Collegian Student newspaper of the University of Tulsa
September 25, 2017 Issue 5 ~ Volume 103
TU Student: White House Defender, p. 2
Author discusses writing, pornography, p. 11
graphic by Madeline Woods
Constituents angry at disappearing congressman, p. 7
The Collegian: 2
News
25 September 2017
TU student former member of President’s security team Megan Lowry shares her experiences working for President George W. Bush’s private security detail. Nick Rethford Web/Social Media Manager No two students here at the University of Tulsa have followed the same path to end up where they are today; every student has something different driving them to succeed everyday. That’s what makes the university such a diverse community. Some graduated at the top of their class and attend in pursuit of academics. Some have an unique way of looking at things and attend to share that perspective with the world. Some attend to do all of that and more. Still, some have served as part of President George W. Bush’s Security team — well, one student in particular — and attend to better the surrounding community. Megan Lowry is that student, and her desire to help her community has lead her to reach heights some people only dream about. Lowry was one of three applicants selected out of 600 to serve on President Bush’s Security team. Originally serving as a Marine Corps Military Police Officer, she applied to the position on a whim. “I never thought a Native American girl from nowhere Oklahoma would ever be a candidate for that job, but I thought it would
be epic if I could do it,” she said. “I chalked it up to a dream and told myself I was ridiculous for entertaining the thought.” That dream became a reality, though, after an extensive application process. After the initial 600 were selected, they were put through a screening process that reduced the number down to 150. “The selection board of Marines started making statements like ‘if you’ve ever had a ticket for anything, gotten in a fight in school or had any disciplinary actions taken against you, get up and leave...If you’ve ever had an ‘F’ grade, get up and leave...If any of your family has been to jail, get up and leave,’” Lowry said. The remaining applicants were invited back the next day for a mental assessment. Lowry was a given Myer Briggs test and attended an interview with a panel of Marines that would have sent most people running for the hills. “During the interview all five Marines (who were male) stared me down like I was worse than the scum on the bottom of their shoes, all the while firing off question after question some times at the same time, trying to get me flustered,” she said. After it was all said and done, though, Lowry and two other applicants were given news that would start a new chapter in their lives. Lowry worked on the security team during Bush’s last term in office, and her typical work day was anything but typical. “We would get up at 4 a.m., practice physical fitness and report in for formation when it was still dark out,” she said. “We
Lowry described the team’s recruitment process as rigorous.
would get briefed and start a 12 hour shift, then get off work if we were stateside and go back out for more physical training and martial arts work till it was dark. We worked anywhere from an 16 hour day to three to four days straight (no sleep).” With all the time she spent around President Bush, it’s no surprise that she got to know him well and found him to be very enjoyable. While he neither represents her political views nor her party affiliation, she does have a strong sense of respect for President Bush. “He was the kind of President that bent down and picked up my cover [hat] that had blown off and put it back on my head,” she said. “He also fixed my pant leg when his dog messed it up. He and his wife were like the grandparents you always saw in movies that were super sweet and kind hearted. He was
courtesy Tulsa World
very personable and passionate about his job as well.” Even though her time with President Bush has ended, Lowry still leads a pretty interesting life. Not only did she attend culinary school in San Francisco and work as a chef here in Tulsa for a while, but her desire to help people has led her to pursue a higher education and start a number of community outreach programs. One of her most successful programs was a suicide awareness and prevention event that raised seven thousand dollars in scholarship money. She even trains service dogs on Thursdays for free. “I knew I would be able to come to a prestigious school and better my community outreach efforts,” she concludes, “and get the education needed to be able to achieve my goal: to help and serve my community.”
JED works with schools to help prevent student suicide Last week was Suicide Prevention Week; the JED Foundation is reaching out to colleges to lend their support. Amanda Amos Student Writer With suicide rates among teens and young adults on the rise, society scrambles to find a way to prevent tragic, too young deaths. To help start the conversation about suicide that could literally save a life, Sept. 10 was recognized as World Suicide Prevention Day. Since 1975, the Sunday through Saturday bookending the tenth has been designated National Suicide Prevention Week in the U.S. This year the week extended Sept. 1016. One in twelve college students in the U.S. make plans for suicide. Suicide is the second largest cause of death among 20 to 24 year olds. More teenagers and young adults die of suicide and other mental illness related problems than all other medical conditions combined. Mental illness and suicide has risen to epidemic levels, but still, the issue is hardly addressed. Popular media like “13 Reasons Why” have brought it into conversation and yet no one quite knows how to
properly discuss mental health problems so they simply remain silent. This is the status quo that the JED Foundation wants to change with their campus outreach programs. As a nonprofit organization that works with high schools and colleges to “protect emotional health and prevent suicide” in very vulnerable age groups, JED understands that the current approach of genuine-but-disconnected reaction to crisis is often not enough to prevent crises from happening in the first place. “We’re trying to work with schools to take a more public-health approach,” said Lee Swain, director of JED Campus, the foundation’s outreach program to universities. The foundation strives to change the culture and the dialogue surrounding mental illness by providing schools across the country with a personalized assessment of how to better encourage “emotional well being” on their campuses. They teach students and staff to spot warning signs, help to maximize the effect of school counselling systems and work to destigmatize the topic entirely. “A big part of our program is working with campuses to destigmatize mental illness and substance abuse,” Swain explained, “encouraging peers to actually reach out to their friends when they’re worried but also to encourage people to seek help when they have
JED aims to provide easily accessible sucidie prevention resources.
an issue.” When the conversation isn’t started, lives are put at risk. When the conversation is handled poorly, lives are ended. The University of Tulsa is not a partner of JED Campus, but six other Oklahoman schools are. They are all partners in the foundation’s collective forum for all partner universities to discuss methods and programs that help change the culture on campuses surrounding mental illness. As National Suicide Prevention Week comes to an end, become aware of the signs that someone may be struggling: hopelessness, withdrawing from friends and loved
courtesy Wikimedia Commons
ones, changes in their eating and sleeping behaviors, drastic mood swings and even blunt discussions of suicide. Look out for your friends and your peers and help change the culture on this college campus and ever college campus surrounding mental illness. If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, depression or other mental illness, please contact the Alexander Health Center or the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
News
25 September 2017
The Collegian: 3
Tulsa Fire Department hosts camp to inspire young women With women making up more of fire departments nationally, the Tulsa Fire Department is looking for more female recruits. Carlie Wiseley Student Writer A camp put on by the women of the Tulsa Fire Department on Sept. 30 will give women 15 and older a chance to find out what emergency responders really do. The camp is aimed at teaching girls about the gear, technique and requirements of the job. This is the fourth annual girls’ camp the department has hosted. The camp is an excellent opportunity for young women to learn about the importance and realities of working as an emergency responder. News on 2 reports that the first female firefighter in Tulsa joined the force in 1992 and that today, only 17 out of 700 members are women. In a city with nearly 200,000 women, only 17 female firefighters is underwhelming. Miriam Bryant, one of the firefighters helping to put on the camp, wants to make this profession more common for women. According to the National Fire Protection Association there was a total of 1,160,450 career and volunteer firefighters in the United States in 2015, but only 85,100 of those firefighters were women. Only 12,850 out of 345,600 career firefighters were women and there were 72,250 women out of 814,850 volunteer firefighters.
The Tulsa Fire Department plans to make the camp an annual occasion.
courtesy Tulsa World
While firefighting and other careers in emergency response have traditionally been considered masculine roles, Tulsa Fire Department’s camp for girls has the potential to have a great influence over the attendees. Most little girls don’t say they want to be a firefighter when they grow up, but this camp might very well change girls’ perception of the career by proving to them that even a woman is strong enough to do the job. District Fire Chief Greta Hurt told News on 6 that before she joined the force, she didn’t even know that the Tulsa Fire Department would hire women. Hurt is now the first female fire chief in Tulsa. For Hurt, this camp is all about making girls aware of the opportunities they have as a firefighter or emergency responder. The camp will also be attended by representatives of the Tulsa Police Department, EMSA and the National Guard to help promote all careers in emergency services. Tulsa Channel 8 interviewed Debbie Bailey, the first female firefighter in Tulsa, as well as Heather Perkey, the woman leading the organization of this year’s camp. Bailey and Perkey shared that the camp was previously a co-ed program, but the girls camp developed out of a need to make girls more comfortable in their one-day role as a firefighter. Bailey, who is now retired, says she wishes she could have had the type of training offered through the camp when she was first starting out. Although very few firefighters are women, emergency responders will always be in high demand. The women of the Tulsa Fire Department plan to continue hosting this camp every year.
“...before she joined the force, she didn’t even know that the Tulsa Fire Department would hire women.”
On 100th anniversary, lecturer reflects on Russian 1917 revolutions Donald Raleigh, professor of Russian history at U.N.C. Chapel Hill, shares reflections on the 100th anniversary of the 1917 revolutions. Alex Garrofolo Student Writer “I’m not fit to be czar. I know nothing of the business of ruling.” So said Nicholas II, the last Russian czar, in 1894. In a matter of months in 1917, the centuries-old Romanov dynasty toppled. It began with women. Hundreds of women took to the streets in St. Petersburg on International Women’s Day, 1904. They protested food shortages and bad living conditions. That same year, Russia lost its war with Japan. After, in 1905, Father Gapon led thousands in the Petersburg streets with his manifesto. In it, the people pleaded with the
czar to give them more rights and treat them as humans. Bloody Sunday’s events, in which palace guards fired on protesters, fanned the flames. Eventually, Russia entered World War I in 1914. Many historians blame involvement in the war, and eventual loss, for triggering the rapid events of the revolution. In February 1917, the czar abdicated his spot as crown authority of Russia. In October, the Bolsheviks took power behind a man named Lenin. This is an abridged summary of the revolution with which Raleigh provided listeners at Monday night’s Cadenhead-Settle Memorial Lecture. Raleigh also highlighted key polarizations in Russian society.The first: between the educated and the bureaucracy. This strife led to the furor forcing the czar to leave office.The second: between the educated and the commoner. This conflict allowed the popularity of Bolshevism to rise.
Raleigh drew parallels between the 1960s in America and the Revolutionary Era in Russia. Both times saw a populace fraught with anger, desiring change and new direction. He claimed that without the Russian Revolution showing the western world how easy society could fall, America would not have had the New Deal. The revolution, Raleigh told the audience, also led to the proliferation of decolonization by Western countries, as movements elsewhere saw the success of a program that claimed “power to the people”. Of course, the revolution also led to the Cold War between the United States and Russia, a war that lasted over half of the 20th century. The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. During the 90s, many Russians looked to the past with reverence. In such troubled times, the imperial years of the czars felt like the glory days. Russia today is not sure how to observe
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editor-in-chief
Kayleigh Thesenvitz managing editor
Michaela Flonard news editor
Trenton Gibbons sports editor
Justin Guglielmetti variety editor
Ethan Veenker commentary editor
Raven Fawcett satire editor
Adam Lux photo & graphics editor
Madeline Woods
business & advertising manager
Brian Kwiecinski
social media & web manager
Nick Rethford
distribution managers
Elise McGouran Carlie Wisely and Trenton Gibbons courtesy University of Tulsa
Donald Raleigh is a Russian history professor at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
the anniversary. Putin has told reporters numerous times that “Russia has overfilled its quota of revolutions”. His government does not want to glorify the events of 1917. But it does not want to ignore them either. Their impact on the country is too large. Most scholars agree that the Russian Revolution is one of most significant events of the 20th century. The numbers alone prove the point. Russia’s death toll by war sends shivers down the spine. WWI: 9.1 million. Russian civil war (following revolution): 8 million. The famine of 1923: 5 million. These numbers don’t include the millions who lost their lives under Stalin’s purges or during Lenin’s “Red Terror” campaigns of the early 1920s. To be sure, the revolution impacted millions, both in Russia and around the globe.
