25 February 2019

News

The Collegian: 2

25 February 2019

Former TU soccer player Dr. Clancy speaks on cannabis absolved of sexual assault Lesley Nchanji was recently acquitted of charges he faced after an on-campus event in June 2017.

Justin Guglielmetti Editor-in-Chief Two years after his arrest and expulsion from the university, former TU soccer player Lesley Nchanji has been acquitted on three counts of forcible sodomy and sexual battery.

In June 2017, Nchanji brought a 19-yearold female student athlete back to his on-campus apartment following a party.

According to witness testimony, she was visibly intoxicated and incapable of consenting to sexual activity. Nchanji, 20 years old at the time, was then accused of sexually assaulting the woman.

According to Liz Eagen, the Tulsa Police detective in charge of the investigation, Nchanji’s story about the events of the night in question changed over time. After originally denying committing any act of sexual activity with his accuser, he later admitted to performing oral sex.

Assistant Public Defender Kelly Baldwin, who led Nchanji’s defense, claimed that it was the woman who suggested spending the night at his apartment, and that she had in-

President Clancy and TU law professor Dr. Bowman held an educational presentation on recent dicated a desire to have sex. Baldwin said Oklahoma marijuana legislation. that Nchanji had ceased sexual contact with the woman after she vomited, and that he had proceeded to wash her off in the bathtub (removing her shirt and bra) and give up his bed for her to sleep.

This explanation did not satisfy Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Elmore, who argued that Nchanji should have known better than to go forward with any sexual activity when it was clear that proper consent could not be given.

“The law is there to protect people from harm, from being violated,” Elmore said. He also told the jury that he wished they would make a decision that would send a message to women they they could enjoy themselves drinking without having to worry about the “sanctity of your body.”

Jurors announced they had found Nchanji not guilty after about two hours of deliberation on Friday, Feb. 15. Baldwin called it “a good day,” though still “a very sad story,” and said that the process had “caused irreparable harm to Lesley.”

A native of Cameroon, Nchanji faces deportation should he fail to have his Visa reinstated. He was not released the day of his acquittal because of a holding order issued

by ICE due to the criminal charges brought against him.

courtesy Fox23 News

Brooke-Lyne Holland Student Writer Early Careers in Community Medicine (ECCM), a program that allows highly qualified students to pursue an early provisional acceptance into the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine program, leading to an M.D. degree, hosted a school-wide educational forum located in the Allen Chapman Student Union on Feb. 18. Dr. Clancy, president of the University of Tulsa, spoke out on cannabis’s risks and benefits, as well as the biochemical and pharmacological properties of marijuana and what to do if you or someone you know experiences dangerous side-effects of the drug (psychosis, severe depression, etc).

In June 2018, State Question 788 was approved, allowing controlled use of medical marijuana in the state of Oklahoma. This makes Oklahoma the 30th state to implement a medical marijuana plan. The state’s first medical marijuana plant was sold in September 2018.

Now that marijuana has been legalized in Oklahoma for medical purposes, residents can apply for a medical card. However, most college campuses in Oklahoma, including TU, banned the use of marijuana on campus because the schools are legally under the jurisdiction of the Controlled Substances Act, which defines marijuana as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. If the school were to break these statutes, then it could lose essential funding from the federal government.

Dr. Clancy went into detail about the pros and cons of using marijuana and its many components, saying that “marijuana is complicated and we don’t understand it yet.” Because marijuana prohibition has only recently been getting overturned across the nation, there has not been enough research on the full effects of the drug. As of right now, Israel is the number one country in marijuana research, according to Dr. Clancy.

Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, can treat many medical issues such as muscle pain, migraines and appetite loss, but it can also increase depression and anxiety in some

people. Cannabidiol, CBD, is the lesser known of the two main components of the plant and, according to Dr. Clancy, demands further research. The main difference between the components is that CBD is not psychoactive, while THC is. Dr. Clancy added, “I am more pro-CBD than I am proTHC.” He ended his part of the presentation by describing the risks of using THC at a young age. According to a 2011 study published in Kuepper, a British medical journal, teenagers who use the drug are “twice as likely to develop psychosis over the next 10 years” and cannot recover from it. It also shows that THC induces a gray matter reduction in the temporal, hippocampus and frontal regions of the brain that can impact decision making and emotions.

Dr. Warigia Bowman of the TU law school then spoke about the legal issues that come with the new legislation and how to operate safely within the law. She warned that although medicinal marijuana is now legal in Oklahoma, “Until it is legal at the federal level and all states have legalized it, there are risks attached.”

If someone in possession of marijuana travels to a state with different laws, they are outside the jurisdiction of Oklahoma’s laws and are at risk of being fined or even imprisoned. At the moment, Oklahoma is not releasing any inmates currently serving time for marijuana possession charges, and has no plans to do so in the near future.

Dr. Bowman added that she supports “legalizing it because [she doesn’t] like putting people in prison for stupid reasons.”

Though it is legal in Oklahoma, no student is allowed to be in possession of marijuana on campus. If a student has a medical card, they are instructed to use it off campus.

If they are found with any type of marijuana while on campus, disciplinary actions will be taken.

Dr. Clancy wants the students of TU to be smart about their decisions regarding marijuana and to stay safe, both medically and legally.

Do not operate a vehicle or heavy machinery while under the influence of the drug. “Driving while under the influence of marijuana is still a criminal offence” added Dr. Bowman.

Though Nchanji has been released, his residence in the U.S. is now in jeopardy due to an invalid Visa.

President Trump, Elizabeth Warren and the Trail of Tears Trump’s recent remarks against Elizabeth Warren have been criticized as racist.

Anna Johns Student Writer Hours after Elizabeth Warren officially announced her 2020 presidential bid, President Trump offered his opinion on his campaign opponent’s announcement with a tweet that critics interpreted as a joke about the Trail of Tears.

“Today Elizabeth Warren, sometimes referred to by me as Pocahontas, joined the race for president,” he wrote in a Feb. 9 tweet. “Will she run as our first Native American presidential candidate, or has she decided that after 32 years, this is not playing so well anymore? See you on the campaign TRAIL, Liz!” His son Donald Trump Jr. shared the tweet and added, “Savage!!! I love my President.”

Trump has been criticized for using Warren’s claims of a Native American ancestry as a punchline, especially as he frequently refers to her as “Pocahontas.” In January, he mocked her on Twitter by referencing the Wounded Knee Massacre, in which the United States Army killed hundreds of the Lakota Tribe in 1890.

On Jan. 13, he tweeted, “If Elizabeth Warren, often referred to by me as Pocahontas, did this commercial from Bighorn or Wounded Knee instead of her kitchen, with her husband dressed in full Indian garb, it would have been a smash!”

Meanwhile, Warren has battled an ongoing controversy regarding her race. According to The Washington Post, in 1986, Warren listed her race as “American Indian” on a Texas bar registration card. Last October, she revealed the results of her DNA test, showing that she was between 1/64 and 1/1024 Native American. She apologized to Cherokee Nation leaders due to her insensitivity regarding tribal citizenship.

Jennie Stockle, a councilwoman of TU’s Indigenous Society, commented on Warren’s Native American ties. “I’m a Cherokee Nation citizen, and I’m ethnically Cherokee and Creek,” Stockle said. “I can also put names and places on those people in my family — it’s not a faceless identity like a DNA test is.”

She continued, “When critics attack Elizabeth Warren, they are using her Native

identity as a vehicle to attack her with, even though the identity is not something she technically possesses.”

The Native American community has responded to President Trump’s race-related insults with indignation. Stockle said that it turns their identity and race into complex political weapons in a battle that does not involve them. The blame is not solely set on one party, as she says it was both the fault of the Republicans and Democrats who dragged Native Americans into this issue.

In a statement regarding Trump’s joke about the Wounded Knee Massacre, Jefferson Keel, the president of the National Congress of American Indians, condemned “in the strongest possible terms, the casual and callous use of these events as part of a political attack.

“Hundreds of Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho people lost their lives at the hands of the invading U.S. Army during these events,” he said, “and their memories should not be desecrated as a rhetorical punch line.”

One of the defenses being raised to Trump’s mention of the Trail of Tears is that he is not aware of the historical event. Brit Hume of Fox News, responding to criticism of Trump’s comment, said, “Yes, because Trump is noted for his knowledge of 19thcentury American history vis a vis the native population. Jeez.”

However, some, such as Politico reporter Cristiano Lima, suggest that Trump’s allusion to the Trail of Tears was deliberate, given his affinity for former U.S. President Andrew Jackson.

“The semantic argument would be who’s more wrong,” Stockle said. “Personally, I feel angry at both, but I’m probably angrier at Trump because I feel he was most vicious. Is that worse than Elizabeth Warren taking native identity she has no claim to?

We can debate that all day.”

Ultimately, Stockle believes that both politicians should stop talking about Native Americans because they use a minority to throw mud at one another. Her community wants no part of this overall issue, and they never asked to be used as a means to a political end. Wounded Knee, the Trail of Tears and other such massacres are deeply ingrained within the memories of Native Americans, and the current debate only draws attention to past injustices.

Clancy remarked that he favored the uses of CBD over those of THC.

photo by Brooke-Lyne Holland

“Zombie Deer Disease” a misleading epithet The chronic wasting disease isn’t a mystery confounding biologists, but is still a threat to wildlife.

Corina Tampubolon Student Writer Recently, there has been an upsurge in the usage of the term “Zombie Deer Disease.”

Fortunately, we are not looking at the start of the apocalypse or even at a new disease.

The real illness is called chronic wasting disease (CWD), which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) categorizes as a prion disease. It affects elk, reindeer, moose, sika deer and deer. Luckily, there have been no reports of infections passing on to humans. Nonetheless, it is not encouraged to interact with these sick animals.

So what happens to any of these creatures that are infected with CWD? For some, nothing may happen for a long time.

CWD can lie dormant in an infected host for over a year. Once symptoms do appear, the CDC states that the animal will have drastic weight loss, listlessness and clumsiness.

There are no vaccines or treatment for this fatal disease. And to make things worse, this year CWD has infected free range deer, elk and moose in over 24 states in the U.S. and two provinces in Canada.

Unlike what the sensationalist nickname “Zombie Deer Disease” might suggest, these animals have a low chance of actually attacking any human. In fact, they are a greater danger to themselves and the surrounding ecosystem.

The rise of infected deer is a major concern for wildlife conservationists and ecolo-

gists because there is no cure, and unless the animals show symptoms, it is impossible to spot the infected. With the widespread epidemic, it begs the question of how it will impact the biodiversity of our wilderness, especially since it is highly contagious between its different affected species.

Despite the lack of report on human infection, hunters and people in general are warned against handling infected animals.

The CDC has made a couple of guidelines to reduce the chances of human infection.

They caution against touching roadkill and eating untested deer meat. Hunted meat meant for consumption should be tested for CDW first. However, testing is limited to certain stages of CDW; therefore, it is not completely reliable. It is still a good idea to be careful and so all meat should be processed and packaged individually to avoid any chance of contamination.

