15 February 2021

A student newspaper of the University of Tulsa

February 15, Issue 16 - volume 106

cover by Emma Palmer

cover by Emma Palmer

Oklahomans prepare for extreme weather, p. 3

Tulsa basketball enters slump, p. 2 Social media and right-wing conspiracies, p.4 Happy Lunar New Year!, p. 6

Sports

The Collegian: 2

AP top 10 filled with all the old unfamiliar faces Amid a season lacking the usual names in AP polls, basketball writer Tommy Reid looks at who currently sits at the top.

Over the past 12 weeks, the NCAA college basketball season has been off and running. While there have been some cancelations and postponing of games, many teams have still been able to play a mostly full season. Now, with just a few weeks left in the regular season, there are still a few undefeated teams as well as many other teams who have very few losses. #10 Missouri Tigers Sitting at 10th in the AP poll, their record is 13-5 and they are currently sixth in the SEC. Included in their 13 wins are wins against the #21 ranked Oregon Ducks, the #6 ranked Illinois Fighting Illini, the #6 ranked Tennessee Volunteers and the #10 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. In their remaining five games, they will play Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Texas A&M and Florida. #9 Virginia Cavaliers Sitting at ninth in the AP poll, their record is 15-3 and they are currently first in the ACC. Included in their 15 wins are wins against the #4 ranked Michigan State Spartans and the #12 ranked Clemson Tigers. In their remaining five games, they will play Florida State, Duke, North Carolina State, Miami and Louisville. #8 Houston Cougars Sitting at eighth in the AP poll, their record is 17-2 and they are currently first in the AAC. Included in their 17 wins was a win the #14 ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders. In their remaining four games, they will play Cincinnati, Wichita State, South Florida and Memphis. #7 Texas Tech Red Raiders Sitting at seventh in the AP poll, their record is 14-6 and they are currently sixth in the Big 12. Included in their 14 wins are wins against the #4 ranked Texas Longhorns and the #9 ranked Oklahoma Sooners. In their remaining five games, they will play

Texas Christian twice, Kansas, Oklahoma State and Texas. #6 Illinois Fighting Illini Sitting at sixth in the AP poll, their record is 14-5 and they are currently tied for first in the Big 10. Included in their 14 wins are wins against the #10 ranked Duke Blue Devils the #7 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes and the #13 ranked Wisconsin badgers. In their remaining six games, they will play Northwestern, Minnesota, Michigan State, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Ohio State. #5 Villanova Wildcats Sitting at fifth in the AP poll, their record is 13-3 and they are currently first in the Big East. Included in their 13 wins are wins against the #18 ranked Arizona State Sun Devils and the #17 ranked Texas Longhorns. In their remaining five games, they will play Connecticut, Saint John’s, Butler, Creighton and Providence. #4 Ohio State Buckeyes Sitting at fourth in the AP poll, their record is 17-4 and they are currently tied for first in the Big 10. Included in their 17 wins are wins against the #11 ranked Rutgers Scarlet Knights, the #15 ranked Rutgers Scarlet Knights, the #14 ranked Illinois Fighting Illini, the #10 ranked Wisconsin Badgers and the #8 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes.

In their remaining five games, they will play Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa and Illinois. #3 Michigan Wolverines Sitting at third in the AP poll, their record is 13-1 and they are currently tied for first in the Big 10. Included in their 13 wins are wins against the #19 ranked Northwestern Wildcats, the #16 ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers and the #9 ranked Wisconsin Badgers. In their remaining five games, they will play Rutgers, Ohio State, Indiana, Iowa and Michigan State.

15 February 2021

#2 Baylor Bears Sitting at second in the AP poll, their record is 17-0 and they are currently first in the Big 12. Included in their 17 wins are wins against the #5 ranked Illinois Fighting Illini, the #15 ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders, the #9 ranked Kansas Jayhawks and the #6 ranked Texas Longhorns. In their remaining three games, they will play Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Kansas.

#1 Gonzaga Bulldogs Sitting at first in the AP poll, their record is 20-0 and they are currently first in the WCC. Included in their 19 wins are wins against the #6 ranked Kansas Jayhawks, the #11 ranked West Virginia Mountaineers, the #3 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes and the #16 ranked Virginia Cavaliers. In their remaining two games, they will play Saint Mary’s and San Diego.

TU loses third straight home game this month Sports writer Tommy Reid recaps the Golden Hurricane’s trudge through late season games.

that’s not confident right now. It’s hard to win when you go to the line seven times and you only make two free throws and you’re 4-of-21 from 3. I thought we had some good looks, but we’re just not shooting well and we’re just not confident.” He continued his post game discussion by saying, “We’re all struggling right now and when you’re struggling with your confidence you’ve got to have good leadership and you’ve got to fight a little bit harder.”

