Collegian Issue One, Volume Ninty-Eight

a student newspaper of the university of tulsa

september 4, 2012 issue 1 ~ volume 98

Geoffrey Orsak: TU’s new ideas man After eight years with former president Steadman Upham, the University of Tulsa finds itself with a new face in Collins Hall.

The Collegian sat down with President Orsak to discuss his vision for the university.

Kyle Walker News Editor

Late last semester, Geoffrey Orsak was selected by the University of Tulsa’s presidential search committee to replace Steadman Upham, who had been TU’s president since June 2004 and who retired on June 30, 2012.

Born in Schenectady, New York, Orsak feels spiritually at home in the Southwest.

His father worked in Schenectady, but Orsak eventually moved to Texas where he at-

tended Rice University and earned a bachelor’s, a master’s, and a doctoral degree.

From Rice, Orsak immediately went into academia and held faculty positions at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Orsak had his first taste of academic administration while a tenured professor at George Mason. “I was asked to move into the president’s office as a special advisor to the president,” he said.

After a year, Orsak left his position with the president convinced that administration was not the field he wanted to go into. “I went back into doing everything I loved—which was teaching and research.”

After relocating to Texas, Orsak was eventually asked to serve as head of research in the dean’s office of the Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University. Orsak would later serve the engineering school as dean.

“By some strange set of circumstances I was on an airplane and I got a phone call.

I was asked if I wanted to get back into administration,” Orsak said. “I decided on the flight that I’ve always been an institutional builder, somebody who’s committed to the university. If that was what was good for the university than I was going to step in and do it.”

For Orsak, administration proved to be “intellectually stimulating.” While at SMU, Orsak developed an understanding of the problems of academic administration.

“The problems are hard. Being an academic researcher is incredibly difficult, but trying to run an academic organization is equally challenging.”

In his academic research, Orsak found that he could always solve a related problem if the problem he set out to solve proved insoluble. “But that’s not the case here,” he said. “In administration, you’ve got to solve the problem you’re faced with, and when I show up every day there are issues that are not going to go away unless we deal with them.”

Experience working in university administration has given Orsak a lot to think about on the topic of higher education.

“I believe deeply in the fact that a university’s purpose is to expand people’s understanding of themselves and the world around them,” said Orsak. “TU’s responsibility is not to get you to that very first job but to prepare you to be successful across your entire career and to prepare you in ways that even we can’t predict.”

It may come as no surprise that Orsak

See President on page 4

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ation p. 10 TU students were treated to fireworks at the Thursday Activities Fair in conjunction with the rededication of Fisher Hall.

Sports

4 SEPTEMBER 2012

THE COLLEGIAN : 2

Golden Hurricane gets Cycl-owned Despite promising plays in the first quarter, TU suffered a loss in its season opener to Big 12 foe Iowa State.

John Lepine SA President

TU opened its football season on the road for the sixth consecutive year Saturday, losing 38–23 to out-of-conference foe Iowa State University.

After going up 16–7 in a dominant first quarter, the Golden Hurricane died down and the Cyclones started storming, nailing 24 points to the board to take the lead while shutting TU out until the final minutes of the game.

Tulsa hung on through a scoreless third quarter and narrowed the gap to just eight points in the fourth, but an ISU interceptionturned-touchdown snapped TU’s last hopeful drive and snuffed out any possibility of an upset.

“We started off great early but then stalled a bit in the second quarter,” said junior running back Trey Watts. “We’d move the ball, move the ball, then shoot ourselves in the foot. Miss a block here, miss a block there, drop a snap. It was a lot of the little things we didn’t do right.”

That said, there were a few big things the Hurricane did right.

Watts, who has started in 16 games since his freshman year, was responsible for several of them, with a 77-yard run that set up TU’s last score, and with a 60-yard kick return early in the game.

Tulsa also recorded its first safety since the 2007 C-USA Championship game. After Cole Way’s punt put ISU on their own 3-yard line, defensive end Brentom Todd chased Cyclone Jeff Woody into the endzone, where multiple TU

J.Christopher Proctor/ The Collegian

Alex Singleton runs into a wall of defenders as Tulsa tries to punch the ball in for a Touchdown on a 3rd and 1 attempt. Although Singleton was not able to move the scrum across the line, teammate Ja’Terian Douglas walked into the endzone on fourth down to give the Hurricane its first touchdown of the season.

tacklers closed in and brought him down, nabbing two points.

The safety, which is the rarest score in football, was followed by a Hurricane march down the field for a touchdown and a twopoint conversion, the second rarest score. Up 10–7, Tulsa quickly choked out the Cyclone’s next drive with an 18-yard interception

by Marco Nelson, the junior’s seventh of his career.

Just 59 seconds later, TU would capitalize on the pick with another touchdown. Freshman kicker Daniel Schwarz’s point-after-touchdown attempt was blocked, giving Tulsa its biggest lead of the game,

J. Christopher Proctor / The Collegian

Head Coach Bill Blankenship directs his players as they head for the line in Tulsa’s weekend opener against ISU.

16–7, at the end of the first quarter.

Sloppy mistakes were the Hurricane’s undoing. TU was penalized six times for a total loss of 60 yards. Tulsa also fumbled four times, losing the ball once and losing yards and momentum in each case.

Quarterback Cody Green, a transfer student from Nebraska, threw two interceptions, the second of them a game-ending turnover for TU. Of that mistake, head coach Bill Blankenship

John Lepine SA President

The Golden Hurricane women’s soccer team was victorious in the Tulsa Invitational Championship this weekend with two impressive wins over Missouri State and Northwestern State, while the men’s soccer team got mixed results in the Hurricane Classic with an upset of No. 3 New Mexico before falling to No. 4 South Florida.

Friday night saw two thrilling overtime matches at Hurricane Soccer & Track Stadium.

The women’s soccer team finally downed Missouri State in the second minute of double overtime off a goal from Claire Nicholson, her fifth of the season.

Immediately afterwards, men’s soccer faced off against New Mexico, tying up the game with a goal each in the middle of the first half.

Tulsa seized victory at the 91:42 mark thanks to a goal from freshman Bryce Follensbee.

Tom McIntosh, who is in his 18th season as head coach of men’s soccer, called it “a good win against a very good team.”

The men’s team did not manage

to repeat the trick against South Florida on Sunday night, falling behind after USF nailed a penalty kick in the 80th minute. Abe Matamoros posted TU’s lone goal of that match with a 45-yard kick from the right side.

Women’s soccer, on the other hand, was dominant on Sunday, crushing Northwestern State 5–1.

Head coach Kyle Cussen called the match “a total team effort.”

“We played everyone that was able to play, and it was good to see some of our young players in

downs, while Bryan Burnham is shaping up to be the go-to receiver for Green, catching nine passes for 90 yards. On defense, senior DeAundre Brown had a big game with nine solo tackles and two sacks for a loss of 21 yards.

The Golden Hurricane opens C-USA action Saturday with an 11 a.m. match against the Tulane Green Wave at H.A. Chapman Stadium. Tulsa leads the series 7–1 and has not lost to Tulane since 1968.

J.Christopher Proctor / The Collegian

Wide receiver Thomas Roberson celebrates his impressive touchdown which put TU up 16-7 in the first quarter of play. Roberson had 35 yards on four receptions, and a dramatic two-point conversion that helped keep Tulsa in the game late into the fourth quarter.

TU upsets No. 3 New Mexico Men’s soccer bested the New Mexico Lobos in overtime, but lost to South Florida.

The women were dominant in a match against Northwestern State.

said, “It was a busted play and he went ahead and threw it when he shouldn’t have.”

Still, Blankenship was generally pleased with Green’s performance in his first game with the Golden Hurricane, saying “I think we have a quarterback that we can win with, and we have to help him learn how to manage a game. I think his mistakes are going to be very correctable.”

Thomas Roberson and Keyarris Garrett both caught for touch-

action,” he said.

Rebecca Handley and Stephanie Aitken, both seniors, scored two of Tulsa’s goals, while a junior, a sophomore and a freshman— Lindsay Kirch, Emily Hahn and Lauren King respectively—were responsible for the other scores.

TU women’s soccer heads to Kansas City this coming weekend for the UMKC Invitational, playing Florida Gulf Coast on Sept.

7. The Hurricane men will face UCLA that same day at 6:30 on the PAC 12 network.

David Kennedy / The Collegian

Tulsa’s men’s soccer team celebrates their upset victory over No. 3-ranked New Mexico on Friday night.

Hurricane waves hello to Tulane The Tulsa Golden Hurricane will look to rebound this Saturday from its disappointing loss to the Iowa State Cyclones as the Tulane Green Wave comes to town.

