a student newspaper of the university of tulsa
february 25, 2013 issue 18 ~ volume 98
TU gets government report card
Graphic by Jill Graves
TU officials give a cautious welcome to one of President Obama’s higher education reform proposals. Oscar Ho Staff Writer
F
or some at the University of Tulsa, the process of college evaluation did not end after the decision to attend. A recent post on “TU Confessions,” a Facebook page for anonymous statements, read, “It scares me that TU’s graduation rate is 66 percent.” The remark, which referred to TU’s six-year graduation rate, sparked a small flurry of statistical discussion. Rankings published by US News and World Report, Princeton Review and others have long
sought to quantify the quality of an education at various schools. Recognizing the influence of these journals, TU’s administration has made an increased ranking in these publications one of its priorities. Now, the federal government is joining the college numbercrunchers. President Barack Obama pledged in this month’s State of the Union Address to start education reform, from preschool through college. Obama promised to bring the price of education down while boosting quality. For colleges, Obama announced the “College Scorecard,” a set of metrics “that parents and students can use to compare schools based on a simple criteria—where you can get the most bang for your educational buck.” Compiled by the Department of Education, data on the Col-
lege Scorecard is calculated from information that the government already has, much of it from its Integrated Postsecondary Education
“The government has the ability to punish people if they’re not reporting properly ... that US News does not have,” he said. “US News can
“The government is hyper-regulatory in education issues, and it’s not a matter of the current administration” Data System (IPEDS). Universities that receive federal assistance, including Pell Grants, are required to file with IPEDS every year. The use of government numbers can be a very good thing, suggested TU Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Dr. D. Thomas Benediktson. In the case of colleges, government numbers are almost certain to be accurate, Benediktson said.
kick you out, and they have done that. The government can take away your federal money.” Although unopposed to the new statistics, Benediktson was cautious of any new government regulation. “The government is hyperregulatory in educational issues, and it’s not a matter of the current administration. It’s been a trend since the 1980’s, I think,” he said. He added that regulation tends
to burden schools even though they may try to do the opposite. “I’m behind the government’s attempt to make education more affordable for students, but on the other hand, all this regulation costs us a lot of money to report these things ... and that adds to the cost of education,” he said. However, he was pleased with the concept of the College Scorecard. “I don’t have any objection to that kind of information being publicly available. I saw it more factual than evaluative.” Director of the School of Urban Education Dr. Kara-Gae Neal welcomed the government’s attempt at standardizing measurements of the price of education. The College Scorecard is simply “another reporting instrument where TU’s data may be taken
See Grade page 4
Junior Achievement Junior Achievement is a non-profit organization partnering with volunteers from the community to teach elementary students about their roles as individuals, workers and consumers, and to prepare middle/high school students for key economic workforce issues. Street School Tutors Street School is currently needing volunteers to tutor students high school level Algebra 1 on Fridays from 9am-11am. Kendall-Whittier Elementary Volunteers are needed at Kendall-Whittier to serve as lunch buddies, reading buddies, cafeteria monitors, playground monitors, library assistants, and office assistants. For more information on any of these opportunities, contact Kathy Shelton in the True Blue Neighbor Volunteer Center at kathy-shelton@utulsa.edu or call 918-631-3535.
25 February 2013
the Collegian : 2
ROOMMATE SELECTION
Finding a roommate has never been easier
1. 2.
Log on to the Roommate Finder service.
Answer a few simple questions.
3.
Review a list of . s e t a m m o o r e l compatib
I enjoy living on campus mostly because TU has the best housing staff. They are all very helpful and friendly.
u d e . a s l u t u . k n i l cane
- Derek Liu
More roommate finder features make the connection process much easier. Please see the housing website for additional information on roommate options and requirements.
Roommate Event
Supersize Jam-It-Up/Roommate Mixer Pat Case Dining Center TV Room, Feb. 28, 2013, 9:30 p.m.
For more information, visit canelink.utulsa.edu
4.Collegian Ad, Roommate Selection TU#13021.indd 1
2/22/13 11:18 AM
25 February 2013
Sports
No. 24 softball second at Texas tournament The University of Tulsa softball team continued a strong season with a second-place showing at the University of Texas Invitational this weekend. Amanda Schenk Student Writer
The University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane women’s softball team had a big week. After being ranked No. 24 in national polls, the highest the team has ever ranked, TU played at the Texas Invitational tournament in Austin, defeating Utah State twice, Lamar University once and Texas once to place second in the tournament. Tulsa’s first game was against the Utah State Aggies, who are 0–10 this season. Aimee Creger was on the mound for the first three innings, while freshman Caitlin Sill pitched the last two. Neither pitcher gave up a run, and the game ended after five innings, with an 8–0 victory for the Golden Hurricane. Creger secured the win from the mound, while junior Haley Henshaw continued her trend from the previous weekend’s tournament, driving in 4 runs over the course of the game. Tulsa’s second game was against a tougher opponent, the No. 6-ranked Texas Longhorns. Texas came into the game with a 13–0 record. Lacey Middlebrooks, with a 4–1 record, started the game for the Golden Hurricane and pitched 4.1 innings, allowing just one earned run. Creger pitched the final 2.2 innings, allowing just one earned run and earning her first save of the season. Tulsa started its scoring in the first inning, knocking in two runs on the board; after Caitlin Everett, Jill Barrett, and Middlebrooks all reached base, Henshaw and Julie Kernen both hit RBI singles. Tulsa added three more runs in the second inning and one run in the top of the sixth to give the Hurricane seven runs for the game. Texas scored in the fourth inning off a solo home run, added two runs in the fourth inning and a final run in the sixth. The Longhorn efforts were not enough, however, to counteract Tulsa, who gave Texas its first loss of the season with a final score of 7–4. This was the first time since 2009 that Tulsa defeated a top-10 team. Tulsa’s third game of the tournament, and the end of the round-robin portion, was an 11–3 victory against the 4–5 Lamar Cardi-
nals. Creger got the win, pitching three innings and allowing three runs. Sill pitched one inning in relief, allowing no runs. The Golden Hurricane’s eleven runs came off a two-run home run by Samantha Cobb, three RBIs by Barrett, and one RBI each by Everett, Kernen, Cassidy Bowen and Jodi Emiston. Tulsa’s semifinal was a second game against Utah State. Middlebrooks pitched the complete seven-inning game, striking out 10 batters, giving up no walks, and not giving up a hit until the sixth inning. The Golden Hurricane offense fared significantly better against the Aggies’ pitcher, however, and Tulsa scored three runs, the first two in the first inning and the last in the sixth inning. Tulsa’s 3–0 win against the Aggies advanced it into the tournament final game, which took place on Sunday against the Texas Longhorns. Sunday’s tournament final was a pitcher’s battle between Blaire Luna of the Longhorns and Creger. Both pitchers pitched complete games, with Creger giving up five hits over eight innings and Luna giving up only three. Tulsa, unable to produce consecutive base hits, left three runners on base during the first seven innings, while the Longhorns left four on base. A 0–0 score going into extra innings meant that teams would play with international rules, where each inning starts with a runner on second base. Ciara Hughes started on second base in
the Collegian : 3
Tulsa W Basketball @TUWBasketball Tulsa dropped a 74-59 decision to Tulane on Sunday afternoon at the Devlin Fieldhouse in New Orleans. Mayberry had a team-high 13 points.
Tulsa Track @TulsaTrack
Chris O’Hare wins 800m title at #CUSATF Indoor Champs, which marks the 7th indoor indiv. title he has won during his career. @ ConferenceUSA1
Jimmie Tramel @JimmieTramel
In honor of the awards show, three significant sports oscars: Robertson, Madison, de la Hoya.teams.
Golden Hurricane Bba @CaneYouFeelItBB
The top two scorers (Patrick Swilling Jr. and Shaquille Harrison) accounted for 44.0 percent of the points. the top of the eighth inning, with Tulsa upto-bat. A sacrifice bunt by Bowen moved Hughes to third, but neither Blanton nor Emiston were able to score Hughes from third base. In the bottom of the eighth, Texas moved its base-runner from second to third, also with a sacrifice bunt, and a single up the middle resulted in a run for the Longhorns, giving UT the 1–0 victory over the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa returns to the field at the University of Texas-Arlington tournament on March 1-3 in Arlington, Texas, where it will play round-robin games against Lamar, UT Arlington, and Creighton.
