a student newspaper of the university of tulsa
october 6, 2014 issue 5 ~ volume 100
For more on sustainability at TU, see p. 6
Graphic by Elias Brinkman
“I have this pipe dream of walking through campus and passing dozens of greenhouses and compost bins and aquaponics systems and windmills and the Old U turned into an orchard and solar panels on every roof, and it’s all selfsustaining and maintained by students, and there’s no parking lots because we all have bikes.” —Sasha West
the Collegian : 2
Sports
6 oCtober 2014
TU men’s soccer beat Bearcats 4–2 at Hurricane Stadium
Samuel Beckmann / The Collegian
Photographs from left to right: freshman forward (#9) Aymar Sigue fights against Cincinnati defender Vebjorn Krovel (#5) for possession of the ball on the Cincinnati half of the field during Saturday night’s game. Senior forward Austin Neil (#8), who came off the bench, watches his header against Cincinnati goalkeeper Alex Gill (#30), which unfortunately for the Hurricane did not hit the mark and went over the net.
TU flooded by tennis talent
Sportsbeat writer Wade Crawford writes about the biggest tournament TU hosts on an annual basis.
With most TU sports on the road this weekend, men’s tennis dominates the on-campus sports scene. The Michael D. Case Tennis Center is home to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Men’s All-American Championships, held until Monday. The full name of the tournament is the Saint Francis Health System ITA Men’s All-American Championships, and has been held in Tulsa annually since 2007. The main draw of the tournament started on Thursday, and the pre-qualifying round began on Sept. 27. All-American tennis players from across the country come together in both singles and doubles matches throughout the weekend. Thirty-five different universities are represented in singles play alone. The biggest representation belongs to the University of Southern California, with three singles participants and two doubles teams. The Hurricane is represented by sophomore Or Ram-Harel in singles who joins senior Alejandro Espejo in doubles play. RamHarel defeated Memphis’ Connor Glennon in singles play on Thursday, while RamHarel and Espejo were defeated by UCLA’s Mackenzie McDonald and Martin Redlicki in the first round. Unfortunately, Ram-Harel’s tournament run came to an end on Friday afternoon,
as he lost to Harvard’s Denis Nguyen. Additionally, the Tulsa doubles team was defeated in the consolation round by Georgia Tech’s Carlos Benito and Eduardo Segura. Saturday ended with the semifinalists for both singles and doubles play set. The singles semifinalists include Thai-Son Kwiatkowski (University of Virginia), Sebastian Stiefelmeyer (University of Louisville), Romain Bogaerts (Wake Forest University), and Yannick Hanfmann (University of Southern California). Doubles semifinalists include 2013 Doubles Champions Mikelis Libietis and Hunter Reese (University of Tennessee), Arjun Kadhe and Jakob Sude (Oklahoma State University), Jeremy Efferding and Jordan Szabo (Texas A&M University), and Yannick Hanfmann and Roberto Quiroz (University of Southern California). From these top competitors the final matches were decided. On Sunday Stiefelmeyer defeated Kwiatkowski who will play in the finale of the tournament against Hanfmann (who defeafted Bogaerts) on Monday, the final day of the tournament. On the doubles side, the Libietis-Reese team defeated Kadhe-Sude and will play against Hanfmann-Quiroz duo who beat EfferdingSzabo. Both singles and doubles champions will be decided on Monday at the Case Tennis Center, as another ITA Championship ends at Tulsa.
Abbreviated Hurricane Recap Cross Country Men take 9th, while women take 13th at Notre Dame Invitational on Friday. Rowing The Novice 4+ team—Gabriela Tucker, Kristin Palilionis, Kristy Covre, Willa Pendley-Griffin and Eva Trabucco—finished with a time of 16:39 which earned them a 1st place finish. Varsity 4+, Open 2x and Lightweight 2x ‘B’ all had top three finishes at the Head of the Oklahoma River race. This event was the start of the rowing season for the women’s team.
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Soccer The women went 0–1–1 this week, falling to Temple, and tying against UConn. The men went undefeated this week beating Missouri State and Cincinnati. Volleyball The Golden Hurricane went on the road this weekend losing a heartbreaker in five sets against the University of Memphis and falling to Cincinnati on Sunday in three sets. Following this road trip, they have four straight home games, starting Friday night against Tulane.
Karaok Karaoke Nigh ! Night
We’ll never be Royals
News Editor nikki hager laments that she cannot be there when the Kansas City Royals finally make October magic.
Growing up in Kansas City, Royals games at Kauffman Stadium were a staple of my childhood summers. I remember the taste and texture of wooden spoons, resembling tongue-depressors more than actual eating utensils, that I would dip into frozen lemonades and chocolate ice cream. I can still recall the crack of the stadium peanuts when I broke them open on dollar night and I can still remember the smell of the fireworks after the games that we would more often than not lose. Winning, however, is not a part of my memory. I have been waiting my entire life for the Royals to win a playoff game. The last time the Royals even made it to the playoffs was 1985 (though to be fair, they did win the World Series against the Cardinals that year.) Nonetheless, the 29-year dry-spell was the second longest postseason drought in the MLB. To put this in perspective, in 1985 gas cost $1.20 a gallon, cars still had phones and “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” topped the charts. The youngest person who could even remember the series, led by all-star George Brett, has to be at least 36, minimum. Not only did the Royals finally return in October, but also they did so in the most gut-wrenching, nail-biting, come-up-from-
behind manner that we’ve seen in recent years (okay, maybe I’m biased). The Royals won the American League Wild Card game, in a 12-inning thriller against the Oakland Athletics. The A’s were down 3–2 when Brandon Moss scored his second home run of the night at the top of the 6th, making the score 5–2. Another two runs later, I wanted to turn off the TV, thinking my (and the rest of KC’s) dreams would have to wait another year. Somehow though, the Royals managed to pull through, scoring three runs in the 8th inning and one more to tie the game in the 9th. Three extra innings and probably a thousand bunts later, the Royals managed to pull through and seal the victory, with the final score 9–8. I don’t think in my entire four years at TU, I’ve ever wanted to be home in Kansas City. Now there’s at least one time. Five minutes to October, the city erupted. Champagne and beer showered Kaufman, crowds poured into the streets from sports bars and fans leapt from their couches. Again, I’m a little biased. But my generation has spent our entire lives cheering for the Royals through thick and thin (mostly thin). Now, it’s finally paying off. The only downside to the Royals doing this well is that I will no longer be able to get eight dollar student tickets, making it substantially more expensive to get drunk in the parking lot before Royals games. However, I will have one less reason to drink my sorrows away.
10.11.2014 5:00 – 8:00 PM The Fish Bowl, Pat Case Dining Center We’ll sing and play songs from all over the world — Come eat and hang out. There will be wings, drinks, fruit!
6 October 2014
Sports
the Collegian : 3
Jesse Keipp is…
Tulsa rammed by CSU, falls to four losses on the season Sports Editor and Hurricane fan Matt Rechtien writes about the woes of the Golden Hurricane football team this season.
On Saturday the Golden Hurricane football team traveled to Fort Collins, CO but left with the same result as the last three games they have played: a disappointing loss. This has dropped Tulsa’s record to 1–4 as they resume their conference play this upcoming week. The Rams started the scoring early, with a Dee Hart 14-yard run less than three minutes into the game. They kept up the frantic pace against Tulsa, scoring three more touchdowns in the first-half, all passes to CSU wide receiver Rashard Higgins. With four minutes left in the first half Tulsa finally put points on the board off of a Dane Evans one-yard QB sneak into the endzone.
Tulsa started the second half with the ball but could do nothing with it. On the next possession of the game Colorado State charged down the field thanks to a 62-yard pass from their own 25-yard line which set up a Dee Hart 13-yard run to put the Rams up 35–7. Tulsa responded to this play with a long drive in which they had to settle for a Carl Salazar 25-yard field goal instead of a touchdown. This was followed by a 77-yard scoring drive highlighted by Evans’ 62-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Keevan Lucas, to bring Tulsa within 18 points. Colorado State finished off the game with another touchdown reception by Rashard Higgins (who had four TDs on the day), and to make matters worse it came from the hand of the Rams’ backup quarterback Nick Stevens. This was the nail in the coffin for the Hurricane as the final score was Colo-
rado State 42, Tulsa 17. Perhaps the statistic of the game was the number of yards Tulsa gave up on the big plays. Tulsa gave up 310 yards on only six plays. To put this in perspective, Tulsa totaled 390 yards for the entire game—80 yards more than CSU had on just six plays. If TU wants to start winning games, they need to stop giving up the big plays; it’s costing them dearly. Stats for the Golden Hurricane are as follows: Dane Evans finished the day with 222 yards, two interceptions and a touchdown on the day. Keevan Lucas had seven receptions for 101 yards and one touchdown. Zack Langer had 16 rushes for 72 yards and no scores. Tulsa travels to Philadelphia on Saturday to take on the Owls of Temple University (3–1) at Lincoln Financial Field at 11 a.m. Central Time.
What if I told you two teams tried to revitalize a dying play? What if two teams said “no” to touchbacks? The Bleacher Creature presents The Tale of Two Kickoffs. After an Oklahoma touchdown tied the game at 21, Texas Christian University decided to swing momentum back in their direction by a trick kickoff return. In what everyone supposed was a routine kickoff return, the returner stopped at the ten to test out his throwing arm. The returner’s pass floated into the hands of the other, unguarded return man, who had started the play lying down in the second “O” in “Horned Frogs.” Playing possum netted TCU nearly 50 yards on the return, only to be negated by a holding penalty. Meanwhile in another Big 12 matchup, Oklahoma State kicked off against Iowa State. The kick appeared poor as it plopped to roughly the 25. In what would normally be great field position for the return team, Iowa State miscommunicated who’d have the pleasure of catching the ball. Consequently, the ball dribbled past the two return men and into the arms of a sprinting Oklahoma State player. Undoubtedly, kickoffs aren’t for bathroom breaks anymore. After its miscues on the football field and a loss to OSU, Iowa State Athletic Director Jamie Pollard appealed to the media in a post-game presser against ISU’s greatest antagonist: the big meanie referees of the Big 12. During his plight, Pollard was just one hurt feeling away from pounding his fists and yelling, “It’s not fair!” Sure, bad officiating has cost every program a game or two. ISU didn’t lose 37–20 because of a bad call or two. A bad call or two doesn’t cost a team 17 points. Likewise, Pollard can’t blame a 1–4 record entirely on unfair refs. While aware of the penalties for publicly complaining about refereeing, Pollard claimed “our institution’s been penalized already (by bad officiating).” Zing! Score one for Pollard and his biting sarcasm! That’ll teach them!