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The Collegian is the student newspaper of the University of Tulsa. It is distributed Mondays during the fall and spring semesters, except during holidays and final exam weeks. The University of Tulsa does not discriminate on the basis of personal status or group characteristics including but not limited to the classes protected under federal and state law. Inquiries regarding implementation of this policy may be addressed to the Office of Human Resources, 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104-9700, (918)631-2616. Requests for accomodation of disabilities may be addressed to the university’s 504 Coordinator, Dr. Tawny Rigsby, (918)631-3814. To ensure availability of an interpeter, five to seven days notice is needed; 48 hours is recommended for all other accomodations. Advertising Policy: Advertising appearing in this publication does not imply approval or endorsement by the University of Tulsa or the Collegian for the products or services advertised. For advertising information, email the Collegian at advertising@tucollegian.org. The deadline for advertising is noon on the Friday proir to publication. Letter Policy: Letters to the editor must be less than 500 words and can be sent to tucollegian@tucollegian.org. Under no circumstances will anonymous letters be published. The name of the person submitting the letter must be published with the letter. We reserve the right to edit or reject all letters. The deadline for letters is 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication. Editing Policy: The Collegian reserves the right to edit all copy submitted by all writers. This editing may take place in many forms, including grammar corrections, changes in paragraph structure or even the addition or removal of sections of content. Editorial Policy: Columnists are solely responsible for the content of their columns. Opinions expressed in columns may not represent the opions of the Collegian staff, the administrative policies of the University of Tulsa, the views of the student body or our advertisers.
News
The Collegian: 4
25 September 2017
Northeastern State University loses five in tragic car crash Justin Guglielmetti Sports Editor
Hundreds of students attended a vigil in the victims’ honor.
Sunday Sept. 17, at approximately 10:40 p.m., a Chevrolet Colorado carrying five teenage Northeastern State University students clipped a guardrail on the side of Welling Road in Tahlequah, before overcorrecting and driving through a railing on the left side of the road. The truck went off a bridge, plummeting 35 feet, and was fully submerged in the river below. Oklahoma Highway Patrol pronounced the driver, 18-year-old Donovan Caldwell, dead on the scene, as well as the four passengers: 18-year-olds Lily Murphy, Rhianna
Seely and Jessica Swartwout and 19-yearold Drake Wells. NSU president Steve Turner informed the university of the loss in a statement to students and faculty. “I cannot fathom the pain the families and friends of these young people are going through as a result of this terrible and tragic accident,” he wrote. “My thoughts and prayers are with them this morning.” A prayer vigil was held on NSU’s campus for the students the next night. Hundreds of students attended to pay their respects, with many expressing distress and grief over the loss. “It’s pretty surreal,” said student Trevor Lindley. “It just goes to show you could be happy and then be gone.”
courtesy KOTV
A letter from President Clancy Survivor advocate added
to TU’s personal resources
Students,
When we encounter a situation, we need to recognize whether we are reacting or responding. It is easy to confuse the two, but they differ in important ways. A reaction usually involves an assessment – e.g., “She’s going to fall and get hurt dancing on the railing like that” or “Um, he’s in no condition to drive after beer pong.” You’re probably right, but so far, you’re only reacting. A response turns you from a spectator into a participant. A response is a choice, requiring purposeful action and, often, a degree of courage. A response is taking action to change things; it has no time for bystanders. The react vs. respond difference applies to all kinds of situations in life: helping hurricane victims (not just sympathizing), getting help for a tough class (not just struggling and hoping for the best), starting that exercise plan (instead of watching the scale creep up) and yes, intervening to keep someone from getting hurt at a party (not just observing). Another weekend is here. Use it as an opportunity to respond to a situation where, so far, you have just been reacting. You will feel that much more empowered. And as always: Take care of yourself. Take care of each other. And if you see something heading in a bad direction, step in and make the difference. Best wishes, Gerard P. Clancy, M.D. President The University of Tulsa
TU Survivor Advocate Emory Lazenby speaks on her new role at TU. Alex Garrofolo Student Writer TU named Emory Lazenby to the new position of Survivor Advocate in June. She’s an employee of DVIS (Domestic Violence Intervention Services) who works with TU as an anonymous resource for students who have experienced sexual or relationship violence. Since she is not officially employed by TU, she is not required to report anything about what victims tell her. She can, but only with a victim’s expressed permission. Lazenby stressed that she’s here to serve “faculty, staff and students.” Anybody can be a victim of interpersonal violence. She wants everybody to know that “you always have the option to report and talk to somebody”. Victims of interpersonal violence on this campus have many options, she said. Of President Clancy’s new weekly emails, she said “they’re good. It increases people’s trust in TU. The more people who trust the system, the more people who are willing to report and bring the issues to light.” Lazenby came to TU on a grant from the governmental Office on Violence Against Women, a part of the Department of Justice. An alumna of TU, Lazenby studied anthropology and sociology while here.
For the past five years, she worked at Sand Spring’s DaySpring Villa as a case manager who dealt with victims of human trafficking and domestic violence. “Change needs to happen at an individual level before it can happen on a communitywide one,” she said. “Sexual assault is an issue that does harm all of us, in one form or another.” “I’m here to tell students they have a confidential resource for whatever violence they’ve experienced. Whether that’s dating violence, sexual assault, financial manipulation or stalking,” she said. Lazenby deals with other forms of interpersonal violence as well. Financial manipulation, in an interpersonal respect, is when one partner demands control over shared assets (mutual bank account, cars, homes, etc.). Lazenby tries to be in her office as much as possible for walk-ins, but the best way is to contact her via email or phone to set up an appointment (elazenby@dvis.org, 918-6312965, Hardesty Hall 3145). TU also has an Advocacy Alliance, which “is an interdisciplinary, interdepartmental committee, which seeks to prevent and intervene with interpersonal violence on The University of Tulsa’s campus”. The alliance puts on initiatives like: bystander intervention training, healthy relationship programming and the iStand campaign. The student arm of the Advocacy Alliance is called SAVE. It holds events on campus designed to educate on different forms of interpersonal violence and ways students can prevent it.
The Blue Light isn’t your 0nly option... Interpersonal Violence Resources • DVIS Victim Services Advocate C* Emory Lazenby, 918-631-2965, Hardesty Hall 3145 • Counciling Center C* 918-631-2200 • Alexander Health Center 918-631-2241 • Office of Violence Prevention Kelsey Hancock, 918-631-2324 • Campus Security 918-631-5555 • DVIS C* 918-743-5763 • Family Safety Center C* 918-743-5763 Resources followed by C* are confidential and have no mandatory reporting requirements. The Alexander Health Center and resources without the denotation can still direct you to confidential resources but are required by law to report incidents of violence at least in an anonymous statistical form for our Clery Act requirements.
25 September 2017
Sep 14 5:30 a.m University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to John Mabee Hall in regards to an ill student. Officers arrived to meet with the student and their parent. It was determined by the student that they did not need to be seen by the Emergency Medical Services Authority. The student’s parent stated that they would take the student to the hospital for further evaluation. 10:30 a.m. While on routine patrol University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers heard loud shouting coming from a Mayo Village Apartment. Officers determined the cause of the shouting was an argument over the phone. Officers interviewed both parties, who advised that everything was fine. Officers left without further incident. 9:30 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers initiated a pedestrian check on 3 individuals observed walking by Chapman Stadium. Officers initially observed 1 individual pick up a yellow TU bicycle in front of LaFortune Hall before dropping it after noticing officers nearby. Upon contact the individual that took possession of the TU bicycle refused to stop and continued to
News walk away off campus. Officers identified the other 2 individuals as non-TU affiliated and minors. Officers issued a trespass warning and ensured the 2 individuals continued off of campus property. Sep 15 10:40 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were contacted by a TU student in reference to being assaulted by a non TU affiliate. The non TU affiliate was found on campus. Tulsa Police Department was contacted. The non TU affiliate was trespass warned and escorted off property. Sep 16 7:25 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to an injury call at Kendall Hall. A TU student slipped and fell while walking down the staircase. The student refused EMSA. The student was transported to Warren Clinic Urgent Care in their personal vehicle for further treatment. 10:15 p.m. Officers were dispatched to investigate a possible noise complaint in the Brown Village Apartments. The noise was coming from a residents’ stereo system. The resident agreed to turn down the music. A housing contact card was completed. 10:45 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to Lottie Jane Mabee Hall for an ill student. The student took medication and then started to feel ill. Officers assisted the student until EMSA arrived. EMSA took the student to St. John Medical Center for further treatment.
Nathan Gibbons Student Writer
Dam reaches breaking point in Puerto Rico
Many Puerto Ricans living below a dam are moving to higher ground, as the 90-year old structure is being pushed to failure in Puerto Rico. Last Friday, the National Weather Service warned that 70,000 people may have to evacuate, and buses have been transporting people out. The governor of Puerto Rico says it is difficult to get information out of Guajataca, a city in the western part of the island. The governor has traveled to Guajataca with satellite phones so emergency officials may better communicate. The governor’s office says the death count has reached nine, but they expect it to go higher. Emergency officials are also struggling to transport diesel to hospitals that are low on fuel. The federal emergency management agency claim they are bringing one million liters of water, 31 high capacity generators, medicine and food to the island.
Electoral commision investigated in Kenya
An investigation into possible misconduct in last month’s annulled vote has been ordered by Kenya’s chief prosecutor. After declaring it “neither transparent or verifiable,” the Supreme Court annulled the result of the August 8th poll. The election process, originally rescheduled for October 17th, will be held on October 26th. The electoral commission had originally declared the winner to be incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta by a difference of 1.4 million votes. Opposition leader Raila Odinga, of the National Super Alliance, went to court to announce his suspicions of a rigged election. Odinga claims he will not take part in new elections unless the electoral commission replaces many of its members. Many worry that political violence will break out in Kenya, after a disputed presidential vote in 2007 led to clashes that cost over 1,200 lives.
In Phillippines, mass protests against dictatorship Thousands of demonstrators marched last week against President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial law-and-order policies in the Philippines. However, thousands also marched in support of Duterte’s hardline war on drugs. Opponents are critical of Duterte’s proposal to reinstate martial law. Drug-trafficking allegations have even been placed against Duterte’s own son, Paolo. Duterte has stated he will approve Paolo’s execution if the allegations turn out to be true. “My order is to kill you if you are caught,” he said, “And I will protect the police who kill you, if it is true.” Paolo said a Senate inquiry earlier this month that allegations that he had helped ship drugs from China to the Philippines. were “rumours and gossip.” Duterte, who took office in 2016, has been known for his brutal stance against crime and corruption. He has often urged civilians to conduct extra-judicial killings of anyone they believe to have commit a crime.
North Korea and Trump ramp up threats
In a tweet late last Saturday, President Trump said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the country’s foreign minister “won’t be around much longer” if they continue to threaten nuclear attack. Earlier that Saturday, North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told the United Nations General Assembly that targeting the United State’s mainland was an “inevitable” after “Mr. Evil President” Trump claimed Kim Jong Un was a “rocket man” on a suicide mission. Last Sunday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin rolled back Trump’s comments. “The President doesn’t want to be in a nuclear war and we will do everything we can to make sure that doesn’t occur,” he told reporters. “On the other hand, the President will protect the American people and our allies.” Also on Sunday, State-run television in North Korea showed tens of thousands of citizens attending an anti-U.S. Rally Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang.
11:35 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate two students who appeared to be intoxicated. Officers located the two students and determined that neither of them were intoxicated. The students continued on their way. Sep 17 5:00 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to the ACSU parking lot to ticket vehicles parked in the Sorority House Mom parking spaces. While ticketing the unauthorized vehicles, a TU employee became disgruntled about receiving a parking ticket. Sep 18 8:00 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to the University Square Apartments South for some found contraband. Officers discovered more items than was originally found while conducting an apartment search. Officers contacted the previous resident who stated the contents were from a former student. Officers conducted a search of the current student’s residence and discovered more contraband. 8:50 a.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to Chapman Hall for a report of a fight. Officers made contact with the student reporting to be a victim. The student stated that they had been in the rest room when they said something to another person in the restroom. The student stated that after they said it the other student punched them in the face.