Pirates ride out Hurricane
Beate Hall Staff Writer
The No. 33-ranked University of Tulsa’s women’s tennis team defeated No. 61 Ohio State University 6–1 at the Billingsley Tennis Center in Fayetteville, Ark. on Saturday. In doubles play, junior Samantha Vickers and No. 12 sophomore Isaura Enrique for the Hurricane defeated Kelsey Dieters and Kara Cecil 8–2. TU senior Michelle Farley and freshman Saana Saarteinen bested Fidan Manashirova and Gabby Steele, 8–6. These wins put TU ahead before the singles matches began. In singles, No. 55 Vickers continued to
Student Writer
The NBA free agency period has come and gone, and Kevin Garnett is still a Boston Celtic. Apparently Celtics president Danny Ainge was looking to deal KG to the Clippers, but Garnett refused to waive the notrade clause in his contract. It is nice to see Garnett display some team loyalty in this advanced stage of his career. He left Minnesota after 12 good seasons because he was starved for success, but now he has his ring and can afford, in his words, to “live and die green, all day.” This is a good change of pace from what we saw of a certain former teammate of Garnett’s (cough-cough, Ray Allen) who was all too willing to jump ship to a conference rival. It’s too often in the NFL off-season we hear bad news about players getting caught drunk driving, smoking marijuana or committing other crimes. As a change of pace from the usual NFL crime report, here’s a funny story from the NFL off-season. The St. Louis Post Dispatch recently reported that Rams backup running back Terrance Ganaway, during his off-season, has been working at the Jimmy John’s on Fourth Street in Waco, Texas. Ganaway’s not exactly hurting for cash, as last year he made the NFL’s $390,000 minimum wage, but as he put it, “I just wanted to stay fit, stay out of trouble, and really just try to save money and not spend a lot of money.” So he jokingly tweeted that he needed a job in Waco, and a Jimmy John’s employee replied, “We’re hiring.” Ever since, Ganaway has been putting in 12 hours a week at the sandwich shop, making sandwiches as fast as he can. When asked how he feels on the sandwich line, Ganaway replied “I’m in the heat of the battle.”
Will Bramlett / Collegian
Photo courtesy KCEN
East Carolina defeated the Golden Hurricane in the first of two losing games for Tulsa this week. The Hurricane held an eight-game winning streak against the Pirates prior to Wednesday’s loss. Despite strong play in other areas, poor free throw shooting seems to have been a problem for the Hurricane in recent games.
Rams running back Terrance Ganaway is working as a sandwich artist at a Jimmy John’s in Waco, Texas in the offseason.
Split week for Hurricane tennis
Golden Hurricane women’s tennis bested the Ohio State University Buckeyes this weekend, while the Texas Aggies managed a win over the Tulsa men’s team.
Sam Morton
dominate as she defeated No. 53 Dieters, 6–2, 6–2. This gave TU a 2–0 lead until Tulsa junior Maria Sant’Anna lost to No. 93 Manashirova, 6–3, 6–4. Then Farley defeated Steel, 6–3, 7–5 giving TU a 3–1 advantage. Saarteinen garnered another TU win against Grainne O’Neal, 7–5, 8–6. Also picking up wins for TU in singles play, freshman Carol Benito defeated Noelle Malley, 7–5, 6–2, and Enrique defeated Cecil, 6–0, 4–6, 6–1. Three of TU’s women players have won seven matches in singles this season, most recently Michelle Farley, whose defeat of Steel was her seventh. This brings the women’s team season total to 7–3. They will next meet with No. 44 Arkansas on Feb. 24 also in Fayetteville. Despite a winning weekend for the women, the TU men’s tennis team was defeated by the No. 14-ranked team from Texas A&M University 5–2 at A&M’s George P. Mitchell Tennis Center. TU’s record for this season now stands at 5–5, and it is ranked
No. 17 overall. It is unknown at this time if this loss will affect the ranking. In doubles, seniors Grant Ive and Tristan Jackson were defeated by No. 7-ranked pair Harry Adams and Shane Vinsant of A&M 8–2. Tulsa junior Japie De Klerk and freshman Carlos Bautista lost 8–2 to Jordan Szabo and Jeremy Efferding. Sophomore Alejandro Espejo and junior Clifford Marsland left one match unfinished and tied at 4–4 with Aggies Junior Ore and Jackson Winthrow. The two-point lead generated by TU’s doubles losses helped clinch the match for the Aggies. In singles, De Klerk, ranked No. 54 nationwide, defeated Efferding 6–3, 6–4. The other win for TU happened when No. 101-ranked Marsland bested Ore 6–3, 6–4. Jackson lost to Szabo 6–3, 6–3; Bautista lost to Behzad Minavi, 6–4, 6–4; and Espejo was defeated by Adams 6–2, 6–4. The men’s team will stay on the road and next plays in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Feb. 27.
If you didn’t notice, the NHL season is in full swing, and the Chicago Blackhawks are on fire. Led by the same core of talent that hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup in 2010, the Blackhawks are off to a historic start. As of Feb. 20, they are undefeated through 16 contests. This not only bodes well for making the playoffs, but for success throughout. The only other three teams to start the season undefeated through 14 games have been the 1944 Canadiens, the 1985 Oilers and the 2007 Ducks, all of whom went on to win the Stanley Cup.
Photo courtesy tophockeywallpapers
The Chicago Blackhawks have begun an undefeated season that holds promise of ending with a Stanley Cup win.
Despite strong TU performance, Central Florida triumphs The basketball squad lost a wellfought game to the University of Central Florida this weekend, but the young team’s potential was apparent through the loss. Jake Dodson Student Writer
University of Tulsa players Pat Swilling Jr. and Shaquille Harrison each tied their career highs with 19 and 14 points, respectively, but, despite their efforts, the University of Central Florida prevailed over the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane 83–75 at UCF arena Saturday afternoon. The injury-plagued Hurricane enjoyed the return of starting point guard Harrison, who looked as though he had been injured at the end of last week’s contest against East Carolina. However, reserve point guard Rashad Ray remained off the court due to concussion-like symptoms.
Due to NCAA recruiting violations, UCF is banned from postseason play this season. With limited reward, motivation could have been an issue for the UCF Knights, but that did not seem to be the case. The Knights got off to a good start and lead Tulsa for most of the game. In a strange first half, UCF and Tulsa traded blows until the final whistle. Neither team led by more than seven points, and each team went on multiple runs. Tulsa’s Harrison was whistled for a bizarre technical foul for “hanging on the rim,” and UCF, led by forward Keith Clanton, seemed to make one miraculous play after another. During the final play of the half, Tulsa’s Tim Peete grabbed a rebound and heaved up a desperation shot from midcourt that missed badly. Peete was fouled during the play, though, and hit two of his three free throws, giving Tulsa a 36–35 halftime advantage. Within the first 10 minutes of the second half, UCF jumped to a 13-point lead, and Tulsa spent most of the second half trying to
catch up. The half was dominated by UCF guards Isaiah Sykes and Tristan Spurlock. Sykes was extremely effective at penetrating TU’s zone defense and getting fouled. Sykes also dominated his free throws, hitting 10 of his 15 in the game. Spurlock was UCF’s second leading scorer behind Sykes. Free throws proved to be the difference between victory and defeat in the second half. Tulsa improved greatly from the free throw line (after shooting a dreadful 6 for 19 against East Carolina last week) going 15 of 19 from the charity stripe. It wasn’t nearly enough however, as UCF finIshed 31 of 42 from the line. “It’s extremely hard to give up (31) points from the free-throw line—when the other team shoots 42 free throws—to be successful on the road in this conference,” Tulsa Head Coach Danny Manning said. “I don’t know what it is. We’re definitely taking the ball to the basket and getting into the paint ... and we shoot far less free throws.” Swilling did not make it easy for the Knights in the second half, finishing with
19 points on five of nine, shooting from the three-point range. A Spurlock three-pointer made the score 60–47 in favor of UCF with just under 10 minutes left in the game, and Swilling led TU back within striking distance. Swilling went on an 8–0 run by himself, knocking down two three–pointers and driving for a layup to draw TU within five points. The deficit continued to fluctuate for the Hurricane until guard James Woodard converted on a layup and guard Scottie Haralson swished a three-pointer with 42 seconds left to draw the Hurricane as close as 79–75. But TU would get no closer than that, as UCF hit its free throws down the stretch, and several Hurricane players fouled out to leave the Hurricane shorthanded towards the end of the game. UCF prevailed with a final score of 83–75. The loss drops Tulsa to 6–7 in conference play and 14–13 overall. The Hurricane will not play again until next Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Reynolds Center against the Tulane Green Wave.