Thunder can’t win if they don’t spend big: a criticism of the Thunder’s owner
Super-fan and expert on all things Oklahoma City Thunder Pat Fox explains why one of the best young teams can’t win a championship.
Thanks to great drafts, good player development and some luck, Sam Presti and company were able to make a top-five NBA team in a small market, but the Thunder have still not won that elusive NBA championship they so desperately desire. You’re probably asking yourself, why have they not won a championship yet? Were they too young and inexperienced in 2012 when they reached the finals? Yes. Did they catch a bad break in 2013 when Russell Westbrook tore his meniscus in the playoffs? Yes. But there is an underlying issue that has emerged since 2012. The Thunder has an incredibly cheap owner. Who is their owner you ask? One Mr. Clayton Bennett who is the chairman of Professional Basketball Club LLC, the ownership group of the Thunder. The cheapness of Bennett emerged in 2012 when for the first time in the Thunder’s history they were on the verge of going over the salary cap. To avoid paying the luxury tax, the Thunder traded away James Harden instead of paying him the max. While this move was not ideal, it was indeed necessary because there is no way the Thunder could have afforded Harden. Still, it would have been nice to get something more in return than one season of Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and a first round draft pick that turned out to be Steven Adams. But that’s not the point I’m trying to make. The point I am trying to make is that this started a trend of the Thunder constantly saying they were a small market team that needed to develop talent from the inside. The Thunder did not want to be like the Heat or the Lakers and buy their championships. All of the OKC fans took pride in the fact that they had this championship-caliber team that the front office built through the draft and not by throwing money at players like Lebron. This is certainly something to be proud of, but if you want to be a championship team you still need to spend money. The Thunder refused to spend any sort of money on a decent role player to put around Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka. What people always forget about those Heat teams is that they always went over the luxury tax to get solid role players like Mike Miller, Shane Battier and Ray Allen to surround Lebron, Wade and Bosh. Yeah, they signed three stars, but they also surrounded them with the perfect role players. In the past two seasons the only veteran shooter the Thunder got was Caron Butler, who was incredibly past his prime. They did
not make a play at Kyle Korver last year. Korver went on to sign a four-year, $24 million contract with the Hawks, which was incredibly reasonable, considering Korver is one of top shooters in the NBA. Instead they surrounded Durant with players like Butler and Sefolosha who cannot shoot a basketball. The Korver signing would have put the Thunder over the luxury tax which Bennett is unwilling to do. Bennett acts like the Thunder have no money at all and have to scrape up pennies to put together a thirteen man roster, which is far from the truth. The Thunder have a bunch of money!!!!
much; or Perkins saw Bennett kill a guy and is just straight up blackmailing him; or Bennett is just cheap and does not want to pay Perkins that $9 million unless he is starting. Number three is probably the most plausible. Perkins has been awful for the Thunder over the past two years. He had a PER of 6.32 last year which is nine points below the league average. Using the amnesty on him would solve so many problems. One, you could put Steven Adams in as the starting center. Adams is a much younger and better center than Perkins. Two, you could use that nine million to get a decent wing shooter to put next to Durant and
“Woah, woah, woah. Perkins still has plenty in the tank. Just tell everyone he’s a great leader, plays great defense and scowls like no other, and baby you’ve got yourself a starting NBA center” The Thunder made twenty-nine million dollars in profit last year. That was the fifth most of any NBA team last year. Yet Bennett is unwilling to spend it on making his roster better. When you are this close to a championship you have to be willing to spend money to improve your roster. It is unfair to the fans and players like Durant and Westbrook to not be willing to make moves to improve your roster. And it is not like that twenty nine million was just some blip on the radar. The Thunder are ranked as the eleventh most valuable NBA franchise at 590 million dollars. That is ahead of teams like the Clippers, who just sold to Steve Balmer for two billion dollars. That’s more money than Dr. Evil was trying to get in the first Austin Powers movie! Did I mention that the NBA will have a new TV deal that would net them two billion dollars a year? That is a lot of money that would be going to the owners. My point is that Clay Bennett is not short on cash, but he shops for players like I grocery shop at Walmart. He just looks for the cheapest option no matter what. I would not have that big of a problem with Bennett if it were not for one thing, because honestly all of those other things he has done are excusable. He refuses to use the team’s amnesty provision on Kendrick Perkins. The amnesty provision allows teams to cut one player without that player’s salary affecting the team’s salary cap, but they still have to pay his salary. Right now Kendrick Perkins is the starting center for the Thunder, which is baffling within itself. What is even more ridiculous is that Perkins makes nine million dollars a year. My theory is that it’s one of three things: either the Thunder overvalue “leadership,” illegal screens and scowls way too
Westbrook. Three, you could use it to pay Reggie Jackson who has been amazing for the Thunder and is still young, but of course Bennett would rather have Perkins. Bennett kind of reminds me of Carl Weathers from “Arrested Development.” Weathers was Tobias’ acting “coach” who instead of teaching acting would just teach him how to “save money.” Weathers has a great line when Tobias tries to throw away a piece of meat: “Whoa, whoa, whoa. There’s still plenty of meat on that bone. Now you take this home, throw it in a pot, add some broth, a potato. Baby you’ve got a stew.” I imagine that GM Presti and Bennett had a similar conversation. When Presti brought up the idea of using the amnesty provision on Perkins, Bennett responded with, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Perkins still has plenty in the tank. Just tell everybody he’s a great leader, plays great defense and scowls like no other and baby you’ve got a starting NBA center.” Which of course is all lies. The point I am trying to make is that it’s so hard to win an NBA championship, arguably the hardest of all American professional sports. When you’re as close as the Thunder every year, it’s not fair to the fans and the players to be cheap when you have the resources to get that one piece that could end up being integral to a championship. The Thunder are easily a top three team in the NBA and one of a handful of teams who have a legitimate shot at the title this year. Bennett should not be trying to scrape pennies together to make more money. He should be doing whatever his GM and coaching staff thinks is necessary to win a championship, because it is a rare feat to accomplish, and you have to do whatever it takes to get there. Even if that means spending a lot of money.
Wilkins, one of the goals for the season is having 15 players that will come back for next year. Of the 15 players on the team that restarted the club last year, many of them were seniors. He hopes that more players will be able to return after this year, so that the team can grow. Another goal is to be able to compete against similar teams, such as Northeastern State University. The makeup of the club there is similar to the club at Tulsa, and as a result the team hopes to be able to do well when playing them. Another facet of the club is their relationship with the Tulsa Rugby Football Club men’s team in town. “We’ll sub in on some games with them, and go to tournaments with them,” said captain Mitch Wilkins. The club practices on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday on Harwell, and its next game, date not set, will be sometime later in October.
Monday, Oct. 6: Men’s Tennis @ USTA Future Texas; Houston, Texas
Photo courtesy of fansided.com
“If I yell loud enough maybe they will make the other teams play bad,” said Pollard’s five-year old self.
Apparently, Pollard didn’t hear of the backlash against USC AD Pat Haden’s onfield shenanigans earlier this year. Even though this was relatively civilized and in a press conference, a whining athletic director never really looks good. As this week’s celebrity guest to College Gameday at Ole Miss, Katy Perry picked OU over TCU based on quarterback Trevor Knight’s “looks.” “Trevor Knight, do you hear me?” Perry inquired. “Trevor, call me!” Perry demanded. And so began the downfall of Oklahoma, hours before their kickoff against TCU. Perry inevitably weakened the knees of OU’s proud quarterback, leading to the downfall of the nations No. 4-ranked team. All in all, Trevor Knight came out ahead on the day. Perry preceded her seductive call to Trevor Knight by displaying various phallic images, giant pencils and corn dogs. The international pop star committed College Gameday blasphemy by ripping the Crimson Tide’s mascot head off Lee Corso. She jumped into the Rebels’ mascot arms on the sidelines during the game. Side note: why is their mascot a bear? She nonetheless embraced her first college football game by storming the field and pounding brewskies at a local bar with Ole Miss students.
Club rugby returns to Tulsa ‘Cane Calendar Oct. 6–12, 2014
Joseph Edmunds reports on the second coming of Tulsa’s club rugby team.
After re-forming their club a year ago, the University of Tulsa’s rugby team looks to compete and continue their growth as a club. Discontinued after the 2008 season, the rugby team restarted last year. The team consisted of about 15 guys for the first year. They are part of the National Small College Rugby Organization, which includes nearly 300 teams from around the country. The team typically plays four or five games per semester, excluding tournaments. Each semester is a new season in club rugby. The team struggled in their first game this season, losing to Pittsburgh State, a team that finished as one of the top five teams in the country last year. According to junior captain Mitch
Tuesday, Oct. 7: Men’s Tennis @ USTA Future Texas; Houston, Texas Wednesday, Oct. 8: Men’s Soccer @ USF; Tampa, FL, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9: Women’s Soccer vs. East Carolina; Hurricane Stadium, 7:00 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10: Softball vs. Butler CC; Collins Family Softball Complex, 4:00 p.m. Women’s Volleyball vs. Tulane; Reynolds Center, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 11: Football @ Temple; Philadelphia, PA, 11:00 a.m. Softball vs. Oklahoma State; Collins Family Softball Complex, 12:00 p.m. & 2:00 p.m. Men’s Soccer @ UConn; Storrs, CN, 6:00 p.m. Men’s Golf @ Rod Meyers Invitational; Durham, NC
Sunday, Oct. 12: Women’s Soccer vs. Cincinnati; Hurricane Stadium, 1:00 p.m. Women’s Volleyball vs. Houston; Reynolds Center, 1:30 p.m. Men’s Golf @ Rod Meyers Invitational; Durham, NC Women’s Golf @ Betsy Rawls Invitational; Austin, Texas
NEWS
the Collegian : 4
6 October 2014
Eye on the world: Lizzie Connor Staff Writer Asia China Protesters led by the Hong Kong Federation of Students and prodemocracy group Occupy Central have taken a stand in the streets of Hong Kong as of Sept. 29, 2014. The civilians want the resignation of the current chief executive and more freedom in choosing Hong Kong’s political leaders without the influence of Beijing. The Chinese government has refused to meet the protesters’ demands. Protestors were met by the police with tear gas and pepper spray. Supporters of the Chinese government have tried to drive out protesters to little avail. The groups distinguish themselves by wearing colored ribbons; government supporters wear blue and protesters wear yellow. The stock market has dropped and tourist rates have decreased since the start of the protest in Hong Kong. Sub-Saharan Africa liberia
Liberian authorities are prosecuting Liberian national Thomas Duncan, who started showing signs of Ebola in Dallas last week. Duncan lied under oath about having physical contact with an infected relative in a questionnaire before leaving Liberia for the United States. Strict rules are in place for individuals involved in the Ebola crisis to prevent further outbreak of the already widespread disease. An unnamed assistant health minister claims Duncan took a sick relative to a clinic, a clear sign he had exposure to the pathogen. After recovery in the U.S., Duncan is expected to return to Liberia for prosecution. Europe Netherlands Three onlookers at an annual truck show in eastern Netherlands were killed when a monster truck ran off track and into the crowds. An additional eighteen individuals were injured. The truck revved its engine before driving off a ramp over six parked cars. It then ploughed onward through metal protective bar-
riers into nearby spectators. Video clips of the incident have gone viral on social media. Middle East Iraq
In northern Iraq, Kurdish fighters recaptured a portion of their border with Syria on Tuesday, Sept. 30. ISIL had previously captured the border city of Rabia. These vast territorial gains gave ISIL the upper hand in the war. The Kurds pushed back for control over the border and the Islamic State militants were forcibly expelled. The U.S. and UK have aided the Kurds with air strikes, taking out ISIL heavy-weapons posts and armored vehicles. The U.S. has also continued to lead air strikes on Kobane, another important border town, in effort to safely regain control over the area for the Kurds. Locals have had mixed feelings towards the U.S. airstrikes on Syrian border towns. Some locals believe that the airstrikes are detrimental to civilian infrastructure. Still others claim that the U.S. has not had enough success in infiltrating ISIL posts and armories.