Brandon Rachal had his fifth doubledouble of the season, scoring 10 points and receiving 10 rebounds. Elijah Joiner scored nine points; Rey Idowu, Darien Jackson and Keyshawn Embry-Simpson scored seven points and Emmanuel Ugboh scored four points for Tulsa.

After this week of American Athletic Conference (AAC) play, Tulsa has fallen to sixth place in the AAC with an overall record of 9-9 including a 6-7 record in conference play. They are five games back of the conference leader — the Houston Cougars.

The Golden Hurricane will be back in action again on Tuesday, Feb. 16 when they will play the Temple Owls at 6 p.m. on ESPNU as they will be seeking their first win in the month of February.

It was another disappointing night for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane as they played the Tulane Green Wave last Wednesday night at the Reynolds Center. For the third time in the month of February, Tulsa lost while playing at home. They had not lost three straight home games since the 20162017 season.

Tulane opened the scoring to begin the game, but Tulsa immediately responded by tying the game at two points each. Over the next few minutes, Tulsa and Tulane went back and forth as to who held the lead. Just past the halfway point of the first quarter, Tulsa had a four-point lead. However, this was as large a lead as they would get during the entire game as Tulane came roaring back with a 15-0 run, which they carried into a 38-25 halftime lead.

Coming out of the halftime break, Tulsa rebounded and began to catch up to Tulane with Elijah Joiner, Brandon Rachal, Darrien Jackson and Rey Idowu bringing Tulsa to within three points. Despite coming this close, however, Tulsa was unable to take the lead as Tulane began to increase their lead. While later in the game Tulsa was able to climb back within eight points, they ultimately lost the game by ten with Tulane winning by a score of 58-48.

After the game, Golden Hurricane Coach Frank Haith said, “We’re a team

The Collegian’s hottest teams in the NBA NBA writer Zach Short returns with some big changes in this week’s updated rankings.

5. Philadelphia 76ers While Joel Embiid seems the shoe-in for MVP at this juncture, losing to the Nets and then the Trailblazers makes the team as a whole look much more human. Still, the competitiveness of this team still has them looking good enough to take anyone in a seven game series, but a decrease in production recently exposes enough weakness to give the other teams also vying for a first-in-too-long Finals appearance more hope than Philadelphia fans are comfortable with. The real test for this team will come Monday night against the Jazz. If they can steal a win from the hottest team in the NBA right now, they will pull themselves back up toward contention for the top of the rankings. However, where a close game might not necessarily harm them, a wide-margined loss could put them down out of the list. The rest of their week, with games against the Bulls and Rockets, seems easy, but they will need blowout wins to prove they are still up to snuff. Ultimately, this week could set the tone for the rest of the season for the team.

4. Brooklyn Nets I have finally had to cave. While the Nets seemed perfect to top the beautiful loser category, this team keeps winning and crawling toward a top slot in the Eastern Conference. Any team with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden will win more

than their fair share of games, but a handful of hot wins sans Kevin Durant and one of the most unstoppable offenses in the league has forced this team into the top five. A few more eyebrow-raising wins could feasibly even push this team higher in the rankings, but it will take some improvement in the areas that need attention, most notably their Achilles’ heel: the entire defensive end of the floor. A shutdown spectacle over a good team would make this team look unstoppable. However, until they can learn to stop their fiercest opponents from scoring at will, they simply will not be able to make a run in the postseason.

3. Los Angeles Clippers On one of the most unpredictable teams, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have steadily kept themselves just below the peak of the Western Conference. Whether they blow out a team, get blown out or play a close game that goes either way, it never seems to matter who they play. Every game for this team looks like a dice roll on outcome, with a convenient heavy bias toward impressive wins. The problem, of course, lies in the unforeseen bad luck. Losing to the Nets or the Celtics is one thing, but dropping a game to the, albeit far-improved, Kings is unacceptable for a team that hopes to make a Finals appearance. If they can tone down the frequency of off-nights, the odds look

50-50 on both making the Finals and winning it all once there, respectively.

2. Los Angeles Lakers While Anthony Davis and LeBron are still playing some of the best basketball of their careers, they came dangerously close to letting the Jazz run away with the top spot in the Western Conference this week. Backto-back games against the Thunder became their second and third overtime wins in a row. While the final W in the column is all that matters for the standings, two toss-up games against a team scraping the bottom of the same conference could have just as easily made for a very bad week in LeBron land. As they still won all their games and kept just barely behind the Jazz in the standings, they remained in the two spot for the week. With a week like this though, they appear right on the cusp of dropping some essential games and giving up the one seed to the Jazz, if not the two seed to the Clippers.

