Collegian Issue 11, Vol. 98

a student newspaper of the university of tulsa

r e t Af The reelection of President Obama strikes contrary chords for TU students and faculty.

Oscar Ho Victoria McGouran

Staff Writers

A

s the rising cost of attending college remains a growing concern for low-to-middle income families, President Barack Obama’s re-election provides a chance for his administration to demonstrate its commitment to higher education.

Many students graduating with debt have had difficulty making payment, citing the small job market.

The state of the economy and the affordability of a university education have taken priority in the Obama campaign, and they are problems he has pledged to fix if re-elected.

Faculty outlook Faculty could gain or lose from Obama’s victory. Privately endowed professorships and research grants subsidized by the federal government could feel the largest impact of educational and economic reform.

If funding for education increases, research grants could grow, and if the economy improves, endowments will experience much better performance.

november 12, 2012 issue 11 ~ volume 98

n u t o e c d e r a s e t o v e h t

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If Obama does nothing, or if his plans are hampered by House Republicans or unwilling Democrats, funding for education could very well shrink.

University of Tulsa professors are hoping that the president will act soon, but are uncertain about what exactly he will do.

TU faculty seem to agree that Obama’s plans for tackling the cost of education are vague. “It is not clear what specific policies he will promote or if there will be any major changes from his first term,” said Dr. Jeremy Kuzmarov, a history professor.

Besides Obama’s support for the Pell Grant and federal work study, his intentions are left to speculation.

Dr. Robert Donaldson, Trustees Professor of Political Science and Director of the Tulsa Committee on Foreign Relations, was not too sure what to expect from Obama’s second term.

“Although the president will try to hold education spending at present levels, there may well be cuts in these programs as a result of any deficit reduction deal that he has to make with House Republicans,” Donaldson said.

However, Obama might have a

e n t’s

o f t x

sense of direction. Both Donaldson and Kuzmarov are expecting the Obama administration to invest in the sciences, especially in green energy and engineering.

These measures may help schools to control the cost of college and help the job market at the same time.

The president could direct “more federal monies to univer-

? n o i t a c u d e r

subsidies will likely be a hot-button issue if the Obama administration continues to pursue them.

Both professors also expect Obama to use regulation to curb tuition hikes. Donaldson believes the Department of Education will “continue to put pressure on colleges through regulatory measures to justify tuition increases.”

With regard to student loans, Kuzmarov said that “he may put more pressure on the big banks to

“Although the president will try to hold education spending at present levels, there may well be cuts in these programs” sities,” Kuzmarov said. “Community colleges will also receive significant money for technical degree and job-retraining programs.”

Donaldson agreed, but added that “the main positive impact for students will come from more general measures to stimulate job growth.”

However, the president may have a hard time getting green lights for green energy research.

Memories of Solyndra, A123 Systems, and other policy embarrassments are still fresh in some people’s minds. Renewable energy

Volunteers needed for Kids’ World 2012, Nov. 15-17 at Expo Square Volunteer responsibilities include setup, hospitality room, information table, ticket sales, and more.

Shifts from 8:30am–8:00pm.

For more details about this opportunity or other volunteer opportunities, contact Kathy Shelton in the True Blue Neighbor Volunteer Center at kathy-shelton@utulsa.edu or call 918-631-3535.

ensure fairer standards with regard to loans and bring down the interest rates.”

Kuzmarov also believes that the president should repurpose federal funding from the prison system and the military.

Moving money this way “can lead to a dramatic reduction of tuition costs, ensure an expansion of grant and scholarship opportunities, caps on loans, and lead to an improved quality of education through the hiring of more faculty,” Kuzmarov said.

He called attention to the effec-

tiveness of federal subsidies, citing the GI Bill and other parts of the New Deal, saying that such measures led to the wide availability of public education.

However, he was cautiously optimistic when he suggested that a similar effort at education could be made again. “It will require large-scale student organization and pressure on the administration ‘from below,’ ” he said.

The University of Tulsa, as a private non-profit institution, does not comment on political developments. TU President Steadman Upham also declined to provide his opinion on Vision 2, which would have contributed $4.3 million to the forthcoming Tulsa School of Community Medicine.

Upham and TU’s administration have been quite clear in their approach to the economic downturn.

This year, the administration has stressed endowment growth and conservative fiscal strategies to support faculty and student financial aid.

Student reactions The student population at TU seems to be divided on what to expect from four more years of Obama’s administration.

Those who were disenchanted

by Obama’s re-election did not like his handling of the economy.

Some believe the president’s economic policies might drive up the cost of a college education.

See Election page 8

Sports

12 November 2012

the Collegian : 2

TU leaves Cougars brokenhearted

J. Christopher Proctor / Collegian

Senior Alex Singleton emerges from the attacking Cougar pack to score the Golden Hurricane’s second touchdown just seconds before halftime, bringing the score to 17–0 and putting the Hurricane even closer to the final tally of 41–7.

second-largest ever in the rivalry, which dates back to 1950 but will be indefinitely suspended by Houston’s exit from the CUSA. Tulsa held Houston scoreless until midway into the fourth quarter while piling up four offensive touchdowns, a pick-six, John Lepine and two field goals from a much-improved Student Writer Daniel Schwarz.

Alex Singleton, Tulsa’s bruising tailback Tulsa football stayed perfect in Conference and go-to short-yardage man, rushed for USA and won its eighth straight conference 79 yards on 16 carries and pounded in two road game this weekend with a 41–7 beat- touchdowns. With 18 touchdowns so far down of its longtime rivals, the Houston this season, he now holds the Hurricane’s Cougars. single-season TD record, previously set at It was Tulsa’s ninth win at and last visit 17 by Steve Gage in 1985. ever to Robertson Stadium, a peeling 1940s Cody Green also ran in two touchdowns relic slated to be demolished as the Cougars while completing 17 passes of 31 attempts move next year to the Big East Confer- for 130 yards. The native son of Greater T:5.125” ence. The Hurricane’s smothering victory Houston was supported in the stands by two at Houston’s homecoming was a fitting go- dozen or more fans wearing “Team Green” ing-away present to cap the competitive— shirts and “#7” jerseys.

The Cougars, now 3–3 in conference and and often vicious—series between the two eliminated from the title race, looked slopteams.

Tulsa’s 34-point margin of victory is its py against a more disciplined Tulsa squad.

TU handily beat the University of Houston Cougars 41–7 this weekend in a stadium that emptied quickly after the first half.

Houston was sacked three times, intercepted three times, lost one fumble, and committed eight penalties for a loss of 48 yards. They also failed to convert on both fourth down plays and missed their only field goal attempt.

Tulsa’s unrelenting defensive performance was topped off by an interception returned 22 yards for a touchdown by senior Cory Dorris. It was Dorris’s first interception and first touchdown in 48 games so far with the Golden Hurricane.

The lopsided game left the two rivals battling before a nearly empty stadium by the fourth quarter. Despite a stated attendance of 25,827 fans, the stands looked sparse all evening, and by the last snap the Houston crowd outnumbered the feisty Tulsa contingent by only a few hundred.

Robertson Stadium currently holds 32,000 fans. Its replacement, to be opened in 2014 at a cost of $105 million, will seat 40,000.

With the win, Tulsa remains on top of the western division of C-USA, with the No. 1 rushing offense and rushing defense in the league. Tulsa has also allowed the fewest number of sacks in conference while committing the most, and with 39 so far this year is No. 3 in the country for total sacks.

Next up for the Golden Hurricane is Central Florida, a cross-divisional foe also undefeated in conference. Tulsa has faced the Knights five times—including twice in the C-USA championship—and leads the series 3–2, the most recent of which was a 24–17 win in Orlando last season. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. this Saturday.

J. Christopher Proctor / Collegian

Immediately following his second one-yard rushing touchdown, running back Alex Singleton and h-back Cody Wilson celebrate TU’s continuing domination of the Houston Cougars.

Think you ’Cane?

Tulsa Hurricane vs UCF Knights T:10.25”

The season may be almost over, but the biggest tests for the Hurricane are right on the horizon. This Saturday, the Knights of the University of Central Florida will be visiting Chapman for what looks to be a rowdy 11 a.m. kickoff.

Both teams enter the contest at 8–2 with identical 5–0 conference records and are in decent shape to win their division titles, as the winner of this game will clinch a spot in the title game.

Because of this, it is likely that Saturday’s game will decide who hosts the conference championship game on Dec. 1.