The Collegian: 5
3:20 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to Fisher Hall South to investigate a possible larceny of a bicycle. Upon arrival Officers spoke with a TU student who locked their bicycle at the Fisher South bike rack and found it missing when they returned. 6:50 p.m. University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to a report of a suspicious individual that entered the Mayo Village Apartments clubhouse. Upon arrival, the suspect fled from officers out of the apartment complex. While in pursuit, the suspect turned and pulled a large knife from their pocket and turned towards officers. Officers were able to gain control of the individual. The Tulsa Police Department arrived and placed the individual under arrest. The individual was transported and booked into jail. Sep 19 4:00 a.m. While on routine patrol University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers observed egg yolk and eggs shells all over the east stairwell in Helmerich Hall. A view of the cameras showed a student entering the east card access door of Helmerich Hall and throwing eggs at another student. The student then attempted to clean up the mess with the other student and two more students. Officers identified the suspect. The Collegian does not produce or edit the Campus Crime Watch except for content and brevity.
Tuesday, September 26 at 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Helmerich Hall, 2nd Floor Student Lounge Coffee Chats on Campus ALL BUSINESS STUDENTS are welcome to come and enjoy coffee and refreshments with Verizon recruiters at Helmerich Hall 2nd Floor Student Lounge. This is an informal on campus small group meeting for students to share interests and talk with employers about their company, culture, and questions about the employment field. Wednesday, September 27 at 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Keplinger Hall, 3030 Geoscience Seminar Geosciences professors Bryan Tapp, Bert Fisher and Robert Scott will discuss “What I learned as a Geoscience Major turned out to be wrong! Geoscience Paradigms: Why do they change?” Wednesday, September 27 at 12:10 p.m. to 12:50 p.m. Center for Student Academic Support Student Workshops Fall 2017 academic and personal success workshops hosted by TU’s Center for Student Academic Support: Everyone processes information in a different way. Discover your specific learning style and learn how to best take in new information, solve problems and organize your study sessions. Thursday, September 28 at 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tyrell Hall Beyond the Headlines: A Conversation about Immigration with Ali Noorani What really drives America’s ongoing immigration debate? To answer this question, Ali Noorani, the National Immigration Forum’s Executive Director, interviewed leaders across the nation. Noorani found voices in faith, law enforcement and business communities to paint a nuanced picture of America that looks beyond the blaring headlines to understand how communities are confronting the changing nature of the American identity. In this lecture, Noorani will discuss the powerful role of culture and values in America’s immigration debate, and how a diverse range of communities are working to make America a welcoming place for long-established citizens and new arrivals alike. Free and open to all. Thursday, September 28 at 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Fisher Hall South
Boxer Bash It’s a dance in your underpants! We’ll turn the lobby into a glowing dance floor with a live DJ and free buffalo and some rad games. Come in your boxers (but also, like, please wear something underneath). Seizure Warning: strobe lights will be in use!
Friday, September 29 at 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Gilcrease Museum Gilcrease After Hours: Beer Garden Redux You’re invited to Gilcrease After Hours: Beer and Wine Garden Party! Celebrate the arrival of fall with live music, food trucks, and samples of your favorite craft beers and wines. $10 wristband lets you try various samples throughout the evening. Feel free to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and dogs! Gilcrease After Hours takes place on the last Friday of the month. Explore the museum, grab a drink, network with other young professionals, and support your local art community. Sponsored by Williams. FREE!
The Collegian does not produce all event descriptions in the Community Calendar. Contact us at news@tucollegian.org with events.
Commentary
The Collegian: 6
25 September 2017
Tulsa a prime location for Amazon headquarters
Tulsa’s economy would more than make up for the potential cost in bringing a new Amazon location to town. Nathan Hinkle Student Writer Amazon has recently sent out a statement that it plans on building a new headquarters in North America. The CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, stated that this new location will have around 50,000 added jobs. Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum has stated that he is prepared to do “whatever it takes” in order to potentially secure the location for Tulsa. I agree. It would be a huge boost to Tulsa’s job market both working at Amazon and subsidiary companies that pop up to fit the needs of the new employees. Amazon has created a website in which cities can apply for the opportunity. According to the Tulsa World, Amazon is looking for, “metropolitan areas with populations of more than a million that have the potential to attract top technical talent.” They will decide the lucky city for their new headquarters in the next year. While some, like Bynum, argue that Tulsa should attempt to win this bid, this plan is arguably a pipe dream and a potential waste of time for Tulsa. Some argue that the city of Tulsa government should focus more on fixing Tulsa’s problems. Tulsa only has a limited amount of resources and attempting to use them on this Amazon deal could potentially cause problems in the likely chance that the city loses the bid. Instead of attempting to gain jobs from national businesses such as Amazon, the government should be focused more on helping out local businesses and allowing prosperity to occur in that way. The potential problem with bringing large out-of-state companies is potential tax incentives. These tax incentives are practically non-negotiable in the fact that another city will provide them instead if one does
not act first. It is a slippery slope when considering to the potential costs that one may incur. In bringing companies into town, the government loses potential revenue that it could need for the future. Bringing business into town is also not always a victory for the government and the local townspeople. Walmart exemplifies the affects large national companies have over smaller cities. When they come in, they do produce jobs and provide income for people in the community. However, they also affect smaller businesses which cannot compete with Walmart in terms of prices. Problems also occur when Walmart leaves town when local business previously uprooted struggle to come back even with the loss of competition. The previous economic base collapses and the city is left in a vacuum. However, people for this Amazon headquarters argue that the huge amount of job opportunities is worth the potential hassle that comes with it. For example in Seattle’s Amazon headquarters, there are around 50,000 jobs directly linked to Amazon
in their campus. In addition, 40,000 jobs opened up at different local businesses such as restaurants and coffee shops that sprung up around the Amazon campus. This large influx of jobs could be extremely useful for cutting unemployment in Tulsa for many types of workers. According to Amazon, “ the increase in personal income around the Seattle headquarters for people not employed by Amazon increased by about $17 billion dollars due to direct investments.” This shows that the massive influx of money does not only help out Amazon employees but other businesses as well. On the claim that Tulsa is unable to compete with its larger city competitors, Bynum told the Tulsa World, “we recognize the competitive pool we are wading into here, but Tulsa’s history is that of a city that punches above its weight. Amazon is transforming the world, and Tulsa is positioned as the best place in the country for them to do so. We will submit a proposal to Amazon that makes that clear.” According to Bynum, Tulsa may be the
underdog but it will fight with the best of them for the people who live here in the city. It is not a waste of time and resources in order to attempt this competition. So what are the costs and benefits of each scenario? It is not worth the large tax loss if the US does not gain enough jobs back as a recompense. For example, the Carrier factory deal started in 2016 by then governor of Indiana, Mike Pence, saved around 800 jobs for 10 years, but cost the state of Indiana $7,000,000 in tax incentives. While it saved some jobs, the state lost millions in revenue that could be spent in other government agencies across the state. However while we do not know the potential government costs of an Amazon move to Tulsa, the potential job growth of around 90,000 jobs will effectively balance out any cost that Tulsa pays in an agreement to Amazon. Therefore, Bynum should continue with his pledge to do whatever it takes to bring Amazon to Tulsa. It would be a sizable improvement to the economy and help support the needs of the unemployed in Tulsa.
graphic by Madeline Woods
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum is advocating for Amazon to choose Tulsa as their new headquarters.
LETTER
to the editor graphic by Elias Brinkman
Conner Bender is a graduate of Jenks High School and a sophomore at the University of Tulsa Amazon, My name is Conner Bender, and I am thrilled to hear about your recent announcement. Yeah, the one about your company looking for some new stomping ground. That’s great. I also heard that you have cities throwing themselves at you, vying for your attention. Well, that’s good and all, but first, have you heard of a state called Oklahoma? Oh, that fly over state? You may be right, but what if I told you that people can sometimes overlook things. You believe that, right? What if I showed you a hidden gem that the rest of the world doesn’t know about because they always look in the wrong places. Amazon, I want to show you a hidden gem, and it goes by the name of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Growing up near an edge of the city, I have seen Tulsa go through tremendous growth. So much growth that I decided to stay here for college, which resulted in me moving to the other side of the city. The decision to stay here culminated from several factors, but most notably was the opportunity I could capitalize on. Today, opportunity can be viewed improperly or thrown around like a buzzword, but Amazon, I am asking you to look at Tulsa as an opportunity from a couple of strategically unique angles. At a modest metropolitan population size of a little over a million, Tulsa punches above its weight. Some of the attractive features the community is built on is grounded
by a welcoming and affirming environment for exploration. Our city is full of creatives that take projects upon themselves just for the sake of improving their surroundings. There are groups of people that not only care about municipal development, but survival. Our vibrant grassroots initiatives truly showcase what we want every citizen to embody. One recent example exhibits individuals growing tired from how outdated our city flag was becoming. Instead of sitting idle about it, they decided to take action. They kickstarted a social media campaign and website, called the Tulsa Flag, that asked for ordinary people to send in meaningful flag designs. Once they nar-
of Tulsa is a long-term investment for your employees, their families, and your future. Employees at your company for the long haul will get tired of the “coastal craze.” The best way to increase your retention rate is to diversify your locations. Making your second headquarters in Tulsa—which is in the Midwest—would be a bold move, but it sets the tone for what direction you are moving in as company. Your mission statement talks about “focusing on the customer.” In order to achieve that, employees need a reason to focus, and a new environment is a perfect incentive for them to keep your mission fresh in their minds. Something else that you will find in the city is a supply of flourishing academics and
“Amazon, I want to show you a hidden gem, and it goes by the name of Tulsa, Oklahoma.” rowed down to three finalists, citizens had the ability to text in their choice with one design winning the majority vote. Although the design is not officially adopted by the city yet, lots of Tulsans have embraced the flag simply because it was created by the people and for the people. With that in mind, my next question to you, Amazon, is how much do you place on long-term investments? I agree, among other active Amazon users, that your company will be sustainable for decades to come, but how will you be different? How will you continue to spice up e-commerce? Bringing your people and infrastructure to the city
dedicated students. According to the U.S. News 2018 College Ranking report, University of Tulsa is ranked the top university in the state along with being in the top 100 of the country. If you want to be recruiting the top young adults of Oklahoma, you can just look within the city to find them. As cybersecurity is becoming a growing issue, TU students can fulfill any security concerns and gaps you may have. In fact, the University of Tulsa is recognized as a NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations among other prestigious cyber certifications. Only 19 universities in the United States have this honor. The only
other city on the list of 19 that you may be considering is Pittsburgh, which has Carnegie Mellon University, but the city crime rates should raise some concerns, especially if you are truly wanting to bring families with you. As a company, funneling these types of students would be in your best interest since they are being taught under a specialized course curriculum. We live in an age where security breaches are frequently unexpected, which can be best described as a game of whack-a-mole. The breach will pop up and companies will hammer the vulnerability head on. Then it becomes an anxious waiting game for when another breach will occur. Your strategy should be to hire cyber exterminators to eliminate the moles before they even pop up. This can be achieved with a talented team, and TU students can help prevent these scenarios from occurring. Amazon, I want to leave you with one closing remark that distinguishes Tulsa from every other city you are looking at. We have people that care—not only about our city, but that care for each other. We are not only selling you our resources, we are giving you the opportunity to experience the Tulsa community. Our city can best be described as that friendly neighborhood hipster who is trying to connect with everyone on the block. And Amazon, if you knock on our door, we will welcome you with open arms. We aren’t planning on moving any time soon anyways. Sincerely, A Proud Tulsan
Commentary
25 September 2017
The Collegian: 7
