuesday, October 3 at 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Oxley Health Sciences Facilities, 1st Floor Dr. Resume for Health Sciences The Doctor is in! Get your résumé ready for the upcoming Healthcare Industry Job Fair! Bring your laptop or a copy of your résumé and we’ll review it. Wednesday, October 4 at 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Alexander Hogue Gallery Eloquent Craftsman: Thomas A. Manhart & Students Reception & Lecture This is a retrospective of the work of Tom Manhart, professor of art at the TU School of Art, Design and Art History and many of his students. Manhart was a professor of art at TU from 1963 to 1993. His artwork was very important in breaking through the barrier between the “craft” and “art” worlds. Many of Manhart’s students will have their work on exhibit, including work from their time at TU as well as since. The students’ work has all been inspired by Manhart’s teaching and influence on them. Eloquent Craftsman will be a dual exhibition with work displayed at the Alexandre Hogue Gallery in Phillips Hall as well as at Living Arts of Tulsa. Guest speaker Katherine Ross will give a lecture in conjunction with the exhibition on October 4, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. in Phillips Hall, Jerri Jones Lecture Hall. Alexandre Hogue Gallery exhibition opening reception, October 5, 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Living Arts of Tulsa exhibition opening reception, October 6, 6 p.m. Wednesday, October 4 at 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Student Union, Great Hall Study Abroad Fair Find the study abroad program that’s perfect for you! This event is also part of ImpactTU. Free lunch. Thursday, October 5 at 6:00 p.m. Chapman Commons Westivals (Hurricane Thursday) Come enjoy the best parts of a carnival on the New U. Thursday, October 5 at 7:00 p.m. McFarlin Library, Faculty Study An Evening with Alison Wellford Alison Wellford earned her B.A. from the University of Virginia and an M.F.A. from Queens University of Charlotte. She worked in photography and design for 15 years in various cities in Europe. She is assistant professor of writing and internal director of the Pan-European M.F.A. in Creative Writing at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA. Her writing has appeared in The Gettysburg Review, among other journals and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She published the novel, Indolence, and wrote the screenplay adaptation of the novel. Book signing to follow reading.Free and open to the public. The Collegian does not produce all event descriptions in the Community Calendar. Contact us at news@tucollegian.org with events.

2 October 2017

Commentary

The Collegian: 7

New jail work system unfair to prisoners

The reinstatement of a jail work program skates dangerously close to old forms of exploitation and dehumanization throughout U.S. history. Nathan Hinkle Student Writer Tulsa Sheriff Vic Regalado is currently in the process of deploying a new jail work system. In this system, people in jail will be able to work outside of the prison. Through this system, convicts will receive two days of their sentence or $25 dollars towards their potential fines for each day of work. This system is currently being reintroduced after a convict in 2015,working for the Sheriff’s department, stole synthetic marijuana from the office in an attempt to smuggle it back into the prison. Regalado told the Tulsa World that the inmates will have three options, “kitchen labor in the jail, maintenance at the Sheriff’s office or helping prepare for the Tulsa State Fair.” There is a fine line in jail work between gainful employment and state-approved free labor. I think this system is incredibly dangerous and must be watched over with extreme caution. Regalado argues that the program will be helpful for both citizens and convicts. The benefit for citizens is that the work done by convicts will help to beautify and enrich Tulsa. This work will help provide services for Tulsa without job opportunities being taken away. However, convicts in some way do benefit from the deal. The convicts will receive shorter sentences or lesser fines but also will gain skills they can use in the future. For example in the kitchen, the convicts will learn culinary skills as well as the knowledge on how to run a restaurant in the future. The Sheriff’s department hopes that inmates receiving this type of job training will lower the rate of recidivism. Regalado states that this program, “segues nicely into the diversion movement in terms of getting non-violent offenders out of jail. For those individuals that financially cannot fork over the fines that have been levied on them, it gives them an opportunity not to just sit in jail and do nothing. It gives them an opportunity to take it into their own hands.” In response to potential worries about crime rates rising, any potential applicant to this program goes through a system of checks by jail officials. These applicants

It’s high time to fix the budget

Marijuana sales would increase sales taxes in Oklahoma, cushioning the budget and decreasing the number of inmates in prison. Alex Garoffolo Student Writer

have to be non-violent offenders and have no prior history of violence, contraband or escape. They are also not allowed if they have been involved in any potential jail security breaches during their time. These checksare followed by a rigprous application process that spans the jail system. While on the job, convicts are also watched over by officials to make sure they are actually doing their job. Every 30 days, each job site will receive a written evaluation on the success of the program. Through all these precautions, it is hoped that no issues, such as the one in 2015, will happen in this new system. However, it is important to remember that jail work systems have a very negative history. From the chain gangs of early prisons to the selling of cheap labor to willing companies, jail labor has not always been about helping out inmates. It is still a constant problem across the United States. For example in Texas, convicts are forced

to work in labor farms from dawn to dusk to produce agricultural products. According to the Texas Department of Justice, “Every offender who is physically

of work being produced. They also should not be forced to work in inhospitable conditions from dawn to dusk with little treatment for their physical needs.

“There is a fine line in jail work between gainful employment and state-approved free labor.” able has a job in the prison system. Offenders are not payed for their work, but they can gain privileges as a result of good work habits.” If they are working outside the perimeter fence of the jail, armed guards on horseback are constantly watching over them. If someone fights against this system, they are forced into a cell for 24 hours without their private property. This is a clear form of state slavery that undermines the idea of the “justice” system. In order to effectively and ethically work inmates, jail workers should be paid a decent wage that corresponds with the amount

This system also needs to be one where people are given the choice of being apart of this system. The new system in Tulsa is better than ones used in other states across the country but still needs work. The major problem with the system currently is the low wage. Instead of around 3 dollars a hour that is currently the plan, it would be favorable to pay a minimum wage. The current work system proposed by Regalado is promising but is caught on a series of issues that could hold it down from being truly helpful to both the convict workers as well as the Sheriff’s office.

graphic by Madeline Woods The new system of jail work is similar to old systems that exploited people for their labor, which points to an uncertain future for prisoners’ rights.

As of July 2017, medical marijuana was legal in 27 states and the District of Columbia. While marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, enforcement against state-legalized pot is not very strict. In December 2014, Congress passed a law that prohibits federal agents from raiding marijuana growers in states where the drugs cultivation is legal. Oklahoma’s only foray into the marijuana legalization realm was to legalize the use and possession of cannabis oil for medical means. What about regular cannabis? Oklahomans for Health is the organization leading the charge for medical marijuana in Oklahoma. As of July this year, no official opponent organization had appeared. Most readers know about the wondrous effects pot legalization had for Colorado’s state coffers. In fiscal year 2016, Colorado made $200 million in tax revenue from $1.3 billion in marijuana revenue. The same will happen for Oklahoma. Oklahoma’s legislature is currently meeting in a special session to figure out what to do about the large budget shortfall this fiscal year. Guess where the 7 percent tax on marijuana sales is set to go? Three-quarters to the state’s general fund to assist with, you guessed it, education and 25 percent to the State Department of Health for drug and alcohol rehabilitation services. For a state that’s been considering a four day public school week and has hired an alltime high amount of emergency (essentially untrained) teachers to fill its classrooms, extra money in the education budget is sorely needed. Numerous statistics in the public domain discuss how the war on drugs has by-and-

large failed the American people. It’s responsible for the incarceration of thousands for light, simple crimes (California’s old three strike policy), seen the expanded proliferation of the illegal drug trade and was simply founded on fear-based politics of the Nixon administration. I would point the interested reader to the documentary “13th” for even more evidence. The archaic practice of strict marijuana illegalization must stop. Oklahoma currently has its highest number of incarcerated citizens ever. In a state where we pack our jails to the max and

cess rates in other states where legalization took hold show us that this simply is not true. Nobody goes to a dispensary hoping to score crack. There are strict laws about how old one must be to obtain a medical license. The only reason marijuana was ever thought to be a gateway drug in the first place is that while it’s illegal, the same dealers who push cocaine, heroin and pills get to corner the marijuana market too. Once it’s legalized, it’s no longer as lucrative of a money-making venture for criminals, especially considering that dispensa-