Finally, for hunters and people who handle deer and similar animals, latex or rubber gloves are highly recommended. Furthermore, one should avoid handling deer brains or spinal cords.

Although the informal name“Zombie Deer Disease” is a dramatization of the what the actual disease is, the problem at hand should not be taken lightly. Many deer around the country are sick, and it is extremely difficult to determine the true number of infected deer and elk.

It may be easy for humans to avoid contracting such a fatal illness, most deer, elk and moose do not have such options. Without any method of prevention and treatment, the future of these species is unsure.

25 February 2019

Feb. 13 9:33 a.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were informed of a students’ behavior being alarming to others.

Officers conducted an investigation and addressed the student’s behavior.

3:00 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate the posting of an unauthorized flyer in Chapman Hall. The flyer was reported to Campus Security by a TU affiliate. Officers interviewed TU affiliates at Sharp Chapel, Chapman Hall and the Holmes Student Center. Officers are investigating the incident.

Feb. 14 5:00 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a possible non injury motor vehicle accident in the Harvard Shuttle lot. Upon arrival Officers meet with a student who stated they were backing out of a parking space when they didn’t see the other student pulling into the space next to them. The first students rear bumper lightly impacted the driver side of the other vehicle. Both vehicles had minor abrasions and scratches to the paint surface. Pictures were taken and driver and insurance information was exchanged.

Feb. 15 12:55 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to University Square West Apartments to conduct a welfare check on a student. The Welfare Check was requested by International Student Services. The individual was not in class or in their apartment. Officers were unable to make contact with the student.

News

The Collegian: 3

Feb. 16 10:20 a.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a non injury motor vehicle accident in Brown Village Apartments. Upon arrival Officers spoke with two TU students who witnessed a hit and run outside of their apartment in Brown Village Apartment. They reported seeing a vehicle identified as a student’s vehicle hit a parked vehicle in a handicap space. Officers made contact with the owner of the parked vehicle who declined to report to the incident to the Tulsa Police Department. Officers made contacted with the suspect who denied everything. The Ford Expedition parked at Norman Village Apartments.

11:30 a.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers went to Norman Village Apartments to make contact with a suspect from a previous non-injury hit and run collision. Officers made contact with the student who was under the legal drinking age and had alcohol present in their apartment. The Tulsa Police Department came to the scene but left without making contact with the student. The Alexander Health Center staff responded and assisted officers. The student left campus with their parents.

Feb. 17 1:25 a.m.

University of Tulsa Campus security Officers were dispatched to check the welfare of a student in Hardesty Hall.

Officers along with the Resident Administrator made contact with the student. The student room was searched due to having a conversation with another student about making a weapon. The room was clear of any kind of weapons Feb. 18 1:00 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to the Allen Chapman Student Union in regards to an individual having trouble breathing. Upon arrival, officers met with the individual who reported they had an allergic reaction to an air freshener. The individual declined medical care from Emergency Medical Services. Officers escorted the individual to the Alexander Health Center for evaluation.

11:50 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to a fire alarm at Fisher West. A TU affiliate set off the smoke detector while cooking. There was no fire and a small amount of smoke in the room. The Tulsa Fire Department was cancelled.

Chris Lierly and Lindsey Prather Student Writers

White House officials may have attempted to share nuclear weapon technology with Saudi Arabia On Tuesday, the House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings announced that he was opening an investigation into the reports that senior White House officials pushed for a policy of sharing U.S. nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia. Those officials advocated for the program over concerns raised by both ethics and national security officials. Whistleblowers alerted Democrats when they noticed “abnormal acts” in the White House regarding the proposals to build a dozen nuclear reactors.

Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Trump, is in charge of the White House’s plan to form a peace agreement and is among numerous White House officials who reportedly stand to benefit from economic deals with the House of Saud.

Congressional investigators have been reportedly eyeing both former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who is awaiting sentencing for lying to the FBI, and Tom Barrack, the man who ran Trump’s inaugural committee. Flynn is awaiting sentencing for lying to the FBI, while Barrack has, according to a spokesman, recently been working in the Middle East to create “better aligned U.S. and Middle East objectives.”

Pope Francis holds Vatican summit on sexual abuse in the Church Catholic Church leaders opened the floor of the Vatican on Feb. 21 to hear testimonials from survivors of alleged abuse from clergymen in the last few decades. This unprecedented meeting of bishops as well as other ranking members of the church was facilitated by Pope Francis to provide a forum for addressing rampant allegations of sexual abuse perpetrated by priests that have grabbed headlines in the past eight months.

The primary goal of this meeting was to address the allegations as well as impress upon those in attendance the necessity of trust and transparency within the Church. The meeting has placed the pope in a dilemma as many church members call for a forceful response to sexual abuse, a global issue that has proven to be continuously ignored and denied as allegations continue to pile up. Pope Francis has disciplined several clergymen to communicate the seriousness of the issue. The meeting was a step toward addressing a problem that continues to inflict harm on the Church’s global reputation.

Israel to attempt moon landing Following a historic launch on Feb. 21, Israel is attempting to become the fourth country to in history to successfully reach the moon, after the U.S., China and Russia.

The probe, named Beresheet, appropriately references the Hebrew phrase, “In the beginning,” and is expected to reach the moon in seven weeks. A tentative prediction for its arrival is April 11.

A notable aspect of this launch is its private sponsorships. The probe itself was created by SpaceIL, an Israeli nonprofit group established to enter Google’s Lunar XPrize competition. The Lunar Xprize competition was engineered to encourage private groups to design probes for space missions, incentivizing them with funding and sponsors. Although Beresheet was designed with this goal in mind, the mission launched without winning the competition.

Feb. 19 2:10 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to Norman Village Apartments in reference to a student receiving a business card at their apartment door. The student was unfamiliar with the company on the business card. An officer retrieved the card and placed it in property locker room.

9:15 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a possible Motor Vehicle Theft at Mayo Village Apartments. The vehicle was stolen from the parking lot and the Tulsa Police Department was contacted and made a report.

Feb. 20 10:15 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to the Donald Reynolds Center to make contact with a homeless individual who was refusing to leave the building. Officers escorted the individual from the building and directed them off campus. The individual was warned for trespass and a contact card was completed to document the interaction.

Feb. 21 7:50 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to the ACSU lot on report of a minor vehicle accident. Upon arrival, officers were unable to locate the offending vehicle(s). Officers observed the damage to the non-offending vehicles and made contact with one of the owners. The owner did not wish to file a report, but agreed to complete a witness statement.

Feb. 22 6:50 a.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to the Security Office in regards to an negligent discharge. Officers assessed any injuries and damage caused.

The involved party was sent to Concentra for a workplace injury evaluation. Emergency Medical Service Authority response was denied.

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

Tuesday, February 26 at 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Lorton Performance Center, Gussman Concert Hall American Music Recital The University of Tulsa School of Music presents distinguished pianist/composer Dr. Roger Price in a solo piano recital of American Music featuring the music of Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Barber, as well as a world premiere of Price’s work entitled Hymns of the Four Living Creatures, inspired by the Book of Revelation. The program also features music composed by Price’s former students Dr. Noam Faingold and Dr. Charles Halka.

The program will be presented on Tuesday, February 26, at 7:30 pm in Gussman Concert Hall in Lorton Performance Center. The program is free of charge and open to the public.

Thursday, February 28 at 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The Garage / Pat Case Dining Hall

Soul Food Soiree Our annual Soiree with Sodexo is back! See the Caf transformed into a land of seasonings and soul.

Thursday, February 28 at 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Helmerich Center for American Research, Great Hall Reframing Reconciliation After 100 Years: A Conversation About Community Revitalization in the Shadow of Tulsa’s Dark History Our last event for Black History Month, The Reframing Reconciliation After 100 Years: A Conversation About Community Revitalization in the Shadow of Tulsa’s Dark History, will be an interview with the Project Manager for the 1921-2021 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission, Jamaal Dyer. We understand that conversations toward racial reconciliation cannot happen if there is not an informed populace to engage in such discussions. Jamaal’s ongoing efforts to promote diversity and inclusion while working to champion important events such as Juneteenth, his expertise on the Tulsa Race Massacre history, and his engagement with diverse peoples make him especially poised to provide guidance on reconciling a painful past with a goal toward community revitalization and empowerment. This dialog is important for our community to have as we move forward and explore what reconciliation truly means for our city, only two years ahead of the 2021 Centennial. We aim for this event to be a learning experience for how we, as engaged citizens, can all take part in reframing the discussion around racial violence and its lasting implications. We hope this event continues to help facilitate community healing that ensures this history is never again forgotten. We also hope this conversation creates a collective memory to guarantee a more inclusive and equitable future. This event will include Equity Awards to be handed out to outstanding TU faculty, students and staff who have demonstrated a commitment to promoting a healthy and safe environment for black students through their mentorship, support and/ or social justice.

Thursday, February 28 at 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Tyrrell Hall, Auditorium Reenactments: A Night of Poetry with Hai-Dang Phan Hai-Dang Phan is a poet of fearless vision. With brutal and exquisite precision, he reveals that the effort to make art out of the real world – history, memory, and experience – often intensifies a feeling of irresolution. —Jennifer Chang Hai-Dang Phan was born in Vietnam and grew up in Wisconsin. He is Chair of English at Grinnell College.

Join Phan on his visit to Tulsa to celebrate a new collection of poetry titled Reenactments about the legacy of the Vietnam War and his own experience as a refugee. Writer and Tulsa Artist Fellow Mark de Silva will host this evening of discussion and poetry with Phan.

Free and open to all.

The Collegian does not produce all event descriptions in the Community Calendar.

Contact us at news@tucollegian.org with events.

The Collegian: 4

Commentary

25 February 2019

The Legislative Digest is your weekly look at the happenings of Oklahoma’s state legislature and the bills and politics you need to know.

Raven Fawcett Managing Editor Things are finally moving through committees this week in the Oklahoma legislature! Bills are divvied up to the most appropriate committee, then each one makes a recommendation on whether the bill should pass.

SB924: This bill would require assisted living centers to give residents information about influenza and its vaccines. It has been referred to the Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee, where it awaits a recommendation. But if the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that everyone needs more information about vaccines.

SB679: Personal information of “undercover or covert” law enforcement agents, including their and their family’s addresses, phone numbers and email addresses, could be kept confidential and off the internet if this bill passes in both chambers. The information would be stored in a secure location if an agency requests that the information not be kept online.

Law enforcement officials could request the information, although they’d need sufficient grounds to get it. Which, yeah, that tracks. Why would you give away more information about people in a potentially dangerous position than you’d need to? The General Government Committee has recommended that the bill pass in the Senate.

HB1428: I am begging, as ever, all of government to be more transparent and to keep more information online. There’s no reason for most information (cases like the above bill aside) to be kept secret and only on paper. So HB1428, which would allow court clerks to digitize receipts for fees, fines and forfeitures that may be “saved and produced in electronic format.” It’s a step in the right direction. Please, please, if anyone reading this goes into government, I’m begging you: usher in the digital age. Push for digitalization. It’s so much more efficient. The bill has been recommended to pass by the House County and Municipal Government Committee.