NEWS
25 february 2015
the Collegian : 4
Exhibit at Zarrow Center houses faculty artwork To Whom It May Concern,
Jill Graves / Collegian
Glenn Godsey, Aaron Higgins, M. Teresa Valero, Cathryn Thomas, Nathan Opp, Charlie Johnson, Michelle Martin, Christina Speiligene, W. Lowell Baker and Louise Higgs are among the contributors to the Henry Zarrow Center for Art and Education’s Faculty Art Exhibit. This exhibition will run until March 24. It is free and open to the public.
How TU stacks up Below are the statistics currently reported by the White House College Scorecard for TU and other Peer/Aspirational Schools. US News and World Report Ranking
Average Price per Year
Six-Year Graduation Rate
Loan Default Rate
Median Borrowing per Month
83
$23,031
67.80%
$0.08
$266.00
101
$15,289
66.90%
$0.07
$217.14
139
$12,990
61.80%
$0.06
$199.43
17
$19,675
91.60%
$0.02
$143.85
58
$29,140
75.30%
$0.06
$273.91
Tulane
51
$28,855
--
$0.05
$227.38
Harvard
1
$18,277
97.40%
$0.01
$88.61
College TU
OU Norman
OSU Stillwater Rice
Southern Methodist University Vanderbilt Tulsa Community College
17
--
$18,993
91.90%
$6,288
12.50%
From Grade cover
from pre-existing reports which are part of annual, standardized reporting the university willingly participates in,” she said. “Comparisons are an understandable part of marketing and research grant opportunities.” The Department of Education plans to award more grants to schools that demonstrate improvement. Some grants will be awarded to help schools which are financially unable to comply with federal standards. Such grants, according to Neal, are “an important component to attracting and keeping top professors and top students.” Benediktson fundamentally agrees, but he views grants from a different angle than most. Sometimes, he said, it costs his school to accept a grant because they do not view it as a source of revenue. “I don’t view grants entrepreneurially,” he said. The College of Arts and Sciences undertakes projects as a public service, and some grants benefit only the project and the people working on it, not
$0.02
$0.20
$164.96
$66.84
the college. Of course, Obama’s College Scorecard has opposition. Catherine Hill, president of Vassar College in New York State, wrote critically of the Scorecard in the New York Times. Hill was concerned especially over the Scorecard’s upcoming capability to report the earnings of its graduates. While it “stems from good intentions,” she wrote, she had several objections to the graduates’ earnings component. Her biggest concern was that a graduate’s first job is not indicative of their long-term career earnings. “Students and their families should really care about lifetime earnings, not the salary of their first job,” she said. After highlighting the perpetually evolving nature of the job market, Hill made her case against reporting graduates’ earnings. “Unless supplemented with data on success of getting into graduate programs, earnings data for particular schools soon after graduation will be misleading,” she said. The College Scorecard does not presently account for those who choose gradu-
A staff report published on February 18 mentioned Chris O’Hare’s victory in the mile in last year’s NCAA National Indoor Track and Field Championship as one of TU’s “only three national championships.” While O’Hare’s win was TU’s third individual national championship as staged by the NCAA, we’ve actually won a lot more than that. O’Hare’s individual national championship in track and field is joined by three individual titles in women’s golf: Nancy Lopez (AIAW 1976), Kathy Baker (NCAA 1982) and Melissa McNamara (NCAA 1988). In 2006, Arnau Brugues’s added TU’s first national individual tennis title by winning the ITA Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Tennis Championship. Women’s golf has also won four team championships. In 1980, before the NCAA assumed governance over women’s sports, Tulsa golf won the national
championship sponsored the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women. In 1982, both the AIAW and the NCAA staged women’s golf national championships, and TU won both of them. In 1988, women’s golf claimed a second NCAA title. The Golden Hurricane has also won multiple national tournaments that don’t have the same prestige as the NCAA championship, but are still points of pride for us. Men’s basketball was victorious in the 1981 and 2001 NITs, as well as the 2008 CBI. Men’s tennis took home the trophy in the 1981 NITT. All in all, the Golden Hurricane can claim three NCAA individual titles, an ITA individual title, an AIAW individual title, two NCAA team titles, and two AIAW team titles. That’s nine championships, all told—go TU! John Lepine SA President and Golden Hurricane enthusiast
Armed robbery suspects arrested, arraigned Nearly two weeks after the armed robbery of two students, TPD has arrested two suspects. Anna Bennett Staff Writer
On the evening of Jan. 17, Law Student Eric Angel was robbed at gunpoint and forced to lie on the ground just outside Norman Village while the two male perpetrators escaped with over $1,200 worth of Angel’s belongings. Minutes later, another TU student reported a similar incident involving suspects of the same description near 11th and Pittsburg, just east of campus. Neither of the students was injured. Angel said that security around the Law School has increased since the robbery as a result of Assistant Dean for Student Affairs Martha Cordell’s advocacy. Despite Cordell’s efforts, Angel will move to an off-campus location where he can own a gun next semester. “There are ate school over a job. U.S. Senate Bill 2098 of the 112th Congress, also known as the Student Right To Know Before You Go Act, written by Senators Ron Wyden and Marco Rubio, would require universities to report their graduates’ income. SB2098 requires “data on average individual annual earnings, disaggregated by educational program, degree received, educational institution, employment sector and state.” If it passes, SB2098 will give the Secretary of Education broad powers to collect information on graduates’ academic, student debt and employment details and any other information the secretary wishes. Wyden and Rubio are hoping to reintroduce the legislation to the (current) 113th Congress. Some concerns around this bill and the
two reasons I live on campus: (it is) safe and close to class,” Angel said. “I no longer feel safe on campus.” A later e-mail announced that a suspect had tried to use the student’s stolen credit card at an area Wal-Mart. On Tuesday, Jan. 29, the Tulsa Police Department arrested two suspects in the case: Patrick Sisco, 18, and DeMarco Morris, 20. They are currently in the Tulsa county jail. Sisco’s bond is set at $118,250 for robbery, burglary and stolen property, while Morris’s is at $105,400 for robbery and burglary, in addition to other unmentioned offenses, according to local news channel FOX23. A third suspect, Camilla Robinson, has been officially charged with robbery along with the two men, but has not been arrested. It was reportedly Robinson who attempted to use the stolen credit card. Morris and Sisco have a scheduled court date of March 8. The most valuable of Angel’s possessions, including his laptop, have been recovered and will be used as evidence against Morris and Sisco. inclusion of this data on the College Scorecard focus on privacy. Last September, Amy Jones, who works for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, told Ryan Lovelace of Butler University that the bill may require unnecessary surveillance of students and graduates. So far, TU looks good in the comparisons, Neal said. “TU’s comparisons are generally always favorable to TU and reflect the growth and advancement of its programs, students and academic quality, over the years, and as compared to other schools.” Despite this war of statistics, Chairman of the Board of Trustees L.Duane Wilson argued that rankings are not TU’s central concern. At a Student Association meeting on Sept. 25, he placed academic strength at the top of TU’s priorities: “We really want to focus on academic excellence.”
Michelle Alexander to speak at Law School lecture The educational program Sex Signals will be February 27th from 9–10 p.m. in the Great Hall Kappa Kappa Gamma's philanthropy event, Kappa'ccino, will be on February 28th from 8–10 a.m. at the KKG sorority house Delta Delta Delta's philanthropy event, Hoops For Hope, will be on March 1st from 2–7 p.m. in the fitness center
Michelle Alexander, author of a book on mass incarceration and race, will speak next Wednesday. Nikki Hager Student Writer
On March 6, Michelle Alexander is scheduled to speak as a part of The John W. Hager Distinguished Law Lecture Series. The Hager Lecture is held annually. It honors the memory of former University of Tulsa law professor John W. Hager, a faculty member for over 40 years. The lecture series is in its 17th year. Alexander is the author of “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness.” The book discusses issues of race and the law. According to Alexander, the public commonly dismisses discrimination as a thing of the past with the elimination of Jim Crow laws and the recent election of Barack Obama to the
presidency. However, Alexander purports to show that African Americans are incarcerated at a substantially higher rate than the Caucasian majority. After criminals leave the detention system they are then disenfranchised and unable to find jobs due to their “felon” label. While the civil rights movement may have made strides for the legal status of African Americans, Alexander maintains that the mass incarceration, namely the “War on Drugs,” directly reverses the movement’s effects. Janet Levit, Dean of Law at TU, said that Alexander was selected in response to the students’ strong interest in race. “Students should really take advantage of the academic opportunities provided by the university,” Levit said. “It’s like brain candy.” The lecture is to take place at 5:30 p.m. on March 6 at the Allen Chapman Activity Center. The event is open to the community.