Tulsa will be a heavy favorite in its home opener, and has beaten Tulane every year since joining the C-USA in 2005.

Expect Cody Green to look much better against the Wave than he did against the Big 12 Cyclone defense.

Location: New Orleans

USA News and World Report Ranking: 50 Students: 13,400 Mascot: Riptide the Pelican Record: 0–1 2011 Record: 2-11 Last Week: L to Rutgers 24–12 Last meeting: 2011 TU won 31–3 ACT 25th / 75th Percentile: 29/32

Sports

THE COLLEGIAN : 3

4 SEPTEMBER 2012

TU crosses country, first meet off to-do list A solid showing at the first cross country meet of the season leaves TU hopeful and proud.

Lauren Colette Student Writer

As the sun rose on the morning of Sept. 1, the Tulsa runners were warming up for their first race in a long cross-country season.

Even before arriving for the fall semester, the cross country team had been running hundreds of miles along with countless hill workouts and tempos­—long, timed runs.

All of this work was in preparation for the 2012 season, and the Hurricane XC Festival was the first chance for the Tulsa runners to test their training. Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Northwestern State, Missouri State and John Brown University were also preparing for the day, in hopes of starting the season on a high note.

The men kicked things off at 8 a.m. with a four-mile race at Mohawk Park. The Tulsa men had a great morning with senior James Keilbarth finishing eighth at 20:55, followed by junior Emmett

Cookson (20:58), junior Brian Tabb (21:04), sophomore Adam Johnson (21:22) and sophomore Aaron Thornburg (21:23). They were beaten only by Oklahoma State, which claimed the first seven overall places.

Despite losing clear front-runner Paula Whiting last year, the women of TU finished strong in the two-mile, putting junior Josie Wilcox (11:07) and senior Jaclyn Rollins (11:16) in second and third. Sophomore Lacey Erickson ran 11:48 finishing 12th; she was followed by junior Lauren Collette (11:53), and senior Tricity Andrew (12:11). The Tulsa women were narrowly out-scored by Oklahoma State 25-31, but defeated Oklahoma, Northwestern State, Missouri State and John Brown.

Overall, this meet was a success for the Golden Hurricane. The performances of both the men and women show great promise for the upcoming 2012 cross-country season.

In two weeks, the Tulsa runners will be heading to Joplin, Missouri for the Missouri Southern Stampede, where two years ago the women ran a perfect score, claiming the top 5 overall places.

Lauren Collette / The Collegian

Tricity Andrew, Josie Wilcox, Lacey Erickson, Jaclyn Rollins and Lauren Collette begin the women’s two-mile at the Hurricane XC Festival this weekend.

Lauren Collette / The Collegian

Brian Tabb, Aaron Thornburg, Emmett Cookson, and Adam Johnson bring the heat in the men’s 4 mile as they stick with the No. 2 ranked OSU Cowboys.

Tulsa fall sports kick off TU fall sports have promising prospects for the 2012 season.

Renee Vanasse Student Writer

Volleyball Coming into the season as reigning conference champions, the TU volleyball team has a seemingly bright season ahead.

With five seniors who have earned the conference title two of the past three years, there is no shortage of experience on the team. TU isn’t taking it easy, however, as the team faces three top 25 teams in their home tournament Sept. 13-15.

You don’t have to wait until the home tournament to see Volleyball in action; Head Coach Steven McRoberts invited the student body to come out to watch the team play at ORU on Tuesday, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m.

Men’s Soccer The men’s soccer team dives headfirst into top-tier competition this year, with four of their first six opponents ranked in the top 10.

The team is ready to fight, with a recruiting class ranked 9th in the nation in addition to strong return-

ing players, including pre-season All-Conference honoree Omar Mata.

The team faces top conference competitor South Carolina on Sept. 2, nationally No. 2-ranked Creighton on Sept. 25 and Marshall on Sept. 29.

These games are all at home and Head Coach Tom McIntosh encourages TU students to come out and “make Tulsa the most intimidating place to play for our opponents.”

Women’s Soccer Head Coach Kyle Cussen cites team depth and unity as strengths for the program this year; so far they have done well, with a preseason win over Oklahoma, wins over Weber State and Nicholls State and a narrow loss to No. 13-ranked Notre Dame in a hardfought contest.

Home games to look forward to include one against cross-town rival Oral Roberts on Sept. 14 and a Sept. 19 game versus conference opponent Memphis to kick off Homecoming weekend.

Cross Country After graduating a strong class last year on the men’s team the new runners this year have big shoes to fill.

Described by Head Coach Steve Gulley as “quite possibly the best recruiting class I’ve seen in my time at TU,” they seem to be up for the challenge. The returners are coming back strong as well and looking to lead the team to a repeat conference title on Oct. 29.

Having finished just two points behind the victors at last year’s Conference USA Championships, the women’s cross country team is more determined than ever this year.

Be sure to stay tuned as they strive to do what they fell short of last year at the conference championship on Oct. 29.

Tennis Tulsa Tennis has a history of excellence. The women have won the Conference USA Championship for the past three years and the men have won the conference title six of the last seven years.

Women’s Head Coach Dean Orford says the fall season is when the team focuses on individual development and results and that the team hopes to peak for the ITA National Indoor competition in November.

Until then, TU students can see the players in action in the ITA Central Region Championships at home on Oct. 20-25.

Think you ‘Cane?

New players do not preclude a promising season for TU football.

Nick Lewellen Student Writer

This season, Tulsa Golden Hurricane football fans may have a difficult time deciding just how high to set their expectations.

In the last few seasons the Golden Hurricane has watched a coach and several standout players leave the team. Doubters are sure to say that these losses are only made worse with the Golden Hurricane returning just 13 starters on offense and defense.

Nevertheless, Hurricane fans have several reasons to expect an impressive showing from their football team this year.

The loss of a three-year starter and former Conference-USA offensive player of the year, quarterback G.J. Kinnie, provides the biggest question mark on the roster for the Golden Hurricane this year.

Junior Cody Green, who played his first two seasons at Nebraska before losing his starting job to Taylor Martinez and transferring to TU, will replace Kinnie. Though he played on one of college foot-

ball’s biggest stages as a true freshman, Green still has a few obstacles to overcome before leading TU’s elite offense, most notable of which is the drastic change in offensive philosophy from the prostyle offense featured at Nebraska to TU’s famous spread offense.

However, Green can expect a significant amount of the offensive load to be taken off his shoulders

by TU’s dynamic trio of rushers, featuring junior Trey Watts, junior Ja’Terian Douglas and senior passcatching halfback Willie Carter.

The Golden Hurricane also lost some of its on-field leaders last season with the departure of linebacker Cornelius Arnick and defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker.

However, there are players ready and waiting to lead the team like senior free safety Dexter McCoil, who needs only one more interception to become the TU career leader, and linebacker Shawn Jackson, who ranked second in tackles for the defense last season.

Despite the unanswered questions and new faces on the roster, fans may have a reason to be optimistic when comparing this year’s schedule to last’s. During their 8–5 campaign, the Golden Hurricane faced four opponents ranked in the

top 10, which included conference foe Houston. This year’s schedule features only one preseason top 10 opponent: the University of Arkansas.

Last year’s brutal out-of-conference schedule aside, the Golden Hurricane fared quite well in conference, going 7–1. Combine last year’s performance with the graduation of Heisman trophy contender Case Keenum of Houston, and fans have even more reason to hope for a solid conference showing.

The Golden Hurricane, like all of Conference USA, is in a position of transition and change.

However, this is nothing new for the Hurricane players, who seem to have become accustomed to coaching changes, player departures and rumors of conference realignment.

If TU can build on the success of last season, while also moving past last year’s non-conference and bowl game shortcomings, then there is no reason TU fans should expect anything less than another bowl or Conference USA Championship appearance for the Golden Hurricane.

Photo courtesy Stack.com

Drew Brees celebrates wildly after finding out that the New Orleans Saints wanted to pay him roughly the GDP of the Falkland Islands for throwing a ball around with his friends for a few months each year.

Drew Brees gets shown the money Drew Brees signs an epic $100 million contract with the New Orleans Saints.

Sam Morton Student Writer

In July, the New Orleans Saints’ quarterback, Drew Brees, signed a five-year, $100 million dollar contract with $60 million in guaranteed money. Let’s repeat that slowly. $100 million. $60 million guaranteed.

Don’t get me wrong, Drew Brees deserves to be paid with the best of ‘em; he’s a Super Bowl champ and a statistical god, but that type of contract is difficult to even wrap your brain around.

Let’s try to piece this together.

Remember the movie Jerry Maguire? The whole movie was based on getting underpaid star, Rod Tidwell, a new contract. Show me the money, Jerry! Well Rod finally gets his dream contract. He could finally provide his massive family with financial security for the long haul. That contract was worth $11.2 million.

