Collegian: 28 Feb 2012 Issue, Volume 97

Sports

Men’s track and field wins C-USA indoor crown p. 4

Variety

Oscar short film reviews p. 7

a student newspaper of the university of tulsa

Opinion

TU wealth contrasts with surrounding poverty p. 9

february 28, 2012 issue 19 ~ volume 97

Volunteers from the RUF tore down a wall and ripped out carpet for the Baptist Children’s Home in Owasso.

Members of three fraternities and the Baptist Collegiate Ministries hauled junk out of a church garage.

The accounting, finance, MIS honors organization weeded a flowerbed at Kendall-Whittier elementary school.

TU students painted siding at Habitat for Humanity.

TU amasses volunteer hours With its yearly Service Day, TU logs a massive number of volunteer hours. However, the system for recording hours allows internships to count as service.

Emily Callen Staff Writer

“There’s a verse in the Bible that says ‘many hands make the work light,’” said Andy Middleton from Owasso First Assembly church, beaming at the frenzy of activity surrounding him. Middleton gave directions as University of Tulsa students carried pieces of detritus, from plywood sheets to an old toilet, to a dumpster outside the church.

With counts of “One, two, three,

throw,” students lifted their loads over the rim of the dumpster, then returned to the bus garage they were clearing.

Many hands, indeed. In under an hour, the garage was emptied and swept. “It would have taken use three, four, five days if we had done this by ourselves,” said Middleton.

This was just one of many tasks completed by TU volunteers on Service Day last Saturday, which sent students to 32 locations across the city.

TU students spent 24,607 hours volunteering last year.

Of the 3,289 students who participated in service, 1,100 of them volunteered in the Kendall Whittier neighborhood as part of the True Blue Neighbors Initiative.

Most of this work takes place at Kendall Whittier elementary school, just steps from campus.

Despite this spirit of giving, some students express concern about the way service is counted and conducted on campus.

Getting Greek The Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity and social Greek are examples of groups that provide opportunities for team service.

Junior Natalie Stompoly is a member of the Kappa Delta sorority. She said that the sorority usually performed service as a group, often working with local Girl Scout troops.

Greek organizations track their own volunteer hours and submit

them to the Student Volunteer Center. The total hours are calculated using the honor system.

According to Stompoly, the fundraising work Greek organizations perform “counts as service, since it’s going to charity and those organizations need funds.” Asked what she thought about this method of counting, Maddie Laizure, who is a member of APO, said, “I think it’s kosher as long as it’s a reasonable amount of time.”

Caitlin Dryke, also a member of APO, disagreed. Philanthropy events “allow (social Greek organizations) to be divorced from the issue at hand,” Dryke said.

“I get where they’re coming from,” Dryke said, “but they could do so much more. Maybe philanthropy events could count for half

time, since they aren’t purely service.”

“Don’t call these philanthropy events service,” Smith said. “It dilutes the meaning of service. You have to have both, both are important, but they aren’t the same thing.”

Fraternity leadership refered to a TU policy which excludes the use of philanthropy events toward required service hours, but declined to offer specific comment.

Philanthropy events hosted by sororities and fraternities are funded by the student association. At a Kappa Alpha dinner held during the 2010-2011 academic year, SA allocated more money to the event than the event raised.

See Service page 2

NEWS

28 FEBRUARY 2012

THE COLLEGIAN : 2

From Service on cover she said.

International night provides culture, color, spectacle

Senator Autumn Dinkelman said she was upset by this. Events that donate all proceeds to charity, which are often Greek philanthropy events are the only SA-funded events that are permitted to charge admission to students.

“I understand wanted to raise money for charity,” Dinkelman said, “but you’re also doublecharging students.”

Kappa Alpha declined to comment, citing national fraternity policy.

Intern v. Volunteer

Anna Bennett / Collegian

Several international students from Oman perform a comedy sketch at International Night. The sketch took a lighthearted view of the cultural differences between the U.S. and the Middle East.

Dryke sees problems with other aspects of the way service hours are counted. “The line between service and resume padding is already blurry,” she said, and counting unpaid internships as community service.

“I think the skills you get to add to your resume are enough of a reward,” Dryke said, “and an unpaid internship doesn’t necessarily help the community.”

She also questioned the purpose of tracking hours. “It’s to make the University looks good, or to make individual students look good. It dilutes the purpose of service,”

According to Kathy Shelton, Coordinator of the Student Volunteer Center, a large number of volunteer hours are performed by law students who work in unpaid internships over the summer.

These students often work full time and are not paid, and their placements must conform to Volunteer Center Guidelines, meaning they must work for a non-profit. Internships often take place in cities other than Tulsa.

The Upside of Service Many students volunteer in groups, and service time can double as bonding time.

Senior Emory Cate acts as a service coordinator on the rowing team and is in charge of finding volunteer opportunities for the team.

“A lot of girls really like (volunteering),” Cate said, “it’s a lot of fun when you’re there with your friends.”

Cate, who regularly volunteers with the Day Spring Villa domestic violence shelter in Sand Springs and the Caring Center at the First Baptist Church in Tulsa, says that volunteering has helped her feel like a part of the greater

Tulsa community.

“Volunteering, especially off campus and out in the community, give you a connection,” Cate said. “My fiancé and I are looking pretty seriously at staying in Tulsa after graduation.”

Volunteering also helped Cate develop skills she will need in her career. Cate, who studies sociology and anthropology, plans to work in social services.

“I get to experience interacting with domestic violence victims and the homeless, not just hear what people say (about those groups),” Cate said.

According to Shelton, volunteering has many benefits. “Volunteering reduces stress,” she said.“It makes you feel good and you’re helping someone. We all want to improve the world.” Service is an essential part of TU, Shelton said.

“Service is in our motto, it’s part of our culture, it’s in our DNA.” Shelton’s office connects interested students with volunteer positions and partners with over 65 community agencies. Students seeking volunteer opportunities should contact the Students Volunteer Center by calling 918-6313535, e-mailing kathy-shelton@ utulsa.edu, or stopping by Holmes Student Center room 25.

ENS Dean Bellovich succumbs to cancer Steven Bellovich, who worked at TU for three decades, died last week, having ushered in a new era for the College of ENS. Molly Noah Student Writer

Steven J. Bellovich, dean of TU’s College of Engineering and Natural Sciences, died last Tuesday at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa after a long battle with cancer.

Bellovich, 67, was born in St. Louis, Mo. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville before receiving a doctorate in geography from the University of Nebraska.

Bellovich began teaching at TU in 1972 as an assistant professor of earth sciences. He served as acting dean at various times until he was appointed Dean of ENS in 1995. Bellovich continued as an associate professor of geosciences and taught one class a semester throughout his time as dean.

Bellovich has led the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences through its recent phase of expan-

sion, including the construction of two new buildings—J. Newton Rayzor Hall and Stephenson Hall.

Roger Blais, TU’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, said that Bellovich recognized the need for more ENS space, and worked patiently for years to achieve that goal. “The two new buildings are a permanent memorial to his vision and persistence,” Blais said.

Colleagues said that Bellovich was very energetic about reaching out to the community around TU. “He seemed always to be motivated by a genuine desire to improve the welfare of our college and to do what was right,”

Bellovich began to think carefully about his legacy.

“This is what I want my legacy to be: engineering that makes a difference in people’s lives, engineering that counts,” Bellovich said last spring, according to McCoy. “This is what I will work for every day that is left to me.”

Bellovich was very committed to building the ENS program at TU and he made an impact on the everyday lives of engineering students.

“He was very instrumental in getting fantastic laboratory equipment for all the Chemistry labs, which has greatly impacted my time at TU as a biochemistry ma-

that Sustainable Engineering for Needy and Emerging Areas had on TU’s image “SENEA owes a lot of its success to the support we received from the administration,” TU alumna Maria Holland said. “Dr. Bellovich was definitely an advocate for us. At least one trip, our assessment trip to an orphanage in Svay Rieng, Cambodia over the 2010 Christmas break, was paid for by funds from Dean Bellovich.

Without that financial support, the trip might not have happened.”

Bellovich was described as a talented administrator who cared about students and the ENS program, and met the challenges of

“This is what I want my legacy to be: engineering that makes a difference in people’s lives, engineering that counts” Professor Jerry McCoy said. “He was careful with college funds, but did not hesitate to dig deep in his deanly pockets when he came across a project that commended itself to him for its altruism.”