1. Utah Jazz These guys cannot lose. End of story.

Monday’s game against the 76ers might just provide a sneak preview of the coming Finals, because these guys look destined to make it and only a few teams look positioned to steal the Eastern Conference out from Philadelphia. While the Lakers have been making their wins as close as seems

possible, Utah has enjoyed much more comfortable wins. Even their closest games reach a conclusion by the end of regulation.

Barring some catastrophe or serious lull for this team, they will pull ahead of the Lakers in the coming weeks, as the number two team in the West simply does not have the steam to keep pushing without hardly ever dropping a game. Utah, of course, does have that level of energy. Like no year before, a team seems ready to dethrone the king.

Hot Seat: Phoenix Suns Why have Chris Paul and Devin Booker taken this spot, you might ask? Well, more than anything, they have consistently beaten every other team to hold this spot. James Harden was never the right match as a teammate for Paul, but his move to Oklahoma City instigated a renaissance in the veteran guard and now, given his deadly combination with Booker, the man has entered a whole new existence. Newer NBA fans might not even remember the years that he dominated highlight reels with Blake Griffin in Los Angeles. His cultured style of play and inspiring locker room presence have taken the energy from the incredible lastsecond push of this Phoenix team from the previous season and pushed past all known barriers. This team is an easy second round Playoffs team.

Feb. 15 - Feb. 21 Monday

Tuesday 26

25

W Golf @ UNLV All Day

Wednesday

W Golf @ UNLV All Day M Basketball Temple 6 p.m.

27

W Basketball Temple 6 p.m.

Thursday 28

Volleyball @ Memphis 7 p.m.

Friday

Saturday 30

29

Sunday 31

Volleyball @ Memphis 4 p.m.

W Basketball @ UCF 11 a.m.

W Tennis Cincinnati TBA

M Tennis @ Oklahoma 6 p.m

M Soccer @ SMU 7 p.m.

W Soccer @ Memphis 6 p.m.

15 February 2021

News

The Collegian: 3

Oklahomans prepare for upcoming blizzard With 12 inches of snow and below freezing temperatures predicted, those experiencing homelessness are at high risk.

Emily Every Editor-in-Chief

Following a week of unusually cold weather, meteorologists predict a second winter weather system to arrive in eastern Oklahoma early this week. Two overnight storms, predicted for Sunday-Monday and Monday-Tuesday, are currently projected to bring anywhere from six to 12 inches of snow to the Tulsa area. Wind chills of negative 20 degrees fahrenheit are predicted for both Sunday and Monday night. The city has not seen this amount of snow since 2013, when ice storms caused power outages for thousands of Tulsans.

The University of Tulsa, in preparation for the inclement weather, encouraged students to subscribe to TU Emergency Updates to keep up to date about events affecting campus such as power outages and campus closure. This can be done at https:// utulsa.edu/campus-security/campus-safetymeasures/#emergency-notification-system.

The University also suggests that as long as temperatures are below freezing, students in apartments leave their faucets on a slow drip and open cabinet doors below skinks to prevent the pipes from freezing.

The crews maintaining city streets largely use salt and brine to melt ice on roads. Salt cannot melt snow or ice, limiting its usefulness in particularly cold temperatures.

Brine, however, works in temperatures as low as negative six degrees. Currently, the city is focusing on plowing main roads before salting snow accumulations. Crews are prioritizing arterial roads, those with the most traffic, as opposed to secondary roads.

Officials recommend dressing in warm clothing that would keep you comfortable for hours when leaving the house to prepare for falls from an icy surface, which may result in immobilization. More than 115 falls, the majority of which resulted in hospitalization, were reported to EMSA officials before 5 p.m. last Thursday, Feb. 11. There have been numerous hospitalizations for cold exposure as well.

Residents are also encouraged to check the quality of housing and heating of their elderly or home-bound family and friends.

With heating issues, health officials and emergency services are also prepared for an

influx of carbon monoxide-related calls.

Teams from John 3:16 Mission were reaching out to people without housing last Monday, Feb. 8.

“People who are homeless in this cold, unless they built up a really sturdy camp, have to walk all night long. So, people want to know, why are homeless people walking all over downtown Tulsa? They are doing it because if they stop, they will die,” noted Rev. Steve Whitaker from John 3:16. There are approximately 1500-2000 people in need of shelter in the Tulsa area, with the majority of shelters at capacity.

Several groups seeking to help Tulsans experiencing homelessness organized sup-

.