Granted, there is a different pay scale for quarterbacks and wide receivers, and that movie was made in 1996, and it’s pure fiction, but the point I’m making is that Drew Brees just signed for about nine times as much as Ron “Show me the Money” Tidwell.

Perhaps that doesn’t hit home quite so much. Here’s another comparison. The gross domestic product of the entire country of Tuvalu for 2011 was $35,780,000.

That figure happens to be just slightly less than Brees’ signing bonus, coming in at $37 million.

A nice version of the global poverty line is two dollars a day. In 2002 (an outdated figure but I’m sure you’ll forgive me) approximately 2.6 billion people made less than two dollars a day. At two dollars a day, that’s about $3,652 for the next five years. This means that Brees will earn as much as about 27,000 individuals at this global poverty line put together.

Yikes! You have to wonder if people in Tuvalu read about Drew Brees’ contract and shouted, “Show me the money!”

For a complete list of participating companies, log on to your Golden OpporTUnities account at www.hireTUgrads.com!

Career Services: 918.631.2549/career-­services@utulsa.edu

NEWS

4 SEPTEMBER 2012

THE COLLEGIAN : 4

Zarrow Center brings artistic opportunities to Tulsa

The newly opened Henry Zarrow Center for Arts and Education will provide not only arts education for the public and TU student but will also function as a gallery and arts studio for TU art and graphic design students.

Haley Stritzel Student Writer

The Henry Zarrow Center for Art and Education, located at 124 E. Brady St., opened its doors this past May as one of the first components of the newly revitalized Brady Arts District.

The three-story, 18,000-square foot center serves the University of Tulsa School of Art and Division of Lifelong Learning and operates as a satellite location for the TUmanaged Gilcrease Museum.

The Zarrow center, named in honor of one of Tulsa’s most generous philanthropists, functions both as a traditional art gallery and as an educational resource for adults, families and children interested in learning about and creating art.

The first floor of the Zarrow Center features a contemporary gallery setting that will host exhibitions of works from the Gilcrease’s permanent collection as well as works by TU students and Tulsa artists. In addition to gallery space, the Zarrow Center also contains classrooms, studio space and a reception area for both private and public events.

The center provides TU’s Master of Fine Arts students with individual studios as well as access to a print lab, allowing them to collaborate with each other and professional artists based in the Brady Arts District.

The third floor of the Zarrow Center is also the new location for Third Floor Design, TU’s student-operated graphic design agency. Opportunities also abound for nontraditional students: TU’s Division of Lifelong Learning will conduct personal enrichment and continuing education classes at the new center.

The creation of the Zarrow Center is part of a larger effort to revitalize the Brady Arts District and position Tulsa as a thriving artistic and cultural center in the Midwest.

The center is located in the renovated Tulsa Paper Company Building, which will also house the Brady Craft Alliance, the Woody Guthrie Archives and parts of the Philbrook Museum’s Native American and modern collections.

Haley Stritzel / The Collegian

The Henry Zarrow Center for Arts and Education is located in the Brady Arts District and will be hosting some of its first Friday Art Crawl on September 7, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Zarrow center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Neighboring the Zarrow Center will be the Park on Brady, an urban green space featuring a pavilion, a cafe and performance space, as well as the Hardesty Arts Center.

The Zarrow Center will work in partnership with other Brady District businesses and studios, such as the Tulsa Glassblowing Studio, in its education programs and exhibitions.

According to Cindy Williams, the manager of public programming at the Zarrow Center, one of the goals of the Zarrow Center is to offer a fresher approach to art exhibitions.

In contrast to the Philbrook or the Gilcrease, whose temporary exhibitions are usually on view for three to four months at a time, exhibitions at the Zarrow Center will change monthly.

The exhibitions will also be more contemporary, in contrast to the two other museums. “We need to really be more cuttingedge down here, a little more progressive,” Williams said.

She adds that the Zarrow Center will function as a “strong educational compo-

nent in the Brady District” and in the larger community.

In addition to providing facilities to TU School of Art and Lifelong Learning students, the center will also conduct outreach programs in nearby public schools, classes for home-schooled children and summer camps. The Zarrow Center features affordable and educational programming for families, children and adults.

Some of the programs coming up this fall include “Nano Image Art: Molecular Level Creativity,” a six-week class that utilizes nanotechnology to create mixed media pieces with microscopic images, and “Monoprint Impressions: Printmaking,” a monthly class in the new print lab.

The function of the Zarrow Center is not completely set in stone, however. Williams says the center is meant to be flexible and adaptive to community needs. As the renovations and constructions in the Brady Arts District are completed, Williams believes it will be easier to determine what people in the area want and need, and what role the Zarrow Center will play in meeting those

demands. “As soon as we get a grasp on what’s going on down here, then we’re going to be able to program to the community needs,” she said.

The gallery of the Zarrow Center is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Currently on display is “America in Ink: Artists’ Representations in History (1774-1809),” a portfolio of contemporary prints each focused on a particular year and event in American history.

TU’s Assistant Professor of Printmaking, Michelle Martin, whose work is included in the portfolio, will be giving a free lecture related to the exhibition on Sept. 14 from noon to 1 p.m.

The Zarrow Center will also be open from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for the 1st Friday Art Crawl on Sept. 7th, which coincides with the opening of the Park on Brady. For more information regarding programming or volunteer opportunities, or to RSVP for Martin’s lecture, contact Cindy Williams at cindy-williams@utulsa.edu.

University of Tulsa admits largest class in school history

Along with the largest freshman class in university history, TU may be seeing other changes in demographics, class sizes, student housing and other capacity adjustments.

Magdalena Sudibjo Student Writer

This year TU welcomed the largest incoming freshman class in its history. Though the official data will not be out until October 15, the latest weekly enrollment report showed a 30 percent increase in enrollment—about 200 more freshmen than last year.

If the suspiciously long lines of hungry students at noon or the long rows of plastic dining tables in the dining center are any indication, this surge in campus population heralds some changes for the university.

Many students are worried that there will be insufficient campus space. Study lounges in John Mabee and Lottie Jane Hall have been taped up and turned into dorm rooms.

A number of single suites have been

downgraded to doubles. Parking space is a favorite topic of complaint, and some classrooms, too, have barely enough seats for all their students.

For a university which prides itself on its small class sizes, students and faculty have voiced similar concerns about their crowded courses.

Including the 130 transfer students, a total of 947 new students are taking classes this semester. In contrast, the number of instructors has not seen a corresponding increase.

However, while some may grumble about the distant walk to McFarlin Library for their quiet study spaces, TU’s Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services Roger Sorochty said “the University continues to make projections about future enrollments and the effect those enrollments will have on the demand for on-campus housing.”

“Every effort is being made to assure that housing will be available for all future students who wish to live on campus,” he added.

In terms of classroom space, the newly constructed Stephenson Hall, which will

From President on cover now because of our residency capacity.” has some ideas about what TU can stand for, where TU should go, and what TU can bring to its students, the Tulsa community, and the global community to which every TU student belongs.

“Everybody needs to be able to communicate effectively. That’s what leadership is all about. That should be an element of what TU brings to the table,” Orsak said.

“It’s also true that students who come to TU and graduate from TU should be able to understand the complexities of the world around us.”

Orsak borrowed a term from humanist psychology to describe what he wants TU to provide to its students: “Ultimately, we ought to graduate people who are fully selfactualized,” he said.

This is an idea, a goal for the university, that Orsak feels personally obligated to pursue. “That is my responsibility: to make sure the university reaches its full potential, in the same way we want every student to reach their full potential.”

TU faces several potential challenges to the kind of growth and development Orsak envisions, however. “There’s been a halfdecade long goal for this institution to become a littler bigger than it has been,” he said. But “we are essentially capped right

The rising cost of higher education is also a challenge. Orsak predicts that, for most Americans, “education will become the second-largest investment” after a family’s home. “My priority is to make sure that the cost is affordable and the return on that cost is extraordinary.”

Both of the above challenges can contribute to a third: the student drop-out rate.

“We’ve got to find more ways to ensure that kids who come here with an expectation of graduating in four years do actually graduate in four years,” Orsak said. “Like most problems there’s not a simple answer and there’s not a simple solution.”

Orsak also expressed a desire to see students contribute to the vibrancy of campus.

“I really wish for this institution that our students would go out and participate: whether its to go to a play, or listen to student performances in music, or a poetry reading, or a football game,” he said. “I’d love to be able to go to football games and poetry readings and see rooms overflowing.”