After his diagnosis with cancer,

jor,” senior Lauren Bull said. “He was passionate about what he did and fought for the best environment and experience for students.

Bellovich was also very committed to student organizations.

Bellovich saw the positive impact

the deanship with collegiality, clarity of vision and decisive leadership.

“The important thing to him was to keep moving in the right direction,” Blais said.

He is survived by his wife, Janet

Courtesy utulsa.edu

Bellovich; two sons, John and Michael Bellovich; and two grandsons.

y of ate mation.

MAR CH 1

, 2012

Each year, up to $500,000 is awarded to student majoring in petroleum-related fields at the University of Oklahoma, the University of Tulsa and Okla homa State University. Visit oerb.com/scholarships for more information. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2012.

11OET9777_Scholarship_TU resize_5.25x10.5.indd 1

1/27/12 2:51 PM

TUE 2/28:

WED 2/29:

FRI 3/2:

Race to Nowhere

Creation and Evolution

Dead Man Walking

TU’s School of Urban Education will screen the documentary “Race to Nowhere.”

The film, by director and mother Vicki Abeles, explores the consequences of the intense pressure experienced by some young people. The film will show at the 7 p.m. at the Lorton Performing Arts Center.

Tickets are $10, and can be purchased at rtnuniversityoftulsa.eventbrite.com

Dr. Lenn Goodman of Vanderbilt will speak on religious and scientific perspectives on the origin of life. Goodman specializes in Islamic and Jewish thought.

He will speak at 7:30 p.m., on Feb. 29 in the OneOK room of Helmerich Hall.

The Tulsa Opera brings “Dead Man Walking,” Jake Heggie’s operatic adaptation of a book by Sister Helen Prejean, in which a murderer on death row becomes pen pals with a nun, who helps him find love and redemption. The opera will play 7:30 p.m. March 2 and 2:30 p.m. March 4 at the Tulsa Performing Arts center. The PAC’s website says, “This opera is not recommended for those under 18 years of age, due to brief violence and nudity.

NEWS

THE COLLEGIAN : 3

Eye on the world:

Jinan ElSabbagh Student Writer

Africa CAMEROON Three Cameroonian women were arrested by police after they were accused of being in a lesbian love triangle.

Homosexuality is illegal in Cameroon, as in most African countries. If convicted, the women

Asia SOUTH KOREA

face a maximum of five years in prison. This is the first case involving women.

Although it is not common to be arraigned on homosexuality charges, the past year has seen a crackdown on the homosexual community.

The love triangle was reported to the police after the husband of one of the women learned about his wife’s infidelity.

Cameroon’s penal code prescribes six month to five years in prison for homosexual behavior.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is urging China to not arrest and repatriate North Korean defectors.

More than 20,000 North Korean refugees have entered China, assisted by human rights activists, smugglers and missionaries.

However, Chinese authorities consider these refugees illegal immigrants and have been arresting them to be deported back to North Korea.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry will be seeking the United Nations Human Rights Council’s aid in pressuring the Chinese government to halt deportations in the coming weeks.

South America ARGENTINA An Argentinean commuter train crash killed 49 passengers and injured more than 600.

fraternity crest had been removed from the wall. The crest was a large item that was screwed down.

There was no member present at the time the item was taken. There are no suspects at this time.

Feb. 16 258 a.m.

An officer on patrol was dispatched to a Lorton Village apartment to the report of a suspicious lock change.

Upon arrival, the officer met with the reporting party who stated that he had returned to his apartment and discovered that the door knob to his bedroom had been changed without his knowledge or request.

His roommate observed this change take place earlier in the day. Officers were able to determine that the lock change executed at the request of Housing due to an unauthorized lock.

2:31 p.m.

An officer was dispatched to the Kappa Alpha Theta house to the report of a suspicious person at the door.

Upon arrival, the officer met with witnesses who provided a physical description of the suspect. Officers searched the area but were not able to locate any person matching the description.

It was later determined that the suspect was observed and the caller waited over 15 minutes to call security.

8:25 p.m.

An officer was dispatched to the Fisher West Suites to the report of an unauthorized room entry.

Upon arrival, the officer met with the reporting party who stated that he had left his room earlier that morning and returned in the evening to find his belongings scattered throughout his room.

There was no sign of forced entry.

Feb. 18 5:02 p.m.

An officer was dispatched to the Pi Kappa Alpha House to the report of a stolen item.

Upon arrival, the officer met with a member of the fraternity who reported that the

28 FEBRUARY 2012 On Wednesday, the train carrying more than 800 passengers crashed into the platform and destroyed the engine. The Argentinean-based Trenes de Buenos Aires, which owns the train, immediately issued an explanatory statement acknowledging that the train “wasn’t able to stop,” though there is not enough information to determine the crash’s cause. It was the third-deadliest crash in Argentinean history.

Europe GEORGIA A failed assassination attempt against Abkhazian president Aleksandr Z. Ankvab cast doubt on security measures in the Russianbacked rebel Georgian enclave.

Ankvab, an influential businessman, became president after a highly contested election in 2011, and has survived six assassination attempts since he was appointed prime minister in 2005.

His bodyguard was killed in this recent attack involving a grenade

launcher, roadside bomb and assault rifles.

Previous attacks also included bombs and grenade launchers targeting Ankvab’s convoy and his house. There have been no suspects since the initial attempt in 2005.

Middle East IRAQ Coordinated bomb attacks and shootings targeting Shia and Iraqi police have killed 55 people and injured hundreds more over the past week.

Although no group has claimed responsibility, Iraqi officials believe al-Qaeda in Iraq is to blame.

Such attacks on checkpoints, commuters, police stations and other government sites have increased since the last U.S. combat troops left the country in December.

A 52-year-old injured passerby, Abdul Razaq al-Zaidi, said, “Iraq will be like this for 10 or 15 years, we are used to it. This is a part of our lives.”

“Vagina Monologues” returns after four years

8:54 p.m.

An officer was dispatched to the John Mabee Hall to the report of some stolen clothing.

Upon arrival, the officer met with the victim who stated that he had returned from shopping and left his bag of newly purchased clothing on his bed. He left but did not lock his door. Upon his return, the items were missing.

Feb. 19

6:10 a.m.

An officer was dispatched to the John Mabee Hall to the report of an unauthorized person in a room.

Upon arrival, the officer met with the reporting party who stated that he returned to his room and found an unknown person sleeping on his bed.

The officer woke the person and discovered that it was a student registered to the floor below. The student appeared to be intoxicated.

Officers escorted the student to the proper room.

6:33 a.m.

An officer responded to the John Mabee Hall in reference to a fire alarm.

Upon arrival, the fire panel identified the location of the alarm. The officer proceeded to the indicated room and discovered a smoking pipe and smoking tobacco still burning within the room.

The occupants returned and admitted to smoking within the room, thus triggering the alarm.

11:11 a.m.

An officer was dispatched to the John Mabee Hall to the report of medical emergency.

Upon arrival, the officer met with the victim. The victim stated that he was playing soccer a week prior and injured his knee. He was walking and suddenly could not stand.

The student requested EMSA. EMSA arrived and transported him to St. Johns Medical Center.

Unique performance inspires

Young Wang / Collegian

Guest artist Keith Kirchoff appeared at TU on Feb. 23 in an event hosted by Phi Mu Alpha and Sigma Alpha in Lorton PAC’s Gussman Concert Hall. The evening included a unique presentation of Christopher Bigg’s “BFG” on a miniature toy piano accompanied by live electronics.

Allec Wallace / Collegian

Sophomore Tess Cain presents a monologue entitled “Reclaiming Cunt” in which she represents a woman who rethought a typically pejorative term into a positive and empowering one. Monologues throughout the evening discussed everything from the joys of sexuality to the horrors of abuse.

SA Senate grants charters to three new groups A list of all the bills passed or failed by the SA Senate at its 21 February 2012 meeting.

Spring Bill 26: Grants a charter to Vegetarian Association.

Spring Bill 73: Grants a charter to Robotic Club.

Spring Bill 74: Grants a charter to Omani Student Association.

Spring Bill 75: Grants a charter to TU Producers (temporary name).

Spring Bill 17: Allocates $250 to Nurses Christian Fellowship for Winter Meeting Event Series, including noon meetings in Helmerich 105 on Feb. 27, Mar. 5, and Apr. 2.