“ The archaic practice of strict marijuana illegalization must stop.” drop millions of taxpayer dollars on locking people up, while successive state legislatures cut more and more funding to public schools, the legalization and taxation of the marijuana industry seems only right. The people of this state owe it to themselves to vote yes on this measure. Regulation and taxation means: more money for schools, less people in prison for light drug offenses and yes, better, higher quality marijuana and edibles. Opponents still tout the same line that weed is a “gateway drug”. That those who seek marijuana will simply graduate to harder drugs, chasing the ever more elusive high while simultaneously becoming degenerates in the process. That once legalized, marijuana will flood the streets and create numerous new users and addicts. The suc-

ries sell a higher quality, cheaper product with more options: edibles, gummies, teas, lotions and butters to name a few. The ballot initiative would have gone to the polls during the general election last November, but it was tied up in a lawsuit over a name change instigated by then-attorney general Scott Pruitt. Oklahomans for Health sued his office on grounds that its rewrite of the title could lead voters to think they’re legalizing recreational marijuana, not medicinal. Oklahomans for Health won the lawsuit in the state supreme court in March of 2017. The proposal kept its original title. Thus, SQ 788, in its intended form, will head to the polls next November.

The Collegian: 8

Commentary

2 October 2017

Special elections favor disgruntled Democrats, not majority

Democrats’ recent wins in local legislature are a sign of lack of voter turnout, not a shift in state party loyalties. Amanda Amos Student Writer Though the American congressional system is generally dependable when it comes to representatives serving out their terms, sometimes special elections are required to fill seats. This is normal. In Oklahoma, however, this year has seen (and will continue to see) an unusually high number of special elections following the 2016 general election. This onslaught of special elections has prompted commentators in Oklahoma and around the country to ask whether or not these elections can be seen as a good indicator of the political pulse of the country. First, it’s important to reiterate why we’re having these special elections to begin with. Four of the eight special elections were to fill seats that were vacated because of ethical investigations into the representative who held the seat. Only one of those four was not being accused of a sexual crime. Ralph Shortey, a Republican serving the Senate district 44, resigned after being charged with engaging in child prostitution. Dan Kirby, a Republican from the House 75th district, resigned for inappropriate conduct with legislative assistants. Bryce Marlatt, a Republican serving the Senate 27th district, recently resigned after being booked for sexual assault in Oklahoma County. Corruption and criminal behavior in state legislatures is often overlooked as state legislators themselves are often overlooked. This sort of electoral ignorance cannot be allowed to continue to fester and representatives must be held liable for their actions both legally and in the voting booth. But aside from the toxic culture of the legislature, seven of these eight open seats did something remarkable. They flipped from Republican-held to Democrat-held; some of them, for the first time in decades. This has prompted people to ask what’s happening in Oklahoma politics. Is Oklahoma, one of the reddest of the red states, slowly starting to bleed blue? Has President Trump’s unpopularity delivered a large enough death blow to the GOP establishment that not even perpetually Republican state like Oklahoma can stay afloat?

Not quite. Before Democrats get excited about Oklahoma special elections, it’s important to look at the voter turnout. Special elections, let alone special elections for state legislators in a non-election year, enjoy quite low voter turnout rates. While rates for these specific elections are not currently available, voter turnout for special elections tend to be around 20 percent. In small districts that can mean only a handful of people. It is true, however, that the President has played a role in these elections. While only a handful of people may be voting in these elections, a divisive President has ensured that these voters are largely Democrats. The Trump administration has energized the left, leading them to perform better in smaller elections, elections that are seen as lowstakes. It’s important to make the distinction between an energized Democratic party and a true referendum on the Trump presidency. What will serve as a referendum, then, is the 2018 gubernatorial race and the midterm elections. If Oklahoma elects a Democrat governor, then it can be said that the GOP

establishment may be starting to shake in Oklahoma. If other gubernatorial elections act in a similar way across the country, then it might be time for the Trump administration to look at how it impacts it’s party’s legacy. Elections for national Congressman have historically been a reliable way of listening to the pulse of the country; the House

resigned to pursue their private sector careers. It may very well be that professional politics is simply not worth the fight anymore in an increasingly divisive and toxic political climate. Republicans seem to be taking on water quickly, and rather than stay and help bail out the boat, senators and representatives are simply abandoning ship.

“It may very well be that professional politics is simply not worth the fight anymore . . .” of Representatives reinvents itself every two years for that reason. If Oklahoma flips those congressional seats, then it’s fair to start saying we have a new phenomenon on our hands. Another interesting thing to look at in the state special elections is that, in the face of an energized Democratic party, the Republicans who currently hold office at the state level seem to be losing steam. While half the resigning legislators were due to criminal or ethical concerns, three of the remaining four

Special elections are, by definition, an anomaly in the political system. It is, therefore, dangerous to characterize them as true referendums to larger political trends. They can be tools to look for future outcomes, but labelling them accurate solo predictors is simply not true. For that, you need to look to an election with a larger electorate behind it. If you want to see how the Trump administration or the Republican party are faring after the 2016 election, wait for the 2018 midterm and gubernatorial races.

graphic by Madeline Woods

Seven of eight seats decided by special elections in Oklahoma this year have gone to Democrats, although this does not mean that Oklahoma is changing from a red to a blue state.

Title IX coordinator an important role for campus safety

Title IX coordinators deal with gender discrimination, which some people mistakenly believe is an unnecessary position at this university. Tori Gellman Student Writer Title IX of the Education Amendments Act is a federal law that states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” This law applies to all institutions of education that receive federal funds; public or private. Title IX has become a hot topic in recent years mostly due to its correlation with sexual assault specifically on college campuses. Andrea Pino and Annie Clark, two sexual assault survivors and prevention activists, found a way to utilize Title IX as a powerful tool to combat this serious nationwide is-

sue. Though Title IX is a civil rights law, the wording of the law itself allows it to be used in the context of each individual deserving an equal college experience and education. Survivors and activists are using this angle on the federal law to say that allowing a perpetrator of sexual assault to continue attending a federally funded institution is denying victims and their peers their right to an equal collegiate experience and quality education. Upon taking over as President of the University of Tulsa during the 2016-2017 school year, Dr. Gerard Clancy immediately began making changes in the ways that reports of sexual assaults were handled, and increasing efforts to make sure that students were comfortable with, and informed with how, reporting sexual assaults or unwanted sexual experiences to the proper authorities on-campus and otherwise. On Sept. 23, 2017, an article was released in the Tulsa World in which President Clan-

ing staff and students that alumnus Matthew Warren was chosen as the University’s new Title IX coordinator. The job of a Title IX coordinator is described as fostering “consistency in addressing complaints pertaining to sex discrimination, sexual harassment, interpersonal violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.” President Clancy referenced the presence of a Title IX coordinator as an essential progressive step in the increased efforts to address these types of interpersonal traumas at TU. While I personally admire and support President Clancy in his attempts to reduce and address the obscene amount of interpersonal violence that occurs on our campus, there are others who feel that the presence of a Title IX coordinator doesn’t deter offenders from what they are already determined to do. Others think that Clancy, along with a large population of students, are making too big of a deal out of a small problem.