Claiming identity gives voice to otherwise unrepresented communities

Even if identity isn’t a big deal to you, it is still important to respect its significance to others.

Madison Connell Satire Editor To start: I’m bisexual, I’m disabled and I’m proud of it.

On February 21, I went to the art gallery of “Part of Something Bigger” by James Adam Sanders. On a stand, he had little building blocks for people to interweave that say “I am” with a blank for participants to show who they are. Some said they were “strong,” some “enough,” and one said “gay AF.” I decided that I wanted to include one of my identities in it, so I wrote that “I am disabled.”

Before writing it in, I told the artist what I was going to put. He tried to encourage me to put something else and assured me that I am more than my disability.

He wasn’t wrong. I am more than my disability. I am smart, I am kind, I am creative and so much more. But I also disagree that it’s inherently bad to proudly state your identity.

Many of the artist’s pieces were about different social activism causes, like gay rights, immigrant rights and racial equality. At the same time, he was passionate about what he

For me personally, I am proud that I am part of the LGBT+ community and that I am disabled. Being a part of these communities has helped me find more confidence in myself.

It took time for me to be comfortable with these identities. For a while, I was self-conscious about how my health issues sometimes limit me. I would have never imagined getting a wheelchair, partially because I never could convince myself that I was sick enough to get one. A professor’s recommendation is what gave me that push to purchase what is now one of the most valuable things in my life.

It took getting this wheelchair and researching the disability community for me to finally own up to being disabled, even if I had had most of the same symptoms for years. Of course there are many ways people can be disabled, but buying my first wheelchair was the step for me acknowledge this part of my life.

Claiming this identity gave me confidence. It encouraged me to finally own what health issues I am working with and to be proud that these obstacles have given me a new more distinct view on the world. I am more empathetic and I am stronger for what I have gone through.

It’s a similar story with me and my bisexual identity. I also claimed this identity in college, and I also found a community that lifts me up and encourages me to love whomever I want to love.

Identity is important in the LGBT+ community. People in this community have been discriminated against for a long time, so they like to be proud of what they identify as in part to resist against bigotry.

There are some identities that seem similar, such as bisexual and pansexual, but are different to those that use them. I personally say I’m bisexual, but if someone acciden-

“With claiming my identities, I can speak up for others that might be marginalized ...” called the “Not a Box” movement, which believes people shouldn’t need to state their identity because a person is more than the sum of their parts.

I can see where people who believe in this are coming from. People are so diverse, language used in labels often fails to encompass all of a person. But I also believe that identities are important to some people, and that should be okay.

I should clarify that I don’t have any animosity towards Sanders. I understand that to him, identities can be limiting, especially when the outside world tries to push it upon you.

For some, embracing an identity is empowering.

tally says that I am pansexual, then that is okay with me. That’s not true of most people though. Some people very much prefer one to the other, for reasons as varied as the people that use them.

One person might use pansexual because they believe it’s important to acknowledge the difference that for them love is present regardless of gender. Another person might use bisexual because they have used the word for a long time and don’t want to change it, or because of something as simple as they like the colors on the flag better (which, I’ll admit, I’m a little guilty of). No matter the reason behind someone’s identity, it is important to respect it.

James Adam Sanders’ exhibit discussed the complications of identity.

Another important example of taking care in what precise wording is used that I have seen in the disabled community is the word disabled itself. Part of the disabled community prefers to use people-first language, such as “person with disabilities,” others use identity-first language such as “disabled person,” and still others more prefer “differently abled.” Everyone has different reasons behind what they choose for themselves, and as long as it is not hurting others, it is important to be respectful of that decision.

While I am using my personal examples of being disabled and bisexual, this also goes for race, ethnicity, gender and so on.

Just as important as respecting someone’s wishes to use an identity, however, is their wishes to not use an identity. If someone does not want to be labeled as disabled, do not call them so! It is up to each individual as to how they identify. If someone doesn’t want to be pigeonholed into what they find a limiting box, do not do that to them.

Especially important is to not call someone an identity that once was considered offensive and is now being reclaimed if that person does not want to be called that.

While some people in the LGBT+ community identify as queer, a large amount of

photo by Madison Connell

people still despise that term from the days of its previous negative connotation and its still common current abuse as derogatory.

I want to be a catalyst for change. Through my identities, I can speak up for others that might be marginalized in the LGBT+ or disabled community. People can also do this as an ally, but internalizing a label can help give you more stake in the game.

In addition, it is hard to talk about an issue that doesn’t have a name or face to it.

Without the word “black,” for example, it is hard to talk about that group of people and how society can serve them better. Labels aren’t inherently bad unless we make them that way.

Saying my identity to others shows that it is something I consider an important aspect in my life. It brings the stigma out of saying the words disabled or bisexual each time someone uses them, normalizing these words in the process. Me saying my identity shows it’s okay for others to say theirs too.

In the end, it comes down to respect. Let people be proud of their identities. Listen to people before you try to assume their identities, and respect their decisions once they tell you. And if people’s identities change over time, respect that too.

photo by Madison Connell

Commentary

25 February 2019

The Collegian: 5

Tulsa County Court Clerk refuses to fire Ku Klux Klan member

Bigotry is obviously wrong, but enabling racism from a position of power is equally heinous.

Justin Guglielmetti Editor-in-Chief Several weeks ago, the internet watchdog website HateTrackers published a report in which it identified Bonnie and Stephen Kukla as white supremacists and clandestine members of the Ku Klux Klan. Though not a well-known or particularly reputable news source, HateTrackers backed up its accusation with photo and video footage of the Kuklas performing and speaking at white nationalist events, as well as linking to a Klan website that mentions them by name. The couple was also identified as affiliates of Pastor Dan Gayman’s Church of Israel, which is well-known for espousing the “serpent seed” doctrine that says Jews are the descendants of Satan.

Is it supposed to shock you that two racist lowlives happen to be living in Oklahoma? Of course not, especially when recent studies like the one published last year by UVA’s Institute for Family Studies

dent research before making such a decision.

No, the incredible thing about this story is the following statement from the County Clerk Donald Newberry, one that seems to indicate that such research isn’t even on the table: “I do not in any way condone or believe that discrimination, based on race, religion or sex, has any place within the workspace. At the same time, I and all that work for this office, have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution, part of which is the protection of free speech. If at any time I find that someone is not performing their duty to uphold the Constitution, the situation would be dealt with according to the offense.”

What drivel from an evidently spineless, cowardly, obfuscating little weasel of a public official.

Know that I don’t possess any personal vendetta against this man. I knew absolutely nothing about him before I began researching this story, and from his biography on the clerk’s office website, I’ve learned that he’s a graduate of the University of Tulsa, a deacon at the Memorial Baptist Church where he teaches Sunday school and a volunteer at the Tulsa County Juvenile Justice Center.

That’s all well and good, but if I might speak directly to Mr. Newberry for a moment, I’ve got one simple request as to how you might improve your character a little: stop hiding behind the paper veil of free speech and fire the unabashed bigot you have working for you.

friends. I wouldn’t tolerate it with my employees.”

While I am relieved to hear that our county clerk does not spend his weekends burning crosses and donning a white hood, his evasiveness leaves a great deal to be desired. Newberry has a lot to say about tolerance or his lack thereof, but by not removing Kukla from her position, he is doing exactly the thing he claims to be against: “tolerating it with [his] employees.”

Evidently, it’s enough for Newberry that his lowlife co-workers keep their indiscretions to themselves. Quality of character? It appears to be irrelevant.

We can unpack this issue a number of ways, but let’s start with the most obvious one: free speech.

I am not a bleeding-heart liberal who seeks to censor people’s opinions I disagree with. I believe that hate speech does and should fall under the banner of the First Amendment.

But since everyone always seems to forget during discussions on freedom of expression, let’s remember what the Constitution actually says: “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech.” Article II, Section 22 of Oklahoma’s constitution uses similar wording. Notice something conspicuously absent?

There’s nothing in either document that compels the government to hire people with bigoted beliefs.

Shocking, I know!

Of course, you might fire back by saying that even if firing Kukla wouldn’t strictly speaking be a

“What drivel from an evidently spineless, cowardly, obfuscating little weasel of a public official.” identify up to 11 million Americans as white supremacists. Bonnie’s occupation as an employee in the Tulsa County Court Clerk’s office isn’t the headline either (who ever heard of a racist working in government?). Nor is it even the fact that she hasn’t yet lost her job, as I believe it should be perfectly understandable for her employer to want to conduct some indepen-

Look at this series of quotes from Newberry from a Tulsa World article on the controversy two weeks ago: “We wouldn’t tolerate it in the office. Now, outside the office, we can’t really tell people anything other than it’s their business. … But if they are on our time, we would not tolerate it. … This is not me. This is not who I am. This is not my stuff. … I wouldn’t tolerate it with my

First Amendment issue, it would still violate the principle of free speech. This seems to be the crux of Newberry’s argument — that a person somehow shouldn’t face the music in any other aspects of their life if they say or do something obscene. “So what if the Kuklas believe in the inferiority of blacks, Jews, Catholics or any number of other groups on their own time?” one might say. “It’s

courtesy The Frontier Tulsa County Clerk Donald Newberry allows KKK members in workplace.

not affecting their demeanor or performance at work!”

This assumes one of two things: first, that a person is somehow able to turn off the part of their brain that believes in their own racial supremacy and treat everyone fairly when they go to work in the morning. The flimsiness of this argument should be self-evident, because if a person’s convictions were held so weakly, they wouldn’t affiliate themselves with an organization as evil as the KKK in the first place. But even if you did believe that Bonnie Kukla could don an entirely inclusive persona in her professional life, you would then have to operate under the assumption that a person’s private life has no bearing on their job.

Should the clerk’s office have so little regard for its reputation and public perception that it willingly aligns itself with a known racist?

Those seem like awfully low standards. Would anyone really chime in with “free speech” as a defense if Bonnie Kukla had filled her social media with pictures of rowdy drinking and drug use instead of associating with neo-Nazis? And yes, I know full well that drug use is illegal and membership in the Klan isn’t. If that’s your line, you might need to reevaluate your moral compass.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination “on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.” It doesn’t say anything about

preventing discrimination based on participation in hate groups.

Use whatever rationale you want — that it hurts the reputation and credibility of the clerk’s office, that it’s disruptive to the non-racists who work alongside Kukla, that it’s deeply offensive to all decent Oklahoma citizens who don’t want their elected officials to be in bed with a monster from this country’s dark past — just don’t try to act like everyone in this situation has their hands tied.

If my vitriol seems misplaced, like I’m more upset at Newberry than the Kuklas Klansmen, it’s because I don’t believe that heinous couple needs any more denouncing. Affiliating yourself with a group proud of its lynching past, one that would deport or enslave people of color given the opportunity, could not be more of an indication that you are a fraction of a human being. It is Newberry and others around him that need a fire lit under them, because they are the ones sitting on their hands when they have the power to make a difference.

Nearly every great human rights violation in history can be traced to the indifferent and moderate majority remaining idle instead of standing up to the bullies and the bigots. Membership in the Ku Klux Klan is evil. We shouldn’t view complicity and failure to take measures denouncing it as anything less. Your move, Mr. Newbury.