A student reported their vehicle’s tire appeared to be cut by an unknown person. The investigation is pending. Sept. 26 5:37 p.m. Officers and Tulsa Fire responded to a fire alarm at the ACSU. Upon arrival, Officers determined there were no signs of smoke, fire or audible alarms. Officers determined a malfunction activated Security’s notification system. No injuries or damage were reported and the school was reopened. Sept. 26 4:30 p.m.
New Clery data released In order to comply with the Clery Act, the University of Tulsa Campus Security is required to release an annual Crime and Fire Safety report, listing crime and fire statistics for the most recent calendar year and the two preceding calendar years. In 2013, TU reported no homicides and hate crimes. There were four forcible rapes reported, a four-fold increase from the 2012 report.
Sept. 30 11:40 a.m. Two vehicles were impounded from the LPC Dock after they were observed parked in violation of the University’s Parking Regulations. Oct. 1 3:30 p.m. An Officer on patrol observed the perimeter gate’s lock had been cut and removed at the US West Lot. The lock was replaced and the investigation is pending. There were two reported robberies, one aggravated assault and nine incidences of burglary. Reports of larceny were down from 57 in 2013 and from 72 in both 2011 and 2012. Reports of liquor and drug law violations were also down. There were 46 instences of liquor law violations to TPD in 2013, compared to 69 in 2012 and 96 in 2011. Arrests and referrals for drug violations totaled 17 in 2013, 64 in 2012 and 43 in 2011. Weapons law violations remain consistent at three referrals to TPD in each of the past three years.
TU musicians make noise outside of LPC
Student musicians are making a name for themselves by performing throughout the Tulsa community. Music aficionado Oscar Ho reports.
Lorton Performance Center often seems like a quiet place, considering that it is home to the School of Music. The stillness is deceiving. Although TU’s musicians have classes and rehearsals in LPC’s soundproofed studios, they are frequently heard around the Tulsa metro. Micah Neely, freshman viola performance major, plays with TU Chamber Players. The Chamber Players is one of several university ensembles, which include groups like the Sound of the Golden Hurricane and the TU Symphony. Neely joined Chamber Players in Fall 2013, and the group plays a gig once a month on average. During the summer, Neely performs more frequently with his two brothers, one of whom is Jeremiah Neely, sophomore cello performance major at TU. They play at weddings, receptions and almost anything else that comes their way. Matthew Magerkurth, junior music composition major, is well known around town. He plays two
to four gigs every week with several friends, including one regular gig at The Phoenix and another at the Cork Wine Café. He said while the income is nice, it does not come consistently. Pub gigs pay “a high hourly rate but with few hours,” he said. However, Magerkurth does not play just for the money. “You should be learning every time you do something musical,” he said, and performing is no exception to the rule. Being paid for these performances can seem like a special bonus. “It sometimes feels like paid practice,” Magerkurth said. “It’s the best!” He sees restaurant and pub performances as something to do while developing a career based on his degree. Although jazz is his primary genre of performance, he occasionally does string quartet jobs and is working on composition. His goal as a composer is “to market contemporary music to non-academic audiences,” he said. He is currently working on setting up a composer’s concert at Gilcrease Museum, something that he would like to do at other galleries and museums around Tulsa. Drew Crane, sophomore piano performance and composition major, started interning with the Tulsa Symphony at the start of its current season. Crane wants to pursue
Photo Sarah Power / Collegian Student musicians Gregory Fallis, Matt Teegarden, John Mullenax and Dylan Reed play at The Phoenix, Sunday, Oct. 5
a graduate degree and eventually a career in conducting. He expressed his interests to the chairman of the Tulsa Symphony, and the symphony invited him to serve as an assistant to its visiting conductors. “In return,” he said, “I get to observe rehearsals and pick their brains for knowledge.” Although the job includes the standard water and coffee duties, his primary duties are to the music. “Before rehearsal,” said Crane, “the maestro and I will discuss certain nuances that he wants to be achieved, and we compare what he hears from the podium to what
I hear from the hall.” Essentially, Crane functions as a guide to help the conductor achieve his musical goals. Apart from the internship, Crane performs around town. He plays saxophone and sings with The Kings of Music, a jazz band comprised of local musicians. The group performs every Tuesday night at the Moose Lodge for ballroom dancing. Crane also teaches several piano students, but said, “I would love to have more students!” Micah Neely’s next performance with the Chamber Players
is at 7:30 p.m. on October 27 in Lorton Performance Center, where the Chamber Players will perform with the TU Symphony. Find Matthew Magerkurth on the bass or cello at the Phoenix from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday or at the Cork Wine Cafe every other Friday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Magerkurth also plays with the TU Symphony and will appear with that ensemble on October 27. Find Drew Crane and The Kings of Music every Tuesday night at the Moose Lodge for ballroom dancing.
Foreign exchange students find home at TU Students from seven partner universities are adjusting to life in Tulsa. Staff writer Michaela Flonard reports on their experiences so far.
While TU is home to many foreign international students, the university also hosts several exchange students. Although 26 percent of TU’s student body is made up of international students, 19 foreign exchange students chose to make TU their temporary home this semester. These students are from seven different universities in seven different countries—China, Spain, Scotland, Singapore, France, Germany and England. The schools are TU’s partner universities which also offer study abroad programs for TU students. Eleven of the exchange students are staying for only one semester, according to the assistant director of the Center for Global Education, Laura Semenow. The remaining eight
will be joined by four other students from China and France for the spring semester. The Center for Global Education welcomed the students in August through a “New to the U.S.” program. To further welcome students to the U.S., the center plans to host cultural activities, like a Thanksgiving dinner and pumpkin carving event, throughout the year. Jennifer Scharpenberg, one of the six German students, who studies education with an emphasis on English and chemistry, says she can’t describe all the differences between Germany and the U.S. “(The differences) are like little things. It is different, but at the same time, it’s not like going to Asia,” she said. Political science student Marine Rougeron says that France and the U.S. share many similarities. However not everything is the same, she said, like the way people greet each other. She is used to kissing someone on the cheek, while students either hug or wave here.
The “New to the U.S.” program also taught her that “you can’t talk about everything here. Some topics we shouldn’t talk about, like politics.” In France, she’s used to discussing such “taboo” issues regularly. So far the United States has met the expectations of both students. Neither has been disappointed by her stay. That’s not to say they havn’t encountered any problems. “Everyone here is really nice,” Rougeron said, “but that everyone is nice makes it harder because you don’t really know who to turn to … It was hard to figure out who I wanted to hang out with more, because I cannot hang out with everyone.” As of now, however, that has been her only complaint. Classes are also very different in the United States compared to classes at their home universities. Even though she spent her junior year of high school in Oregon, Scharpenberg still notices the contrasts between countries. School in Germany is “a lot more laissez-
faire,” she noted. A TU class expects several papers and tests during a semester, while a class in Germany may require only a paper and a presentation at the end of a semester. The heavy workload has overturned one of Rougeron’s preconceptions about the US. She “expected there would be more things like parties” but notes “it is the perfect environment to study.” Because of her amount of homework, she has “to spend the weekdays studying and doing home-
work, not hanging out.” The lack of public transportation has also been a great disappointment, as she chose to spend the year abroad in hopes of exploring more of the country. Without a car, such aspirations are hard to realize. As school is a little more than a month in, both students found it hard to reflect on their experiences. So far, both students are satisfied with their choice to study abroad. Rougeron feels that “it’s a good experience, something that everyone should do.”
In last week’s issue, the cover story, “We <3 Democracy,” should have been credited to Brennen VanderVeen. We also mistakenly reported that the noise produced by the “band” called Coldplay was music in “University United Methodist Church offers yoga.” We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.
NEWS
6 october 2014
the Collegian : 5
New building named “Hardesty Hall” TU hosted a celebration commemorating the naming of Hardesty Hall. The event featured free bagels, coffee and lots of confetti. Editorin-chief Kyle Walker reports.
President Steadman Upham of the University of Tulsa announced the name of the under-construction multi-use building that is replac-
The new building should be ready to house students by next fall. “We’re driving hard for a 2015 opening date,” Upham said. According to Upham, TU’s enrollment has grown by 13 percent since 2011. Michelle Hardesty is executive director of the Hardesty Family Foundation. “They do a good job of looking to the future, of knowing what these students need and what vocations they need to be
“They do a good job of looking to the future, of knowing what these students need and what vocations they need to be trained for” ing Holmes Student Center, last Tuesday. At a press conference and naming ceremony in front of the Student Union, Upham told gathered students, media, administrators and donors that the building will be called Hardesty Hall. The Hardesty Family Foundation, founded by Roger and Donna Hardesty, donated $10 million to the project, which will house 300 students and 36,000 square feet of office space. Throughout the conference, Upham made reference to the 2013–2014 academic year, when TU had to house some students in the Aloft Hotel downtown.
trained for,” she said, speaking of TU. Hardesty Hall will have three elevators, one serving the three residential levels on the north side of the building. Kyle Rudolf, project manager for Key Construction, said that the group working on Hardesty Hall also built Lorton Performing Arts Center, Rayzor Hall, Stephenson Hall and the Helmerich Research Center at Gilcrease. President Upham spoke with several news crews after the ceremony. Of the new building, Upham said, “It’s an iconic architectural structure.”