Courtesy of University of Tulsa College of Law
Michelle Alexander has written “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,” and will speak on March 6.
the Collegian : 5
Eye on the world:
Witt Womack Student Writer Europe BELGIUM On Feb. 18, at Brussels Airport, an armored car rolled up to a Zurichbound plane in order to unload its precious cargo: millions of dollars worth of diamonds. With 18 minutes until takeoff, eight masked robbers dressed in police uniforms drove up in two vehicles mounted with police lights to where the armored car was unloading. The robbers strode out with brandished assault weapons, ordered the ground crew and pilot to back off, began loading up
and drove away through a hole in the perimeter fence. The entire process occurred in less than five minutes. Not a single shot was fired. The gems stolen have an estimated value of $50 million. The efficiency of the heist has lead to speculation of help on the inside. As of Sunday, there is no trace of either the robbers or the diamonds. Middle East SYRIA On Feb. 18, at Brussels Airport, an armored car rolled up to a Zurichbound plane in order to unload its precious cargo: millions of dollars
NEWS Southeast Asia MALAYSIA/PHILLIPINES
worth of diamonds. With 18 minutes until takeoff, eight masked robbers dressed in police uniforms drove up in two vehicles mounted with police lights to where the armored car was unloading. The robbers strode out with brandished assault weapons, ordered the ground crew and pilot to back off, began loading up and drove away through a hole in the perimeter fence. The entire process occurred in less than five minutes. No shots were fired. The gems stolen have an estimated value of $50 million. The efficiency of the heist has lead to speculation of help on the inside. As of Sunday, there is no trace of either the robbers or the diamonds.
Communications professor studies links between society, technology Assistant Professor Benjamin Peters expands media studies to include preInternet phenomena. Kimberly Poff Student Writer
From revolutions in the Middle East to Facebook’s Initial Public Offering, digital media has occupied a central place in the public forum recently. According to Assistant Professor of Communications Benjamin Peters, this conversation rarely involves the history of digital media. What history exists tends to begin around the early 1990s with the advent of the Internet as an open and public networking system. Peters is looking to broaden the discussion of media with a fresh historical perspective—specifically the development of computers and computing in the mid-20th century. With both Russian and American studies training, he is well qualified for research in this Cold-War era. His first book, “The Soviet Internet: How Not to Network a Nation,” questions why the Soviets,
Feb 9 2:00 Officers were called to a Student Misconduct-Noise complaint. The officers and PSM entered the apartment that was not occupied. All staff and security officers observed a marijuana pipe in plain view inside the apartment.
despite repeated attempts, did not develop a contemporary of the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network. The ARPANET, recognized as the grandfather of the Internet, was a military defense network in the 1960s which contained most of the aspects of the modern Internet. Peters is also planning a second book, which will seek to challenge the lack of historical perspective on digital media in the study of communications today. He said he hopes that the second book will challenge those in communication to recognize those whose shoulders they stand on: the pioneering scientists who developed the technologies and terms central to digital communications research today. Peters’ two books are actually expansions of his Ph.D. dissertation work at Columbia University. The second book is more analogous to what Peters sees as his overall research interests. “I am interested in how media technologies change over regimes of time, space, and power,” he said. ”For instance, why is it that the Guten-
berg printing press helped usher in the Protestant reformation, the Renaissance, and the Scientific Revolution in Europe, but a similar invention in China 400 years earlier had very little societal impact?” “Society and technology, understood together, help tell a better story,” Peters said. Peters has published several articles on the topic of historical perspective in new media studies. The articles have gained notoriety and have helped spark an international conference on the topic. Peters is a founding member of TU’s Digital Working Group, “a startup initiative at the University of Tulsa committed to sharing, mobilizing, and advancing various forms of learning, research, and grantsmanship concerned with digital technologies.” The group is interdisciplinary and hosts occasional talks and forums attempting to link all concerned parties. Peters extends a welcome to any student wishing to receive updates about the DWG, and asks them to send an email to him at bjpeters@utulsa.edu.
Feb 12
of Marijuana coming from a student’s room. Officers and the PSM made contact with the assigned student. They gave up the small amount of Marijuana and a marijuana pipe.
2:30 Officers checked a running and parked vehicle in the LaFortune lot. The vehicle was occupied by a student that was smoking Marijuana. 16:50 Officers responded to a medical emergency at Phillips Hall. A staff member hit their hand with a hammer. The staff member was transported to a local hospital by a friend. Feb 13
3:30 Officers observed a male student sleeping in a vehicle. The vehicle belonged to another student. Officers found the student with marijuana in his possession in plain sight.
20:00 A security officer backed his vehicle out of a parking space and struck a parked vehicle. There was no damage to the visitor’s car.
Feb 11
16:05 Officers responded to a fire alarm at ACAC. The alarm was caused by an air bubble in the main sprinkler tube. TFD was cancelled and officers cleared the scene.
1:00 Officers were called by a witness that stated a Chevy truck swerved off the road in the area of 500 S. Harvard Ave. The truck knocked down two posts the truck recovered and fled the area.
Feb 14
Feb 15 23:18 Officers were called by the PSM at John Mabee Hall for the smell
25 february 2013
The Collegian does not produce or edit the Campus Crime Watch except for content and brevity.
Several weeks ago, several hundred armed men claiming to be “The Royal Security Force of the Sultanate of Sulu” arrived in speedboats on the coast of northern Borneo. The Sultanate of Sulu, a nowdefunct state, straddled islands in both what is now Malaysia and the Philippines at its heyday, but in the early 20th century, the Sultanate leased its land to various powers on ambiguous grounds. Its territory was eventually ceded to the Philippines, which has disputed with Malaysia over its control ever since. Sulu thus became defunct as a state, even if the title of sultan persisted. The recent island-hopping force, led by the brother of the current de facto sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram III, immediately occupied the town of Lahad Datu without bloodshed in a first step to press the Sultanate’s claims of sovereignty. Now, after more than a week, Kiram shows no signs of backing off. In fact, the sultan is now petitioning the United Nations Commission on Human Rights for food and aid to his forces, while Malaysia and the Philippines puzzle over their next course of action and whether to try to end the standoff. South America The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) visited 12 different South and Central Amer-
ican lands in its fight against illegal deforestation, arresting around 200 people over the last months. Illegal logging could be up to a $300 billion industry, Interpol estimated. Last week it announced that $8 million worth of trees that had fallen timber to these illegal dollars had been seized over the last three months as part of Interpol’s Operation Lead, a first step in combating the environmental crime. Some connected with the industry are suspected of having encroached on indigenous peoples’ land and have even been accused of murdering anti-deforestation advocates for their activism. Africa DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO Leaders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as of at least seven African nations showed up in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, to sign an agreement mediated by the UN which has as its aim total peace in a region steeped in violence for 15 years. The Eastern part of the DRC has seen turbulent times since 1998, when the Second Congo War began. Though peace accords officially ended the conflict in 2003, the fighting never stopped in the east, where violence against women is at its worst in the world. Last November, the conflict escalated as the rebels of the March 23 Movement fought the DRC’s government and seized Goma, a city of a million inhabitants, but a ceasefire in January has sufficiently cooled down tensions for an accord to be possible.
Students serve Tulsa during annual Service Day
Victoria Steinhart / Collegian
Katie Adkins removes weeds at Woodward Park. This year’s annual TU Service Day attracted over four-hundred students who worked at thirty-six sites across the city of Tulsa.