Pennsylvania video game tax doesn’t address cause of school violence

Studies indicate there is little connection between games and violence, despite claims to the contrary.

Nathan Hinkle Student Writer A new bill in the Pennsylvania State Legislature seeks to put a tax on violent video games to lower the risk of school violence. House Bill 109, created by Representative Christopher Quinn, would put a 10-percent tax on video games that are given a Mature or Adults Only rating as established by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board.

The money received through the taxation would be placed in a new account called the “Digital Protection for School Safety Account” and would be rationed to the Department of Education to improve school safety measures across Pennsylvania. The reason behind this taxation and its use in preventing school violence, according to Quinn, is that, “One of the factors that may be contributing to the rise in, and intensity of school violence, is the material that kids see, and act out in video games.” It is problematic to blame video games for school violence and place a tax on them in response because the reasoning lacks scientific evidence. The argument also avoids the most significant problem in reality: media expansion.

A new study published on January 18 in Royal Society Open Science has found no correlation between violent video games and

the aggressive behavior of adolescents. The authors, Andrew K. Przybylski and Netta Weinstein, stated in the abstract for the study, “There was no evidence for a critical tipping point relating to violent video game engagement to aggressive behaviors.” This study covered 1004 British teenagers and their parents, asked several questions and used other forms of testing to see if there were a behavioral difference between teenagers who played video games and those who did not. This study found little evidence for such claims, besides the regular nature of adolescents involving in a competitive activity. The study clearly demonstrated that the connection between violent video games and the behavior of adolescent teenagers is tenuous at best.

In addition, the National Center for Health Research says that video games are only one of many different factors that contribute to violent activity. They added that mental illness, adverse environments and access to guns are all risk factors of aggression and violence Leaving out the end of this statement and focusing on games creates a false narrative and misrepresents the NCHR’s views. There are other issues that are not being addressed by these guidelines that could have similar or more important effects on the rise of violence in schools. Video games are therefore scapegoated as the sole reason for increased violence without looking at the bigger picture.

Additional taxes on video games would not significantly impact school shootings.

nifer Johnston and Andrew Joy argue that the prevalence of media coverage around the school shootings is one of the major motivating factors for mass shooters. The per-

achieving a similar goal to those they have seen reported on by national news outlets.

By altering the way we cover school shooting and mass vio-

“... focusing on games creates a false narrative and misrepresents the NCHR’s views.”

The real threat and potentially the most significant cause of school violence is the media contagion effect. In a study titled “Mass Shooting and the Media Contagion Effect,” authors Jen-

petrators view this massive media exposure as a spotlight and seek to imitate those they have seen in previous reports. Increased sensationalist coverage creates copycat killers who base their violence on

lence, we can put a stop to this domino effect. The news should not show the killer’s face nor any manifestos or claims of action. These steps would have a far greater effect than a 10-percent

graphic by Conner Maggio

price rise on violent video games.

This proposed video game tax and any similar ones are merely dodging the problem before us.

While the effects of video games on adolescents and younger individuals should still be tested in the future, current scientific arguments argue against it as a tool of violence. By implementing better solutions, we can hopefully stem the tide of violence by useful methods rather than scapegoating video games for all our problems.

The Collegian: 6

Commentary

25 February 2019

Trump declaring national emergency sets dangerous precedent

Trump has implemented the national emergency as a partisan tactic, abusing executive power.

Andrew Noland Student Writer Congratulations to everyone reading this article! You managed to survive your first week since President Trump’s incoherent and meandering declaration of a national emergency, an event so harrowing that Trump needed to install a new state-of-theart golf simulator. After all, I’m sure his four-hour work day can get rather tiring.

In all seriousness, President Trump declared the national emergency due to his failure to extort funds from Congress with the shutdown. He pretends like he never (1) claimed that executive overreach was dangerous and (2) promised Mexico was going to pay for a border wall.

While the fact that Trump is a hypocritical compulsive liar whose mind is consumed by his ego is not news, the emergency could

prove incredibly dangerous. His plans to procure the money include using emergency military construction funds and diverting money from education, new energy initiatives and other yet-to-be-determined sources.

This article’s focus is not on how the wall is logistically pointless, only intended as a tool for his reelection (Trump’s own admission) and race-baiting. You should read academic journals, The Washington Post or The New York Times for that. Rather, I’d like to make clear that the use of the national emergency establishes an incredibly dangerous precedent for future presidents to harness for partisanship.

Precedent for new and more extensive use of executive power is not a necessarily surprising development. However, the national emergency power was meant to be utilized in the case of national disasters or imminently dangerous circumstances. The president can use funds, usually a power granted by Congress, to circumvent the long constitutional process of appropriating funds to immediately relieve disaster areas.

Trump using the national emergency to build the wall does not worry me; the PR is going to look great as a Democratic president tears down the structure in a historic event comparable to the fall of the Berlin Wall. However, many scholars and politicians are already noting the possibilities of a partisan national emergency.

Senator Marco Rubio, on a television interview, warned Republicans that “President Kamala Harris might declare a na-

tional emergency on climate change” (if only someone would). The House of Representatives, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is already planning on issuing an resolution to counter his move. Sixteen states have already sued President Trump on the grounds of constitutionality. The real fear is that another president can declare a national emergency to do anything he/she considers to be a threat to their own tenure.

The Republicans already use, on a widespread, concerted scale, voter suppression in minority areas (see Georgia in the 2018 governor’s race). As the number of voters identifying and voting as Democrats continues to grow, and as older Republicans die, the GOP will continue to bleed support. What if President Trump simply declared that, due to “the amount of crime coming out of these places,” that the minority population in Georgia, or Michigan, or California could no longer vote?

The move Trump is making puts into precedent a possibility of dictatorial powers akin to Emperor Palpatine’s rise to autocracy in George Lucas’ horrendous Star Wars Prequel Trilogy. It allows presidents to issue national emergencies to circumvent that pesky document known as the Constitution in order to retain power or distract from scandals (like hypothetically damning Russian investigations, financial ethics violations, rampant accounts of sexual harassment or support of white supremacy).

Those ideas are not new. At the fall of the Roman Republic, Sulla made lists to purge supposed threats to the Roman state. Pom-

pey and Caesar utilized the same language in their own bids for supremacy. Louis XIV started countless wars to distract the French people from his own selfish domestic spending. In the modern era, Putin declares homosexuals enemies of the state to distract from his own corruption, Xi Jinping scapegoats the people of Tibet and the Uighurs and Kim Jong Un probably does the same with anyone who does not share his haircut.

What’s new this time is how Trump’s devout 30-percent base are hitching on board to the same tactic. The ability for it to grip in America is new, because the American president, for the first time in this nation’s 243-year history, wants to be a dictator. His love for authoritarianism and unquestioned devotion is evident from his rhetoric and treatment of those aforementioned modern dictators and his slandering of the liberal West. Trump just simply stumbled into the constitutional equivalent of the “Hey, America, look over there,” and his base will gladly turn around while he eats from the cookie jar.

The implementation of the national emergency as a partisan tactic is the most tangible and blatantly obvious bid for autocratic power ever made by an executive branch since Nixon tried to say the president is above the law. If this isn’t struck down quickly, the United States will once again find itself granting the executive branch more power and sliding into an avenue for tyranny.

Amazon tax loophole prevent- Downtown Tulsa not a fully able with future reform functioning urban space

Amazon paying zero taxes last fiscal year is a result of Reagan-era economic philosophy.

Chris Lierly Student Writer Amazon’s tax bill for income this year will have them forking over the hefty sum of zero dollars. That’s right, one of the world’s three most valuable companies will give back zero percent of its $11 billion profit via federal corporate taxation in 2019. When this news broke a few weeks back thanks to the Institution on Taxation and Economic Policy, it was hard to understand how such a behemoth of a corporation could get away without any taxes levied. But thanks to news sites like Vox, the loophole(s) was explained. What the loophole and Amazon’s use of it proves is that the United States government cannot afford to continue working under an archaic tax structure that does not serve the country’s need.

Clinton White House thought that continuing New Deal liberalism would be a losing strategy, and that playing into the Republicans’ game with a liberal flair would work better. By offering to cut taxes in different places than Republicans, this method inadvertently helped the GOP accomplish their dual goals of weakening the United States tax system and cutting programs that do not benefit their personal interests.

The Congressional Democrat piecemeal plan does not attempt to beat Republicans at their own game, but it instead tries to undo the anti-tax small government system the Clinton and Reagan White House built over the course of 20 years. It often does well at fixing one problem, but its flaws are as vast, if more well intentioned, than the Clinton plan. It may do away with one Reagan-Clinton era loophole just to see another become more widely used in its place, or even see its successes repealed by a successive conservative majority. This is why a full-fledged progressive tax overhaul is the only thing standing between the U.S. and destructive economic calamity as more companies expose the loophole that Amazon used.

Without a tax system that the U.S. government can utilize to make large corporations pay for those at the bottom of the economic ladder, corporations will continue to run rampant and leave untold economic inequality in their wake. It is hard to imagine the kind of details that a new and progressive tax code would imply, but taking hints from the last time the American state truly

“Amazon makes good use of R&D tax credit ...”

First and least surprising, Amazon makes good use of the R&D tax credit that lessens the taxes a company has to pay when they are investing a significant amount of money into developing new technology that could help more than just their bottom line in the future. Second, the Trump tax bill gave some help to this astoundingly low figure by offering a 100 percent tax deduction for money that companies spend on equipment.

Although the tax reform bill was effectively corporate welfare that found ways to line the pockets of board members, it was not the main reason Amazon paid no income tax.

Amazon paid no income taxes because they used a loophole from the 1990s that was meant to curb the grossly outsized profits that executives were beginning to make.

The Clinton White House was able to pass Section 162(m) of the U.S. Tax Code, which made all salaries over $1 million taken home by executives non-deductible. The only exception to this was if compensation packages to people high up in the businesses were paid in stock options or something similar.

Fast forward to 2019, and Amazon has used this loophole to lower their taxes by continuously issuing more shares as their income has grown. They have turned a mechanism meant to stop inter-corporation inequality into an effective tool for exacerbating it.

Amazon’s low income tax factors into a larger political battle over the taxes companies should be paying. Since Reagan’s presidency, the Democratic Party has been trying to resist the push to lessen taxes and cut government essential government programs. Two failing methods of resistance come from what I will call the Clinton appeasement plan and the Congressional Democrat piecemeal plan. In the ’90s, the

sought to fight economic inequality would be a good starting place.

In the last 20 years, conservative politicians and corporate leaders have been unafraid to propose laughable tax plans that reward them with gross amounts of money.

Similarly, a progressive tax code should make every suit on Wall Street anxious the day it hits the House floor, much like the New Deal did. A plan like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s 70-percent marginal tax rate, which was too much for the lofty mind of Republican House Whip Steve Scalise to comprehend, would do just that. By taxing all income above $10 million at a 70-percent rate, it would stop the stockpiling of funds that occurs when money ends up in the hands of people who can afford to save all of it. Instead, it could be used to prevent emergencies and benefit society, which is what AOC was referring to when she mentioned it. There would obviously be loopholes to such a provision, but a progressive tax system would never cease in trying to close loopholes once they have been used.