UCF has looked impressive this season, but the Knights struggled to put away UTEP this weekend, showing their potential venerability. Tulsa will be red-hot coming off of its impressive thrashing of Houston, but the Knights will likely put up more of a fight than the routed Cougars.

Expect a close, defensively minded match that keeps the fans in the stands for the duration of the game. With any luck, there will be a rematch of this game in a few weeks on Skelly Field with a trophy on the line.

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Location: Orlando, Florida Students: 60,000 Mascot: Knightro Record: 8–2 2011 Record: 5–7 Last Week: W at UTEP 31–24 Last Meeting: 2011 Tulsa W 24–17 ACT 25th/75th: 24–28

Sports

the Collegian : 3

Professional tennis season nears end Pros Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray have battled it out on the tennis courts during an impressive season.

Zak Patterson Student Writer

After Serbian Novak Djokovic’s surprisingly dominant 2011 campaign, in which he won three of four Grand Slams, he came on strong again in 2012. In January, the Serb won the Australian Open in an epic final against Spain’s Rafael Nadal, made the final of the U.S. Open in September and once again finished the year No. 1 in the world.

Djokovic’s unreal combination of both offensive and defensive talent kept him at the top of the rankings. His ability to defend on the backhand-side is unmatched in the modern game, and his improved serve accounted for another No. 1 season.

Switzerland’s Roger Federer regained the No. 1 ranking for several months in 2012, which gave him 302 career total weeks at No.1, passing American Pete Sampras at 286 weeks to claim the record for most weeks as the world’s top-ranked tennis player. Federer also won his seventh Wimbledon title by beating an inspired hometown effort from Andy Murray. This, his seventh Wimbledon crown, tied Sampras’ all-time record for Wimbledon titles.

At 31 years old, Federer is past his unbeatable days, but the old man still has shown the capability to revert to dominant form from time to time, including his Wimbledon run. While Federer is not as consistently unbeatable as he used to be, he has still turned it on many times this year. The Swiss Maestro will likely add another slam to his resumé in 2013.

In his fifth grand slam final, Andy Mur-

ray finally broke through for his first major, taking out Djokovic in five-set thriller at the U.S. Open. Murray was spurred on to his U.S. Open run by defeating Federer in straight-sets in his home country to capture the Olympic gold medal in August.

The primary reason Murray finally broke through was his newfound commitment to aggressive tennis. In prior slam finals, he came up short due to overly defensive tennis, but not this season, thanks in part to his new coach Ivan Lendl.

Nadal had a strong start to the season, reaching the Australian Open final and winning the French Open for a record-breaking seventh time, solidifying Nadal’s spot as the most dominant clay court player of all time. But after a stunning early-round loss at Wimbledon to Lukas Rosol, the Spaniard was out the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Spain will face-off against the Czech Republic in the finale of the Davis Cup in Prague November 16-18. The Nadal-less Spanish team will still go in as the favorites.

Spain has world-ranked No. 5 David Ferrer, No. 11 Nicholas Almagro, and the top ten doubles pair of Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez. The Czech team is led by world-No. 6 Tomas Berdych, No. 37 Radek Stepanek, No. 84 Rosol and No. 187 Ivo Minar.

It was a sub-par season for youngsters.

Power-serving 21-year-old Canadian Milos Raonic made the most significant move, climbing from 31 in the world at the start of the year to finish at No. 13.

Long-time American tennis icon Andy Roddick called it quits with an unexpected retirement after the U.S. Open. Roddick’s lone Grand Slam title came in 2003 at the U.S. Open. In the other four slam finals he made, he finished second to Federer.

John Isner takes over as the new topranked American at No. 14 in the world.

Small market disadvantage to blame for Harden’s departure The loss of James Harden to the Houston Rockets has been a tough blow for many Oklahoma City fans, and the NBA’s aristocratic system may be at fault.

Nick Lewellen Student Writer

As the dust settles from the mega-trade and contract dispute that sent Olympian James Harden from the small-town Oklahoma City Thunder to the mega-city Houston Rockets, the question every NBA fan hoped was answered by last year’s lockout has come back into the national spotlight—can smallmarket teams really compete year after year with their major-market counterparts?

Small-market owners and fans fought for the right to level the playing field during the Continental Basketball Association negotiations last year, and over the years there have been several favorable changes for smallmarket teams like Bird rights, the mid-level exception, and the luxury tax. Nevertheless, the NBA continues to be a professional sports league that lacks anything resembling

a competitive balance.

Any NBA fan without a blinding hometown bias expected at the start of this season that only three teams had a realistic chance at winning the NBA title: the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Other top teams like the Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs have been left off this list, because each has either injury concerns or an aging core, making it pretty reasonable to assume that their title hopes were much smaller than the Vegas odds makers would like fans to think or bet.

So three out of thirty NBA teams have a realistic shot at winning a title. That is a number that does not exactly scream parity or fairness. Furthermore, most of the teams at the top are in major media markets, which is usually defined, though somewhat vaguely, by factors including the number of households with televisions in a city or population.

Americans love parity in sports, it is why we say things like “any given Sunday” and why we are so inspired by the film “The Little Giants.” This love of fairness is a problem for the NBA, because only a few major-market teams have a realistic shot in the postseason, which leaves a lot of fans hoping for more drama and excitement that would come from a less-monopolized league.

After all the fighting over creating a competitive balance and helping smaller-market

12 November 2012

Volleyball wins C-USA regular season

Austin Jorski / Collegian

The Hurricane won its fourth C-USA regular-season championship with a 3–1 over Rice on Nov. 9, earning the first-place seed in next week’s C-USA Tournament in Tulsa. The team then faced the Houston Cougars Sunday for another win to maintain its momentum heading into the tournament this week.

Cross country men take third at Regionals At the close of a strong season, the Golden Hurricane women’s cross country team finished fifth and the men finished third at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship.

Beate Hall Student Writer

The University of Tulsa men’s cross country team finished third overall at the NCAA Midwest regional championships this past weekend in Springfield, Mo. The women’s cross country team finished fifth overall.

The men’s team is currently ranked 19th in the nation and third in the Midwest Region behind Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma. The men’s team won its third straight C-USA championship this season. The women’s team is currently ranked fourth in the Midwest Region.

At the Midwest Regional Championship, junior Chris O’Hare set a personal record of 30 minutes, 25.87 seconds for the men’s individual 10K. This personal record led the men’s team to a third-place finish with 47 points, just two points behind No. 1 OSU and No. 8 Oklahoma, which tied for first with 45 points each.

NBA teams retain the stars they helped create, the NBA is back where it started. In an off-season that saw the Los Angeles Lakers acquire two major stars and contract Dwight Howard and Steve Nash while only losing one major asset, center Andrew Bynum, fans also watched the Thunder trade away an essential player to meet the salary demands of years to come.

The Thunder had already committed a large part of its future salary cap to Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka and Russel Westbrook, and there was no money left to persuade Harden to stay. The difference between the Thunder’s final contract offer to Harden and the contract the he signed with the Rockets will amount to about 2.5 million dollars per season—a pretty small number when you consider that he is arguably the third best player at his position and that his new contact is worth 80 million over five years.

Major-market teams are seldom concerned about these types of salary demands.

They would just spend beyond the league’s soft cap, hit the hard cap, and pay their lux-

“I was really happy. Chris won, and they ran a good race,” Head Coach Tom Gulley said. “If you had told me we would have five runners in the top-15, I would have thought we won. It was really close. We came out here and ran well, and everybody is healthy.

I think there’s no question we’re a good team. The women ran really well too.”

Overall, the five scoring members of the men’s team were all in the top 15 runners and all set personal records or bests. Senior Andrew Heyes placed eighth with a personal best of 30:30.23, while senior Paulo Pinheiro, with a personal-best of 30:31.20, came in ninth.

Also in the top 15, sophomores Danny Thater and Dennis Hodapp finished 14th and 15th, also with personal records of 30:42.78 and 30:44.99, respectively.

Junior Josie Wilcox placed highest from the women’s team at 28th. Wilcox ran the women’s 6K in 21:34.94. The women’s team was missing its top runner, but the team still ran well enough to place.

Members of the women’s team also set personal best times. Sophomore Brandi Krieg placed 35th after running the 6K in 21:44.48, a personal best.

The team will next compete at the NCAA cross country championships in Louisville, Ky. on Nov. 17.

ury tax to the other teams.

