29 November 2018

The Collegian: 2

Sports

29 October 2018

photos by Devyn Lyon

29 October 2018

Sports

The Collegian: 3

Green Wave overpowers Golden Hurricane TU sports journalist Tristan Peterson covers the ups and downs of Tulsa’s 24-17 loss to Tulane.

Despite a 1-6 start to the season, Tulsa entered Saturday’s game against Tulane facing near even odds, which was obvious to fans as the teams were neck and neck until the third quarter. In the end, however, Tulsa lost yet another game in the fourth quarter 2417, knocking them out of bowl contention.

Tulane won the coin toss but deferred, leaving Tulsa to receive in the first half. On the kickoff, James Palmer, a TU freshman, saw his first career action.

Early in the first quarter, Jarrion Anderson ran for a 55-yard punt return, the longest of his career, which destroyed Tulsa’s previous high this season of 13 yards. It was the school’s longest punt return since 2016 against North Carolina A&T, where TU ran 60 yards.

Nate Walker put Tulsa on the board after a good field goal. With less than 10 minutes in the second quarter, Tulsa’s Keylon Stokes ran the ball for a TU touchdown; Tulsa 10 Tulane 0. But as the clock entered the last minute of the half, Tulane got on the board when Darius Bradwell converted at the goal-line for a one-yard touchdown.

At halftime, The University of Tulsa honored 1991 All-American Jerry Ostroski in a special presentation as his number, 55, was retired. He is the eighth Golden Hurricane football student-athlete to receive such an honor. The offensive lineman was named an Associated Press first-team All-American selection his senior year, as well as by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), The Sporting News (TSN), United Press International (UPI), College and Pro Football Weekly and the Poor Man’s Guide to the NFL Draft.

After the half, the Golden Hurricane displayed a strong offensive front. Stokes took a 14-yard pass from Seth Boomer for another TU Touchdown. John Parker Romo then converted the extra point, the first of his career, pushing the score to Tulsa 17, Tulane 7.

The point lead was short-lived, as during the third quarter Tulane managed another close-range score. The Green Wave followed that up with a 20-yard field goal to begin the fourth. Finally, Tulane quarterback Justin McMillan put his team up for good with a 39-yard rushing touchdown with just under four minutes remaining. The win by Tulane was their first in seven meetings in Tulsa.

This game marks Keylon Stokes’ first receiving and rushing touchdowns. In addition to Palmer, sophomore cornerback Malik Welch received his first career start.

The defense displayed a great amount of strength in the match.

Freshman safety Bryson Powers, freshman linebacker Zaven Collins and junior linebacker Cooper Edmiston all finished the game with 12 tackles, which was a careerhigh for Powers.

While the players are disappointed they missed their bowl opportunity, they plan to continue playing for their seniors. Edmiston holds hope saying the team needs to be “... finishing it out, playing hard every time we get a chance. That’s what we are here for, to play football and go to school. So, keep grinding it out.” The Golden Hurricane will play UConn next Saturday, Nov. 6 at 6 p.m., for their homecoming game.

photos by Devyn Lyon

Sports

The Collegian: 4

29 October 2018

College football who’s who: playoff edition Football journalist Lindsey Prather details which teams are making it to the postseason.

Following an absolute bloodbath in the rankings these last few weeks, the race for the College Football Playoff is looking narrower and narrower. The rankings are beginning to pan out, with obvious favorites running alongside some spectacular busts.

That being said, here are some of the teams that are most likely to make the playoff, should the chips fall in their favor.

Alabama I’m beating a dead horse here, but looking at Alabama’s schedule, they are extremely likely to make the playoff. They’re a team of reasonable capability, with a relatively easy schedule; nonetheless, they face off against #4 ranked LSU on Nov. 3.

After playing only one ranked team this entire season, LSU will most likely give them the challenge they need to legitimize their inevitable playoff spot. This game is one to watch closely, as there are playoff repercussions for both teams, and holding onto a topfour ranking in the late games of the season is vital for maintaining postseason hopes.

Despite my wildest hopes, Alabama is as close as I will get to claiming a rock-solid pick for the College Football Playoff.

Clemson Clemson is, admittedly, another safe bet for the playoff; their biggest games are behind them. Their greatest challenge will be avoiding any implosions during the final weeks of the season, as well as keeping their playmakers healthy to preserve their odds in the playoff. After witnessing Ohio State’s spectacular collapse against Purdue, I truly believe an upset could be lurking in Clemson’s future if they get complacent.

Following their stumbles at the beginning of the season, their defense is ranked #1 in the country in efficiency, and their QB play has shown steady improvement. All in all, Clemson only has to avoid beating themselves.

Notre Dame It seems like Notre Dame ends up in the playoff conversation every year, shortly before crashing out of the rankings or being placed into a random bowl game. Sporting the most impressive record against ranked opponents, they have soundly defeated Michigan (ranked #5) and Stanford (ranked #24). Their most difficult game left on their schedule will be Syracuse, a team that nearly pulled off a win against Clemson on Sept.

29. Notre Dame is currently in an excellent position, needing only to keep a handle on the rest of their schedule and root for teams that they’ve defeated to do well to maintain their strength of schedule.

Long Shots As for the final spot, there are currently several teams that are desperately climbing the rankings in an attempt to reach it.

Most find themselves in similar situations.

Oklahoma has played well following their loss to Texas, but they have to survive their remaining conference schedule and the Big XII championship game. Michigan is another long shot, due to their loss to Notre Dame and the chance of being spoiled by their remaining schedule. LSU needs to beat Alabama and continue to win in order to be considered. The first playoff rankings will be released soon, and then the real fight begins as teams clamor for the top four.

Alabama, Clemson and Notre Dame mascots get hyped.

graphic by Conner Maggio

Champions League roundup matchday 3 The Champions are halfway through the group stage, and soccer expert Chris Lierly delivers a recap on the highest level of European competition.

Manchester United 0 Juventus 1 Juventus proved victorious in Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford, as Paulo Dybala’s 17’ goal sealed the win. After that initial strike, however, the rest of the game was devoid of scoring despite Ronaldo’s best efforts. José Mourinho’s repeated strategy of parking the bus, which has won him many a 1-0 match in the Premier League, failed to work against the Italian squad’s solid defense.

At the beginning of the season, United looked like they were drawn into a group where they might finish in a comfortable second. Valencia and Juventus changed that in two matches. Both won in Manchester, and now, Mourinho will need to win at both places to seal the Red Devil’s advancement.

Failing to do so would likely spell the end of his time as United manager. With a dismal record in the Premier League, the club’s supporters would be distraught if their club failed to make it to the knockout stage of the Champions League. However, if such a failure led to the sacking of Mourinho, than most fans would see the firing as the silver lining to a disastrous season.

Hoffenheim 3 Lyon 3 By far the most thrilling game this matchday, Lyon and Hoffenheim were only lacking in one thing: defense. Each keeper saw three goals fly by him, starting with Bertrand Traore’s 26’ opener. Andrej Kramaric’s brace gave Hoffenheim the lead before Tanguy Ndombele and Memphis Depay shifted things back to Lyon, making the game 3-2.

Finally, Joelinton’s stunner in stoppage time sealed the nailbiter of a game.

Since the game was held in Hoffenheim, the draw favors Lyon on away goals, but Julian Nagelsmann’s squad also have reason to leave the pitch in good spirits. Both teams have a chance at second place in the group and Lyon are only one point behind the group leader, Manchester City. This performance also goes to show that both squads

have the quality to finish near the top of their respective domestic leagues.

PSV 2 Tottenham 2 Most matches get a full blurb written about them by either being a showdown between two powerhouses of European football (see United vs. Juve) or by being a thrilling game played between two equally talented teams (see Hoffenheim vs. Lyon).

The third way is when an absolutely dominant team walks into a game rattled and unprepared. That was the case with Tottenham, whose draw with PSV got them a point

tion off of Mario Rui and Angel Di Maria scored a curler for the ages. That curler came in a match where Neymar, though quality as usual, received criticism for playing selfishly.

Group C, which also feature Liverpool and Red Star Belgrade, is shaping up to be the group of death this season. All three teams boast elite attacks, and every game between these three has been close. Red Star, the punching bag of the group, will no doubt finish last, but who joins them will likely be a mystery until the final matchday.

“... The Dortmund attack looked unstoppable as Witsel and Sancho each scored...” where they should have gained three. This match saw World Cup hero Chucky Lozano and Luuk de Jong score for PSV while Harry Kane and Lucas Moura made sure the Spurs did not let the Dutch squad walk away with all the points.

Early in the season, it looked like Tottenham had a chance to dominate in both Europe and in England, but if this proves anything, it’s that Pochettino’s men are not at top form. Poor defending from Toby Alderweireld gave up the first goal, while World Cup winning captain Hugo Lloris received a red card after he dove at an attacking player outside of the box. Spurs currently sit at third in their group and will not make the knockout stage if they cannot win against Inter Milan or Barcelona, the group leaders.

Paris Saint Germain 2 Napoli 2 In another thriller from Group C, PSG and Napoli ended up drawing at the Parcdes-Princes. The usual heroes of Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens scored Napoli’s double. Thomas Menuir’s cross found its way into the back of the net after a deflec-

Players from Man U, Juventus and PSG square up.

Liverpool sits at the top with six points, Napoli at second with five and PSG are at third with four, so any loss will shift this group around and greatly impact later rounds of the tournament.

Borussia Dortmund 4 Atlético Madrid 0 BVB proved their dominance in a game that many anticipated leading up to matchday three. The Dortmund attack looked unstoppable as Axel Witsel and Jadon Sancho each scored, while Raphaël Guerreiro secured a brace. Though American sensation Christian Pulisic did not score, his starting role is a good sign as he recovers from an early season injury. The silver lining to all of this is the shadow that Bayern Munich cast over all good spells for BVB. With the Bavarian giants struggling, it is very likely that they will make a bid for one of the stars of this Dortmund team.

Atlético Madrid looked concerning at the least in this one. It’s possible the squad has their mind on a La Liga race, where they currently sit at fifth. However, they started Antoine Griezmann, Diego Costa, Diego

Godin and co. so they obviously lined up like they care about the Champions League.

Rumors swirled earlier in the season that Godin’s edge was beginning to fade, and though it would be unfair to place all of the blame on one player, the center back usually leads a more cohesive defensive unit than this.