variety
25 February 2013
the Collegian : 6
Engineer hones skills in “Dead Space 3” Similar to the recent “Resident Evil” installments, “Dead Space 3” enables the player to take control of an engineer who crafts weapons in order to combat the grotesque Necromorphs. Elliot Bauman Student Writer
Visceral Games’s latest installment in the “Dead Space” franchise may cause some Keplinger majors to consider switching majors. The new game, “Dead Space 3,” will once again put players in control of Isaac Clarke—perhaps the world’s most unlucky professional engineer—who must fight grotesque mutants in addition to performing his regular engineering duties. Readers unfamiliar with the “Dead Space” franchise, set in the 26th century, should know that it is a third-person survival-horror series that revolves around the experiences of Clarke, a systems engineer who encounters monstrous mutants, called “Necromorphs,” when his team is sent to investigate a mining space ship’s failed electric and mechanical components. The original “Dead Space” primarily deals with Clarke and the slow fragmentation of his team as they explore the crippled spaceship and attempt to halt the Necromorph infection. During the events of “Dead Space 2,” Clarke eventually encounters Ellie Langford, a spaceship pilot who agrees to help Clark’s team. Clarke’s relationship with Langford remains a central plot point in “Dead Space 3.” Unfortunately, the plot is perhaps the weakest aspect of the game. After a short prologue to explain a few backstory elements, “Dead Space 3” opens with Clarke in search of Langford, who became
separated from Clarke during the inter-game period. Upon meeting up with John Carver, a sergeant in the fictional Earth Defense Force, the two depart to Langford’s last confirmed location, the snowy planet of Tau Volantis. Avoiding spoilers for interested readers, what follows is a long and—in keeping with “Dead Space” tradition—slightly confusing turn of events. On normal difficulty, gamers can expect to spend around 20 to 25 hours completing the main story. The plot is marred by a fair amount of fetch quests and backtracking, and grows increasingly dull and tedious toward the end. Furthermore, even for a fictional game, the story of “Dead Space 3” feels very forced and incredibly far-fetched. It best to stick to the old practice of “suspending disbelief” when playing through the title. Plot aside, “Dead Space 3” is a phenomenal game. While much of the horror element present in original title may be gone, the game’s atmosphere is breathtaking. Not only does it look visibly impressive across all gaming platforms, it also is incredibly immersive. The player will explore the dark and ominous chasms of ruined spaceships, as well as the uninviting depths of Tau Volantis. The very appropriate sound and music of “Dead Space 3” superbly support the dark atmosphere—the approach of vicious Necromorphs is commonly heralded by equally frightening music. Not surprisingly, the Necromorphs are brutal and grotesque as ever. Furthermore, players are now finally able to actually take advantage of Clarke’s engineering skills directly in-game. The crafting system from previous games has been greatly upgraded. Using scavenged parts and materials found during exploration, gamers can now design, build and upgrade custom weapons from the ground up. Alternatively, the collected materials can also be used to upgrade Clarke’s suit. This creates a sense
of tension, as players must decide whether to spend their precious resources upgrading weapons or the space suit. This mechanic could have been even more engaging and interesting if ammunition was more scarce. Unlike the original title, which expertly exemplified the survivalhorror element by providing only a limited amount of ammunition with which to fight the Necromorphs, players will almost never run dry in “Dead Space 3.” Gameplay-wise, the title feels and controls very similarly to the recent “Resident Evil” installments. Fans of the series may be interested to know that the multiplayer element has also been completely redone. The competitive game modes of “Dead Space 2” are omitted, and are now replaced by a cooperative campaign. The coop story allows a second player to control Clarke’s partner, John Carver. The plot events remain mostly the same, except for a few sections where Carver and Clarke are separated and must struggle to survive individually and rejoin. While some may argue that removing the sense of isolation detracts from the atmosphere of the game, experiencing the game with a friend or a partner adds an element of teamwork that is hard to beat. The co-op campaign can be played by private direct friend invite, random matchmaking or system link. It is entirely “dropin-drop-out,” which means that the session will not abruptly end should one player quit. The coop campaign cannot be played through split-screen, which is unfortunate for gamers who do not have access to the internet or system link. Story aside, “Dead Space 3” is a remarkable and enjoyable game. While the horror and pure survival elements of the original series may be mostly gone, the revamped weapon and suit crafting system, as well as the incredible atmosphere, contribute to a great end product. “Dead Space 3” earns an 8 out of 10 across all platforms.
Oscar nominations for 2013: contentious and uninteresting With a number of exciting performances, spectacular films and notable directors, the 85th Academy Awards will certainly be an unpredictable thrill ride. Eric DiGiacomo Student Writer
The 85th Academy Awards are set to be one of the most unpredictable ceremonies of all time. Here is a preview of the nominees in the major categories with commentary on the respective races. 1. Best Picture Nominees: Who will win? “Argo” This movie has won nearly every award, and has seemingly been propelled by Ben Affleck’s Best Director snub. However, films with snubbed directors rarely win (the last one was “Driving Miss Daisy” in 1989). Its stiffest competition is “Lincoln” and “Silver Linings Playbook,” but thanks to “Argo’s” message—movies make a difference in the real world, guys!—it should have no problem winning. Who Should Win? “Zero Dark Thirty” “Amour” was sad, bleak and hard to watch. “Django Unchained” was basically “Inglourious Basterds” with a setting change and actor swap. “Argo” and “Silver Linings Playbook” were very enjoyable, but hard to picture as the best film of the year. “Beasts” is a charmer, but was not particularly memorable. “Les Misérables” was both spectacular
and flawed. “Lincoln” was good, yet a bit dull. That leaves two—”Life of Pi” and “Zero Dark Thirty.” I loved both, but give the edge to “Zero Dark Thirty,” for being a taut, exciting, well-acted and relevant film. 2. Best Director: Who will win? David O. Russell Definitely not “Amour” or “Beasts,” both films were surprising nominations. While “Life of Pi” and “Lincoln” were two welldirected films by notable directors, many knocked them for being unoriginal and too reliant on special effects. Spielberg benefits from being Spielberg—he is this category’s Meryl Streep—does he need another Oscar? I think David O. Russell will take this award because he continues a streak of good films and “Playbook” has a lot of critical support. Who should win? Steven Spielberg Spielberg and Ang Lee both directed epic visual feasts this year. I will give the nod to Spielberg, as “Lincoln” is a well-directed film in nearly every way. 3. Best Actor: Who will win? Daniel Day-Lewis This seems like an absolute lock. Day-Lewis is one of the greatest actors of all time and his performance as Abraham Lincoln only reinforces that claim. Who should win? Joaquin Phoenix As much as I love Day-Lewis, he
already has two Oscar wins. Hugh Jackman was the heart of “Les Misérables” and the only character who was not annoying. Bradley Cooper gives the best performance in a movie full of well-known stars as an unhinged mental patient trying to readjust. However, Phoenix is the best of all. His Freddy Quell in “The Master” is the most captivating movie character since Day-Lewis in “There Will Be Blood.” Every choice he makes is fascinating to watch in this legendary role. 4. Best Actress: Who will win? Emanuelle Riva Chances in this category seem dependent on age almost entirely. Quvenzhane Wallis is too young to win the big prize. Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence and Naomi Watts are all previous nominees who everyone expects to win in the future. But Riva, who at age 86 has never won an award after a long and strong career, seems due for her turn. Who should win? Jessica Chastain This category, like Best Actor, has four great performances and one decent one. While Wallis is immensely watchable, her performance still does not measure up to the others. Watts and Riva give an excellent performances of women suffering from immense emotional and physical pain, while Jennifer Lawrence is mysterious, seductive and fascinating. However, Jessica Chastain outshines them due to her impressive past two years and her cool, stellar work in “Zero.”
By Anna Bennett
The Best Snow Day Activities On Wednesday, students awoke to find their beloved campus covered in snow. It was indeed a magical day, but alas, no classes were cancelled. Let’s face it, that was nothing like the Snowpocalypse of 2011. But hey, we can dream, right? So in case snow graces TU again this semester, here are ten fun things to do in a winter wonderland. 1. Snow Fort—Recruit your engineer friends. 2. Snowball fight on the Old U! 3. Make one giant snowman and put him somewhere disruptive. 4. Alternatively, make as many tiny snowmen as you can and distribute them around campus to weird everyone out. 5. Practice writing your name in “cursive”—
Bonus points if you’re a girl. 6. Crime scene snow angels—Fall dramatically into the snow and then get up without disturbing the outline. Caution tape is a nice touch, but not necessary. 7. Snow sex—Like sex on the beach, but with the added danger of shrinkage. Not fun, but makes a good story. I mean, why else would you spend so much time in your snow fort? 8. Polar bear dares—Get creative, folks. 9. Snow volleyball—Less sexy with parkas instead of bikinis, but alas. 10. Stay inside and watch the snow fall over a mug of hot cocoa— Enjoy the wintery wonder without getting cold and wet. Winning.