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editor-in-chief

editor in chief

Justin Guglielmetti Emily Every managing editor

managing Raven editor Fawcett

Sara Serrano news editor

Ethan Veenker news editor

Pipersports Prolago editor

Brennen Gray

sports editor

variety editor Zach Short

Emma Palmer

variety editor

commentary editor

Myranda Emily New Every commentary editor satire editor

Justin Klopfer Madison Connell satire&editor photo graphics editor

Conner Maggio Anna Johns

business & advertising

photo & graphics editor manager

Emma BrianPalmer Kwiecinski

media & web businesssocial & advertising manager manager

Mary Emma Bergwell Palmer Sara Serrano

distribution social media & webmanagers manager

Lee Karalia Ha Jacob Huynh Alexander

Jesica Santino and Katelyn Baker copy editor

photo by Piper Prolago

ply drives to distribute things like food, sleeping bags, coats, blankets, hand warmers and hats. For example, the Tulsa Community Fridge Project accepted donated supplies at their Kendall Whittier Fridge and distributed supplies throughout the city.

918 Cares and Housing Solutions Tulsa raised more than $10,000 that went toward providing emergency housing for Tulsans.

Temperatures are expected to be higher by the end of the week, as a high pressure warm air mass will move into the area as the cold air mass moves out. However, meteorologists note that Tulsa “will just have to wait and see as the cold arctic air mass can be hard to push out.”

HanacopySaad editor

Bryant Loney

The Collegian is the student newspaper of the University of Tulsa. It is distributed Mondays during the fall and spring semesters, except during holidays and final exam weeks. The University of Tulsa does not discriminate on the basis of personal status or group characteristics including but not limited to the classes protected under federal and state law. Inquiries regarding implementation of this policy may be addressed to the Office of Human Resources, 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104-9700, (918)631-2616. Requests for accomodation of disabilities may be addressed to the university’s 504 Coordinator, Dr. Tawny Rigsby, (918)631-3814. To ensure availability of an interpeter, five to seven days notice is needed; 48 hours is recommended for all other accomodations.

Advertising Policy: Advertising appearing in this publication does not imply approval or endorsement by the University of Tulsa or the Collegian for the products or services advertised. For advertising information, email the Collegian at advertising@tucollegian.org. The deadline for advertising is noon on the Friday proir to publication.

Letter Policy: Letters to the editor must be less than 500 words and can be sent to tucollegian@tucollegian.org. Under no circumstances will anonymous letters be published. The name of the person submitting the letter must be published with the letter. We reserve the right to edit or reject all letters. The deadline for letters is 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication.

Editing Policy: The Collegian reserves the right to edit all copy submitted by all writers. This editing may take place in many forms, including grammar corrections, changes in paragraph structure or even the addition or removal of sections of content.

Editorial Policy: Columnists are solely responsible for the content of their columns. Opinions expressed in columns may not represent the opions of the Collegian staff, the administrative policies of the University of Tulsa, the views of the student body or our advertisers.

The University of Tulsa elected to hold classes virtually, closing campus, Feb. 9-12 and has not yet announced a plan for classes on Feb. 15.

Responsible masking protects communities from COVID-19 Choosing the right masks and wearing them correctly is one of the most essential ways to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Piper Prolago News Editor As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, reaching about 107 million cases globally at the time of writing, it has become increasingly important for individuals to find ways to protect themselves and in turn protect their loved ones. While vaccines like PfizerBioNTech and Moderna have become available to some, a large majority of individuals like students remain unable to access the vaccine yet must continue to put themselves at risk to do things like go to classes or get groceries. With this, finding the most effective techniques for masking and evaluating what kinds of masks to wear can be imperative in staying safe.

ers. This might mean wearing a second cloth mask over a surgical mask or tying the two ear loops to be tighter, eliminating gaps where air might escape from the sides of your masks as much as possible.

When choosing what mask to wear, it is important to keep in mind that not every mask is as effective as it should be — choosing options that mitigate potential spread of COVID-19 is simple to research and imperative in keeping ourselves and others safe. Johns Hopkins Medical School states that neck gaiters and bandanas pulled over the mouth are considerably less effective. This is because of the opening at the bottom of bandana masks that allow air to escape and the thinness of gaiters that cannot block aerosol particles as much as other fabrics. Similarly, clear face shields, when worn alone, are also ineffective because of the gaps that they allow on the sides of the face.

While a face shield on its own is not very effective because of the gaps it leaves, it

planning to make a mask at home or buy a homemade mask, Johns Hopkins suggests cotton or linen fabric for the materials. For people with glasses, Johns Hopkins recom-

mends a mask with a bendable border at the top bridge that can tighten to fit the nose bridge and reduce fogging.

“ ... evaluating what kinds of masks to wear can be imperative in staying safe.”