Major-market owners would scoff at these complaints. The defending champion, the Miami Heat, which just acquired another future hall-of-famer in Ray Allen, would point out that it lost money over the course of last season as a franchise. No one would be right to argue that the structure of the NBA is financially favorable for owners who pay a little extra for on-court success—but that does not change the fact that the only owners who can buy such success have teams in Miami, New York, Los Angeles or Dallas.

The rules of the NBA are simple for owners. You have to pay to play, and you have to pay more to win. The problem is that a significant portion of NBA teams can’t always pay the price for a championship.

James Harden is just another example of a player forced away from small-market team because that team could not afford to pay admission to the NBA finals.

Men’s soccer wins C-USA Championship After a close semi-final, the Hurricane mercilessly defeated Southern Methodist University to bring home its fourth conference championship in eight years.

Amanda Schenk Student Writer

The University of Tulsa men’s soccer team soundly trounced No. 1-seeded Southern Methodist University in a 5–0 shutout to win the Hurricane’s fourth Conference USA Championship on Sunday.

On Friday, in a semi-final much more competitive than the final, the Hurricane had faced No. 6-seeded University of AlabamaBirmingham Blazers. TU received the No. 2 seed in the championship, and earned a first-round bye.

Tulsa, which went into the semi-final with an 11–5–1 record (5–2–1 in conference play) had defeated Alabama Birmingham 2–1 earlier in the season.

Friday’s game, however, proved more challenging, and the score remained 0–0 go-

ing into the first period of overtime.

It was senior Jon Wright who ended the game 1–0 in second overtime, pushing a shot past UAB’s Raphael Ville, who had eight saves for the night. With the loss, UAB fell to a 9–7–2 season record.

In Sunday’s game against SMU, TU scored a litany of points—Akeil Barrett had two goals and Abe Matamoros, Christian Mata and Bryce Follensbee got one apiece.

Mata had a season total of 28 points with 12 goals and four assists going into the game.

Goalie Mark Pais, a transfer student from Saint Louis University, logged all 1,653 minutes in goal this season, and had already earned 67 saves and six shutouts prior to Sunday’s game.

Earlier in the season, the SMU Mustangs had earned a 1–0 win over Tulsa.

Tulsa’s win against SMU gave the Golden Hurricane a record of 13–3–2 in C-USA Championship gameplay over the course of the tournament’s eight-year history.

Tulsa also won the tournament in 2007, 2008 and 2009, and played in the final game in 2005 and 2010. Sunday’s winning game was the sixth time in eight years the Hurricane has played in the final of the C-USA

Championship.

“To not make the C-USA Championship a year ago to wining it this season shows the type of guys we have on this team,” said Head Coach Tom McIntosh, “We tell the guys all the time, we want to play for championships, and we want to put ourselves in a position to win them. The guys deserve a lot of credit.”

The C-USA Men’s Soccer All-Academic team was announced this weekend, and included two Tulsa players.

Senior Jake Dobbins, who maintains a 4.0 grade point average as a management major, was a repeat member of the All-Academic team. Also a three-time C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medalist, Dobbins has started every match for TU. Teammate and transfer goalkeeper Mark Pais also earned a spot on the academic team with a 4.0 GPA, and was named the all-conference third-team goalkeeper.

The championship win means the Hurricane has earned a spot in the NCAA tournament. At press time Tulsa’s first opponent had yet to be determined.

We would like to congratulate all of the new PHC officers on their positions for this term: President Erin Hansen VP of Judicial Logan Pohl VP of Recruitment Rachel Lee VP of Finance Abby Greenhaw VP of PR Dana Pharis Secretary/Historian Clarey Allen

NEWS

12 november 2012

the Collegian : 4

Former OK representative addresses students Former U.S. Rep. Mickey Edwards spoke Wednesday on bringing American politics to the middle.

Will Bramlett Student Writer

On Wednesday, former U.S. Representative Mickey Edwards spoke in Chapman Hall, offering ways to reduce gridlock in Washington.

For eight terms, Edwards represented Oklahoma’s Fifth District in the U.S. House of Representatives. After leaving the House in 1993, he continued to be involved in American politics, working with conservative groups, writing books and newspaper columns and teaching at universities.

Edwards recently released his new book, “The Parties Versus the People: How to Turn Republicans and Democrats into Americans,” which explains his plan for fixing Washington. On Wednesday, he gave the audience in Chapman Hall a sample of his thinking.

He began by arguing that the reason the parties are so divided is because the party system rewards divisiveness. Edwards gave ex-

amples of primary races in which a small portion of the population voted for a candidate in a primary election, such as the race between Mike Castle and Christine O'Donnell to replace Joe Biden in the Senate.

O’Donnell received 30,000 votes in a state of one million, enough to win her primary, because in primary elections, “the hyper-partisan, ideological zealots” are the people that turn out to vote, Edwards said. The two-party system, he said, leaves voters to choose between two candidates on the extreme ends of the political spectrum.

He suggested following the lead of states such as Washington by hosting an open-ticket primary in which the top candidates in the primary from any party are on the general-election ballots. He also objects to the “sore loser” laws in 46 states which prevent a loser from a primary ballot from appearing on a general election ballot.

What might have made Edwards the most upset was redistricting. After he became the first Republican in Oklahoma since the 1920’s, Congress changed the boundaries of his district to go from Oklahoma City to the Kansas

board and halfway to Arkansas.

This put more Republicans in an already red district.

He believes the Constitution requires a representative to live in the place he or she represents, so that the representative may know the needs of the people. By moving his district, he represented people whose needs he could not understand. He says that this provided for poor representation purely to keep fewer Republicans in office.

He attacked the party system because “the checks and balances has been eroded to serve the advantages of the party.” He argues that our first four presidents know that permanent parties would destroy our republic and that would should have temporary factions instead.

At the end, the audience was able to ask Edwards a few questions. When asked if he believes the next two years will be more productive that the last two even though the political map is virtually the same, Edwards remarks that it depend on the lessons learned by the parties.

He hopes that this will be a wake-up call for the Republican Party, which was unable to defeat a president with a weak economy

Photo courtesy OkieBrent’s Soapbox

Former representative Mickey Edwards served in Congress from 1977 to 1993. His new book takes a look at moving American politics from extremes to moderation.

finally understand that compromise is needed in Washington. But he also hopes that Barack Obama can understand he barely won reelection and must look to the other side for policies.

An audience member wondered how to bring about this movement the politicians to the middle. His

response was simple: if we do not like how Washington is run, we must challenge our representatives in Washington because we can throw them out of their job. Edwards believes we ultimately hold the power as we are not subjects, we are citizens. “They (the politicians) are afraid of you,” he said.

AICS seeks to spread culture, celebrate roots The American Indian Cultural Society hosted events last week for Native American Heritage Month.

Andres Gomez Student Writer

November is Native American Heritage Month, and the University of Tulsa is home to a group dedicated to celebrating its native roots by “honoring tradition and culture.”

The American Indian Cultural Society has had a week full of activities and celebrations to spread awareness.

The celebrations ranged from storytelling to serving Indian fry bread and playing the

lacrosse-like game of stickball.

The organization is in its second year pursuing its mission to share native culture with the Tulsa community. The organization is completely student-operated, with the exception of last week’s stickball game.

The week started off with a screening of “Smoke Signals,” a movie about Native Americans leaving their homes and about the challenges that they face today.

The movie especially focuses on people who leave the reservations to go to college and about the challenges they face in going to college and what they can teach when they return to the reservations.

The movie also addresses the social issues facing Native Ameri-

cans today with issues of school graduation and racial discrimination.

Tara Moses, the secretary of AICS, said, “It’s really surprising how this Nation didn’t get started without intervention from Native Americans, and I think it’s really interesting how now there is not much awareness of cultural stuff.

So that is what we want to do, share food and tradition and ideas and games.”

Tuesday saw the AICS Fry bread and Indian Taco lunch, in which the organization’s members shared traditional foods. There was also a storytelling on Thursday.

Caitlin Dingle, AICS’ co-founder, gave her thoughts about sharing native culture, saying “We all indi-

vidually work hard to promote our culture based on our tribes, to get out in the community, to influence other Native Americans and be role models in whatever we do.”

Native American Heritage month was recognized by the federal government in 1915.

Moses described the month as “an opportunity to think back and realize what brought me here and appreciate what I came from instead of focusing on a forward thinking mindset, it’s a time to step back.”

Dingle agreed, saying, “it’s a time to remember where I came from and remember what my ancestors had to go through to get me where I am today.”

Both Moses and Dingle expressed a strong sense of loyalty

to their family and, in the bigger picture, their tribe.