If there’s anything TU’s new president wants from the students of the university it is that “they say to themselves: I can do more. I can be more involved and be more engaged, and I can give more to TU and I can take more from TU.”

house the petroleum and mechanical engineering departments, should help reduce the strain on classrooms in Keplinger Hall.

Nearby Razor Hall has already been holding computer science and electrical engineering classes since last semester.

In fact, these changes and adjustments do not seem to dampen many students’ expectations for the new semester. As one junior engineering student remarked, “I don’t really mind about the change in class size because in any of my freshman classes there was a lot of people anyway.”

A major part of the freshmen class is composed of the international students enrolled in TU’s English Institute. According to Sorochty, the increase is almost exactly evenly divided between U.S. students and international students, many of whom study through the English Institute.

These students hold most of their classes separate from regular TU courses and so have a limited effect on the size of most other classes. If people have been seeing more Asian international students around campus

recently, it is because a larger portion of international recruits this year are from China than has been the case in previous years.

When asked about why there was such a significant increase in students enrolling, Sorochty replied that there were just more students who chose to come to TU after being accepted.

The recruitment offices annually re-examines their recruitment plans in order to attract the best students, and the whole university works hard to maintain its quality of education. “We’re pleased to see that more students have concluded that TU is an exceptional institution that offers a high-quality education worthy of their investment,” Sorocty said Despite the slight changes from last year, upperclassmen once more warmly welcomed all new students on campus. During the first Hurricane Thursday event, dozens of campus organizations excitedly vied for new recruits, and a good handful of clubs offered free lunch or dinner to anyone who caught wind of where and when they met.

NEWS

THE COLLEGIAN : 5

4 SEPTEMBER 2012

Involvement opportunities abound On-campus student organizations provide ample opportunities for students to work on campus issues, volunteer in the local community, or just have a good time.

Victoria McGouran Staff Writer

If you have received any amount of advice pertaining to college life you have probably been told to “get involved” at least a few hundred times.

However, when it comes to getting involved on campus, many freshmen do not take the leap simply because they are not sure where to begin. That is where we at The Collegian come in.

To begin with, we have the mother of all organizations, Student Association.

This group gives funding for

event sponsorships and travel allocations, promotes university traditions (i.e. Homecoming, Springfest, Service Day) and carries out sustainable resolutions (i.e. the yellow bike program).

While applications for the Judicial Branch and Cabinet have already passed, students can still run in senatorial elections. Simply go online to www.orgs.utulsa.edu/sa/ and fill out an application.

Joining Senate is not the only way to get involved. Students can come to Senate meetings, propose bill ideas to senators and of course come to Student Association sponsored events.

For students with a “change the world” mentality there are numerous organizations to join, such as the university’s partnership with St. Jude’s—Up ‘till Dawn: Unite to Fight Childhood Cancer—or Habitat for Humanity.

To work with Up ‘till Dawn, simply join the group, help raise

Campus Organizations Poll Most likely to …

Become millionaires: Student Investment Group Get married: PanHellenic and IFC Make the cover of Rolling Stone: Soccer Club for Men Take over the world: Engineers without Borders Become vampires: University of Tulsa Blood Drive Be on reality TV: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Be featured on a comedy roast: Residence Hall Association End up in prison: TU Tasters Save the world: Korean Student Association Forward annoying e-mails: Student Association Get famous by accident: Tabletop Gaming Have a sandwich named after them: Hillel @ TU Live in a haunted cabin in the woods: TU Treks Win the Nobel Prize: Honors Student Association Screw up the space-time continuum: Society of Physics Students Have a shared psychosis: Psi-Chi

danger at this time.

Officers attempted to make contact with the owner but were unsuccessful so a phone message was left on the owner’s phone.

August 21

August 23

4:30 p.m.

Officers were called to LPC for a missing book bag and laptop. The student stated he left the items in a class-room.

The student noticed he forgot the items and returned to the room and his items were missing. Security is looking at the video of this building.

1:35 p.m.

Officers were called to the Physical Plant for an unauthorized person walking around. Upon arrival the suspect was gone.

Officers were advised the suspect had exited the area prior to security being called. The report was sent to the Physical Plant for their review.

August 22

August 24

6:25 p.m.

Officers were called to the Harvard lot for a possible car fire. When officers arrived there was smoke coming from under the hood of a parked car.

Officers determined that the smoke was from excessive oil on the engine. Tulsa Fire Department arrived and stated there was no

6:15 p.m.

Officers were called to USS for a domestic violence in progress. Security located the victim and the non-student suspect.

The victim had visible injuries and TPD called. The suspect was arrested and transported to jail for Assault and Battery (Domestic Violence). Security provided the vic-

money for St. Jude’s and attend Up ‘till Dawn events on TU campus. Go to www.stjude.org/utd or e-mail the president of the organization at kathleen-burch@utulsa. edu.

Joining Habitat for Humanity is just as simple. Send an e-mail to habitat@utulsa.edu to get details about meetings and come assist Habitat for Humanity’s first build on Sept. 15th.

The following organizations represent a small smorgasbord of the numerous special interest groups at the University of Tulsa.

For the humorously inclined, Spiked Punch Lines Improv­ — TU’s only comedic improv troupe—meets on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. and Fridays at 6 p.m. in Kendall Hall. To contact Spiked Punch Lines send an e-mail to utulsaimprov@gmail.com.

Anyone seeking adventure should check out TU Treks, a group dedicated to promoting awareness of the outdoors and advocating outdoor activities. Those interested should attend meetings at 9:15 p.m. on Mondays in the Mayo Student Activity Center or e-mail corey-hardegree@utulsa. edu for more information.

Those who are interested in video-games should get connected with Lanbrew, an organized group that supports the Child’s Play charity by hosting multiple on campus local-area network (LAN) parties throughout the year where students can play PC and console games and donate money to Child’s Play. Go online to www. orgs.utulsa.edu/lanbrew/ for more information.

If any of the aforementioned groups do not pique your interest, go online to www.utulsa.edu/student-life/Student-Activities for the complete list of organizations on campus or to find information on creating your own organization. tim DVIS information as required by law.

10:00 p.m.

Officers were returning to campus after patrolling off campus properties when a group of men threw an object at the security vehicle.

TPD officers assisted by security located the three male subjects who were non-students. TPD arrested one subject who had two outstanding felony warrants.

August 25 1:24 a.m.

Officers were dispatched to a depressed student. Officers were able to determine that the student was only upset with things going on in his life and he was not going to hurt himself.

Officers were able to advise the student of available resources in and around the campus area.

6:30 p.m.

Officers conducted a pedestrian check on a female that was pulling a TU Bicycle with a lock chained on the rear wheel. The non-student

Photo Courtesy TU Treks

From left to right: Julanda Alhabsi, Casey Keilbarth, Melanie Erdel, Weston Kightlinger, Taylor Johnson, Babak Akbari. Those interested in outdoor adventure can attend TU Treks meetings held at 9:15 p.m. on Mondays in the Mayo Student Activity Center.

Photo Courtesy Spiked Punch Lines Improv

From left to right: Evan Fenska, Charlie Walter, Nick Paulison and Julian Frazier Spiked Punch Lines Improv meets weekly to improve their improv. Join them Wednesdays at 8 p.m. or Fridays at 6 p.m. in Kendall Hall.

Be sure to stay up to date with the Student Association Event calendar, join an intramural or find a club related to your major. Above

all, do not wait to get active on campus because you might miss out on something amazing.

gave conflicting stories to security officers.

The non-student was detained for the theft of TU property. TPD transported the suspect to jail after she was banned from campus.

spoke to on scene TPD officers and left the campus without further problems.

August 27 Lost and Found A book was found in McFarlin Library.

August 28 12:01 p.m.

Officers were flagged down in the Kep-Rogers lot by a TU student that complained they were followed by another vehicle from Inola.

The second driver stated the TU student had cut their vehicle off, and she became upset that she was unable to tell her off so she followed the student to the TU campus.

Security advised the suspect they needed to leave the campus or they would be arrested for trespassing. The road rage suspect

12:20 p.m.

Officers were called to Fisher West by a TU worker who stated that someone had removed her purse from a locked closet.

The officers took a report and reviewed the video of the area.

There were two males that entered the closet during the time the purse was in the locked closet. Security is attempting to identify the two males.

The investigation is ongoing.

4:27 p.m.

Security dispatch dispatched officers to a fire alarm at John Mabee Hall. Officers determined that the cause of the alarm was a clothing steamer. TFD was cancelled and the fire panel was reset.

Lost and Found A student found a coin in ACAC. The Collegian does not produce or edit the Campus Crime Watch, except for clarity and brevity.

variety

4 SEPTEMBER 2012

THE COLLEGIAN : 6

“Counter-Strike” paved way for other popular titles The latest installment in the “Counter-Strike” series boosts success for the developer.