TU mandates that students wear masks indoors and outside when unable to maintain a six foot distance from other individuals. Within classes, students are required to maintain six foot social distancing, which is facilitated by reduced class sizes. Even while social distancing, though, it is important to wear masks correctly to mitigate any potential spread of COVID-19. Masks are most effective when tightly fitted and worn over the mouth and nose.

The CDC recently released a report finding that masking is particularly effective, about 96.5 percent, if both individuals wear a “well-fitting mask” with two or more lay-

might be a good option for individuals seeking additional protection while wearing an additional mask over the mouth and nose.

Wearing a face shield over a N95 mask or surgical mask is an effective way to reduce contact with airborne particles that many healthcare professionals use when in close contact with many people, especially those that do not wear a mask or remove their masks to be treated. However, for the general public that does not interact with many people in such close proximity, a face shield is not strictly necessary.

More effective masks have multiple layers of fabric that are tightly woven; if

graphic by Emma Palmer The CDC and health officials state masks with two layers of tightly woven fabric are most effective.

Commentary

The Collegian: 4

15 February 2021

The Legislative Digest is your weekly look at the happenings of Oklahoma’s state legislature, upcoming bills and the terms to know.

Justin Klopfer Commentary Editor

SB159: This bill authored by Democrat Jason Lowe would prevent life sentences without parole and mandatory minimum sentences of over 20 years to any individual under the age of 18 at the time of the corresponding criminal offense.

To condemn someone to a lifetime of imprisonment for an action committed before their brain was finished developing is a draconian practice. An enlightened society ought to give all offenders a chance at redemption, especially those who have the vast majority of their lives left to rehabilitate. If someone were truly incapable of integrating into society, especially if they were underaged, they belong in a care facility, not in a prison.

The bill also asks the court to consider many circumstances such as “family and community environment” and “trauma history.” These are central factors in understanding young people’s behavior and should absolutely be acknowledged when deciding on criminal sentences. If the goal of prison is truly rehabilitation, the justice system must consider what is causing people to commit crimes. If someone has a troubled life, perhaps injecting more chaos and disruption into it isn’t the best way to stabilize them.

This bill is a great step towards lowering our nation’s reliance on the prison system. Mass incarceration is one of the most dire issues in our society, and this is an attempt, albeit small, to combat it. The bill still leaves much work to be done, but the positive impact it could have on many young people makes it absolutely worth passing.

SB127: This short bill authored by Republican Jim Olsen would prevent any future Oklahoma environmental regulations on corporations from being “more stringent than any Environmental Protection Agency standards.”

The threat of climate change is absolutely the greatest danger our world faces in the next decade. Currently, America produces the second largest amount of carbon emissions in the world. Denying the necessity of further regulations and even outright eliminations of certain industries represents a rejection of reality and the destruction of the world as we know it.

The bill also seems a little optimistic about regulations being created; I see little possibility of regulations stricter than a Democratic administration being passed in Oklahoma regardless of this restriction. Republican states like Oklahoma are already essentially restricted only by the rules of the federal government. Further regulations are typically only passed on a more local level.

This is, in part, a “ban on fracking bans”, a category of environmental regulations that came under intense discussion throughout the 2020 election. Fracking has repeatedly been shown to increase the frequency of earthquakes. President Biden, however, has frequently stood in adamant opposition to ending the practice of fracking. The state of Oklahoma doesn’t have to worry about Biden ending this supposedly vital industry.

This bill shouldn’t be passed, but it’s hard to see it preventing much even if it were to pass.

Trump and social media fueled new wave of nihilism

The internet creates an endless media cycle for all perspectives, including outlandish conspiracies.

Justin Klopfer Commentary Editor It’s no secret that the American right wing has taken a drastic step to the right in recent years. The obvious cause of this is the election of Trump and his particular brand of politics. He has fueled a new worldview for conservatives, offering a moral crusade against the satanic deep state in response to the meaningless feeling of real politics.

The reactionary claiming most of the headlines recently has been Marjorie Taylor Greene, a new Representative from Virginia. Greene has expressed vocal support for QAnon, called mass shootings false flag operations and blamed JFK Jr. ‘s plane

the vote. Republican constituents have no problem with someone like Marjorie Taylor Greene, in fact, many of them prefer her to an average Republican.

Another player in the media bubble is “MyPillow guy” Mike Lindell. Lindell was an advisor to Trump during his presidency, and has recently made a two-hour documentary detailing the alleged rigging of the 2020 election title “Absolute Proof.” The film is an unhinged rant, but it’s hard not to have some pity for the man. He and millions like him have been driven to this insanity by an unending stream of propaganda to which they themselves go on to contribute.