Barcelona 2 Inter Milan 0 In a game where Lionel Messi watched from the sideline, Barcelona played as beautiful football as ever. Rafinha, who was subbed in for the legend, scored the opener and Jordi Alba slotted in the second goal with seven minutes remaining. Messi has developed a system at Barcelona that doesn’t necessarily need his presence when playing teams of Milan’s quality. This may also have something to do with Barça’s overloaded front third. With a comfortable spot at the top of their group and La Liga, it is possible that Barcelona will walk away with three pieces of hardware when the season is said and done.

Inter Milan, who also had a key injury, did not fare as well as their Catalonian opponents. Mauro Icardi’s heroics have saved Inter more than once this season, but they were nowhere to be seen in this match.

This is likely due to the aforementioned injury sidelining defensive midfielder Radja Nainggolan. Barcelona are by nature a possession heavy team and without the Belgian mid to win the ball back, Inter were smothered by an always moving Barcelona squad.

AEK Athens 0-2 Bayern Munich Young Boys 1-1 Valencia Ajax 1-0 Benfica Real Madrid 2-1 Viktoria Plzeň Roma 3-0 CSKA Moscow Shakhtar Donetsk 0-3 Manchester City Club Brugge 1-1 AS Monaco Lokomotiv Moscow 1-3 Porto Galatasaray 0-0 FC Schalke Liverpool 4-0 Red Star Belgrade

graphic by Conner Maggio

Sports

The Collegian: 5

29 October 2018

Surprising results in Skate Canada Figure skating expert Hannah Robbins discusses the winners and shocking defeats at Skate Canada this weekend.

This weekend’s Grand Prix competition Skate Canada was held in Laval, Québec. It was the first competition of the Grand Prix series for some of the best figure skaters in the world, including Shoma Uno, men’s 2018 Olympic silver medalist, and Evgenia Medvedeva, ladies’ 2018 Olympic silver medalist. For some competitors, including Hubbell/Donohue from the United States and Nam Nguyen from Canada, this was their last competition on the Grand Prix circuit.

As we get further into the season, it’s time to clarify how skating scores work. Unlike some sports where winning and losing is just based on time or distance, figure skating scores have three components.

The first two, grade of execution (GOE) and base value (BV), have to do with each of the physical elements a skater performs on the ice. The BV is the element’s starting point value; for example, a triple axel’s

international stage, their PCS value usually increases.

In the men’s competition, falls plagued every skater with a wide range of consequences. For Shoma Uno of Japan, viewed as a lock to win the competition, a fall in the short program left him seven points behind Canadian Keegan Messing. Messing, whose surprise sixth place in the short program of Worlds in 2018 made him known internationally, finished with 95 points after a clean short program.

American Jason Brown ended 11th in the short program after falling on his triple axel and doing a double toe loop in a combination jump instead of the planned triple toe loop, losing out on three points. Doing a jump with fewer rotations than planned is called popping a jump and usually is a result of nerves or a bad takeoff.

In the men’s free skate, falls continued to affect skaters, but two falls couldn’t stop

a one-point deduction for a lift that lasted too long, but ended behind the Russians by only .24 points. The Americans ended the competition in first, and with two first-place finishes, are guaranteed a spot in the Grand Prix Final in December.

The real drama at Skate Canada was in the ladies’ competition. Evgenia Medvedeva from Russia, the favorite to win here, ended in seventh place in the short program after a fall on a 14-point element left her with one point instead. Medvedeva, who has never ended outside the top three in any program since 2013, has had a rough year.

After a foot injury last October lead to Medvedeva missing the Grand Prix Final and skating injured at the Olympics, Medvedeva has not won a single competition.

After receiving the silver medal in the ladies’ event at the Olympics, she chose to part ways with her coach and moved to a new coach in Canada, Brian Orser. So far it

“American Jason Brown ended 11th in the short program after falling on his triple axel...”

BV is 8.0 points. Depending on how the skater executes the element, their GOE can be rated by each of the judges as anywhere from a -5 (they fell on their jump or had five negative attributes to their skill) to a +5 (they executed the skill perfectly). This is a change from the +3 to -3 scale used before this year. Their GOE score is the averaged judge’s scores multiplied by a specific value for each element.

The last component, the program component score (PCS), is used to give a numerical value to a skater’s artistry. Each skater is rated .25-10.0 in .25-point increments on how well they performed in five areas. These areas are skating skills (how well a skater skates), transitions (what does the space in a skater’s program between the elements look like), performance (how well does a skater perform their program), composition (how well the program is choreographed, does it use the full ice and how the elements relate to the music) and interpretation (how well does the skater move in time with the music). As a skater competes longer on the

Shoma Uno from winning Skate Canada, and his free program score surpassed Keegan Messing’s by 10 points. Brown could not overcome his short program, however, and his short program landed him in sixth place, effectively ending his chances of competing at the Grand Prix Final this year.

In the pairs competition, French skaters Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres started on top with a first place score in the short program. Just two points behind them, Cheng Ping/Yang Jin of China seemed poised to try to beat them in the free, but that was not meant to be. After Peng almost fell on a jump early in the free program, James/Cipres had no obstacles to winning, and Ping/Jin just outscored Canadians Kristen Moore-Towers/Michael Marinaro to end in second place.

In ice dance, Americans Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue continue to dominate. After outscoring Russians Victoria Sinitsina/Nikita Katsalapov by six points in the short dance, they stumbled slightly in the free dance. The Americans recieved

hasn’t seemed to work that well. She placed second in the Autumn Classic last month behind Bradie Tennell after a fall.

Medvedeva’s fall left the door wide open for fellow Russian Elizaveta Tuktamysheva to end in first after the short program. Americans Starr Andrews and Mariah Bell also had good performances, placing third and fourth respectively, with Wakaba Higuchi of Japan ending in second place.

Medvedeva showed why she is a world champion in the free program, putting up the highest free program score, but was unable to overcome her short program score, ending in third. After Higuchi struggled in the free, earning the seventh best score, she ended up in sixth place. Her compatriot, Mako Yamashita, ended up in second place after earning second in the free skate. Tuktamysheva continued to do well, earning third in the free program that was enough for her to win the competition.

With Brennen Gray as the Feature Creature One for the history books I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: pitching wins are some of the stupidest statistics in the sports world, and everyone should immediately stop pretending that they mean anything (I’ll give some leeway in fantasy baseball, but that’s it). In unrelated news, Nate Eovaldi turned in one of the most courageous performances in baseball history Friday night, and came away with a loss. Because, say it with me, wins and losses are dumb.

After appearing in the first two games of the World Series, Eovaldi was called on to pitch for the Red Sox once game three went into extra innings. The Sox were surely thinking that they wouldn’t need the flamethrower for more than an inning or two, but that’s not how things turned out.

As the game stretched into the wee hours of the morning, hitting the five, then six, then seven hour marks, Eovaldi remained a constant on the mound and helped conserve his team’s bullpen strength. He wasn’t treading water either, throwing an unfathomable 97 pitches on one day’s rest and hitting 99 on the radar gun in his final inning.

Eovaldi’s final line? Six innings, three hits, one walk, five Ks… and the loss after he gave up a leadoff home run to Max Muncy in the bottom of the 18th. It was gutsy, transcendent baseball, and a traditional box score would mark it as a failure. I know I’m arguing against a bit of a strawman here; it’s not like there are a bunch of fans out there trashing Eovaldi. But what he did was historic, the type of outing that should be memorialized in the Hall of Fame, and it’s downright offensive that there’s anything about it that we could construe as a negative.

Man seeking sport It is time to mourn basketball as the greatest sport ever made. The NBA has officially disappointed me too much. Ever since LeBron left to the West, my zeal for basketball has faded. My favorite team has gone from making the Finals to being the worst team in the NBA. LeBron is in a far off land, and all I can do is quote those “When will my husband return from war?” memes floating around. There is no point in pursuing this one-way relationship. I must leave So I have been shopping around for new heroes in other sports.

First up is Raven. In addition to being a former president of the United States, she also is the world’s leading player in the Marbleympics. The videos that took youtube by storm feature teams of marbles competing in different events throughout the competition.

Next up is Madison, who just took home the Daytona 500 cup. After strapping a rocket engine to her wheelchair, she has been smoking the competition. Though she suffered a wreck a few days ago, she will likely be back behind the wheel in no time.

Third on my list, badminton is calling my name. That shuttlecock majestically moving through the air… so beautiful! Those thicc rackets, dumb outfits and large nets. Perfection. Emily embodies these pillars of badminton in every way.

Last, Emma has taken being a hermit to a professional level. While not a spectator sport, hermitting has been gaining popularity, especially in the mountains of Colorado.

courtesy Skate Canada

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier fell short in their routine.

15

Oct. 29 - Nov. 4

Monday

Tuesday 29

Wednesday 30

31

No Events No Events No Events

Thursday

Saturday

Friday 1

2

Sunday 3

4

Volleyball @ ECU 6 p.m.

W Basketball vs. USAO 7 p.m.

W Golf Battle at the Beach San Jose W Golf @ SMU Invit.

TBA M Basketball vs.

Northeastern State 6 p.m.

M Soccer @ UConn 6 p.m.

W Golf Battle at the Beach San Jose

Football vs. UConn 6 p.m.

Volleyball @ Cincinnati 12 p.m.

News

The Collegian: 6

Trump administration seeks to redefine gender The administration’s potential new definition removes recognition of intersex and trans individuals.

Emily Every Commentary Editor The Trump administration asks that government agencies define “sex as either male or female, unchangeable and determined by the genitals that a person is born with …

Any dispute about one’s sex would have to be clarified using genetic testing,” according to a memo first published by The New York Times. This instruction, if followed by government agencies and medical professionals, would erase the identities of transgender people from the medical establishment.

The policy proposal would work to undermine the protections and recognitions of transgender rights put into practice during President Obama’s administration. When questioned about his previous campaign promises to defend LGBTQ rights, President Trump commented, “I’m protecting everybody. I want to protect our country.”

The administration’s mandate could allow for the misgendering of patients, hospitals assigning roommates of the wrong sex to trans people and the denial of sex reassignment surgeries. This is of particular weight in the 30 states that don’t have separate, state-level laws that protect trans people for gender-based discrimination.

Health professionals have also speculated that medically denying the existence of transgender people would stop patients from discussing any gender uncertainty they may be experiencing. Barring this sort of discussion from even taking place may have devastating impacts on the mental health of young transgender people, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ policy statement on transgender youth speculated.

Doctors who choose to medically aid transgender people through their transition

may be put in an awkward situation if they work at a hospital that uses federal funds.

They could risk unemployment if they treated a transgender patient with the federal government’s funding.