Little Blue House: supporting students since 1968 The Little Blue House has transformed through the years, this year welcoming new executive director Jennie Wachowski. Staff writer Michaela Flonard reports. Behind the John Mabee dorms and east of USA South, there is a small building that is home to United Campus Ministry (UCM) and several other social activist groups: Society for Gender Equality (SGE), PRIDE, Earth Matters, and the Cultural Exchange Coalition (CEC). It is often referred to as the “Little Blue House,” a nod to its blue hue. The house was not always conspicuous; it started off grey and was repainted several times. Reverend Thad Holcombe, founder of UCM, said “paint held it together.” Jennie Wachowski is the executive director of programs at the Little Blue House. She coordinates various groups’ activities at the house. Soon, UCM will also hold activites in an adjacent building of a color more common to the university—tan. The house is undergoing an update, according to Wachowski. Not much besides the house itself will be changed, which pleases Gracie Weiderhaft, president of SGE. She feels the exterior is a reminder that “we don’t need anything expensive or flashy just a safe, comfortable place for all students.” The porch of this new house will be blue to indicate its relation to the Little Blue House. Wachowski thinks UCM needs an additional staff member, which
the new space will allow for, along with possible student housing. While “Nancy Eggen (the former director) was known for being extraordinarily generous with her time,” Wachowski feels that another staff person would help their organization run more smoothly. Although plans are still undecided, the original house also needs updating to make it handicap accessible. Currently Wachowski thinks the house can’t call itself “a completely inclusive place if not everyone can get into the building.” The Little Blue House began its work in 1968 and was previously known as the Canterbury Center. It was run by by the Episcopal Diocese and then joined the United Campus Christian Fellowship, a group of ministries. Throughout the history of the house, one of the main goals has been to involve students with the larger Tulsa community. It is “supported by local organizations, and has lots of connections to community activists and community organizations,” Wachowski said. Soon after its founding, the house began providing military draft counseling through the formation of the Kendall Neighborhood Planning Association. This association worked with community leaders to discuss concerns, eventually involving TU administration in their efforts. Their work in the 1970s helped eliminate a curfew policy that applied to women but not men. Students opposed to the policy distributed fliers entitled “Flo Must Go” in reference to the name of the Dean of Women. Such action
All photos Kyle Walker / Collegian
Top: Piccolo player Sarah Pook (front right) plays with pep band on Tuesday. Middle: President Upham speaks to donors, press and students. Bottom: Press, administrators and donors take a hard-hat tour of Hardesty Hall.
eventually led to the removal of the policy. Since 2004, former director Eggen has pushed TU to create a nondiscrimination policy that includes sexual orientation and gender identity in its equal employment opportunity policy. Last year, Eggen’s final year in the position, the policy was finally updated to incorporate those items. Wachowski wants to continue this tradition of supporting Little Blue House programs through community. “College can be a bubble of stress. One of my goals is to get people outside of that bubble and have some support that is coming from outside the college,” she said. UCM has worked to be a “loose network of communities that provide ‘space’ for conversations about vocation, higher educa-
tion, society, earth care and (faith perspectives) throughout its existence,” according to Rev. Holcombe. The Little Blue House prides itself on being “a place that welcomes all, regardless of faith perspective or not identifying with any faitwh tradition.” This openness is shown in its hosting of the four different campus organizations: Earth Matters, CEC, Pride and SGE. These organizations, while seemingly incongruous in nature, are, as noted by Wachowski, “connected in a network, because you can’t separate those issues from one another … It’s cool to have this symbiotic relationship.” They all have ties to similar issues and are able to collaborate as activists. Having all of these organizations under the same roof makes the house a “hub for social justice
The Collegian is the independent 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 in its programs, services, aids, or benefits. 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 accommodation of disabilities may be addressed to the University’s 504 Coordinator, Dr. Tawny Taylor, 918-631-3814. To ensure availability of an interpreter, five to seven days notice is needed; 48 hours is recommended for all other accommodations. 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 collegian@utulsa.edu or jesse-keipp@utulsa.edu. The deadline for advertising is 12 p.m. on the Friday prior to the 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 opinions of the entire Collegian staff, the administrative policies of the University of Tulsa, the views of the student body or our advertisers. Letter Policy: Letters to the editor must be less than 500 words. While we do not require it, letters sent via e-mail to the Collegian are encouraged. 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 Saturday prior to publication.
activities on campus,” according to Weiderhaft. Wachowski sees the Little Blue House as “different from other campus ministries in that we’re focused mainly on peace and justice work.” Throughout many generations of TU students, the house has served as an initiator of change around TU, or at least an important partner in driving them. Already this year, members of Little Blue House groups have attended an environmentalist march in downtown Tulsa, hosted lunch events, and held book club and other meetings. Wachowski’s ultimate goal is that “students feel like (she is) someone they can come talk to.” The Little Blue House hopes to form a community which all students can rely on to be open and accepting.
editor-in-chief—Kyle Walker managing editor—Conor Fellin news editor—Nikki Hager sports editor—Matt Rechtien variety editor—Abigail LaBounty commentary editor—Giselle Willis satire editor—Fraser Kastner photo & graphics editor—Sarah Power feature & layout editor—Morgan Krueger copy editor—Will Boogert, Amanda Hagedorn business & advertising manager—Jesse Keipp distribution manager—Witt “of the” Womack web manager—Sam Chott arbitrary artist of the week—Eli Brinkman
the Collegian : 6
neWS
6 oCtober 2014
TU does more to make campus green than students see directly
Administrative and managerial officials at TU have been focused on conserving water and electricity, reducing waste and lowering energy costs; students advocating for a greener campus continue to push for further environmentally conscious initiatives. SArA DoUGLAS Apprentice Editor
TU has made manifold changes in campus infrastructure over the past few years with the aim of promoting sustainability. Although administrative efforts have been fairly extensive, many students aren’t seeing the results of these endeavors pervasively across campus. From the perspective of environmental activists on campus, a green mindset has not been adequately fostered among the general student body, but improvements are being made. One of the most noticeable shifts toward sustainability on campus has been the recent onset of the trayless initiative. The cafeteria no longer provides trays for students to carry plates and other dishes to the dining area. Although some argue against it due to inconvenience, comparable initiatives have contributed to reductions of up to 32 percent in food waste and 27 percent in dish use. According to the Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition, going trayless can lead to water savings of anywhere from
Quite a few administrative efforts have been implemented that students remain generally unaware of. Sasha West, a junior biology major, is a member of TU’s Sustainability Committee and president of the student group Earth Matters, which she stated tries to “promote environmentalism on campus through education, such as documentary screenings and seminars, partnership with TU through the Sustainability Committee and some of our own initiatives.” One of the largest contributors to wastefulness on campus is students not recycling, even though they have ample resources to do so. Single-stream recycling was established on campus within the past year; now most recyclables, including plastics, paper products, cardboard and aluminum, can be placed in the same container. “(Single-stream) has been a huge improvement, but after conducting trash audits last year, we found just as many recyclables in the trashcans with recycling bins within ten feet away as we found in trashcans with no recycling bins within eyesight. That’s on the students,” West said. However, West contended that more administrative efforts need to be made for recycling to become second nature to everyone on campus. Recycling bins in the building formerly known as ACAC and academic buildings would be utilized more often and more effectively if they were more abundant and more strategically placed. “Having a trashcan at one end of a
Bikes are given to“a lady who refurbishes bikes and then donates them to needy people, mostly kids” one-third to one-half of a gallon per tray. Charlie Longtine, a senior pre-med student with interests in global health and environmentalism who has been involved in Earth Matters, Green Team and Habitat for Humanity, commented on these small movements toward a greener campus. “As a whole, I think there’s a lot more to be done,” he said. “I think things are getting better with things like the trayless initiative and single-stream recycling, but we lag behind a lot of other universities that are the same size.”
hallway and a recycling bin at the other end doesn’t really help anybody,” West says. Longtine suggested that TU include a larger sustainability and recycling component in freshman orientation to combat the current inaction of students in cultivating a greener community. Currently, the very minor portion of the student body devoted to environmentalism appears to go unnoticed by the majority of those who participate in orientation. Longtine maintains that “maybe an hourlong event where you show people what you can recycle and where” would encourage students to actively separate their recyclables from general trash. TU uses the nationwide
company WFF Facility Services to manage paper and plastic recyclables produced by on-campus processes, although the Physical Plant itself still handles metal recycling and the shredding of sensitive paper materials prior to recycling.
District, the Fair, Oktoberfest, and more” makes it difficult for the Physical Plant to effectively manage the program. Caywood stated “abandoned bikes are kept for usually at least a year, but there are enough problems with our Yellow Bikes,
Sara Douglas / Collegian
A lonely bike resides in the bottom of the Mabee Gym pool, waiting futilely for the day when its rusting corpse is either repaired or recycled. Alas poor yellow bike, I knew him, Horatio!
Steve Caywood is the Special Services director for the Physical Plant and also manages the Yellow Bike Program; both roles lend him insight about various programs the university utilizes for largerscale recycling. Over the past year, Caywood said “we (the Physical Plant) cut paper usage down immensely. We used to carry around paper work orders, but they’re all electronic now. We would get about 400 pieces of paper that would get sent to the Physical Plant every day where grad students would type them in, just like we’re able to do on mobile now.” Recycling materials other than paper, like office furniture and electronics, is done in a few different ways. “If it’s good enough that somebody else could use it, we give people on campus the opportunity to trade. If it’s in bad enough condition that nobody on campus wants it, we take it to Habitat for Humanity,” Caywood explained. The Yellow Bike Program on campus is promoted as a way to reduce driving and be more environmentally conscious, but it does have flaws. Longtine believes that “bikes break down really quickly” because administration “doesn’t do things like providing covering for the bikes, so they get exposed to all the elements.” The Yellow Bikes are not necessarily intended to be used extensively off-campus, but Caywood said “the way students treat them, and leave them all over West Tulsa, downtown, the Blue Dome
honestly, that the only ones we collect are usually derelict.” However, those bikes are not given to a scrap metal facility but to “a lady who refurbishes bikes and then donates them to needy people, mostly kids.” Other metals from campus are separated into copper, brass, steel and bronze before being recycled so as to reclaim maximum funds. Batteries and computers are also collected around campus, then recycled through the Physical Plant. As a follow-up to the single-stream recycling initiative begun this past January, a composting pilot program headed by the Sustainability Committee is slated to be introduced on campus in the near future. West emphasized that both students and administration “will need to be accountable to make sure that this program is both usable and actually used. If we can take full advantage of both our recycling and new composting programs, we could nearly eliminate our waste, which would be huge.” Educating students about ways in which they can act as environmental advocates includes distributing information about how the Physical Plant can be utilized to maintain some of TU’s sustainability initiatives. If students see sprinklers spraying onto the sidewalk instead of grass or plants, or if they observe outdoor lights on during daytime, they can submit a work order to fix the problem. Work orders can be submitted
See Sustainability, p. 11
fuck
Sara Douglas / Collegian
Top: Found behind the Physical Plant are stacks of wood and containers full of cardboard, plastic and other materials waiting to be recycled. The Physical Plant works in conjunction with WFF Facility Services. Bottom Left: A line of broken bikes is stored in the Mabee Gym pool. Bottom Right: A bin of scrap metal located behind the Physical Plant.