American remake “House of Cards” a thrilling success
With the release of its own original television series, Netflix has shown that it has what it takes to pave the way for the future of television. Will Bramlett Student Writer
When Netflix announced that it would be create its own original television series, releasing the entire season at once, there was hope that this could change the way we watch TV over the internet. “The goal is to become HBO faster than HBO can become us,” said Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer. If these new shows were hits and brought in new subscribers, many thought it would prove the future of television was already here. The first show to be rolled out by Netflix was the Americanized version of the BBC’s 1990s series of the same name, “House of Cards.” The show was pitched to HBO, Showtime and AMC, but Netflix grabbed distribution rights to the first two seasons, 13 episodes per season, for a rumored $100 million. Originally signed on as creators of the show were David Fincher—the director of movies including “Fight Club,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “The Social Network”—and Eric Roth, the screenplay writer of movies including “Forrest Gump,” “Benjamin Button” and “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.” The screenplay writer and co-producer of “The Ides of March,” Beau Willimon, was added soon after that. By the time Netflix planned to announce the new series in March 2011, the show had signed on Kevin Spacey as the lead character, Frank Underwood, a Democratic U.S. Representative from South Carolina and House Majority Whip. Underwood’s wife is played by Robin Wright, who played Jenny in “Forrest Gump,” Princess Buttercup in the “Princess Bride” and countless other
characters in many great films. Underwood had been promised a prominent cabinet possession in the White House for his help in the campaign, but it was taken away from him. He claims that the slight from the White House did not bother him, but in reality he is working against the White House by working for them. A general rule in acting is to avoid looking into the camera, yet Spacey often stares out of the screen to inform viewers what the person opposite him will do next. As the English teacher might have said, “Show, don’t tell,” a habit that works perfectly for Spacey’s character. Underwood is a great politician and is able to predict the moves of his rivals. During the final episode of the first season, the show becomes very emotional. Mrs. Underwood has trouble continuing to project her tough personality, while freshman representative Pete Russo is having trouble at home. Some viewers will have tears. All thirteen episodes of the first season were published to Netflix’s website at the beginning of February. Many jumped on to Netflix to start watching the first episode and could not finish until they had watched all 13. Yet Netflix is not releasing ratings for the show because they “don’t want to give ratings, because it is a real apples-to-oranges comparison with network ratings,” but has said that “House of Cards” is now its most watched show in every country in which it operates. One analytic firm estimated that on Feb. 1, up to 2.7 million watched the show and that possibly one third of House of Cards’ viewers finished it during the first weekend in which it aired. It is now the most popular television show on IMDb based on the website’s algorithms, which take into account “public awareness and interest” as well as ratings. This show is worth watching. For those who do not have Netflix, it offers a month-long free trial. Students should probably wait to finish the first round of college tests and papers, because they will certainly waste a weekend with the show.
opinion
the Collegian : 7
25 February 2013
Should the minimum wage be $9/hour? Increasing the minimum wage places a burden on companies by making it pricier to hire more people.
Andres Gomez
Student Writer
The question of whether to raise the federal minimum wage has long been a contentious one, and today many are petitioning for the wage to be raised once again. The reasons behind the demanded change are that businesses are no longer suffering heavily from the economic decline of past years, big corporations are enjoying large profits, consumer power is lower than it has been in decades, and the cost of living has been increasing. While these all are true statements, many are only looking at the minimum wage issue from one side. Raising the wage is more ethically than economically correct. In fact, when viewed from an economic standpoint, minimum wage is extremely detrimental to the economy as a whole and to individual corporations and businesses. The economy operates on a system of equilibrium. There is a demand for something, be it a good, a service, or in this case, labor. When the system is at equilibrium there is neither a shortage nor a surplus of labor, thus the economy is balanced. Once minimum wages are imposed there is a large shift away from equilibrium and the market generates inefficiencies. Consider the following graph: The area where the supply and demand for labor intersect is where the price naturally falls for wages, but notice the line above and you see that the demand for labor goes up when wages are better. Companies cannot afford to hire more people at that increased cost, so the number of available open-
ings in the work force actually decreases creating an unemployment problem. The problem of unemployment is a growing concern for many Americans, and while a minimum wage increase seems like a good deal to people who are looking for a job, they will find that when it does increase, finding a job will become more difficult than it already is. Companies are less willing to hire, and so a process of choosing the best candidates to try to compensate for the lack of quantity in the workforce begins. In return, people must spend time and money preparing to show the company that they are the best possible employees.
there are other factors to consider. It is a misconception that profits are money that is simply pocketed by the company, when in fact profits actually are money left over from operating expenses and liabilities owed by the company. In most businesses large profits are reinvested into the company in the form of upgrading equipment, paying bonuses to employees, paying dividends to shareholders and expanding the business. The issue with high-level employees pocketing large amounts of profits does not actually stem from minimum wage issues. It is instead a moral error on the part of the company for not distributing bonuses fairly. In conclusion, while minimum
“Openings in the work force actually decrease when minimum wage increases creating an unemployment problem” This incurs a cost on both the companies and workers called a job search cost, which is essentially increasing the amount of money that does not reach workers’ or the firms’ hands, causing a compensatory increase in product prices. While minimum wage advocates think that companies should give up profits to increase wages,
wage may be intended because of moral considerations, it causes a loss of money to both companies and workers. It leads to increased product prices and increases unemployment as companies become unable to keep the employees they have or become unwilling to hire new employees.
Living on minimum wage alone is a hardship that is more important than corporate profit.
Alexander Bischoff
Student Writer
Living off of minimum wage is a nearly impossible standard. The fact that our society expects a family of three to do so is inexcusable. Let us assume that the Smith family, with one unemployed child, works full time at a minimum wage job. They will collectively earn $30,160 a year. According to a Virginia Tech publication, their child will cost roughly $8,000 a year. This is assuming they are frugal with regards to transportation, clothing and healthcare. After childcare, the Smith family has $22,000 left for the year. The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates that a two-bedroom rental will cost the family over $8,000. The USDA says food will take a bite at almost $2,000 a year for the three. Housing, food and childcare are all covered and the Smith family has nearly $12,000 left. John and Jill want to retire at some point. In order to get $401,000 saved by the time they hit sixty-five they need to pay over $6,000 a year. If the Smiths want to go anywhere in a timely manner, then they will need a car. The Department of Transportation says gas will currently cost them close to $5,000 a year. After paying for bare essentials like housing, transportation, childcare, and retirement savings, the Smith family has one thousand dollars left. This leaves little to no room for common “luxuries” like new clothes, a yearly vacation, or even high-speed Internet access.
One year later, the Smiths have a second child. Without government assistance they will be unable to retire, the thought of saving for their children’s college will become a joke, and they will not be able to afford housing. Something is not right here. John and Jill Smith 40 hours a week for 50 weeks a year in order to fiscally break even. They do not miss a single day of work. Yet somehow, having another child derails their already frugal lifestyle and dooms them to a life of government dependence. But hey, times are tough. Companies cannot afford to increase minimum wage. Raising minimum wage in order to help people, like the Smith family, will only hurt major corporations in the long run. After all, companies will simply lay off more workers in order to meet the bottom line. In doing this, raising the minimum wage will create a bigger problem. At least, that is what mega corporations have been pitching us for years. Wal-Mart, for example, employs 1.5 million low-wage earners. In 2010 they made over $14.3 billion in profits alone. If it gave a little more than one third of that profit back to the low wage earners they employ, WalMart could pay its workers a minimum of $9 an hour. After doing this, Wal-Mart would still have made over $10 billion dollars in the year 2010. The claim that major low-wage employers like Wal-Mart would lay off workers to compensate for increased overhead is ludicrous. This trend is not Wal-Mart exclusive. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, corporate profitability has increased over 200 percent. At the same time, minimum wage has increased by 40 percent. That is an unjustifiably large gap. It is clear that corporations are siphoning off profits from potential and necessary wage increases. At the moment, corporations
See Wage page 8
Is College Scorecard a boon or burden? as consumers and customers and less as students. In a democracy, education has long been viewed as the ultimate empowerment tool, giving everyone an equal opportunity to succeed. In his State of the Union, Zhenya Yevtushenko President Obama noted, “skyrocketing costs price too many young Staff Writer people out of a higher education, or saddled them with unsustainable debt.” According to the Institute for College Access and Success, in As college students, we are all too 2011, two-thirds of college sefamiliar with the costs of an under- niors graduated with an average of graduate education. The decision $26,600 in debt per borrower. Of course, the range varied to go to college has become less across the country: “State averand less of a “choice.” It is now conventional knowl- ages for debt at graduation in 2011 edge in the United States that in ranged from $17,250 to $32,450. order to have a financially secure High-debt states remain concenfuture, post-secondary education trated in the Northeast and Midwest, with low-debt states mainly is a must.
College Scorecard helps families consolidate useful information in the vast college search process.