“Title IX has become a hot topic in recent years mostly due to its correlation with sexual assault . . .” cy stated that he wanted his students and their parents to know that this was a serious issue and something that he took seriously at any time of day or night. On Sept. 15, 2017, Vice President for Diversity and Engagement at the University of Tulsa, Jacqueline Caldwell, sent out an email on behalf of the University, inform-

To those who doubt the severity of the national situation on our hands-and it is on all of our hands—I say, shame on you. The amount of forcible sex offenses on The University of Tulsa’s main campus almost tripled between 2015-2016, going from 5 incidents to 13. Since the start of the 2017-2018 academic school year, there have

already been 4 reports of sexual assaults on campus. Less than 2 percent of reported assaults are false, yet we continue to approach the majority of victims as though they are the ones who have committed a crime. And it is not an isolated issue. Not only is alcohol not an excuse for any sort of unwanted behavior, but fraternities are not the only ones responsible for the heinous crimes that occur on college campuses. Nor are the athletes, though they make up a large portion of those accused of sexual assaults. Most assailants of sexual assaults are individuals who know their victims. It could be a friend who lets you crash on his couch repeatedly and then one night mistakes your unconsciousness for an invitation into your personal space. It could be a middle-aged classmate coming back to school for a new degree, who manipulates your admiration of her as a maternal figure into a sexually abusive relationship. And yes, it could be a boy who invites you to a fraternity party only to hand you a solo cup filled with the substance that takes away your ability to consent. Anyway that it happens, between any combination of individuals, the treatment should be the same. I am hopeful that Matthew Warren’s new position at The University of Tulsa, along with President Clancy’s outstanding new policies and programs in place to address the seriousness of sexual offenses, that our campus will become a more informed, more compassionate, and safer place to live, and to learn.

2 October 2017

Variety

The Collegian: 9

Godspeed You! Black Emperor less political, no less meaningful

The new record, “‘Luciferian Towers,’” doesn’t bring back the political field recordings, but the grand tonal quality is still everpresent. Ethan Veenker Variety Editor

We’re living in a sort of resurgence in post-rock, a genre characterized by a lack of vocals and an intense focus on composition, which had a faltering of sorts in the mid2000s. Recently, bands like Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky are finally coming out kicking again, and post-rock, practically a modern take on classical music, is rising again with them. When the band Slint released “Spiderland” in 1991 to an unreceptive Kentuckypunk scene, the album faltered and fell under for awhile, before rising to the top years later and inspiring a generation of bands, all taking their own perspectives on what Slint had started: post-rock. Bands like Sigur Rós and Godspeed You! Black Emperor latched onto the new movement in its pupal stages, and while both bands happen to be recently touring again, the latter recently graced us with a new release: “‘Luciferian Towers.’” Godspeed You! Black Emperor (GY!BE) are known chiefly for their 2000 masterpiece, “Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven,” an album so densely packed with unspoken ideas that the avid listener is left emotionally drained by the end of the hour-and-a-half the album runs. The band struck again in 2002 with “Yanqui U.X.O.,” a more stripped down but no less political album, and then went silent for ten years. In 2012, they came back with “‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!,” we were met in 2015 with “Asunder, Sweet and Other Distresses,” and now finally, two weeks ago, the band released “‘Luciferian Towers.’” GY!BE, a Canadian band typically sporting ten members but now reduced to a nine-piece, are no strangers to political messages in their albums, for use of subtlety or through field recordings. While their songs never have any singing, they have an impressive way of getting their ideas across regardless, ideas that are overwhelmingly anti-war and anti-establishment. The band is typically considered as anarchist. In their releases of the past five years, their political views haven’t seemed to change. “‘Allelujah…” features a grainy image of a hut in Afghanistan on its album cover, alluding to the album’s negative take on the conflict in Afghanistan at the time, while “Asunder…” features an equally grainy and distorted image of a herd of sheep, from which the inference of “sheeple” can only be pulled. That all said, though, the ideas are expressed far less in the music now. There are definitely ups and downs that seem to represent moods, and the titles of certain tracks can help the listener get a feel for how the musicians feel on the topics, but the previous albums’ messages were made strong with a geniusly interwoven use of field recordings. The more recent releases are mostly devoid of these, and the messages tend to be less heavy-handed. “[T]his, this long-playing record, a thing

we made in the midst of communal mess, raising dogs and children. eyes up and filled with dreadful joy – we aimed for wrong notes that explode, a quiet muttering amplified heavenward. [W]e recorded it all in a burning motorboat,” reads the band’s description of “‘Luciferian Towers,’” available for reading on their label’s website upon announcement. It furthermore states: “[T]he ‘luciferian towers’ L.P. was informed by the following grand demands: + an end to foreign invasions + an end to borders + the total dismantling of the prison-industrial complex + healthcare, housing, food and water acknowledged as an inalienable human right + the expert fuckers who broke this world never get to speak again[.]”

Again, the band’s message hasn’t changed, but their method of getting it across seems to have dampened. The band also had things to say about each individual track, but they’re written in an odd prose, entertaining to read but no more enlightening and informative than the names of the tracks. All four of them, in order, are titled “Undoing a Luciferian Towers,” “Bosses Hang,” “Fam / Famine” and “Anthem for No State.” It’s not hard to figure out the context of the songs. 2002’s “Lift Yr. Skinny…” also had four songs, each of them 20-minutes long, but split them all up into much shorter movements. “‘Luciferian Towers’” does something similar with a few tracks. The physical release lists all of the songs as self-contained pieces of music, but the digital releases break “Bosses Hang” and “Anthem for No State” each into three separate parts, which can probably be construed as movements. It seems to be the first time they’ve done this since 2002’s aforementioned album. Musically, the album is solid. It has what can be vaguely described as “moments,”

it sets it well. It prepares us for the refrains, the “moments.” It’s a deceptively simple song. All the listener can get from it is a wall of pure noise, with a slow cadence in the background in the form of a simple snare beat, but for the most part the listener only hears incessant resonance of a nervous string section. As the song cycles further into it’s near-eight minute length, brass instruments start to join the mess, present just under the wall of noise. They play at first disparate tunes, but nonetheless concrete and discernable. Wobbly guitar effects start to leak in, and as the song drags on for more minutes things begin to go haywire. The brass players start losing their minds, and flavors of free jazz start flying around in the listener’s ears, a pure audio representation of chaos unfurls within the music, and even the steady cadence is replaced by a mindless clattering of drums and cymbals. Finally, at around the last minute-and-ahalf, a guitar rises from under the noise. It plays an authoritative tune, going up and down on a simple scale, sounding almost like a state anthem of sorts, and one by one the other instruments fall in with it. The chaos disperses and recollects around the guitar. “Bosses Hang” works off the tonal backdrop put in place by “Undoing…,” featuring in its first part a smaller group of strings and a guitar that build up in a similar way, albeit with far less chaos. They, too, take an authoritative form at the end, joined by the drums and focused around a formula of hard crashes every four beats, play a little, drop and crash, play a little, drop and crash. Part two serves merely as a drum-driven cadence that builds up over a course of several minutes to the third part, which is the most purely positive tune I’ve ever heard from GY!BE. You’ll notice I’m using “build up” a lot, and that’s because that’s how their music always is. They take an idea, a mood, overwhelmingly negative ones, and ride