6 october 2014
Commentary
the Collegian: 7
Banning: the test of a true classic Now that the Riverside School District has banned The Fault in Our Stars, its children can live easy in their dreams of immortality—at least until they read Hamlet.
For those of you who have not read “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green, it is a popular novel, and now movie, about the love story between two teenagers with cancer. Despite its popularity, the novel has been banned for middle school students in the Riverside School District of Riverside, California. After a complaint from a parent about its crude language, sex and theme of mortality, one school’s three copies of the book were removed from the library and banned in other libraries in the district. Donations of the novel are to be refused. The committee voted six-to-one. “I just didn’t think it was appropriate for an 11-, 12-, 13-year-old to read,” said parent Karen Krueger. “I was really shocked it was in a middle school.” Committee member and principal of one of the middle schools, Betsy Schmechel, explained, “The thing that kept hitting me like a tidal wave was these kids dealing with their own mortality, and how difficult that
might be for an 11-year-old or 12-year-old reading this book.” John Green released a sardonic reply to the occurrence: “I am happy because apparently young people in Riverside, California
a point of this. Since the main characters have cancer, they do think about death quite often—the effect their deaths will have on those around them. One of the best known quotes is “I’m a grenade and at some point
will never witness or experience mortality since they won’t be reading my book, which is great for them. But I am also sad because I was really hoping I would be able to introduce the idea that human beings die to the children of Riverside, California, and thereby crush their dreams of immortality.” This is Green’s first novel to be banned, but not his first to be challenged. Both “Paper Towns” and “Looking for Alaska” have been challenged. For more of Green’s thoughts on the controversy of his books, watch his video “I am Not a Pornographer” on his youtube channel, vlogbrothers. Mortality, love, friendship and human impact are among the subjects covered in “The Fault in Our Stars.” While characters die in many novels, Green’s novel makes
I’m going to blow up, and I would like to minimize the casualties, okay?” All of the claims against “The Fault in Our Stars” are true: the language is sometimes crude, the fact that humans die is brought up often, and (spoiler alert) there is sex. But the one committee member who voted against banning the book found these appropriate to the protagonists in their situation, saying that she thought Green was trying to show what a dying 16-year-old girl might go through, such as being angry and choosing to have sex because she didn’t know if she’d live to 17. While many books have been banned from schools, “The Fault in Our Stars” is only the second book banned in the Riverside Unified School District, after Robert
“If they want to ban books that have sex, mortality or crude language, why aren’t they banning Shakespeare?”
Hannah Kloppenburg explains that coffee is what the cool kids drink.
leaf water—gross. At least coffee is made from strong, hearty, respectable beans, and even when they’ve been vehemently ground into a powder, it’s still too intense for those tea-drinking wusses. Coffee is also incredibly versatile. Hot day out? Have an iced coffee. Not a fan of bitter brews? Try a sweet macchiato. Looking for something strong enough to knock your senses into you in the morning? Have your coffee steaming hot and black as night. You can add endless combinations of flavors, spices, milk and creamer to make coffee just the way you like it. Tea, not so much. I guess you can throw some honey in there or something? Weak. Not exciting. In conclusion, coffee is, and always will be, totally superior to tea in all aspects of its being.
Managing Editor Conor Fellin believes tea is better than a pit of despair (read: coffee).
rior caffeinated beverage. It tempers its reasonable (cough-cough) quantity of caffeine with relaxants, so that drinking it makes you focused, not jittery. Truly, it is the (whitecollar) working person’s drink of choice. I understand that my opponent thinks that tea is too weak of a drink. In response, I ask which is more important: a strong drink or a strong drinker? Can a person who functions by caffeinating themselves to the point of no longer feeling themselves be called strong? You, oh reader, must decide this. In conclusion, I would like to remind you that when you drink tea you are making yourself a part of a proud trend in contemporary American culture: misguided Anglophilia. So be American. Drink tea.
Coffee appeals to a huge variety of people worldwide, including but not limited to office workers, stressed college students and squealing preteens. It will always be there for you when you need it—if you’re having a bad day and you need a pick-me-up, or if you want to pull an all-nighter, or if you just want something warm to hold as you walk across campus on a brisk and chilly day. It’s the universal cure for sadness or weariness, it warms your hands and your heart, and it’s always got your back. Tea, in contrast, is mainly for those who are too faint of heart to handle the bite of coffee. Coffee’s tough. Coffee gets work done. Tea is weak and flimsy. It’s literally
Apparently some people calling themselves human beings observe “National Coffee Day” on Sept. 29. Wikipedia tells me that the holiday had as one of its earliest promoters The All Japan Coffee Association. This organization is the puppet of some nefarious league of corporations, no doubt. Coffee is a menace to society. Coffee makes you feel wispy and insubstantial deep in your gut. Count Rugen mercifully took years off of your life; Starbucks makes you feel as though you’re already half-dead. Tea, on the other hand, is truly the supe-
Universities shouldn’t be vocational schools
Editor-in-Chief Kyle Walker searches the soul of higher education, comes up short.
Last week, President Upham held a press conference to announce the name of Hardesty Hall. At the conference, one speaker praised TU for three things: foresight, keeping the needs of students in mind, and “knowing what vocations (students) need to be trained for.” This is damning praise. This notion, that universities exist to provide vocational training, fundamentally misconstrues the value of a liberal arts education. It represents “marketability” as a prime, if not the primary, value of a degree. It takes the marketplace of goods, and not the marketplace of ideas, as the proving ground of education. It’s a perspective that’s unsurprising to historians of American higher education. The massive growth in university admissions post-GI Bill drove a reevaluation of aims in university boardrooms. More students were pursuing degrees as gateways to a higher standard of living. Which is a good thing. But it does mean that the university system came under a colossal strain. It grew to be expensive, unwieldy and governed along the lines of a business, instead of by its scholars. American culture added its own choice bits to the noxious mix. We came to believe that a college degree is necessary, that everyone should get one, that without one you will be unable to earn a living wage. (This last one is sadly true. Though even with a college degree, many people still fall short
of that dream.) Nowadays, the university is stuck clinging to two disparate roles: career preparatory school and bastion of the liberal arts and sciences. In its infinite wisdom, the American university tries to treat both of these roles under one rubric. Instead of undergoing a radical revision of its basic principles, it made no decision, and now seems unsure of even its most fundamental purpose. Even before this recent bout of soulsearching, American higher education had a career preparatory streak. Hell, many of our most prestigious universities began as vocational schools (seminaries, mostly). The university has long been viewed as a place where you gain skills you’ll need on the job. And there’s nothing wrong with this—if by “skills you’ll need on the job” we mean critical thinking, self-awareness, self-motivation. It isn’t, or shouldn’t be, the purpose of the university to provide job training or to teach me how to write a memo (I’m looking at you, Writing for the Professions). The university shouldn’t be a subsidy for big business, providing adequately trained and obedient foot soldiers at no cost but a racket for students, leaving many in piles of debt. The truth is that the university doesn’t know what vocation I should be trained for. No one knows what skills are going to be in demand ten, five, even two years from now. Any school that thinks it does will, in its hubris, fail its students by “training” them in the doomed-to-fade fads of the present (in accordance with “best practices”), instead of opening doors to self-actualization. This is the opposite of foresight: the most
Hannah Montgomery comments
Cormier’s “The Chocolate War.” Banned in 1996, “The Chocolate War” includes sex, profanity and violence by members of a secret school society. Many once-banned books are taught in schools because, as Oscar Wilde once said, “The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.” “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” “Gone with the Wind,” “The Grapes of Wrath,” “The Great Gatsby,” “Harry Potter,” “The Scarlet Letter” and “A Streetcar Named Desire” have all been banned before. These books are classics and deal with the harder aspects of human life and the human condition. Literature is often considered a way of showing the world and helping people understand the complex nature of life, both the good and the bad. While not all banned books become a part of high school curriculum, “The Fault in Our Stars”’s banning may be an indicator that someday John Green will be an author that is widely studied. At the very least, the banning is a sign that people are reading Green’s novel, since there is no need to ban books no one is reading. As far as Riverside School District is concerned, if they want to ban books that have sex, mortality or crude language, why aren’t they banning Shakespeare?
Graphic by Sam Beckmann
Trust us: the berries are red.
ACSU needs student artwork Although the Student Union’s color palette inspires impressions of modernity and cleanliness, Will Boogert writes that student artwork would enhance the place’s uniqueness and sentimental value.
The newly renovated Student Union certainly has more dining options and now boasts a modern, clean design. However, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by its shininess and its monochrome surfaces. The Union feels sterile, impersonal, alien. There is nothing to suggest its affiliation with TU. One thing that could improve the atmosphere is the inclusion of studentpainted murals on the many columns that dominate the space. The columns are currently painted an empty shade of off-white. These could easily be enriched with the colors and pictures that represent what it means to be a part of the university. There would be no mistaking that our Union is a space inhabited and enhanced by the members of the community it serves. The university could announce a call for submissions from students, and the winning effective and inspiring citizens are the people pursuing the things that light their souls on fire. The solution I have in mind is to let the two halves of higher education go their separate ways, to let students determine the direction of their education, to let faculty determine the thrust of their teaching. The natural corollary to this is that we
designer would have the opportunity to paint the column(s) of their choice. This would also be a great opportunity for the different classes to express their identities; each column could be painted by a member of each incoming (or outgoing) class as a monument to the time they attended the school. This project would be beneficial in at least three ways. First, it would break up the monotony of color that exists in the Union currently, making the space less of an aesthetic conundrum. Second, current students would feel more at home inside the Union, and be able to recognize something that represents themselves and their time here. Finally, it would be impressive to visitors of the campus, whether that be prospective students hoping to find some unique campus spirit during their tour here, or alumni revisiting the places they spent their lunch hour everyday. All of these benefits would extend to everyone involved in the project. The Union needs a little life breathed into it: why not start with an art display that will reflect its unique position on the TU campus? should ditch general education requirements. You can’t force someone to appreciate Faulkner, and you can’t foist a liberal arts education on someone who doesn’t want it. American universities provide students with too much guidance. The problem is not that we haven’t hit on the right educational formula. The problem is that we believe there is a formula at all.