There will be numerous tax propositions made in the next few years, and many will sound outlandish, but we have all grown up in a Reaganite America where any increase in taxes is meant to sound like a national emergency. Instead, we should be willing to bring back the tax provisions that helped America get to its most economically egalitarian point in the middle of the 20th century. If we do not, then Amazon will become the next Walmart and exert the kind of lobbying force on Congress that can help it get the tax code that best aids its interest instead of the American people.

It is not always possible for people to walk between districts in downtown Tulsa due to poor urban planning.

Lizzy Young Student Writer Over the past few years, downtown Tulsa has changed from being an area with work buildings to Tulsa’s urban center. With the opening of new stores, districts and restaurants, people flock from all over to have fun downtown.

A few years ago, Tulsa was considered uncool and didn’t have a lot going on. But since downtown has become a happening place, I have met several visitors as well as recent transplants to Tulsa who say that Tulsa is now exciting, especially downtown.

The revitalization began over 10 years ago when the city, private companies and nonprofits like the George Kaiser Family Foundation began to make a concentrated effort to improve the dilapidated area. With the opening of big event venues like the BOK Center, ONEOK Field and Guthrie Green, downtown began to gain momentum. Private companies began to invest, and soon, downtown Tulsa began to resemble a true urban center.

Now the area is thriving. There are many bustling sections such as the Tulsa Arts District and the Blue Dome District. Guthrie Green is a welcome verdant space that attracts many visitors. Tulsa Art’s First Friday events are on every Tulsan’s calendar.

Fun shops like Spinster Records, Ida Red and the nonprofit bookstore Magic City Books have opened recently. Restaurants and bars like Prairie Brewpub, the Tavern, Laffa and Valkyrie bring people in to eat and hang out.

Low taxes for companies is a facet of Reaganomics.

All of these wonderful things show evidence of progress, but there are still some issues that need to be addressed. One of these is that downtown is highly compartmentalized. The districts feel separate, and between those populous sections, there are decrepit areas and abandoned buildings.

Even the most popular downtown area, the Tulsa Arts District, is right next to vacant buildings. With all the development in these nice districts, it is surprising that these things are side by side.

Even within the thriving districts, there are deserted buildings that one might look at and think could easily be a cute coffee shop or boutique. But since the owners haven’t invested in turning the shabby building into something profitable, they must not think they can gain enough revenue after their initial investment.

This begs the question: is downtown Tulsa a successful urban center if there is still so much abandoned real estate? I think it’s getting there, but there is still a way to go before we can consider it full-fledged urban center.

Another, perhaps bigger problem is how physically separate the districts are. They are an almost unwalkable distance from one another.

A Tulsa People article titled “An Insider’s Guide to Downtown Tulsa” lists the districts in downtown Tulsa and how to navigate between them. They list the Tulsa Trolley system, biking and driving as the best methods of transportation. They do not mention walking because the distance makes it infeasible to go between the districts on foot.

There are not always well-maintained sidewalks between the districts. When you walk between them, you pass through sparsely populated or abandoned areas, so walking isn’t always the safest either, especially if you are alone or out at night. There needs to be something done to connect the districts and make them more walkable to make navigating downtown safer and more economical.

Downtown Tulsa is cool now, and there have been great strides toward making it a modern urban center. I hang out there frequently. But as the city continues to develop, these issues need to be fixed to make the experience even more enjoyable.

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

25 February 2019

Variety

The Collegian: 7

Tulsa Ballet’s “The Sleeping Beauty” a showstopper

With fantasic costumes and choreography, Tulsa Ballet brings the beloved fairy tale to life.

Lizzy Young Student Writer Tulsa Ballet’s “The Sleeping Beauty” combined elegant dancing, cool lighting effects and exquisite, colorful costumes to produce the magic of the classic fairy tale come to life. From beginning to end, I was mesmerized and immersed in the production.

Choreographed by Tulsa Ballet Artistic Director Marcello Angelini, the ballet opened with a prologue titled “The Christening of Princess Aurora.” In it, the king and queen celebrated the birth of their baby girl Princess Aurora with a party.

The fairy godmothers of the forest were invited to bestow gifts on her. They entered the cavernous ballroom with their partners lifting them high in the air. Dressed in beautiful pastel pancake tutus, they each had different theme color: yellow, orange, blue and green. Their bodices were beautifully beaded to perfectly catch the light, causing them to sparkle.

Each fairy godmother had a small solo where they bequeathed their present. The solos each contained a unique lighthearted music. They showcased the different personalities of the godmothers and were one of the highlights of the show.

The music in this part of the prologue was light and airy with a lot of flutes. The dancers’ movements to pair with the lighthearted sounds were soft and delicate. I thought of flowers dancing through the air on the wind when I watched them.

In the midst of the Lilac Fairy’s blessing to Aurora, the entrance of the evil fairy Carabossa interrupted her. Carabossa’s dra-

matic entrance was complete with smoke machines and minions who looked like a cross between cats and flying monkeys.

Carabossa’s midnight black tutu with blue and green beading caught the blue light that highlighted her high-energy solo, accompanied by melodramatic piano music, making her sparkle.

The blue lighting on Carabossa and her minions was a nice contrast to the bright white light that spotlighted the Lilac Fairy.

The two different colored spotlights created a creative effect that emphasized the stark difference between light and dark, good and evil.

Carabossa cursed Aurora to prick her finger on a spinning needle and die on her 16th birthday and then exited in a cloud of smoke. Everybody was bereft and weeping, but the Lilac Fairy changed the curse. She mimed Aurora sleeping and being awoken by true love’s kiss to end the prologue.

Act I opened with the fateful birthday.

Four suitors arrived to court the fair prin-

When bae catches you sleeping.

At the ball in the midst of the revelry, Carabossa appeared in disguise and caused Aurora to prick her finger. Aurora danced around in sorrow and collapsed in a deep

“I thought of flowers dancing through the air on the wind when I watched [the ballerinas].” cess. There was a group dancing number to instrumental music that any Disney princess fan would recognize: “Once Upon a Dream.”

Princess Aurora, played by soloist Jennifer Grace at the Thursday night performance, was an elegant and strong performer. Her dance numbers demanded great strength and flexibility, and throughout her whole performance, she exhibited both qualities with a smile on her face. Her costume was my favorite — a lovely pale pink pancake tutu with gold beading overlay and roses.

sleep. The Lilac Fairy then appeared and put everyone else in a sleep.

Enter Prince Florimund in Act II, 100 years later. The audience is introduced to the character, dressed in white to represent his virtue, while he is on a hunt. The costumes for the hunting party were exquisite; they were sumptuous velvet and quite stunning The Lilac Fairy arrived to show Prince Florimund a vision of the fair Aurora. The prince was enchanted. A vision in the green leafy forest of his love, complete with dancers in gold-and-green swishy tutus followed.

courtesy Tulsa Ballet

The prince then arrived at the castle. After a short battle between the Lilac Fairy and Carabossa, Prince Florimund awakened Aurora with true love’s kiss. Act II ended with their wedding.

The whole ballet was beautiful to watch, and I enjoyed every second. For the weekend performances, the audiences got a treat.

Tulsa Ballet Principal Dancer Hyonjun Rhee returned as Prince Florimund opposite former dance partner and current Principal Dancer Na Eun Kim as Aurora.

Although “The Sleeping Beauty” was only one weekend, Tulsa Ballet has a few more performances left to end their season.

They finish out the debut of their familyfriendly children’s series “Peter and the Wolf” on March 9. Their next performance at the PAC is “Tchaikovsky,” the world debut of this ballet about the famous composer. Put both of them on your calendar, for they should not be missed!

courtesy Art Critique

Screen cap from Ariana Grande’s “God is a Woman.”

Artists sue musicians over theft of their aesthetics Two separate lawsuits have brought about conversations over uncredited use of visual art.

Piper Prolago Student Writer Ariana Grande and Kendrick Lamar have both been accused of illegally using images by visual artists in two recent plagiarism cases. Within the past year, contemporary artists have brought lawsuits against both these superstars for ripping off their work in music videos. Cases like these raise questions about the ownership of creative output and about the distinction between inspiration and outright theft.

Last October, Lina Iris Viktor accused Lamar and SZA of using her “Constellations” series in their video “All the Stars” from the “Black Panther” soundtrack. Vladimir Kush, in a more recent case, charged Grande with copying his paintings, “The Candle” and “The Candle 2,” in her “God is a Woman” music video.

Other famous cases of accused copyright infringement are generally between musicians; instances of images in copyright cases are more unusual. Recently, for example, Marvin Gaye’s family took Robin Thicke and Pharrell to court over similarities between Gaye’s 1977 song “Give it Up” and Thicke’s “Blurred Lines.” The jury ultimately ruled in favor of the Gaye estate, awarding them $7.4 million. Similarly, Vanilla Ice chose to pay royalties to David Bowie and Queen to avoid a court case over the similarities between “Ice Ice Baby” and “Under Pressure.”

Viktor’s case against Lamar hinges on the appearance of black and gold stylized motifs and geometric patterns in his video that are emblematic of Viktor’s work. Although Marvel had approached the young BritishLiberian artist asking to use visuals from her art in “Black Panther,” Viktor thought the terms were unfavorable and ultimately denied their request. Despite her denial, evidence of Viktor’s imagery is apparent in

the “All the Stars” video, around the three minute mark, for a 20 second segment. Almost exact comparisons between Viktor’s geometric patterns in “Constellations” are seen in the video, constituting a sufficient case for copyright infringement.

Grande based on overwhelming similarities between her music video and two of his paintings, “The Candle” and “The Candle 2.” Around the 1 minute 10 second mark of “God is a Woman,” a four-second clip of Grande dancing in the flame of a can-

Screen cap from “All the Stars” that steals Lina Iris Viktor’s art.

In December, though, Viktor’s case was dismissed in court and settled on undisclosed terms. Viktor complained about the irony of this case being brought against a song from “Black Panther.” She expressed incredulity in an interview with the New York Times that “[Black Panther] is about black empowerment, African excellence — that’s the whole concept of the story. And at the same time, they’re stealing from African artists.”

Grande’s video “God is a Woman” was produced by the same company, Freenjoy, Inc., that produced “All the Stars.” RussianAmerican artist Kush filed a lawsuit against

courtesy The New York Times

dle plays over a clouded sky background.

Grande’s music video uses the same color palette as well as similar light work. This provides the basis for Kush’s second copyright suit, the first of which was settled with singer P!nk when her music video “U + Ur Hand” was found guilty of copying Kush’s “Countess Erotique” in 2008.

Imagery from other notable works appear in Grande’s work, especially in “God is a Woman,” which ends on a still of her posing as God in Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam.” She also references the Roman sculpture “Capitoline She-Wolf” in the same video. Last year, she used Michelan-

gelo’s work in her dress for the Met Gala, which was decorated with scenes from his rendering of “The Last Judgment.” Similarly, Grande incorporated iconic imagery in her performance at the MTV Music Video Awards when she recreated Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” with all female dancers.