“It’s a solid entry into GY!BE’s discography, but it doesn’t break new ground.” where the drony soundtrack gives way to a lucid, rhythmically-paced and head-bob inducing sequence of composition, but most of the album can be described as a buildup. I see the album as being a diagonal line going to the upper-right, dipping a few times, but nonetheless always building. Something is always rising within the instruments, and this is a classic GY!BE technique. The moments can’t be compared to the ones from “Lift Yr. Skinny…,” but all of their releases since then have fallen short of that album’s mastery, and this one is no different. It’s a solid entry into GY!BE’s discography, but it doesn’t break new ground. It’s more of a talented band doing what it does best, and it’s still damn good. “Undoing a Luciferian Towers” is the slowest track of the bunch and could be considered by some as a weak start. I can understand that, given the importance of first tracks in albums, but it’s clear that “Undoing…” isn’t meant as a hook, but more as a backdrop. It sets the tone for the album, and

them up to a cliffside and drop them off, jamming alongside it as it falls and shaking the listener. “Bosses Hang, Pt. III” for the first time seems not to drop what it brought up, but instead holds it high above its head, as if to catch the sunlight. A simple but fast violin tune plays in a major keys, joined by the guitars and all on top of the two drumsets, one building the cadence with a snare roll and the other crashing its cymbals in ways that somehow come out sounding hopeful and energetic. The song gives way in its last minutes to great sweeps of guitar and even larger crashes of cymbals, similar to the first part, but in a way that sweeps up rather than down. “Fam / Famine” is a track of mostly drone, mostly guitar noise with a discernible but mostly un-utilized rhythm. It brings us down from our high in “Bosses Hang,” and even reprises the tune heard at the end of “Undoing…” “Anthem for No State” feels like what the album was building towards, and where

courtesy Constellation Records

“‘Luciferian Towers’” holds some of GY!BE’s most upbeat sounding tunes.

the greatest climaxes and “moments” were certainly meant to come forth, but it doesn’t fit the bill as well as “Bosses Hang” did. Part one is dejected and quiet, reverb-heavy and mostly lacking percussion, a pure tonal track that leads into a part two with more stripped-down effects. The reverb is still there, but in less quantity. One of the guitars strums in such a way that makes the listener think of the Old West, twangy and singular, and in turn to think of GY!BE’s debut 1997 album, “F# A# ∞,” which was overwhelmingly full of this sound. “Anthem for No State, Pt. III,” the big finale to the album, is certainly big, and certainly loud. The guitars resonate, the strings soar, the cymbals crash and it goes on for a long while, but I can’t help but feel it’s a step down from “Bosses Hang, Pt. III.” The latter had feeling, a tone, an emotion. It felt hopeful, and like there was something truly being worked to. The former feels more like a rock song, a jam sesh. A damn good one, but mostly lacking a theme, and maybe lacking meaning. An interwoven pattern of guitar and violin make an appearance at the end of part three in “Anthem…,” and it certainly brings a welcome flush of life to the song, certainly add its own hopeful sense, but it’s not as clearly stated as that in part three of “Bosses Hang,” and feels like it lasts a bit shorter. The final minute of the song features a high-pitched and tirelessly resonating guitar that sits atop the rest of the track, before slowly fading away as the album concludes. “‘Luciferian Towers’” was a welcome release, and an undeniably good one. It’s classic GY!BE, and it could serve as a great starting point for those who want to work up to “Lift Yr. Skinny…,” which features tonal build ups and sections of drone in far greater quantity and density. “‘Luciferian Towers’” is solid, compositionally and performatively complex and makes for a record that one can listen to again and again. It has a tone at the very beginning, and it keeps it until the end. It’s consistent, and it’s what post-rock needs, and what it means. It’s no “Lift Yr. Skinny…,” but it’s damn good, and another welcome addition to GY!BE’s flourishing discography.

The great pumpkin spice experiment A local band of heroes finds out which alcohol mixes best with pumpkin spice lattes, for your consumer convenience.

Adam Lux / Sam Beckmann Satire Editor / Student Writer This week, a great scientific experiment was conducted. A group of five students including the writers of this article decided to answer the age-old question: what alcohol mixes best with the Starbucks classic pumpkin spice latte (PSL)? First and foremost, what were the contenders? Obviously every alcohol couldn’t be tested so we tried to cover all the feasible bases. The final roster was Vodka, Baileys, dark spiced rum, Jameson, Fireball and brandy. We mixed about half a grande PSL with about a shot of each alcohol. Each test participant wrote down, before tasting any of the cocktails, which they thought would be the best and which would be the worst. The predictions were as follows: Par. 1: Best: Jameson Worst: Brandy Par. 2: Best: Baileys Worst: Brandy Par. 3: Best: Baileys Worst: Vodka Par. 4: Best: Fireball Worst: Brandy Par. 5: Best: Spiced Rum Worst: Baileys

After tasting all the cocktails each participant ranked the concoctions. The cocktails received points based on their rankings from each participant. After tallying up the points the results are as follows, starting with the worst and ending with the number one PSL cocktail. Brandy came in at number six. Only one person didn’t rate this cocktail last. The sweet fruitiness of the brandy clashes way to much with the cream and pumpkin flavoring of the latte. Second to last was dark spiced rum. The main complaint for the rum was the spices of the PSL and the spices of the rum fight against each other instead of working together. Taking the title of “best of the worst” is Fireball, a college student staple. Some participants enjoyed this one, even give it a name: Halloristmas (a mix of Halloween and Christmas.) Others were not as impressed, complaining that the strong cinnamon flavor of the Fireball overpowered the PSL. The next two PSL cocktails actually tied for second place. The first of these two is vodka. There wasn’t really anything with the vodka drink however it didn’t actually taste different than a PSL. One participant said of this cocktail “it’s a good way to get surprise drunk.” Also in second place is the PSL and Baileys combination. While a lot of the participants felt that the creaminess of the Baileys worked really well with the latte, some felt

A lineup of all the alcohol drunk that night.

it made the already very sweet drink a little too sugary. Sitting very comfortably at the number one rated drink was the Jameson PSL cocktail. The whiskey wasn’t such a strong flavor that it clashed with PSL like the brandy and rum did but neither did it get overpowered like the vodka. Ultimately the writers of this article would not recommend any of the cocktails tested in this experiment. Even the best drink, the Jameson PSL, was best described as “better than a PSL but

photo by Adam Lux

not as good as Jameson by itself.” There are so many better drink options. If you want something sweet and creamy try a white russian or a mudslide. If you want something with a strong coffee flavor Irish coffees are perfect. The Collegian would like to thank everyone who courageously volunteered, putting their tastebuds on the line, to solve what was possibly the most pressing quandary of our generation.