6 oCtober 2014
the Collegian : 8
Hong Kong blocks Beijing influence with umbrellas
Nate Beckemeyer comments
On Sept. 22, pro-democracy students in Hong Kong began a week-long boycott of classes. Six days later, the pro-democracy group “Occupy Central” joined the students, crowding government headquarters and the main financial district of Hong Kong in a movement now referred to as the “Umbrella Revolution.” After Beijing announced that it will pre-approve candidates for Hong Kong’s next Chief Executive, the highest democratically elected position in Hong Kong, protesters demanded that Beijing not intervene in local government elections and that current Chief Executive C. Y. Leung resign. The protestors are right to believe that Beijing’s involvement in their upcoming election is a violation of their awarded level of autonomy. background The protests in Hong Kong highlight the complex relationship that it has with China. Hong Kong became a UK territory after three separate treaties, the 1842 Treaty of Nanking, the 1860 Treaty of Beijing and the 1898 Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory, giving the British sovereignty over Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories. However, the New Territories were only granted to the British for 99 years. In the 1950s, Hong Kong began developing rapidly, interconnecting the territories such that the separation of the three territories would be impractical, leading to complex political negotiations with Britain in 1984. At the time, the top official in charge of the Hong Kong affair, Lu Ping, reassured Hong Kongers, “How Hong Kong develops its democracy in the future is completely within the sphere of the autonomy of Hong Kong. The central government will not interfere.” Ultimately, at the end of the 99 years, Hong Kong (now including the other territories) did return to China in 1997, under the condition of a high level of autonomy. This coexistence of democracy and communism within China became known as “one country, two systems,” and resulted in Hong Kong’s being formally referred to as the “Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.” Hong Kong’s Chief Executive position is the highest elected position in Hong Kong’s government, and Beijing announced on August 31 that its nominating committee will select at most two to three candidates who have gained the support of the majority of the committee, indicating that the candidates will be largely pro-China and procommunism. That announcement sparked the beginning of the protests.
Recent Protests Protesters believe that this announcement reneges on Article 45 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, which states that its “ultimate aim is the selection of the chief executive by universal suffrage upon nomination by a broadly representative nominating committee in accordance with democratic procedures.” The protests began on Sept. 22 when students boycotted classes to crowd the Chinese University of Hong Kong campus. More than 13,000 students attended the first day, inspiring a closer collaboration between the students and the pro-democracy group Occupy Central. The next week, more than 50,000 people took part in the protests crowding Central, the center of the Hong Kong government and Hong Kong’s main financial district. The protests are remarkable not just for their content nor scale but for their orderliness: The protests are extremely peaceful, clean and polite. This essence of the protest is captured well in its symbol: the umbrella. It protects against the sun, the rain and the pepper spray and tear gas used by the police. Officials say that 41 people, including police officers, have been injured; 78 people have been arrested; and on Sunday, the police used tear gas for the first time in Hong Kong since the World Trade Organization summit in 2005. The riot police have since withdrawn, and the situation has remained peaceful, but the umbrellas remain a powerful symbol.
Courtesy Huffington Post
As tension between pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong and pro-Beijing locals increased, police arrived and attempted to disperse protestors.
Commentary Article 45 of the Basic Law in Hong Kong states, as previously mentioned, that universal suffrage should be the ultimate goal of Hong Kong. Beijing claims that since it still allows direct elections, it has not violated that law. Protesters disagree, claiming that universal suffrage means allowing them to choose the candidates. As a point of argument, they bring up that Iran and North Korea also allow elections of vetted candidates. Beijing notes that although Hong Kong should have a “high level of autonomy,” it does not have “full autonomy” and still falls under China’s “comprehensive jurisdiction.” That viewpoint holds little relevance, as pre-approving the next candidates violates to an extreme extent the central idea of the Basic Law: The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall maintain a high level of autonomy. As Beijing’s decision heavily impairs Hong Kong’s ability to select a representative candidate, it destroys the freedom to choose any candidates who are remotely pro-democracy or anti-Beijing. Of course, the protesters realize that the legality of Beijing’s actions are far less important than their legitimacy. The protesters rightfully contest the decision, and fight for the high level of autonomy to which they’re accustomed. They remember that Lu Ping, the aforenamed head of the Hong Kong affair when the Basic Law was being established, promised that the central government would not interfere with Hong Kong’s government. Obviously the central government has indeed reneged on that statement, greatly upsetting many Hong Kongers. The protesters have exhibited extraordinary bravery and fortitude, crowding the streets relentlessly despite many requests to leave. They know that they can fail, go home or give up. But they’ve expressed resolve, that fighting for their freedom is worth spending great amounts of time and energy on. They’ve certainly demonstrated their own competency, organizing medical groups, garbage pickups, supply distributions, mes-
Courtesy Huffington Post
University students in Hong Kong link arms to protect themselves and their barricade from opposition forces.
sage transferring and more, despite not having a formal leader or centralized hierarchy. Their peaceful manner and use of the umbrella as a shield have highlighted their civility. As such a civil protest, the use of pepper spray against the protesters is appalling and an indication of the government’s irrationality in dealing with this situation. To its credit, however, the government did also remove the riot police after the incident. Nonetheless, they shouldn’t have been brought in at all. There was no riot. Just a peaceful protest. In fact, if the protests are any indication at all of what a more autonomous Hong Kong
would look like, then China should feel proud to return Hong Kong’s autonomy, and have such a conscientious, well-organized, peaceful and resolute group of citizens running one of its cities in such a civil way. Fundamentally, the protesters certainly have a right to defend their freedom as the Chinese government violated the point of the Basic Law. Additionally, the protesters have demonstrated their level of respect by being clean and orderly, whilst the government has demonstrated its lack of respect by using tear gas. Therefore, the protesters are right to challenge the government’s decision.
6 october 2014
Pumpkin Town falls short
Web Editor Sam Chott visits Pumpkin Town, gets his face painted and ultimately gets lost in a maze.
Fall is a divisive season, or at least everyone pretends that it is. We love to tell people that fall is our favorite season as if it makes us unique, when in reality it’s everyone’s favorite season. I’m not complaining, though. Fall is objectively the best season. It’s brisk enough that you have an excuse to drink hot chocolate and complain about the cold, but not cold enough that it’s miserable to go outside. It’s the prettiest season, with colorful leaves, cloudy skies and early sunsets. Also, people get really excited about pumpkin spice lattes, so that’s a thing. But as much as I love the fall, I can’t count Tulsa’s Pumpkin Town as something that recommends the season, at least for most college students. I’ll be real with you: Pumpkin Town is made for children. I didn’t know that when I went, but it became clear very quickly. One hint was that, besides the group of college students I was with, almost everyone was either younger than ten or a parent. Honestly being in the wrong age demographic was a
little freeing. I somehow felt less silly trying to climb on top of a hay bale when I knew that everyone else there was either too short to be able to or too mature to try. Facepainting, even if it’s ostensibly for children, can certainly bring the ruckus, especially if you ask the painter to put the symbol of a certain ‘90s rap group on your cheek. Even though I wasn’t part of the target audience of Pumpkin Town, I didn’t feel completely left out. The crown jewel of Pumpkin Town is a five-acre corn maze, which is both satisfyingly confusing as a maze and full of wonderful opportunities for people-watching. At one point, a fellow maze-goer started cutting through the corn, prompting her companion to shout, “You is a fucking cheater!” I can’t help but think that this would be corncerning to any parents nearby. I wanted to love Pumpkin Town, I really did. Pumpkin Town just wasn’t made for me. While the corn maze was nice, it definitely wasn’t worth the admission. If you have children and can afford it, or you just really want to get lost in a corn maze, you can check out Pumpkin Town, at 61st and Garnett. Admission is $8 Monday through Thursday and $10 Friday through Sunday. Times and more information are on their website at www.pumpkintownok.com.
Sara Douglas / Collegian
Alice and the Mad Hatter swing the night away under a tent at the Muskogee Castle. After exiting the haunted houses, patrons relaxed with Halloween-themed and popular music.
variety
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Connor Hasting / Collegian
Among the featured attractions of Pumpkin Town in Broken Arrow are fields of pumpkins available for purchase.
Haunted Castle has frights for all
Student Writer Hannah Montgomery attends the annual Castle of Muskogee Halloween Festival and discusses all the fantastical frights to be found. The Castle of Muskogee opened its yearly Haunted Castle on Friday. Home to attractions from the delightful Enchanted Boardwalk to the nauseating Trail of Blood, the Haunted Castle caters to all age and fright levels. About a 45-minute drive from campus, the Haunted Castle of Muskogee is open Fridays and Saturdays 6–10 p.m. from Oct. 3 through Nov. 1. The Halloween Village offers free admission and has vendors, fortune tellers, ghost stories, music, games and friendly Halloween characters wandering the streets. These characters include several Hogwarts professors, the Goblin King, The Doctor, GhostBusters and various vampires. Be sure to talk to Hermione Granger upon arrival and pick up your S.P.E.W. badge. This token makes the monsters nicer to you because they see you are advocating for their rights. Professor Trelawney predicts your future, and Bellatrix Lestrange tells ghost stories. From there you buy your tickets for the other “haunts,” assuming you didn’t buy your tickets online. If you’ve purchased your tickets online, you simply exchange them at the main gates. Most college students probably
aren’t interested in Halloweenland, “a safe Halloween area for the little ones,” but if you know any children eight and under, this $4 activity is designed just for them. Accompanying adults get in free. Starting at 7 p.m., jesters and magicians perform 30 minute shows on the outdoor Chessboard Stage. This attraction, with a scare rating of zero skulls, is $8. At a one skull scare level are the Enchanted Boardwalk and the Torture Chamber. The Enchanted Boardwalk is home to over 200 inflatables in the woods, and the tickets are $2. It is split into three sections: inflatables, scary inflatables and the fairy glen. If you want to see an inflatable of Mickey Mouse in a Halloween costume, this is your chance. The fairy glen is charming, with its twinkling lights and tiny fairy houses. The scary inflatables, which do not live up to their name, include lighted werewolves and vampires. The Torture Chamber, also $2, takes you on a visit to the dungeon of the castle for an educational and disturbing glimpse of what really happened in medieval torture chambers. The chamber features models of torture devices with descriptions. Moving up to tree skulls are the Ultimate Maze ($8 for adults) and Haunted Hayride ($10 for adults). The Ultimate Maze will have you going in circles, with girls dressed like dolls giggling creepily behind you and a few guys jumping out from behind walls and pulling out knives at you.
