In this issue:
executive elections guide—see pages 4 and 5
a student newspaper of the university of tulsa
april 10, 2012 issue 23 ~ volume 97
Breaking down the budget: tuition at work
TU takes in $18 million a year from an endowment worth nearly a billion dollars. However, the largest source of revenue is still tuition. Kalen Petersen News Editor
A
s the school year ends, another set of graduates will face the world of work and take the reins of their own finances. For many of these graduates, college had been an enormous investment, consuming not just four years’ time, but tens of thousands of dollars each year. To a University of Tulsa student, the question of how the school is funded and how it spends its income are more than just academic. TU’s spending “is important, because it affects all of us, but it’s hard to make everyone happy. My priorities are not someone else’s priorities,” said sophomore Tyler Norman. Junior Hasan Siddiqui said that the university’s spending was important to him. “Once I go out into the real world, I’m not going to want to contribute back to the university if I feel like the money is not being well spent,” he said.
Budget Basics
In the last financial year, TU
took in $180,059,000, about $17 million more than the previous year. Of this money, nearly half came from student tuition and fees. As a private university, TU’s revenue comes from a variety of sources, the biggest of which is tuition. TU collected $109,740,000 in tuition last year, offset by the $51 million awarded in scholarships, for a net income of $58 million. “Tuition covers 49.3 percent of the cost of education,” TU President Steadman Upham said. “The rest is covered by endowment income, annual fund raising, auxiliary income, things like athletics.” TU, which has approximately
4,000 students, charges $31,126 annually in tuition and fees. “I feel like the level of education you get here is worth the money, but still, it’s kind of steep, and I don’t know why we have to keep increasing it every year,” said junior Emily Harris. “From what I can see it’s gone up four or
five thousand dollars since I got here, and I haven’t seen much of a change.” Tuition income, however, is not nearly enough to cover the university’s general operating budget. TU’s expenditures for the most recent year totaled $177,756,000. The remainder of the money comes from several different sources. According to an audit performed last year by the firm Hogan Taylor, LLP, $19.4 million came from gifts, grants and pledges, while $18.2 million was drawn from TU’s endowment, a massive collection of low-risk investments worth over $800 million. Money donated to the endowment may be directed to a specific usage by the donor. “They may give us ten million, and of that they may say five million goes to endow a chair in the science department and the other five million can be spent on whatever,” said Kevan Buck, TU’s Chief Financial Officer. Upham noted that 88 percent of funds received in the recentlycompleted $700 million fundraising campaign were unrestricted. This unusually high percentage allows TU more freedom to direct funds to projects deemed important.
Money taken from the endowment is determined by a formula driven by the endowment’s market performance over several years. To keep the flow of income steady, a higher percentage is drawn when the endowment makes less interest, and vice versa. “In any given year we may have a 24 percent return on our endowment, but we’re still only spending five percent so we’re building up that money for those lean years,” Buck said. Despite this safeguard, TU’s found itself bringing in far less money after the endowment took an enormous dive during the 2008 recession, falling from a peak of $971 million in 2007 to $628 in 2009, over a third of a billion in losses. Though the endowment has since rebounded, “Our annual take from the endowment is down eight million from what it was in 2007,” according to Buck. Upham said that the recession was not as devastating to TU as it had been to other schools. “We
had no disruptions in financial aid, we had no layoffs, we had no program cuts,” he said. Though the recessions prompted a moratorium
on the creation of new professorships, which has since been lifted, it did not halt the pace of TU’s ambitious construction projects,
which are budgeted separately. Though physical renovation of the campus has been heralded as critical to TU’s future, not everyone agrees with the school’s priorities. “I feel like a lot of money is spent on making things look pretty and nice, but as far as the actual classroom goes, there aren’t any new programs that have been implemented as long as I’ve been here,” Siddiqui said.
University Expenses
One of TU’s largest expenses in the past year was scholarships. $51 million in scholarships were awarded by the university last year. “I think it’s really awesome that there’s so much opportunity for scholarship. I think that the best thing they have done is allowing money for that,” sophomore Lauren Neph said. Of the scholarship money, about one-fifth was given in full-ride Presidential Scholarships, and a comparable amount was offered in total athletic scholarships. Fullride athletic scholarships are available only for football and men’s and women’s basketball, according to Upham. Upham said that because there has not been excessive demand for admission among non-scholarship students, athletic scholarships have not cost the university more in lost tuition. “People who are getting athletic scholarships are not taking seats away from people who are paying tuition,” he said. Even without athletic scholarships, athletics are a net loss for the university, at least on paper. “(Athletic) revenue is $12,600,000 and expenditures are $17,900,000, so there’s a subsidy there of five million dollars,” Upham said. However Buck argued that there are financial benefits to athletics that do not show up on the budget, citing the example of Michael Case, a real estate investor and major TU donor. “We now have a beautiful dining hall that Mike’s family has put money towards, but he came here initially because of the athletic hook,” Buck said. “I was very lucky that we could
See Budget on page 3
Sports
THE COLLEGIAN : 2
10 APRIL 2012
Quarterbacks shine in Spring Game Sam Morton Student Writer
It was recently discovered that Saints’ former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was issuing bounties during games, which amounted to giving bonuses to his players who managed to injure players on the opposing team’s offense. This, by itself, was bad enough, but the situation managed to get worse when, earlier this week, audio of Williams “motivating” his team during the Saints’ playoff loss to the 49ers was leaked. Here are a few quotes from Williams: “We’ve got to do everything in the world to make sure we kill Frank Gore’s head.” “[Michael Crabtree] becomes human when we f--kin’ take out that outside ACL.” … This is horrible stuff! We haven’t found any connections between Williams and AlQaeda or the Galactic Empire yet, but given these recent developments, I wouldn’t rule it out. Kalen Petersen / Collegian
Tulsa football held its Spring Game on Saturday, showcasing the team’s improvements over the spring training session. The game pitted the blue team, comprised mostly of starters, against the gold team, encompassing the rest of the roster. Throughout the game, quarterbacks Cody Green and Kalen Henderson vied to give a good last impression before Coach Blankenship picks a starter for the 2012 campaign. While Henderson had a solid performance, going 8–14 for 68 yards and a touchdown, Cody Green stole the day, passing for a remarkable 8 of 9 for 189 yards and three touchdowns. The blue team defense was also impressive, keeping the gold team off the scoreboard. Hurricane faithful can look forward to the team’s first test of the 2012 season, as Tulsa travels to Ames, Iowa, to take on the Iowa State Cyclones on September 1.
Rowing season takes off
Photo courtesy Captainawkward
Is it possible that Darth Vader himself is actually a Saints fan?
Wow, that was kind of a dark segment. Better lighten the piece with a joke. What do Betty White, the Pope, Charles Bukowski and LeBron James have in common? Same number of championship rings.
Photo courtesy Fearla
Mr. Clutch.