Katie Keith, a Georgetown policy analyst specializing on transgender issues, comments that if the definitional change to gender were to happen, it would likely take several months to see any concrete changes, and it’s incredibly likely that it would be taken to court by transgender individuals seeking medical care.

The proposed policy’s stance on children born as intersex is not clear, but it seems that medical professionals would be required to assign the infant as either “male” or “female” at birth. Alice Dreger’s book “Galileo’s Middle Finger” recounts the history of surgical medical interventions that occasionally occur during the infancy of an intersex child. If the genitalia doesn’t fit a clear binary, Dreger explains that it’s possible that surgeons will “[rip] out everything that [doesn’t] seem right [and rebuild] genitals from scratch using Frankenstein stitches.” Although it’s not clear how extensively the Trump administration wants to apply the mandate, there is a gruesome precedent to this line of binary thought.

Health and Human Services spokeswoman Caitlin Oakley has denied that the mandate has been put into effect, stating that the office does not “comment on alleged, leaked documents that purport to indicate the status of deliberations or the focus of the department. The court order remains in full force and effect today and HHS is bound by it as we continue to review the issue. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and HHS’s Office for Civil Rights will continue to vigorously enforce all laws as written and passed by Congress, prohibiting discrimination in health-care on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age and disability.”

29 October 2018

Tulsa World endorses Kevin Stitt The paper announced their endorsement of Stitt, a political outsider.

Anna Johns Student Writer Oklahoma’s gubernatorial election approaches, and with it comes discussion of change, something citizens claim the state desperately needs. Republican candidate Kevin Stitt and Democratic Party nominee Drew Edmondson share a common interest: listening to people’s desires and getting results.

And as the election comes closer, Tulsa World has officially endorsed Kevin Stitt for governor.

Edmondson and Stitt, Tulsa World finds, both agree on the direction the state government should move in favor of change, although the two differ in strategy. While Stitt urges for an efficient government, Edmondson advocates for more state revenue. Edmondson, as Attorney General of Oklahoma for 16 years, has a greater understanding of the inner workings of the government. Stitt, according to Tulsa World, “has a young outsider’s willingness to try different things.”

Stitt started Gateway Mortgage Co., a 1,200-employee company that receives $6 billion a year in mortgages. This means he will be working in a completely foreign environment, and according to Tulsa World, there is no evidence he has voted in a governor’s race until he put his name on the ballot.

Despite this, Tulsa World believes Stitt has “the energy and creativity to change Oklahoma.”

Tulsa World admits it was not convinced Stitt would be an adequate governor, as his political experience was lacking. However, the newspaper argues that he has displayed

growth in his understanding of the facets of state government and spent his campaign time listening to Oklahoman citizens. He wants better results from the government, and Tulsa World claims, “We think Stitt has the better chance of making that happen.”

Arguments against Stitt cite his lack of regular voting and experience. In a published letter to the Tulsa World editor, Dr. Jean Root of Broken Arrow wrote, “Stitt appears to have no clue as to the functions and purpose of state government and seems to believe that a starvation diet is the only cure for government waste.”

Root accused the newspaper of being “blatantly ageist” because it claimed Stitt has more energy and creativity to change Oklahoma’s policies, supposedly implying that Edmondson would not have the energy or creativity to get results due to his older age.

Another published letter to the editor features Priscilla Mayfield of Tulsa, who argued, “We have been under single-party control for too long. We need new blue blood in our legislature.”

Currently, Tulsa World features endorsements from both Democratic and Republican parties. On Oct. 24, the newspaper also recommended Melissa Provenzano, a Democrat running for House District 79. Sheila Dills, a Republican running for House District 69, was endorsed for her conservative positions that reflected her constituency and community involvement. Ultimately, the goal of the newspaper is to find whomever will be most effective in office, regardless of party.

Regardless of positions on these issues, Tulsa World urges its readers to vote, writing “The foundation of the American system is self-government through free, fair elections.”

“This instruction... would erase the identities of transgender people from the medical establishment.”

Nobel Prize in Literature not awarded following rape charges The husband of a Swedish Academy member, which selects recipients for the prize, was found guilty of rape.

Emma Palmer Variety Editor Following the charge of sexual assault against Jean-Claude Arnault, husband of Swedish Academy member Katarina Frostenson, and the fallout of the entire cabinet, the Nobel Prize in Literature was not handed out this year. Instead, the Academy has stated that it will award the prize at next year’s awards, taking the time to reconvene. Eight members of the 18-member group, who are elected by their peers and can serve for life, resigned during the course of the scandal.

The allegations against Arnault came to light in November of 2017, when Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyhete detailed 18 allegations made against him. These claims spanned the course of 20 years and often took place on Academy-owned property.

While the allegations were known within elite literary circles, the #MeToo movement emboldened victims to come forward and speak against Arnault. He has since been charged with two accounts of rape and will serve two years in prison, along with paying reparations to the victims.

Things came to a head when the secretary of the Academy, Sara Danius, came forward and accused Arnault of assault. She hired lawyers and called for the expulsion of Frostenson. When the Academy decided to al-

low Frostenson to remain a member, three other members resigned in protest. Ultimately, both Frostenson and Danius stepped down, and following the further resignation of another three members, the Academy was left with just 10 out of the original 18.

Technically, members of the Academy are not permitted to step down, as they serve for life. However, in this case, the academy was left crippled from in-fighting and the rules of the Academy were not enforced, leaving the Academy shambles. New members can only be selected if the governing body has at least 12 members, but in this case an exception has been made. The Academy still planned to announce a 2018 winner until the Nobel Foundation announced that that the 2018 prize would be handed out in 2019 in tandem with the 2019 award.

In an attempt to make up for the lack of a prize this year, a new award was created by a non-profit dubbed the New Academy.

The group hopes to rely on crowdfunding and sponsors to hand out a prize to the winner and cover expenses for the ceremony. A shortlist of 47 candidates, selected by librarians across Sweden, was then released to the public for online voting. Maryse Condé, Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami and Kim Thúy were recently announced as finalists. Although Murakami withdrew from the consideration, the response to the New Academy Awards has been generally positive, with the general public and other candidates supporting the award.

The recipient of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature will receive their award in 2019.

courtesy Flickr

graphic by Conner Maggio Tulsa World endorsed candidates in several Oklahoma elections, including Kevin Stitt.

Light outage casts Dietler Commons in darkness An error involving the server connected to the lights led to the blackout.

Raven Fawcett Managing Editor

Last Sunday, the University of Tulsa Main Campus experienced light outages.

The lights by Sorority Row, Sharp Chapel, Bayless Plaza, near the Allen Chapman Student Union, in the West Residential parking lot off of Delaware and more went dark a few hours after sunset.

Manager of Electrical and Special Services for Physical Plant Roy Ackley says that the “server lost communication with the devices in the buildings because of a network setting” and was fixed by the next morning.

He says that “If there were to be another large problem needing immediate attention like this last occurrence, please … call Campus Security. They will in turn contact the duty engineer.”

There are two ways lighting is controlled on campus: a photocell, which is used for local control of buildings (like outlying buildings) and network control, which is what Physical Plant uses for most of cam-

pus. Physical Plant has “a sensor that quantifies the amount of light,“ Ackley said, adding, “At a preset point, it sends a signal out through [the] Energy Management System (over the network) to turn the lights on or off.”

However, when there are issues with these networks and their lights, there is an operating engineer on campus 24 hours a day, Ackley says. Either the engineer will see the problem, or Campus Security will call to inform an engineer. The engineer can manually turn on the lights from Physical Plant, as there are manual switches independent of the control system that can be used to fix the problem.

However, Ackley also noted that, should students find anything more minor than mass light outages, like a singular light, students can and should still report it. Students can submit these requests through the iService desk, which are linked through CaneLink.

Students can go to the “Campus Housing” tab, then clicking the “Request Maintenance” button. Students can also go directly to the URL: tma.utulsa.edu:81/home.html.

Requests are viewed in the morning and distributed to Physical Plant workers for repair.

News

29 October 2018

The Collegian: 7

8:45 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a possible injured student at the Mabee Gym. Upon arrival Officers spoke with a student who stated that they had an injury. Emergency Medical Services Authority or EMSA arrived and provided first aid. They stated the student needed to go to the hospital for further treatment. The student refused further treatment and stated they would have the injury checked at a later time.

Oct. 15 5:55 a.m.

While on routine patrol University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers noticed an individual running by the security vehicles in apparent distress. Officers made contact with the individual, who stated their family member is an employee and contacted them while having a medical emergency.

Officers located the individual in the Case Athletic Center and requested Emergency Medical Service Authority to the scene. EMSA transported to the hospital. Officers cleared the scene without further incident.

Oct. 17 10:35 a.m.

University of Tulsa Campus security Officers were dispatched to the Allen Chapman Student Union in response to an on-going verbal confrontation involving a Sodexo manager and former Sodexo employee. Officers separated the two parties who were in the parking lot upon arrival.

The former employee was trespass warned from campus to avoid another possible altercation.

11:30 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to Mayo Village Apartments to investigate a possible noise complaint. Upon arrival Officers found the source of the loud noise and made contact with the resident. The resident and guests were watching a sports game. The resident was issued a contact card and asked to turn down the sound down. The resident was compliant and officers left without further incident.

Oct. 18 2:05 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a possible fire alarm at Delta Delta Delta Sorority. Officers noticed smoke but no fire. Tulsa Fire Department was not needed and were canceled.

Oct. 19 12:00 a.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to invesigate a possible intoxicated student knocking on apartment doors in Lorton Village Apartments. When officers arrived, students on scene reported of being physically assaulted by the intoxicated student. Tulsa Police and EMSA were contacted. The intoxicated student was taken into custody and transported to David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center for public intoxication.

6:40 a.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to Norman Village apartments to investigate a possible individual walking barefoot in the rain and asking students to drive them to an unknown location. Officers responded and made contact with the individual whom appeared to be intoxicated. Emergency medical services responded and transported the individual to Oklahoma State University Medical center. A contact card was created.

7:00 a.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate possible alcohol violations. The incidents occurred at on campus residences and the investigations is on going.

Oct. 20 1:30 a.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to Lorton Village Apartments to investigate a possible noise complaint. Upon arrival Officers found the source of the loud noise and made contact with the residents. The resident and guests were watching talking and shouting inside the residence. The residents were issued a contact card and asked to keep the noise down. The residents were compliant and officers left without further incident.

Oct. 21 12:55 a.m.