Spring Bill 57: Allocates $129.87 to TU Students Acting on Poverty for Fair Trade Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14.

Spring Bill 64: Allocates $260 to University Ambassadors for Tulsa Time Game Night on Feb. 19.

Spring Bill 65: Allocates $400 to TU Ballroom Dance for Weekly Dance Lessons, including 8:15 PM meetings in the Mabee Gym Dance Room on Mar. 1, Mar. 8, Mar. 29, Apr. 5, and Apr. 12.

Spring Bill 66: Allocates $168 to Society of Women Engineers for SWE Meeting on Mar. 12 at noon in Kep U2.

Spring Bill 67: Allocates $210 to TU Linux Users Group for Introductory Meeting on Feb. 17.

Spring Bill 69: Allocates $1300 to Engineers Without Borders for Make an EcoImpact Silent Auction on Mar. 7 at 7:30 PM at the Tulsa Garden Society.

Spring Bill 72: Allocates $210 to Alpha Epsilon Delta for Medical School Information Session on Feb. 23.

Spring Bill : Allocates $237 to TU Men’s Club Soccer for travel to Oklahoma College Club Soccer League in Norman, OK on Feb. 25.

Spring Bill 61: Simplifies the SA Senate’s funding process by consolidating all funding requests into the Event Sponsorship and Travel Allocations funding categories, eliminating Annual Preliminary Allocations, Annual Preliminary Allocations Appeals, New Organization Funding, and Organization Advance Allocations.

Spring Bill 62: Clarifies the FA Guidelines’s limit of funding $7 per unique attending student per event for food.

Spring Bill 63: Removes the FA Guidelines’s ban on elected or appointed members of SA providing “information about allocation applications that would give one organization an advantage over another.” Current SA officers still may not appear before Senate as organizational representatives.

Last week’s cover story inaccurately described the nine Senators who were on the ballot as “new.” Actually, 6 of the 9 had served at least one previous semester. It stated that Senate Vice President Kyra McNamara had appointed Megan Rice and Matthew Kniowski to open seats and confirmed by consensus of the Senate. Actually, the Senate had suspended normal rules to waive the normal GOC interview for candidates, thus allowing the process to be expedited. Finally, the article stated that Senator Rice decided not to run for office.

Rather, Rice was ineligible to be on the ballot because she would have graduated before completing a full term.

28 FEBRUARY 2012

THE COLLEGIAN : 4

Season finale against Memphis awaits Hurricane

With one week left in the regular season, the Golden Hurricane looks to vie for the conference crown with the Memphis Tigers in a nationally televised showdown.

Amanda Schenk Student Writer

With victories over Rice and Tulane, the Golden Hurricane looks to continue its winning streak as it heads into its final two games of the regular season against the University of Alabama Birmingham and conference-leader Memphis.

Saturday night’s game against Tulane was held in New Orleans in front of the Green Wave home crowd, but that did not stop five Tulsa players from scoring in the double-digits.

Freshman Eric McClellan and sophomore Jordan Clarkson each scored 15 points in the game, making this Clarkson’s 25th straight game with double-figure points.

Kodi Maduka posted 12 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and senior Steven Idlet and Scottie Haralson each scored 11 points over the course of the game.

As a result of his scoring against the Green Wave, Idlet now joins the 33 other men in Tulsa history who have scored over 1000 points in their career.

Tulsa had a better shooting percentage than Tulane, shooting 54 percent to Tulane’s 47 percent, and also outrebounded the Green Wave.

Timely baskets by sophomore Tim Peete put the score at 73–69

in favor of the Golden Hurricane with four seconds left in the game, sealing the win for the team.

With this win, Tulsa now has a 17–11 season record, 10–4 in conference play, which ties Southern Miss for second and is just shy of conference-leader Memphis’ 11–3 conference record.

Tulsa’s next game comes Feb. 29, and it will be leaning on its talent, hard work and a little leapyear luck as it pushes for one more road win.

It will take on the 8–6 UAB Blazers in Alabama before returning home to face the Memphis Tigers Saturday in an 11 a.m. home game that will be televised nationally on CBS. An ideal situation for Tulsa would be wins in the next two games, but to claim the conference crown outright, the Hurricane must also rely on some timely losses by opponents.

Southern Miss, which is tied with Tulsa at 10–4 in conference will play Southern Methodist (3– 11 in conference play) on Wednesday while Memphis takes on the 9–5 UCF Knights.

A Tulsa win and Southern Miss and Memphis losses would put Tulsa tied with Memphis after Wednesday, which would leave the regular-season conference champion to be decided by Saturday’s game.

The importance of this game as the Golden Hurricane heads into the post-season will be highlighted by the attendance of CBS television crews, which will broadcast the game nationally.

The Reynold’s Rowdies, will be at the game in full-force, as the

first 5000 fans in attendance will receive white-out t-shirt to wear in front of a national audience. The student group has defined its presence the season as “a collective group of TU students together as one in the Reynolds Center, creating an environment that opposing teams will never forget.”

Just as each day brings us closer to the beginning of March, each basketball game brings us closer to the start of March Madness, the informal name for the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship.

Thirty one teams will receive automatic bids to the “Big Dance,” as it is also known, as the result of having won their respective conference tournament championships.

Thirty seven other teams will receive “at-large” bids to the tournament, which are decided by a selection committee.

In making the decision, which is announced on “Selection Sunday,” the committee considers the rating percentage index of a team (which is a measure of schedule strength or difficulty and how a team does against that schedule), the ranking in national polls, conference record, road record, wins versus ranked opponents and the way a team finishes the regular season.

Thirty two teams that do not make it into the single-elimination tournament will be invited to play in the National Invitation Tournament. All teams that won regularseason conference championships but did not get an invite to the NCAA tournament will be guaranteed an invite to this tournament.

The Golden Hurricane’s poten-

tial participation in these tournaments will depend heavily on the results of the conference tournament, the seeding of which depends on the last two games of the regular season. The C-USA conference tournament, which is to be played in Memphis, Tennessee, will begin on Wednesday, March 7, and end on Saturday, March 10, the day before the

seeding for the conference tournament. Tulsa’s match against UAB will at 7 p.m. Wednesday, and will be followed by the season ending showdown with Memphis at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Reynold’s Center. Saturday’s game is also Senior Day, which will recognize seniors Steven Idlet, D.J. Magley, Joe Richard and Will Sanger for their contribution to the team. Be sure to attend this epic match up, as the post-season future of the team will likely hang in the balance.

NCAA Selection Sunday. Memphis, Southern Miss and Tulsa have each earned a first-round bye and will begin play in the quarterfinals on March 8.

Tulsa’s two remaining games will determine both the regular season conference champion and the

Steven Idlet breaks 1000 Men’s track wins conference

Tulsa’s men track team claimed its first C-USA Indoor Track and Field Championship, edging rival Houston by a single point.

Staff Report

Photo Credit / Logan Miller

Tulsa Senior Steven Idlet (seen here in TU’s victory over Rice on Feb. 18) reached a major career milestone Saturday, scoring his 1000th point in the Hurricane’s victory against Tulane. Idlet becomes the 34th player in Tulsa history to score 1000, placing him among some of the greats in Tulsa basketball history.

The Golden Hurricane men’s track team claimed its first ever C-USA Indoor Track and Field Championship this weekend in Birmingham, defeating defending champion Houston 139 to 138.

Houston, which has won eight of the last nine Indoor Championships, held a lead late in the meet but was unable to withstand the furious surge mounted by the Hurricane in the closing events.

Down by 30 with two events to go Tulsa was able to claim a dominant 34 points in the 3000 meter run, claiming six of the top seven positions in the event.

This gave the Hurricane a three point lead over Houston with one

event remaining: the 4x400 relay.

While Tulsa was not able to win the event, its third place finish gave it just enough points to come out of Alabama as champions.

All-American Chris O’Hare defended his titles in both the 800 meter run and the mile, setting a school record in the 800m in the process.

His victories, as well as a strong showing by his teammates in the mile contributed greatly to Tulsa’s championship.

Tulsa’s other gold medal came from senior Paulo Pinheiro in the 3000m run, Tulsa’s strongest event.

Pinheiro recorded a time of 8:11.13, setting both a meet and personal record.

After the meet Tulsa coach Steve Gulley was named coach of the year.

The win gives TU its 37th CUSA championship since the 2005–2006 realignment, the most of any school during the period.