Moving right along: spring is in the air! And what says spring quite like the beginnings of baseball season? We flash back a few days to April 5, opening day for the Chicago Cubs. Wrigley Field stood immaculate in its ivy infested glory. Hot dogs were passed around to hungry Chicagoans, many a brewski was consumed and most importantly hope—sweet, euphoric hope was in the air—for the hometown Cubbies were 0 and 0. It didn’t matter that the Cubs lost out on acquiring big name bats like Pujols and Fielder, it didn’t matter that they lost longtime fixtures Ramirez, Fukudome and Zambrano. All this tantalizing, ambrosiatic hope because the Cubs were 0 and 0, and that meant anything could happen. Thoughts of Bartman could not be farther away. Flash forward three days and the Cubs are 0 and two. Hope has never looked more hopeless. My sincere condolences Cubs fans; Cleveland nation knows your pain.
Photo courtesy Wikipedia
In 1908, Teddy Roosevelt was president, the Boy Scouts were founded, the Model T was introduced, Ernest Rutherford won a Nobel Prize and the lovable Chicago Cubs won their last World Series.
With just weeks left in the school year, the University of Tulsa’s women’s rowing team has no time to slow down as it prepares to face the nation’s top contenders. Amanda Schenk Student Writer
The University of Tulsa women’s rowing team, now in the core of its season, has much to look forward to. With one California trip under their belts and another upcoming this weekend, the players have already begun to turn out strong results, and the team is excited for the Conference-USA championship in mid-May. The season opened at the Oklahoma Invitational regatta, featuring the University of Oklahoma, Southern Methodist University, Kansas State University, the University of Kansas, Creighton University and a few local teams from Oklahoma City. Different from typical spring racing, which has six boats lined up and starting at the same time, this regatta featured dualstyle racing in which only two boats race at a time, competing to see who reaches the finish first. Across the board, from the Novice 8+ to the Varsity 8+, the team performed well, picking up speed as the weekend went on. The only loss for the varsity boats that weekend came against the University of Oklahoma, a conference rival. The Varsity 8+ and Varsity 4+ crossed the line nearly 15 seconds behind the Sooners, but the 2nd Varsity 8+ kept the difference to 8 seconds in their race. The Lightweight 8+, now ranked 7th nationally, had their toughest race against Kansas State’s 2nd Varsity 8+. With no other lightweight boats entered in the event, the Golden Hurricane lightweights raced against NCAA boats and performed extremely well, with their only 2nd place finish being against the Wildcats, whom they kept to less than a 4 second lead. For the Varsity 8+, the San Diego Crew Classic, held in San Diego, California, was a chance to take on the Sooners again. In their heat, the Varsity 8+ had no problem taking down teams from universities such as Sacramento State, Western Washington, conference-rival SMU, and others. Their second-place heat finish was enough to take them to the grand final of the event, and they narrowed the margin with OU to almost 6 seconds. The Golden Hurricane took 5th place in Sunday’s final, beating Iowa for the first time in Head Coach Kevin Harris’ time as coach at Tulsa and missing out on 4th place by a mere 0.4 seconds. The 2nd Varsity 8+ and Varsity 4+ would face extremely tough competition over the course of the weekend, including such topranked schools as Virginia, Washington, Texas, Tennessee, Duke and Stanford. The 2nd Varsity 8+ missed qualifying for a final by seven thenths of a second, and Coach Harris said the boat, “Learned a lot today, but the field was very deep.” Strong racing by the Varsity 4+ qualified them for a spot in the third final, where they easily took out Sacramento State and narrowed the gap on OU to seven seconds. The Lightweight 8+ took on the likes of Stanford and Princeton’s lightweight teams in their final-only race on Sunday. In spite
of tough water conditions, the lightweights had a strong race and also achieved a 5th place finish. Despite being a young boat, with only two seniors compared to four freshmen, Coach Harris said, “I am really excited about the way they raced today and represented the University of Tulsa.” The Golden Hurricane is headed back to California this coming weekend to race at the Lake Natoma Invitational regatta. This
is an exciting opportunity for the team, as it will be racing against a field of fast teams that includes last year’s NCAA Division I Champions Brown University. After returning from California, the team will compete at the local Lawless Cup, held in Catoosa, Oklahoma. The regatta, which will feature races against Southern Methodist University, is to be held on April 21st, and all are welcome to attend.
Danny Manning: head coach
Photo courtesy the University of Tulsa
After weeks of searching, Tulsa has found its new men’s basketball head coach in former Kansas assistant, NBA player and Olympian Danny Manning. Manning was the 1988 College Player of the Year at Kansas and was the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. He will take over as the University of Tulsa’s 29th men’s basketball head coach.
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.
NEWS
10 APRIL 2012
Eye on the world:
Jinan ElSabbagh Student Writer
Africa
MOROCCO Sixteen-year-old rape victim Amina Filali died from swallowing rat poison after being forced to marry her rapist based on a Moroccan law. A month after her death, women’s rights activists and organizations are speaking out against the
law and the Moroccan government’s penal code. Rallies and sit-ins have been organized to promote better laws protecting women. Layla Belmahi, co-founder of Woman Choufouch, a women’s rights group fighting sexual harassment, believes that “the women’s movement is beginning because of Amina” and hopes “it has the same effect throughout all of the Arab world.” owner of the vehicle was contacted and information was exchanged.
March 8 11:27 a.m. An officer was dispatched to the University School in reference to an irate and belligerent nearby resident. Upon arrival, the officer met with the reporting party who stated that a nearby resident came in and was upset due to the parking situation on the city street. A TPD officer and TU security officer made contact with the subject and resolved the issue.
March 9 6:38 a.m. Officers responded to a fire alarm at 5th Place House. Upon arrival, officers investigated the area and determined that food had been burnt in the kitchen. Residents stated that food had been burnt resulting in the alarm. TFD was cancelled and the building was cleared. 2:38 p.m. An officer responded to a non-injury accident in the McFarlin Lot. Upon arrival, an officer spoke with the driver of one of the vehicles who stated that as she was pulling out of her parking space, her phone rang. As she was searching for the phone, she hit the wrong pedal and struck a parked car. Both vehicle owners were present and insurance information was exchanged.
March 14 2:48 p.m. An officer responded to a medical emergency at Alexander Health Center. Upon arrival, the officer assisted EMSA and TFD in loading and preparing an employee for transport. The medical issue was unknown. 8:02 p.m. While on routine patrol, and officer witnessed a student riding a Segway through the parking lot of USA West. The student lost control and the Segway struck a parked car. The
8:09 p.m. Officers were contacted in reference to a mentally unstable student. Officers met with multiple witnesses and were provided with threatening and suicidal material written by the student. Officers were able to locate the student and take protective custody to hold for a mental evaluation. COPES arrived and evaluated the student. It was determined that the student may be mentally unstable. TPD arrived and took custody of the student for transport at the request of COPES.