By Helen Patterson

Things Freshmen Should Know

Elliot Bauman Student Writer

After nearly eight years, a classic video game series is back on the market with a new release.

In August, Valve Corporation released “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive,” the long-awaited sequel to “Counter-Strike: Source,” also developed and published by Valve.

The Counter-Strike series is just one of Valve’s many creations; the developer is also responsible for other popular games such as “Left 4 Dead” and “Portal 2.”

Since the release of the original “Counter-Strike” in 2000, the “Counter-Strike” games have grown immensely in popularity.

With total sales exceeding 28 million copies across all games and platforms, the “Counter-Strike” series is one of the most popular lines of games ever.

“Counter-Strike: Global Offensive” is certainly a big step forward for the series, as well as Valve. While “Global Offensive” runs on the same engine as the previous game in the series, “Source,” the engine has been significantly improved. The graphics, lighting and physics of “Global Offensive” are all stunning and on par with

Photo courtesy Valve Corporation

Gamers will find that after 12 years, the graphics and gameplay of “Counter-Strike” have tremendously improved. The addition of new weapons, equipment and game modes contributes to the overall feeling of combat.

other contemporary games.

Of course, the game looks best on PC, but the visuals certainly are not lacking on the other platforms.

Furthermore, the gameplay of “Global Offensive” has also significantly improved since previous titles.

More fluid controls and a dramatically improved user interface make “Global Offensive” a significantly better-feeling game than the past “Counter-Strike” games.

“Global Offensive” also adds new weapons, equipment and game modes.

While all the new improvements to “Global Offensive” are a step forward for the series, “Global Offensive” still holds true to “Counter-Strike” roots that fans of the series have come to love.

The exclusively multiplayer game still features the same two

opposing factions, the Terrorists and Counter-terrorists, and the two core “Counter-Strike” game modes, Bomb Defuse and Hostage Rescue. Old fans of the series will certainly still feel at home with the game.

All in all, “Global Offensive” is a worthy addition to the “CounterStrike” series, which served as inspiration to other high-profile developers, notably Infinity Ward (“Call of Duty” series), Treyarch and Digital Illusions.

“Global Offensive” also received favorable professional reviews: Metacritic awarded the game 85 out of 100.

“Counter-Strike: Global Offensive” is available for the PC through Steam, for the PlayStation 3 through the PlayStation Network and for the Xbox 360 through Xbox Live. Prices vary across platforms.

1. Do not skip classes, no matter how early they are.

Set your alarm clock, grab some coffee, and go!

6. You may be sweating buckets outside, but Collins Fitness Center offers a cool, free way to stay in shape.

2. There are organizations for pretty much anything you can imagine.

Get out there, make some friends and get involved!

7. If you are having physical or mental health problems do not hesitate to contact the Alexander Health Center.

3. The professors are not here to make you suffer. Get to know them and take advantage of office hours.

8. No procrastination!

The only thing worse than starting a paper the morning before it is due is getting that paper back with an “F” on it.

4. Please do not plagiarize. Not only is it ethically wrong, you can be expelled if you are caught.

9. Respect your neighbors, especially in the dorms. No screaming through the halls at 3 a.m.

5. Take care of yourself. Sleep, eat well and try to relax as much as you can.

10. Be spontaneous and step outside of your boundaries. You are in college now!

Free food for all New to campus? Interested in free food? Check out the weekly religious luncheons and SA events to satiate even the hungriest appetite.

Photo courtesy Metro-Goldwyn Mayer

Fans of Peter Jackson’s theatrical interpretation of Tolkien’s classic trilogy, “The Lord of the Rings,” are eagerly anticipating his rendition of “The Hobbit,” which is just one of many new films to be released this fall.

Fall film lineup: some will thrill, others disappoint As school gets off to an exciting and fast-paced start, students will find the need for a study break. Grab a friend—there are some interesting new films due out this fall.

Helen Patterson Staff Writer

Despite the end of the sweltering heat and the summer blockbusters, there is a solid line-up of fall movies headed our way.

Some films are clearly going to be commercial successes. Regardless of the puzzling decision to stretch “The Hobbit” (Dec. 14) into three films, everyone will be forking over money. Not to be outdone, “Breaking Dawn Part 2” (Nov. 16) is sure to have a happy ending for Bella, Edward and Summit Entertainment, no matter how awkwardly Stewart and Pattinson behave in public.

On the action front, Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt star in “Looper” (Sept. 28), a sci-fi time travel flick, and Daniel Craig returns as the iconic 007 in the 23rd

James Bond installment, “Skyfall” (Nov. 9).

For those more into dramas of varying historical accuracy, Spielberg directs, and Daniel DayLewis stars in “Lincoln” (Nov. 9), and Tarantino directs Jamie Foxx, who plays a slave seeking to save his wife from a brutal captor in “Django Unchained” (Dec. 25).

Everyone with a soul should be looking forward to the adaptation of “Les Miserables” (Dec. 14). Go directly to YouTube and watch the trailer with Anne Hathaway singing “I Dreamed a Dream.”

Other adaptations include Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” (Oct. 5) and Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina” (Nov. 16), staring Keira Knightley.

Be sure to look for Emma Watson in “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” (Sept. 14), based on a novel by the director, Stephen Chbosky.

In an interesting illustration of how commercial and familyfriendly horror, death and the undead have become, animated movies “ParaNorman” (in theaters), “Hotel Transylvania” (Sept. 28), and “Frankenweenie” (Oct. 5) are all out this fall. “ParaNorman”

has good reviews, and who does not want to see Adam Sandler as Dracula? With Burton at the helm, “Frankenweenie” is sure to have a cult following and a Hot Topic Tshirt line before finals strike.

For those into more grown-up chills, “The Possession”—based on a “true” story—is currently in theaters; however, many critics have given it two thumbs down.

To round it out, there are some films that were made for incomprehensible reasons. First, “Taken 2” (Oct. 5). After the shocking abduction of his daughter, Bryan Mills (played by Neeson) vacations in Istanbul, where he and his family are easy prey for vengeful traffickers. Although we all love Liam Neeson, the premise of the film is hard to swallow.

We also have “The Paperboy” (Oct. 5), staring Nicole Kidman, a.k.a. box office poison, and “Atlas Shrugged Part II” (Oct. 12) because—what the heck—it cannot get any worse.

And of course, “Finding Nemo 3D” (Sept. 14) and “Monsters Inc. 3D” (Dec. 19) in a shameless attempt to get two times the money for the same movie.

Victoria McGouran Staff Writer

One of the fantastic benefits of being a college student is choosing what you want to eat and when you want to eat it.

Case in point—I may or may not be eating pretzels and Nutella while writing this article—but I digress.

The problem with this new way of living is slowly realized as you will spend the first few weeks of school in a honeymoon phase.

Whether it involves buying tacos at 8 a.m. or having pizza delivered to your dorm five days a week, you will undoubtedly abuse the privilege of formulating your own meal plan.

Then one day—maybe a week from now, perhaps a month—you will wake up and realize that you have no food in your dorm and no money in your wallet. This will send you into phase two, otherwise known as panic mode.

I am here to tell you that panicking, while vastly amusing, is completely unnecessary; I am going to introduce you to the concept of “free food.”

There are several ways to obtain free meals, the first which is a religious lunch. No matter what denomination you belong to, I can almost guarantee that at least once a week your denomination of choice is serving up a free lunch.

They will be advertised all over campus, but you can figure out where to plug in online at utulsa. edu/student-life/Student-Activities/Religious-Life.

Besides the obvious benefit of

not buying food, this is an opportunity to share a meal and fellowship with people who are involved in a similar lifestyle.

Another avenue to pursue is to join a special interest or multi-cultural organization. Clubs and societies at the University of Tulsa are always having informal gatherings where food happens to be present.

(In fact, the History Club at TU is more commonly referred to as the Pizza Club. It is not hard to guess why).

Now, I am not telling you to join a campus organization merely for the sake of obtaining food, but if you happen to love Tabletop Gaming and pizza, there is no good reason to not enjoy them simultaneously.

The best way to stay up to the moment on where to obtain free food is to follow the SA event calendar. Student Association sponsors entertaining events all over campus where you can habitually gather free food.

Do not feel guilty for showing up to an event just because you want free pierogies. Upon paying tuition you also paid a student activities fee—this means that technically you have already paid for the food at campus events. Your only job is to acquire it.

Finally, while not exactly free, there are numerous eating establishments all over Tulsa that give student discounts. All students have to do is show their TU student ID card and they will deduct a certain percentage off your check.

This can help you keep cost at a minimum when actually purchasing food.