The Republican Party is not an innocent victim in this wave of radicalization. They were not commandeered by these new players. The party actively encouraged the ideas that fueled their rise over the last five years.

Once it was clear that Trump could get support, Republicans fell in line behind him and his brand of politics.

To be clear, I hold no nostalgia for the old Republican Party. The party of neoconservatism was even more brutal to human life. No one should want a return to Bush or Reagan. Going back further, one of the Republican Party’s key issues was opposing integration. However, the domestic cultural effects of this new wave of insanity seem uniquely tragic.

It’s become increasingly clear that the Internet has fundamentally changed the way Americans’ worldviews are shaped. Social media is a perfect breeding ground for phenomena like QAnon. I don’t think it’s an

the more importance you attach to it.

This kind of obsession with politics is by no means limited to the far right. Whatever your political persuasion, there are plenty of content farms churning out media for your consumption. For almost anything to the left of QAnon, this media has a sedating effect, cementing its viewers’ opinions without calling them to any real action. Any concern for how power is being exercised is quelled. The far right’s media, however, calls its viewers to actions like what we saw at the Capitol on Jan. 6. This kind of action is still meaningless, but it betrays a dangerous willingness to commit violent action in the name of false justice.

Propaganda being distributed en masse isn’t anything new in America, of course.

However, there is a distinctly nihilistic flavor to this new wave of insanity. The propaganda isn’t being made in smoke-filled rooms by government agencies; it’s both

made and consumed by an army of mindless reactionaries. The creators attach utmost importance to their artificial movement, genuinely believing they are purifying the nation of evil. In actuality, they are doing absolutely nothing but screaming into the void and occasionally staging a riot.

The scariest part about this entire situation is that there is no obvious solution.

Are laws needed to police content on social media? The government certainly shouldn’t be trusted with that kind of informational control. Trump and the Republican Party have created a horde of reality-denying losers, and no amount of discussion can cure these people. The only real solution would be an abandonment of endless political media consumption from all Americans. To do this, the politics-shaped hole left in people would have to be filled with a truly effective political movement fighting for real justice.

“... they are doing absolutely nothing but screaming into the void and occasionally staging a riot.” crash on Hillary Clinton. Greene was also removed from all her committee roles on Feb. 4 in a vote with 11 Republican representatives joining the Democrats. Still, she won her election with over 70 percent of

overstatement to say that this new wave of right wing conspiracists would never exist without their spread through social media.

The internet offers a never-ending outlet for political content. The more you consume,

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell detailing evidence of supposed fraud in the 2020 election.

courtesy Wikimedia Commons Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) on far-right independent media outlet “Unite America First.”

courtesy Mike Lindell

Variety

15 February 2021

The Collegian: 5

A Valentine’s playlist for the ex’s and o’s Whether you’re in need of a love song, a sensual song or even a revenge song, this playlist has all that you need to celebrate your Valentine’s Day weekend.

Cara Atherton Student Writer Whether you are celebrating love, sharing your time with a significant other or trying to get over a breakup, a Valentine’s Day playlist is essential for everyone. While Feb. 14 can mean something different to each person, it’s necessary to incorporate all feelings associated with Valentine’s Day into these songs. Romance, love and even revenge; all the best themes for noteworthy songs that will be on repeat for weeks to come. From upbeat anthems to slow jams, early 2000’s

let them go. Records such as “Finesse” by Drake, “Thinkin Bout You” or “Moon River” by Frank Ocean and “Get You” by Daniel Caesar that help to remind us that there is no shame in being in the honeymoon-phase type of love with someone.

After thinking about the “true love” type of songs, my mind then went into the more intimate and sensual side of Valentine’s Day music. Artists and their music alike that are known for getting people into their physical and emotional affections. From songs that you may be more familiar with such as, “Call Out My Name” by The Weeknd, “Don’t” by Bryson Tiller, “Hit Different” by SZA and “Loveeeeee Song” by Rihanna, to songs and artists you may not know like “Make Me Feel” by Alina Baraz, “THE BEACH”

by Giveon and “fue mejor” by Kali Uchis; all of these tracks are guaranteed to set an intimate Valentine’s Day mood.

DaniLeigh. Some of my personal favorites are throwing it back to the early 2000’s, with “Rock Your Body” by Justin Timberlake, “My Boo” by Usher and “Devil In A New Dress” by Kanye West. The most special thing about these tunes are that they are essential for any playlist, all year round.

We’ve talked about love, romance, happiness and dancing; all some of the best aspects of Valentine’s Day and music. The last type of songs that I wanted to bring your attention to was the “revenge.” These are the

songs for those not participating in Valentine’s Day this year, and instead turning to the tissues, “Marvins Room” by Drake and “Lonely” by Justin Bieber, or even “Playing Games” by Summer Walker, “Streets” by Doja Cat and “Not Used To It” by Kehlani to get them through this week.