Sports

THE COLLEGIAN : 5

Sam Morton Student Writer

Ladies and gentlemen the baseball season is almost upon us. Opening day is March 28 which means we only have one more month of basketball’s monopoly on the sports world left to endure! With much anticipation, here are some tips for the 2012 baseball season.

1. Plan a trip to see the Chicago White Sox for July. The wind generated by Adam Dunn’s furious and futile hacks at the plate will keep the fans nice and cool throughout the game.

2. If you are into bird watching, tune into the San Francisco Giants. It is widely rumored that closer Brian Wilson is harboring a nest of warblers in his beard.

3. If you miss the raw violence of football, check out Kevin Youkilis and the Boston Red Sox. “Youk,” hit by 82 pitches since 2004, owns the Red Sox all time record for number of times hit by a pitch.

Guess that’s why they call it Beantown, eh Kevin?

Photo courtesy NBC Sports

Who knows what might be hiding in Brian Wilson’s epic beard?

Continuing to preview baseball, we look to Detroit, where the Tigers, in one of baseball’s biggest offseason moves, acquired first baseman Prince Fielder from the Milwaukee Brewers. The 275-pound Fielder will be joining the Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera who is reporting to spring training at a trim 265.

Never has the phrase “This infield ain’t big enough for the both of us” been so applicable. Make no mistake though, Fielder and Cabrera are two of the league’s best.

Under their leadership the Tigers could very well top the American Leauge in home runs, RBIs and hot dogs consumed.

Photo courtesy The Inquisitr

If you thought Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi made an exciting match up you will love watching big boys Fielder and Cabrera for the Tigers this year.

The NBA all-star weekend has come and gone marking the halfway point to a tumultuous 2012 season. What you may not know is that in EA Sports’ new videogame for this season, in order to accurately simulate the current year, will have gamers begin in a courtroom as the NBA players association’s president, Derek Fisher.

In order to progress to actual basketball, the gamer must negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement for the NBA. If the gamer is successful, the game will play like a normal basketball video game, but if unsuccessful, the gamer’s 2012 season is locked out.

Take heart though gamer, you can always try again next year. Combining the excitement of NBA basketball with the thrills of a courtroom drama is sure to make NBA 2012 a bestseller.

Photo courtesy The Daily Caller

Anyone can win a NBA Championship, but do you have what it takes to defeat David Stern and the NBA owners?

28 FEBRUARY 2012

Softball returns home for tournament The University of Tulsa softball team returns home after a successful 9–3 season start.

John Lepine Staff Writer

Tucked away behind Delaware parking lot, just catty-corner to the Case Tennis Center, lies the Donna J. Hardesty Sports Complex, home field of TU softball, one of the most nationally successful teams fielded by the Golden Hurricane.

While Tulsa men’s basketball has not been to the NCAA tournament since 2003, and Golden Hurricane football last sniffed at a national championship in the 1940s, TU softball made it to the regional finals of last year’s NCAA bracket after collecting its third conference title since first playing in Conference-USA in 2006. It was Tulsa’s fourth appearance in the NCAA Regionals in six years.

This year’s squad looks to have just as much success, with seven starters and two pitchers returning, and seven of the nine head coaches in C-USA picking Tulsa as the preseason favorite. Six-year head coach John Bargfeldt was also voted preseason coach of the year.

So far TU has posted a 9–3 record in three tournaments, with losses coming only to University of Louisiana at Lafayette (No. 17), Texas A&M (No. 16), and Michigan State.

Four players from Tulsa were picked for the preseason all-conference team, as voted by the league’s coaches, including junior shortstop Samantha Cobb, junior center fielder Caitlin Everett and sophomore third baseman Jill Barrett.

Aimee Creger, a sophomore, was named

C-USA Preseason Pitcher of the Year after a freshman season that saw 256 strikeouts in 193.0 innings, a 1.05 ERA and an overall record of 24–3.

Overall, TU garnered the No. 24 preseason ranking from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, the program’s first ever appearance in the preseason top 25.

The Hurricane ended last year’s season with that same ranking after going 46–15.

T U started the season with a brutal defeat at the hands of UL Lafayette at the Feb. 11–12 Louisiana Classics tournament. Allowing the host team eleven runs in the sixth inning proved insurmountable to the Hurricane, who dropped the decision 19–4.

But, says six-year head coach John Bargfeldt, “If you take away one inning from the whole weekend, we still feel pretty good.”

Tulsa overcame the early stumble to defeat Mississippi Valley State 11–3 and swamp Rutgers 12– 1. That’s why, Bargfeldt says, “the biggest thing to take away from this weekend is that we got better each game.”

The performance at the Louisiana Classics caught the eye of C-USA officials, who named junior shortstop Samantha Cobb C- USA Hit-

ter of the Week. Cobb was also selected for the all-tournament team after going 10-for12 (.833) at the plate, with three home runs and three RBIs. TU lost only one game at the Aggie Classic as well, a 5–1 contest with Texas A&M. The Golden Hurricane twice toppled the University of Texas at San Antonio 7–6 and 3–2, with pinch hitter Cassidy Bowen’s two-run single the critical play to clinch the game. Junior Lacey Middlebrooks pitched a complete-game shutout against North Carolina State University; Cobb sealed the 4–0 victory for Tulsa with her fourth home run of the season.

Tulsa’s most recent games, played at the Florida Atlantic University “Strike Out Cancer Tournament” in Boca Raton, FL proved positive for the Hurricane.

Despite playing no ranked teams as in the other tournaments, TU had positive results, beating Loyola Marymount, Florida International, Florida A&M, and Florida Atlantic, losing only to Michigan State.

TU begins March with some long-awaited home games. The Hurricane hosts North Texas and Austin Peay at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Friday, followed by a 12:30 Saturday game against Loyola Chicago. Tulsa will play two more games as part of the Hyatt Downtown Tulsa Tournament, though the times and opponents are currently TBD.

Softball basics for the sports illiterate What is softball? Softball is a bat-and-ball than a typical baseball field, and perhaps sport similar to baseball that TU has played most importantly, the pitcher uses only since 1993. underhanded throws (that can still send the ball whizzing at over 75 MPH!).

How does scoring work? Each game is divided into seven innings, and each team What’s an ERA? In softball, the earned run gets the chance to bat during each inning average is the number of “earned runs” (the phrases “top of the inning” and “bot- given up by a pitcher per seven innings tom of the inning” distinguish whether or pitched. An earned run is a run that pitchnot both teams have had a chance to bat). er is held accountable for (i.e. a run scored Each time a batter rounds the bases by off of a normal pitch), so runs made off of touching first, second, third base and the fielding errors for example, do not count home plate, that is one run (point). towards a pitcher’s ERA. What’s the difference between softball and baseball? TU plays fast-pitch softball, which has a few major differences from baseball. First, a softball is larger and less dense than a baseball, and the bats used in softball are smaller. The field is smaller

What’s an RBI? “Runs batted in” is a statistic that keeps track of how many runs a batter’s actions helped score. For example, if a batter hits a ball that allows a player who was on third base to score, that run would count as part of the batter’s RBI.

variety

28 FEBRUARY 2012

“Appetite for Destruction” remains hard-rock classic Studio 54: A Weekly Review of All Things Retro.

Spiked Punch Lines Improv presents: The apocalypse survival kit Anna Bennett

Photo/Graphics Editor

Elliot Bauman Student Writer

One’s taste in music is, and rightfully should be, a matter of personal opinion; someone likes this group, someone else hates that group, so on and so forth.

That said, it is nearly impossible explicitly to define “good music,” as the definition would vary upon the individual explaining the term.

However, it is likely that if enough people were asked to describe “good music,” certain artists would be mentioned again and again on numerous occasions.

This week’s Retro Review highlights an artist and album that would a have decent chance of making the elusive “good music” list.

The 1980s music scene was marked by a few distinctive characteristics. So-called “hair bands” such as Bon Jovi and Def Leppard dominated the popular scene, and Michael Jackson released the bestselling album of all time.

As the more popular hair bands battled for popularity, a lesser known group at the time was busy working the Los Angeles club scene. The band, consisting of Axl Rose, Saul “Slash” Hudson, Duff McKagan, Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler, had a good name around the local club scene but had yet to draw national attention.