Trump lacks consistency in DACA policy
Trump consistently changes his position on political issues, and his new stance on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is no different. Justin Guglielmetti Sports Editor Let’s perform a quick mental exercise together. I want you to try to think back to the 2016 presidential election, back when Trump was just a narcissistic, loudmouthed, impossibly-still-in-contention Republican candidate and not our commanderin-chief. What were the focal points of his campaign? Though answers will vary by person, there are a few that I think we can all agree on: Hillary Clinton’s supposedly criminal destruction of emails, opposition to Radical Islamic Extremism ™ and a hard line against illegal immigration. Fast forward to September 2017 and it has become clear that this was all just bloviating rhetoric designed to further enflame an already riotous base. Not a month after his victory on election night, Trump admitted to a faithful crowd of supporters that he didn’t care about “locking up” Clinton anymore. He (obviously) never had a secret master plan to defeat ISIS and other terror cells, which continue to be counteracted by military and intelligence forces put in place
by prior administrations. And as for illegal immigration...well nobody really knows what the hell Trump is thinking. A “yuge” border wall dividing the United States from Mexico was the centerpiece of candidate Trump’s immigration platform and one that bigots and legitimately disenfranchised blue-collar workers alike seized upon. But while it is still a goal of the administration to see it constructed, it’s not the wall that has been making recent headlines: it’s DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. DACA was an immigration policy implemented by the Obama administration in 2012 which enabled qualified individuals who had entered the country illegally as children to be given a two-year period of deferred action from deportation and the opportunity to receive a work permit. In plainer English, it gave peace of mind to undocumented but contributing members of society that they would not be uprooted from their lives. President Trump announced the end of DACA earlier this month. Beyond the practicality of DACA — most economists agree that it has helped grow the labor force and had no adverse effect on the US economy — it is easy to see the humanitarian elements of this policy. Who wouldn’t want to help good people when they had had no control over their illegal action as children? However, ignored by its advocates is the potential issue of unconstitutionality, in that the executive branch is given the power to enforce immigration laws as decided by the legislature, but not to write their own (26 states sued against expansion of DACA in 2014, a case they ultimately won after reaching the Supreme Court). For this reason, opposition to the program should probably not be categorized as inherently unsympathetic or xenophobic, though of course these are the familiar labels the left has chosen to give
to Donald Trump to justify his actions. One curious thing though: many of Trump’s own supporters seem just as angry at him as all his sworn enemies. While Democrats are convinced that the administration will deport anyone they can get their hands onto, many right-wingers have been taken aback by what they perceive as Trump’s sudden and unexpected softness on what was once one of his most hard-line issues. The very day that AG Jeff Sessions announced the program’s rollback, the president called on Congress in a Tweet to “legalize DACA,” then going on to say that he would “revisit this issue” if no action was taken. Does that sound like somebody
from this ongoing saga: President Trump is not an authoritarian demagogue hellbent on imposing his evil will upon the country, because he would need some sort of consistent ideology for that to be the case. This is why I brought up his campaign rhetoric earlier, to show the impressive ease, even by political standards, with which he waffles. Look at the man from now, to one year ago, to five. Beyond the hair and orange complexion, there is no consistency to any of it. Now the question becomes, “what do we do with this information as responsible citizens?” I suspect that it will ultimately be used as a political bludgeon against Trump, perhaps the first thing that will actually
“Act like a typical slimy politician and suddenly it will be awful hard for the populists to view you as a savior.” who is anti-immigrant? Quite the contrary, those are the words of a man trying to defend a policy he once vehemently opposed. Adding more fuel to the fire for the right, rhetoric has been backed up by action in this case. Between January and March of this year, nearly 125,000 people have been approved for DACA according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. So what is Trump’s endgame here? There seem to me to be two probable answers. First, this may be just another example of his childish and reactionary politics and he decided to simply change his mind because he could sense the tide of public opinion moving ever further against him. Second, that this is a quid pro quo towards Democrats in Congress, in which he hopes to get their support for wall funding in exchange for legislation on DACA. Whether or not which one of these (if either) is true, we can learn a valuable lesson
manage to shatter his bizarre image as a maverick or a man of the people. Act like a typical slimy politician and suddenly it will be awful hard for the populists to view you as a savior. But if I could offer a recommendation to the extremes of both sides, this should be a unifying moment where everyone can take a few steps towards the middle. If the man is in fact just acting like another politician, then that is something we can handle, because we’ve seen it before. You won’t agree with him on everything, but you will be able to communicate, to cut deals, to serve the greater good rather than the interests of a single party. It would allow everyone to calm down and take a deep breath, stop worrying about imminent threats to our country’s very existence coming from inside the government, and actually govern again.
graphic by Madeline Woods
Trump’s wavering policies have incited anger on both sides of the aisle.
Rep. Mullin skips out on Tahlequah, responsibilities
Representatives like Markwayne Mullin need to be held to the standard of their jobs. Raven Fawcett Commentary Editor Representative Markwayne Mullin, who represents Oklahoma’s second Congressional District, is contested by fellow candidates and his constituents alike for the upcoming election in 2018, and with good reason. In April of 2017, Mullin cancelled a town hall in Tahlequah, a city in his district, over safety concerns regarding protesters at the site. He failed to reschedule the meeting as he said he would. Only in August did Mullin
return to Tahlequah, 121 days after his failed town hall. The lack of presence incited anger amongst the citizens that have elected Mullin to office three times in the past. They feel that, as a representative, Mullin should make time to visit the area he works for and should protect the interests of in Congress. Mullin’s competition for the 2018 election include Democratic Tahlequah Mayor Jason Nichols and Republican Brian Jackson, a professor at Northeastern State University. While the candidates do not have the economic pull of Mullin, or his experience (which includes an impressive statistic of 99.5percent of roll calls attended for House votes between July and September of 2017), they have something that Mullin does not: they have yet to disappear from Tahlequah for a third of a year. However, we must expect more from our government than simply missing .5 percent of votes or less. We, the people, deserve legislators that see our districts as they are, not as a series of reports or data sets from interns and staff members based in the area. We must measure our elected officials by how well they do their jobs. You may recall that Congress is bicameral, or has two chambers: the House and the
Senate. The Senate is comprised of senators who are up for reelection every six years. Theoretically, this protects them from rash decisions in the voting booth, so that they can develop expertise in their field and have time for their decisions to be thought over by voters. The House is comprised of representatives, who are elected every two years in an effort to make them more directly ac-
he would make. He continued to ignore the problem by spending more than 100 days not visiting and not enacting a plan to hold another town hall. And by doing so, he let down his constituents. Mullin failed to check in with a major city in his district and hear what they had to say, failed to even visit in person, for far too long. To be sure, it can seem like a minor
“Our system of government was literally created to ensure that representatives are closest to the heartbeat of the people...” countable to the people they serve. There is a reason representatives in the U.S. are up for reelection every two years. Our system of government was literally created to ensure that representatives are closest to the heartbeat of the people, and thus must check in with the people most often. A term of two years forces representatives to be sensitive to the will of the people they serve. In short, it is literally Mullin’s job to spend time in his congressional district. Mullin didn’t forget about Tahlequah. Regardless of his reasoning, he failed to reschedule a town hall, a move that he said
issue. He did visit other cities in his district during that time, and continued his work in Congress. But so much of governance is built on trust and communication between the official and their constituents that Mullin should give serious thought to his responsibilities. Constituents have every right to demand that their officials do their best to represent them and fulfill the duties of their job, and would be fully within their rights to vote for any of the other candidates in the election for District 2 representative.
The Collegian: 8
Commentary
25 September 2017
Okla. legislators’ crimes result of citizens’ negligence in our own favor, to the extent that we will not personally be morally repulsed by our actions and can still justify our own selfrighteousness. Integrity is not an innate trait of mankind. Integrity is a virtue, requiring explicit intent on the part of the actor to be virtuous. This is a pessimistic view of human nature, but psychological studies seem to keep confirming it.
Given the alarmingly low voter turnout rate, and the ever diminishing readership of newspapers, which routinely make public policy readable, it should come as no surprise that nondisclosure is the norm. Government is boring, and most of us are way too busy to tune in. That is why we have a representative democracy and the fourth estate. However, our lack of attention is what
Legislating, like journalism, is a thankless job, and it should be. The goal of a public servant is to do what is in the best interest of the public. The best interest of the public can only be served by hearing from the public, and being held accountable by the public. It is my job to hold my representative responsible for acting in my interest. It is your job to do the same.
Constituents are allowing elected officials to commit crimes by ignoring them. Kayleigh Thesenvitz Editor-in-Chief Oh what a year we’ve had. The year began with the resignation of Dan Kirby (RTulsa), who was accused of sexually harassing two staffers, demanding nude photos from one and paying $44,000 in hush money at taxpayers’ expense. A legislative committee sanctioned Will Fourkiller (D-Stilwell) for allegedly making inappropriate comments toward a high school page. Ralph Shortey (R-Oklahoma City) was hit with federal child pornography and child sex trafficking charges after being accused of meeting an underage male prostitute in a motel for sex. In April, Kyle Loveless (R-Oklahoma City) resigned his Senate seat after accusations he embezzled his own campaign funds. Then Wednesday, Sept. 6, Senator Bryce Marlatt (R-Norman) was charged with sexual battery of an Uber driver. Four-fifths of the charges are sexual in nature, but all five share an even more common theme. They occurred in the context of presumed obscurity. Research in the “The Righteous Mind” by Jonathan Haidt indicates that nearly everyone, psychopaths excluded, base their morality and actions in large part on how they think others will react to what they’ve done. When we believe we are not being watched, we are more likely to lie and cheat
Five Oklahoma legislators have been accused of crimes such as embezzling and sexual harassment this year.
While the actions of these lawmakers are morally repugnant, the citizens of Oklahoma share part of the blame. When we don’t tune in, we encourage a culture of secrecy, negligence and corruption.
breeds the idea that lawmakers can act without being in the public view. If we want the people making our laws and leading our state to act with more virtue than the common man, then we should be holding them accountable on a daily basis.
graphic by Madeline Woods
And when our representatives know that they are being scrutinized, they will take the time to reflect on their actions both public and private.
Proposed tax on child support targets vulnerable groups
A new measure would tax up to $10 on child support payments, making life more difficult for single parents. Amanda Amos Student Writer The Oklahoma state budget shortfall is well documented and has been reported on by extensively by most state media, including the Collegian. When state revenue is crippled like the 2016 income tax cut crippled our revenue, it can’t be any wonder that the state is looking
for even the smallest of ways to make up that money. The newest effort is a fee of up to $10 out of a child support check. This measure seems so obscure that, at first, all it inspires is confusion. What could $10 per child support check really do for the state? Surely we have better ideas than this? The new fee could bring in up to $1,000,000 a month to the Department of Human Services’ failing budget. And DHS is certainly something that deserves to be funded. They facilitate adoption, foster
Supplementing that budget shortage with fees on the backs of single parents, however, undermines the whole purpose of the DHS. By attaching a fee to child support checks, we essentially place an additional tax onto single parents who are simply trying to provide for their children. It’s a tax of the worst type: a regressive sin tax that targets minority groups, the poor and the young, all of whom tend to be single parents who are paying or receiving child support more than white middle class Oklahomans.
“It’s a tax of the worst type: a regressive sin tax that targets minority groups...” care and child protective services for Oklahoma’s most vulnerable children. They provide legal assistance to families. They help low income parents find affordable child care. DHS is a hard-working department that is perpetually underfunded.
In Oklahoma, 34 percent of children are in single parent homes. To target their parents with fees such as this because of legislative failure to satisfactorily fund the DHS is to target a third of Oklahoman children simply for being born.