The group welcomes people into the organization, regardless of whether they have Native American ancestry.

Anyone who is interested in learning more about Native American culture, “or just likes Indian fry bread,” as Moses put it, is welcome to join.

The meetings are advertised digitally a week in advance. The AICS has a mission to change negative opinions and stigmas about Native Americans and get other Natives involved in the community by promoting their culture and, as Moses said, “glorifying what we stand for.”

TU club to host end-of-semester dance TU Ballroom Dance runs weekly dance lessons and will conclude the semester with a Last Class Dance.

Helen Patterson Staff Writer

TU Ballroom Dance, though now a thriving campus group, was an active organization that had lapsed into inactivity a few years ago.

The group “went dormant because the leadership failed to recruit new leadership to replace themselves,” said faculty advisor Jerry McCoy. “I lamented its lapse and was prodded into helping revive the group.”

TU Ballroom Dance was re-

established in the fall of 2011 in time for a Last Class Dance. The Last Class Dance was a great success, bringing out about 50 people.

Since then, the organization has remained active.

Almost every Thursday, Ballroom Dance offers a lesson. Over the last two semesters, the group has learned many different dances, including Lindy Hop, foxtrot, rumba, waltz, tango fusion and East Coast Swing. Thursday’s meeting will feature an Irish dance called Ceilidh (pronounced “Kayley”). It will be taught by the Tulsa Ceilidh Dancers. The instructors who are brought in to teach the different dances are professional dance teachers.

However, that does not mean

that students without dance experience are discouraged from attending. The setting is low-key and full of friendly faces. Everyone switches partners, so attendees do not need to bring anyone with them, or worry about having no one to dance with.

“You don’t need higher dance ability to come and have fun,” said sophomore Hope Forsyth, who is the group’s events coordinator.

Forsyth first became interested in TU Ballroom Dance because, though she had danced when she was younger and during high school, she had never learned ballroom style.

Once she started, she kept going back. When asked about her favorite experiences with the

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group, Forsyth said, “I really enjoy it when people get comfortable enough that everybody goes out on the dance floor.”

Hope is not the only officer who finds the experience enriching. “I just like dancing! It makes you feel so pretty,” said junior Kim Poff, president of TU Ballroom Dance. “It is a good social skill. It makes you look really classy.”

Jerry McCoy sees ballroom dancing as “a great metaphor for life.” He explained that in dancing “You learn to move together to the music, music that is sometimes good, sometimes not so good, sometimes stepping on each other’s toes, sometimes gliding along so gracefully that you astonish even yourselves, all the while hap-

pily in the arms of a person about whom you really care.”

The Last Class Dance will be held on Dec. 3 in ACAC. It is a semi-formal event with food and drinks, and is open to anyone who wants to come and have a good time.

Students interested in getting exercise in a social venue should consider checking out TU Ballroom Dance. The organization meets most Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. in the fishbowl in the Pat Case Dining Center.

The next lesson will be Thursday. For information about upcoming lessons and events, inquiries are directed to the group’s Facebook page.

NEWS

the Collegian : 5

Eye on the world:

Magdalena Sudibjo Student Writer Asia China Chinese President Hu Jintao cautioned the Communist Party congress against corruption in his opening speech at the beginning of a week-long meeting that will unveil a new set of government leaders in a once-in-a-decade power transfer.

Recent scandals involving former Chongqing party leader Bo Xilai, who is expected to stand trial for corruption charges, and

his wife, who was accused of murdering a British businessman, still hang over China’s political leadership.

“If we fail to handle this issue (of corruption) well,” Hu said, “It could prove fatal to the party.”

Hu also mentioned wealth inequality, sustainable development, urban versus rural imbalances and the country’s flagging economy as some of the other challenges facing China.

During the meeting, the congress will decide on the new members of its central committee and the nine members of the Standing Committee of the Politburo, the country’s highest political entity.

Under the microscope: Kimberly Poff Student Writer Gadgets Lagos, Nigeria It is estimated that 70 percent of African youth are jobless. Nigeria, the largest and fastest-growing country on the continent, has a youth unemployment rate of only 20 percent.

Youth unemployment is giving rise to entrepreneurs who would be otherwise unemployed, especially in the tech sector.

Business incubators such as the Co-Creation Hub, which provides workspace and 12 hours of Internet connectivity and electricity for a low monthly fee not only decrease startup costs, but also foster innovation through the collaboration of different startups working there.

On the quickest rise are games aimed at a specifically African market which can be played on mobile devices or through Facebook.

Laos After a two-year delay, Laos has begun construction on a controversial, $3.8 billion dam on the Mekong River, which will have consequences for neighboring Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.

The 1,260 megawatt Xayaburi dam will be the first of 11 on the river and is expected to begin full operations by the end of 2019.

The dam could threaten the livelihoods of close to 60 million people who reside in the lower basin, many of whom are also in poverty, according to the Mekong River Commission’s 2010 State of the Basin report. The project will forcibly resettle more than 2,000 people and significantly affect biodiversity down-river.

Aviva Imhof, executive director of the International Rivers environmental group, has criticized the project since the beginning, saying, “Our fear is that if this project will literally open the floodgates for all these other projects to go forward.”

“This latest announcement shows that Laos never intended to genuinely cooperate with neighbouring countries,” the group said.

Several Thai communities have

12 november 2012 filed a joint lawsuit in protest to prevent their country from purchasing electricity from the hydropower project.

Europe France French President Francois Hollande has proposed a bill that will fulfill his campaign promise to legalize marriage and adoption for same-sex couples. While homosexual civil unions are legal in France, adoption is only possible for married couples.

Despite the popularity of these measures during Hollande’s campaign, recent polls show waning support for extending rights towards homosexuals.

More than 1,000 mayors have signed a petition against the proposed legislation, and protests abound throughout France. Conservative Senator Serge Dassault renounced the bill as signaling “the end of the family, the end of children’s development, the end of education,” declaring it “an enormous danger to the nation.”

Women’s Rights Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkcaem applauded Hollande’s legislation, calling it “a step towards equality that took too

long in coming” and “a victory for society as a whole.”

With a leftist majority in parliament, the bill is likely to pass despite protests. Some 12 countries, including Sweden, the UK and Germany, have already legalized adoption for homosexual couples.

Greece The Greek parliament has approved its fourth austerity bill in three years, which will cut pensions and salaries as well as raise taxes, totaling to an estimated 13.5 billion Euros.

The approval of the bill came after days of strong anti-austerity demonstrations consisting of more than 80,000 people, during which police use of tear gas and stun grenades.

Without the funds, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has said that the country would completely run out of money by Nov. 16.

“Many of these measures are fair and should have been taken years ago, without anyone asking us to,” Samaras said, “Others are unfair, and there is no point in dressing this up as something else.” He added that Greece was, however, obliged to renew the austerity measures.

Route 66 marathon to pass through TU

For example, one particularly popular game requires the players to dodge potholes and taxis as they navigate Lagos streets on a motorbike. The game is complete with sounds recorded in the capital’s streets.

Space California, America NASA is testing a new Martian landing device at the Ames facility in Silicon Valley.

This method of landing would allow for larger payloads without the need to carry a ton of fuel as was necessitated by the “Sky Crane” used for the Mars Rover.

The new device would include an inflatable ring which would expand the surface area in contact with the notoriously thin Martian atmosphere.

The device is being tested in a tunnel built in the 1960’s for the Apollo moon missions. The 150foot concrete tunnel shoots 4-centimeter models at speeds of up to 17,000 mph. This is enough to vaporize most models on impact at

Photo courtesy Tulsa Route 66 Marathon Inc.

The annual Williams Route 66 marathon will run through TU campus on November 19. There are 30 TU faculty and staff running this year and will join Eitan Herman, an Israeli runner setting out to set a world marathon record.

the other end of the shaft.

Vaporization information must be collected while the model is in flight—a task accomplished by a series of 1960’s 8x10” sheets of film with electro-optical shutters.

The exposure time is 40 billionths of a second.

Perhaps surprisingly, the old fashioned film still provides as clear an image as today’s high speed cameras.

Medicine Winnipeg, Canada Immunologists at the Public Health Agency of Canada have discovered an antibody whose presence predicts Ebola infection survival rates in monkeys with an accuracy of 99 percent.

Gary Kobinger and his research team gave 74 macaques an ex-

perimental vaccine either 28 days before, or immediately after they infected the monkeys with the Ebola virus. Those that survived the infection produced eight times as much of the aforementioned antibody than those that died.