University of Tulsa campus Security Officers were dispatched to Mayo Village Apartments in regards to a possible smell of marijuana. Upon arrival, officers were unable to detect a smell; however, heard music and yelling coming from an apartment. Officers made contact with the resident and asked the guests to stop yelling. A contact card was issued.

1:15 a.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate an individual at the law school who had gotten their finger stuck in an electronic port. Upon arrival officers located the individual and assisted with safely removing their finger. The individual received no injuries from the incident, and officers cleared the scene.

10:20 p.m.

University of Tulsa campus Security Officers were dispatched to the LaFortune House to investigate a possible suspicious person that walked into a students room. A unknown individual walked into a student’s room and then apologized to the student and left. The investigation is ongoing.

Oct. 22 10:35 p.m.

While on routine patrol University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers observed a non-affiliated subject hanging out in front of hardesty press storage Building. The individual refused to leave the property when asked by Officers and they discovered the individual had a warrant. Tulsa Police arrived and they individual stated they wanted to go to jail.

TPD tried to work with them but they refused to listen. TPD arrested the individual and they were also trespassed banned from the university properties.

11:15 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to Collins Hall to investigate a possible bicycle theft. Officers made contact with a subject walking with two bicycles and questioned them. The subject refused to provide identification. Officers trespass warned them and they left campus after dropping the bicycles. A contact card was created.

The Collegian does not produce or edit the Campus Crime Watch except for content and brevity.

Monday, October 29 and Tuesday, October 30 Dietler Commons (formerly “the U”) Clothesline Project The Clothesline Project is a walk-by art exhibit designed to support survivors through encouraging and supportive messages written on T-shirts hung in front of McFarlin Library on Dietler Commons.

Nate Gibbons Distribution Manager

China and Japan form unlikely partnership Last Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang met in Beijing to discuss deeper economic and political cooperation. The meeting also acknowledged China’s overtaking of Japan’s economy and an end to China’s receival of Japanese foreign aid, usually reserved for poorer countries. The trip is the first official Beijing visit by a Japanese leader since 2011.

As President Trump has grown more volatile, Japan and China have shed much of the tension that existed between them. After a ceremonial welcome, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in a statement, “From competition to cooperation, the Japan-China relationship is shifting to a new phase now.” More than 1,000 businesspeople joined the meeting to discuss joint infrastructure projects throughout the region.

Premier Li Keqiang stated relations were back to “their normal trajectory,” and that he hoped “for even more progress,” referring to China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative. Japan has refused to sign onto the initiative, but a spokesman said Abe is willing to consider such negotiations should China commit to international standards of transparency, environmental protection and economic viability.

Far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro likely to win in Brazil Polls show far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro is likely to win Brazil’s presidential election this Sunday. Bolsonaro has promised to be tough on crime, a high priority for Brazilian voters. There were a record 63,880 murders in Brazil last year. Bolsonaro vows to liberalize gun laws, reduce the age of criminal responsibility and give more shooting discretion to police officers.

The opposing Workers’ Party has seen a fall from grace in recent years, with one president serving a 12-year sentence for corruption and another impeached for illegal manipulation of the government budget. Brazilian stocks have risen along with Bolsonaro’s popularity, as investors see the candidate as more stable than his left-wing rival Fernando Haddad.

Critics view Bolsonaro’s rise as a return to Brazil’s past, when it was governed under a dictatorship. Bolsonaro has attacked women, Black and LGBTQ people, but he’s also successfully positioned himself as a wrecking ball against the current establishment.

Putin and Trump hint at nuclear arms race Last Wednesday, Putin spoke in Moscow of a “possible counter strike” should the United States withdraw from a nuclear treaty and place new intermediate-range missiles in Europe. After complaining that China had not signed and that Russia was cheating on the deal, President Trump signaled some intention of backing out of the 1987 agreement banning short- and intermediate-range land-launched missiles.

After the president claimed American officials would look into producing weapons currently prohibited by the treaty, Putin warned of a potential arms race. Any European nation that would accept America’s weapons “will have to understand that they put their own territory under the threat of a possible counter strike,” Putin said.

United States national security adviser John Bolton, speaking in Moscow last Tuesday, asserted that Russia had already broken the treaty by developing missiles capable of striking European targets. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg tried to ease tensions and said that European allies would be unlikely to respond aggressively to Russia’s missile development.

“We don’t want a new Cold War,” he said last Wednesday.

Tuesday, October 30 at 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Chapman Hall, Lecture hall Open Forum with Video Game Composer Garry Schyman Video game composer Garry Schyman, J. Donald Feagin Visiting Artist at the University of Tulsa, will present a talk and Q&A on his music for video games on Tuesday, October 30, 5:00-6:15 p.m., in the Chapman Hall Lecture Hall on the University of Tulsa campus. This event is free and open to the public and to the TU community.

Composer Garry Schyman’s award-winning music can be heard in nearly every audio-visual media, including feature films, prime-time television, and video games. His haunting orchestral scores for the globally acclaimed video games BioShock, BioShock 2, and BioShock Infinite have earned him multiple awards, including top honors for Best Original Score from the British Academy of Film & Television (BAFTA) and the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Recent credits include Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Middle-earth: Shadow of War, and Torn.

Learn more about Garry Schyman’s work at http://garryschyman.com/.

Tuesday, October 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Lorton Performance Center, Meinig Recital Hall Junior Recital by Marjorie Sheaff, mezzo-soprano The University of Tulsa School of Music invites you to attend a Junior Recital presented by mezzo-soprano Marjorie Sheaff, with faculty pianist, Brady McElligott. The recital will include works by Purcell, Brahms, Poulenc, Bizet and Verdi among others.

Wednesday, October 31 at 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Student Union Live Archaeology Demonstration Students enrolled in the fall course “The Archaeology and History of the African Diaspora” under Prof. Alicia Odewale will be conducting a live mock archaeological excavation on campus as a special public presentation to satisfy course requirements and to celebrate October as Archaeology Month. The live demonstration will be held on the covered patio in front of the TU Student Union.

All students, faculty and staff and any interested community members are welcome to stop by and check out some archaeology students at work. This unique event offers the students a rare opportunity to get hands on training in archaeology and engage with the public at the same time.

This event is also being sponsored by the Department of Anthropology so there will be information available for students who are interested in majoring in anthropology or pursuing a career in this field.

Thursday, November 1 at 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Alexandre Hogue Gallery Live Archaeology Demonstration “Elements,” an exhibition of paintings by Ying Li, captures nature and the contemporary urban landscape in both toughness and vulnerability, transmitting all of the energy to the canvas. Color is the core of her painting. She uses it to convey mood and memory and to express particular feelings and a sense of place and time.

Li studied painting at Anhui Teachers University in China where she also taught. She received an MFA from Parsons School of Design. Li is currently the Phyllisa Koshland Professor of Fine Arts and chair of the Department of Fine Arts at Haverford College in Pennsylvania.

Exhibition Dates: November 1 – December 13 Artist Lecture (Jerri Jones Lecture Hall, Phillips Hall 211): November 1, 5-6 p.m.

Reception: November 1, 6-7 p.m.

The Collegian does not produce all event descriptions in the Community Calendar.

Contact us at news@tucollegian.org with events.

The Collegian: 8

Commentary

29 October 2018

Firearms have no place in a public park

Firearms being allowed inside the Gathering Place is more about displaying power than increasing public safety.

Emma Palmer Variety Editor Common sense was thrown out the window this week when the Tulsa Police Department shuffled their position on open carry laws at The Gathering Place. In the past, TPD upheld the no-guns policy at the park, but they have since released a statement that they would no longer continue to remove individuals with firearms from the premises, since the legality of doing so had been deemed murky.

The question of whether The Gathering Place is a public or private entity has entrenched the park in controversy. The Gathering Place itself has a strict set of rules, including no guns, dogs or bicycles on the premises. If the park were a purely private entity, then TPD would be in their rights to arrest or remove any individual who carried a gun there. However, if the park were a public piece of land, then gun holders could sue police officers for false arrest.

The decision comes after several cases of people being escorted from the park due to their open carry. In two of the three initial incidents, the detainees were connected to the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association, or OK2A. Following these incidents, a Second Amendment rally was held by OK2A in the park. The group did not open carry at the demonstration, claiming that

they wanted to have a peaceful protest and that the presence of guns would distract from their message. Their message in which they argued for the presence of guns.

Nathan Dahm, Broken Arrow’s state senator in Oklahoma’s legislature, made an appearance at the pro-gun rally held after multiple people with firearms had been escorted off the premises during the opening of The Gathering Place. He said, “We’ve seen mass shootings take place in gun-free zones. By banning guns, all you would do is stop law-abiding citizens from having firearms in that public space.” This isn’t really true though. Besides the fact that 80 percent of guns are obtained legally during mass shootings, research has shown that owning a gun doesn’t really make you safer. In fact, it does exactly the opposite. Along with a higher risk of suicides in the household, owning a gun can lead people to making riskier, perhaps fatal decisions.

In all of this arguing over the legality of open carry in privately-owned spaces, I have to bring it back to the fact that this whole controversy circles around whether guns should be allowed at a park. A park that is meant primarily for children. I understand the desire to protect your children, but is that what this is really all about? Protecting people? Or rather, is it what I’m inclined to believe most Second Amendment fanatics really care about: power and the display of it.

Is it really so difficult to understand that the rules ask for you to consider others? A majority of the incidents within the park have involved people associated with OK2A, and that fact alone is highly troubling. Most of these incidents occurred because these people are wanting to push buttons. It would not be all that difficult to leave the gun at home with your dog when you go to the park. The rally held in which OK2A decided to not open carry proved this. OK2A’s cause is less about safety and more about fighting anyone who says they can’t take a gun where they want to take a gun.

It’s understandable that the Tulsa Police Department would want to protect their own, but the name of the game is protecting

courtesy Flickr A Second Amendment rally outside the Minnesota capitol this year in which protesters openly carried firearms.

the residents of the town. In this case, TPD made a bad call, choosing to protect their officers and gun-carriers over the general public.

The Gathering Place is a tremendous gift to the city of Tulsa. I only wish we could be

better stewards of it.The best we can hope for is that, with their point made, opencarrying men and women will leave well enough alone, and the whole thing will blow over.

Answering frequently asked questions about disability

Before bombarding a visibly disabled person with questions, consider how your interaction looks from their perspective.