I know that finding free food on campus, while not a difficult task, can be time-consuming. If all else fails, e-mail self-proclaimed complementary dining expert Rick Shipley at rick-shipley@utulsa. edu.

opinion

THE COLLEGIAN : 7

4 SEPTEMBER 2012

Low attendance at games due to academic priorities

Although sports attendance is low among students, TU is more concerned with academic performance.

Eric DiGiacomo

Student Writer

The University of Tulsa’s sports attendance is disturbingly low.

Attendance statistics have shown a significant downturn recently.

Basketball attendance dropped by over 20 percent between the 201011 and 2011-12 seasons.

At its highest, football attendance filled just two-thirds of

H. A. Chapman Stadium. And those are only the sports that got prominent billing in the orientation slideshow. This is a strange situation for a Division I school that offers free tickets for students.

The lack of enthusiasm may be evident, but is it easily explained?

In defense of these low numbers, Tulsa is the smallest Division I school. Even if TU packed a decade’s worth of graduates into the stadium, there would still be empty seats.

Moreover, Tulsa faces fierce competition for attention from larger state schools, including the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. When those schools play each other, it is serious business. When they play Tulsa, the only people who care are those directly associated with TU. However, even the people who do attend games often neglect to

show school spirit. Other schools’ fans decorate their cars with flags and bumper stickers—a practice rare at TU.

passionately follow Golden Hurricane football. However, one thing is certainly true—we both take our classes seriously, which can make

“TU’s attendance problems are actually a hidden blessing” There is a weaker emphasis on sports at TU than at other, larger schools. Instead, the focus is on having a diverse group of strong students and on the rising college rankings that come with them.

Unfortunately, American football has not yet gained international appeal. Just as I take little interest in my Angolan suite mate’s favorite soccer team, he does not

sports a low priority.

TU’s group of students is very academically minded, and attending a two-hour soccer match or four-hour football game takes a toll on one’s study schedule. Any TU student could have chosen a college with notable athletic programs, but instead each chose a cozier, tight-knit campus with smaller class sizes.

TU students would rather have meaningful interaction with professors than have class in an auditorium where they would have to squint to see the graduate assistant. It is a university, after all, and everyone realizes it would be foolish to not make the most of this educational opportunity.

TU’s attendance problems are actually a hidden blessing. These numbers represent a balanced student population. Attendance records are not being broken, but this keeps retention rates higher.

What TU does possess is a student population that takes a mild interest in sports but knows when to bust out the flashcards. While there may not be any threats to occupancy limits, Tulsa’s lack of diehard support for our athletic teams reveals that we are not afraid to be Oklahoma’s well-rounded, intellectual students.

Xiaowen Li / Collegian

More than half of the stands were empty at the mens’ soccer stunning upset against No. 3 New Mexico on 31 August at TU’s Hurricane Track and Soccer Field.

Tulsa trash in the dumps Changes in trash pick-up disgust some due to the rise in prices. Others point to free recycling as a positive aspect, but sources are iffy about recycling’s efficacy.

Oscar Ho

Student Writer Until recently, residents of Tulsa collected their rubbish in giant plastic bins. Every so often, they dragged the enormous bin (or bag) to the curb, and a trash truck came and took it away. That trash truck used to come twice a week. Not anymore.

The City of Tulsa had contracted Tulsa Refuse to provide garbage pickup services twice a week, but that contract ended in July. The

pickup service fees by charging by bin volume.

Unsurprisingly, public sentiment is now less than favorable toward the trash service. Who likes to watch garbage accumulate and to deal with the stronger odor?

Larger families are having the most trouble. Under the new trash collection system, big families are finding themselves in a catch-22.

The once-a-week collection means more garbage buildup, but those with more garbage incur higher collection fees. The City of Tulsa essentially is penalizing residents for a byproduct of the City’s unilaterally imposed policies.

Tulsa has been in a transition toward a new pickup system, and supporters of the city’s changes point at this fully developed garbage pickup system, which will be implemented in October. Proponents applaud the recycling com-

“The City of Tulsa is penalizing residents for a byproduct of the City’s unilaterally imposed policies.”

City Council, Mayor and Tulsa Trash Board took this end of contract as an opportunity to change the system.

Despite protests from residents and public service personnel, the City chose to cut pickup services to once a week and to increase the

ponent, observing that San Antonio has used the same system with great success.

Of course, recycling is a wonderful thing to do, but at what cost is it implemented? It turns out that the costs and benefits of recycling

Graphic by Jill Graves / Collegian

do not justify a new system. The recycling component will make the trash pickup service more inefficient. It will not be much better for the environment than if Tulsa had continued with its current recycling programs.

While Tulsa residents are held in limbo between the new and old systems, they can contemplate the unsettling future of trash in Tulsa.

Some are faced with a larger pickup fee. Many are wondering how much better for the environment the new system will be.

Almost everyone would agree that the Tulsa garbage collection service could benefit from some improvement, yet as is too often the case, the government’s changes are like Facebook’s: unhelpful. It is not an improvement. It is just a new and unwanted animal that Tulsa residents must learn to handle.

Hello, TU students, faculty and friends, Wherever you are as you read these this issue of The Collegian, I hope that you find yourself enjoying it. I also hope that you are getting more sleep than we, the members of The Collegian’s staff, are.

From where I now sit, in the newspaper’s office in Oliphant hall, it is 1 a.m. on a Monday morning. Sleep gets shunted to the bottom of the priorities list when there’s a paper to produce!

For three years now, it has been my pleasure to work with the eclectic, eccentric and brilliant staff that works tirelessly behind the scenes to plan, write and design The Collegian for your information and entertainment.

Whether you are getting coffee at McFarlin’s Dietler Cafe or lounging around the lobby of Fisher South, The Collegian will

always be there for you to browse (or use as a napkin).

We at The Collegian are quite proud of the dramatic transformation that our publication has undergone over the past year. We have sought to break out of the traditional bounds of a campus newspaper, bringing you more dynamic design, more in-depth stories and more cutting-edge content than ever before.

We hope to continue this evolution, pushing the envelope of collegiate journalism--sometimes all the way off the edge.

For those of you who enjoyed our April Fools’ issue last year (“ExxonMobil buys TU”), we present The Collegian’s more— shall we say, “unexpected” alter ego—the “State-Run Media.”

Flip to the back cover for the real scoop.

We want The Collegian to speak for you; therefore, we need you to speak for us. We are always looking for talented and (more importantly) willing writers and photographers. Drop by our office any given Sunday, or e-mail us at collegian@utulsa.edu. You don’t have to be a journalism student— just a student!

Creating a newspaper for a world-class university is, at times, a daunting task, yet it remains my absolute privilege to be a part of it.

Happy reading.

-Kalen J. Petersen Editor-in-Chief

Opinion

4 SEPTEMBER 2012

THE COLLEGIAN : 8

Freshman orientation potentially disorienting

Freshman orientation does not make good use of students’ time. Most of the time spent is superficial and does not assist freshmen in making solid friendships.

Steven Buchele

Student Writer

This year’s freshman class is the biggest on record. Of course, this also meant the largest freshman

orientation ever. Fork shortages at the “Caf” aside, many found the week exciting and worthwhile.

Others, however, had a different experience.

A common refrain among freshmen over the past two weeks has been, “Oh! There are just so many people to meet. So if orientation was meant to introduce people, it succeed wildly.

However, if it was meant to start building connections for lasting friendships, it largely failed.

A week later the names are fading into a blur and some who were not able to connect during the orientation are struggling to make friends.

Some people thrive in dynamic environments where there are peo-

ple to meet and things to do. For them, orientation was a great experience.

For others, it may actually have been more of a hindrance. Orientation groups were designed to help freshmen begin making friends.

However, there was no guarantee that one would see these people regularly, and even less likely would they become part of your particular social mix.

For some it is enjoyable meeting strangers; for others it is uncomfortable and even frightening.

In student activities—even classes—it is simpler to people with similar interests, tastes or personalities than in a hodgepodge mix of people.

Compounding the issue was a sense of obligation to the orientation groups. It seemed wrong to interact with people outside one’s own group. Eating meals together, playing games and exploring Tulsa, students spent a lot of time was spent with their groups, and chances to interact with other groups were rare. Events like “Playfair” and camp helped break down some of the barriers, but it was still hard to make connections.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are those who left orientation with many more names than connections. Some students felt an electric urge to try to meet everyone­—a truly impossible task.

Of those super-extroverts, some

likely left without any real friendships for completely opposite reasons. They simply did not have enough time to make any lasting connection with anybody before the urge to meet someone new kicked in. They might have gotten a lot of names and numbers, but ask them now to match the name and the face and they are stumped.