The research predicts that about 70 percent of the viral clearance in the monkeys is due to the antibody, and work has begun to tweak the vaccine to support its growth.

10:15 a.m.

Qualified applicants must be United States citizens and either seeking admission or enrolled as a full-time graduate student in the applicable graduate program.

THE BEN HENNEKE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP

(Master's students in the College of Arts and Sciences)

THE WILFRED WOOBANK GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP (Natural Sciences & Engineering graduate degree programs)

THE FOSTER BROOKS PARRIOTT GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP

(All Disciplines)

THE JOHN S. ZINK FELLOWSHIPS

(Students with physical disabilities)

Applications are available in the Graduate School Office, Lorton Hall 201, and are due by 5:00 p.m. on January 15.

If you have any questions, please call 631-2336.

Nov. 4

Officers received a fire alarm at the Delta Gamma house. A member burnt food in the microwave.

TFD was canceled after officers found no signs of fire.

6:20 p.m.

Nov. 7

Officers were called to John Mabee Hall for a larceny of a TU bicycle. The TU student stated his TU bike was removed from where he parked it.

He stated he found the bike today. The bike was locked with a personal lock.

The student had not filed a report and was advised to contact the bike shop to have his bike replaced.

3:50 p.m.

9:40 p.m.

Officers on patrol observed a vehicle parked in an empty area of the lot with a male sitting inside the vehicle with his light off.

Upon contact officers observed the male smoking K-2. The student admitted he had K-2. Officers had the student destroy the K-2 after it was photographed.

Nov. 6 6:10 a.m.

Officers on patrol found an abandoned vehicle at 500 S. Delaware Ave in the middle of the street. On duty TPD were contacted and the vehicle was towed by TPD.

Officers received information that a student had Marijuana in their apartment. Officers requested the PSM. Officers and the PSM searched the apartment and two students were arrested and TPD contacted.

One student was arrested for Possession with intent to distribute and Possession within 1000 feet of a school.

The other student was arrested for Possession within 1000 feet of a school.

Nov. 8 11:30 Officers were dispatched to Fisher South for a medical Emergency.

When officers arrived they found an unconscious student.

EMSA and TFD were dispatched and the student was transported to a local hospital.

The Collegian does not produce or edit the Campus Crime Watch, except for clarity and brevity.

variety

12 November 2012

the Collegian : 6

“Black Ops II”: Most innovative Call of Duty title yet?

One of the highest selling series of all time, Call of Duty takes a new direction with “Black Ops II.” Photo courtesy Alliance Films

In order to revitalize his career, true crime writer Ellison Oswalt, played by Ethan Hawke, knowingly moves his family into a house where the previous residents were brutally murdered.

“Sinister” a complex horror movie Due to the rich psychological complexity of its characters, “Sinister” is a successful horror film, despite following the typical “scary movie” formula.

Helen Patterson Staff Writer

The basic premise of “Sinister” is nothing new. A family consisting of a financially and emotionally strained couple, Ellison and Tracy Oswalt (Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance), and their two emotionally distraught children, Ashley and Trevor (Clare Foley, Michael Hall D’Addario), move into a house whose previous occupants met a gruesome end. Unexplainable events occur, and the situation quickly escalates.

What makes “Sinister” different is the rich psychological complexity of Ellison. He is an intelligent, driven writer of true crime. He had one famous book at the start of his career which solved a previously unsolved crime.

However, he has been unable to replicate this success. He knowingly moves his family into a house where a family was killed and a daughter abducted so that he can revitalize his flagging career with another hit.

The portrayal of the struggle between what is right for the family and what is right for Ellison’s career adds tension to the film.

Hawke manages to make Ellison sympathetic and even likable—despite his faults—thanks to an ex-

cellent, sincere performance.

The interactions between Ellison and several other key characters further enrich the film. Ellison and Tracy give a spot-on portrayal of a couple who have marital problems and disagree about what is best for the family, and yet still love each other. Their fights are realistic without losing intensity.

James Ransone is excellent as the never-named “Deputy So-AnSo,” who is not as dumb as he first appears. He helps Ellison work out the case while bringing levity to the dark situation. Dialogue throughout is clever but realistic.

“Sinister” employs gruesome, chillingly matter-of-fact images of killings. The decision to use the older, grainier, Super 8 “found footage” gives the film an eerie quality. The combination of the older film with the newer technologies that Ellison uses as he tries to solve the mystery is jarring and highly effective.

The supernatural creature responsible for the horror is not overused, making his brief interludes more terrifying.

However, despite these positive qualities, “Sinister” is imperfect.

The ending of the movie came a little bit too abruptly. It might have had more impact if the horror had been drawn out. There is a final segment with an unnecessary jump scare.

Though many of the characters are fleshed out—including the daughter Ashley—the son, Trevor, is underrepresented. The music is disjointed and disturbing which adds to the sense of terror and wrongness, but is also distracting.

At times, it did not quite fit with what was happening.

Fans of the horror genre will find that “Sinister” is worth seeing.

Elliot Bauman Student Writer

The past few weeks have seen the release of a number of high-profile video game titles; “Assassin’s Creed III” launched on Oct. 30, and “Halo 4” hit shelves on Nov. 4. While both games sold well and attracted millions of players, the biggest release of the year is yet to come.

On Nov. 13, gaming publisher Activision will release the most highly anticipated game of 2012, “Call of Duty: Black Ops II.” “Black Ops II,” developed by Treyarch, will be the ninth installment in the Call of Duty franchise, a series that has produced the highest-selling game each year for the past three years.

A direct sequel to Treyarch’s previous title, “Black Ops II” will take players into the near-future world of year 2025. This setting is a first for the franchise, which has always staged the games in either World War II or in modern day.

The single-player campaign will feature two connected segments that build on the story of “Black Ops.” The main storyline takes place in 2025, when protagonist David Mason will participate in special missions in locations such as Yemen, Singapore and Los Angeles, during a second cold war between China and the United States.

A secondary storyline will take place in the 1970s and 1980s, and will support the main story by detailing some of the key events that lead up to the 2025 conflict, as well as the rise of the primary antagonist. For this portion of the campaign, players will be taken to Central America, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and a number of other locations.

“Black Ops II” also will also change and challenge what fans have to come to expect from previous Call of Duty single-player campaigns. For one, gamers will now have the ability to customize their weapon and equipment loadouts, or inventory, before each mission.

Photo courtesy Treyarch

“Black Ops II” features a variety of new additions to the Call of Duty series, such as an improved campaign mode in a futuristic environment, an enhanced Create-A-Class system and even the ability to ride horses.

The most substantial change is the introduction of branching storylines. For example, if a player should fail an objective or die during a certain part of the 2025 campaign, the story will continue, and not allow the gamer to repeat the failed section. As a result, the ending of the single-player campaign is a direct result of the gamer’s actions during the story. Such singleplayer features have been tried before, but never in a Call of Duty title.

While the improved singleplayer experience is definitely welcome, everyone knows that the major selling point of Call of Duty is its multiplayer, and that is exactly where the innovation of “Black Ops II” truly stands out.

The multiplayer does an excellent job of maintaining the fundamentals that fans have come to expect while also taking the experience in a new direction.

For the first time in the series, “Black Ops II” has significantly changed the traditional Create-AClass system. In all previous Call of Duty titles, fans were forced to follow a strict format for creating their multiplayer classes: the player previously had to select a primary weapon with attachments, a secondary weapon with attachments, a single perk from each of the three Perk Tiers, and equipment.

“Black Ops II” changes this traditional formula by introducing a new Pick Ten system. In the Pick Ten system, all multiplayer content has one point associated with it, and gamers may now construct

their classes with any combination of up to ten pieces of content.

For example, a player may choose to forgo carrying a secondary weapon and instead use two Tier 1 perks. The system has been balanced by Wildcards, which prevent the player from creating toopowerful classes.

“Black Ops II” further advances the multiplayer experience by introducing the option for players to match-make based on skill through League Play. All previous games in the franchise required gamers to play together based on connection. League Play groups players, by skill, into seven different divisions. This feature enhances the multiplayer experience by allowing players to play exclusively against gamers of equal ability.

Of course, the option to play using the traditional system is still available. Fans of the series will be pleased to know that “Black Ops II” includes new game modes such as Multi-Team Deathmatch and King of the Hill. Zombies Mode also returns with numerous additions and even its own mockcampaign.