“Postsecondary education has become more a business than ever before”
A generation or so before ours, only a high school education was seen as necessary for a successful adulthood. The inevitable result of this social prescription has been the rising cost of higher education and a growing college prep industry. Postsecondary education has become more a business than ever before, with prospective college students being viewed more
in the West and South.” In order to help potential college students and families get the most “bang for their buck,” the Department of Education created an interactive website to compare university costs across the nation. The site looks at factors ranging from graduation rate to loan de-
See Score page 8
College Scorecard is a classic example of the federal government stepping all over the private sector. Victoria McGouran Staff Writer
In his State of the Union address, President Obama announced, “tomorrow, my administration will release a new ‘College Scorecard’ that parents and students can use to compare schools based on a simple criteria—where you can get the most bang for your educational buck.” The scorecard he was referring to can now be found with a simple Internet search and is already evaluating universities based on data from the U.S. Department of Education. The schools are graded based on undergraduate enrollment, affordability, graduation rate, loan default rate, median borrowing and employment for graduates. While some have touted this new program as “revolutionary” and have commended President Obama for encouraging transparency at the collegiate level, I find that the idea of grading universities is nonsensical. Obviously, there is a massive demographic of students and parents who are college-shopping and
desire information to make a logical decision. But since when did it become the job of the government to interfere with the marketing of a complex product? This is a classic display of governmental hubris and a colossal overstep by the Obama administration. By the very creation of this program, Obama is implying that higher education is a generic, homogenized commodity that can be reduced to a few cost facts and bullet points. Obama also seems to think that the government should enter the
program is the narrow vocational focus taken by the Obama administration when looking at university criteria. “Knowledge and skills for the jobs of the future” is the way the White House puts it. This is represented by the final category by which universities are judged— employment for graduates. However, on almost every university listed, that section is blank except for a phrase that reads “The U.S. Department of Education is working to provide information about the average earnings of former undergraduate students at (in-
“The federal government is cinching its grip on the already successful private sector” “college guide” business to compete with the private sector players who are already there. U.S. News and World Report, one of the highest-selling periodicals in America, is so influential that universities have been caught lying to influence their rankings or adjusting their policies to win better scores. By competing with this, and similar rankings providers, the federal government is merely cinching its grip on the alreadysuccessful private sector in an attempt to choke the life out of it. However, beyond the stifling nature of the scorecard itself, another regrettable aspect of the
sert university here).” This is yet another example of the government competing with the private sector. PayScale and a few other companies analyze payroll data for millions of workers and publish annual rankings for universities based on this data. By stepping into PayScale’s arena, the Obama administration is again meddling where it should not. Still, beyond the obnoxious meddling, Obama and his cronies may just want to stop and consider what it is about a college education that is valuable other
See Card page 8
Opinion
25 February 2013
the Collegian : 8
EU regulations hurt Google’s business plans Google is being unfairly attacked by EU regulations, since Google’s data is freely given to the company by its many users.
Will Bramlett
Student Writer
I am often a fan of the European Union, but the EU clearly still does not understand the Internet and the world of computers. When Google consolidated its many privacy policies into a single policy early last year, it allowed data to be shared across all of Google’s services, which EU regulators say violates EU privacy laws. Google was never charged with do-
use harsh language when talking about the search giant’s privacy policy. CNIL and the EU went so far as to say that the new policy broke the EU’s laws, and encouraged Google to put a hold on the updated policy. Google has since implemented the policy in spite of the EU, leaving the data regulators unhappy. In October, the EU gave Google until Feb. 18 to fix the problems— as the EU considers them—with the privacy policy. Once again, Google failed to satisfy the EU’s concerns and the EU regulators will be holding a meeting soon to decide the next step in this story. Google, along with all Internet companies, should not have to deal with these absurd regulations. Google’s business model is almost identical to those of businesses including print media and sports teams, which rely heavily on support advertisements. Unlike a sports team or a print publication, though, the cost to run Google’s business is almost entirely covered by revenue from advertisers.
“Nearly all of Google’s data has been provided by its users” ing anything illegal, but the EU, lead by France’s National Commission on Informatics and Liberties (CNIL) continued to
What distinguishes Google’s business model is that the company is able to collect a large amount of data about its users and
Graphic by Caroline Kohlhagen
more accurately advertise to those users. Sports teams and print media also collect data, but is not on the same scale. Google is able to analyze all activity, including e-mails, and its users contribute quite a bit of data for Google to analyze every second of the day. The EU regulators are upset that Google has decided to merge dozens of separate data pools into a single user profile. One way in which Google benefits is that working from a single platform is a lot simpler than working from dozens. It simply requires less work to support one system which spans the entire company than dozens which would have their own rules. The policy does not just benefit Google, but it also makes advertisers and users happy. I have always been fascinated by big data, and the Internet is truly Big Data—a vast collection of small pools knowledge and information which can be analyzed to show us amazing new things. Google uses this information to suggest YouTube videos, news stories, and most im-
From Wage page 7 reluctant to give employees a fair piece of the financial pie are forcing low-wage earners into government dependence. A higher minimum wage would help nearly
From Card page 7 than “knowledge and skills for the jobs of the future.” The answer to this question varies dramatically based on the individual in question—a fact which could render college scorecards to be meaningless. People are going to judge educational institutions based on their own values, and while basic statistics are somewhat necessary, they are never the deciding factor. In the end, it should not be the job of the
From Score page 7 fault rates. In a press release Arne Duncan, the U.S. secretary of education, observed that “students and families are often overwhelmed in the college search process—but they lack the tools to sort through the information and decide which school is right for them.” Statistics show that this is particularly true for low-income families and immigrants—half of high school graduates in the poorest quartile attend college. The cost of higher education has become a crucial divider in our country, as investing in college becomes a seemingly impossible task. I was the first person in my family to go through the American education system, both in private and public schools. My parents went to state schools in Russia. My family had little to no experience in the college application and search process. We were in for a strenuous project. It took a lot of time, teamwork and shouting matches to coordinate meaningful research. The process was tough for many of my high school peers as well—our high school counselor could only do so much. The Collegian is the independent student newspaper of the University of Tulsa. It is distributed Mondays during the fall and spring semesters except during holidays and final exam weeks. The University of Tulsa does not discriminate on the basis of personal status or group characteristics including but not limited to the classes protected under federal and state law in its programs, services, aids, or benefits. Inquiries regarding implementation of this policy may be addressed to the Office of Human Resources, 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104-9700, 918-631-2616. Requests for accommodation of disabilities may be addressed to the University’s 504 Coordinator, Dr. Tawny Taylor, 918-631-3814. To ensure availability of an interpreter, five to seven days notice is needed; 48 hours is recommended for all other accommodations. Advertising Policy: Advertising appearing in this publication does not imply approval or endorsement by the University of Tulsa or The Collegian for the products or services advertised. For advertising information, email The Collegian at collegian@utulsa.edu or elizabeth-cohen@utulsa.edu. The deadline for advertising is 5 p.m. on the Thursday prior to the publication. Editing Policy: The Collegian reserves the right to edit all copy submitted by all writers. This editing may take place in many forms, including grammar corrections, changes in paragraph structure or even the addition or removal of sections of content. Editorial Policy: Columnists are solely responsible for the content of their columns. Opinions expressed in columns may not represent the opinions of the entire Collegian staff, the administrative policies of the University of Tulsa, the views of the student body or our advertisers. Letter Policy: Letters to the editor must be less than 500 words. While we do not require it, letters sent via e-mail to the Collegian are encouraged. Under no circumstances will anonymous letters be published. The name of the person submitting the letter must be published with the letter. We reserve the right to edit or reject all letters. The deadline for letters is 5 p.m. on the Saturday prior to publication.
portantly for the business, to choose the ads we see each time we use the website. This personalized advertising can prove useful to the user, but might not have been possible had Google been unable to scan his or her e-mail. The advertisers benefit because the money spent on advertising will be better targeted rather than wasted on uninterested eyeballs. Google benefits because it will make even more ad revenue and can create a better experience for the user, who Google hopes will stay on the website and view more advertisements. Google should respect the users’ wishes and, for example, not steal a person’s cookies without permission, but nearly all data of Google’s data has been willingly provided by its users. All users signed up and agreed to these terms which allowed Google to use their information to better advertise in exchange for dozens of free services. The EU has no reason to prevent the people from knowingly giving their data to Google. everyone. People like the Smith family could afford to have three children, corporations would pay their workers a respectable wage, and the government would spend less on programs like subsidized housing. White House to pick winners and grade everything. If groups in the private sector wish to make that task their work, then more power to them. However, our elected officials and those appointed to serve us have far more pressing matters to deal with. By encroaching on the tasks of private companies and not giving their full attention to the real issues in America, our government is doing a great disservice to the nation. Out of curiosity, I navigated through College Scorecard. Within half an hour many familiar names popped up on my screen, as well as general yet vital information that lent itself to easy comparison. Scorecard’s utility is evident, as many university websites are difficult to navigate, an issue their administrators may not be quick to recognize and remedy. College Scorecard’s breadth of information is impressive, but the site is not perfect. There was some data missing (e.g. employment after graduation for the University of Tulsa), but the Education Department provides links as they collect data. The College Scorecard is a useful tool to help out families, despite its terrible name and minor flaws. It is also a step in the right direction. It is long overdue that the federal government, working together with the state and local levels, give significant priority to education and breach the growing divide of opportunity in our society. Borrowing Obama’s words from the State of the Union, all levels of government need to continue “working to make college more accessible, affordable, and attainable.”
editor-in-chief—Kalen Petersen managing editor—Kyle Walker news editor—Conor Fellin sports editor—Aubry Midkiff variety editor—Stephanie Hice opinion editor—Patrick Creedon satire editor—Tim Nissen photo & graphics editor—Jill Graves staff writers—Anna Bennett, Beate Hall, Oscar Ho, Victoria McGouran, Zhenya Yevtushenko business & advertising manager—Liz Cohen distribution manager—Tyler Magill web editor—Mary Carol Franko adviser—Kendra Blevins
25 FEBRUARy 2013
the
the state-run media
State-Run media Give us tyranny or give us death.