March 15 4:04 p.m. Campus Security was contacted in reference to drugs and drug paraphernalia that had been found sitting in the open in a Lottie Jane dorm room. Upon arrival, an officer met with the RA and the reporting party that stated she had noticed a glass pipe and a bag of marijuana sitting on a desk in her room. The owner of the paraphernalia was not present at the time. The contraband was seized and destroyed.
March 16 2:41 p.m. An officer was dispatched to the report of a stolen car. Upon arrival, the reporting party stated that he dropped a friend off at the airport for spring break. He was authorized use of the roommates car. He parked the car and returned later to discover that the car was missing. A report was filed with Security and TPD. The reporting party later contacted Security and stated that the car was not stolen, but had been used by a mutual friend with the owner’s permission. 3:18 p.m. Officers responded to a fire alarm in Fisher Hall. Upon arrival, officers determined that the alarm had been set from Pat Case Dining. Officers investigated and found that a sprinkler had been set off. There was no fire in the area but there were many pieces of equipment producing steam which may have triggered the alarm. The area was checked and
Asia PAKISTAN Pakistani lawmakers and government officials jointly protested the recently increased U.S. bounty for Hafiz Saeed, the militant leader and alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Parliament is asking the U.S. for evidence linking Saeed to the attacks. The bounty, priced at $10 million, will “further widen the trust deficit” between the two countries, said Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. U.S.-Pakistani relations have been strained since a U.S. drone attack killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November.
Europe ITALY The Italian government has launched a 137 million-dollar campaign to restore the dilapidated Pompeii ruins. cleared. The Physical Plant was contacted to resolve the sprinkler and alarm issue. 4:37 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Lorton Hall to the report of missing folding chairs. The officer met with the reporting party who stated that the folding chairs were missing from a classroom. The investigation is ongoing. 9:50 p.m. An officer was dispatched to LaFortune Hall to the report of a student cutting herself. Upon arrival, the officer met with the student and witnesses. The officer observed minor lacerations on the student’s legs. EMSA was contacted. The student was then transported to St. Johns Tulsa for further evaluation.
March 17 6:44 a.m. An officer was dispatched to USA West to the report of a possible attempted burglary. Upon arrival, the officer met with the reporting party who stated that he arrived home a short time earlier. He was in his bedroom and noticed a shadow at the window. He got up to check and noticed that the screen had been pried off and the window had been opened. Officers were unable to locate anyone in the immediate area. 4:44 p.m. An officer responded to the Kappa Sigma House to the report of stolen desk chairs. The officer met with the reporting party who stated that he had left for a short time and returned to find that three chairs were missing. An arm of one of the chairs was found on the lawn. The investigation is ongoing.
March 19 3:13 p.m. Officers responded to the Lottie Jane Hall to the report of a smell of marijuana. Upon arrival, the officers met with a Housing Official. Contact was made with the occupant of the suspected room. Officers detected marijuana in the area. The student cooperated and surrendered marijuana, two pipes and other paraphernalia. Other housing violations were discovered.
It has come to our attention that there may have been some factual inaccuracies in the April 3 issue of The Collegian. We therefore disavow the entire issue. In particular, TU President Steadman Upham did not sign with the New York Knicks, but actually turned down the offer. He has since been announced as the starting quarterback for the Golden Hurricane’s 2012 season.
THU 4/12:
sat 4/14:
The University of Tulsa’s theatre department will put on “The Drowsy Chaperone,” a show-within-a-show that pays homage the show-stopping musicals of the jazz age. It tells the story of a Broadway fanatic who, while sitting in an armchair, gets transported into a musical comedy recording. The show plays at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $6 for students and faculty.
The Tulsa Youth Ballet will perform four pieces. “The Butterfly,” by J. Offenbach, tells of a young girl kidnapped by a wicked fairy. “The Rehearsal” is a comedic take on “The Butterfly.” “Between the Change” deals with the theme of bullying. The performance ends with “Lunch,” a lighthearted look at school lunches. “Between the Change” will be shown at 7 p.m. April 14 at the John H. Williams Theater. Tickets are $5.
The Drowsy Chaperone
Between the Change
THE COLLEGIAN : 3 Many have alleged that the site, visited by 2.5 million tourists each year, has been underfunded and neglected. Italia Nostra, a group dedicated to preserving Italian heritage, calls the project a “great start” but points out that securing the area from organized crime could cost twice as much as the European Union and Italian government are promising.
Middle East KUWAIT Iraqi government officials have approved a request by Kuwaiti airline Jazeera to begin operating flights in and out of Baghdad and Najaf, 20 years after flights between the two countries were halted. Flights were suspended after deposed leader Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990. The request also included a payment of $500 million from Baghdad to absolve Baghdad’s debt of $1.2 billion
which Kuwaiti Airways claimed in damages after the invasion.
South America COLUMBIA Colombian rebel group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) released 10 hostages after 14 years of captivity. Comprised of six Colombian police officers and four soldiers, the men are possibly the last non-civilian hostages held by the group. The group has been fighting the Colombian government for nearly 50 years, using drug trafficking and ransom to finance its military campaigns. The group still has countless civilians, many of whom have been ransomed but remain in their custody or have been killed. The release of these hostages is a good start to peace talks, said to Mark L. Schneider, Senior Vice President of the International Crisis Group in Washington.
From Budget on cover law and engineering would be at afford it,” said Will Noel, a freshman football player. “It’s a good school, and if you can get a degree from here it’ll be worth your while.” Rongfei Lu, a senior international student, agreed. “That’s the main reason I came here, for better quality of education,” he said. Scholarships accounted for just under a third of last year’s budget. Another third of the budget went to education—a category which includes everything from classroom supplies to professors’ pay. “Of our budget, 59 million is purely on instruction,” Buck said. Salaries for full professors average around $95,000, according to Upham. “Within the university, salaries vary widely,” he said. “Arts and sciences, especially humanities are at the low end, and
the high end.” This imbalance is not only true of TU faculty: a 2010 survey by Oklahoma State University found that a law professor earns 59 percent more on average than an English professor. Buck said that TU’s professorial salaries are in the middle compared to “schools like SMU, TCU, Rice, schools we frequently bump head with on admissions.” He argued that tuition is relatively low compared to those universities. “Tuition’s not cheap, I’m not saying that, but we’d be the low average of those (universities),” Buck said. “If we’re going to pay faculty and staff and administration at a level that’s close to the median of peer schools, then we ought to be charging our single biggest revenue source somewhere close to that.”