In summary, “Call of Duty: Black Ops II” is a breath of fresh air in a series of games often criticized for lacking innovation. The abundance of new features makes for a game that is clearly a cut above the most recent installments in the franchise. Is “Black Ops II” the best Call of Duty to date? Only time will tell. “Black Ops II” arrives on Nov. 13 and will be available for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Shiny Toy Guns’ “III” rookie quality Seven years after the release of their first album, Guns’ “III” is full of self-indulgence and weak lyrics, yet retains strong and powerful melodies.

Nicholas Foster Student Writer

Shiny Toy Guns is a hard band to pin down. For starters, its lineup is in a constant state of flux, having had different members for each of its three albums.

The band likes to parade under the “indie” moniker, but it only gets away with of this because of its relative obscurity—on the radio, Shiny Toy Guns would be a classic pop act.

However, the band also has the potential to disappoint, which is painfully clear in its latest release, “III.” If “III” was the Guns’ first album, things would be different.

We could focus on the positives, like singer Carah Faye’s intoxicating high notes, or the band’s ability to weave simplicity and nuance, and chalk the missteps—like letting other vocalist Chad Petree sing too much—up to inexperi-

ence. But seven years after the initial release of its first album, “We Are Pilots,” the band is still making rookie mistakes.

Chief among these mistakes is self-indulgence. Take “e v a y,” which, beyond the middle-school stylization, is smothered in epic keyboard choirs in a gratuitous display of bad taste. Or “Mercy,” an already-weak song plagued by Petree’s slick Fall Out Boy whine.

Worst is “Wait For Me,” a mostly pretty ballad in which Faye sings about love and the like, augmented by a call-and-response chorus with Petree in what is, incidentally, one of his less annoying moments on the album.

It does, however, start with 90 seconds of synth chords and awkwardly dramatic whispering—“It’s like everything turned into a dream/a dream without an end...”—that borders on grotesque.

Somehow, these shortcomings would be more bearable if the music was not so enjoyable, but the Guns really are quite good at their niche. “Somewhere to Hide,” the opener, is easily the strongest cut from the album, a splendid re-imagining of Blondie some 30 years later, with Faye’s staccato verses backed by twinkling synthesizers before kicking into a chorus catchy enough to incur the envy of Katy Perry.

The melodies across “III” are

especially strong, and even if they are not particularly groundbreaking, the sense of familiarity is comforting.

Pop hooks sell, and they show up in spades. The single “Waiting Alone,” has an alarmingly infectious chorus, as does “Speaking Japanese,” though the latter is often an exercise in pushing the listener’s patience tolerance for nonsense. And even when the lyrics are a little too flimsy to support the song, Faye’s delivery is strong enough to compensate.

Her versatility is encouraging, as well. “If I Lost You,” though not overly deep, is a straightforward, fairly powerful ballad. When she says “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you,” you believe it.

This should not go overlooked—convincing performances are every bit as important as being able to hit notes. Through the whole album, her voice absolutely drips with enough sincerity and charm to carry the band through its weaker moments while she is singing.

But charm is only worth so many plays on the stereo. This album could do with quite a bit of reeling-in, either from overproduction or trying too hard. There are definitely positives to be found here, but it feels that at this point in the band’s career, some of these problems should have worked themselves out by now.

By Helen Patterson

Modes of Transportation 1. All you sad, unimaginative plebians can make do with your feet.

2. There are shuttles that travel around campus.

Unfortunately, they never seem to show up when you want them.

3. If you don’t care about style, TU will lend you a glaringly yellow bike.

4. Pogo Sticks. Can we make this a thing?

5. Horses. Downside: very expensive to feed. And also illegal to keep in apartments and dorms.

6. There are rumors of a KEP light rail in the works.

Unfortunately it will only go between KEP’s basement

and the Subway in ACAC. 7. Giant mutant cockroaches. These critters have grown large because of food left by slovenly college students. Ride at your own risk.

8. Golf carts. The trick is to dramatically throw yourself in front of one. The driver will feel bad when he hits you and offer to drive you somewhere in recompense.

9. Piggy-back. Preferably choose a football player.

Then no one will be able to stand in your way!

10. Apparate. Oh, wait! I forgot that the grounds are enchanted against apparition. Try a broomstick instead.

opinion

the Collegian : 7

12 November 2012

Politics entertain like baseball 2012 is behind us Politics is much like baseball—both can use statistics in informative and surprisingly entertaining ways.

Will Bramlett

Student Writer

I like math. Especially when it is important math. That is a big reason why I loved election night and cannot wait for 2016. Of course, I also loved election night because I am a Barack Obama supporter, but following the numbers all night long was a blast.

Since 2006, I have had a computer by my side each election night with pages from such sources as the New York Times and CNN loaded up, providing me with excessive amounts of information.

This year I almost entirely relied on the Times. I kept nearly a halfdozen tabs open on my browser throughout the evening.

These tabs were filled with the numbers from the presidential race, many congressional races, and races from my home state of Missouri. As happens every year, I was hooked on the numbers. People complain that math is not useful in the real world, but on election night, it really does matter.

The New York Times had a web app which showed the 512 different ways the election could have turned out, depending on how the major swing states went. Just

a few states could mean 512 different outcomes for the election. It still fascinates me.

As election day approaches, I also tend to follow the polls a bit more closely. The right was claiming that the polls were skewed in favor of Democrats and that Five Thirty-Eight Blog’s Nate Silver prediction that Obama had about a 90 percent of winning was just absurd. Silver uses averages and weights different polls to come to his conclusion. I was hoping to see that his math would come through.

Amazingly, Silver predicted the way every state would go, and was wrong in only one senate election.

it be Matt Cain and Stan the Man from baseball or Obama and Chris Christie from politics, these people are beloved by millions. Then there are the small people playing in the minor leagues or working in state legislatures.

The great difference between the people in baseball stars and politicians is that the action of the latter are meaningful in the long run. While ball players may do community service or ask for donations or inspire kids, they do not determine the taxes we pay, the quality of the roads on which we drive and whether or not we will fight a war.

Election-season politics may have their own appeal, but the posturing of officeseeking politicians distracts from the real problems.

Cara Dublin

Student Writer

Representative democracy is a fine thing. However, I believe that I am not alone in being entirely frustrated by its attendant features—especially campaign advertising.

For the next year or two, our television stations, radio waves, website sidebars and YouTube

heads, and take stock of our actual American position.

Why did Obama win? Why did Romney lose? These are complex questions that will not be answered in a day, and many of them have to do with the shifting social attitudes registered in many nonpresidential voting issues on the ballots nationwide.

In this interim between elections, everyone should indeed think about politics. The figurehead candidates are temporarily gone, especially since Obama is now in his second term, and the Democrats will have to find a new candidate for 2016.

In a sense, this places both of the major parties back on equal footing, with the chance to reflect on what they are really all about. Rather than talking points, Americans can now focus on the

“Rather than talking points, Americans can now focus on real problem points, on the things that are still unresolved” I am looking forward to following his polls in 2014 and 2016. Both years look like they could be difficult for Democrats.

Before Silver was involved in politics, he was a baseball statistician. Yes, baseball and politics are a lot alike. Both involve a lot of numbers and math. Anyone that has seen Moneyball knows that baseball, like politics, is heavily influenced by math.

Both have big stars. Whether

Graphic courtesy PaperBlog

This is why the politics excite me—the numbers mean everything. They decide what will and will not happen in coming years.

I am extra excited for the next two elections. The numbers will show just how productive Washington will be after 2014 and right now, it does not look good. No one knows where we will be in 2016, and that is the most interesting part of it.

videos should be mercifully free of campaign ads, each promising the immediate and consummate fulfillment of every American dream from full economic recovery to each side’s picture of perfect human love.

Already starting to shout “Soand-so, 2016!” may be the best way to ensure that the same old arguments continue.

Let us all take advantage of this respite to breathe, shake all the hackneyed rhetoric out of our

real, unresolved problems that got trampled in the truncated political theatre of the televised debates.

For independents, third-party voters and the politically dissatisfied, this respite and regrouping is even more important. Now is the time when the party platforms for the coming years are most malleable.

This is the time when we should be talking about how to accomplish the promises on which our candidates ran.

Textbook markets leave students wanting The textbook market allows publishers unfair monopolies, leaves students with few choices.

Myriah Downs

Student Writer

The U.S. textbook market allows little room for competition.

Students are at the mercy of the publishers to set textbook prices.

According to the Washington Post, the price of textbooks has risen over 40 percent in the past five years. In the midst of these increases, students have been left to foot the bill, leaving many in desperate need to cover the cost of textbooks.