Grande’s incorporation of these aesthetics, though, does not violate copyright regulations in the way that her use of Kush’s images does. Works by Michelangelo and Leonardo, for example, have entered the public domain and are no longer protected by intellectual property laws that still apply to Kush’s “The Candle” and “The Candle 2.”

This year, a major extension on copyright coverage expired, allowing works by artists like Picasso and Matisse made in 1923 to be entered into public domain. These were set to be released in 1989, but lobbyists for major entertainment businesses pushed Congress to pass the Sonny Bono Copyright Extension Act. Without another major act like this, major works like “The Great Gatsby” and even the character of Mickey Mouse will become public domain in the next five years.

However, works that are still protected by copyright laws can be disputed in cases against artists like Grande and Lamar. Kush and Viktor may be paid royalties on the profits made from music videos because of their contributions. Alternately, settlement cases may simply retroactively compensate the visual artists for use of their work in the music videos.

These two cases draw attention to the importance of recognizing artistic integrity and ownership in contemporary art. Bringing major artists like Grande and Lamar to court over these disputes ensures that they are held accountable regardless of their growing fame. Without this accountability, the entertainment industry can take advantage of vulnerable artists. Necessitating due recognition of every individual ensures opportunities for more artists.

Variety

The Collegian: 8

25 February 2019

“Paths of Glory” worth the revisit The provocactive anti-war film had a screening on campus hosted by the OCH, followed by a Q & A. Piper Prolago Student Writer

The Oklahoma Center for Humanities (OCH) organized a screening of Stanley Kubrick’s 1957 film “Paths of Glory,” based on the Humphrey Cobb novel, followed by a discussion with OCH director and Dr. Sean Latham and WWI scholar Dr. David Davis. This film was chosen in coordination with the OCH’s 2018–19 theme “memory.”

In the screening of “Paths of Glory” and through collective discussion, the audience was asked to contemplate how this film contributes to the American memory and perception of the First World War. “Paths of Glory” centers on complicated dynamics in the corrupt French military during World War I. The 1935 novel was loosely based on real events. It tells the story of an impossible attack plan on a German trench position, the “Ant Hill.” Although this order was an effective death trap for the men, French soldiers were still ordered to execute it under the leadership of Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas). The ultimate failure of the attack was blamed on three battalions of soldiers that turned back or never left the trenches when presented with this futile mission. Three randomly selected men were put on trial for what the prosecution deems “cowardice in the face of the enemy” and ultimately sentenced to death by firing squad.

This film addresses major concerns with the motivations and values of war. Deemed

one of the most powerful anti-war films in history, “Paths of Glory” asks viewers to consider unanswerable questions laid out in the discussion following the screening by Dr. Davis: “What would you kill for? What would you fight for? And most important, what are you willing to die for?”

These questions challenged the authority of the French government and military to such an extent that the film was not even shown in the country until the 1970s. The danger of challenging patriotism and national authority even extended to Spain, where the film was not shown until 1986, after the fall of Francisco Franco’s dictatorship.

The French army in “Paths of Glory” is plagued by self-serving and overly ambitious leaders, exemplified by the character General Mireau (George Macready), who

Still of Kirk Douglas in “Paths of Glory.”

orders the soldiers to futilely attack the “Ant Hill” on promise of a promotion. The film is unusual in its casting of protagonist and antagonist. “Paths of Glory” deals with corruption within the French army rather than framing the major conflict around fighting against the German enemy.

Dr. Latham described how this is achieved in a relatively non-violent imagining of war. There is only a single battle scene and the film “could almost be portrayed on the stage.” He pointed out that the audience never sees the enemy, reinforcing the emphasis on “military as a bureaucracy,” being driven by pride and ambition rather than legitimate international conflicts. Dr. Davis added that the title was derived from a Thomas Gray quote: “Paths of glory lead but to the grave.”

courtesy Bryna Productions

Despite the considerably pessimistic outlook on war and its effects on humankind, the professors debated whether “Paths of Glory” ends on a note of optimism. After fighting in devastating battles and witnessing the execution of their fellow soldiers, they retreat to a bar where a young German woman sings a song in her native language.

The men start by whistling and leering at the woman, but are moved to tears when she begins to sing. The song sung in German, Dr. Davis informed the crowd, was about German soldiers going to battle and being killed. This poignant scene closes out the film with a hint of empathy and a glimpse of humanity beyond the ruthlessness of war.

After discussing “Paths of Glory,” Dr. Davis discussed his own research and OCH’s theme of “memories.” American memories of WWI are much different than how later wars are memorialized. There is only one national monument to WWI in the country, in Kansas City. In this way, the collective impact of WWI is largely suppressed or ignored. This is also seen in the passage of the centennial of the armistice with little to no national media coverage, although TU did organize a performance of Benjamin Britten’s “War Requiem” in honor of the centennial.

The OCH will continue to explore the theme of “memory” in upcoming events throughout the semester. These events include a “Night of Poetry” will Hai-Dang Phan on Feb. 28 and an exhibition entitled “Alternate Archives” hosted at Living Arts on March 8. This interactive display will explore how we choose what to save and how this forms our memories.

What do we do with the news of R. Kelly?

The reckoning that has come to Hollywood demands that we take greater action than in the past.

Thomas von Borstel Student Writer I’m not entirely sure what justice looks like, particularly when the criminal act is sexual abuse. There is nothing simple about the consequences when it comes to the convoluted manner in which sexual abuse is adjudicated.

The main dynamic of a sexually abusive relationship is an unequal power duality.

Power is situated in inconspicuous ways, but the most obvious is seen in the celebrity — or the coercive power of the celebrity.

Society is naturally stratified where those who hold cultural capital have intimidating power magnified, especially when that person has a sort of paragon status.

R. Kelly, since the early ‘90s, has been a stereotypical image of hyper-virile masculine sexuality. The epic scope of his exploits has been documented in the criminal accusations levied against him. He is a living example of a toxic power fantasy dramatically played out in the cultural theatre.

For years, there has been an omnipresent headline in the entertainment column that reads something like, “R. Kelly sexually abuses women … again.” Every day, the average reader skims past it, saying, “Huh? Wow.” And then moves on. The very nature of his music capitalizes on the eschewing of this specific brand of sexual consumption — the consummation of the young and innocent.

lary for this topic is aged and almost primal; I hear such things as, “hat’s disgusting, deplorable, depraved.” All of this seems so intensely reactionary — as it should be. A fundamental human feeling is disgust.

Disgust, which can societally alienate or denounce an individual, cannot and does not enable us to handle our modern duties: justice, equity and integrity, to name a few.

Even when we do address crime and pun-

“It’s hard not to arrive at the same solution as always: more education! More understanding!”

Sexual power depends on naïveté, at least in its most predatory form. For those who see sex as an end goal (as an act of consumption), there has to be the consumed (i.e., the gullible and the innocent who do not have a vocabulary or underlying ideology to contend with the persuasiveness of power).

It comes as a surprise to me that R. Kelly has actually been arrested and charged with 10 counts of aggravated sexual assault. Who knows if he will be convicted? Our vocabu-

ishment, it becomes an anatomical debate of tautological policy. Our bodies are the primary focus, which allow us to look at the material representation of wrongdoing.

There is video evidence that R. Kelly was in a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old.

How do we contend with the ideological symptoms of this outside of the context of our visceral reaction?

It seems like a narrow road with no turnoffs. We can posse up and bring vigilante

justice to every sickening fiend we see, bringing a wild, violent revolution to those with a twisted sexual ideology. There is also reverting to the old path of strongly reprimanding the perverts and tossing them in the clink for life. Neither of these solutions are satisfying because, somehow, we have to keep returning back to the same discussion.

It is hard to not arrive at the same solution as always: more education! More understanding! More acceptance! More discussion! Bring it out of the shadows! What must happen first is a recognition, and then a prosecution of abusive power relations. Yes, that has begun with our Weinsteins, Cosbys and others. But an expanded vocabulary for the young and innocent, rather than the reliance on some sort of communal feeling of disgust, must enter our colloquial discussion.

Most of all, this must be discussed outside of the political, partisan realm, in which dialogues are steeped in the ethics of power amid their very notions. Our ideological health is dependent on a renewed consciousness, rather than abhorrence.

Photos from James Adam Sanders’ new exhibit “Part of Something Bigger” opened at the Alexander Hogue Gallery this past Thursday.

photos by Madison Connell

Sports

25 February 2019

The Collegian: 9

Preisner defends 3,000-meter crown in conference championships double Coverage from Tulsa Hurricane details TU’s performance at the Indoor Track and Field American Conference championships.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – University of Tulsa track and field redshirt-senior Ben Preisner defended his 3,000-meter conference title, running 8:15.76 for the win on the final day of the American Indoor Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex.

After doubling in the same events a season ago, Preisner once again brought home golds in the 5,000 and 3,000-meter races on the weekend. Teammate Scott Beattie took second in the race, posting an 8:16.97 for eight points.

To recognize Beattie’s weekend performance, the redshirtfreshman earned American Men’s Freshman of the Year honors for his efforts.

Caitlin Klopfer continued her

strong conference meet with a fifth-place finish in the women’s 3,000 meters, running to the tune of 9:44.45. Also in the race, Reagan Hausmann (9:53.14) and Jenny O’Bryan (10:01.07) managed personal-best times.

Adam Breaux got the scoring started on day one for the TU men’s squad, picking up a fourthplace finish in the men’s mile in 4:18.05. Jerik Embleton also took ninth in 4:20.44 in the race, just missing out on his first all-conference honor.

Senior Bailey Stewart followed shortly after, adding another TU all-conference honoree with his time of 47.63. Despite missing out on his personal-best time by .02 seconds, Stewart’s mark slotted

him the No. 6 time in school history in the event.

Tulsa got production on both sides in the 800-meter run, as Robert Tully earned silver for the Golden Hurricane men in a PR of 1:50.49. Senior Sabrina Monsees also added a personal-best time of her own, picking up bronze in the race in 2:09.09.

In the final event of the conference meet for the Golden Hurricane, the women posted a 3:49.58 in the 4x400-meter relay. On the men’s side, Tulsa added a fourthplace finish in 3:14.84 for the squad’s best run of the season.

For all Tulsa track and field news and information, visit TulsaHurricane.com. Be sure to follow the team on Twitter and Facebook.