Madison Connell Satire Editor As a person with a visible disability, I get quite a few questions about this part of my life. They come from friends, teachers, classmates and even complete strangers asking about my health issues and how they affects my life. Overall, I’m pretty open to answering questions; people can’t understand what it is you and others like you go through unless you are willing to help them.

However, these are all my thoughts and opinions on disability, and other people with disabilities might differ.

Here are some of the most common questions I get, and some that I wish I would (or wouldn’t) get.

What’s your disability?

Good question: I don’t know. I’ve been seeing doctors, but they don’t have a diagnosis yet. Some of my symptoms include chronic pain, passing out, extreme weakness, fatigue, memory issues and trouble walking or lifting things. I use a powered chair 95 percent of the time.

Were you in an accident or have you had it since birth?

Neither. Around four years ago, I gradually started getting sicker and sicker, until I got to the point last year where I needed a wheelchair. It’s common for people to develop health issues around college-age or later in life. People can come across a disability through many different ways aside from being in an accident or being born with it, so this isn’t always the greatest question to ask.

What counts as a disability?

It depends: there are two models of disability. The medical model depends directly on how healthy you are and the social model depends on how society limits people with health issues. Some common examples of

disability are needing a wheelchair or other accessibility device, intellectual disability, mental illness, vision impairment or hard of hearing.

The real factor, though, is rather if people want to count themselves as being disabled.

For example, one person with depression might not consider their own struggles as severe enough to constitute a disability, while another person with depression might consider their day-to-day life impaired enough to classify themselves as disabled.

What are some of the worst parts about being in a wheelchair?

It’s exhausting to be in a wheelchair.

Many places are inaccessible, even if the law requires them to be. Even on our campus, we have entire buildings that are not accessible, such as Phillips and Harwell. People also stare at me daily, seemingly trying to find something visibly wrong with me. I don’t have the time or energy to confront each of these incidents. There are too many inaccessible things in public for me to pick a fight with every one of them.

What are some of the best parts?

My wheelchair lets me actually live my life. Without my wheelchair, I would not be able to attend my classes or go to social events. As much as this campus and this world are inaccessible, there are so many places I can get to where I can enjoy my life because of my chair. It’s one of the most valuable things I own; it grants me freedom.

Why do I see so few disabled people in public?

There are two main reasons that I see.

One, it is expensive to get accessible equipment. The cheapest powered scooter or wheelchair that I could find when I was shopping was $900. Getting a car that has a lift to get a heavy wheelchair in it for you is a whole other story. Some people can’t afford this, or are too sick to have the energy to make many public outings. Even having the extra money to go out and do fun things can be a lot when someone has medical bills to account for.

The second reason is that a lot of disabilities are invisible. There are a magnitude of disabilities that you can’t see with the naked eye, including illnesses that cause extreme fatigue, visual impairment, autoimmune disorders or chronic pain, to name a few.

There are people with disabilities all around you; you never know what someone is going through just by looking at them.

Is it okay to ask someone what is wrong with them?

This is a touchy subject for many people.

If you are close friends with someone, it is understandable to ask them about all aspects of their life. However, if you are a random stranger that has spoken all of ten words to someone up to this point, many people do not want to be asked this. It gets tiring to defend your reason for having a visible sign of disability to strangers every time you are in public. I am a pretty open person, but even I get tired having to explain myself every time I want to make a short grocery run.

I saw you walk a few steps! That means you’re all better, right?

This question goes back to the invisible disability thing. One day, I might feel good enough to hand in a test across a room, but I might still be in a lot of pain or extremely tired. Another thing that people don’t realize is that people can have good or bad days, weeks or even months. I might be feeling good one day, but if I keep pushing myself to walk more and more I will only go back into a bad spell.

Are all wheelchair users’ legs paralyzed?

Nope! Like I said earlier, most days I can walk a short distance at a time. In fact, it’s not uncommon for people to be ambulatory wheelchair users, which is only needing a wheelchair part-time for any reason. This is not everybody, but it is good to be aware that it exists, so that if you see someone stretch their legs, you don’t think they are faking it.

Why haven’t you tried going to someone like Dr. House?

I have, actually. A few months ago, I tried to get into Mayo Clinic, which is considered one of the best hospitals in the nation. They rejected me because they have so many inquiring patients that they can’t keep up with the demand.

What are some things I can do to help?

The best thing to do is to ask! If you see someone at Walmart trying to reach something on the top shelf, or you see someone struggling to get their wheelchair into their car, feel free to ask if you can help. If they say no, accept that answer. People with disabilities are often independent people that have been living with their health issues for a substantial amount of time and know what works for them; perhaps if you helped them with that thing, it would do more harm than good. But don’t be afraid to ask!

A few things are pretty universally safe to help out with for those with disabilities.

It is always helpful to hold open a door, as a lot of handicap buttons have a tendency to not work. It is kind to hold open a door for anyone, so it isn’t a stretch to hold it open

for an extra few seconds for someone with a disability. Also, if you see anyone being discriminated against, whether by another person or by an inaccessible building, speak up! It can be exhausting and time consuming for a person with a disability to do it all the time. Allies can be some of the greatest catalysts for change.

What are some things that are not helpful?

Again, always ask before you try to help someone with a disability. One time, I was sitting in my wheelchair trying to put my jacket on. I was struggling to find the hole to put my arm through, but it is a task that theoretically I should have no problem doing as I have done it many times before.

However, a woman thought I needed help so she came up behind me and started shoving my arm into the hole. I had never met this woman before and it hurt to try to push my arm a way it doesn’t go. I also felt shock, like I didn’t have any bodily autonomy because of this random stranger. If she had asked, I would have easily been able to turn her down and she would have gone on her way. Most people don’t like to be touched without their permission.

There are also stories about people trying to push powered wheelchairs or scooters without someone’s permission. This often isn’t necessary, and can actually ruin some chairs as they are only supposed to be pushed when they are in the “off” or “manual” position. Of course these people have good intentions, but the best way to help someone is to ask!

What are some questions not to ask?

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What’s your sex life like? Would you ask this to someone who wasn’t disabled?

Are you sure it’s not cancer or ALS? People usually don’t appreciate you implying that they might be dying.

Is it contagious? That’s not how this works.

Have you tried drinking water?

Sleeping?? Eating food??? I hadn’t thought of that, thanks.

You don’t look disabled. You’re too young, pretty, etc. That’s not a question. People with disabilities can appear like a wide range of things and are from different backgrounds.

Want to try this new supplement I’m selling through my pyramid scheme I got roped into and now I can’t get out of? I’m good, thanks.

Commentary

29 October 2018

The Collegian: 9

Proposed anti-smoking policy harmful to workers

The policy removes protections for workers who smoke, mostly affecting those in rural areas.

Nathan Hinkle Student Writer Smoking and the use of tobacco is still a big issue in Oklahoma that affects many groups. The current rate of smoking in Oklahoma is 19.6 percent of the population. In addition, Oklahoma’s rate of high school smokers is higher than the national average by 4.9 percent.

This is a major issue that harms all Oklahomans’ health, not just the smokers. To fix this, Oklahoma has adopted new legislation and taxes.

However, a recent plan created by the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, or TSET, plans to cut the number of smokers in half by a variety of different methods. TSET is a state government entity that was founded in 2000 to control the use of tobacco in Oklahoma. It was created after a nation-wide lawsuit weakened the

role of smoking advertisements and required smoking companies to pay an annual fee to each state involved as long as they continued production. These new recent legislation ideas created by TSET include increasing the age of tobacco use from 18 to 21, prohibiting smoking in cars when children are present, raising penalties for selling to underaged users and raising the cigarette tax by $1.50, as well as many others.

The major problem with this proposed legislation is that it would remove the active provisions that make it illegal to fire someone based on their smoking habits. Anti-smoking activities are a noble goal, but eroding the rights of workers is a dangerous proposition that will not lead to anything good.

This segment of the plan would mainly affect those in poorer demographics. Since the rise of antitobacco campaigns, those higher in socio-economic status are much less likely to smoke. The major users of cigarettes are now those who live in poor, rural areas.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the national rate for smoking was around 15 percent in 2017. However, among those with a high school-level diploma, the rate is more than 40 percent. Rural residents are diagnosed with lung cancer at rates 18 to 20 percent above those of city dwellers. This data shows that the primary smoking audience is those who would be most hurt by losing their jobs.

courtesy CDC

At its current $1 tobacco tax, Oklahoma has one of the lowest rates in the country.

While one could argue that this policy would be a program of tough love that would force smokers to make the decision between their jobs and smoking, it is a

is not necessary to punish alreadyvulnerable people.

A better solution to this problem is to put necessary funds and staffing into programs that can help

These legislation ideas, set forward by TSET, are full of good plans that will hopefully lower the smoking rate across the state of Oklahoma. But their decreased

“... decreased protections on employment take too sharp a risk with the lives of poorer individuals.” dangerous gamble to make when considering who could be injured in the aftermath. By risking the livelihoods of these primarily poor smokers, you would not only be hurting them but also their families or any form of dependents. While removing the policy of smoking is extremely important to improving the overall health of Oklahoma, it

people quit smoking. State and local governments could partner with private industries or businesses in order to discourage smoking.

Instead of firing them for such an offense, we should attempt to rehabilitate such employees so they are not financially ruined, sending them into a dangerous downward spiral.

protections on employment take too sharp a risk with the lives of poorer individuals. This part of the plan should be removed, and they should come up with better alternatives that will improve the lives of those in need rather than cause problems for these individuals.

Renaming M.B. Brady street sensitive to Tulsa history

The change from Brady Street to M.B. Brady Street skirts the issue of the historic racism in Tulsa.

Piper Prolago Student Writer In 1898, Wyatt Tate Brady became a founding father of Tulsa, Oklahoma when he signed a charter to officially establish the new city. Born in Missouri in 1870, Brady moved to Oklahoma and married Rachel Cassandra Davis, who had ties to the Cherokee Nation. He later established the Brady Hotel after seeing an opportunity to capitalize on an influx of visitors that came along with Tulsa’s expanding market. During his life, Brady continued to build up the city, doing everything from sponsoring a newspaper to hiring a band that traveled cross-country promoting Tulsa. This was the history attributed to the namesake of Brady Street and Arts District until 2013.

This, however, is not indicative of everything in Wyatt Tate Brady’s past. In actuality, Brady’s contributions to Tulsa run deeper than the establishment of businesses. Rather, his extensive ties to the Ku Klux Klan and actions leading to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre contributed to the racial divides which continue to plague the city today.

Brady repeatedly demonstrated his stance as a white supremacist.

