2 March 2015

a student newspaper of the university of tulsa

march 2, 2015 issue 19 ~ volume 100

TPD Cyber Crimes division operates from TU campus Cyber Corps students assist, p. 4

By Michaela Flonard

TU’s campus hosts the cyber crimes divisions of the Tulsa Police Department and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI). The Collegian was asked not to report the places used by these agencies.

Both divisions transferred to campus around 2002, although the relationship between TU and the TPD started several years prior. “(TPD) kept coming here for help,” said Sujeet Shenoi, F.P. Walter Professor of Computer Science.

Eventually the Cyber Crimes Unit moved to campus. The OSBI followed soon after.

dents to u t s g n i r b l l ality wi u q E r o f s n ill, p. 3 b y p a r e Oklahoma h t version n o c e s o p p o OKC,

The divisions on campus investigate all types of crimes.

“Every crime has an electronic component,” said Shenoi, and “devices will always have electronic evidence.”

Students help when an organization asks. According to Sergeant Malcolm Williams, head of TPD’s Cyber Crimes division, students have been “instrumental with assisting (TPD) in technical expertises in our investigation.”

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Elias Brinkman / Collegian

the Collegian : 2

2 March 2015

Upcoming speaker used drill team to create positive environment for kids

Feb. 20 1:05 a.m.

Officers were dispatched to Lottie Jane Mabee Hall to investigate unusual noises coming from a vending machine. A work order was placed with the vending machine company to fix it.

was trying to locate their sibling. The student stated that both them and their sibling had been at the Kappa Alpha party when they had been separated. Officers located the sibling at the Kappa Alpha Fraternity House and called the student to reunite the siblings.

Feb. 21 8:20 p.m.

Officers were dispatched to investigate a hit and run accident. A student observed a vehicle back into another vehicle in a parking lot and then leave the scene of the accident.

Officers were able to make contact with the non TU affiliated driver and facilitated the exchange of insurance information.

2:30 p.m.

Officers were dispatched to a non-injury motor vehicle accident on the west side of the Tucker Drive loop near 11th Street.

Both parties refused medical treatment and declined EMSA. Officers facilitated the exchange of driver/insurance information.

Both vehicles were able to clear from scene without further assistance.

10:45 p.m.

Officers were dispatched to Mayo Village in response to a noise complaint. The reporting party stated that a group of people were causing a commotion in the breezeway below their apartment. Officers were unable to make contact with source of the complaint, but determined that an unknown group of students had “shotgunned” beer, and left the cans.

Feb. 24 10:41 a.m.

A Physical Plant employee contacted Campus Security in reference to a gas leak in the construction zone at the Hardesty Hall building. Oklahoma Natural Gas was contacted to the location to shut off the gas leak and Officers evacuated buildings in the areas. ONG arrived at the location and the gas leak was shut off. All the areas around the Hardesty Hall were reopened.

Feb. 22 12:29 a.m.

Officers were dispatched to investigate a highly intoxicated individual. Upon arrival they found a highly intoxicated student in 5th Place House who was acting incoherently and confrontational to the residents. The intoxicated student became combative with Security Officers, had to be restrained, and then subsequently transported, and booked into the David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center for Public Intoxication.

1:43 a.m.

Officers were dispatched to the 7th Street House to take information about a broken fire extinguisher case. The glass door of the case was missing with only fragments of glass found around the fire extinguisher. A suspect has been identified.

2:00 a.m.

Officers worked with members of the Kappa Alpha Fraternity to shut down their party.

Fraternity members were compliant with security officers and made all guests leave the house. Officers conducted a walk through of the house to ensure all guest had left.

2:15 a.m.

Officers observed TPD and EMSA arriving at Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. Upon officers arrival they made contact with a student who was helping care for a drunk student.

Due to drunk students condition EMSA transported him to Hillcrest hospital. Due to drunk students’ condition EMSA transported him to Hillcrest hospital.