After receiving a recording contract with Geffen Records in 1986, the group, known as Guns N’ Roses, churned out a massive success

THE COLLEGIAN : 6

Photo courtesy Geffen Records

Guns ‘N Roses’ debut album skyrocketed the band to fame, and its songs still remain notable classics and a rite of passage for many aspiring musicians.

in their 1987 debut album, titled “Appetite for Destruction.”

“Appetite for Destruction” is quite simply, a good album. Music aside, the album was an enormous commercial success and rocketed Guns N’ Roses to worldwide fame.

To this day, “Appetite for Destruction” remains the highestselling debut album of all time, with roughly 30 million copies sold.

The album is marked by highly technical guitar, Axl Rose’s distinct vocals, and a very hard-rock vibe. Furthermore, it contains a high number of widely-recognizable tracks; “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Paradise City” are all iconic rock songs. Learning “Sweet Child o’ Mine” has almost become a right of passage among aspiring rock guitarists.

The album is also fairly raunchy. “Mr. Brownstone” describes a heroin addiction, “Welcome to the Jungle” describes the city life in Los Angeles, and many of the other tracks contain sexual references. In fact, “Rocket Queen” features the audio of intentionally recorded sex in the studio.

“Appetite for Destruction’s” numerous accolades speak for themselves regarding the quality of the album. In addition to its commercial awards, “Appetite for Destruction” was ranked number 61 on “Rolling Stone” magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, number 32 on Rock Hall of Fame’s Definitive 200 list, and “Welcome to the Jungle” was named the greatest hard rock song of all time

by VH1.

In summary, “Appetite for Destruction” is a true modern classic.

While its hard rock and screaming guitar might not be for everyone, the legacy of the album makes it worth listening to; few debut albums have ever had as many hit songs as the first Guns N’ Roses album.

Furthermore, the artists themselves give reason to sample the album. Axl Rose, Saul “Slash” Hudson, and Duff McKagan are all top performers among their respective instrumental groups.

“Appetite for Destruction” is available from many different sources; iTunes, YouTube or your local music store will all definitely carry the album.

Election season is fast approaching, and we know what voters are most concerned with—the impending apocalypse. We do not know what shape it will take, or whether you will have to kill your own mother.

But regardless of alien invasion, traumatic climate change, or an outbreak of the Friday Virus, one thing is always certain: you must be prepared. So we asked our members for the most essential items to include as preparation for the end times, and here’s what we got: 1. Dance Music 2. Jack’s vital organs (for eating) 3. A combination shovel and vibrator 4. My slappin’ hand 5. A hot babe 6. Railgun 7. Lightsaber

9. The Sorcerer’s Stone 10. An extra person for zombie bait 11. Cricket Bat 12. A good book 13. Nukes Armed with this list of must-have accessories for Doomsday, you should feel ready for whatever the dying planet, evil scientist, or vengeful deity will throw at you.

A word of caution: we at SPL may have taught you everything you know about post-apocalyptic survival, but we did not teach you everything we know. So once you are camped in the ruins of McFarlin library, guarding the last gummie bears left in the metro area, you should probably sleep with one eye open.

Would you rather join us than fight us? Then check come check out our meetings at 8 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday in Kendall Hall Room 110. We want your braaaaaaaaainssss.

8. Charlie Walter

Anna Bennett / Collegian

Variety

THE COLLEGIAN : 7

28 FEBRUARY 2012

Hidden greenhouse dazzles Oliphant’s rather concealed greenhouse has many opportunities to offer students, including employment possibilities.

By Cory Bys

Places to Serve the Community

Elliot Bauman Student Writer

It is probably safe to say that everyone on campus has been to Oliphant at least once. The building is home to many language, biology and communications classes, among others.

However, classrooms, labs, restrooms and faculty offices are not the only features that Oliphant has to offer. The building also has a greenhouse.

Yes indeed, the University of Tulsa’s only greenhouse is located on the roof of Oliphant. While direct access to the greenhouse is usually restricted to authorized individuals only, the average campus dweller can catch a few glimpses of it from numerous points close to Oliphant.

Not surprisingly, the greenhouse is home to plants, and quite a lot of them. Among the expected array of flowers and typical garden plants, the university greenhouse also contains a number of succulents (including cacti and other arid adapted plants) and exotic plants.

The odd location of the greenhouse is also intentional; it is located on the roof of Oliphant in order to ensure maximum sun exposure for a biological process called photosynthesis. In simple terms, photosynthesis provides nutrients for plants by harvesting radiant (solar) energy to drive the production of sugars from carbon

Allec Wallace / Collegian

Aside from exotic tropical plants, the greenhouse is also home to a variety of succulents.

Students eligible for work study can apply to work in the greenhouse, and will learn how to care for and maintain these beautiful plants.

dioxide and water. Another familiar added bonus of photosynthesis is that the process produces oxygen gas.

It is true that the greenhouse is closed to the general public and student body, but it certainly does not go unvisited or unused. The greenhouse is mainly used as a teaching supplement for various biology classes, but it also serves as tool for botanical research.

For example, Plant Anatomy, Plant Physiology, Plants and Society, the Higher Plants, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology and Molecular and Cellular Biology are all courses which extensively use plants from the greenhouse.

Many of these courses are for biology majors, however, Plants and Society is a Block III course that many students are eligible to enroll in.

The greenhouse is an excellent aspect of Oliphant. While it un-

likely that many readers will have actually visited the greenhouse, the biological and educational value of the greenhouse is important.

To learn more or to get involved with the greenhouse, enroll in a botanical course, or, students who are eligible for work study should apply to help maintain the greenhouse.

Students interested in this wonderful and educational job opportunity will learn to care for many different types of plants. “I’ve received great hands-on experience with a variety of exotic species, including the beautiful Lady of the Night flower, Orchids, Agave, and numerous types of cacti,” said greenhouse assistant, Stephanie Hice. Those interested should email Professor Karen McMahon for further information. Please remember, one must be eligible for Work Study to apply as a greenhouse assistant.

Oscar shorts delightfully unique This year’s nominees for Best Live Action Short Film can be seen in Tulsa’s local Circle Cinema.

dirty and learn something new.

The contractors might even share their concrete nail gun.

2. Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless—Tulsa Day Center relies on volunteers daily to operate and serve the homeless. They offer many positions for all types of people. Volunteers typically work three-hour shifts as receptionists, kitchen volunteers, assistants or storage room organizers and cleaners.

7. Tulsa Tough Bike Race— Tulsa’s annual tour de Tulsa bike race happens every summer and they are looking for volunteers to help do various types of setup, passing out water, and even a HAM radio operator. All of those TU students who get their HAM license in the electrical engineering program should jump at that one.

3. Kendall Whittier—It is hard to resist children, and Kendall Whittier has lots of them. Groups like Kendall Whittier Inc. work to provide better conditions for the needy kids and families in the Kendall Whittier community. A Google search of the school will lead to many volunteer opportunities.

8. Tulsa City-County Library— Many volunteers are needed to help administrate the summer reading program at all Tulsa libraries. This involves reading to kids or helping them pick out fun books to borrow.

4. Big Brothers Big Sisters— Volunteers can be mentors to a local Tulsa Public Schools student and make a real impact in their life by meeting them weekly and simply spending time with them.

Many kids are not fortunate enough to have a mentor or an older person looking out for them, making this is an excellent opportunity to step in.

5. Habitat for Humanity— Every spring and fall students can participate in seeing a house built from start to finish.

The TU community has a strong presence in habitat, and it is very easy to get involved. Students do not need any particular building skills or experience, only the willingness to get their hands

6. Tulsa Zoo—Be a volunteer educator or join the Wild Bunch, it is like “Kratt’s Creatures,” only different.

9. Caring Companions— Volunteer of America of Oklahoma organize volunteers in retirement homes and homeless shelters across the city. Volunteers for their Caring Companions program meet once a week with residents in retirement homes who would not otherwise have visitors.

This is an excellent way to show love to those who may not feel loved.

10. Tulsa SPCA—Animals lovers can volunteer at the Tulsa Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and help the lives of abandoned animals that are hoping for a home. Volunteers can attend an Auxiliary Volunteer Orientation meeting that happen two Saturdays each month and begin working with the animals right away!

Controversial opera stuns with intensity and emotion

John Lepine Staff Writer

One of the lesser-known and lesser-hyped results from Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony was the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film, a category that has existed in varying degrees of obscurity and under various names since 1932. The winner, [INSERT NAME], is an XY-minute [NATIONALITY] piece by director [INSERT NAME] about [INSERT BRIEF PLOT BLURB]. Nevertheless, five pictures were nominated for the Oscar, and each is important in its own right.