If readers are getting tired of seeing Oklahoma’s new and exciting ways of failing the budget, then believe me, I am tired of writing about it. But the importance of these backdoor, seemingly simple or even innovative revenue building measures cannot be stressed enough. County auctions put guns in an unregistered populace. Car taxes are regressive and slow the rate of social and economic mobility. Tobacco taxes are unconstitutionally passed. And child support fees put an undue penalty onto the backs of single parents whose only crime was not staying married to their partner. When budgets are slashed like this, we have to see that this stone ripples to every part of society. It isn’t just education that suffers. We are all liable to ridiculous, minute and incredibly targeted measures like this one. The answer, at least for now, is deceptively simple. Restore the old income tax and then open up the dialogue for what comes next.
Trump hesitates on Bureau of Indian Affairs decision
Trump urgently needs to appoint a competent head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Brennen Gray Student Writer `The Bureau of Indian Affairs deserves a permanent leader; waiting over half a year to appoint a worthy candidate is unacceptable. The BIA handles matters of Native American land and other resources, tribal legitimacy, and other matters related to Native Americans. As a government organization, the BIA has had a history of friction with tribal organizations for putting the federal
government’s interests over those of the Native American people. However, a properly managed BIA can successfully work towards tribal and government cooperation. President Trump has held office for eight months now, more than enough time to suggest a candidate for the position to be approved by the Senate. While progress has been made in some areas of filling the bureaucracy, such as the appointment of John Tahsuda III as principal deputy assistant secretary of the BIA, procrastinating on filling the top spot deeply affects the Native American population nationwide. Professor Brian Hosmer at the University of Tulsa notes that “The BIA is the [Native Americans’] place at the table.” Refusing to hire a department head muffles a large part of the Native American voice. That being said, the government must not be hasty and should spend the time to choose wisely. The problem exists in the lack of time spent on the issue in general. The BIA “has been historically problematic” Hosmer said, suggesting the new leader needs to have a decent background in tribal affairs and should be carefully con-
sidered to ensure their priorities lie with just treatment of the Native people and productive cooperation with tribal interests. States with large Indian Nations should bring pressure upon the federal government to appoint someone. Hosmer said states should “remind [the government] how Native peoples bring in resources through the BIA, and if the federal government wants a say in what to do with the resources, they should fully fill the BIA administration.” Kevin K. Washburn, who served until
ans (NCAI), and leaders of Indian Nations across the country. It should also be noted that not a day should be wasted in finding a replacement considering the practice of the Senate needing to approve the appointed candidate. For example, the Senate approved Carl J. Artman for the bureau’s head position seven months after he was appointed. As each day goes on, the government overlooks the importance of giving the Native people a voice, and Trump needs to resolve this as soon as possible.
“Refusing to hire a department head muffles a large part of the Native American voice.” 2016, had experience from the National Indian Gaming Association, and perhaps that is a good place to look now. The NIGA’s current Chairman Ernest L. Stevens, or his Chief of Staff Debbie Thundercloud, could be possible picks. Other places to look would be leaders in the National Congress of American Indi-
Tribal leaders need to apply pressure on the federal government, namely Trump, to prioritize choosing a new Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs to be approved by the Senate. While the Senate spends time approving the choice, the rest of the government can focus on other things in the meantime.
Commentary
The Collegian: 9
25 September 2017
TU website in need of better, more frequent updates
Missing links and out of date information make TU’s website a disservice to present and future students. Michaela Flonard Managing Editor During a class assignment for Writing for the Professions, I kept hearing the same complaints about the University of Tulsa’s department webpages: they lacked images, event calendars or recent news, had links to old or non-existent pages and didn’t address
terested in a specific major at TU will make the department website one of the first things they check, besides the admissions tab. Each department’s website needs to be informative, interesting and highlight TU’s strengths. Obviously, each department’s website is somewhat unique, so it’s difficult to make a total blanket statement about what every site needs to add, but overall, many of the same issues appeared in the different departments’ websites. Most of the department sites don’t have an events calendar, which could highlight seminars or other talks in the department. My own department, biology, would seem to have no events ever occurring, yet I know they have seminars every few weeks with interesting speakers. While I may learn about them as a biology major, other majors might not, even if the topic interests them. News, too, on the websites is often old, and doesn’t highlight any recent publications of the faculty. Lacking these topics makes the depart-
The TU website contains broken links and frustration for many students.
students needs. One student put it in blunt terms, saying “It’s boring.” The university should be working to correct this, if it’s attempting to market TU to a larger audience of students. Students in-
ment seem less relevant for prospective students. Finding no events on the webpage would give prospective students the incorrect idea about the department, making it
seem boring. Those same students, not seeing any recent news or publications from the department, might believe the department is either not newsworthy and relevant, discarding it from their list of choices, or doesn’t prize its faculty and students enough to highlight their accomplishments. Too many sites are just blocks of text, which while informative, is visually unattractive and causes the audience to lose in-
viewer’s eye, especially in today’s world, where computers and phones have emphasised photos, clips and informational graphics to convey information. While having written information is, in the end, going to provide the specifics a picture can’t, images still need to be there. While it showed up in different forms, one of the other major issues was content. This came in two forms: either incorrect
“Finding no events on the webpage would give prospective students the incorrect idea about the department...” terest. This even occurred on pages where it wasn’t difficult to think of an image to use, such as one about the facilities available in the department. Pictures or videos can show prospective students a glimpse of life on campus, so they can imagine themselves there, or show off the research faculty is doing. What is
photo by Michaela Flonard
said in the text can be summarized or supported by a picture, making TU more attractive. From a design standpoint, pictures break up the monotony of text and catch the
content or lacking content. Some in my class complained their department’s webpage had incorrect information: an opportunity they were told no longer existed or a link to a nonfunctional page. The mathematics department at TU, for instance, has two links on its research subpage. Both of these links lead to a “Page not found” error. This sort of content issue is misleading, and somewhat embarrassing, to prospective and current students who may be interested in a topic, and should be taken down. These suggestions do not exist in a vacuum; they were formed through comparing TU’s webpages to other, similar universities throughout the country. And while TU had some good points, like the color scheme and simplicity, it often lacked the elements described above, which made comparative universities’ websites more appealing. Even if TU is more appealing when visiting, the website is, most likely, going to be what people see first. That means it needs to be good enough to keep people’s interest. And current students also need the website to function for them, which includes adding more events and news. TU often brags about its faculty, facilities and curriculum, but the departments’ websites do not reflect that pride. These sites are often not useful for current students, and prospective students may think the department is not relevant and boring because of them. While the faculty, facilities, student life and curriculum should remain the foremost goals of the university, changing the websites should remain on the university’s mind, to make TU on par with equally competitive universities and to truly highlight what makes TU special.
EMSA services hopefully up for public debate opportunity since 1996 or earlier, the Tulsa Fire Department has proposed a potential plan that they could take over the ambulance service. Tulsa Fire Chief Ray Driskell has stated this plan not because he is certain
themselves work with AMR without the need for companies such as EMSA in order to facilitate the needs of the city with AMR, easing the fear that Tulsa is stepping into the great unknown.
“Because of this rate hike and gowing distrust in EMSA... selecting an ambulance provider should be open to the public.” Tulsans deserve to weigh in on the presence of EMSA, a middleman that drives up costs but ensures transport quality. Nathan Hinkle Student Writer On Wednesday, city councilors voted against an Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) price hike. This was a $400 hike partially due to an incoming lawsuit against EMSA and their executive director, Steven Williamson, in a money kickback scheme. Because of this rate hike and growing distrust in EMSA as a company, Tulsa city councilors like Blake Ewing have argued that selecting an ambulance provider should be open to the public. In past years, the choosing of an ambulance provider was done exclusively by the mayor. However, Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum is now on board with the public being involved with this business deal. Every five years, the city is allowed one month to decide if they want to cancel their business arrangement with EMSA. At every potential
that the city needs to get rid of EMSA, but rather that public discussion of it has never happened. The next opportunity to cut EMSA’s contract is October 2021. Under Driskell’s plan, the Tulsa Fire Department would cut out EMSA as the middleman between the city and American Medical Response or AMR. AMR works across the country providing medical transport for many states. EMSA contracts out with AMR for the specialized ambulances and other vehicles in order to properly transport patients safely to a hospital. In this new plan, Driskell argues that the city should cut ties with EMSA and directly contact with ambulance providers such as AMR themselves. In response to the potential difficulty surrounding the replacement of EMSA, Driskell stated, “The thing that makes it so easy is, we don’t change anything.” Instead of EMSA checking on the quality of the ambulance provider and business aspects such as billing, the city itself would do this work without the need for a middleman such as EMSA. There is a precedent for this in other cities. In Arlington, Texas and Colorado Springs, Colorado, the cities
EMSA’s current job in Tulsa is to oversee any potential elements of the ambulance service. This includes the ambulances provided by AMR or the medics who are involved in the procedures of moving these individuals to the hospitals for treatment. According to their website, EMSA’s job is to “ensure that the cities we serve receive the highest quality of emergency medical service at the best possible price.” EMSA does not just work with the city of Tulsa but also Bixby, Sand Springs, Jenks
partment did similar work, Mayor Bynum had this to say: “The reality is it isn’t efficient but it is effective. Our cardiac survival rates are among the best in the country and I chalk that up to the collaboration between the two (Fire Department and EMSA), the quick response-that basically you have a race to the scene between these two agencies, and that better serves the person who is in distress.” EMSA is important to the city in its help working on medical transport. EMSA’s effort combined with the Fire Department helps makes Tulsa a safer city in times of crisis for people. However, it is more important that the public gets a say in this debate. While the government is in charge of running the cities’ infrastructure, citizens should have a right to discuss the processes that determine an important issue such as one’s health. For our city to work, people should be able to have a say in the important decisions that will drastically affect
“...Citizens should have a right to discuss the processes that determine an important issue such as one’s health.” and Oklahoma City. EMSA’s goal is to reduce the burden placed on the government by providing the service needed in their communities. While EMSA is its own company, their board of trustees has people voted in by the various city governments. They also have to get approval for any change of service in the cities where they are located. In discussing why EMSA and the Fire De-
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their lives in the future. Democracy works on the will of the people and their right to determine what is best for them not what is best for the leaders. Therefore, I fully agree with the mayor that before October 2021, the public should determine the future of medical transport in Tulsa.