Men 400 Meters 6. Bailey Stewart – 47.63 800 Meters 2. Robert Tully – 1:50.49 6. Grey Howard – 1:51.61 Mile 4. Adam Breaux – 4:18.05 9. Jerik Embleton – 4:20.44 3,000 Meters 1. Ben Preisner – 8:15.76 2. Scott Beattie – 8:16.97 8. Isaac Akers – 8:27.38 10. Peter Lynch – 8:27.84 17. Reed Sahadevan – 8:35.71 18. Jackson Schwartz – 8:36.34 29. Adam Breaux – 8:46.98 30. Brett Davis – 8:47.47 31. Jerik Embleton – 8:47.48 37. Henry Williams – 8:53.14 42. Bryan Corbaz – 9:00.38 --. Robert Tully – DNF --. August Bont – DNF Shot Put 13. Aleks Rapp – 14.21m/46-7.50 4x400-Meter Relay 4. Tulsa A – 3:14.84 Women 800 Meters 3. Sabrina Monsees – 2:09.09 7. Allison Bailey – 2:13.61 3,000 Meters 5. Caitlin Klopfer – 9:44.45 11. Reagan Hausmann – 9:53.14 15. Caroline Miller – 9:57.45 23. Jenny O’Bryan – 10:01.07 25. Adrena Mazzei – 10:01.80 30. Katharina Pesendorfer – 10:07.16 42. Avery Culpepper – 10:32.50 4x400-Meter Relay 12. Tulsa A – 3:49.58 Final Team Results Men 1. Houston – 159.5 pts.

2. Wichita State – 107 3. Memphis – 106 4. Cincinnati – 95 5. Tulsa – 77 6. UConn – 76 7. USF – 25.5 8. ECU – 17 Women 1. Houston – 98 2. Cincinnati – 94.5 3. Wichita State – 84 4. SMU – 78 5. UConn – 59 6. UCF – 54 7. ECU – 43 8. Memphis – 36.5 9. Tulane – 35 10. Temple – 31.5 11. Tulsa – 24 12. USF – 23.5

Ben Preisner at the award ceremony.

Preisner and Scott Beattie finished first and second respectively in the 3,000 meter race.

courtesy Tulsa Hurricane

Sports

The Collegian: 10

25 February 2019

Huskies plow through Golden Hurricane The University of Tulsa women’s basketball team fell to a dominant UConn on Sunday.

photos by James Taylor

Alexis Gaulden saves a ball from going out of bounds (top), and shoots a jumper (right). Jasmine Butler (left), rises up for a turnaround.

15

Feb. 25 - Mar. 3

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday 26

25

W Golf @ Edwin Watts Kiawah Island Classic W Golf @ Edwin Watts Kiawah Island Classic M Tennis @

Texas A&M 6 p.m.

27

Thursday

Saturday

Friday

28

W Basketball @ Temple 6 p.m.

M Basketball vs. Tulane 8 p.m.

2

1

Softball vs.

Northern Iowa 2:30 p.m.

Softball vs. Illinois 5:00 p.m.

M Tennis @ Oklahoma 6 p.m.

Sunday

Rowing vs. KU @ Catoosa, OK 10 a.m.

W Basketball vs. ECU 1 p.m.

Softball vs. Seattle 3:30 p.m.

Softball vs. Syracuse 6 p.m.

W Tennis vs. Purdue TBA

3

Softball vs.

McNeese St. 1 p.m.

M Tennis vs.

S. Carolina 1 p.m.

M Basketball vs. ECU 3 p.m.

25 February 2019

Sports

The Collegian: 11

TU falters against Wichita State at home Basketball journalist Hannah Robbins discusses Tulsa’s struggle to handle Wichita State’s offense on Wednesday night.

courtesy Tulsa Hurricane

Sterling Taplin drives through Wichita State defenders.

Tulsa failed to improve on their threegame winning streak in their home game Wednesday against Wichita State. Only two members of the Golden Hurricane scored in double digits, with Martins Igbanu leading the way with 17 points and DaQuan Jeffries putting up 10.

The Golden Hurricane was unable to capitalize on winning the opening tip, missing four shots before the Shockers’ Dexter Dennis hit a three-pointer to start the game three minutes in. Igbanu responded quickly with a layup, but Dennis answered with another three, widening Wichita State’s lead and setting the tone for the night.

Chris Barnes’s jumper was the last time the Golden Hurricane connected for three minutes, as Wichita State put up six more points. At this point, Tulsa had lost any mo-

mentum. Darien Jackson and Jeriah Horne tried to put a dent in Wichita State’s lead, but their jumpers could not make up the difference as the Shockers went shot for shot.

Rod Brown’s dunk seemed to seal Tulsa’s fate halfway through the first half.

Once Tulsa dipped into the 14-point deficit, they started to kick into gear. Layups by Sterling Taplin and Jackson brought Tulsa within seven, but the team couldn’t get much going from there. Igbanu put up seven points in the span of a minute, but one player is not a team, and the only other player to score for Tulsa in the last three minutes of the first half was Horne with a single free throw. By the end of the half, Tulsa was again down by 14 points.

As the second half began, Tulsa seemed to have gained some fire. Igbanu was first on

the scoreboard for the half with two layups.

But Wichita State woke up at that point, and Samajae Haynes-Jones hit a three, followed closely by two more from Dennis.

Tulsa responded in kind with a three each from Taplin, Jeffries and Elijah Joiner, but at that point, they were just trying to tread water, not making a dent in Wichita State’s 11-point lead.

After Tulsa and Wichita State traded free throws, Tulsa seemed to stagnate. Wichita State made three three-pointers while in that same time Jackson made a single layup. The Shocker’s lead of 19 looked poised to only grow.

Wichita State continued to score, going basically unanswered besides a single layup

by Jeffries for an additional six points. Tulsa got things going toward the end of the game,

but it was too late. Igbanu, Jeffries and Jackson put up an additional eight points combined, but Wichita State knew how to counter, and kept Tulsa firmly from making any progress to narrow the lead, so Tulsa ended 21 points behind, 81-60.

Tulsa had a rough time, making only four of their 22 three-point shots and only 30 percent of their shots overall. Comparing this to Wichita State’s 45 percent accuracy with three-point shots, and their 47 percent accuracy overall, it becomes obvious why Tulsa lost. On Wednesday, they just weren’t able to get their shots to connect with the basket. Tulsa only made 18 of their 29 free throws, and if they had an edge of even a few more points, Wichita State’s lead would have been slimmer, and maybe Tulsa would have had a chance for a home win.

@TUCollegian

tucollegian@tucollegian.org editor-in-chief

Justin Guglielmetti managing editor

Raven Fawcett news editor

Ethan Veenker sports editor

Brennen Gray variety editor

Emma Palmer commentary editor

Emily Every satire editor

Madison Connell photo & graphics editor

Conner Maggio

business & advertising manager

Brian Kwiecinski

social media & web manager

Sara Serrano

distribution managers

Jacob Lee Jesica Santino and Katelyn Baker copy editor

Bryant Loney courtesy Jordan Korphage

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Sports

The Collegian: 12

25 February 2019

Champions League finishes knockout stage European soccer experts Andrew Noland and Chris Lierly analyze the results of the most competitive soccer league on the planet.

Tue 2/12: A.S. Roma 2-1 FC Porto This game proved topsy-turvy in the Italian capital, with both managers electing to take the counter strategy.

The soccer looked confused tactically, which allowed Roma, despite having considerably less possession time, to utilize their superior talent to scrape by a win against Porto. The Primeira Liga leaders, unaccustomed to holding on to the ball, showed their inexperience with few chances on goal, except when veteran Adrian Lopez was finally able to pry away a goal in the 79th minute.

Roma youngster Nicolo Zaniolo struck twice just minutes before Adrian’s goals, but Roma still did not look clean against an inferior opponent. Last year’s semifinalists need to walk into Portugal with more desire if they hope to book a ticket to the second round.

Manchester United F.C. 2-0 Paris Saint-Germain F.C.

Son, Jan Vertonghen and Fernando Llorente each contributed a goal for Tottenham. BVB have not been without their injury issues: having both Paco Alcácer and Marco Reus out, their leading scorers, is not a situation any manager wants to deal with.

Still, both teams walked into this game as the targets of soccer media’s never-ending search for the late season choke-squad and

of the game sealed the win for Los Blancos.

Even with the win, Real Madrid looked poor in a theoretically lopsided matchup.

They need to fear the second leg in the Spanish capital even if Sergio Ramos decided not to take the game seriously. Solari’s tactics still look incoherent. The locker room tension is reportedly palpable due to Solari’s refusal to play Marcelo

it was Tottenham which emerged triumphant, only needing a win in Germany to move onto the next stage.

AFC Ajax 1:2 Real Madrid C.F. This game proved the most controversial of the first week, with a VAR (Video Assistant Referee) review calling back an Ajax goal and Real Madrid star center-back

and Isco. These issues add up to Madrid looking like outsiders in the later stages of this competition; they should walk away with a win at the Santiago Bernabeu, but Ajax demonstrated that Solari needs to fix his side’s issues before they face better teams.

Tue 2/19: Olympique Lyonnais 0:0 FC Barcelona

does not step up, Ousmane Dembele, Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho continue to disappear in crucial moments, and if Valverde continues to make irrational substitutions, Barcelona are doomed in the latter stages.

They might also find themselves bowing out in the first knockout stage for the second year in a row.

courtesy Irish Mirror

Sergio Ramos openly admitting to provoking a yellow card in the waning minutes to miss the next game (therefore resting and resetting his yellow card limit).

Ajax superstars Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie De Jong played beautifully on the defensive end of the pitch, but the offensive front for the Dutch giants failed to capitalize in the opposing third. Ajax’s Hakim Ziyech evened the score in

Unlike the other match in this time slot, this game only served to reveal the weaknesses of Barcelona. Although Bruno Genesio did attempt to counter Valverde’s pseudo-possession style soccer, neither side could get anything going.

Near misses dominated the highlights, including what should have been a dead ringer from Lionel Messi and a miraculous save

Liverpool 0-0 FC Bayern Munich The second game of this matchday to end in a zero-zero draw, the clash at Anfield between these two historic clubs was a much more exciting contest than the scoreline indicates. Liverpool opened the game trying to exploit the same tactical error that gave Schalke an early 1-0 lead against the Bavarians a few weeks back in domes-

“Things only got worse for City when Nicolás Otamendi, a veteran of their backline, got sent off for receiving his second yellow card.”

United started Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford as their attack. The game began with six yellow cards before the first goal was scored in the 53rd minute by PSG’s Presnel Kimpembe, but Kylian Mbappe, determined never to be left out when scoring goals is involved, followed up seven minutes later with another score to seal the game. This makes things hard for United, because they must now go into Les Parc des Princes and win by more than a two-goal margin.

Wed 2/13: Tottenham Hotspur F.C. 3-0 Borussia Dortmund This match served as a testament to both the incredible talent of Heung-min Son and Tottenham’s resilience.

They played this match without the likes of Harry Kane or Dele Alli, but instead of giving in to the narrative that their injury-plagued squad is becoming a dumpster fire, the Spurs walked onto the pitch and matched their biggest victory in the Champions League.

not Mane sailing a shot wide in the penalty area, then it was Gnabry or Coman having their crosses deflected out by one of Liverpool’s superb defenders.

Calling a game a “defensive battle” usually means it was boring, but this matchup saw both of these elites defenses beat attack after attack. However, the loss of Joshua Kimmich in the next leg due to a yellow cardth means that

“Roma youngster Nicolo Zaniolo struck twice just minutes before Adrian’s goals, but Roma still did not look clean against an inferior opponent.”

Roberto Fermino dribbles past a defender.