Recently, the Supreme Court

heard oral arguments for Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons. In the case, a student had his family purchase international edition textbooks— nearly identical copies distributed internationally by the manufacturer at lower prices—which he would in turn sell to American students at a profit. The issue of copyright infringement was in question because the publishing company had not approved secondary distribution by other vendors, and saw itself as having lost the profits from the sale of the textbook.

This is not a new concept, as globalization has linked us closer together than ever before. As a result, manufacturers find themselves competing with conflicting markets all over the world. In order to assist with fair competition, there has been an industry custom of allowing goods produced abroad to be sold in the U.S. under the exclusive copyright of the manufacturer.

If the court were to side with the publishers, someone wanting to sell an item—purchased and manufactured abroad—in the U.S. would be subject to the whims of the American copyright holder.

The decision over the copyrights will have a huge impact on the online sales industry that

ness and viability is questionable.

The market for e-textbooks remains comparatively small, making up less than 15 percent of all textbook purchases, according to Bloomberg News. The main problems with e-textbooks come from the regulations placed on them by the textbook manufacturer. E-text-

“Students have been left in desperate need to cover the cost of textbooks” makes up over one billion dollars and affects millions of consumers per year. Unfortunately, a decision in favor of the textbook companies only further extends their influence in the market and provides few solutions for students.

Among potential solutions are e-textbooks, but their effective-

books have either a 30 or 180-day licensing period, after which many of them become unavailable for use. This makes it impossible for the text to be sold to a secondary vendor.

While the initial price of e-textbooks is lower, the fact that they cannot be resold allows the text-

book companies to continue their monopoly on the available textbooks by reducing the volume of textbooks available for secondary circulation.

Another large issue with e-textbooks is the inefficiency in their application. While e-textbooks appear to be equivalent to their text counterparts, the limitations also drive potential consumers from the market. The first limitation is that most are meant to be viewed on e-readers, but their computer versions are little more than PDFs of the original textbook. This leads many students to attempt to print a copy of the textbook only to find the print version contains alterations in the formatting intended to discourage printing.

Often the text is small and poorly formatted for printing, or the page numbers are altered to make it difficult for a student to follow

See Text page 8

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Opinion

12 November 2012

the Collegian : 8

Farm bill battle shows political cowardice The Farm Bill should not have been shelved due to partisan politics, as there are too many people who rely on it for sustenance.

at best, and given the recent droughts, could be considered cruel.

More than a hundred different programs fall under the auspices of this document.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Pro-

tember. While the machinery of the nation’s food production network has not yet fallen into disastrous disrepair, the absence of the farm bill will be felt when its provisional extensions and disaster relief funds start run-

Kimberly Poff

Student Writer

It seems that “compromise” has become a dirty word. A politician who runs on promises of compromise and cutting deals to keep the country running smoothly has less than a snowball’s chance in hell of getting elected.

Instead, we elect unbending politicians on the far right and left who use the brute force of numbers to bully legislation through Congress.

There is no better example of this than the House of Representatives and the “farm bill,” an omnibus funding package for the Department of Agriculture which recently came up for renewal.

One would hope that a bill so crucial to all parties concerned would be free from partisan politicking.

Indeed, the Senate passed its version of the replacement back in June before the August recess. The House, unfortunately, refused to take a vote. This was irresponsible

From Election on cover

Morgan Culler, a freshman in communications, was not surprised by election results: “They turned out as expected.” But she was not happy about it either.

Concerning a possible rise in the cost of a college education, she said, “I don’t think it’s going to be that bad in the next four years, but after that I think prices are going to go up.”

She also has concerns over the job market. “I feel like it will be worse,” she said.

Taylor Johnson, a junior in music education, had a clear idea of what Obama’s re-election meant for her tuition. “I think (Obama’s re-election) is going to really affect the university, our donors and our scholarships. It’s kind of scary,” she said.

On the cost of a college education, Johnson believes that Obama’s economic policies would have negative consequences.

She was not without hope, however, and is looking for good leadership from these next four years. “I hope that Obama works more bipartisanly,” she said. “Maybe he can get more done. Now he doesn’t have to worry about the next election cycle.”

One student, who asked to remain anonymous, is somewhat indifferent toward Obama. He noted that the president may need his second term to cement programs and policies made in his first term. “It will take more than four years to see what the effects (of his policies) are,” he said. In his

From Text page 7 along in class. Manufacturers cite a lack of marketability for adding the additional texts, but the industry itself is the reason for the lack of marketability. By altering these factors, the textbook industry drives many students away from viable alternatives to the traditional textbooks.

The textbook industry, like many U.S. industries, is charged with regulating itself.

Graphic by Jill Graves

gram—better known as food stamps—is funded by the bill, which also sets up subsidy structures for all of the major American agricultural products—corn, soy beans, dairy, meat, wheat, etc.

The farm bill also affects the National School Lunch Program, which fed more than 13 million children each day in 2011.

Food banks and pantry programs also derive funding from the legislation.

In addition, the bill provides guidelines for food safety, food-based energy and environmental conservation.

Instead, the bill expired at the end of Sep-

ning out in the spring.

Of course, the lame duck session is a wonderful time to pass politically undesirable legislation everyone would rather avoid.

However, only 59 of the 435 representatives in this session will be leaving the House at the start of the new Congress—so a decrease in re-election-minded legislating is unlikely.

The bill, the current iteration of which is the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, bundles important legislation from both sides of the aisle into one package which must be reevaluated and passed every

four or five years.

Clearly, this is an important topic for both sides of the political spectrum.

Many Republicans have farming constituencies, while Democrats face the challenges of urban food distribution, especially in schools.

Both, of course, must advocate the best way to get food and assistance to their needy.

The farm bill is always the subject of much social scorn, and the budget cuts, $23 million throughout the bill, have sent food banks and the SNAP program into a righteous and not-unwarranted tizzy, while still failing to satisfy bushwhacking deficit crusaders.

It should be noted that these cuts would amount to less than .0007 percent of federal spending in 2011. Cutting SNAP programs is politically similar to firing Big Bird, though the real-world impacts will increase the hardships faced by millions.

The farm bill needs to be passed. If it doesn’t, we will have more to worry about than just the fiscal cliff.

The House of Representatives needs to get into action and pass the bill in the lame duck session instead of letting “better” be the enemy of “good enough.”

The bill is intentionally bundled to provide something distasteful to everyone.

Politicians will always have to pass bills they dislike, but running a country is a messy and increasingly technical business over which we cannot afford to split hairs.

opinion, it will take the extra time to produce a measurable change.

Obama supporters pointed at his efforts to make college affordable. Bethany Hileman, a junior double-majoring in biochemistry and Spanish, was quite happy to see him re-elected. “I am excited to have a president who cares about making it easier for (young people) to go to college and not letting money be a barrier,” she said.

Hileman added that the Obama administration might be able to make it happen by increasing the availability of federal grants or loans, a known priority of the administration’s education efforts.

Although financial assistance may grow, she conceded that she does not know “that the actual tuition will go down.”

College students nationwide are grappling with the issue of paying for college.

Hileman’s optimism for the next four years may not be a commonly held attitude, especially in Oklahoma, a historically Republican state.

However, regardless of opinion, Obama has a chance to bring necessary reforms to the education system. Public and private educators nationwide will be following political developments.

Since much of Obama’s support came from students, the success of his next four years could be determined by the opinions of those students who helped him back into the White House.

This means that there is often little government intervention into industry customs.

Because of this, the textbook industry is susceptible to the fluctuations of the market, as it is a profit driven industry.

Unlike other markets where individuals would stop purchasing the good if they felt it was not valuable, students are unable to walk away from purchasing their textbooks, leaving us in a precarious position with few solutions.

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the Collegian : 9

May  2013  Graduates  Nominate  a  Secondary  School  Teacher  For  The  Prize  for  Inspiration Â

1. Nominations may be made by any undergraduate who expects to graduate in May, 2013.

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High school teachers throughout the USA are eligible.

4. Students whose nominated teachers are selected will receive $500.

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information including the nomination criteria go to the Student Affairs website: http://www.utulsa.edu/studentaffairs.

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State-run Media

12 November 1880-ish

the

State-Run media A R]evol[utionary News Source

Proposed Paul cabinet appointments: Secretary of State: Herman Cain Secretary of Energy: The Golden Driller Secretary of Defense: (vacant) Secretary of Education: Ayn Rand Secretary of the Interior: Martha Stewart Secretary of Nepotism: Rand Paul Secretary of Labor: Ron Paul, OB/GYN Secretary of the Treasury: Scrooge McDuck

king When Ron Paul gives a roar The Fed shall be no more When Ron Paul shakes his finger The darkness shall not linger —King John I

Ron Paul elected president Paul’s elevation to the office of president brings the gold standard into the limelight for the first time since the 80’s—the 1880s, that is.