His father, H. H. Brady, fought as a Confederate soldier in the Civil War. Wyatt Brady was mentioned several times in the publication “Confederate Veteran” as a commander of the Oklahoma chapter of Sons of Confederate Veterans, which planned to institute an “active campaign throughout Oklahoma.”

In 1918, Brady helped plan the largest gathering of Confederate veterans since the Civil War. Other committee members in the planning of this 40,000-member meet-

ing were R.M. McFarlin, Eugene Lorton and Earl P. Harwell, for whom the library, performing arts center, a couple academic buildings and athletics field are named at the University of Tulsa.

Beyond his active contributions to the Confederate cause, Brady admitted to being a member of the KKK and took part in the 1921 Race Massacre. When the riots broke out on May 31, Brady participated in the riots as a volunteer night watchmen along with several other white Tulsans. The massacre ultimately left 300 Black citizens dead.

After these events, Brady was appointed to the Tulsa Real Estate Exchange. The Exchange spearheaded a movement to segregate the town, telling a local newspaper, “we further believe that the two races being divided by an industrial section will draw more distinctive lines between them and thereby eliminate the intermingling of the lower elements of the two races.”

In 2011, Tulsa activists began to call for a name change of the Brady Street and Arts District.

Two years later, a compromise was made. City Councilman James Ewing organized the movement to adjust the names of these prominent areas in town. In a seven-toone vote, the council decided to rename Brady Street to M. B. Brady street, paying homage to notable popular Civil War photojournalist Mathew Brady rather than the city’s founder.

This intention was noble, but fell short of completely addressing the issue. Although Mathew Brady makes sense in the context of the Arts District, the photographer has no ties to Tulsa and never even visited Oklahoma. Rather than actually acknowledging the history of racism in Tulsa recognized by activists, the reassignment of names is a convenient way to deflect blame.

Reconciliation Way is currently only an honorary name for M.B. Brady Street, given to it in 2013.

held to a higher standard. If Brady is not held accountable for his actions, this sets a precedent for unacceptable behavior today. The air of racism established more than one hundred years ago has been inherited over generations and prevails today.

Throughout the last few years, several examples of this contin-

England pled guilty to hate crimes committed in Tulsa. The two admitted to planning to shoot and kill five Black citizens, which led to the death of three men: William Allen, Bobby Clark and Dannaer Fields. They were killed Easter weekend in 2012. In spite of England expressing remorse about these heinous actions, his uncle

“Although Mathew Brady makes sense [for] the Arts District, the photographer has no ties to Tulsa and never even visited Oklahoma.”

Advocates against the name change frequently argued that Brady was a significant part of Tulsa’s history and that the racism he stood for is no longer relevant because the city has left that sentiment behind. Regardless of Brady’s contributions to the history of Tulsa, the city needs to be

ued legacy have surfaced. Two years ago, videos were released of a Tulsa police officer killing Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man, at close range. Just last year, an unidentified citizen posted several flyers advocating for white supremacy along Cherry Street.

In 2013, Alvin Watts and Jake

testified that he had called the victims several racial slurs the day after having killed them. Watts and England will serve triple life sentences for first degree murder and hate crimes.

With this history in mind, a more recent movement toward a second name change is much

photo by Piper Prolago

more fitting. Ewing, the councilman who helped with the original name change, hopes to redress this “mediocre compromise” in a Nov. 7 council meeting. In spite of the $100,000 initiative to originally adjust the current M. B. Brady Street, Ewing hopes to fully embrace “Reconciliation Way,” which was an honorary name given to the street back in 2013.

The debate regarding this name change is not only a necessary step in moving towards a more welcoming environment but also in acknowledging mistakes in the past. While some argue that changing the street name is an attempt to revise history and ignore the past, these movements do not aim to erase anything, but rather to promote a more amicable present and future.

The Collegian: 10

Commentary

29 October 2018

Socially-conscious Halloween costumes not always clear-cut

The Halloween season continues to blur lines of which costumes are culturally appropriate.

Will Gibson Student Writer Every year toward the end of October, the discussion of cultural appropriation makes its return. Halloween presents a great opportunity to dress up and go out, but all too often, the invitation of a costume can become problematic. It seems now as though it is easier to figure out what not to be for Halloween, with the public’s attention turned toward intersectional and all-encompassing political correctness. Cultural appropriation is not even the only problem; misogyny, ageism, classism and ableism all rear their ugly heads during Halloween.

It’s easy to be conscious enough not to buy a “sexy Indian maiden” or “men’s poncho costume,” but sometimes, the lines are blurred. One solution to avoiding wearing a problematic costume is to dress as a wellknown character. However, some well-

known characters could also become issues.

For example, today, a Hannibal Lecter costume could be considered ableist because of the straitjacket.

The issue is even more ambiguous among kids’ costumes. What if a young white Disney Princess fan wanted to dress as Pocahontas, Mulan or Moana? Disney does sell costumes for each of the aforementioned princesses. They even sold a “Maui” costume when Moana came out, but pulled it after a week when met with a negative response. According to many online, the Maui costume not only made Brownface OK, but it also included full Polynesian-style tattoos on the sleeves and legs of the costume. The namesake of the movie, however, still has her costume on store shelves, and this week, Auli’i Cravalho, the Hawaiian actress who lent her voice to Moana in the film, publicly said it is OK for people to dress as her character.

Since Moana was released in 2016, many have said it is inappropriate for non-Polynesians to dress as characters of the film because of cultural appropriation. Cravalho, though, disagrees, saying, “I think it’s absolutely appropriate … It’s done in the spirit of love and for Disney and for the little ones who just want to dress up as their favorite heroine. I’m all for it.”

I agree with Cravalho. Young children who want to dress as Moana have good intentions and are not appropriating a culture so much as taking an opportunity to dress as a favorite character. Nonetheless, other culturally-appropriating costumes are still ex-

tremely inappropriate, especially for adults and specifically when they do not represent a certain character. I would say the Moana issue exists with Black Panther as well. Recently, I saw a young white boy in a Black Panther costume, and I wondered to myself if it was OK. Black Panther is a positive role model, and in all cases, a hero, so if a young

white boy wants to dress as him, I think it is fine.

The lines still feel blurred by making exceptions for kids, and I anticipate that the conversation regarding socially-conscious costumes will persist for years. Gone are the days of cutting eye holes in a bedsheet.

courtesy Huffington Post Disney pulled their original Maui-themed Halloween costume followng public controversy.

Extensive coverage of shooters’ lives encourages copycats

News outlets are much more likely to run coverage of shooters than victims, allowing online groups to hero-worship terrorists.

Nate Gibbons Distribution Manager Earlier this month, a shooting at a technical college in the Eastern-European peninsula of Crimea left at least 20 dead and dozens wounded. Russia and Ukraine were thrust into political debates no less heated than America’s. One aspect confirmed the worst fears of many: the shooter, only 18 years old, wore an outfit closely resembling those worn by the Columbine killers.

But why do I know this detail? Why do I know his name and what his classmates thought of him? Why do I need to know what he thought of the school, how he entered the building and how the attack took place?

School shootings horrify the world. As with most tragedies, people rightfully want to know more, thanks to a combination of sympathy and a desire for potentially important information. Facts like the shooter’s motivation and what weapons were used, important for political debate, should be readily available.

Unfortunately, many sites, intentionally or otherwise, give undue attention to the shooters themselves. Studying three different school shootings from 2007, 2012 and 2015, Professor Nicole Smith Dahmen concluded that photos of attackers outnumber

to some combination of sympathy, curiosity and mindless scrolling, finds themselves taking in much more information of the shooting than should be necessary.

There is also the harmful viewer, one who enjoys seeing this type of content. The internet has an unlimited number of communities, but many of them seem to revel in watching gruesome footage that would would shock any normal person. Desensitization soon leads to glorification.

After the Aurora theater shooting, I scrolled by a highly rated post that praised the shooter and likened him to “The Dark

“... many sites, intentionally or otherwise, give undue attention to the shooters themselves.” photos of each deceased victim by a ratio of 16 to one. Some sites obviously capitalize more on shooter coverage than others. The BBC reported the Crimea shooter’s name, a few photos of him and some student interviews; The Sun, treating the tragedy like an exploitation film, wrote of his travels through the halls and posted as many security pictures of him as they could find. The article even showed one of him aiming at a fleeing student.

The blame for such coverage falls on the media who provide it as well as those that view it, whether they be a harmless or harmful viewer. The harmless viewers, thanks

Knight’s” Joker. How pathetic. And how terrifying that so many people, in the privacy the web provides, would celebrate such a tragedy. The Crimea killer himself belonged to an online group that praised the Columbine attackers. Such groups even market clothes that resemble those worn by the original attackers.

One can see the horrible logic behind copycat school shootings. An angry, mentally disturbed individual dying for a way to make themselves known sees how the news covers attackers. The media shamelessly displays the attacker’s manifesto and pictures. The individual finds groups online

praising the attacker and finally becomes inspired to commit a similar act.

Combatting school shootings will require a lot of work, but news coverage can improve through two steps. First, the news must decrease its coverage of the shooters.

Second, reporters should focus much more energy on the victims. The more journalists take it upon themselves to get inside the heads of killers, the more they risk desensitizing their audiences through constant shock. Instead, they should try to humanize the victims involved as much as possible.

How do the families of the deceased feel?

How are survivors moving on after the attack? What were the deceased victims like?

Obviously, moderation is needed. A victim of an attack, survivor or deceased, should not be thrust into the spotlight with every aspect of their life laid bare. But as more victims are covered by the news, more of that information will circulate. Darker corners of the web will find their resources drying up.

News coverage has already improved in the wake of criticism. Many sites now try to broadcast the killer’s name as little as possible, and more articles try to list victims’ names, pictures and facts about them. A complete transition, nonetheless, of how we cover shootings is necessary if we want to reduce the risk of copycat shooters.

Journalist’s murder should end US-Saudi relationship

Killing the Saudi journalist is the most heinous act of Mohammed bin Salman’s career as crown prince of Saudi Arabia.

Chris Lierly Student Writer The relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia has always been one rooted in mutual gain rather than shared values. The Saudis have long benefited from arms agreements with the United States, and the United States has enjoyed buying oil from Saudi Arabia and its fellow Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) members. This alliance has resulted in the United States aligning itself with an absolute monarchy that regularly commits human rights violations and refuses to recognize Israel’s sovereignty.

The one area that the two powers have found common ground on is a mutual distaste for Iran and some terrorist organizations, but even then, that consensus exists for the geopolitical advantage of both nations. For many years, keeping the powers

that be in Riyadh happy was an important task for U.S. Presidents.