Regardless if you’re relaxing with a significant other, hanging out with friends or bundled up at home, your week will be spent listening to the perfect Valentine’s Day playlist for all.

“... your week will be spent listening to the perfect playlist ...” to current tunes, I am here to create YOU a Valentine’s Day playlist full of your favorite artists, as well as some performers you should look into.

The first thought that came to my mind when thinking of Valentine’s Day music was the quintessential love song. Songs that make you want to take things slow, cuddle next to your significant other and never

This all being said, Feb. 14 is not all about love and romance. Like I’ve previously stated, Valentine’s Day is an individualized experience that means something different to each person. Some may want a more upbeat, dance song opposed to a love song; more to the style of “Positions” by Ariana Grande, “No Guidance” by Chris Brown, “My Favorite Part” by Mac Miller or “Easy” by

This QR code will link you to the playlist made for this article.

graphic by Sara Serrano

courtesy Cotton Photography

The perfect playlist is all you need to get in the mood for any day.

A sample of romantic movies for Valentine’s Day With Valentine’s Day weekend finally here, a questionnaire was conducted to get a sample of your favorite romantic movies.

Joseph Breedlove Student Writer The month of February is a time for loving and caring. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, but even if you’re not interested in that, it is okay because this article is still for you. After a nice romantic Valentine’s Day, you and your date can come back home and watch a great movie. Or maybe

in, I think, and so he goes without her. Then he comes back, finds out she had a baby and it’s just back and forth missing each other.

At the end, he shows up and they end up together.”

Ísold Rúnarsdóttir, who is a part of the women’s soccer team, said, ““Dear John” is my favorite. It’s about a guy that meets this girl on the beach. She has a boyfriend at the time, but they fall in love quickly and she breaks up with the other guy. The main guy is in the military so he needs to go there for a year and do his thing. They send letters to each other, but one time when he came to visit, she had moved on from him and married his friend, or a guy he knew.”

“All of these are great movies and are perfect for this time of year.” you’ll choose to watch one of these movies with yourself and a bowl of popcorn. I decided to do a questionnaire and ask people what their favorite romantic comedy is.

Though be warned, this list does contain plot spoilers.

One of my friends back home, Olivia Woodson, said, ““Love Rosie” is my favorite. It is about two best friends, a boy and girl, who do everything together and secretly love each other. The girl gets pregnant before she was supposed to go to college with him in the U.S. She tells him she didn’t get

Lastly, I asked Kaitlyn Johnson, and she said, “”Hitch” is my favorite. The guy (Will Smith) is a romance coach that helps guys get dates, but he doesn’t really do dating or fall in love himself. He’s supposed to be Mr. Smooth, but he basically keeps making a fool of himself and falls in love with a woman, even though he’s against love. And she hates the dating coach guy, but she doesn’t know it’s him.”

All of these are great movies and are perfect for this time of year. This is just a sample, but there are other good ones out there.

Nicholas Sparks’s films are classic pieces to watch during Valentine’s Day.

courtesy IMDb

Variety

The Collegian: 6

15 February 2021

Leaping into the moo year!

Though it may look different due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still much to celebrate as we reach the Lunar New Year.

Theresa Lam Student Writer

Just two days before Valentine’s Day, Lunar New Year was celebrated on Feb. 12, and those who celebrate it have been busily preparing to welcome a more prosperous and, hopefully, a healthy new year, the year

go shopping or just to simply receive money (I am a mix of all of these), Lunar New Year never fails to bring communities together to celebrate a year full of hope and luck.

Prior to the chaos of the pandemic, many would spend at least a week preparing for this two week-long holiday. From personal experience, I can say that Lunar New Year shopping is the Asian version of Black Friday shopping, except nothing is on sale and the majority of shopping carts contain New Year goods. Grandparents rush to buy fruits and red envelopes, parents pack their carts with chrysanthemums, alcohol and traditional Asian groceries, while teenagers pur-

healthy life in return for a red envelope containing $1, $5 or even $20. If only it was that easy to make money on a daily basis!

It isn’t Lunar New Year without watching a few lion dances and blowing your ears out from the sound of firecrackers. To keep the crowd on their toes, dangerous stunts are performed as the beat of the drums and the clash of cymbals accompany the lions’ movements. These sounds are soon buried by the popping firecrackers that circle around the dancing lions. To put your luck to the test, raffles occur to win some of life’s basic necessities: rice cookers, bags of rice,

gift cards to a grocery store or even an iPad to be fancy. What seems to be an entire day spent day-partying finally winds down to a small gathering at an uncle’s house.