The Collegian: 10

Variety

2 October 2017

Wilco brings traditional, experimental sounds to Brady Theater

Last Sunday’s performance had an exciting combination of the inane and the insane. Ethan Veenker Variety Editor

On Sunday, Sept. 24, the Brady Theater was temporarily turned into a theater of immense sound, traversing both genre and sanity. The band was Wilco, supported first by Creamer, the opening act. I’m not a fan of sitting at the concerts, even less-so in the balcony. I like to see the artists up close, it’s a part of the excitement, but sitting in the nosebleeds provided an acoustic experience that I’m sympathetic the people on the floor couldn’t hear. The bands onstage were joined by wooden cutouts of a forest scene that leaned out in from both sides, and by a backdrop depicting rolling hills in a pastoral scene. I wasn’t sure at first if this was part of Wilco’s tour aesthetic or if this was a facet of the Brady, but some lighting effects later on in the night more-or-less confirmed the former. At times it would seem like a dark red sky in the background, or a sky of rolling clouds or a rising/setting sun. It was an extremely effective technique and fit the tunes oddly well. The night started with Creamer, a Texasbased band that seems to vaguely occupy the same alt-country vein as Wilco. It does that without really experimenting as much as Wilco does, or without really slowing down as much. The band consisted of a guitarist, a vocalist/guitarist, a drummer, a bassist and a pianist. The songs were, for the most part, easily described as twangy and soul-y. The drums stayed simple for the most part, though were occasionally utilized for some faster and more arresting beats. The bass stayed safe behind the rest of the instruments, and the vocalist, though with a wide range, was mostly un-inciteful, even when he was jumping and singing at higher and faster points. I felt vague vibes of the country scene between the ‘70s and the ‘80s, feeling at points like I was listening to a stripped down and sped up version of the Eagles. The band clearly fits in and serves its purpose in a niche. The vocalist claimed Wilco as his favorite band, and Creamer works on the country aspect of Wilco in a way that an opener should. It’s safe music, though, and leaves the large experimentation to the headliner of the night. When Wilco came on, they didn’t ham anything up. They didn’t dim the lights and wait an obscenely long time to take the stage, or have the rest of the band break into the first song and make the crowd wait for frontman Jeff Tweedy to run to the microphone and start singing. They just sauntered onto stage, picked up some instruments, and started playing “You Are My Face.” The night’s setlist soared around Wilco’s discography, giving as good of a representation of all their albums as they could within two hours. The band’s most recent release, the whisper-quiet “Schmilco,” got a surprisingly thin amount of playtime, with the concert only featuring three tracks with amped up percussion: “If I Ever Was a Child,” “Cry All Day” and “Someone to Lose.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” the band’s most popular album, had a short lead for the most representation

of the night, with five songs performed from it. “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” the fourth song of the night and the first one from “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” was far more instrumentally complex than the studio version. The venue’s back lights were timed with the bass strums that led into the song, and on a line that ended in “hello,” the lights all shined on the crowd and Tweedy removed his hat as if to greet the crowd, who all screamed “hello” back up at him. Jeff Tweedy is of course the heart and soul of Wilco, the source of the lyrics and the composition, but the night belonged to lead guitarist Nels Cline and drummer Glenn Kotche. Throughout several of the tracks, such as “Art of Almost,” Nels would put his guitar down for a second and mess with a synthesizer of sorts that set next to him, creating sweeping and grating feedback loops that by all stretches of reason shouldn’t have fit the rest of the band’s smooth tunes, but somehow did. Cline worked his experimental incantations flawlessly around Tweedy’s more tra-

time?” The crowd roared again in response, presumably meaning “yes.” “Good, we’ll see if we can bum you out.” If anything, though, it excited us more when they started playing “Pot Kettle Black,” another track from “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.” I greatly enjoyed hearing it live, but it was rather studio-true and that disappointed me a bit. There are a lot of moments in that track where I feel Cline could have really let his improvisation get the better of him, and that’s what I was hoping for. Those hopes were answered in the next track, “Via Chicago,” an extremely quiet and melodic track. For the first half of the song, things were rather normal. The refrains were performed softly and with feeling. Once they got to the bridge, however, and every refrain thereafter, a jarring, obnoxious combination of screeching guitar and wild drums assaulted the crowd. As soon as the bridge/refrain ended, the song went on as normal, as if nothing absolutely insane had just occurred. The absurdity of the situation had me laughing out loud, and I now greatly prefer that to the studio version.

“The absurdity of the situation had me laughing out loud...” ditional and practiced musical styles, and Kotche gave excellent backdrop for Cline’s improvisation. The end of “Art of Almost,” in particular, showcased Cline’s crazy effects. When the traditional, vocals-driven part of the song wound down, Kotche provided a simple cadence of snare bangs for a good minute or two, to which the venue’s lights were all synced, flashing on when the snare hit and then immediately off. Cline slowly built up one of the most distorted, droney and claustrophobic guitar-driven wall of noise that I’ve ever heard. It was completely astonishing that all this noise was coming from one man and a guitar with a feedback loop. As it built up and up, thrashing about the venue and bouncing off the walls, I felt something caught in my throat, holding my still and making it hard to breathe. It was one of the most physical reactions I’ve ever had to music. The next few songs were mostly devoid of the drones and the experimentation. Cline and Kotche seemed to take a few songs to calm down, and Tweedy finally broke the silence on the ninth song, introducing it as a track “written by a guy from around here.” The song was “One by One,” which had lyrics written by Woody Guthrie but was never recorded or put to music until Billly Bragg and Wilco took a large collection of his unrecorded tracks and gave them music in the 1998 album “Mermaid Avenue.” “Doesn’t get much more American than Woody Guthrie,” said Tweedy upon finishing the song. The crowd roared in response. “He wouldn’t have been afraid to take a knee.” The crowd roared a bit louder, with equal part cheering and booing. “He took a knee his whole life, and we’re all better off for it,” Tweedy concluded. About this time the venue started to smell like marijuana. They played an unsuspecting rendition of “Something to Lose,” and Tweedy again addressed the crowd, but not before someone yelled for him to take a knee. He didn’t seem to hear it. “Having a good

The fourteenth track, “Reservations,” was also from “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” and also represented a missed chance by Cline. The studio version clocks in at around seven-and-a-half minutes, with just the first two or three being a “true” song, and the rest of it being quiet and relaxing noise that ends the album. When the live rendition concluded the “true” part, I fully expected Cline to break out into a long improv sesh, but the band instead went next into “Impossible Germany,” which again satiated my Cline desires. As the song wrapped up, Cline went into one of the longest guitar solos I’ve

laughing. “We’re all in this together, don’t fucking forget that, please,” he went on, on an apparently different note. “I want everybody to succeed. Except Glenn [Kotche],” he said, pointing to the surprised man behind the drumset. The crowd laughed along as Tweedy explained how his Kotche’s attractiveness gave him an edge on life, and joked that people with such positive traits should have to wade past a few roadblocks. The nineteenth track started off with some crowd interaction, with Tweedy remarking he’d seen a certain member in the crowd at the Woody Guthrie Center the day prior and had taken a picture with them. A track again from “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” they started playing “Heavy Metal Drummer,” perhaps the most beat-driven song on the album. It was rather studio-true, though it ended with Tweedy erratically strumming his guitar and producing an extremely fuzzed effect, an effect that continued into the twentieth track as the band all stood up, even the drummer, and held their hands to the sky. On an unheard cue they all got back into position and started “I’m the Man Who Loves You,” a song, again, from “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.” The ending brought more delicious Cline noise, but the chorus itself, where Tweedy would normally yell “I’m the man who loves you,” was rather weak that night, and understandably so: it was the twentieth song after all. They played two more tracks and bid us goodnight. Wilco wasn’t done, though. They gave us a very short wait, maybe one minute, and came back on for an encore. There, they played five tracks, the most significant of which was “Jesus, Etc.,” the night’s final track from “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.” It’s most universally recognized as Wilco’s most popular track, and Tweedy remarked that he hoped we could sing along better than Kansas City. I think we did, because I sure sang along with every word. They later played “Monday,” which featured the most aggressive vocal perfor-

Wilco’s stage scenery portrayed a concert in the middle of the woods.

ever heard. It soared, it swept, it probably really hurt his fingers. It was insanely impressive, and his left leg kept lifting and kicking around behind him with the effort. The crowd gave the largest applause of the night when he was finished, and the rest of the band even joined in. Flustered, Cline clasped his hands together and bowed. That adrenaline rush was followed by a slower track “When You Wake Up Feeling Old,” a song that’s apparently rarely played live. “Someone gamed the song request on our website because that song never gets 33 requests,” Tweedy said at the end of the song,

courtesy Chris Veenker

mance I’d ever heard from Tweedy, with him screaming “alright” into the mic over and over again on top of some Cline noise. This lasted for a good fifteen seconds until they transitioned seamlessly into “Outtasite (Outta Mind)” and wrapped up the encore. But they still weren’t done. They gave us a bit of a longer wait, but came back again to play two more tracks for a second encore. They were again Woody Guthrie tracks, “California Stars” and “Hoodoo Voodoo,” both from “Mermaid Avenue.” After that, the band bid us their last goodnight and the crowd shuffled out off the Brady, which now smelled unbelievably like urine.