However, the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, itself a terrifying abuse of power, should act as a wakeup call that pushes the American foreign policy community to distance itself from the House of Saud before the alliance costs us more than our morality.

In June of 2017, Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) came to power as the crown prince and deputy Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia.

He was seen by many in the West, including myself, as a reformer, a leader who, while understanding Saudi Arabia’s long history, would not be afraid to fight the corrupt and oppressive regime.

Within the first few months he proved those wishful thoughts right to a degree. He allowed theaters to play American movies, allowed women to be issued driver’s licenses and briefly turned the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh into a detention center when he detained and interrogated almost 500 government officials and members of the ruling family in the name of rooting out corruption.

What did not make the front page of many major Western publications was how MbS, while reforming the country in some areas, cracked down on civil liberties and open society in others. Not long after MbS’s ascension to power, a columnist for the Washington Post wrote that “in recent months, Saudi Arabia has instituted several new and extreme policies” and ended the column with the claim that “we Saudis deserve better.”

That columnist was Jamal Khashoggi. It has now been two weeks since he was last

seen entering the Saudi embassy in Istanbul where he was killed, likely on the orders of a man who saw him as a threatening, subversive dissident.

The murder of Khashoggi is the worst in a series of heinous crimes that define Saudi Arabia’s recent foreign policy. Their official account of events, which has changed several times, now affirms Khashoggi’s death and condemns the nature of it but claims that it was an interrogation gone wrong and

With a blatant disregard for international law, false promises of reform and a Machiavellian grasp of Middle Eastern politics, Mohammed bin Salman has learned the lessons of autocrats like Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Saddam Hussein, respectively.

Like many of his fellow autocrats, MbS recognizes his country’s biggest obstacle, which is their dependence on oil exports as the primary source of revenue.

Recognizing that obstacle is likely the rea-

“This alliance has resulted in the United States aligning itself with an absolute monarchy...” was not premeditated. Thankfully, reporting by both Turkish intelligence and papers like the New York Times and Washington Post have kept the facts straight for those of us who still buy into those pesky things. The reporting found that nine out of the 15 suspects seen entering the embassy on the day Khashoggi was murdered had connections to Saudi security forces; one even served on MbS’s personal detail. However, all of this fits into a trend.

Within the last few years, Saudi Arabia has not only killed a permanent resident of the United States, but they have also kidnapped the Lebanese Prime Minister and starved almost eight million people with their proxy war in Yemen. Both these and the killing of Khashoggi presented the United States with chances to walk away from the partnership, but maybe looking toward the future will finally do the trick.

son that, before his consolidation of power, MbS looked like he would break the mold of reactionary Saudi rulers, but those times are long past. Even with his well-crafted image and cunning power grabs, MbS will eventually lose control of his kingdom because autocratic control almost always leads to unstable rule. When the chaos starts, and the young ruler’s tight grip begins to whither, the United States should be as far from that peninsula as we can.

America has hurt its image and the ability to look itself in the mirror over its cozy relationship with Saudi Arabia for the sake of its bottom line. However, now that Saudi Arabia looks more and more isolated in the international stage and MbS is making the transition from trendsetter to pariah, that too might be on the line if the US refuses to break ties with one of its worst allies.

29 October 2018

Variety

The Collegian: 11

Pride at TU hosts HallowQueens drag show

The event proved a success, with high attendance and a costume contest.

Piper Prolago Student Writer

The University of Tulsa’s Pride club teamed up with the Student Association to host a drag race in honor of Halloween last Thursday, Oct. 25. Starting at 8 p.m., students flocked to the activities center to watch HallowQueens. The first visitors received orange blankets with pride flags.

This event began with a dance party and snacks, as the audience waited for the queens to arrive. Students danced to songs including “Born this Way” and the “Cupid Shuffle” and enjoyed a wide variety of treats. Before the show, guests wearing costumes participated in a contest for a $50 Amazon gift card. Bali Ong, who came dressed as Kermit the Frog sipping a mug of tea, beat out other competitors like Mike Pence, Nestor from The Iliad, and Fred from Scooby-Doo. After the costume contest, Gizele Monae kicked off the performances by singing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. This was followed with dancing by Oklahoma’s Mr. Bold and Beautiful winner Valentino LeBlanc, Nala Jade, and Corrine DeVille to songs like “Side to Side” by Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj and “Disco Stick” by Lady Gaga.

Following a short intermission including a meet and greet with Corrine, the queens all performed a second set with Corrine emceeing as well as performing. TU students even joined the show. Axel, Ken Kong and Diane Isis each took to the stage with their own performances.

photos by Piper Prolago

Oktoberfest proves a wild, tumultuous experience The beloved festival returned in full force this year, welcoming both the initiated and the new.

Thomas von Borstel Student Writer Too much. Toooooo much. 300 beers, not enough money. Aftermath is sickness. The antebellum is sickness. Everyone lost something: I lost my innocence. Bavaria is either a twisted place or it’s being ill-represented.

Go to Oktoberfest.

The whole thing is billed as a sterile festival of German culture, sponsored by a German industrial company. Arts and crafts, strudel and sausage are your family friendly mid-day activities, but beware the sundown.

Hordes of miscreants wander with plastic jugs of sopping foam through knee-deep mud-swamps lining the boardwalk highways built at the proportions of Lewis Avenue.

There are tents everywhere; I am stumbling in the rear-guard of a crowd of strangers, and there is no way you can tell any of the sounds apart. I can’t tell where anything ends and begins, but banging, blamping, beeping and godforsaken polka. It’s heaven.

barking and foaming or unconscious. I wander into a tent to find some lonesome lederhosen-laden devils bashing at their accordions. We whirl and cheer, whooping up into the Weltschmerz night. There’s an unmistakable ecstasy about this swirling Deutsch endeavor.

I would like to insert here my one criticism of the ordeal: very poor signage. I’ve never been so happy to be lost in my entire life, but I couldn’t tell up from down.

I wasn’t keen to consult a map, not that I could have anyways. Thank the gods that this whole ordeal is a matter of fortune and fate because I could have been a hermit since birth, but I think everyone I ran into or over was my best friend, except a couple of unfortunate incidents with a roommate’s ex screaming hell at me.

The disorienting haul was necessary though. Sloshing around, strudel in hand, necessitated a sort of deadly competence, which the success of the evening was entirely dependent upon. I’m strolling, thinking about all of the implications and about run over some poor lady who’s torrenting fuming German lager. All niceties are exchanged, of course, but before my eyes is one word that changes the whole direction

“Bavaria is either a twisted place or it’s being ill-represented. Go to Oktoberfest.”

The website lists some dozen or so featured Bavarian bands who’ll whoop and holler at you for two hours, whether you’re

of the night: Biergarten. The mother of all tents. The very pith of it. The zeitgeist.

courtesy Tulsa World

The world quiets at 3 a.m., spread out flat in the mud on an overbank somewhere between Riverside and Boston. I wouldn’t know; I was tucked safely away in the comfort of home. Reflecting on it, you could probably focus on the immense subjective negatives of the whole occasion (typical fair: screeching, crying, lost items and ge-

neric drunkenness), or you could check your Snapchat memories and try to remember the frenetic neon lights, bodies twitching, sloshing, shouting and the immensity of the joy everyone partakes in. I am a newly-ordained, yearly patron of Oktoberfest.

The Collegian: 12

Variety

29 October 2018

Tulsa Ballet’s Dracula a delightful fright The production of Dracula deviates from the classic story, with eerie effects and a banger of an ending.

Lizzy Young Student Writer

Vampire brides, creepy crypts and dancers that fly through the air are just a few of the spectacles included in Tulsa Ballet’s exciting performance of “Dracula.” Returning for the first time in six years, this thrilling fan-favorite ballet didn’t disappoint. With all the theatrical components of the performance, it was more like watching a suspenseful movie than a ballet.

The story of the vampire Dracula was told through three acts, and the tension ratcheted up in each. When the curtains opened on Act I, “The Crypt of Dracula’s Castle,” Dracula’s coffin sat in the middle of the stage. As the first strains of music floated across the stage, the coffin slowly began to move backward. A black mesh screen dropped in front of the stage, and the fog machines shrouded the cave in an air of mysticism. A collective gasp ran through the audience when Dracula suddenly appeared. In a stone doorway

screen dropped to reveal the whole stage, there were cavernous, crumbling stone walls, as well as several candelabras with flickering candles dotting the set to provide a mysterious air.

Dracula’s brides slowly and methodically entered the stage like zombies. Dressed in all white, flowy effervescent dresses, they looked like ghost zombies. To complete their spectral look, they wore curly white wigs and had pale white faces with bright red lips and blue makeup around their eyes to make them look sunken.

The brides floated around the stage directed by their tyrannical husband Dracula. They moved with beautiful twirls and jumps, and a few brides even flew through the air. Dracula appeared in their midst, flying down from the ceiling. It was extremely bat-like and added an element of danger to the performance.

The mystical dancing scene was interrupted by a huge black zombie carriage with tattered gray hangings driven maniacally by Dracula’s henchman Renfield. Inside was a beautiful young girl named Flora, brought to satisfy the vampires’ bloodlust. Desperately, she tried to escape her fate, running

“[Dracula] opened his cloak-like wings to reveal a vivid, brilliant red.” in the back, he stood enveloped in a black cloak, looking every bit a classic villain.

Before the audience could get used to Dracula’s appearance, he opened his cloak-like wings to reveal a vivid, brilliant red. He flapped to the front, and when he turned around, the exquisite back sparkled with burgundy, gold and black. His wings were so realistic, it was easy to imagine he was the vampire of legend ready to feed on beautiful young maidens and make them his wives.

The backdrop and setting were excellent for this creepy crypt. When the black mesh

and twirling around the stage, but eventually, she was stopped. She and Dracula then moved into a haunting dance number that ended with Dracula subduing her and feeding on her. The act concluded with the vampire brides having a feeding frenzy over her lifeless body.

Act II, titled “The Village,” had a completely different tone. The strains of music coming across the stage were lighter than the heavy piano music of the first act and set the atmosphere for the new one. The sets were completely different but no less massive and impressive. In contrast to Dracula’s

Arman Zazyan as Dracula.

cavernous crypt, there were lots of little cottages, overhanging tree branches and mountains in the background.

This act centered around the 18th birthday party of Svetlana, a famed beauty. There was a traditional village couple’s dance, as well as a ribbon dance with the girls and staff-throwing ritual for the men.