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Variety
The Collegian: 10
“I Am My Own Wife” a grand one trans-woman show The play about a transgender woman surviving the Nazi and Soviet regimes in Berlin is complex but surprisingly arresting. Michaela Flonard Managing Editor
“If they shoot me, what is the difference between boy and girl? Dead is dead,” says Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, played by Matthew Alvin Brown in “I Am My Own Wife.” This line, about Mahlsdorf’s interactions with SS officers during WWII, is a vivid one that captures why Doug Wright, who originally wrote the play, was fascinated by her. Originally born as Lothar Berfelde, Mahlsdorf was a transgender who survived both the Third Reich and the Communist regimes in East Berlin. The play, a collaboration between Tulsa Project Theatre and the Lyric Project of Oklahoma, explores Mahlsdorf life as Wright learned about her story. Written from Wright’s conversations with Mahlsdorf, the play won a Pulitzer for Drama and several Tony awards in 2004. “I Am My Own Wife” is not a linear exploration of Marhlsdorf’s story; instead, it weaves Wright’s conversations with her into the plot. In doing so, the play makes the audience experience the highs and lows of Wright’s attempts to learn the truth about Mahlsdorf. The first time Wright writes himself into the play, the effect is a little jarring; most plots preserve the separation between subject and author, but in the end, I began to enjoy the interplay. Including the playwright in the play, however, does lessen its ability to truly question what kind of person Mahlsdorf is. In trying to tell her story, Wright doesn’t often delve into hard-hitting questions or investigation to determine what is behind the demeanor. To begin, Mahlsdorf describes her gramophone in meticulous detail, letting the reader experience how much she adores her antique collection, and how much of her life is consumed by it. Very often, the play digresses into discussions of antiques, and Mahlsdorf comes across as someone who might care more about them than those around her. It then moves to when Wright first learned about her, setting up the basis for the play: Wright wants to know Mahlsdorf because he feels like her story would be an amazing play, especially as a gay man. During Wright’s interviews, Mahlsdorf lived in a house in East Berlin, which she transformed into the Gründerzeit Museum. The museum housed her antique collection from that time period, about the mid-19th century. In the play, the audience learns her work in preservation earned her Germany’s Medal of Honor. The play even incorporates a tour of the museum, which strengthens the idea that Mahlsdorf is just your typical, slightly eccentric old woman. One who, the audience is continuously reminded, is not a woman; her being transgender often factors into her story, as does her involvement in
the gay community. But as the play continues, the audience is led into a much greyer area. Wright, who first came to her amazed she survived the Nazis and the Communists as a transgender, soon learns that survival may have come at a high moral price. He learns, along with all of Germany, that sweet, old Mahlsdorf may have collaborated with the Stasis during the communist regime and lied about other parts of her past. Germany’s reaction is incorporated into the play, with talk shows and news reports demonstrating how difficult it is to judge, or understand, the past, especially in such brutal time periods. In the end, Wright concludes that he needs to believe her story as much as she does, leaving the audience hanging. The personal bias in the play is both its best and worst aspect; it’s a unique feature that I sometimes felt hindered a truly clear report of what happened. Perhaps that’s what Wright is getting across — history is made of personal biases that become “fact” but for such an interesting story, it seems a shame that nothing is clearly resolved in the end. Mahlsdorf is the only one who will ever know the truth of her story — and she shares it hesitantly with Wright. Even the “facts,” from the Stasi regime, paint contrasting pictures with each other. The play ends with, presumably, an actual recording of Wright and Mahlsdorf. In Tulsa, the play was set in one of the smaller rooms at the Performing Arts Center, giving it a more intimate feeling, as Brown could get close to the audience. The set had a phonograph on one end and a table with chairs on another, with the backing of Mahlsdorf’s “museum.” The museum consisted of cabinets stacked high, tightly fitted, stuffed with trinkets, signs and pictures that Brown would reference during the play. This setup hid props until their moment of use, and graciously concealed them again when their time was over. Overall, the set felt warm and cozy, as if one was really in Mahlsdorf’s museum, coming over for a cup of tea. One of the most impressive aspects of the play is that it’s a one man show. Brown acts as everyone involved in the story, from Mahlsdorf to Wright to the Stasi who interact with her — over 30 characters. With each character, Brown’s body language shifted. As Mahlsdorf, Brown clasped his hands together, laughing demurely like the fun grandmother everyone wishes to have; as Mahlsdorf’s tough, lesbian aunt, he took up space and deepened his voice. Brown fully inhabited each character, giving even the nameless regime officers and reporters personality. Being only a one man show highlighted Mahsldorf’s loneliness. The conflicting tales of Mahlsdorf’s life, the one man show and the unique way Wright chose to write the play all make it one to see. Unfortunately, the play closed before this issue came out, but check out the Tulsa Project Theatre’s other performances throughout the year.
The set of “I Am My Own Wife” made hiding props in the shelves easy.
photo by Michaela Flonard
25 September 2017
Freezing Cow good ice cream, not worth price
Ice cream in Tulsa became more Insta-worthy with the addition of a rolled ice cream shop, Freezing Cow. Michaela Flonard Managing Editor
The two strawberry Pocky sticks precariously shoved into my ice cream presented a mild challenge. Was I supposed to eat them by themselves, or mash them into my ice cream somehow? This was made more difficult as my ice cream was in rolls. That’s right, rolls. Tulsa now has a rolled ice cream shop, as of early September, nestled next to the Olive Garden in front of the Woodland Hills Mall. Named Freezing Cow, the shop is a bright, colorful building, with Post-it notes, written by customers, decorating much of the wall space. These Post-It notes were generally follow requests on various social media, but the occasional derivation from the theme often proved interesting. We found Bo Burnham quotes, drawings of bad first dates and a dinosaur. The line was the first thing I noticed when making my way to the store. It stretched in a U-shape from the counter, and had me worried about wait times. In the end, it took approximately twenty to thirty minutes for us to get our ice cream, so I would not recommend going on a Friday night. The draw of this place, is of course, the rolled ice cream. This process was developed in Thailand and then spread across the world, until it ended up in Tulsa. And at Freezing Cow, you can see your ice cream being made right in front of you. But first, you have to pick it out. Freezing Cow has 12 basic combinations with pre-set items mixed into the ice cream. Customers can then choose to add up to three toppings, including fruits, candy and more. This ordering system was not obvious; I, and others around me, thought you could either choose a combo or create your own with the toppings. This slowed down an already long line. After telling the worker your choice for dessert, you pay and move to another line to watch the ice cream being made. These lines often blended together, further confusing the customers. No matter what you get, the ice cream comes down to a cold $5.99, before taxes. No kids sizes, smalls or larges here. Watching the ice cream being made, however, was rather enjoyable. Freezing Cow has six stations to make ice cream, and while not all of them were in use when we
went, the sound of those that were was loud. The ice cream is made by pouring a base of sweet milk on a cold steel surface. The base differs, depending on the flavor, and workers also add the toppings listed in the combination part of the order. These are chopped up, distributing the flavor, and then the frozen base is spread across the surface. Then the worker scrapes it into rolls, six per cup. After, the additional toppings are sprinkled onto the rolls, and voila, you have your ice cream. It is entertaining to watch, and certainly fun to try to determine if what’s being made is your ice cream. Then came the true test: was this ice cream better in some way? Did the process make it somehow more delicious, more creamy, just better? The answer: it’s different. I ordered the Evil Berries, which was a vanilla base with blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. Although, to be honest, I saw one raspberry, a blackberry and a few blueberries mixed in. The toppings I chose: strawberry Pocky, a graham cracker and peanuts, were sprinkled over the surface. Others in my party got Monkey Business (vanilla base with banana, graham cracker, nutella and chocolate sauce) with peanuts and a toasted marshmallow on top, and Cow’s Latte (coffee base) with whipped cream. On first bite the rolls collapsed, making the dessert especially creamy. But further down, where the ice cream hadn’t softened, the layers almost seemed harder than regular scooped ice cream. As I also like my toppings mixed, the layers were quickly gone anyways, so I could randomly get Pocky bits, instead of eating the stick by itself. As for the others’ ice creams, Cow’s latte was perfectly coffee flavored; no weird artificial flavorings here. And the caffeine was real too — it kept my friend up that night. The nutella in Monkey Business truly sold my other friend on Freezing Cow. Overall, I liked the rolled ice cream. It was cold and sweet and with the variety of toppings they offer, it would take a long time to repeat yourself. But, it’s ice cream. Call me simple, but I don’t need super fancy ice cream; I want ice cream that tastes good. And for most ice cream, that’s an easy enough sell. Freezing Cow was good, yes, but not out of this world. In the end, I was satisfied, but didn’t think it was worth the six bucks or the time. This might be a place to stop if you want something unique and fun and Insta-worthy, but it’s not a place for repeat visits, in my mind.
photo by Michaela Flonard
The ice cream, such as Evil Berries pictured above, was served in rolls. The wall of Post-It notes can be spotted behind.
Blink-182 rocks out at Brady Theater
Iconic punk band Blink-182 still just as exciting even without Tom DeLonge on vocals. Adam Lux Satire Editor
Last Tuesday the punk rock band Blink-182 took the stage at the Brady Theater. I was fortunate enough to attend. Blink-182 has been one of my favorite bands since I was a child. The main question I had going into the concert was: “is Blink-182 still Blink-182 without Tom DeLonge?” For those who don’t know, DeLonge, the iconic voice behind “All the Small Things” and many other
Blink songs, left the band in 2015. Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio fame filled DeLonge’s role as guitarist/vocalist not long after. I was worried that without DeLonge’s whiny voice Blink just wouldn’t live up to my childhood expectations. Fortunately, I was completely wrong. Hearing Matt Skiba sing DeLonge’s vocal parts was a bit strange at first, but Skiba’s non-whiny voice pushed the songs a little bit away from the pop-punk sound in a way I enjoyed. The many people that might have been put off by DeLonge’s voice should give Blink a second chance. I would certainly be interested in the band re-recording and releasing some of their older songs with Skiba singing.
The trio played a really good mix of old and new tracks. Only seven of the twentytwo songs they played were from their newest album, and two of those songs were under fifty seconds combined. This is in spite of the fact that the tour they’re on is named after their new album, “California.” The songs they did decide to play from the new album were songs that I actually really enjoy. I think my favorite part of the night was hearing “Built this Pool,” a 17 second song about building a pool to see naked dudes, live. Mostly I was just surprised they even played it. The opening band, The Normandys, were pretty good too. They’re a local Tulsa punk band, though they lean into screamo a lit-
tle too much. Despite that, I enjoyed them. They seemed like they were just happy to be opening up for Blink-182. In an impromptu decision, the band started playing “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister, though the lead singer forgot the words halfway into it. The entire night was just so upbeat. Blink seemed like they were just having fun on stage. Bassist Mark Hoppus may have the best stage presence of anyone I’ve ever seen live and drummer Travis Barker was absolutely crazy. That energy definitely transferred to the crowd. It honestly lived up to all of my expectations.
25 September 2017
Variety
The Collegian: 11
Sacrilege in Sharp Chapel with Tom Perrotta
Booksmart Tulsa and TU’s English/Creative Writing program collaboratively hosted Tom Perrotta, author of “The Leftovers” and, recently, “Mrs. Fletcher.” Ethan Veenker Variety Editor
Last Wednesday, author Tom Perrotta came to TU and spoke about MILF porn for awhile. There was, of course, plenty of nervous laughter present already, but I found myself unable to ignore that the reading was in Sharp Chapel. The stained-glass portrait of Jesus towered over Perrotta and seemed to lean down, holding a finger up and staring at him as if to chastise him. Perrotta has published nine books, seven of which are novels, the other two short story collections. He is best known for “Election” and “Little Children,” and more recently for “The Leftovers,” which had a television adaptation that aired on HBO. As far as novelists go, Perrotta is unique for also being a screenwriter, having adapted several of his works for the big screen (or for TV). Before the main event, I was among students from some film and creative writing classes that got 45 minutes with Perrotta for a more involved Q&A session. We got perhaps six questions in, because authors tend to be long-winded; so I’ve realized after attending several poetry and book readings. A large portion of our pre-show discussion revolved around Perrotta’s life before his career as a successful novelist and screenwriter. He completed his MFA at Syracuse in creative writing, and said that a master’s degree is useless if you’re unpublished. He took three years to write his first novel, working as a teacher on the side and eventually landing a job as a writing tutor in New Haven, Connecticut (a position he called the “lowest rung” in the academic ladder). He eventually went on to teach composition at Harvard, though he never had a position teaching creative writing anywhere. After his novel “Election” was adapted into a successful film (adapted before it was actually published), he was offered a job writing for TV and film. Here he described to us the stereotypical rankings of writing merit, with literature and poetry being at the top and film and television being at the bottom. This held fast in his mind as he took the screenwriting position, though he made sure he didn’t “sell out.” The differences between film and literature are vast, of course, but what stuck out to Perrotta most was the differences with which each genre handled tone. Where most films or television shows are centered around one tone (e.g. a comedy, or a drama), he finds that novels can be very “tonally intermittent.” Perrotta didn’t hold back regarding the anxieties that came with balancing workingfor-a-living and writing, particularly in his pre-published years. Perrotta wrote three novels before he published one, and he re-
called friends who had written one unpublished novel and then just “dropped out,” dropped writing and focused on a career to support their families. He didn’t disparage their decisions, just their lost talent, because many of them he considered better writers than himself. He pulled no punches when describing the hardships of the writing world to us naïve undergrad students. Perrotta stuck it out though, and he’s one of the ones that made it. What helped particularly was combining writing and working for a living, something that came with his new screenwriting position, though the job wasn’t without its issues. Writing collaboratively was a new challenge for him. He was now in a room filled with other writers who all had their own ideas and volition, which of course made crafting his vision difficult. He had to learn to mold his vision together with the visions of everyone else. He was particularly and understandably defensive when adapting his own work, such as during the first season of “The Leftovers.” Eventually, though, he taught himself to stand back from his own vision “and allow the other writers to take it into new territory.” We ended our discussion with Perrotta with tips on writing itself. “You should just be reading voraciously,” he said. The writer should also be passionate about their reading. “Try new things until you can find one that works,” he added. He cited musicians that constantly practiced and showed an intense love for listening to music to illustrate both of his points. He lastly suggested that we not go into a piece with the mindset “I’m writing a novel.” He posited that the ideas should sprout for themselves into whatever they become, short story, novella, novel or trilogy.