Nimrod provides chance to stretch legs, read poetry The outdoor celebration will feature a one-and-a-half mile walk, a “haiku tree” and poetry readings for kids. Helen Patterson Student Writer
In light of last year’s success, Nimrod International Journal will be teaming up with The Oklahoma Centennial Botanical Garden for Tulsa’s 2nd Annual Poetry Walk. The event will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Oklahoma Centennial Botanical Gardens. Following the walk, a brief reception will be held at 3:45 p.m. with music, food and drinks. There will also be a reading from Nimrod’s upcoming spring issue, “The View from Here.” The event is free and open to the public. There will be two options for the Poetry Walk. The main walk is
one-and-a-half miles and features the Osage forest, prairie views and ancient persimmon groves. The second option is a mini one-fourth mile walk. Participants will be able to listen to poems, read poems on the haiku tree and even write their own poems. Special emphasis will be placed on making the walk kid-friendly. Each stop on the trail will have poems for children, while fourthgrade students from McClure Elementary School and members of the Sapulpa High Poetry Slam team will be in attendance. For directions, visit the Garden’s website: www.ocbg.org. For additional information about the Poetry Walk, students can contact Nimrod International Journal at nimrod@utulsa.edu or call 918631-3080. Bug spray and sunscreen are advised.
Chinese Culture Club seeks to bridge culture gap An upcoming event will inform students about study abroad opportunities in China. Molly Noah Student Writer
On April 13, the Chinese Culture Club will conclude its spring 2012 meetings with a special event that features Professor Kaplana Misra, director of the newly established program of Chinese Studies and Wendy Sheets, assistant director for Center for Global Education. Students will get a chance to learn about study abroad opportunities in China and how to incorporate Chinese into their college curriculum. The Chinese Cultural club is a bilingual platform for students, staff, faculty and community members to learn about the Chinese language and culture. The club meets weekly to practice speaking Chinese and to converse
on China-related topics, and is a part of The University of Tulsa’s efforts to internationalize its campus. The club seeks to increase intercultural awareness of the language, history, geography and culture of China. A large part of the club’s goal is to provide a possible platform for integrating international students from China into the university culture by encouraging communication with other students. Freshman Pat Arnold has been attending the meetings regularly since the beginning of the semester. “The cultural discussions we have help us understand the Chinese culture,” Arnold said. The meeting will be held from noon to 1 p.m. at the language lobby in Oliphant Hall. Dr. ZhangGorke will wrap the session with the ten most popular web-Chinese words that are funny, chic and intriguing.
10 APRIL 2012
THE COLLEGIAN : 4
COLLEGIAN With multiple uncontested offices characterizing this year’s student body executive elections, a constitutional amendment emerges as one of the most contentious issues on the ballot. Catherine Roberts Editor-in-Chief
Today, the Republican primary race has all but ended. After a grueling process by which voters (and the antics of those running) whittled down the field from a total of—count ’em—eight candidates, one candidate seems poised to secure the nomination. In addition, countless other hopefuls will vie for the various positions that the new administration will have the task of filling
multiple times.” “A nearly identical version of that amendment was approved by a majority of Senate two years ago,” said SA Treasurer John Lepine, “but not a two-thirds majority. I was the author at that time, and it was right after I had been disqualified to run for vice president because of that provision.” In 2010, then-Senator Lepine was a freshman, and as such was deemed ineligible to run. This year’s amendment is nearly identical to that of two years ago, although Senator, FAC chair and candidate for treasurer Katlyn McGouran introduced the bill this time. “As it reads, any junior or senior who doesn’t have any experience with Cabinet or Senate experience could say, ‘Hey, I think I’ll be president,’ and run for office,” McGouran said in reply to the first of many questions about her legislation, this one from Senator Michaela Marine, about the
As it reads, any junior or senior who doesn’t have any experience with Cabinet or Senate could say, ‘Hey, I think I’ll be president’
(including vice president). One natural cause of such a political climate must be a desire among a certain group of people to, in fact, hold office, and that group must be substantially larger than the number of available offices. An observer of the University of Tulsa’s Student Association elections for executive office might have a difficult time coming to the same conclusion. Uncontested elections are not unusual for SA, especially in recent years. No ballot since 2005’s has featured simultaneous contests for all four offices of president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. This year’s election, however, is the first in the same period of time for which three of the four elections are unopposed—officially, at least. A write-in campaign has sprung up in the last week for secretary, but only the office of treasurer will have two candidates on the ballot. John Rogers Hall is not a building most undergraduates frequent, or even think about most days. But every Tuesday at 9 p.m., a few dedicated students make visiting one of the second floor lecture halls a habit. With a shorter-than-usual the list of organizations appearing to request funding, watching the April 3 SA Senate meeting is a bit like watching C-SPAN in the middle of the day: more empty seats than full. Unlike on C-SPAN, however, this meeting has almost 100 percent attendance by Senators. The efficiency with which the body moves through the nine bills allocating funds to students for event sponsorship and conference travel would also put Congress to shame. That is not the focus of this meeting, however, and everyone knows it. Before the call to order by Vice President Kyra McNamara, the topic of many conversations is a constitutional amendment to allow freshmen to run for executive office. When the Financial Appropriations Committee’s bills are all passed, it is time to talk about changing the SA constitution, and at least a few people in the lecture hall are sitting up a little straighter in their chairs. As the constitution currently stands, in order to run for any executive SA position, a student must be in the fourth semester of collegiate academic work and have completed at least 45 credit hours, with 12 awarded by TU. There is also a GPA requirement: 2.5. That means that unless you’re a sophomore by credit hours who’s been at TU for at least a semester, you cannot run for secretary, treasurer, vice president or president of the TU student body. The proposed change would allow anyone who’s completed one semester at TU with at least a 2.5 GPA to run for those offices. This is not the first time SA Senate has attempted to change that rule. “I’ve been on SA for a really long time,” Vice President McNamara said. “I’ve seen this amendment come through (Senate)
possibility of inviting candidates with little to no experience in SA. “I think here the issue is not, ‘Do they have experience?’ Because as it stands we can’t control that,” she said. The current constitution does not require Cabinet or Senate experience to run. “I think the issue is: is there someone out there who’s a freshman who is responsible, dedicated, proactive enough to get themselves elected, and do they deserve that chance?” she said. “I think they do.” Over the course of the hour-long discussion, Senator Kyle Radtke’s name came up more than once as a freshman who fits McGouran’s description. He even acted out a part of that hypothetical: he was one of two additional freshman candidates for secretary this year who, like Lepine in 2010, were disqualified from running. Radtke serves as Senate Clerk, which means he’s essentially a backup secretary. He says that when the amendment was first proposed, he was “completely for it,” because of his bid for secretary. “When I heard the bill again,” he said, “I kind of flip-flopped my position, and was against it. Maybe it was out of anger that I wasn’t eligible for running, maybe it was because I didn’t feel like it was clear enough. I just feel like there was a lot of loopholes that needed to be discussed.” During the amendment’s discussion time, Radtke encouraged questions and criticism. He says he still does not know how he will vote come the opening of the polls. “Really my job is not to take sides,” he said. “My job right now is to promote this to the student body.” He says that while he is not sure whether he supports the bill, he admits that three of four executive elections being unopposed constitutes a concern. “It’s a little bit scary,” he said, “because Student Association has kind of always been
deemed as the bad guy, and so not a lot of people have run for … Senate, Cabinet or executive positions. We’re trying to change that; we’re trying to increase our presence on campus and promote a more positive vibe.” Freshman Senator Tara Moses thinks that effort should be the focus instead of “trying to get (rising) sophomores in exec.” “I’m not saying that freshman are not qualified,” she said, also citing Radtke’s qualifications. “But I feel as though having more experience on the campus would help to make better decisions.” “Just like you don’t come to TU and get dropped in chemical engineering fourth semester,” Moses said. “No, you start with intro to chemical engineering and then you work your way up. That does not mean that you’re not capable as of right now to be a chemical engineer, fourth semester.” But in general, she says, it’s best to start at the beginning. She says there are ample opportunities for freshman to take leadership positions. In fact, in addtion to the 28 Senate seats for which undergraduates are eligible, there are eight other internally elected positions and no fewer than 13 appointed positions in Cabinet that underclassmen can fill. She thinks these positions ought to serve as stepping stones for those students who later want to run for executive positions. John Lepine says his vision for the changes to the amendment would encourage that kind of gradual ascent. “I don’t think that this will bring an immediate change to people wanting to run for president or vice president,” Lepine said. But, with students able to be involved earlier with the executive branch, “Ultimately it will increase candidacy for president and vice president, because you’ll have more qualified candidates who will be running than you otherwise would.”