The vast majority of freshman will say that the orientation was definitely worth it, but some of the people that the orientation was meant to help were left in the dust.

Eventually, we freshmen will build lasting college friendships.

Only time will tell what impact, if any, freshman orientation will have on this process.

Paul Ryan a poor choice by the GOP Paul Ryan’s extreme views alienate collegiate voters, due to fundamental philosophical contradictions.

Patrick Creedon Opinion Editor

On August 11, Paul Ryan was announced as the GOP’s choice for vice president. Though he has a very polished, likable demeanor and a “dazzling” speech style, according to Fox News, Ryan repre-

sents a neoconservative extremism that alienates all but the richest and most conservative college-aged voters.

Ryan hopes to cut $200 billion from the Pell Grant program. This would effectively take a million students off of the program over the next decade, which disempowers many low-income American students.

Ryan’s reasons for doing this come from his belief that the grants do not go to, in his words, the “truly needy.” This is despite the truth that college is quickly becoming a fiscal impossibility for millions of American students.

Between 2008 and 2010, tuition

costs rose, on average, between 15 percent and 40 percent, depending on the state. Ryan obviously does not have the average college student’s needs in mind, despite soaring student loan debt.

Concurrently, Ryan has been promoting The Path to Prosperity, commonly known as the Ryan Plan. While his desires to cut taxes for the richest in the nation and simultaneously increase the tax burden of the middle class is distressing, the most polarizing aspect of his plan is that, according to nonpartisan think tank Economic Policy Institute, it will not work.

EPI predicts that over 4.1 million jobs will be lost in the next

Hungry? Nacho problem The replacement for the Hurricane Hut does not disappoint, especially to those with dietary restrictions. It is on its way to becoming a notable part of campus.

Katie McGouran

Student Writer

Melodrama aside, the identity shift our beloved Hut has undergone—a transformation from an American bar and grill to a quasi-Mexican restaurant­—does not constitute a crisis situation.

While the moniker Hut Cantina leaves much to be desired, significant improvements have been made, especially for students with dietary restrictions.

If you can ignore the apparent multiple personality disorder and lay aside prejudice, you may find the Hut Cantina is worth the wait.

Now you may be thinking to yourself “But what is the point?

The pizza was pretty good, so why get rid of it? It makes no sense.”

If those are your sentiments, never fear. You are not alone. Change is hard. We will get through this together.

“But really, why?” you ask.

Presumably, in the name of diversity (the only term more popular than “networking” around campus), the Hut Cantina finds its

the black sheep of the TU Dining Services family, it has value in its own unique way, apparent in the form of “The Iguana Burrito Challenge.” Through the use of sentence fragments, capitalization and exclamation marks, the menu describes a mission (should you choose to accept it) that promises to be unforgettable, one way or another.

“While the Midwestern-style Mexican cuisine may not be what you would find on the streets of Guadalajara...” legitimacy. Linguistically, the new menu is a disaster. However, the content is much improved.

While the Midwestern-style Mexican cuisine may not be what you would find on the streets of Guadalajara, it is a welcome diversion from the usual fare (except perhaps Chick-fil-A). As a parttime vegan, I am impressed that most of the new Hispanic-adjacent dishes are branded with a “Vegan/ Vegetarian Option” legend, and appreciate the consideration of our unique student population.

While the Hut Cantina may be

I, for one, am willing to put aside linguistic neuroses (since Spanglish is not a pidgin language) and give the Hut Cantina a fighting chance.

So succumb with me to the alluring fragrance of melting cheese and refried beans, with the knowledge that anything can happen when you open your mind to the possibility of a new idea. Who knows­—you could become more legendary than the “El Famous” burrito.

two fiscal years due to the drop in demand that would come from the more than $400 billion in program cuts. Ryan is not providing a good economic future for constituents facing mounting debt.

Ryan’s extreme beliefs about abortion reveal how out of touch he is with a contemporary America. Over 75 percent of Americans think that abortion should be allowed in instances of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is in danger, but Ryan has a personal no-tolerance policy.

His own personal beliefs will reduce the personal agency of about 50 percent of the U.S. population, for better or for worse. This

hatred of abortion generally comes from some sort of compassion for the unborn fetuses.

However, this is incompatible with Ryan’s self-declared Objectivist philosophy, which espouses compassion for others as some sort of weakness.

Ryan’s philosophical inconsistencies do not set a good intellectual example for young people.

In today’s business climate, when poor ethics have been so prominent, college students should be learning good ethical practices.

Ryan’s Objectivism and disinterest in the middle class do little to make him an ideal candidate to vital college-age voters.

president Dear Students, Faculty, Staff and Otherwise, I don’t know about you, but it’s been a long two weeks for me as a TU student without any Collegians to read over lunch at ChickFil-A or with my morning coffee from the Cort & Martha Dietler Café. I’m glad to have the Collegian back, and it’s a privilege to be able to address you weekly in our campus newspaper and keep you updated about what’s happening in your Student Association.

I use the phrase “your Student Association” so much that I think I’ve made my friends sick of it, but let me explain why SA truly is yours. SA is chartered by the University of Tulsa Board of Trustees to be the representative body of the students in the eyes of the administration. Every full-time student, even in the Graduate and Law Schools, is a member of the Student Association by virtue of paying student activity fees. Your fees support SA and your voice, especially through elections, governs what SA does and says to make the student experience at TU as good as it can be.

So I encourage you to make the most of your membership in SA. Get informed about the upcoming Senate elections (campaign-

ing starts Wednesday), come out and get a free tank top at the first home football game this Saturday, stop by and chat with me in my office in ACAC (I’m there Mondays at noon and Thursdays at two).

There’s a lot of ways that your activity fees go to making this a better, more exciting campus—don’t miss out!

Finally, you’re always welcome at our weekly public meetings. The SA Cabinet discusses events and programming every Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the ACAC meeting rooms, and SA Senate discusses organization funding and legislation every Tuesday at 9 p.m. in John Rogers Hall 202. Hope to see you there!

Best, John Lepine SA President

4 SEPTEMBER 2012

THE COLLEGIAN : 9

Finally: football returns to Tulsa

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J.Christopher Proctor / Collegian

Running Back Trey Watts rushes against the Iowa State Cyclones in Ames on Saturday. After a long and exciting offseason, college football has finally returned. Tulsa will look to recover quickly from its opening loss as it starts a three game home stand that includes matches against Tulane, Nicholls State and Fresno State.

Work for us!

We are looking for writers, graphic designers, photographers and ad sales representatives.

If interested contact us at collegian@utulsa.edu or come to one of our weekly meetings

Mondays at 5 in Oliphant 110.

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The Collegian is the independent student newspaper of the University of Tulsa. It is distributed Tuesdays during the fall and spring semesters editor-in-chief—Kalen Petersen except during holidays and final exam weeks. The University of Tulsa is an equal opportunity employer and institution of higher education and managing editor—J. Christopher Proctor does not discriminate on the basis of personal status or group characternews editor—Kyle Walker istics including but not limited to the classes protected under federal and 12051 LAPThe OKAssociate MediaVicePlan_Collegiansports editor—Aubry Midkiff state law in itsJob: programs, services, ANG aids, or69 benefits.

President of Human Resources and Risk Management has the responsibility for implementing and monitoring the Affirmative Action Plan at The From Steve’s MacPro

By Steve Karr / Milwaukee 12051 ANG 69 LAP OK Media Plan_Collegian.indd University of Tulsa and assisting with the application and interpretation of pertinent laws and policy. For additional EEO/AA information, contact variety editor—Stephanie Hice Wayne Paulison in the Office of Human Resources and Risk Management at 918-631-2616.

SPECS For disability accommodation information, contact TEAM FONTS & IMAGES opinion editor—Patrick Creedon Dr. Jane Corso at 918-631-2315. Requests for an interpreter must be made seven days in advance of an event and at least 48 hours for all other Fonts AD Christina Krug Scale 1” = 1” accommodations. Advertising Policy: Advertising appearing in this publication does not imply approval5.125” or endorsement by the University of Tulsa or CW Berthold Akzidenz Grotesk (Regular, Medium Extended, Medium, Ex Rosser photo & graphics Trim w x 10.25” h 5.125” w x 10.25” h editor—Jill Graves ANG the Collegian for the products or services advertised. For advertising information, call the Bleed Collegian Business The deadline AC None 5.125” w Office x 10.25”at h 918.631.3084.