Perrotta’s new novel speaks on topics like pornography and sexuality.
us that www.MILFateria.com would soon redirect to his website. In the excerpt Perrotta read, Eve has dinner with a young coworker. Eve is at first daydreaming about pornography, particularly about the particular format of the upset young girl being slowly groomed by an older, more mature woman. “Nothing that can’t be solved with a backrub, or cunnilingus,” Eve thinks. Amanda, the younger coworker, talks about a transsexual that she watched transition for four years. Without knowing much else about the novel, the whole interaction implies larger themes than simple porn addiction: the novel is about the nature of sexuality itself, as seen through the eyes of a timid, middleaged woman.
“Perrotta assured us that www.MILFateria. com would soon redirect to his website.” The night’s main event featured Perrotta reading from his most recent novel, “Mrs. Fletcher.” The venue, Sharp Chapel, proved to be perhaps better housing for the large crowd but with awkward acoustics. Perrotta had a microphone when he spoke that helped a bit, but during the Q&A session particularly the echo was nearly unbearable. Beyond the minor technical issues, though, Perrotta gave a deadpan and softspoken reading of an excerpt from “Mrs. Fletcher.” He described the novel as being about a middle-aged woman, Eve, coming home to an empty nest after dropping her son off at college. After receiving an anonymous text referring to her as a MILF, she researches the curious description. She of course found a burgeoning genre of pornography (through a website called MILFateria) that disgusted but intrigued her. As the novel progresses, she becomes addicted to pornography and it leaks into her life in interesting ways. Perrotta assured
Perrotta’s writing is lively and hilarious, and his underhanded delivery gives the punchlines that much more punch. It was downright shocking to see that sweet man talking about MILF porn at a church pulpit, but there he was. The dinner between coworkers ended with an awkward kiss that Eve took the initiative with. Having misread the situation, she’s horrified to see Amanda’s shocked reaction, and later on she texts her, apologizing profusely once more. Amanda promises she wouldn’t tell anyone, and calls her by the name of the alter-ego Eve had created at the dinner table, someone she wished she could be, providing the excerpt with a hopeful ending. The Q&A session, as stated previously, was rather echoey and difficult to understand. More lights came on at this point, and the massive figure of Christ was blinded behind Perrotta.
courtesy Scribner Publishing
Most questions involved the production of “The Leftover” television show, though there was an interesting question that lead to an interesting insight about the cover of “Little Children,” a book with apparently large amounts of sex. Perrotta understandably didn’t want a book called “Little Children” with sex represented in some manner on the cover, so what eventually went to print was an image of two fish on a lawn. Perrotta let slip another interesting insight into his life as a writer, mentioning that his fiction consumption slows considerably when he’s working on something. He said that crime fiction is the exception, but that he otherwise reads copious amounts of nonfiction. The final two questions fell back onto the usual writing questions: how much do you write each day and how far do you think ahead as you’re writing. Perrotta says he tries to write “something new every day.” Not 500 words, or 1000 words, though if he reaches that quota then he’s happy all the same. Something like a paragraph a day is enough to keep him going. He also says “I can never see far down the road,” seeming to imply he doesn’t outline his novels too well. Of course, when the end is in sight he races to it, but he usually writes his novels at a lax pace, allowing the story to take itself wherever it goes. Perrotta’s reading was raunchy, entertaining and insightful. As the line for autographs started forming, I thought about how I’d like to read “Mrs. Fletcher” (though I wasn’t willing to dish out the $28 they were charging at the event). In our previous, smaller setting before the book reading itself, he mentioned that he was currently writing the pilot for a “Mrs. Fletcher” series on HBO. There should be plenty of non-pornographic MILF-related fiction for those who were needing it.
Pulitzer Prize-finalist visits Tulsa, discusses complex new novel Eowyn Ivey published “To the Bright Edge of the World” on the heels of Pulitzer-nominated “The Snow Child” with Alaska in its heart. Ethan Veenker Variety Editor On Monday the 18th, 108 Contemporary in the Brady Arts District hosted a book reading for Eowyn Ivey, a Pulitzer Prize finalist. That is to say the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, for which she was a finalist with her debut novel “The Snow Child.” An Alaskan-native, Ivey is on a book tour for her second novel, “To the Bright Edge of the World.” It revolves around a group of men who set off to explore the Alaskan wilderness, encountering along the way native tribes and their very real folklore.
questions regarding it during the Q&A section of the night, Ivey mostly spoke about and steered direction to “To the Bright Edge of the World.” A spokeswoman for Booksmart Tulsa described the genre as magic realism. Ivey later responded, saying that the genre wasn’t one she personally related to. “I try to write what I want to read,” she said. To research for the book, Ivey spent countless hours poring over 19th century documents detailing actual expeditions into the Alaskan wilderness, taking particular inspiration from a set of diary entries written by an expeditionist. From what I could gather, this is the style in which the novel is written: through journal entries. In addition, Ivey mentioned that she wanted a map for the inner cover of the novel and hired an artist to draft one for her. She unwittingly gave the artist a huge chal-
As they come across a flock, they notice a huge, interwoven group of women bathing in the pond the geese have landed on. They accidentally make some noise, and both parties are startled. The way in which Ivey described the chaos was particularly arresting. She made great use of audial imagery, describing in effortless detail the way the honks of the geese mixed in with the screeches and cries of the women, as they all ran and flew around. The men, unwilling to risk hitting any of the women, stayed their guns and merely watched the spectacle. Another group of natives were apparently also present and rained arrows down on the geese without care for the women. One was eventually pierced through and nailed into a tree, and as the expeditioners approached her they noticed something strange in the way she blinked, and in how her fingers were webbed with claws on the end.
“‘I try to write what I want to read...’” Eowyn Ivey worked as a journalist and then in a bookstore before publishing “The Snow Child” in 2011. Beyond the obvious accolade of being a finalist for a Pulitzer, it has also been published in over 25 languages. This was Ivey’s first time in Tulsa, so of course she made an obligatory comment on the heat that was met with hearty laughter around the room. She invited the whole audience to come visit Alaska sometime. As impressive as the buzz around “The Snow Child” is, and despite the countless
lenge, because despite the novel being basically geographically accurate, lots of details are invented, such as a fictitious Wolverine River. Ivey also spent a lot of time studying native Alaskan folklore and legends, using in particular an anthropology book by Richard Nelson. She used the myths she’d researched as actual events in her novel that the expedition would have to work through or overcome. In the excerpt she read, for example, a group of the expeditioners decide they’re hungry and go to hunt some Canada geese.
The excerpt ended with the men returning empty handed and dumbfounded with what they’d witnessed. The whole scene was based off an old native folk tale about how men used to have to chase a woman if they wanted her, because otherwise she’d turn into a goose and fly off. A short Q&A session began after she finished with the excerpt. She briefly discussed a myriad of topics, such as the prevalence of Russian folklore in Alaska and of photography in the novel. Regarding the latter, she used YouTube videos and 19th century camera manuals she found on Google Books.
She mentioned also how Alaskans call the season of spring “breakup,” because of the breaking of the ice that clogs the rivers and streams in the cold months. She was fascinated by the seeming brutality and violence of nature in this way, how great swaths of land were torn apart by merely the cyclical passing of time, a theme which apparently comes out in her novels. Her mother is a fellow writer: a poet, specifically. Ivey’s method of critique is very secluded, limited to family members and her agent. She struck a deal with her mother in which they each shared pieces of their work with each other as it piled up, and they were only allowed to give positive feedback. Her mother proved to be a helpful figure in literary life, pushing her to get an agent that would eventually help her publish “The Snow Child.” She described her mother’s incredulous, unbelieving response to learning that Ivey was a Pulitzer finalist. She also mentioned how her mother is a big fan of Lord of the Rings, and it is in fact where Ivey’s first name, Eowyn, comes from. As the night started to wrap up, Ivey told us a humbling anecdote. During spring (or “breakup”), as the ice and frost was thawing around the Alaskan frontier, she was one day cleaning her hen-house. Given the particularly moist and warm time of the year, this was of course a particularly disgusting cleaning session. As she went about doing it, she suddenly thought “Wait a minute, I’m a Pulitzer finalist?” Cleaning away in the hen-house, she reflected warmly on how her life hadn’t changed even due to her debut’s runaway success. She would continue doing what she loved, and one can safely assume she would have even if she’d never been in the running for a Pulitzer.
Sports
25 September 2017
The Collegian: 12
Another week of football heartbreak Tulsa ends its nonconference schedule with their third loss of the season, putting up their lowest scoring output of Coach Montgomery’s tenure. Joe Edmonds Sports Correspondent This week, Tulsa welcomed the New Mexico Lobos to Chapman Stadium. Both teams were trying to steady their season coming off of a loss that dropped them below .500 at 1-2. Early on, the Lobos offense was effective and they moved the ball down the field with relative ease. The Tulsa defense struggled to stop the run option, and New Mexico scored on their first possession to take the lead. When the Golden Hurricane took the field, they struggled to find any offensive rhythm. Just one week after having three different players run for over 100 yards, only D’Angelo Brewer could get anything going. He rushed for 131 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown, but it was not enough. Despite stacking the box to curtail TU’s running game, quarterback Chad President was not able to do any damage through the air, completing just 13 passes for 131 yards.
These trends continued throughout the game, though the Lobos started to have some problems of their own on offense. While Tulsa struggled to move the ball down the field, New Mexico moved the ball well but couldn’t put more points on the board. The Tulsa defense gave up a lot of yards, but forced a couple of fumbles and an interception, keeping the game within reach. In the lowest scoring game of the season for the Golden Hurricane, the score was tied at 13-13 with five minutes remaining. The Lobos had the ball, and used their running game to take time off the clock. They managed to get in range for a long field goal, and used a timeout to stop the clock just before the game ended. For the second week in a row, the Golden Hurricane football team had to watch their hopes fade as the ball sailed through the goalposts with 0:00 on the clock. Now with a 1-3 record on the season, Tulsa will face their first conference opponent of the season next week when 3-0 Navy visits. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
A late goal dooms men’s soccer against Creighton, while the women lose at home to Houston in their conference opener. Joe Edmonds Sports Correspondent
Near the end of the first half, Gustavo Vargas scored the first goal of his college career to put Tulsa on top. The Golden Hurricane defense held strong for most of the second half, keeping that lead intact. But, with less than a minute left in the game, Creighton was able to break through scoring a goal to tie the game at 1-1. The match went into overtime, and Creighton scored in the first overtime period to secure the victory. The loss drops Tulsa to 2-31 on the year, making their earlier win over no. 1 Stanford seem more and more like a fluke. Up next is another touch challenge, as No. 19 ranked conference rival SMU Mustangs visit Tulsa on Sunday afternoon.
In their first conference game of the season, Tulsa fell to Houston by a score of 3-1. The Cougars got on the board quickly, scoring the first goal of the game just 6 minutes in. The rest of the first half passed without another score. In the second half, Houston was able to push their lead to two goals before Tulsa was able to score their only goal of the game with 13 minutes remaining. Down 2-1 at that point, the Golden Hurricane tried to get another goal to even the score. However, Houston wasn’t done scoring themselves, and added another to solidify their 3-1 victory. The 2-7-2 (0-1 American Athletic Conference) Golden Hurricane will face SMU at home on Sunday afternoon for their next game.