Earlier in the semester, one former SA presidential candidate was considering
E SA, and to increase voter turnout. The Collegian reported in February that voter turnout in the spring Senate elections was about two percent. Shipley does not see that as an urgent problem. He says turnout for executive races is normally much higher, with between 700 and 800 students voting in last year’s executive election. He says Senate elections tend to have fewer voters because “typically there aren’t that many candidates running.” “I think another thing with the Senate elections,” Shipley said, “is that WebCT is a clunky interface, so it’s kind of a hassle to vote.” Despite the numerous uncontested elections, he’s not in favor of allowing freshmen to run for executive office. “Halfway through the semester last year, I realized that I was not actually ready to be president,” Shipley said, “and that was with two years experience on SA … I don’t think (a freshman) could possibly be ready to run for office, especially for president or vice president.” Ultimately the fate of freshman hopefuls for executive positions will be up to the students of TU to decide. In this week’s election, students will get a chance to vote on the amendment, which passed Senate by a two-thirds majority—just barely, with 11 votes in favor, four against and one abstention, causing a certain amount of incredulity on both sides. Kyra McNamara was lukewarm about the amendment as written, but she is glad students will see it on the ballot. “We’ve been trying to change it for four years, so it’s just good to see it changed into something that makes more sense,” she said. “And it is something that two thirds of this body did support, so I think it (will) be great to see how the students feel and if they also do support it.”
I don’t think (a freshman) could possibly be ready to run for office, especially president or vice president throwing his hat back into the ring. Executive Director of Information Services Rick Shipley, a junior at the time, came in second to President Grant McCarty in last year’s election. “I was ready to run, if John hadn’t run,” Shipley said about his decision. The two discussed their possible candidacies before candidate filing began. “Rick and I didn’t want to run against each other and split the vote in the event of a third candidate,” Lepine said. He says he will appoint Shipley as his Chief-of-Staff in the event that enough students vote to put him in office. “I love organizing events,” Shipley said. “I love planning and logistics, which basically is Chief-of-Staff. So I didn’t really see any reason to run against a guy who is hands down the most qualified candidate.” Part of the theory behind the new amendment is to help generate student interest in
She predicts the students will approve: “I don’t see why students would be like, ‘No, I shouldn’t get to run.’” To the main criticism that less-experienced candidates might get to run, Lepine has this to say: “I think functionally, experience as a Student Association officer in Cabinet or Senate is extremely helpful and it would be surprising for there to be a successful candidate who didn’t have that experience, but I can also imagine a world in which Student Association is not responding to student interests and you need an outsidethe-beltway kind of campaign.” He does not think that’s the current state of things. But Wednesday and Thursday’s election will be the ultimate test of the proposal to let freshmen run for executive office, and of the apathy or energy of the University of Tulsa student body.
Platfo like to a
—Ho and inte
—Fur FA Guid the co fu —Contin relation Stude leadersh
—Meet all newl ganizat the fun Cont goura
Don’t forget to vote: Wednesday and Thursday on W
THE COLLEGIAN : 5
10 APRIL 2012
ELECTION GUIDE Candidate: John Lepine Running for: President Current office: Treasurer Platform excerpt: “Here are some ideas I’d like to explore for next year and beyond: —Have an SA executive officer present in ACAC or outside the Caf four days a week during lunchtime to hear student concerns, answer questions, and explain how SA can help you. —Invite one large student organization to tailgate with SA at each home football game to bring out more students to the tailgate and to highlight some great orgs that we have on campus. —Pass out incentive give-away items to students at home athletic events: from sunglasses to rally towels and everything in between. —Petition to replace our Labor Day break with a fall break later in the year, so that our three-day weekend doesn’t come after a mere one week at school.” Contact: john-lepine@utulsa.edu
Candidate: Katlyn McGouran
Running for: Treasurer Current office: FAC Chair orm excerpt: “Here are some things I’d accomplish ... (besides fulfilling the duties of my office admirably): ost an event where students can meet eract with their newly elected SA leadership rther revise the delines to ease omplexity of the unding process nue to improve nships between ent Association hip and organizations t in person with ly chartered ortions to explain nding process.” tact: katlyn-mcan@utulsa.edu
Constitutional Amendments: What’s the big idea?
“Amending the Constitution to Define the Process of Removing a Senator” — This will allow Senate to remove Senators from office who have committed “misfeasance” or “malfeasance.” “Sexist Language Amendment” — This will change all instances of masculine pronouns in the constitution not directly referring to men to both masculine and feminine. For example, “he” becomes “he or she” and “his” becomes “his or her.” “Democratic Candidacy Requirement Amendment” — This will allow any students who have completed a full semester at TU to run for any executive office (president,vice president, treasurer, secretary) in the spring elections, provided they have a 2.5 GPA.