Short films, which can be no longer than 40 minutes long, are characterized by the kind of highquality production one expects from feature films, but they often feel more like TV shows because of their length and the digestibility of the story. They are generally fast-paced, quickly arriving at a “Twilight Zone”-esque turn or twist, or concluding with some unforeseen or punchy ending.

The first nominee, “Pentecost,” is an 11-minute Irish film directed

by Peter McDonald. It tells the story of an unwilling altar boy named Damian, whose clumsiness with the thurible during Mass, raises his father’s ire and costs him the chance to watch the big Liverpool football game. This promising tragedy develops quite suddenly— accompanied by jubilant, anticipatory strains of “Ode to Joy” —into Damian’s shot at redemption when the Archbishop comes to town for Mass, and the unavailability of a first-string altar boy takes Damian off the bench and back in the game.

The sports metaphor is developed to great comedic effect, in a scene where the local Father gives a “locker room” pep talk to his altar squad. With an air of practiced coaching and more than a few

1. Salvation Army—There are dozens of ways to volunteer with the Salvation Army, the including serving food and disaster relief. Places like Joplin, Mo. are still in need of volunteers in the rebuilding process.

Photo courtesy of Norwegian Film School

The Norwegian short film “Tuba Atlantic” tells the story of Oskar (left), who has been given only a few days to live, and Inger (right), his “Angel of Death.”

rhetorical flourishes, he prepares the servers for the “biggest Mass of [their] lives.” Menacingly he whispers into Damian’s ear: one wrong move, “and you’re finished in this town.”

Contrasting sharply with the hilarity of “Pentecost” is “Raju,” a 24-minute German drama set in the crowded streets of Calcutta.

It follows the story of a German couple who adopts a four-year old Indian boy named Raju who disappears suddenly in the marketplace on just his second day with his new family. Watching the film one never feels at ease, and we expect something bad to happen to the adorable child from the moment he appears on screen. “Raju” explores themes of blame, helplessness and confusion, and its ending poses a powerful ethical dilemma.

Another Irish film, “The Shore” (30 minutes, directed by Terry George), tells the story of once best friends who have been estranged for a quarter century because a falling-out over their love for a girl named Mary. When Joe comes back to visit Northern Ireland with his daughter Patricia, she coaxes the painful story out of him and takes him to reunite with Paddy and Mary, with surprising results.

The only American film is “Time Freak,” an 11-minute comedy directed by Andrew Bowler with a creative spin on time travel fiction. Stillman, a neurotic inventor who creates a time machine that

functions practically as a reset button, is confronted by his roommate and best friend who worries when Stillman is gone for three days.

Part-cautionary tale on the perils of perfectionism, part-laugh-outloud sketch comedy, “Time Freak” is a tight, well-executed concept that is sure to entertain.

Lastly, there is the winner, “Tuba Atlantic.” This 25-minute Norwegian film by director Hallvar Witzø tells the story of a crochety loner named Oskar whose doctor gives him six days to live. When a bubbly tween named Inger shows up from the “Jesus Club” to be his “Angel of Death,” Oskar has to make peace with himself and with his long-lost brother in America while Inger sees him through the “five stages of the death cycle”— denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

There is more to “Tuba Atlantic” than the stock humor of the unlikely bedfellows Inger and Oskar. Cushioned around the exaggerative comedy and clash of personalities is a touching and subtle reflection on dying at peace and the way that human beings can change each other through sacrifice and patience.

These short films may be mostly unsung, but they are as potent as feature-length movies. Check www.circlecinema.com for showtimes, and remember that tickets are just $2 for TU students on Tuesdays!

Sister Helen Prejean’s struggle against the death penalty is chronicled in “Dead Man Walking.”

Helen Patterson Student Writer

“Dead Man Walking” started off as a 1993 Pulitzer Prize nominated book by Sister Helen Prejean chronicling her experience as spiritual adviser to Patrick Sonnier, a convicted murderer of two teenagers sentenced to death in Louisiana. Despite her actions, Joseph was killed. The book was later transformed into an opera.

Sister Helen Prejean herself came to the University of Tulsa on Tuesday, February 21, to give a talk about her experiences. An author, an activist and a Roman Catholic nun, Sister Helen has worked ceaselessly to abolish the death penalty. Her time as spiritual adviser to Patrick Sonnier (called Joseph De Rocher in the opera) first brought her awareness to the issue. In her talk, she described the “moral crunch” that the death penalty brings. On the one hand, the death penalty means taking the life of another person in a clinical, chillingly bureaucratic, way. On the other hand, the death penalty is thought to bring justice and closure to the families of victims of heinous crimes. There is no easy answer because, as Sister Helen aptly pointed out, “It’s not a question of innocence. It’s a question of guilt in the most unspeakable way.”

The opera, composed by Jake Heggie with libretto by Terrence

McNally, delves deeply into this “moral crunch,” exploring what compassion, forgiveness, redemption and the truth mean, asking if a person guilty of a most terrible crime can find repentance and salvation for his actions at the time of death.

The show started off with brutal depiction of the crime. This left no doubt of the guilt or innocence of Joseph De Rocher and allowed the audience to focus on the emotional core of the piece: Sister Helen’s determined attempts to save Joseph both from death and damnation.

Kirsten Chavez was stunning as Sister Helen Prejean. Her beautiful mezzo voice was rich and full. It resonated beautifully throughout the auditorium. Despite the daunting emotional intensity of the role, she never ran out of energy or missed a beat. She gave a layered, occasionally humorous, performance.

Michael Mayes was menacing and was compellingly sympathetic as Joseph De Rocher. The audience knew what he had done, and yet it was hard not to feel for a man who had to walk, shaking, to his own death. His deep, rough voice and intimidating figure were perfect for the role.

Sheryl Woods was also excellent as Mrs. Patrick De Roccher, mother to the condemned murderer. Her aria during the parole hearing showed her inability to see her son, once a sweet, little boy, as a person capable of such violence.

The orchestration was fantastic, the lighting well-done and the minimalist sets eerie and compelling for the prison settings of the majority of the show. Controversial and emotionally draining, “Dead Man Walking” is a marvelous new opera.

Opinion

28 FEBRUARY 2012

THE COLLEGIAN : 8

Enemy of science is dogmatism, not dialogue Shutting out heterodox scientific views is as detrimental to discussion now as it was 400 years ago during the Inquisiton.

Kalen Petersen

News Editor

As a science major and a Republican, I was disappointed by Lily Clough’s article “Scientific fact is not a matter of political opinion” in last week’s Collegian, which was both ill-informed and needlessly incendiary.

Clough appeals to a stereotype about conservative politicians and oversimplifies the intricate relationship between politics and science.

Clough claims that “the existence of space and time, nuclear science ... the existence of gravity, the validity of evolution and the validity of climate change,” are not subject to political opinion.

While I have never heard of a politician denying the existence of gravity, it is an undeniable fact that brilliant scientists have questioned every item in that list—gravity not excluded.

In reality, scientific theories are not “scientific facts,” as Clough asserts, but rather are useful models describing the way the natural world works. A theory cannot be “proven” true, as can a “fact,” but can only be supported or refuted by the data.

The same set of data can suggest multiple competing theories—a situation known as overdetermination. While some scientific theories lack credible alternatives, this does not make them “true” in any absolute sense, only “not yet proven false.”

The claim that politicians (read: the GOP) should have nothing to say about science is absurd. When making our laws, legislators must often deal with scientific questions—whether they are regulating the pharmaceutical industry or considering an oil pipeline.

It is certainly true that heterodox views on scientific questions such as evolution are more common among politicians than scientists. However, such a difference is partly due to the climates in which these professions work.

Within the scientific community, for example, there is intense pressure to dismiss intelligent design theory as pseudoscientific mumbo-jumbo invented by Biblethumpers to brainwash schoolchildren.

In fact, ID’s supporters include Ph.D. biologists, chemists and as-

of science—namely, free and open dialogue—are so eager to slam the door on the expression of beliefs they dislike.

In the end, questions of science and politics always come back to that primordial example: Galileo vs. the Catholic Church. To those who imagine a struggle along the

tronomers—some of whom are religious and some of whom are not.

Likewise, there are documented cases of the suppression of meteorologists who doubted global warming. Politicians should not be forbidden from considering such views.