2017 Fall TU Film Festival “mother!” ambitious, falls short showcases student talent 2017’s Fall Film Festival at TU was entertaining, though disappointing at times. Tori Gellman Student Writer

On Monday, Sept. 25, students busted out their lawn chairs and picnic blankets to enjoy an exciting night of movie appreciation hosted by TU’s film studies department. Interns for the film studies office manned a table providing popcorn, candy and other classic cinematic snacks for attending guests, allowing the night to take on the vibe of a drive-in theater. Many featured filmmakers were in attendance, along with actors, film teachers and even some currently ongoing film classes that were encouraged to attend the event to support their peers and further enrich their educational experience. The evening consisted of 72 minutes of uninterrupted student written, directed and produced material that had been created over the course of the past year. Films topics ranged from a money heist poorly planned, and even more poorly executed (“Ineption”), to documentary style interviews with university students and faculty, such as in “Lysistrata” by Taylor Chukwu: a commentary on the reimagining of the theater department’s production of the Aristophanes play from the spring semester. Not only were live action films screened at

the event, but a short musical and animated picture also made their way onto the jumbo screen. Each of the films presented showed a unique relationship between different departments and majors around TU. Lisandro Boccaci’s film “116,” starred TU theater departments’ Tabitha Littlefield, and the documentary film, “This Is Craig’s Domain,” by Chris Jett, showed the inner workings of set production and assembly that takes place in various departments around the university, and shared insight as to the cruciality of sets to stage and screen productions. Adam O’Connor, a previous TU film studies instructor turned department assistant, informed the attendees of the third annual Tulsa American Film Festival that would be happening in mid-October, and ways that individuals could volunteer and experience unique films in the Tulsa community. Events in the TAFF include adjudicated script readings, narrative and documentary film screenings and Q&A sessions with local filmmakers and creative minds. All events take place at social centers in and around Tulsa, such as Circle Cinema and Guthrie Green. Each of the filmmakers shared their thanks for the university, their faculty advisors, film department staff and cast and crew by including special notes in their movie credits. This really illustrated the fact that film is a collaborative art form and showed a real sense of community that the University of Tulsa strives and succeeds to foster.

Darren Aronofksy tackles biblical allegory in his newest film with questionable success. Nathan Gibbons Student Writer

“mother!” has been labelled by multiple reporters as the most hated movie of the year. They’ve got the data to prove it, as the movie’s tanking nationally, despite an A-list cast. “mother!” opens with a husband and wife, played by Javier Bardem and Jennifer Lawrence, and their quiet life within their rustic house. The man, a poet, struggles to find inspiration for his next work, while the woman tries to turn the house into their dream home. This is a movie that is difficult not to spoil, and if you think you are going to enjoy this film, you have a lot to gain by avoiding spoilers. You’ve probably at least heard of director Darren Aronofsky’s other films. If you’ve seen “Requiem for a Dream,” “The Wrestler” or “Black Swan,” understand that this film will be closest to “Black Swan” in terms of experimentalism, and that movie was already the love-it-or-hate-it of 2010. “mother!” is high risk, with some reward. Most of the movie’s successful storytelling stems from the wife’s plot. She maintains the house tirelessly, but her husband doesn’t seem content and pays her no attention. When a man arrives, saying he’d mistakenly heard the place was a bed and breakfast, Bardem’s character invites him to stay in their home as long as he’d like, without warning his wife first. This and many more

decisions like it help make this movie one of the most frustrating films I’ve ever seen, in a good way. On the other hand, one has to question where to draw the line. The second act became so grossly repetitive that I was left wondering when I could leave the theater. The last thirty to forty minutes flirts with parody when the movie begins to move at a breakneck speed through a crazier and crazier environment. The movie’s dueling natures work to hurt its own qualities. Its disturbing visuals and tone helped mystify an otherwise down to earth plot, but once I realized “mother!” was almost entirely an allegory, the visuals lost their effect. I’d been warned so heavily of that disturbing scene only to find it was so swamped in allegory that it lost much of its effect. Because that’s what “mother!” is, an envelope-pushing allegory. If you’ve watched enough interviews with the cast and crew, you know that the movie is a retelling of the Bible. Jesus symbolism is one thing, but this movie’s scenes obviously mirror key moments from the Old and New Testaments. You can discuss this to hell and back with whoever you saw it with, as I did for two hours, but I believe a movie as nonsensical as “mother!” shouldn’t also force itself to tell such a well known story. That’s where you might disagree. “mother!” lends itself to great discussion, despite its flaws. If you’re a big enough movie-lover, I would recommend seeing this movie for yourself so you can understand what all the talk, and hate, is about. If you’re looking a nice night out, however, you can do better elsewhere.

Variety

2 October 2017

The Collegian: 11

“Digital Divas” comments “Both Sides Now” an effective statement on racial issues on gender politics The Oklahomans for Equality Center hosted “Digital Divas” through September, a diverse gallery that made subtle jabs at gendered topics. Cheyanne Wheat Student Writer Artist Slim Cook collides his nostalgic love for motorcycles with his new designer life of model-making in his exhibition of “Digital Divas.” The Oklahomans for Equality Center held his powerful art exhibit throughout the month of September. Cook advocates for gender identity. During his interview with “the Gayly,” Cook pondered if technology and humans become one form, would gender become “obsolete?” Overall, this exhibit covers the concepts of beauty, gender identity and body enhancement. Cook is a Tulsa native. His love for art began when he was twelve years old. He would airbrush cars and motorcycles. He later pursued art at Tulsa Community College, finishing his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Oklahoma. He continued to get his Master’s in fine arts at Temple University in Philadelphia. Now, he works in model-making for the fashion industry in New York. He is very interested in the body enhancement elements of fashion. All of his art pieces are made of metal, wood, plastic, paper and/or electronics. Tucked in a small room in the back of the building, I trekked through many doorways to finally reach the exhibit. The first item that caught my eye was this massive winged being. It was the largest piece in the entire exhibit, standing ten feet tall and four feet wide. The title of the figure was “Set free the better Angels of our nature” alluding to Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural speech. This particular piece came with a small description stating: “...struggling to free herself from the bondage of narrow minded thinking and replace Fear with Hope, Hate with Love, and Prejudice with Tolerance.” The being was dressed in a golden outfit with the words “Liberty,” “Love” and “Justice” written on the arms and chest. It was chained to the ground by a large spiked trap garnished with the words “prejudice,” “fear” and “hate.” Next, “House of De Milo presents Sex-