Candidate: Natalie Stompoly Running for: Vice President Current office: Secretary Platform excerpt: “Senate has been working hard to make sure that organization representatives feel comfortable when they have to come into the Senate Chambers, and I would like to continue that. My platforms, then, are 1: a triangle of communication between SA, the student body, and the administration; and 2: stronger relations between Senate and student organizations. I love TU and want to graduate having done worthwhile things to benefit this campus and its students.” Contact: natalie-stompoly@utulsa.edu
Candidate: Ryne Carman
Running for: Treasurer Current office: GOC Chair Platform excerpt: “I want SA to be the talk of campus. I want to make sure that SA is relevant to every student. Also, I want funding for student organizations to be both fair and as easy as possible. I passed legislation to make that so, and I also propose a digital outlet for organizations to use when applying for event sponsorship and travel. That way it will Candidate: Ashley Johnson be easier to send in applications Running for: Secretary without the hassle of paper copies Current office: Senator and editing word documents.” Platform excerpt: “There is no need for anyone to be unhappy about anything on campus if something can be done Contact: ryne-carman@utulsa.edu to fix it. We all have our opinions; the more we voice those, the more change we will see. As an executive officer, I will make sure your opinions are heard ... large or small, Springfest or Chick-fil-A hours. We only have a few years here; why not make the most out of them?” Contact: aej560@utulsa.edu
The Write-in Candidate Candidate: Emily Stern Running for: Secretary Current office: GOC Secretary Platform excerpt: “I believe that this school has the ability to show its absolute democracy. This way the students really speak for who they want as secretary as opposed to just clicking next to my name they have to write it. How fitting for the office of secretary, right?” Contact: emily-stern@utulsa.edu
WebCT and at Polling Places in the Caf and ACAC
Variety
10 APRIL 2012
THE COLLEGIAN : 8
“Hunger Games” adaptation a success
By Cory Bys
Actress Jennifer Lawrence excellently portrays Katniss Everdeen, the heroine of the “Hunger Games” trilogy.
Top 10 College Board Games
Helen Patterson Student Writer
The much anticipated adaptation of Suzanne Collins first novel, “The Hunger Games,” opened this weekend. The story is set in a dystopian future country called Panem where twelve districts are forced to offer up two tributes a year to the all-powerful Capitol, a boy and a girl between twelve and eighteen, to fight to the death in a celebrated, televised event. The film follows Katniss Everdeen (excellently portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), who have been chosen to represent District Twelve in their quest to survive. Solid performances were also given by Cinna (Lenny Kravitz), Effie (Elizabeth Banks), President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley). However “The Hunger Games” was also prey to the usual problems seen in movie adaptations. Many secondary characters had to be cut and some changes made in order to streamline the film and make it accessible for those who are unfamiliar with the books. However, fans may be upset about some things, such as the change in
Photo courtesy Lionsgate Entertainment
In order to prevent her sister from participating in the annual Hunger Games tournament, Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, volunteers to take her place. During the competition, she and her counterpart Peeta, portrayed by Josh Hutcherson, are forced to eliminate stronger representatives who have trained for this competition their entire lives.
how Katniss gains her Mockingjay pin and the finale of the Game. The largest departure from the book was the increased presence of game master Crane and President Snow. “The Hunger Games” is an intensely personal, often internal, novel. Adding the additional perspective of these behind the scenes characters enriched the movie experience and made the undercurrents of rebellion and discontent, which are subtle in the first book, come to the forefront. It was a good decision for the movie adaptation. The movie was a little too long, particularly in the opening sequences leading up to the game itself. The filmmakers clearly put in the effort to build a cohesive world and set the stage for the ad-
aptations of the next two novels. However, this caused a sense of heaviness and dragging during the beginning. The sequences for the actual Game were excellent and adrenaline inducing. Lawrence gives a subtle and nuanced portrayal of Katniss which helps carry the film during some of its duller moments. The film did an excellent job of balancing a realistic depiction of the violence of the games against the requirements of a PG-13 film that many younger fans would see. The overall result was a gripping, emotional drama. It managed to encompass the raw brutality and the tender humanity that Collins so deftly wove into the source novel.
1. Settlers of Catan – “Anybody need any brick? Brick? Nobody….Come on! I guess I’ll just buy a development card.”
colleges are presumably filled with knowledgeable, intelligent people, everyone should be flocking to this game.
2. Ticket to Ride – All aboard! This game is perfect for screwing over annoying friends and blocking their train routes.
7. Bananagrams – This game is for those not patient enough for Scrabble and is great for large groups. And it comes in a zip-up banana, which is pretty cool.
3. Wits and Wagers – A perfect combination of gambling and “The Price is Right,” players answer trivia questions with numerical answers and then place bets on which answer they think is closest. The player with the most chips at the end is the victor. 4. Scrabble – “Is ‘sz’ a word? What about ‘ce?’ Never mind I’ll just play ‘dog’.” 5. Risk – For hardcore gamers only. Themed Risk boards are also really fun. 6. Trivial Pursuit – Since
8. Smart Ass-- This is a “game that even a dumb ass can win!” Like Jeopardy, everyone has a chance to answer trivia topics based on successive clues. 9. Balderdash – A trivia game with a twist, every player submits an answer to a clue, which is then read anonymously. Players choose which answer they think is correct to try to advance. This game is all about creativity and cleverness! 10. Clue – It’s always Colonel Mustard. It just is.
Chuck Berry’s “Anthology” highlights career Studio 54: A Weekly Review of All Things Retro. Elliot Bauman Student Writer
Just as “Rome was not built in a day,” the hit songs of rock and roll were not developed by just one particular artist. It took the work of numerous individuals, over a period of time, to bring about those songs that many love today. However, certain pioneers of the genre are more notable than others, and any discussion of rock and roll history would be incomplete without tipping a hat to Chuck Berry. Berry’s career was (and still is) outstanding in every sense of the word, but perhaps his greatest achievement was his distinct twist on rhythm and blues that laid the ground-work for the development
Photo courtesy Chess Records
Chuck Berry’s career played a critical role in the development of rock and roll from classic rhythm and blues. Berry’s work also inspired many other notable artists.
of rock and roll. The majority of Berry’s greatest songs are included on “Anthology,” which is the focus of this week’s Retro Review. Like many famous musicians, Charles “Chuck” Berry began playing guitar at a young age, giving his first solo public performance at only fifteen years
old. Berry’s early career was not without holds, though. During his teenage years, he was arrested and convicted for armed robbery while in Kansas City. Following his release from jail, he worked a series of jobs unrelated to music, while still managing to perform on the local scene.