It is important to remember that even a strong scientific consensus does not equate to a fact. In science, just as in politics, consensus may be achieved through coercion just as easily as by a rational examination of the data.

However, the political arena at least succeeds in encouraging vigorous debate, something sorely lacking in some scientific circles.

It is remarkable how readily people who claim to value the ideals

lines of “white-coated scientists versus black-robed preachers,” as author Lee Strobel put it, Galileo is something of a poster child.

However, the truth of this case, as so often happens, has been replaced by a simple, didactic story.

When Galileo defended Copernicus’s heliocentric theory in his famous run-in with the Catholic Church, there was actually no convincing proof that he was correct.

The Ptolemaic model of the solar system or Tycho Brahe’s system generated equally accurate predictions for the motions of planets, while aligning better with longaccepted Aristotelian philosophy.

There were scientific objections to Copernicanism that could not be refuted at the time, including

“In science, as in politics, consensus may be achieved through coercion.”

the absence of stellar parallax, the expected change in stars’ positions due to the earth’s movement around the sun.

Moreover, Galileo’s persecution had as much to do with 17th-century Italian politics as it did with science or religions. Galileo found himself accidentally associated with an occultist who falsely predicted the pope’s death, and was friends with Giovanni Ciampioli, later banished for aligning himself with the Spanish cardinal Borgia.

These are just a few the myriad causes of Galileo’s downfall, an event more complex than Clough may believe.

The enemy of science is not religion or conservative politics.

Rather, just as in Galileo’s day, the enemy of science is dogmatism— from the unshakable belief that the earth is the center of the universe to the stark refusal to question evolution or climate change.

It is ironic that Clough is so vehement in condemning unorthodox views of science, because she criticizes Galileo’s detractors for doing exactly the same. Enough people have suffered throughout history for daring to think differently. It is time to stop burning people’s reputations at the stake over theoretical disagreements.

Scientific method no place for politics A scientific understanding of the universe does not rely on or admit to political interpretations of facts and theories—they stand on their data and on observation.

Lily Clough

Student Writer

Last summer several students who participate in TU’s Tulsa Undergraduate Research Challenge and Chemistry Undergraduate Research Program summer research programs attended a climate change lecture given in the Tulsa City-County library.

Lectures were given by several TU faculty, including Dr. Gordon Purser, the director of CSURP, who delivered a lecture about the reactivity of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Included in the discussion was the interaction of carbon dioxide with infrared radiation as well as the effects of increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and whether or not carbon dioxide levels were increasing in the atmosphere.

While this was a wonderfully enlightening series of lectures, not enough of this information ever reaches the general public. Conservatives try hard to make the public think that science is an in-

valid and flawed practice.

Consequently, they expose the public to numerous pieces of misinformation regarding subjects such as evolutionary theory and climate change, subjects which are notably not up for debate in the scientific community.

Climate change is an excellent example of this deception by many conservatives, such as Rick Santorum, who says he never believed in “the hoax of global warming.”

Whether or not climate change is occurring is not up for debate in the scientific community because scientific conclusions like this one are reached by holding the fundamental laws of nature to be true, conducting experiments and interpreting data in accordance with the fundamental laws of nature.

The earth warms because the radiation given off by the sun is absorbed by the molecules that make up the atmosphere. The atmosphere is what allows life to be possible on earth by maintaining temperatures which make the earth habitable.

Some of this radiation is converted into thermal energy by the atmosphere and the surface of the earth, and some of it is reflected back out into space. The radiation absorbed by the atmosphere is re-radiated, some of it back into space, and some towards the earth.

Carbon dioxide is a gas in the atmosphere that is responsible for absorbing radiation from the sun. In the history of the planet, approximately 4.5 billion years, levels of carbon dioxide have certainly been higher than they are

today. This, however, was before the existence of life as we know it.

Carbon dioxide has the appropriate chemical structure to absorb infrared radiation in ways that other gases in the atmosphere, such as oxygen and nitrogen, do not (a fact that can be determined by using instruments found in Keplinger Hall).

Based on a scientific understanding of how carbon dioxide interacts with infrared radiation, the earth should become warmer when

sides carbon dioxide, for example, volcanic activity and sun spot activity.

But after the consideration of all other known factors, scientists have found the one factor most responsible for the increasing temperature of earth is the addition of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Nine gigatons of carbon dioxide are added to the atmosphere every year. Some amount of the gas is removed by natural processes

the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases, due to the atmosphere absorbing more radiation than it releases back into space. By direct measurement, scientists have found that the earth is indeed becoming warmer.

By examination of ice core data, scientists have been able to measure the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in the distant past. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from 560 gigatons in 1750 to 800 gigatons in 2010. The increase in carbon dioxide levels can be directly traced to human activity.

Other factors could be contributing to temperature increases be-

such as photosynthesis or removed by sinks such as the oceans, but part is regenerated back into the atmosphere, resulting in a cycle in which the rate of introduction of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is greater than the rate in which it is removed from the atmosphere.

While carbon dioxide does have a relatively short atmospheric life (on the order of five years), the relevant lifetime of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, due to this cyclical process of introduction and removal, is much larger than five years—it is actually around 1000.

Based on the science we understand and the fundamental laws of nature that we know to be true,

“Conservatives try hard to make the public think that science is an invalid practice”

carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that is capable of raising atmospheric temperatures if introduced in large enough amounts, the amount of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere is increasing due to human activity, and as a result, the earth is getting warmer.

This is the conclusion one reaches when following the scientific method and recognizing the fundamental laws of nature to be true. Conservatives, and in particular the current GOP nominees, are saying that these things are false.

To say that increases in the amount of carbon dioxide introduced into the atmosphere do not lead to a temperature increase means that one does not hold known fundamental laws of nature to be true.

Conservatives, however, seem intent on ignoring the laws of nature, and they attempt to convince the public that ideas substantially supported by scientific facts are false.

The conservative dialogue regarding climate change, when contrasted with the scientific one (the one supported by evidence) clearly displays the fatal flaw in conservative thought—that when pieces of data, measured directly and hypothesized using the human understanding of the laws of nature, offend one’s world view, calling the science invalid is foolish.

If anything, however, the science shows that conservative thought regarding subjects such as climate change and evolutionary theory is atrociously lacking.

opinion

THE COLLEGIAN : 9

28 FEBRUARY 2012

Contact with poverty is critical to solution Absence of dialogue and awareness does nothing to help alleviate problems—and students seem disturbingly content to be silent on their impoverished surroundings.

Kyle Walker Opinion Editor

Students of the University of Tulsa are privileged in more sense than one. We attend a highly ranked private university. As such, we all have high school diplomas or the equivalent.

We spend our days on and around a manicured campus. Many spend their nights on campus in sturdily constructed, secure dwellings plagued only by Monday’s test and Thursday’s paper.

TU students, for the most part, have not spent nights lying awake wondering whether their brothers or sisters will be fed the next day or whether they themselves will go hungry. Unfortunately, some of their neighbors do.

Of course, everyone agrees that poverty is bad and that no one’s quality of life should sink below a reasonable level.

I am not going to argue that. I want to point out something I believe to lie behind most, if not all, of the persistent problems that plague contemporary society.

There is a common thread amongst a host of perpetual world issues including violence against women, poverty and hunger—absence of dialogue. People do not like to talk about suffering.

This is understandable. Thinking about other people starving is never a pleasant experience.

The problem comes when dialogue is ei-

ther closed down with trite platitudes or limited exclusively to individuals who lack contact with those directly faced by the issue. It is not enough for our politicians to provide uninformed soundbites while citizens remain silent and dissociated from national and world concerns.

On poverty, America could not be more symptomatic of this silence. Concern for the poor is diluted by sleek reference to “entitlements,” “laziness,”—dismissal in short. This from the leaders of the country. Less caustic, but no less damaging, is the discomfort ordinary Americans feel when the topic is raised.

TU students in particular seem unaware of their surroundings. TU lies at the southeastern corner of the Kendall-Whittier neighborhood is among the poorest areas of Tulsa. Given that Tulsa’s median income is a full $10,000 lower than the national median income, this says something about TU’s surroundings.

Yet few seem to know that just some thousand yards from their dorm or apartment is a completely different place. Delaware Avenue is a demarcation line, and not solely because it marks the western edge of campus.

This silence is disturbing. While the university has close ties to Kendall-Whittier elementary, TU students seem largely disconnected from the community at large.