ual Roulette Featuring The Spirit of Dali” showcased Cook’s stance on sexual identity. The figure stood about seven feet tall with a pearl white bust of Aphrodite sitting on top. Below the bust was a mustard yellow skirt pulled up for all to see beneath it. Under the skirt were three colored condoms filled with liquid to adhere its shape above a Barbie doll sitting spread eagle, tied to a roulette wheel, all illuminated by small lights. I interpret this work as the ambiguity of “what’s under her skirt?” Genitalia doesn’t define someone’s gender and their inner feelings, only their scientifically pronounced sex. The next four creations were all mannequin heads dressed up in different head gear and makeup. The first head was “The Lipstick Jungle,” placed upon a draped leopard print scarf. The head was adorned with several colorful feathers pointing downward. The face was a darker pigment with green eyes. On the high points of the face, it was decorated in gold flakes. Next, “La Puissance De La Vision” was propped up onto a wooden stand. It has gladiator-like head armor on with a white light illuminating upward. The face was white with bronze goggles and two light bulbs as eyes. The lips are bright ruby red. Next, “Video Valkyrie” also sits upon a wooden stake. It was pigmented white with messy golden smears of glitter from her brow to cheek to temple. One of the eyes was realistic while the other was a light bulb encaged by a lense. The lips match her rusty red headdress. The headdress was metallic, pointy, and futuristic. Lastly, the “Digital Diva” herself. The metallic neck was decorated with red drapery and was illuminated by red LEDs. The face was youthful with a shimmery futuristic highlight. There was red pigment surrounding the eyes and contouring the face. On each side of the scalp are bell-shaped fixtures with red light bulbs poking outward. As a viewer, I was disappointed in the size of the gallery. There were only six art pieces. Four of which had very similar mannequin head structure. Although, the other two made up for the lack of content. “Set free…” and the “House of De Milo…” spoke so loudly that they could’ve been displayed alone. They are most influential on the subject of societal norms rendering human advancement and seeking true life purpose.

“Set free the better Angels of our nature” was the largest piece in the gallery.

photo by Cheyanne Wheat

Artists Joyce J. Scott and Sonya Clark provide a gallery of quiet and resonant racially-charged pieces. Cheyanne Wheat Student Writer

Joyce J. Scott and Sonya Clark made a statement on racial injustice, politics and media through their new art exhibit, “Both Sides Now,” held at 108 Contemporary across the street from the Guthrie Green. Both artists use multiple materials such as hair, thread, beadwork, glass, etc. There are several controversial illustrations of racism, integration and the Confederacy. The art of Scott and Clark is symbolically integrated throughout the exhibit. Beginning with a few of Scott’s pieces: “Lynched Tree,” “Scorned, He implodes ed. 19/20” and “Ancestry/Progeny I & II” are truly iconic. “Lynched Tree” shows a nude white woman hung by her ankles. The beadwork piece is monstrous, nearly a height of nine feet. She hangs from the ceiling and her body is contorted as she reaches the ground. Her body is surrounded by several beads and glass sculptures of tiny black women. “Scorned” is a framed piece of a phantom-like figure with a small gun holstered at its hip and a large gun in its hands. The larger gun is pointed toward a red boy that appears to be drowning in a sea of eyes. I interpreted this as a stance on modern media and news, specifically the black lives matter protest and police brutality. “Ancestry/Progeny I & II” are two glass mixed media pieces. Number one is a colorful mosaic with a small head-and-shoulders statue of a black women poking out of the top. She has a chain around her neck that dangles downward connecting a photo of

an older black women: representing family. Number two also is a colorful mosaic with a small oval picture of Jesus and a dangling key. There is also a large drawing of an eye. This magnifies the importance of family, spirituality and self awareness within a culture. Next, Sonya Clark’s work has similar themes. A few focal pieces are “Blacked and Bleached,” “Hair Bow of Sounding the Ancestors” and “Rebel Yell.” In her piece “Blackened and Bleached,” two confederate flags, one hung on the wall and one laid gently onto the floor, are tattered and damaged. The one on the wall is black while the other is white, portraying the white and black sides of the Confederacy. “Hair Bow of Sounding the Ancestors” is two violin bows strung with blonde and dark curly hair. It includes an audio of clip of someone playing several different American tunes such as “Star Spangled Banner,” “America the Beautiful” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” on a violin. Lastly, “Rebel Yell” is very unusual. It is a tiny rollercoaster about half a foot high and three to four feet long. It also includes an audio clip which sounds like people enjoying their ride on a rollercoaster. At the exhibit, I questioned if this work was included in “Both Sides Now;” it seemed so out of place. I later learned that those yells weren’t people enjoying a rollercoaster ride, they were Confederate Soldiers yelling in war. The similarity is uncanny and I had to listen a second time to digest what I was actually hearing. Overall, this exhibit touches on subjects I’ve never given much thought. Clark and Scott diversely demonstrate several ideas on black culture from the early American times to the present day. This revealed the incivility black people continue to take from prejudice and hate. It’s a true eye opener to the viciousness of black treatment.

photos by Cheyanne Wheat

“Rebel Yell” (top), “Lynched Tree” (middle) and “Hairbow of Sounding the Ancestors” (bottom) exemplify the bizarre but meaningful nature of the gallery.

Green Day musical speaks to the inner rebel Theatre Tulsa’s musical of Green Day’s album, “American Idiot,” is full of song and charm that epitomizes the band’s alternative style. Brennen Gray Student Writer

Bring out the hair dye and tattoos, Theatre Tulsa goes punk rock for their performance of “American Idiot.” The theater adaptation of Green Day’s rock album hit The Tulsa PAC Sep. 22–23, 29–30, and Oct. 1. The cast began the reliving of my adolescent angst with the titular number. The erratic punk rock dancing was fun to watch, and the choreography, though chaotic, moved smoothly through the number. After the initial rocking out, Johnny, the main character, gave the first dialogue. I blinked and cast had already started the next

number. The choreography told the story surprisingly well, but I could have used a little more story. Musicals tend to rely more on dance and props to convey the story in general, but the work lacked dialogue even for a musical. While the effort was impressive, telling a story without much dialogue simply did not work as well as telling a story with it. Aside from the script, or lack thereof, the music blew me away. The vocal talent was pretty good across the board, with Caleb Ricketts giving an incredible performance as Johnny. His vocals perfectly matched both the angry punk rock numbers, and also adapted well to the slow, acoustic ones. He sounded genuinely triumphant in “Holiday” and truly in love in “When It’s Time.” Powell Barca (Tunny) and Thomas FarnanWilliams (Will) also sang through “Give Me Novocain” with heart wrenchingly pure, acoustic vocals. Kaley Durland (St. Jimmy)

snarled her way through her antagonist role with excellent precision. Aarika Trabona Pope (Whatsername) and Marissa Hess (Heather) hit their notes with both talent and passion. As a fan of Green Day, the musical played to my tastes, but even someone who has never heard of them could appreciate the show. The only people who would not like it would be those that specifically do not like punk music. The loud accompaniment occasionally started to overtake the vocals, and it sometimes seemed like more of a concert than a musical. Thus, if punk rock is not your thing, you may skip this one. But for those with even a little of a rebellious side, letting go and enjoying the raucous embodiment of angst and rage against the establishment makes for a night out you would not regret. Especially given today’s events. Green Day’s frontman, Billy Joe Armstrong, wrote most of the lyrics on the

original album in a disillusionment with mass media and its relationship with the government. Most common culture today has grown weary and tired of the constant bombardment from media, specifically how it can sometimes seem more akin to reality TV. These sentiments were the inspiration for the original 2004 album, and their portrayal on theater today works well. Releasing my pent-up rage against whatever establishment I found suitable was a fun time. The chorus climbed up props and jumped around on stage with eyeliner and dyed hair just like I had expected. But what made the musical for me were the slower numbers that told the story, especially given the lack of dialogue. Beneath the hatred and rough exterior of Johnny, one could find a human being who has regrets, goals and even a broken heart. I can honestly say that it was something unpredictable, and I had the time of my life.