However, a 1956 trip to Chicago would ultimately make Berry’s career. During his visit to the Windy City, Berry met Muddy Waters, a prominent Chicago blues artist and guitarist. This encounter with Waters led to a contract with Chess Records. After signing with Chess Records, Berry released “Maybellene,” his first hit song that featured, at the time, a revolutionary and different guitar part. “Maybellene” was a massive success and launched Berry to stardom. By the late 1950’s, Berry was an established artist and guitar player. Following the release of “Maybellene,” Berry’s career continued to advance, despite a few run-ins with the law. In 1957 he released another hit in “Rock and Roll Music,” followed by “Johnny B. Goodie” in 1958. Despite a decline in the 1970’s, Berry’s music continued to captivate listeners, and to this day, at the age of 85, Berry continues to perform live. Released in 2000, Berry’s “Anthology” remains true to its name and features no new material; however the album presents an astonishing fifty tracks and contains virtually all of Berry’s greatest songs. In addition to the big three songs previously mentioned: “Maybellene,” “Rock and Roll Music,” and “Johnny B. Goodie,” “Anthology” follows Berry’s career and displays most of the other hit songs
that contributed to the success of the artist. “Roll over Beethoven,” “Sweet Little Sixteen,” and “You Can Never Tell,” are all fantastic songs, as well. That being said, Berry’s songs are dated, so listeners accustomed to modern music might not find “Anthology” appealing, however the album is still worth a shot. Anthology received solid reviews from critics, earning perfect scores from both Allmusic and Rolling Stone magazine. As far as rock and roll, at least, is concerned, Berry’s legacy is of paramount importance. Generally regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, Berry’s work laid the foundation for numerous other artists. For example, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Stevie Ray Vaughn all cite Berry as a significant influence. Furthermore, Berry’s songs and showmanship helped cement Berry’s reputation as one of the greatest artists of all time. The album, being an anthology and featuring fifty tracks, is pricier than the average record. That being said, listeners should not expect to spend more than twenty or thirty dollars. Also, “Anthology” is a slightly more difficult to find in stores. As a result, it is easiest to purchase the album from an online source such as Amazon, or to download the album directly from a source such as iTunes.
opinion
THE COLLEGIAN : 9
10 APRIL 2012
Race blindness is by no means ideal The myth of the positive effects of racial blindness only serves to reinforce inadequate self-knowledge, bad decision-making and insidious double standards. Kyle Walker Opinion Editor
Americans like to believe that they live in a color-blind society: somewhere race no longer matters, somewhere race should not matter. They like to believe this because it is easier to dismiss the experiences of other groups of people than it is to consider the possibility that life is not exactly the same for others as it is for them. Such thinking is rooted in both a fundamental intellectual laziness and a collective penchant for denial. Denial? Yes. Consider the Hunger Games film fiasco. Countless people tweeted to the effect that the race of two characters somehow made it less likely that said characters were good people, or made the death of one “less sad.” Such are the ways of thinking that sometimes underlie our ohso-racially-blind intentions. The fact of the matter is that not one among us is actually blind to race. By training ourselves not to “see” race we simply train ourselves not to notice when we do “see” race— or when we make decisions based
on it. Even more fascinating is that the sort of latent racism revealed by the Hunger Games tweets does not acknowledge “white” as a race. In fact, in America, it seems that whiteness is treated as some sort of “null” race. It, and the privileges that accompany it are invisible. I want to emphasize that this does not mean that the law should somehow step in to forcibly rebalance the power structure. But it does mean that our race-blind upbringing has failed us in a singularly important capacity: it did not impart to us the ability to empathize with diverse groups of people and to recognize the significance of identity. The invisibility of whiteness is paralleled by a kind of hyper-visibility of other races, particularly blackness. It is uncommon that news reports identify the race of white witnesses, suspects and so on in print. But it is practically guaranteed that the race of a black witness or suspect will be mentioned. Hispanic ancestry, too, is often singled out. This obsession is hardly evidence of the supposed benefits of race-blindness. One recent event has become the poster-child both for advocates of so-called identity politics and its detractors. The death of Trayvon Martin and the subsequent release of George Zimmerman have produced a furor—on both sides of the racial-blindness argument. I will not take a side on Zimmerman’s guilt—that is for a jury to decide—but I will say that Zimmerman’s failure to follow the directions of the emergency
dispatcher reveals his status as a vigilante. Race has nothing to do with that. Zimmerman’s release, however, shows the dangerous side of raceblindness. It appears that Florida police are in the habit of releasing homicide suspects—when the suspects are not black. Homicide proceedings should have been initiated immediately, if only because of the ambiguous nature of the case. The fact that they were not reveals the privilege of non-blacks.
lower class and defend the leisure class. I do sympathize with those who reject identity politics—perhaps in an ideal society, one where 17-year-old boys are not shot by vigilantes when walking home, we need not think about race. But there is just one problem: there is no ideal society. All of these considerations still ignore the degree to which identity politics are already entrenched by the establishment. However, like
“By training ourselves not to ‘see’ race we simply train ourselves not to notice it when we do ‘see’ race.” At the very least, Zimmerman’s release correlates with the manner in which this privilege often functions: the white male is given the benefit of the doubt while the minority victim or accomplice (whatever the case may be) is immediately considered responsible. For any who doubt the reality of this privilege, I suggest looking up the frequency with which blacks convicted of homicide receive death penalty sentences and compare it to the frequency that whites convicted of the same crime receive the same penalty. It is not a pretty sight. Nor is the rate at which prostitutes are arrested compared with johns. The privilege here is the same: punish the
whiteness, the entrenchment of mainstream identity is invisible to those who push its politics. Yet, those representative of the mainstream identity are often the first to denounce the identity politics of others. For instance, the pro-Israel wing derives almost exclusively from a body of Judeo-Christian identity groups, including the Anti-Defamation League and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee—two groups motivated predominantly or in part by religious identity. Identity politics are not bad in themselves. Positive, vigorous dissent is a vital part of a free society, and such dissent naturally arises
out of and engenders questions of identity. These questions should be raised in the public sphere frequently. The American habit of dismissing questions of race reflects the ignorance that comes out of encouraging racial-blindness. Consider the primary questions of modern American politics: economics, social welfare, defense, homeland security, tax reform and immigration. These concerns affect all Americans, but several of these issues are preoccupations of the leisure class that most benefits from changes in these policies. Is this not an invisible breed of identity politics? There is no major discussion about inner-city infrastructure and housing. The War on Drugs continues to eat the Federal budget and demolish the lives of minorities. Minorities are still held to greater scrutiny by the law, even for cases involving crimes committed predominantly by white males. All of this is because one identity is already entrenched in politics—that of the white protestant male—and others are de facto disenfranchised. Of course, identity can be taken to far politically, and, as I think is clear above, has. Should who you are, where you were born, what color skin or eyes you have determine your political status? Absolutely not. But neither should they condemn you to suffering. Should the law be blind? As much as possible. But that does not mean that we, as human beings, should follow.
Latent racism apparent in Hunger Games reactions Reactions of “Hunger Games” fans to the race of two central characters reveal a latent racism which assumes that only white characters can be good. Conor Fellin
Student Writer
As publicity for the movie adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ young adult novel The Hunger Games began circulating, several fans of the book began posting comments on various social networks expressing shock that Rue and Thresh, two of Collins’ most beloved characters, would each be played by an African American actor and actress. Despite Collins’ description of Rue as having “dark brown skin” and Thresh as “having the same dark skin as Rue,” the fans repeatedly insisted that the book portrayed the two characters as white. In response to this commotion, a Tumblr page entitled “Hunger Games Tweets” has compiled a series of reactions to race in the casting of Rue and Thresh. These reactions mostly consist of Tweets but also include other forms of media including text messages and memes.