Although the spread of COVID-19 continues to make it difficult for families to gather to celebrate any holiday this year, technology has eased the difficulty of this barrier. Despite having my relatives trapped in a phone screen this year, our tradition must live on, no matter the circumstances that could hinder it.

Have a Happy Lunar MOO Year!

“... our tradition must live on, no matter the circumstances ...” of the ox. While many people are expecting chocolates, teddy bears and love letters from their crushes this Valentine’s Day, it is safe to say that I, along with other East and Southeastern Asians, are ready to collect our annual lucky red envelopes. Also known as “li xi” in Vietnamese and “hong bao” in Mandarin, red envelopes usually contain money as a wish for the recipient to receive good fortune for the upcoming year. Whether it is an opportunity to gather with family,

chase loads of candy like no other.

If you think Christmas is the busiest time of the year, think again. At the crack of dawn, shuffling in the kitchen can already be heard to prepare for the family gathering happening at noon. The aromatic smell of roasted duck and noodles fill the house as groups of relatives steadily enter and greet one another. Of course, the young ones would run and line up in front of their elders to wish them a prosperous year and a long,

picture by Theresa Lam

graphic by Emma Palmer

2021 is the year of the ox.

The red envelopes of Lunar New Year represent luck, wishes and good fortune.

Marvel drops “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” trailer

Disney+ aired on YouTube the first official trailer for Marvel’s next television show, gaining 125 million views in just one day.

Madison Walters Student Writer

Perhaps one of the biggest moments during the Super Bowl LV this past week was Marvel dropping the newest trailer for their upcoming television show, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” In fact, the trailer broke several records within the first 24 hours of being released, totaling to 125 million views in a single day, making “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” one of the most viewed trailers during the Super Bowl.

“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” follows Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) as they must team up to save the world from a global threat, while simultaneously learning how to work with one another. The show also sees Daniel Brühl and Emily VanCamp reprising their roles of Helmut Zemo and Sharon Carter, respectively. The first episode of the season airs on March 19, with an episode released each week for six weeks. “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” will be part of Marvel’s Phase Four of the MCU. There are a few central moments of the trailer that deserve to be broken down. One such moment is the return of Helmut Zemo, who we last see in “Captain America: Civil War.” For those who need a slight refresher, Helmut Zemo is the evil mastermind respon-

sible for causing the rift between the Avengers, which eventually led to their breakup.

The last time we see Helmut Zemo, he is imprisoned in the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre. Many fans have speculated that his escape from prison coincided with the Blip.

During the trailer, Zemo vows that his job is not yet finished, meaning that he hopes to eliminate the world of all superheroes.

Another crucial moment from the trailer shows an emergence of a second possible antagonist of the series. In a very brief shot, viewers can see a man in a mask with a handprint on it. The masked man is a member of a violent organization who opposes nationalism. Fans have also speculated that this group is none other than the Flag Smashers, an enemy of Captain America in the comic universe.

Next, we have the return of Sharon Carter, who was also last seen during the events of “Captain America: Civil War.” During the film, Carter breaks the Sokovia Accords, meaning she has been a fugitive on the run since the events of the film. Her role in the television show is, as of right now, unknown, but fans are eager to see what she has been up to since the events of “Captain America: Civil War.” Another crucial moment from the trailer appears to show Sam’s reluctance, or more than likely, the government’s refusal to allow Sam Wilson to take over the mantle as Captain America. Going off the comics, the government instead appoints the US Agent to take over the role of Captain America.

From watching the trailer, it appears that the MCU will be following that same plot-

The tone of the television show matches that of a buddy comedy.

courtsey IMDb

line. This especially reigns true in the Super Bowl scene from the trailer as someone else is wearing Captain America’s uniform, rather than Sam Wilson. From the cast list, it looks like Wyatt Russell plays the role of John F. Walker.

Finally, we have the comedic aspect of the show. Fans should know about Bucky and Sam’s rocky relationship that first manifested in “Captain America: Civil War.” It seems that this relationship has not changed, to say the least. In fact, the ending scene of the trailer almost parodies a session of couples counseling as the two men seemingly have a staring contest for no apparent reason

other than to aggravate one another. This comedic aspect definitely mirrors that of a buddy comedy.

With “WandaVision” and “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” Marvel has ushered viewers into a new age of television: television cinema. It will be very exciting to see what Marvel pulls out of their sleeve for “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” and with only six episodes to accomplish it. Fans, myself included, are on the edge of their seats as they very impatiently wait for the first episode to drop. “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” begins streaming on Disney+ on March 19.

This will be the first time we have seen the duo since “Avengers: Endgame.”

courtsey Marvel Twitter