The State-Run Media

2 October 2017

the

State-Run media Thinking about breaking up with the Collegian.

Song ruined for local woman after ex posts about it

After her ex posted the song on Snapchat, Laurie Westings could no longer stand the song “Bodak Yellow”. Sara Serrano Is single AF

Tulsa local Laurie Westings used to love the song ‘Bodak Yellow’. It played on repeat in her car. It was her ringtone. It made her feel more badass than she had ever felt in her graduate-student- Friday-night-bingeknitting life. However that all ended when, scrolling through Snapchat, she found that her ex Izzy Moss had posted, to her shock and dismay, a video of herself lip syncing it

works! I can’t like something that she likes. No way!” The measures that Westings has taken to avoid the song include blacklisting all music streaming sites on her computer, removing the radio from her car and writing a cascade of letters to Cardi B, the song’s rapper, to disown the piece. These attempts have been mildly successful, but have unfortunately not been able to filter all mentions of the song. “I was doing some late night research in the lab when a my phone rang, playing the song we do not speak of.” Westings recounts. “No one ever calls me, so I guess I forgot to change it. Anyway, I was forced to dunk my phone into a 12 M HCl solution I was working with. So inconvenient.”

“Anyway, I was forced to dunk my phone into a 12 M HCl solution...”

Photo of Westings’ phone dissolving in acid.

graphic by Madeline Woods

Broken up couple goes to court over HBO account A historic case will go to trial over who gets custody of a joint HBO account. Sam Beckmann Just wants them to stop arguing After a messy breakup last week, exlovers Kevin and Amanda have officially set a court date for the trial of the century. (Their last names have been omitted at their request to maintain anonymity) Both parties have laid claim to the joint HBO account the couple had used to watch the first four seasons of “Game of Thrones”. The account, which has reportedly been a point of contention over the past several months, is your average, run-of-the-mill HBO subscription, with the nifty little ability to prevent you from studying for important exams coming up. Despite its apparently plain appearance, however, the account means quite a lot to the ex-couple. “It’s not about the money, I could afford to pay for a new subscription. It’s about the fact that I had that HBO account before we were together, and I should get it back now that we’re separating,” Amanda told the

Katsoplolis eating the disgusting substance.

State Run in an interview. “Plus, that account knows which episode I left off on for all those shows that I’ll never watch again!” she added. Kevin remembers the situation differently. “Sure, she had the account first, but she was barely remembering to pay the bill and almost forget it existed back then! I’m the one who set up the auto-pay system, I’m the one who requested the password reset email when she forget how to log in, and I’m the one that got her into ‘Game of Thrones’!” he exasperatedly told a reporter. “After all the effort I’ve put in, I should be the one that gets to see the fruits of my labor!” Although the HBO account is the focus of this trial, additional trials are being scheduled to divvy up the Netflix, Spotify and Hulu accounts. Both Kevin and Amanda admit they are quite passionate about those accounts and need some time to cool off before those trials begin. At press time, the couple was looking at a plan that would result in Amanda having the account on weekends, and Kevin being responsible on weekdays. Arguments are still tense about who would be responsible for paying what portion of the bill. Our heart goes out to the account, which almost certainly has a difficult life ahead of it.

graphic by Madeline Woods

to her story. “She was wearing that dumb cat ears filter and had captioned it ‘Yaaaaaaaaaassss my new jam!!!!’” Westings described. “She stole my jam!” Moss broke up with Westings two weeks ago. It has been rough on Westings. “Laurie is cute and all that.” said Moss. “But she’s also so damn boring! I just couldn’t spend another Saturday night in watching nature docs.” Westings has now been forced to remove all memories of her jam from her life and is now finding solace in the bottom of a bottle of rootbeer. “I’m just really pissed because first I lose her and then I lose my favorite song?” Westings drunkenly explained. “And don’t tell me ‘Oh, what’s the problem? You can still listen to it!’because no! That’s not how that

“I’m just out here living my best life, and she’s over there acting crazy just ‘cause I like ‘her song’?” says Moss. “I’m glad I got out of there while I could.” Crazy or not, life goes on for Westings. “I know it can’t stay like this. I have to move on.” says Westings. “In fact, I’m currently fielding candidates for my new jam.” Westing has abandoned her current research in polymer chemistry to dedicate more of her time to this endeavour. She is now conducting tests on songs to determine their level of badassery, swankability and whether or not her ex has knowledge of them. “As of now, it’s between the fourth movement of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7 in C major and ‘Fergalicious.’, but I’m open to suggestions.”

The State-Run teams up with the Dannon Oikos research facility to present you the latest news in the ever-evolving field of Greek yogurt.

Katsopolis, guitar in hand, appeared to be on his way to perform at his club on the day of the incident. “Yeah I was just on my way to The Smash Club when some guy, who was totally either Rob Lowe or an old Josh Peck, and a camera crew just handed me some gooey yogurt cup and told me they’d give me 15 bucks if I ate it and said it was good. But like, I just wanted it plain ya know? I had to play with my band Jesse and The Rippers in like 20 minutes, I couldn’t be all sticky for that.” And at that very moment, science proceeded to make one of the greatest discoveries of all time. Stamos and his team are working tirelessly to use this information in attempts to find more of these “mutants” and gather them together in a special school where a man in a wheelchair will teach them to harness their powers. But as for Katsopolis, he has been locked in a secret underground government research facility ever since. “Please, I’ve been down here for six weeks and I just want to see my wife and sons. They’re two beautiful twins, only a year old. They need their father.” We are only able to communicate with Katsopolis via a secure phone line at this time. “They’ve been testing me non-stop, poking, prodding, sticking. I’m locked in a white padded room where they blare sirens all night to keep me from sleeping. They only feed me specific, nutrient-balanced shredded grains, and the occasional plain Greek yogurt during tests. Please I have to get out of here, you have to hel-” The signal was suddenly interrupted at this point. We assume Katsopolis is perfectly fine and excited about his position. With his help and months or probably years of work, this new experimental data will finally enable humanity to advance our understanding of Greek yogurt. And subsequently, the universe.

Science discovers first human being ever that enjoys plain Greek yogurt

Sam Harrell Prefers Gogurt There’s been yet another exciting development in the Greek and yogurt communities this past week, as scientists have discovered the very first human supporter of plain Greek yogurt. We met up with the head of the Dannon Oikos research team, John Stamos, who actually made the discovery himself during a field experiment. “We were just out on the streets, asking passers-by to try some of our new Dannon Oikos Fruit-on-the-Outside Greek yogurts. They’re basically just plain Greek yogurt but the containers are lathered in that liquidy fruit jelly stuff that usually goes on the bottom. It was my idea. Anyway this one guy, who totally looked like some sort of Elvis Presley impersonator, was just like ‘gross what the heck, can I just wipe this stuff off and eat it plain?’ This of course spurred a great amount of laughter from me and my crew, but after several minutes we realized he was serious. He just started eating it plain, I swear. We have it all on camera, he finished the whole thing without even flinching. It was the most beautiful and disgusting thing I’ve ever seen. Just like when I saw the live birth of my three nieces, DJ, Stephanie and Michelle Tanner.” With that information, the next step clearly was to get ahold of this freak. “I don’t know what the big deal is, it’s just yogurt.” After a number of calls and emails, we were finally able to reach him. The man is a musician and nightclub owner named Jesse Katsopolis. “Do you really need to interview me? I just like plain Greek yogurt man.”