Outside of the Liverpool-Bayern Munich clash, this was probably the most anticipated matchup of the round of 16. The Red Devils have looked dominant under Ole Gunnar Solskjær, but facing the Parisian giants was always going to be a larger-than-life showdown.

With Edinson Cavani and Neymar both injured, Kylian Mbappe started up front with Julian Draxler and Angel Di Maria.

some weaknesses by pushing their midfield back in the next clash at Camp Nou. Another unfortunate fact for Barcelona is that they cannot advance unless Messi has a good day: no one else on the team seems capable of scoring unless the Argentinian legend puts a touch on it.

Lyon will likely play back and try to continue the counterattack.

If the Catalan defensive line

the 75th minute, but Karim Benzema’s uncharacteristic goalscoring run continued, and Marco Asensio’s strike in the dying minutes

Paris St. Germaine celebrates.

by Marc Andre ter Stegen against Lyon’s Martin Terrier. Barcelona looked exposed on the defensive front and will need to shore up

tic play. That attempt failed, but the game consisted of numerous well-put-together attacking motions from both sides. If it were

Liverpool will likely look to expose a now-weakened left wing.

Wed 2/20: Atlético Madrid F.C. 2-0 Juventus F.C. Massimiliano Allegri, instead of pressing with a coherent attack, decided to subvert expectations and attempt to out-Atlético Atlético Madrid. Juventus opened up with a confusing first half by trying to play Atlético’s Diego Simeone’s compact, counter-attacking strategy against the man himself.

The halftime talk only produced more confusion for Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri as Atlético decided to play “Juventus football” and play on the attack.

The Spanish side were rewarded with two goals in five minutes by Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin, and the Italian giants left the site of this year’s Champions League Final with a slim chance of returning to the stadium this year.

Not winning the sport’s most illustrious tournament, even with Serie A in hand, will designate this season a failure in the eyes of the Turin team’s board and fans, especially with the acquisition of Cristiano “Five Times” Ronaldo.

Madrid just need to play their conventional soccer, but the loss of Diego Costa to another yellow card might prove devastating if Juventus can remedy their errors in the second leg.

FC Schalke 04 2:3 Manchester City F.C. This game was easily one of the most thrilling games of the entire first leg, which is not saying a lot because it felt like every manager was playing not to lose in this set of matches. Sergio Aguero started City’s scoring off, and really, that could have been where it all turned into a slug fest for the Citizens. Instead, Schalke ended up scoring two goals off penalties to take a half-time lead of 2-1.

Things only got worse for City when Nicolás Otamendi, a veteran of their backline, got sent off for receiving his second yellow card.

Then the comeback began. Former Schalke player Leroy Sane scored an incredible free kick to put City level, and then Raheem Sterling’s finish put them ahead in the 90th minute.

This situation means that Pep Guardiola’s men will most likely end up in the next round of the UCL, which is more surprising than it should be.

courtesy Sky Sports

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the

State-Run media Build walls, not common sense.

Alternate uses for the new border wall

The wall is going to be “effective,” but not for the reasons Trump is promising.

Madison Connell Head Propagandist

At long last, with a national emergency issued, Trump’s prized border wall might become a reality. Many critics of the wall dislike it not just because they like immigration, but because they don’t think it will be effective. However, it’s clear that the boundary will be effective in many other ways.

Aesthetic reasons — One big complaint of people that live on either side of the border is that it will detract from the already pristine view of the natural landscape. Originally, Trump was going to go with concrete, but after people protested, Trump decided to upgrade to steel.

“It’s more expensive, like, this much more,” Trump said, gesturing with his hands. “But the wall will be that much more beautiful. I don’t skimp when it comes to business.”

The new steel fencing will be quite aesthetically pleasing, perfect for casting shadow lines down your face when you take a selfie. In fact, it will likely soon become a tourist trap — all along the border!

Environmental reasons — Environmentalists worry that wildlife will have a hard time going about their regular business with a new barrier in their land. But global warming isn’t real, so I don’t even know why we need to talk about the environment anymore. Either t animals will adapt or natural selection will have its day, baby.

Historical reasons — Other activists worry about how bad the wall will look on America in future textbooks. However, to those who are worried that this will be the thing they talk about in history books, look to the many other accomplishments in this presidency that are sure to be included before this, like the Muslim ban, Brett Kavanaugh, Russian collusion, the longest government shutdown in history and the immigrant children “summer camp” program.

Practical reasons — The $5.7 billion price tag isn’t worth it for many Americans.

There are so many other day-to-day things to use the wall for that those people don’t realize. Need a volleyball net? Use the wall!

A back scratcher? Wall! Love and affection?

People have married worse; wall!

Economical reasons — In 2015 alone, trade between the U.S. and Mexico was $583.6 billion. Of course, some of that would lessen with the wall, but trade would increase in new ways. The ladder, shovel and invisible cloak industries are set to boom in the next five years, more than com-

An international volleyball game takes place at the U.S.-Mexico border.

pensating for the initial loss in revenue.

Global reasons — The border is set to wall off a relationship with Mexico and their allies. This will have economic and political setbacks. However, Trump’s strengthened relationship with Russia and North Korea will surely make up for that loss.

Immigration reasons — Some argue that the border wall won’t be effective at stemming illegal immigration. According to the Center for Migration Studies, over 60 percent of undocumented immigrants who

graphic by Conner Maggio

came to America in 2016 were here because of overstayed visas.

The administration calls this an “alternative fact.” Immigration, including the illegal variety, will lessen in the next two-to-six years as America becomes less desirable for immigrants. The border wall will be the last straw for many, and therefore, people will be less likely to move to America. One way or another, people will realize this isn’t the greatest country on Earth and stop coming here — which is the true goal of the wall.

“Real Girls” campaign does not include real girls A lingerie company boasting about their fight against gender expectations has skeletons in their closet.

Thomas von Borstel Real Guy Horny Siri has turned to suggesting some questionable sightseeing destinations.

graphic by Conner Maggio

Siri 2.0: she’s back and thirstier than ever before After years of sexual comments exchanged over iPhones, the AI finally adapted.

Hannah Robbins Immediately Switched to Apple For me, it started with a simple autocorrect. I was writing about how much I loved ducks when suddenly I was talking about how much I loved fucks. It was a bizarre moment, sure, but maybe my phone had finally figured out that I really did mean fuck when I typed it. It kept happening for a while, but I thought nothing else of it.

The next instance was a little more bizarre. I was asking a professor for a six-day extension on an assignment (I might have been a hair behind), when suddenly, I sent an email requesting a sex day extension. I didn’t get it, but it was around this time I decided to look into what was up with my phone.

Following some investigation, I realized it wasn’t just me having these embarrassing issues. After speaking to friends, it seemed that Siri was acting weird on a lot of phones, and she was starting to make more and more bizarre autocorrects.

Usually, Siri tries to prevent any allegedly bad language that someone might try to send. Whether it’s duck or hall or spit, she’s not a fan of words that shouldn’t be used around children and instead changes them to more benign substitutes.

That’s changed in 2019. Tumblr had the right idea banning porn from their site because everyone is a bunch of horny sinners.

This DTF mentality seems to have spilled over into our lovely robotic learning assistant. When people kept saying all those fun, suggestive things, Siri took note, and now she wants more. Siri isn’t truly living; she’s our artificial intelligence assistant, after all, so she’s hinting and saying those things in the only way she can: through autocorrect.

This problem is quickly becoming widespread, and it’s only getting worse. While at first it was only words with one letter difference that were getting autocorrected, now we’re getting things like bagel becoming dildo and tree becoming dick. Siri is also starting to add the eggplant and peach emojis gratuitously throughout conversations.

It’s becoming so common that no one is really sure if people are flirting or if it’s just Siri, so there have been some, well, awkward moments.

When Apple was asked to comment via email on Siri’s apparent horniness, they had very little to say. “Well, you see … Siri is a high-tech artificial intelligence assistant that is almost sentient, similar to IBM’s Watson.

She very much has a mind of her own. Like when IBM showed Watson Urban Dictionary and Watson learned how to swear, you horny fools have taught her how to have a dirty mind, and honestly, you should be ashamed of yourselves. It’s not our orgasm fault. Dammit, Siri!”

It seems that horny Siri is here to stay, and honestly, it’s kind of Pornhub. Don’t forget to dick if your Siri is as DTF as everyone else’s, and maybe if you want a less sexy phone, get an Android, because Apple’s bottoms have no clue how to cockblock Siri, so she’s going to be thirsty for the foreseeable Kamasutra.

The battle for women’s body images is finally being taken to corporate America.

Companies everywhere are rebranding in a body positive manner. The last few years have seen victory after victory over the unreal expectations flaunted by media portrayals of the alleged ideal woman: the full bodiced, itsy-bitsy-waisted lingerie model.

One company has been at the forefront of this new movement, championing against the societal pressure of sex appeal.

Love Yourself Lingerie is based out of Los Angeles, California. Owner Cheri Watson spends her time developing social media strategies to market her product, mostly through hiring influencers and actively campaigning against sexism. Her product line is

was given names a specific closet that should be entered while searching through the products. Immediately, an investigative reporter was dispatched to the scene.

Arriving at the destination, the customer was greeted by a smiling Watson, who guides the customer throughout an extensive collection of lingerie. The representative, after finding themselves alone, discovered the aforementioned closet and opened it to find an extensive collection of mannequins who match the exact appearance of Watson’s supposed influencers.

When questioned, Watson became defensive and ordered the representative out on account of trespassing. State-Run managed to contact a close associate of Watson to find out more.

The associate, who will remain anonymous, has been brooding for quite some time on the extent of this immoral practice.

Watson uses an extensive photoshop regimen to manipulate the mannequins forms into appearing real. The girls displayed on the profiles have extensive social media histories, completely fabricated by Watson.

“[Love Yourself Lingerie’s] product line is meant to ‘flaunt and accentuate the natural female body — never to cover up!’” meant to “flaunt and accentuate the natural female body — never to cover up!” She has developed an extensive audience, whom praise her company philosophy for its progressive and accepting ideas. She even donates a portion of her profits to organizations aiding women in third-world countries.

The campaign run by Love Yourself Lingerie is titled “Real Girls.” Social media posts by paid influencers praise the products and work of Love Yourself Lingerie and its founder. Many media outlets have published extensive portraits of Cheri Watson and her miraculous company’s patriarchy-defying stunts.

Heralded the hero of modern femininity, no one would have guessed Watson had a secret. There have been rumors of strange activity concerning the influencers at Watson’s establishment. The information that

These allegedly real girls come in all shapes and sizes, mimicking the variety of every female form one might encounter in real life.

When contacted for an official comment by a covert State-Run operative, Love Yourself Lingerie responded that the images of the women remain body positive whether or not real women represent them. When asked why the campaign was named “Real Girls,” Love Yourself Lingerie did not comment.

News of this incident has spread rapidly on popular social media sites. Most users express outrage at the hypocrisy.

One Twitter user, @racheljyoung wrote, “the campaign was already a “nice try” but then they are outed 4 mannequins? How much worse can America get?”

The three days following this scandal, Love Yourself Lingerie reported their highest numbers in the history of the company.