At the birthday party, Frederick asked for Svetlana’s hand in marriage, and it was granted. They had a beautiful dance together, and everything seemed to be working out to be happily ever after — until Flora staggered into the scene.

Concerned, everyone rushed to her aid and the stage lights darkened. There were flashes of light and thunder, and Dracula entered dramatically from the sky. After a short battle, Dracula carried Svetlana off in his carriage.

The final act of the show, “The Bedroom of Count Dracula,” is the showdown I am anxiously awaiting. Dracula arrived at his bedchamber with Svetlana to transform her into his latest wife and have her all to himself. She put up a strong resistance, but Dracula was too strong. He was about to bite her and complete the transformation when Frederick and other villagers arrived to save her.

courtesy Tulsa Ballet

A fierce battle ensued, with the villagers trying to use a priest’s cross to stop the vampire. After a long battle where the dancers danced in couples and Svetlana was pulled between Dracula and Frederick, the villagers pulled back the curtains to reveal the sun.

Dracula flew up to his chandelier, but he couldn’t get away from the sunlight. In a shower of white light and sparks, he turned to dust.

What was so impressive about this ballet is that the dancers weren’t just gracefully moving across the stage, but they were using props like ribbons and staffs, as well as gracefully flying through the air. “Dracula,” also had excellent pacing, and there was a good buildup of suspense. I was never bored because the scenery was always changing.

This ballet was masterfully done. It had the right elements of beauty and suspense to be fun and perfect for Halloween time. If you didn’t get a chance to see it, the dancers will return to the stage soon for their next ballet, performing the classic “Nutcracker” Dec. 8–23. Put it on your calendar; it is sure to be one of the highlights of the Christmas season!

courtesy Tulsa Ballet

National Novel Writing Month a fun challenge

Thousands of writers, both amateurs and professionals, commit to writing a novel each November.

Heber Hurd Student Writer

It’s 12 a.m. on the first of November.

You’ve been thinking ahead and outlining for months. Or maybe you’re a seat-ofyour-pants (pantser) writer with absolutely no plan whatsoever. Better yet, you’re the social wrimo who loves the write-ins for the coffee and social aspect. Either way, the time is here. Let the annual ritual begin!

The fun kicks off every November 1 at midnight and goes until 11:59 p.m. on November 30. The challenge is to write 50,000 words during the month of November. It is designed for anyone who has ever considered writing a novel and offers an exciting, fun and supportive atmosphere to aid participants on their journey toward success.

Many a published author have participated

To get started, you’ll need to access the website at www.nanowrimo.org and create a free user account. Part of setting up your online account is being assigned to a region.

You are allowed to participate in any region you choose. Once your account is set up, you will begin receiving regional notifications as they become available. Most important, you can begin to create your novel.

There are sections for choosing your genre, adding a synopsis and an excerpt and even uploading a novel cover! There are links on your dashboard to your inbox, writing buddies, novels, stats and goals, as well as forums and event links for workshops and other helpful support information.

One of the largest parts of NaNo is the social aspect. Each region does things differently. However, active regions will hold local and online writing events. NaNoWriMo also hosts an event called the Night of Writing Dangerously open to writers from all regions. It is a fun gathering in San Francisco that features a seven-hour themed write-in

“No previous experience is necessary, and there is no age limit; all you need is interest.” in National Novel Writing Month and have found publishing success due to their participation. Regardless, it’s a great way to get what you have to say out onto the page even if you have no interest in being published.

National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is a chance for anyone who has ever had the idea to write a novel to write it. Writers from all walks of life get together to prove to themselves that they’ve got what it takes to be a novelist. No previous experience is necessary, and there is no age limit; all you need is interest. Well, maybe that plus a computer or some other medium for writing. The basic premise is to be an enjoyable, fast-paced method of creative writing.

(costumes not required but highly recommended) and takes place midway through November. The even aids in the writing process and offers a fun atmosphere for people from all over to come together and enjoy the art of creative writing together. This year’s theme is noir, and more information can be found on NaNo’s website.

In addition to the main event each November, NaNo also offers The Young Writers Program, Camp NaNoWriMo in the summer and the Come Write In program.

Though Tulsa has its own region, how rad would it be for TU to have its own NaNo group? Feel free to flood my email (hjh8932@utulsa.edu) with questions if you are interested, and let’s get this party started!

graphic by Conner Maggio

The State-Run Media

29 October 2018

the

State-Run media Take a shot every time something breaks on campus.

Freshmen aren’t the only ones that black out on campus Three conspiracy theories on why the campus lights didn’t turn on.

Brennen Gray Part-time Clown, Full-time Space Force Cadet

Choose your fighter: the three contenders for why the campus lights stopped working.

graphic by Conner Maggio

Where have all the cats gone?

Campus cats mysteriously vanish around Collins Hall.

Sara Serrano ¯\_₍⸍⸌̣ʷ̫ ⸍̣​̣ ⸌₎_/¯ We might be nearing the end of spooky season, but don’t get too relaxed. Halloween is just around the corner, waiting to jumpscare the Snickers out of you.

Unfortunately, tricks, treats and spoopy shenanigans aren’t the only things escalating in the runup to Halloween. According to Campus Security reports, there has also been a recent uptick in cat disappearances on campus grounds.

“We keep a general headcount of the number of cats that live on campus for population control purposes,” said Campus Security officer Nancy Eaton. “And it isn’t uncommon for that number to fluctuate a little, but we’ve never seen their numbers tank like this before.”

Sadly, Officer Eaton suspects that people have been abducting cats to torture and abuse them, as often happens to felines, especially black cats, around Halloween.

“Some people are superstitious or just really hate cats and they use Halloween as an excuse for cruelty.” Officer Eaton explained, “It’s horrible and we wish it wouldn’t happen, but there just isn’t much we can do to protect these strays.”

While the official explanation might account for some of the disappearances, can it really justify all of them? Just in the past week, over 37 cats have disappeared. Does campo really expect us to believe that we have that many animal abusers on campus?

I don’t buy it; the numbers just don’t add up and I’m not the only one whose eyebrows are raised.

“It’s all a cover up, a sham to protect the university’s reputation!” said applied mathematics major Connie Spires. “When I first heard about this, something just felt off.

So I turned to the stats and I mapped each missing cat incident by approximate geolocation. The results were shocking; a huge cluster of disappearances, all concentrated around Collins, even though hardly any cats live there. But you know who does live in Collins? Our beloved canine ambassador: Goldie.”

Spires is confident that this correlation is no coincidence.

“Everyone knows that Goldie is jealous of the campus cats. Sure, people pet her all the time, but there’s only one of her — allegedly — and about a hundred kitties for students to squeal over. Goldie wants all the attention for herself and she’s resorted to commiting serial murder to get it.” Spries theorizes, “Obviously, The University of Tulsa doesn’t want the news that they have a revenge-seeking, mass-murdering doggy on their hands, so they’re spreading this fake news about animal abusers. Absolutely disgusting, in my opinion.”

This news is groundbreaking and sure to upset every cat enthusiast and disenchant every Goldie lover on campus. With university administration on her side, there is no stopping Goldie’s rampage until she feels her work is done. Until then, bring your cats inside after dark and keep a watchful eye out for the campus strays. They need our help now more than ever.

Last week, The University of Tulsa experienced a blackout of the sidewalk lights that impacted much of campus. Here are the top theories on the cause.

Clowns, Part Two The Pennywises of the world have struck again! Remember the uprising of clowns showing their true colors in 2016 and trying to murder us all? People were afraid to go out at night. I have not been to a circus since.

Now this occured back in the Obama era, if that tells you anything about how this is supposedly ancient history. But what if those guys are trying to go for a comeback?

Think about it. It makes perfect sense.

Since the 2017 “It” movie, clown work has been on a downturn. Many lost their jobs. The killer clown population was already running low before the great clown purges of October 2016.

But some of the higher ups in the killer clown ring decided that in Fall 2018, it was time to come back strong. So they turned to guerilla warfare, which means sabotage.

Since everyone knows clowns usually operate in groups of six when they are not alone or paired, the crew would have enough for small amount of damage over a large area.

This explains the odd shape of blacked-out lights across campus.

So the only logical explanation for the campus blackout is that killer clowns sabotaged the campus electrical system. Word around the circus tent is someone was supposed to put up fliers to warn of the Clownocalypse to come, but whoever it was forgot.

The Space Force Never say that good ol’ TU never did anything for our esteemed government! We

@TUCollegian

tucollegian@tucollegian.org editor-in-chief

Justin Ghoulielmetti managing editor

Raven “Nevermore” Fawcett news editor

Ethan Creeper sports editor

Brennen Grayves variety editor

Emma Embalmer commentary editor

Emily Eerie satire editor

Madison Coffin photo & graphics editor

Conner Mage-io

business & advertising manager

Brian Caponeski

social media & web manager

Scara Serrano

distribution managers

Nate Goblins Jesicaw Santincrow Black Kat-lyn Baker copy editor

Brain’t Loney graphic by Conner Maggio Goldie ready to trade in some suspicious meat to her favorite butcher, We Promise We Don’t Sell Cats.

helped fire a Laser of Overly-Sized Emissions of Radiation, LOSER for short. The current federal administration has expressed concern that making a space military was not as much of a money-sink as they had hoped.

In addition to blaster pistols, combat space armor and space battleships, the U.S. of A. needs its very own earth-based laser cannon. Campus government pitched in to make this dream a reality.

During the blackout, the lights were draining their power for the purpose of directing it to the giant laser cannon. It took over six million watts of power. The laser fired off for only a second before burning out, so unless you were looking in the right direction at the right time, you probably missed it.

The secret underground tunnels of Tulsa house thousands of miles of wire that can drain power from the university at any time.

They usually only drain enough to destroy campus WiFi, often to do things like power the light shows for BOK concerts.

The cats are at it again The secret society of Tulsa cats are hatching a nefarious plan of feline ferocity. They used the power to make Cat Locomotive Assistant Wireless Suits. These CLAWS are mech suits made to take down Earth’s human population.

Some say that this is made possible by the recent triumph of the cats over the squirrel population. Have you noticed the squirrels acting a little odd around campus lately?

That’s because those rodents have just lost a war, and they have been through some serious hell.

Now that the cats have won control of campus, they have bigger fish to fry. They want nothing more than complete control over the milk trade of the world, which has been dominated by bipeds ever since they took it from the bovines.

This litter box isn’t big enough for students and cats alike, and we all might become their scratching posts.

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