In the Hayride, you voyage into the woods in search of a crystal ball, but beware of zombies, pirates, werewolves, falling vats of dragon drool and the dragons themselves. The only four skull event is the Casa Morte, an indoor labyrinth through the castle that costs $8. Finally, attractions earning five out of five skull ratings, which this reporter did not dare to attempt, include the Domus Horrificus, the Trail of Blood and the Dark Castle Zombie Hunt. The Domus Horrificus is the “ultimate indoor Halloween spook house” with tickets at $8. The Trail of Blood ($10 a ticket), emphasised on the website as “not recommended for the faint of heart”, takes you through the haunted woods and cemetery at night. While standing in a line, I heard that some people have vomited from fear in this haunt. For $15 a ticket, with a limited number of tickets sold each night, you can hunt zombies and search for survivors both inside and out in the Dark Castle Zombie Hunt. Now, this can add up, but never fear; there are money-saving combo packs. The Adult Fun Pack is $20 and includes the Hayride, Ultimate Maze, Torture Chamber, Chessboard Stage and Enchanted Boardwalk, saving you $10. Or, if you love thrills, the Fright Combo is $25. The Fright Combo includes the Casa Morte, Domus Horrificus, Trail of Blood and Ultimate Maze for savings of $11.
Zur Fastnachtszeit setzt Deutschlands Süden „Narren“ auf den Thron
As a way of embracing the multicultural nature of the university community, the Collegian will be printing articles in languages that reflect the unique makeup of our student body. This week, Student Writer Vanessa Siemers reports on Fasching, a popular Southern German festival. A short English summary follows the article. Fasching, Fastnacht, Fasnet oder auch Karneval, verschiedene Begriffe, die im Grunde doch ein und dasselbe Event bezeichnen – die Faschingszeit. Für Ausländer und Norddeutsche erscheint diese für den süddeutschen Raum bekannte Tradition doch recht seltsam, ja man könnte sogar behaupten, sie wirkt auf einige sogar erschreckend und schockierend. Menschen, die sich als Clown, Prinzessin, Biene, Banane, Elefanten, Burger, Piraten oder Litfaßsäulen verkleiden und sich dabei nicht etwa seltsam vorkommen, sondern ausgelassen feiern. Zudem scheinen sie auch noch stolz darauf zu sein, sich in der Öffentlichkeit auf diese Weise zum Affen zu machen. Um dieses Phänomen jedoch wirklich verstehen zu können, gibt es nur einen Weg: Man muss sich mitten in das Geschehen hineinbegeben. Mit den Worten der Ethnographie gesprochen: Man muss vom Outsider zum Insider werden. Doch wie kann man sich Fasching überhaupt vorstellen? Was ist die Herkunft sowie der Zweck die-
ses Spektakels? Traditionell wird die Faschingszeit als Vorbereitung auf das Osterfest gesehen und symbolisiert die sechswöchige Zeit vor Beginn der Fastenzeit. Der offizielle Beginn der Faschingszeit ist jedoch bereits schon am 11. November. Die „Narren“ stürmen die Rathäuser und übernehmen mit dem Stadtschlüssel symbolisch die Macht des Bürgermeisters. Begleitet wird dieses Treiben vielerorts von den „Guggemusikern“, einem verkleideten Orchester mit speziellen Liedern. Die eigentliche Fastnachtszeit dauert sechs Tage und beginnt mit der „Weiberfastnacht“, umgangssprachlich vielerorts auch als „Altweiber“ oder „Schmotziger Donnerstag“ bezeichnet. Angelehnt an seine Wurzeln im 19. Jahrhundert stürmen an diesem Tag die Frauen die Rathäuser und schneiden den Männern die Krawatten ab: Die Männer werden damit symbolisch bis zum Ende der Faschingszeit – „Aschermittwoch“ – entmachtet. Diese Tradition hat sich vieler-
orts auch auf andere Bereiche ausgeweitet. In vielen Städten kommen Jungen und Lehrer an diesem Tag mit Krawatten in die Schule und lassen sich diese bereitwillig von den Frauen und Mädchen abschneiden. Seinen Höhepunkt hat der Fasching am Rosenmontag, an dem die Narren verkleidet durch die Straßen ziehen und den Menschen am Straßenrand Grußworte („Helau“, „Alaaf“) zurufen und Süßigkeiten in die Menge schmeißen. Begleitet wird dieses Treiben von großen Motivwagen, die extra für diesen Anlass kreiert wurden. Meist stellen sie Politiker oder politische Themen dar, aber auch lustige Motive wie überdimensionale Gorillas sind keine Seltenheit. Die Formen von Fasching können je nach Region etwas variieren. Während man sich in Mainz, Köln und Düsseldorf auf recht vielfältige Art und Weise verkleidet und seiner Fantasie freien Lauf lassen kann, feiert man im Süden Deutschlands, in BadenWürttemberg, eher traditioneller. Dort sieht man vielerorts Men-
schen, die sich als Hexen verkleiden und mit viel Lärm und Klamauk durch die Straßen ziehen, um symbolisch den Winter zu vertreiben. Neben dem Spaßfaktor hat Fastnacht jedoch auch eine ernste Seite. Sowohl in den Fastnachtshochburgen als auch in den kleineren Städten und Gemeinden gibt es sogenannte Fastnachtssitzungen, bei denen sich verschiedenen Akteure über aktuelle Ereignisse in Politik und Gesellschaft auslassen und ihrem Ärger Luft machen können. Dies wird meistens in Form von Reimen vollzogen, was dem Ganzen einen lustigen Charakter gibt. Begleitet werden diese Themen von verschiedenen Tanzgruppen, die der Veranstaltung einen bunten Rahmen geben. Die größten Veranstaltungen werden dabei live im Fernsehen gezeigt und von vielen Menschen deutschlandweit verfolgt.
Fasching, Fastnacht, Fasnet or Karneval are different terms for a well-known tradition in the southern part of Germany. Similarly to Halloween, people dress up as clowns, princesses, pirates, bananas, bees, elephants, burgers or advertising pillars to participate
in the festival. Foreigners and people from other parts of the country get the feeling that they have stepped into another world, but to truly understand what is happening, one must become an insider. Fasching traditionally starts on November 11, when a group of people playing the role of fools (“Narren”) storm the townhall to get the keys of the mayoral. This act symbolizes a reversal of the usual order until Fasching ends on “Aschermittwoch”. Fasching is mainly celebrated during January/February and lasts six days. Six days of fun, political jokes and odd-looking figures. The highlight is called “Rosenmontag”. Attended by different commemorative floats, thousands of people walk through the streets, dressed up in different styles, shouting “Helau” or “Alaaf” and throwing sweets to the crowd. Fasching has also a serious side. It is a time to reflect on political occurrences and the state of the world. On different Fasching days, actors discuss these subjects, but they often do it in rhymes so that the performance won’t be too serious. The biggest events are often broadcast on public television channels.
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6 oCtober 2014
Featured student artwork This week’s featured artist is Chuyi Wen. Chuyi is a junior finance major with a minor in photography. These pictures were taken as part of her Photography I class.
Left: A cicada carapace sits on a person’s hand. Below: A man waits for his girlfriend at a rest stop in rural Arkansas. If you’d like to see your work, featured in future editions of the Collegian, contact Variety Editor Abigail LaBounty at abigaillabounty@utulsa.edu. We accept photography, drawings, graphic design, creative writing, short fiction or poetry
Student quartet jazzes up brunch
Student Writer Meagan Collins visits jazz brunch at The Phoenix and digs up some background information on the Gregory Daniel Quartet, the brunch’s featured band.
Ever started a high school band before? Yeah, I did too. Never went far. A gig or two, couple hundred bucks, the best feeling in the world, and then it falls apart like your grades did when it started. So much for the rock star life. This is not what happened to the Gregory Daniel Quartet. They passed the garage phase with flying colors and made their way to restaurants, bars and regular gigs. What started with a drummer and guitarist turned into a bassist, vocals and trombone and other rotating instruments and people with each venue. From jazz to blues to funk and the occasional reggae song, the Gregory group, clad in plaid, pink and periwinkle, made Sunday brunch from 11-2 at the Phoenix easy as Sunday morning. The jazz brunch was true to its name as there was not a piece of sheet
music in sight— jazz improv at its finest. The leader of the quartet, Gregory Fallis (rightly dubbed a “young Harry Connick Jr.”), started the jazz brunch with a hearty “All of Me” and a smooth trombone solo. Their 4 years of experience showed as they seamlessly moved from one song to the next. “Fly Me to the Moon”, “Bye Bye Blackbird”, and, perhaps ill-fitted but worth the trip back to examfree memory lane, “Summertime” were just a few of the tunes that
and a bass guitar. At times they were heavy handed on the harmony, which made the space more of a concert venue than a relaxed café. The trombone and lead guitarist were suitably mellower for The Phoenix, but The Gregory Daniel Quartet itself would have been more appropriate at night or as an outdoor concert. Overall snapping, clapping and certainly tipping were much appreciated as they rocked Sunday lunchtime. For those church, mosque,
jazzed up the Phoenix. The Phoenix’s atmosphere was perfect for the group. Hodgepodge lighting, mismatched seating, a wall of book spines and windows and the faint trace of incense from the yoga studio next door fit the personality of the low-key quartet. And let’s not forget the bubblegum pink sofa and tribal artwork. Nevertheless, like other downtown cafés, the small, trendy, industrial space was swallowed up in drums
and synagogue bound on Sunday afternoons, Tuesday nights from 7–9 pm at the Classic Cigar Bar is the place to be. The Gregory Daniel Quartet plays there regularly in the Brady Arts District. That’s not their only venue of choice; you’ll also find them at The Mayo and Cork Wine Cafe, to name a few. Make sure to sit in the back and they’ll be the best restaurant quartet you’ve ever heard.