“Vatican Idol” set to debut on Fox
Top 10 Search Terms
Helmerich Hall Katie McGouran Fact double-checker
1. Full Windsor knot 2. What are ethics 3. In:trash Rick Arrington 4. TU academic misconduct policy 5. TU academic misconduct policy loopholes Graphic by Jill Graves
Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church nervously await auditions for “Vatican Idol.” Many cardinals will wait for hours in the blistering sun for the opportunity to perform talents ranging from juggling to turning blood back into wine.
The Catholic Church will hold a televised talent search for next great Bishop of Rome. Ratings are expected to suffer from the Latin-only broadcast. Tyler Pansa
Gab is his spiritual gift On Feb. 11, the the world was shocked to hear of Pope Benedict XVI’s sudden resignation, but the shock of the pontiff’s announcement pales in comparison to the most recent surprise from the Roman Catholic Church: In an effort to engage a younger demographic, the College of Cardinals had announced that it is foregoing its standard election procedure and is instead hosting a competition that is “in format, a cross between Miss Universe and American Idol,” according to Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals. The taping for the competition is well underway, and sources inside the Vatican report that, until recently, the frontrunners were fairly well defined in the field of contestants to lead the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics. Well, that all changed this week, when Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle made a big move with a dazzling display in the talent portion of the competition. “Everyone thought Archbishop Scola was a shoo-in, but as soon
as I heard Luis start lip-syncing that Spice Girls medley, I knew we were in for a real barnburner,” remarked guest judge Justin Timberlake. Tagle, a dark-horse contestant who had been languishing in fourth place after a dismal showing in the swimsuit portion of the competition, has emerged as the new frontrunner. Tagle continued his push for pontification with an extremely charismatic performance in the interview portion. He deftly navigated the traditional questions, including “What is the airspeed velocity of a laden swallow?” and “Would you like to see traditions such as ‘HalfPriced-Indulgences-Tuesdays’ brought back into the fold?” When asked what type of pope he would like to be, Tagle looked smooth and confident. Effortlessly engaging both the judges and the crowd, Tagle said he hoped to be a “pope of the people,” and added that he would spend his first couple days as pope walking around Vatican City, getting to know the entire population of the country. Later, he interjected, “Oh yeah, and world peace,” which ignited the crowd into a fury of applause. “He seems so friendly! I hope he wins,” said Gertie Hanson, a long-time Vatican resident who is locally renowned for her “welcome to the neighborhood” gift-
baskets. She added, with an impish grin, “Pope Benedict once offered to make me a saint after tasting my lasagna.” Tagle even hinted at organizing such events as a picnic at the Papal Palace and a nationwide Harlem Shake. However, Tagle fans shouldn’t let themselves get too excited, as the papacy is still very much up in the air. Much will be decided by the final portion of the competition, in which the contestants will attempt to balance hats of increasing height upon their heads. The recent change in the College of Cardinals’ procedures has not been without controversy, however. Critics continue to voice concern over voting for the pope by text message and about the potential difficulty of taking a spiritual leader seriously after seeing them belch the Ten Commandments, as Cardinal James Michael Harvey did during the talent portion of the competition. Sodano explained that “the Catholic Church is committed to reaching the world’s youth with a more modern approach to papal election.” “Plus,” he continued, “American Idol did have a longer run than Benedict XVI.” Sodano was extremely clear in saying, however, that Idol-style auditions were in no way a “tacit endorsement of idolatry.”
Construction completed on much-anticipated Lorton Limestone Rectangle
Painting by Kalen Petersen, oil on canvas
The Lorton Limestone Rectangle, a landmark accomplishment in TU’s growth and the culmination of TU’s 10-year, multimillion dollar fundraising drive, was completed last week. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony this Tuesday. Students and staff are encouraged to attend, and t-shirts will be provided.
6. Performance fishing gear 7. Chubbies 8. What is math 9. Free Bernie Madoff 10. Facebook
If the king does it, it’s not illegal Victoria McGouran Goes by “Vicky”
On this Feb. 20, in the Year of our King 2013, commoners and serfs of this noble University of Tulsa flooded the fertile fields of Dietler Commons in celebration, for it was declared that the wondrous name of our magnanimous ruler, King John the First, was absolved after his unjust accusation by the vile and malevolent Student Association Judicial Branch. Members of the Judicial Branch, including the odious heretic (and disgraced former editor of this selfsame publication) Joseph Christopher Proctor, and the foul Chief “Justice” Charlotte Hale, entertained the impossible idea that our beloved King committed a crime. Specifically, the loathsome kangaroo court alleged that our King executed an illegal line-item veto to cut SA spending. We at the State-Run Media have done the research, and agree with His Illustriousness’ assertion that “as Potentate I have the right to cut anything—or anyone—I wish.” Although every citizen of this great land undoubtedly knew that our felicitous ruler would never have committed such a reproachable act, our glorious monarch was taken to trial based on the villainous and grossly disloyal testimony of one Shaliah Thierry, who it was later revealed, had been coerced into testifying. Fortunately for this campus and the world, the true character of the cutthroat Judicial Branch was revealed at King John’s arraignment, when their shadowy plot was brought to light. Their treachery began to unravel when the opposing counsel, led by the odious Michael Mancini, presented a convoluted, self-contradictory, yet highly-rehearsed account that
besmirched the good name of our dear monarch. As the scheme unraveled, it was revealed that the entire case against His Mightiness was fabricated by Grant McCarty, the despotic former SA president. It was previously believed that McCarty was beheaded as part the Peasant’s Revolt of 2012 that—together with the will of the gods—ousted McCarty and installed His Eternal Eminence John I. However, it is now apparent that blood or some other dark force still surges through McCarty’s veins. McCarty—miserable scalawag that he reportedly is—apparently grew bored with the doldrum retirement of an exiled president, and became determined to quench his thirst for power by usurping our cherished and revered sovereign. Once the truth of McCarty’s dark debacle was brought into the light, the Judicial Branch was disbanded by our newly absolved and forever-innocent Supreme Commander, and the sniveling McCarty was taken to the bowls of Keplinger Dungeon to await execution. King John decreed that he will systematically deal with each member of the Judicial Branch and stated that all would be punished “in a manner proportionate to their heinous crimes.” In the end, the calumnious accusations against King John served only to unify the populace and provide the proletariat with another welcome opportunity to swear undying fealty to our beloved ruler, King John the First. All hail! Editorial note: dates cited in this article were revised to bring historical truth into line with the State-Run Media’s timeliness and relevance.
the collegian: 10
25 february 2013
HOUSING SELECTION FOR 2013-14
Hey Freshmen!
Log on and sign up before Feb. 28th. Freshmen must sign up for campus housing or complete a housing exemption form in order to enroll for fall classes. Check out your options for housing next year. Keep your current space, if available to retain. Move within your hall or between halls. Move to a campus apartment. Live on Sorority Row. Consider the option of the International Living Community.
u d e . a s l u t u . k n i l cane
“As an international student, I really enjoyed living on campus. Not only because I had the best American roommate ever, but it gave me a chance to meet a lot of new friends from all over the world, to improve my communication skills, and to get involved in plenty of events on campus.� - Trang Le, Class of 2014
Roommate finder features make the connection process much easier. Please see the housing website for additional information on roommate options and requirements.
For more information, visit canelink.utulsa.edu
6.Collegian Ad, Hey Freshman TU#13024.indd 1
1/16/13 10:28 AM