5.125” w x 10.25” h Client Images Janette Kim Live 5.125”the w x right 10.25”to h edit all5.125” x 10.25” h by all GD staff for advertising is 5 p.m. on the Thursday prior to the publication. Editing Policy: The Collegian reserves copywsubmitted writers—Hellen Patterson, Victoria McGouran 080827-F-4177H-958_2.jpg (CMYK; 348 ppi; 86.1%), ANG logo OKL writers. This editing may take place in many forms, including grammar corrections, changes in paragraph structure or even the addition or removal icons.ai manager—Liz (17.91%) At 100% business & advertising Cohen of sections of content. Editorial Policy: Columnists are solely responsible for the content Built of their columns.

Opinions expressed in columns may not PUBLICATIONS Output At 100% 8-10-2012 1:45 PM represent the opinions of the entire Collegian staff, the administrative policies of the University of Tulsa, the views of the student body or our None Inks distribution manager—Tyler Magill advertisers. Letter Policy: Letters to the editor must be less than 500 Date/Time words, typed and double-spaced.

While we do not require it, letters sent via Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, PMS 7411 C NOTES e-mail to the Collegian are encouraged. A SIGNED hard copy with a telephone number is required if a letter is accepted for printing. Under no web editor—Mary Carol Franko None circumstances will unsigned letters be published. The name of the person submitting the letter must be published with the letter. We reserve the adviser—Kendra Blevins right to edit or reject all letters. The deadline for letters is 5 p.m. on the Thursday prior to publication.

4 SEPTEMBER 2012

the

THE COLLEGIAN : 10

State-Run media The only news that’s fit to print.

propagandist Hello, and welcome to the StateRun Media, the only news that’s fit to print!

While you may think that you are satisfied with the liberalbiased Collegian that you have been reading, you have clearly been brainwashed by their clever headlines—blinded from the truth before your eyes.

But not here at the State Run Media!

Here, we have a firm commitment to print the truth, the whole

truth, and nothing but the truth.

This year we will do our best to combat the lies of The Collegian, giving you news you can trust, opinions you can count on and everything you need to be an obedient, law-abiding student at the University of Tulsa.

Please disregard the fact that we have been relegated to only a single page in this vile, doubleplusungood newspaper.

Our grant from the Ministry of Truth was insufficient to cover

launching our own paper, but we will not let our unfortunate location hold us back, as we do our best to serve your newsly needs this year.

Do not believe anything you read in The Collegian.

J. Christopher Proctor Chief Propagandist of the United People’s Democratic Republic of the University of Tulsa

ORU unleashes insectoid plauge

TU to spend millions on height enhancement for new President Orsak

University officials are confident the pricey and dangerous surgery will be “well worth the cost.”

Renee Vanasse Student Writer

At 6’7,” former TU President Steadman Upham was the tallest university president in the nation.

Upon learning of former TU President Steadman Upham’s planned retirement last year, university officials became concerned about the university’s imminent fall from the top rank of “Tallest University President.”

“We are a school that prides itself on moving up in the rankings, not down,” said Rodger Sorochty, Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services. “What message would it send our students and prospective students, if we were to fall so drastically from out of the

No. 1 spot?”

Opinions around campus about the new President’s imminent surgery are mixed. One freshman agrees that it is important.

“At first when I heard that TU wasn’t going to have the tallest President anymore I questioned my decision to come here, “ he said, “but this seems like a good fix.”

Other students are less convinced: “Why does President Orsak have to be known for the same things that Stead was known for?

He could be known for something else… like driving the crickets off campus! That would be a good legacy,” said a junior.

As it stands, the surgery is all set to go as soon as space opens up. Until then, Orsak will have to get by with using stepladders and periscopes to make use of his office designed for a much taller man.

Tulsa sees sharp decline in greaser population Researchers have definitively proven that contrary to popular opinion, Tulsa is no longer filled with 60’s era greasers.

Eric DiGiacomo Student Writer

Graphic Credit / Cameron Cross

While some have blamed the scourge of crickets on the summer’s heat, Golden Hurricane intelligence agents are now confident that they were actually sent as an attack by Granville “Oral” Roberts as a desperate attempt to end TU’s occupation of his University.

Last spring, then-Student Association President Grant McCarty declared war on Oral Roberts University over allegations of harboring international prayerists as part of the so called “War on Prayerism”.

A semester later, despite Lepine’s campaign based on “hope and change,” in which he promised to pull troops out of ORU, SA forces have become bogged down in a bitter guerrilla fight in South Tulsa. This article is part of continuing coverage from the embattled university.

Kalen Petersen Editor-in-Chief

Showing a callous disregard for basic human rights, the international prayerists at Oral Roberts University have unleashed a horrific biological attack upon the University of Tulsa. In reprisal for ORU’s invasion and occupation by TU troops, prayerists have sent a devastating plague of crickets to TU, covering all the campus in a seething blanket of black insects.

On Tuesday, the Lepine administration condemned the attack as “barbarous and inhuman” in a statement issued from a bunker in John Rogers Hall, where student officials have been barricading themselves behind mosquito nets, armed with cans of DEET and old tennis shoes.

“No civilized nation could condone the use of millions of insects against a civilian population,” said Rick Shipley, Lepine’s Chief of Staff. “However, this vicious attack will under no circumstances

weaken our resolve to bring freedom and justice to the oppressed students of Oral Roberts and the Middle West.”

“Oh, another cricket! There, in the corner! Kill it! Kill it! For the love of God, kill it!,” he added.

It is unclear how ORU managed to summon the sky-darkening cricket swarm, but sources on the ground confirm that ORU’s founder and namesake Rev. Oral Roberts was sighted rallying the swarm from atop ORU’s Prayer Tower.

The alleged prayerist mastermind was formerly believed to have died in 2009, but TU intelligence officials now suspect that he may have been hiding at John Brown University­—a close ally of ORU. “Thou hast invadest my land and oppresest my people,” Roberts said in a homeade video addressed to the students of TU. “Let my people go! And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite thy campus with crickets, which shall go up and come into thy dorms and apartments, and into thy bed thy bed, and into thy minifridges and the endless chirping shall deprive thee of all sleep!”

Accusing President Lepine of “hardening his heart,” Roberts demanded the immediate withdrawal of TU troops from ORU soil. The Lepine administration, however, has a long-standing policy of refusing to negotiate with prayerists.

Michael Mancini, a spokesman for the administration, urged students on the homefront to endure.“They say the night is always darkest just before the

dawn,” Mancini said, “but if we lose our nerve now, the prayerists win. Students—stay calm and try not to imagine an army of jetblack, slimy, many-legged creatures crawling up and down your skin,” he said.

Although the endless deluge of insects has wreaked havoc upon TU, Roberts said that the worst was yet to come, threatening to release further abominations upon TU, including a plague of freshmen boys and a flood of fraternity brothers.

Some in the Lepine administration have speculated that these curses may already be upon us.

A new study by the Tulsa Historical Society has revealed that Tulsa’s once-thriving “greaser” subculture is on the decline. According to the study, the restless, lower-class young men described in S.E. Hinton’s novel “The Outsiders” have all but disappeared from Tulsa’s diners, dives and alleys since the book’s 1967 publication.

The study revealed a startling 99-percent drop in traditional greaser activities, including picking fights with rival gangs and attending drive-in movies.

The disappearance of the greaser may be a troubling sign for the local economy, as sales of leather jackets, souped-up 1957 Chevy Corvettes, flannel shirts, switchblades and pomade have

plummeted.

Additionally, sources confirmed that the streets of Tulsa no longer have that malt-flavored meanness.

“It’s not a thing of pride; the kids just aren’t aiming to maintain this tradition anymore,” said the Society’s Novelty Support Clerk, Ron Dunlop, in a press conference held at the corner table inside that one pizza joint.

Jack Curtis, grandson of the famous Hinton character Ponyboy Curtis, blamed the end of the greaser on the changin’ times. “I just don’t have the time to get in a rumble or cruise around in a restored (Ford) Thunderbird. I have to study for the SAT,” he said.

At the press conference, a weepy Hinton lamented the greasers’ disappearance. “I guess that nothing gold can stay,” Hinton said. “Also, don’t forget to buy your copy of the ‘Outsiders’ 45th Anniversary Edition,” she added.

While the greasers may be gone, sources confirmed that the greasers’ rival upper-class social group, known as the “Socs,” was alive and well, with most members attending the University of Tulsa.

king Welcome subjects from near and far Welcome students, I’m your Czar I hope you’ve enjoyed your time at TU But remember I watch you in all you do.

You can’t run and you can’t hide Resistance is futile, though none have tried You will learn to love me in all due time Besides, who could resist a king with rhyme!

SA elections are coming so remember to vote Not that anyone is opposed­—not to gloat Now go and work hard, study for your test And remember always, King John knows best!

King John I

King Lepine cheers on his gladiators as they valiantly fight to the death for his honor in H.A. Chapman Colosseum.

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