“Hodgepodge lighting, mismatched seating and a wall full of book spines fit the personality of the low-key quartet”
Graphic by Elias Brinkman / Collegian
Between the Sheets
Maria buttons gives tips for giving blowjobs, and addresses concerns about the Between the Sheets submission form.
i’ve never given a blow job. i’m concerned that my boyfriend’s dick may be too large to fit in my mouth. Any tips? I would suggest some daily mouth exercises to adjust your jaw to expanding around your partner’s shaft. You can do this by slowly opening and closing your jaw repeatedly or by slowly sliding your lower jaw muscles away from the upper jaw muscles. If this is still not working, remember that practice makes perfect. You could also incorporate using your hands during fellatio to increase stimulation. This allows you to experiment with using your tongue in other places besides the
shaft. The testicles and the scrotum, when sucked lightly, can intensify the overall experience. Most guys do not suggest doing this in a rough manner. Also, the hole on the tip of his penis (the terminus of the urethra) is another area that is super sensitive. You can try sticking your tongue on the top of it with medium pressure. It is a specific place that you may not know is stimulating, so it will surprise your partner, in a good way. There’s also a “gag-proof” way to go deep. Place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth and then let his member hit the underside of your tongue. This trick gives the illusion of him going all the way in. The text box for the submission form needs to be bigger. Size doesn’t matter; it’s how you use it. ;)
6 oCtober 2014 From Sustainability, p. 6 be submitted online through the Physical Plant’s webpage or over the phone at 918631-2287.The grounds crews on campus make consistent efforts to maintain sustainable practices when it comes to saving water. A new weather station that has been installed and calibrated “measures temperature, humidity, wind and rain to calculate a daily summary of the water lost to the atmosphere. It then adjusts the amount of time the sprinkler system waters, if at all that night, to replace the moisture that was lost,” said Jay Pruitt, TU’s Irrigation Manager through WFF. Pruitt and two other irrigation technicians are responsible for maintaining the 16,000 sprinklers on campus; they check all of them and perform repairs as needed each month to ensure the system is functioning as efficiently as possible. “We operate about one thousand zones of irrigation so if we have the system adjust all the zones up or down to maintain a beautiful and healthy landscape on campus, the university will save water, time and money,” he said. The effort put forth by the grounds crew is not always enough to combat cultural practices which damage the landscape, however. One of these practices is driving and parking cars on the lawns. “It can break sprinkler heads and lines while also compacting the soil, making it more prone to water runoff. (The cars) drip fluids to kill the grass. It takes weeks for the grass to recover, if ever,” Pruitt stated. Electricity usage, particularly from
the Collegian : 11 lighting, is another component of sustainability in which recent improvements have been made, but which have potentially gone unnoticed by students. Those living in on-campus apartments can measure their daily electricity usage at PSOklahoma.com/Go/PSOhomeSMART and subsequently make efforts to reduce their usage, but few use this resource. Also, West said she has noticed that “there are many buildings in which the hallway lights and more stay on all night, even when there are no people in the building, or those people are limited to one room or hall,” which is an issue the Physical Plant has been working on mitigating. The contribution to TU’s overall electricity usage by lights has been significantly reduced as increasing amounts of bulbs around campus have been replaced with LED lights, accompanied by occupancy sensors in some locations. LEDs have reduced wattage in comparison with traditional halogen and incandescent lights and have significantly extended lifetimes. All of this reduces the number of bulbs needing replacement, lowers electricity and labor costs, which results in savings of over $30,000 yearly, according to the sustainability portion of TU’s website. “LED lights are being put on campus as fast as possible. They (administrators) are very conscientious about trying to go with the least amount of energy they can,” Caywood shared. Slated lighting renovations to the Reynolds Center and Chapman Stadium would save over $100,000 in electricity and labor costs over the lifetimes of the LEDs which would be installed. Both Longtine and West advocate not only for environmental activism but also
Sara Douglas / Collegian
A plethora of bikes, some in neat rows and others in twisted heaps, give the Mabee Gym pool an eerie, ethereal feel.
for collaborative efforts between students and administration in order to develop more sustainable practices on campus. West said “students have to push for more sustainable programs, the administration needs to listen to student requests (and factor environmental impact into other programs), and everyone needs to fully utilize the green programs we have in place.” “There should continue to be student events as well as administration and faculty promotion. If they’re not on board, if they’re not in the mindset that we need to promote sustainability on campus, then no matter what the student organization does, sustainability on campus won’t happen,” Longtine said. He agrees with West’s belief that collaboration and compromise between students and administration, and
between sustainability and affordability, are necessary. Students can become more involved in building an environmentally conscious community on campus by joining the student group Earth Matters that meets in the Little Blue House at 9 p.m. each Wednesday, or by volunteering as part of the Green Team during on-campus sporting events. Students can also make use of the singlestream recycling across campus and assist the Physical Plant in upholding sustainable practices by reporting instances of observed wastefulness. Concerns about campus resource management or suggestions for implementations of greener practices can be e-mailed to the Sustainability Committee at sustainability@utulsa.edu.
Gaslight Anthem gives satisfactory show Saturday, Oct. 25 $10 for students Submit 2–3 pages of poetry or 4–5 pages of fiction by Oct. 17 if you want one-onone editing. Registration brochures and programs are available at the Nimrod office in Zink Hall 337, the English Department office, and on the web at www.utulsa.edu/nimrod. Sara Douglas / Collegian
Left: Gaslight Anthem’s lead singer, Brian Fallon, performs a soulful rock ballad at Cain’s Ballroom on Friday night. Above: Alex Rosamilia plays a fast-paced guitar solo during an instrumental break.
The Gaslight Anthem was not capable of selling out their Cain’s Ballroom concert, but those who turned out for the show seemed to enjoy it. Alcohol-fueled attendees clamored to be close to the stage. Others hung back and listened to the mild tunes played by this punk rock band from Jersey. Their accents were a source of amusement, a fact not overlooked by the band itself, and an encore of a few energetic songs ended the night on a solid note.
For more information, please contact Nimrod at nimrod@utulsa.edu or 918631-3080.
Hardesty (“Hardy”) Hall Students perform at named at ceremony various venues in Tulsa
Kyle Walker / Collegian
Confetti cascades over the construction site in front of newly built Hardesty Hall during the naming ceremony.
Sarah Power / Collegian
TU junior Gregory Fallis performs on his trombone at The Phoenix every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
6 oCtober 2014
the
the State-rUn MeDia
State-Run media We decide for whom the bell tolls.
Sara Douglas / Collegian
Ernest Hemingway in repose in McFarlin Library. Having mysteriously found himself back among the living, Hemingway remarked that he intended to “catch up on my drinking and then shoot something.”
A Reprovable Feast: Lunch in the Afternoon Famous writer Ernest Hemingway has risen from the dead to report on last week’s Tech Food Friday. erneST HeMinGWAY Manly Man’s Man
None of the boys here has known the love of a woman. I can see it in their eyes. They’re cowards. They don’t even know they’re cowards. They don’t know what it means to stare death in the face. To spit at death. The room is bright. It has white walls and blue chairs. A sign outside says: “Tech Food Friday: Free Food.” A true man eats only what he earns. How can a man eat that which he has not hunted? A true man cannot. I walk in. The room smells
of pizza. A tender youth stands behind a table. He serves food. Beardless boys and sexless girls talk about nothing in loud voices. Spit flies from their mouths between thoughtless bites. Their smooth hands and clean shirts show they do not know the meaning of work. In my days fishing off the coast of Cuba, a day without new callouses was a losing day. Where does their pride come from? I think about the waste of good manhood, of youth spent idly. These boys should be bloodying each other’s faces in the boxing ring, or stalking game on the safari. I long for the Caribbean breeze against my sweaty brow, the smell of a good Havana cigar or strong whiskey. I spit on the ground.
propagandist FrASer KASTner
Does not trust the media Ignorant Masses: A cold wind sweeps in from the north. Soon the leaves will turn brown and fall to the earth and the Pumpkin Spice shipment will arrive by caravan from the east. The faithful students of TU will briefly notice the weather changes, and for a short time they will note the cooling earth, the indescribable, half-forgotten scent of autumn. And then midterms will happen, traumatizing another generation of freshmen and forcing the rest of the campus to put their heads down and get back to work. While everyone else has been keeping to themselves and enjoying the season or studying for the rapidly advancing midterms exams, the State Run Media has been diligently scrutinizing our ideological enemy, the Collegian, for any hints of scandal or petty wrongdoing. Here’s some of what we’ve found:
Conor Fellin has, like, three unpaid parking tickets. Nikki Hager eats other people’s lunches. Will Boogert, despite claims otherwise, believes in the existence of things. Kyle Walker was totally born in Canada and refuses to show his birth certificate. Conor Fellin listens to ABBA, clearly the worst offense on this list. Over the last several weeks we have been compiling a list of these compromising facts about the Collegian staff. If the Collegian refuses to recognize the legitimacy of the State-Run Media, we will be forced to reveal the list in full, thereby ruining the credibility of the Collegian in the minds of the State-Run readership, a group that, now that I think about it, likely did not buy into the Collegian in the first place. Sincerely: Fraser Kastner Chief Propagandist
“Highball,” I say to the boy. “What?” the boy says. “Are you new here, I didn’t see you last Friday? Are you a graduate student?” I push the kid aside and walk up to the stage. They fall silent. I tell them about love, between a man and a woman in the shadow
of death. Their empty eyes stare at me. “Do you know what is to see the life leave another creature?” I said. “I’ve known boys younger than you to fight and die for their country and their women.” They look at one another, ex-
pecting someone braver than them to know what to do. I can’t look at them anymore. I walk out of the room. Behind me a high voice yells, “Hey! You forgot to leave your email address!” Graphic by Nikki Hager
A bird’s eye view of the newly renovated Chapman Stadium, which features the latest excercise equipment as well as several “motivational features.”
University’s five-year plan a success
The State Run Media is pleased to report that the Athletics Department has met its goals with an acceptable casualty rate. ABiGAiL LABoUnTY
Information Distributor This week, University Athletics proudly announced that they are on track to exceed this season’s benchmarks for the current fiveyear plan. The announcement comes late in year three of the university’s ninth five-year plan, with the football program exceeding requirements in both games won and loss of human life. There was a bit of concern at the beginning of the season when a quarterback, two linebackers and a tight end all died from exhaustion during the same Monday afternoon practice, but it looks like
the grueling 24 hour practices are finally beginning to pay off. Those too weak for the program have been weeded out and no players have been lost since the university’s second game. Upon his return to the university in late 2012, General Secretary Steadman Upham instated the five-year plans for the betterment of TU. The first few plans focused on academic admissions and undergraduate research, but were cut short after ENS majors started “dropping like flies.” The University switched its focus to athletics with plan five, and began working with football specifically during plan seven. The Great Architect of Academia President Upham says he is proud of the team, and continues to promise free housing in the new residence hall for the players. Players who score or assist in at least five simultaneous touch-
downs per game will .have their double rooms capped at six players, ensuring adequate living space for all. Those who do not perform as well will share the communal basement areas. President Upham has also announced the formation of a special investigative committee to respond to the astonishing lack of discipline during the beginning of the season. All players suspected of contact with those who “dropped out” will be subject to inquiry. Current progress in the fiveyear plan has been welcomed by students and administration alike. In response to the glorious news, Brilliant Genius of Scholarship President Upham increased benchmarks for next year by 250 percent. He says that, despite this progress, we must stay vigilant and continue to work towards our goals, especially in response to recent seditious activity from ORU.