TU, however, is a member of KendallWhittier Inc., a social services non-profit which seeks to ìimprove the quality of life of members of the Kendall-Whittier community.

Despite this, TU’s projects seem solely focused on the school, which, while indispensable, ignore massive swaths of people, particularly the elderly, those who live in subsidized housing and those who are otherwise incapable of wholly supporting themselves.

Worse, students themselves seem wholly ready to donate their time to the school, which, again, is necessary and commendable, but they shy away from more extensive contact with poverty. It seems almost as

Lucas Forsythe / Collegian

Kendal Whittier first grade teacher Julia Banks directs TU vollunteers in the school’s courtyard garden during Service Day on Feb 25. Vollunteers are always in demand throughout the year and many opportunities to take part in the community can be found through Kendal Whittier and TU’s True Blue Neighbors.

though they are frightened of poverty.

A simple thought experiment should illustrate this. When driving north of TU, it is not uncommon to hear people voice some level of concern for their safety.

Those who work with Kendall-Whittier Inc.’s emergency food pantry recall being asked if they are frightened when delivering food. Even if in jest this is telling.

Why are we scared of poverty? The fact that an area is poor does not mean it is populated by criminals. The world is actually far less dangerous than people often think.

In fact, sociologist George Gerbner has a name for this: mean world syndrome, whereby a media focus on violence leads consumers to believe that they are much more likely to be victims of poverty-motivated violence than data suggest.

Instead of letting discomfort and fear cultivate an uneasy silence about poverty students should think critically about their surroundings and, should they want to make the world better, consider volunteering in a way that will bring them into closer contact with the problem they are trying to solve.

Newt worse candidate than amphibian namesake Not only does Newt Gingrich not know what he is talking about, his attempts to campaign to college students are slimy, ineffectual and poorly thought out.

Catherine Roberts

Editor-in-Chief

Thus far on his public campaign schedule, Mitt Romney has not scheduled a visit to Tulsa. This is unfortunate, because were he to stop by, he would complete the trifecta of outrageous Republican candidates to hold town hall meetings at the Mabee Center on the Oral Roberts University campus. (Ron

Kaedi Love Student Writer

To Whom It May Concern: I have had the pleasure, this semester, of learning both about logic and about the philosophy of science. These two classes have really opened up my eyes, giving me tools to help me think about the world If there is one thing I have learned in my college experience, it is that we, as humans, can know nothing with absolute certainty.

Nothing. We can know our experiences, but we cannot know if our experiences are independently real. Period.

So when people criticize science and “theories” for being uncertain, I have to wonder what their grounds for criticism really mean. Nothing is certain. There are, however, some things that we are more certain of than others.

For instance, if I jump into the air, I can be fairly certain that I will come back down to Earth because of the theory of gravity. “No,” someone may argue, “That’s just common sense, you don’t need a theory to tell you that.”

Well, science is, in a way, common sense.

It is just rigorously applied and moderated and tested, and through that rigorous moderation and testing, humans have made impressive leaps. Germ theory gives us

Paul just doesn’t quite seem to fit in with that particular trio.)

Most recently to visit was Newt Gingrich.

It has been many a moon since I bothered to watch a GOP debate, so I suppose I was unprepared for the amount of preposterousness that got tossed my way.

A list of silly things he said would be no help to anyone. But since he was speaking mainly to college students, let’s take a look at what ol’ Newt said about his plan to campaign to college students: “Here’s what I would do on campus: I’d go on campus and say, Newt Gingrich wants you to have a personal social security account that you’re going to own , that’s going to give you two or three times as much money, and no president’s ever going to threaten people that they’re not going to get their checks.”

To Newt’s credit, the idea of one day being able to have explicit access to the taxes I currently pay into Social Security is seductive. The problem is that this amounts to a

the knowledge it takes to make wonderful medicines. Theories of motion and kinetics are some of the most basic theories that give us any technology at all.

Theories are ways of explaining the world. They can be more or less likely to be true. They can be merely hypothetical, which is usually the colloquial use, or they can be very well-established.

They can be new or old. They can be proven false, or they can gain support. They stem from explanatory claims about the world, which could be everything from “I think the world is made of tiny little particles” to “I think that God created the universe.”

Science tests these theories and debates them. No good scientist merely has an idea and offers it as truth without evidence. They back up their claims with experimentation, mathematics and observations of the world.

There is no great mystery.

We use forms of scientific thought all of the time. We test our ideas of the world without even knowing it. We perform small experiments. It is our nature.

I am certain that Lily Clough’s article meant to show us that science is not alien – it is an essential part of our society, and we would all benefit from some form learning how to think like scientists, even on some small level. I am extremely grateful for her article.

Kaedi Love

glorified savings account. I already have a savings account. In fact, I am fortunate enough to have already begun saving for my retirement—by way of a meager Roth IRA account I opened when I graduated high school.

Forty-four years is a long time, but right now I am not too worried about having money when I retire. Social Security is not designed to help people like me. Social Security is designed to help those people whose career income prevented them from retiring comfortably—the same people for whom an additional savings account would have negligible benefit.

—“Newt Gingrich wants you to have a job so that you can actually move out from your parents, buy your own insurance and have a place to stay.”

Me too, Newt. But since none of your policies will have any meaningful effect on aggregate demand, I do not buy that you will be able to ensure that me or my fellow graduates or anyone for that matter will be able to find work.

—“Newt Gingrich wants you to have 2.50/gallon gas.”

This statement came after a series of examples the candidate gave of key points in his career and the low gas prices that accompanied them, as though the man had some mystical quality to cause wells to bubble and oil to flow like honey in the promised

land. Accompanied with the assertion that the concept of peak oil was not only far in the future, but in fact a myth, the promise of low gas prices rings empty.

As a digression, I would like to call out his rejection of Obama’s call for Americans to drive smaller cars because “You can’t put a gun rack in a Volt.” I drive a Prius. I am sure I could fit many guns inside it, were I so inclined.

And finally…

—“Newt Gingrich wants you to be physically safe from foreign dangers.”

I do not mean to minimize the importance of national security. But as a student, I am much more concerned with, for instance, each time I visit the airport, having to choose between compromising my right not to have a stranger view an intimate xray photo of my body and compromising my right not to have a stranger give me an intimate “pat down” (which might count as molestation under separate circumstances).

In short, the campaign promises Newt directs to college students are far from stirring anything in my core, other than perhaps indigestion. As a candidate, Newt is somewhat refreshing in that his long political record is at least farily consistent with his current platform (as opposed to Mitt Romeny the Waffle King). But for this college student, Newt Gingrich’s current platform is consistently repulsive.

upcoming events at

Sharp Chapel Monday: Fair Trade Coffee: Learn more about the fair trade mission and grab some free coffee and tasty chocolate in the Atrium from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Lunch with Calvin: Reading and discussion over John Calvin with lunch at 12 p.m. in the upstairs conference room.

Wednesday: WOW (Worship on Wednesday): Uplifting praise music and a chapel service in the main sanctuary at 12 p.m. followed by lunch.

Thursday: Apologetics for Lunch: Reading and discussion over John Scott’s writings with lunch at 12 p.m. in the Atrium.

Gateway Late-Night Worship: Fellowship, a message and great student-led worship at 9 p.m. in the Atrium.

Friday: PLS Lunch: Come learn more about PLS (Presbyterian Leaders and Scholars) and hear a message from a different fellow student each week at 12 p.m. in the Atrium.

Opinion

28 FEBRUARY 2012

THE COLLEGIAN : 10

♼ HOUSING SELECTION FOR 2012-13

Hey Freshmen!

Log on and sign up before Feb. 29th.

Freshmen must sign up for campus housing or complete a housing exemption form in order to enroll for fall classes.

Check out your options for housing next year. n Keep your current space, if available to retain. n Move within your hall or between halls. n Move to a campus apartment. n Live on Sorority Row. n Consider the brand new option of the International Living Community.

Everything you need can be found on or near campus. However, if you do need something off campus, it is likely that a friend of yours will have a car and can give you a ride.

ing s u o h / u d a.e s l u t u . w ww

- Corey Hardegree

Roommate finder features make the connection process much easier. Please see the housing website for additional information on roommate options and requirements.

For more information, call the housing office at 918-631-2516, or visit www.utulsa.edu/housing ♼ Collegian Ad, Freshman last day.indd 1

2/23/12 11:13 AM