The tweets range from the sort of bigoted declarations that began the controversy (like suggesting that Rue’s race made her “some black girl” an not an “innocent girl”, or that it made her death less sad) to snide backlash (i.e. “in all these people’s defense, it’s easy to miss these sorts of things when reading through 2 small holes in a white sheet” and “When I read the Hunger Games, I imagine Thresh as Hawaiian or Samoan, not African American”). While it’s easy to poke fun at a few fans too blind to recognize that stories may ask them to sympathize with people who do not look like them, the controversy raises a serious question for American society as a whole. Namely, if the average American reader by default imagines a character as white and needs more than a few explicit descriptions to the contrary to change this impression, then what does that say about our collective self-image? We cannot blow the issue off because The Hunger Games is “just a story.” The stories we tell ourselves matter. It would be hard to overestimate the role of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin in aiding the abolitionist movement, and potent works like Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl or Eli Wiesel’s Night distinguish the Holocaust from scores of other genocides that society has mostly forgotten. When stories force us to see and feel just how much a marginalized group is like us, we listen. It should cause us concern that a
contingent of American readers is becoming deaf to this call to recognize the humanity in others. We will not be able to overcome issues like income inequality as long as our media educates people to think that an African American girl’s death “[isn’t] as sad.” There can be no equality for the “others” in society until there is empathy with them, and there can be no empathy with them until the majority can imagine them the same way they imagine themselves. Yet how can a society deal with abstract terms like empathy and imagination? Again, the stories we tell matter. If the media repeatedly gives children white heroes to root for, it should not be surprising that they quickly expect all stories— and the world outside stories—to be similar. The characters in children’s movies, television shows, advertisements and books are still overwhelmingly white, and the result is a generation—or at least a part of a generation—that can only identify with African American characters with difficulty. America simply needs more diversity in its visual media. This means awareness on the part of the directors, authors and producers that produce the national media. More importantly, more diversity means more awareness on the part of the fans that consume the media. A few ignorant teenagers, after all, should not be the only people that engage in the dialog about race in literature.
Images courtesy Hunger Games Tweets
The Tumblr page Hunger Games Tweets has been collecting race and Hunger Gamesrelated tweets since before the film adaptation hit theaters. The trailers alone produced a flurry of reactions, particularly to the race of the actors playing the characters Rue and Thresh.
Opinion
10 APRIL 2012
WINNER ACADEMY
AWA R D S
BEST PICTURE
Uncontested elections indicate profound apathy among Tulsa student body
®
©A.M.P.A.S.®
BEST DIRECTOR BEST ACTOR BEST COSTUME DESIGN BEST ORIGINAL SCORE MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS
JEAN DUJARDIN
MARK BRIDGES
THE COLLEGIAN : 10
LUDOVIC BOURCE
The University of Tulsa’s Student Association election includes several uncontested races—a scenario that reveals not only profound apathy but a disturbing lack of student concern for issues. Will Boogert Student Writer
Artist A DISTURBING IMAGE AND A CRUDE GESTURE
NOW PLAYING AT THEATRES EVERYWHERE Check Local Listings for Theaters and Show Times.
In true democratic form, students across campus are running for seats in the university’s Student Association. With the upcoming election, some questions must be asked about not only the governmental body but the student body itself. It turns out that many candidates for SA run unopposed. It’s as if throwing your name in the hat is the same as having it drawn. Any effective democratic system thrives in the presence of opposition and dissension. It is the blood in the veins of the American political beast. Dissension seems to have no place at the University of Tulsa. There does not use appear o be much use to this kind of disagreement and agitation at any university, for that matter. After all, it would be easy enough to spend four years at this institution, never needing to bother with causes or activities or anything extracurricular—simply focused on the future, what job prospects are available, which graduate schools seem appealing.. Universities are perfect places for this streamlined existence. There is no pressure, at such an expensive private institution, to worry oneself with matters outside of one’s own curriculum. Such activities are encouraged, no doubt. They are promoted as hobbies—things to experiment with, ways to discover hidden interests. The political environment surrounding the Student Association reflects this sentiment well. The body has constructed an image of itself that is hardly legislative. It now resembles a kind and wealthy mother, willing to appease the whims of its children by offering $10 to start a street-corner lemonade stand. As the student group with primary power for change on campus, SA serves its community well. It promotes, or at least supports,
fundraisers, student events, and academic clubs. And in all of these functions, it acts like a student government ought to. I do not protest the good work it does. Rather, I protest the environment in which it is done. An unopposed candidacy for such a body can imply several things: it does not matter who actually holds the offices in SA, because the same work will be done regardless of the office-holder, perhaps the office itself holds little power or prestige, thereby reducing interest in holding that office, and there is a lack of political dynamism surrounding the institution and likewise its students. It does not require any stretch of the imagination to say that TU is no Berkeley, no center for agitation and radicalism. And being locked within one of the most conservative states in the country reinforces this. But for the same reason that a university is the perfect place to live a streamlined, politically-unfettered existence, a university is also the perfect place to practice idealism. After all, each of us is at the beginning of our lives as functioning members of society—there is no better time to test its boundaries and tolerances than when we have so little to lose from it. I am imagining settings that exist beyond the borders of Oklahoma at the moment. I am imagining student protests of the Vietnam War in the 60s and 70s; I am imagining the Arab Spring of the past year; I am imagining the long history of popular movements in this country, and how all of these seem irrelevant to, or completely detached from, the University of Tulsa as we attend it today. After all, we do not have much to agitate for. We already have access to society’s preferential treatment—attending classes at a private institution is a luxury, not a right by any standard. Despite our fortunate circumstances, an air of indolence hangs about the campus. This air is comfortable to live in, but comes at a cost It will be a rude awakening to some, when the bubble of the private university is burst, and the problems of the outer world creep in. Maybe there is not one answer to this issue, and maybe it is not an issue at all. But that’s exactly it—the lack of issues at the University of Tulsa is frightening. All throughout history, when people have wanted things, they have raised their voices to obtain them. I, for one, am disturbed by the silence that dominates this haven of ours.
Your Dean and Faculty ask ALL students to voice their opinions! Online Student Course Evaluations are now open!
LAW
March 26 - April 20
AS, BUS, ENS & GR
April 10 - 25
Why take time to complete the surveys? Faculty want to know about your classroom experience….. What did the instructor do well that contributed to your learning? What skills and understanding have you gained from this course? What improvements could the instructor have made to enhance your learning? Did the assignments help you to learn the course subject matter?
https://wadl.utulsa.edu/evaluation The evaluations are fast, easy, & anonymous, so please take a few minutes to let us know what you think!