Tim Nissen

Student Muckraker In a surprising turn of events, former Texas Congressman Ron Paul has been elected as the 45th president of the United States.

What has been described by various commentators as the country’s most “surprising,” “perplexing” and “honestly pretty funny” electoral turn of events began in Florida with the discovery of over 75,000 partially punched paper ballots, swinging the Sunshine State in favor of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

Virginia and Ohio swung similarly after recounts found buckets of these ‘hanging chads’, dismantling Obama’s projected wins in these states.

All this would have been ineffectual, as despite the unexpected shifts Obama still had a slight edge in the Electoral College, but two Washington D.C. electors unexpectedly went rogue, switching their votes to Romney, despite the fact that Obama received 92 percent of the vote in the District.

The electors cited their concerns with D.C.’s non-state state status as their primary motivation for throwing the American electoral system into total chaos, releasing a joint press statement that simply read “no taxation without representation.”

When the dust settled finally settled after the dramatic week of post-election shenanigans, Gover-

Graphic by Cameron Cross

nor Romney and President Obama each emerged with exactly 269 Electoral College votes.

Romney, in an instinctive—if insensitive—appeal to the bluecollar votes that initially cost him Ohio, rolled up his denim sleeves and began shadow boxing, challenging Obama to “settle this like men.”

Instead, the candidates ultimately decided to “settle this like the Constitution laid out”, with a vote in the House of Representatives. In such a situation, Constitutional guidelines dictate that each state—regardless of population and electoral votes—receives one vote to choose the next president.

With a bit of still-mysterious of congressional logic, the Republican majority selected Representative Paul, and not Romney, as the 45th president. Unnamed House sources have cited “years of integrity and service,” “Ron trying really, really hard” and “heck, it’s the guy’s last chance” as key factors in the decision.

House Democrats were equally

vague on the out-of-the-blue pick, with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi offering only that “we finally agreed after hours of debate that Representative Paul was the only true American hero still alive.”

She also revealed that “Theodore Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, and ‘the founding fathers’” were all considered for the position but eventually decided against.

Selection of the nation’s vice president then fell to the Senate, where the Republican minority is currently engaged in a filibuster, leaving the office vacant. The GOP has appealed to elect Clint Eastwood, because, to quote Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, “I mean think about it, it just feels right. Right?” but the move was shut down by the Democratic majority.

At press time, the Republicans have been filibustering for six days, and have read the entirety of the Harry Potter series, the D.C. Yellow Pages and “War and Peace.” Most pundits expect the filibuster to continue until the

Graphic by Jill Graves

“easily ten pounds” in the week since his surprising election.

“Having run three presidential campaigns, served as a state representative for 25 years, and delivered over 4,000 babies, I think I’m owed one measly statue, and a little parade,” Paul told Fox News reporters Wednesday.

In response to questions probing his intention as Commander in Chief to bring American troops home from bases in Israel and Germany, Paul responded that he might “eventually get around” to bringing soldiers home from bases that serve no real defensive purpose, but that on day one he would probably “beef up Air Force One, and maybe run some personal errands for me and (First Lady) Carol (Paul) on our way home.” Following this statement, Paul became suddenly animated and launched into a lecture detailing how “I’ve flown coach for 77 years and once you’ve seen the world you cheeky whippersnappers will all understand.”

Paul also commented on his plans for the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, which he labeled “an immoral waste of beachfront property” and “a beautiful site for a new presidential mansion.”

2016 election.

The surprises, however, do not stop here. President-elect Paul was once noteworthy for a consistency rare in the political world and for his principled but often unpopular stands for the gold standard and against American military intervention. However, Paul now seems to have had a slight change of heart on the issues the previously held so dear.

President-elect Paul, though yet to have any real power, in a recent press release stated that among his first presidential acts will be, “a giant parade” that would last “six, or seven weeks,” and “visit every home in America.”

Paul indicated that the parade J. Christopher Proctor provided would include “pandas, giraffes research and fact-checking for this and maybe even a couple of li- article. ons or something,” and would end in Paul being “showered in confetti made from worthless fiat dollar bills.” According to Paul, the parade would be “funded completely by taxpayer dollars.”

The former Representative has also purchased a 300-foot, taxpayer-funded pure-gold statue of himself to be placed atop the United States Capitol. When asked if he believed this statue was related to his plan to put the U.S. dollar back on the gold standard, Paul replied, “no.”

Rumors of a soda fountain and soft-serve ice cream machine for the Oval Office are also circulating, and the AsGraphic by Jill Graves sociated Press also reAfter a long, hard-fought campaign for rereelection, TU president Steadman Upham was ports that Paul, once an elected with 103 percent of the popular vote. avid runner, has put on

Stead wins in landslide

Ron Paul: great or greatest president?

Patrick Creedon Minster of Truth

In a shocking turn of events, Ron Paul has miraculously ascended to the presidency, an occurrence even more shocking since he has technically been out of the race since August when Mitt Romney officially accepted the GOP nomination.

Nonetheless, Paul walked out onto the floor of the House to accept the position, and trumpets blasting out confetti as he shook Speaker of the House John Boehner’s hand. He had also spent $25,000 on back-up dancers scantily clad in nursing uniforms who reportedly threw small gold pieces bearing his visage into the representatives’ seats.

Though a bit distasteful due to gold’s limited supply in the market, I feel this problem will soon be solved, as Ron Paul will change the world simply through his continued breathing.

Paul’s consistency is definitely his finest quality.

What this country needs now is a man who is committed to his own convictions, dictating what he feels to be right to an entire country. A man who is unerring in his viewpoints will not be influenced to change those opinions by other modern opinions, popular or academic.

I finally have a man in the highest office in the land who can both eliminate all budgets and deliver my first child, whilst we chat about radical survivalism over a beer.

Anyone who says that a doctor has no business making financial decisions for an entire country obviously does not understand how smart a doctor really is.

Ron Paul represents a return to an America that only existed on lunchboxes and television, and I could not be more excited.

His perfect isolationist ideals will bring this country to everlasting heights in a competition that it only plays with itself, and when the only thing a country has to compete with is itself, then that is simply the purest form of market capitalism that I can imagine.

Victoria McGouran

That girl with Ron Paul sign As the final electoral votes in Florida were officially awarded to the 45th president of the United States, I breathed a sigh of relief.

We as a nation have made the right decision.

Ron Paul has finally become our president.

It is incredibly gratifying to have supported and elected a president who will undoubtedly bring this nation back into the 19th century with aplomb and ease. Finally, our nation will have the president that it deserves, a man who is willing to roll up his sleeves and get back to today’s important issues, such as reinstating the gold standard and sustaining dollar hegemony.

In exposing the Federal Reserve as the unconstitutional neo-fascist communist cabal it truly is, President-elect Paul has opened the nation’s eyes to what life on the gold standard could be like. Unlike the soon-to-be-former President Obama—a man who couldn’t pour

water out of a boot with instructions on the heel—Paul recognizes the faulty logic behind fiat currency and is not afraid to overhaul our nation’s entire monetary system to address a problem that economists since the 1880s have widely have agreed is nonexistent.

Paul’s plans to eliminate the Department of Education and cancel all federal funding for higher education cannot earn enough laud.

“God bless America, and God bless President Paul!

By obliterating these useless governmental agencies, Paul—a benevolent grandfather of wisdom— is essentially handing power back to the people.

Another major change in our nation will be the non-interventionist stance taken by the U.S. military. Under our practical new policy, the military will mind its own damn business, and stop nosing around in the interests of other

countries who wish to starve people or cultivate terrorism.

Paul rightly believes that this will help us regain better economic footing. He stated that “getting involved in numerous wars at once is about as intelligent as two carriages in a one horse town,” and I think that his rustic, non-conformist stance is worthy of being touted.

In regards to healthcare, the hands-off approach of our new president will, I believe, help American citizens to realize that they need to take care of themselves, because the government sure isn’t going to do it for them.

While some have said that this approach is “heartless” I think that allowing America’s poor to “live free and die” is the greatest pinnacle of modern healthcare.

Ron Paul is the man that America needs to lead us back to the gilded libertarian glory days of America’s past.

God Bless America and God Bless President Paul!