Hurricane Scoreboard Football Sept. 23: New Mexico 16 - Tulsa 13 Women’s Soccer Sept. 17: Tulsa 3 - Missouri St. 2 2 OT Sept. 21: Houston 3 - Tulsa 1 Men’s Soccer Sept. 19: Creighton 2 - Tulsa 1 OT
Monday
Tuesday 25
Golf Individual Scores: 2. Johanna Samuelsson (E) T17. Olivia Jackson (+12) T24. Anneke Strobach (+14) T24. Nicole Marquardt (+14) T30. Taylor Dobson (+17) T40. Randi Romack (+21)
26
Women’s Golf vs. No Events Oklahoma Scheduled
27
No Events Scheduled
Thursday
Aaron Hernandez is a Bad Dude We learned some disturbing new information about Aaron Hernandez this week. The former New England Patriots tight end who hanged himself earlier this year while serving a lifetime prison sentence for murder in the first degree, had been diagnosed by the Boston University’s CTE center with stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy at the time of his death. Hernandez’s fiancee and daughter then sued the NFL and the Patriots. Now look, I’m neither a legal nor a medical expert. I know that CTE has been strongly linked to depression and suicide, so maybe his family technically has a leg to stand on with this lawsuit. But if I am supposed to have even the slightest amount of sympathy for this man, I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that I am not having any of it. I’ve seen it suggested by some that it was the trauma done to Hernandez’s brain by repeated football injuries that caused him to act out violently. As if a few concussions justify the brutal killing of Odin Lloyd. As if he wasn’t a troubled youth going back to high school and college, with connections to gang life and violent crime during his time at the University of Florida. This was a story of a piece of human debris, plain and simple, and it is despicable that the CTE discussion, which is such an important one for player health and well-being, should become a part of it. Fight of the Year Speaking of violent sports known for giving its participants brain damage, did you catch the Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin superfight last week? As I wrote following the Mayweather-McGregor travesty, this was the matchup that should have been setting the sports world aflame, two big-name fighters in their actual primes contesting the unified middleweight championship. And in terms of action, it actually delivered! There weren’t any knockdowns, which might be a bit of a turnoff for casual fans, but Canelo and GGG showcased the very best of their respective styles all night. In the end I think Golovkin probably should have been awarded the W. On the offensive for the majority of the fight, he displayed his legendary iron chin by walking through most of Alvarez’s counterpunches and landing significantly more power shots. Still, I would not have been upset with the actual decision (a draw) if not for the card that went in Alvarez’s favor. Adalaide Byrd awarded him a 118-110 decision, an incomprehensibly lopsided score that neither fighter could have possibly deserved. Maybe this was corruption, maybe it was sheer incompetence, but as is seemingly always the case with boxing, it put a dark cloud on an otherwise terrific bout. Welcome Melo, So Long Enes I’ll go into this deal a lot more as the NBA season approaches, but we should make a note of it now: Carmelo Anthony is now a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 34-yearold superstar was traded from the Knicks for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a secondround draft pick. I’ll miss Big Turkey, a relic from a past era and one of the best post players in the league. I don’t know how the ball-hogging Anthony will mesh with new teammates Russell Westbrook and Paul George, but this will certainly make for an interesting year in the West.
Team Results: 1. Kansas St. - 881 2. Kansas - 898 3. Tulsa - 899
Wednesday
the
bleacher creature?
Tough seasons continue for TU soccer
This week, the Golden Hurricane men’s soccer team travelled to Omaha to face off against the Creighton Bluejays. The two teams have played a tight set of games over the past few years, and this game proved to be more of the same.
Justin Guglielmetti is…
Sept. 25- Sept. 31 Saturday
Friday
28
29
Sunday
30
Cross Country @ Cowboy Jamboree 9 a.m.
Men’s Soccer @ UCF Women’s 8 p.m. Men’s Tennis Soccer @
UCF 5:30 p.m.
Volleyball @ Cincinnati 6 p.m.
vs. ITA All-American
Championships
Football vs. Navy 2:30 p.m.
31
Volleyball @ ECU 12 p.m. Women’s Soccer @ USF 12 p.m.
The Collegian: 13
Sports
25 September 2017
Golden Hurricane downgraded to tropical storm
D’Angelo Brewer dives in for a score early in the second quarter, his 5th rushing touchdown of the year.
Chad President attempts a pass under heavy pressure.
photos by Dalton
The State-Run Media
25 September 2017
the
State-Run media Nothing if not consistent
5 tips to make the least of your dorm room space
The State-Run writer Sam Beckmann gives you his top tips to make your dorm as unusable and as much of a fire hazard as possible. Sam Beckmann Has a square foot of open space
Everyone’s favorite wax statue of a president in Beckmann’s doorway.
graphic by Madeline Woods
Let’s face it, there’s never enough space in your dorm room. Between the beds, desks, mini-fridge and life-size wax sculpture of Teddy Roosevelt, it can start feeling a bit cramped. Never fear, though! The State-Run is here to provide you with five tips to ensure there’s absolutely no space left whatsoever for you or your roommate
will have a chance to appreciate what a great president he was. Barely being able to get through the door is a small sacrifice comparatively. 3.) Buy as many of those plastic storage containers from Target as you possibly can. Place the smaller storage containers inside the larger ones, and the larger ones inside the huge ones. Then place the huge ones wherever the seem to fit around the room, including on your roommate’s side. With such effective use of storage containers, you are well on your way to creating an excellently arranged dorm room! 4.) Buy your own microwave, mini-fridge and TV, separate from your roommate’s, to more easily organize the room. Everyone
GOP bored with Ted Cruz’s “Place your life-size wax sculpture of porn preference Teddy Roosevelt in the front door.”
The Republican Party finds Cruz’s sex life just as boring as his work life. Democrats rejoice. Sara Serrano Hates Cruz’s taste in porn
When news broke that Ted Cruz had liked a pornographic video on Twitter late Monday night, the general public was taken aback. However, those most shocked were members Cruz’s own party, all tensely awaiting to hear exactly what Cruz preferred when it came to smut. “To be honest, I thought it was going to be some fem-dom or bondage stuff. I could see it; he could be kinky.” said Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, “But no, he goes for some vanilla threesome porno. It makes me just hate him even more.” The porn in question featured a woman, her ‘step-daughter’ and a male friend. Most GOP members were not impressed. “I have lost what little respect I had for Cruz.” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. “Back in my day, our options were limited. So having such a boring taste in porn was understandable. But he has the entire internet at his fingertips and he goes with something so tame? It’s dull, really.” “Sad. @tedcruz” tweeted President Donald Trump in response to the like. Cruz is now claiming that the like was actually made by one of his staffers, but most of his colleagues agree that this is just a cover up for having a unimaginative sex life.
“We’re not yet certain who on my team liked the tweet,” Cruz explains, “But whoever they may be, and it’s not me, everyone can see that their preference in, um, content of that particular nature is perfectly interesting and I’m sure that their ‘bedroom activities’ are very fulfilling. Again, it was not me.” The Twittersphere has gone wild with reactions: “I’m just surprised it was straight porn.” tweeted @saltyLllama23. “This is why I voted democrat.” tweeted @fionafiddler. “No #sheeple, don’t you get it? This is just a trick to distract us from the G-mens’ plot to take away our free porn!! #wakeup #openyoureyes” tweeted @trustn01. The Democratic Party has taken advantage of the publicity surrounding this event and has been quick to launch a rebranding campaign. “After some thoughtful deliberation, we’ve come up with ‘The Democratic Party: More Opportunities. More Excitement’ for our new slogan.” says House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. “If we’re ever going to have the majority in the House or Senate again, we’re going to need to garner support from a much greater variety of people than we have in the past. And what’s the one thing that everyone can agree on? Kinky porn.” The like has now been deleted, but the ridicule directed towards Cruz from Twitter and his colleagues has yet to cease and, given their preexisting of hatred Cruz, likely never will.
to actually live! 1.) Place your bed in the middle of the room. This is an easy one to start with. Most college students tend to put their bed up against a wall, or in a corner. The problem with this is obvious: If you put your bed against a wall, you only have space on one side of the bed. If you place your bed in the middle of the room, you can instead have a bit of space on either side! Not enough to actually do anything with, of course, but enough so that it feels so much better. 2.) Roosevelt in front of the door. I know it might be tempting to keep the sculpture tucked away next to the mini-fridge or something, but good old Teddy deserves a much better location than that. By putting him smack dab in the face of anyone that opens the door, you can guarantee all guests
knows that symmetry is beautiful. So nothing will help the look of your dorm room more than placing your own microwave, mini-fridge and TV on the opposite side of the room as your roommate’s to make the room more symmetric. Plus, no more arguments about whose food is whose! Plus, you have the space for it after moving Teddy, so why not! 5.) Buy a large couch from a nearby yard sale. Yard sales are excellent places to pick up cheap furniture! A thrifty shopper only needs to spend a few bucks to pick up an old large couch to surprise your roommate with! And, the best part about having a couch is it finally gives you a reason to buy those three life-size wax sculptures of Teddy Roosevelt in a sitting position you’ve always wanted buy but haven’t seen a use for. Win-win!
A guide to bidets on campus The State Run gives you the be-allend-all instructional handbook for bidet toilets around TU’s campus. Sam Harrell Knows his shit If you’re new to TU and are still getting the hang of things, or have been here for years and still don’t know what the hell you’re doing, then either you’re majoring in organic chemistry or this article’s for you! Listen up, ever heard of a bidet toilet? If not, google it, take a second to process that they’re a thing, come back, and make sure you’re sitting down, possibly on a bidet, because that’s right...TU’s got ‘em! Yep, there are confirmed to be at least four bidet locations on campus including
the ceiling, the gear shift and control knob should extend from the floor but sometimes it gets stuck, and the fire extinguisher is in the corner. 2.) Operation To operate the bidet, all you need is a graphing calculator and the user manual provided in the seat compartment to adjust the settings to your preference. Once you’ve made your calculations, simply pick your aim to be front or back (refer to diagrams) and adjust the pressure as needed. It ranges from 1-5, 1 being like a water fountain and 5 being the infamous Los Angeles St. Francis dam failure of 1928. 3.) Completion Before beginning the completion process, you should allow water flow for at least 2025 minutes or until somebody comes in and
“To operate the bidet, all you need is a graphing calculator and the user manual...”
John Mabee bidet at pressure level 4.
graphic by Madeline Woods
John Mabee, Hardesty, Lottie Jane and the Reynolds Center. Though it is rumored that deep within the underground TU tunnels, there lies a mysterious, jewel encrusted Mayan bidet presumed to be the first one ever created. It is also rumored to house the soul of a witch doctor to keep it from clogging. Super cursed and stuff though, 3/10. Before I begin the instructions, for those of you who have never experienced a bidet, your feeling of uncertainty is understandable. But I assure you that there is nothing to fear but fear and social persecution itself. Now to the good stuff... 1.) Preparation The mechanism is very simple, once you sit down there is a control panel to your right, the seat belt is attached to the bottom, the overhead display will descend from
you get embarrassed. Once you’ve let the sweet tides of Eden cleanse your unmentionables to sparkling perfection, you’re ready to enter the drying stage. Unlike the other steps, this one’s a little tricky because the dryer button is the last one in the row and it’s kinda far away so you have to like turn a little bit to reach it. Then simply wait for the dryer to do its job and you’re good to go. There is also toilet paper included in the stall in case you need to dry a little more or you wimp out and use it like a regular toilet. Well there you have it! A guide to bidets on campus, or what I wanted to call it, Three Truly Trendy Tricks To A Totally Taintless Tush. Proof that college students have a lot more in common with the elderly and handicapped than you thought.