3:50 a.m.

Officers were approached by a student who

3:25 p.m.

While on routine patrol Officers saw a homeless man sitting by the dumpster on the south side of the Henneke building. After advising him that he was on private property he left without any incident.

4:25 p.m.

While on routine patrol Officers saw a Fox 23 news reporter interviewing students on campus. After making contact with her she did not have permission from the university to be interviewing students on campus. I advised her that she had to leave campus and if she wanted to come back on campus she would have to call the university and get permission.

Courtesy Queen Latifah Show

Tawanda Jones (center left) founded Camden Sophisticated Sisters, a drill team and drumline. She has appeared on a variety of shows with her team and will visit TU on Tuesday.

Tawanda Jones, winner of the CNN Heroes Award and Oprah Winfrey’s Standing Ovation Award, will visit the University of Tulsa this Tuesday to discuss her work in New Jersey.

Kayleigh Thesenvitz Student Writer Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies, Dr. Jan Wilson, invited Tawanda Jones, founder of Camden Sophisticated Sisters, to discuss her organization and its significance in Camden, New Jersey and throughout the U.S. This event was organized by the Women’s and Gender Studies Program as part of their theme of events for the year.

Jones is the founder of Camden Sophisticated Sisters, a drill team and drumline designed to get youth off the streets and into a positive environment.

“Through this drill team, Tawanda is truly changing lives,” said Wilson.

The mission of CSS, which can be found on their website, is “to motivate, educate, discipline and empower our youth through the structure of a drill team and the performing arts.”

Dr. Wilson suggested that students should attend this talk to gain further understanding of the relevance of race and poverty in cities across the nation.

“Though experienced in different ways

and to different extents, many citizens in both Camden and Tulsa are negatively affected by the problems of poverty, racism, racial segregation, discrimination and inadequate social and educational services,” said Wilson.

Jones and her organization have received many nods from the media.

The drill team has been featured on Good Morning America, Dancing with the Stars and the Queen Latifah show, to name a few.

“She, and the members of the Sophisticated Sisters, are inspiring people all across the nation through their performances and television appearances,” remarked Wilson.

Though she won’t be bringing her dancers, Jones is going to make an appearance at TU’s campus.

Dr. Wilson’s hope for students that attend is that they “are inspired by Tawanda’s message that groups of people working together can have a lasting, positive impact on their communities and the individuals who comprise them.”

Jones will be speaking on Tuesday, March 3, at 5 p.m. in the Price and Turpen Courtroom located in John Rodgers Hall.

Attendance is free and open to the public, with a light reception beforehand.

Feb. 25 12:02 a.m.

A student witnessed two individuals, whom officers have not yet identified, removing items from the lobby of the Pat Case Dining Facility. A thorough search of the area, including an extensive video footage investigation, is ongoing.

4:00 p.m.

Officers were dispatched to investigate a hit and run accident in the Keplinger/ Rogers parking lot. Officers made contact with a faculty member who returned to the parking lot and found that their vehicle had been hit by another vehicle. There was no note left by the other driver or sign of the other vehicle in the area.

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

March 7, 2015 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Reynolds Center Practice Gym

You can still sign up!

Visit https://orgs.utulsa.edu/sa/admin/register.php to register Registration will be closing on February 27, 2015 Cinnabon breakfast will be provided and a lunch box to go.

Everyone who participates will receive a free pocket T-shirt.

After you register, an email containing your assignment will be sent closer to the date.

Learn more

NEWS

2 March 2015

the Collegian : 3

Oscar Ho Student Writer

Passports confiscated in France

Courtesy Oklahomans for Equality

Students will gather at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center in preparation for the LGBTQ High School Youth Day. The Equality Center is located at 4th St and Kenosha Ave in Tulsa.

Oklahomans for Equality to host event for LGBTQ youth at Capitol Oklahomans for Equality will be hosting an event at the State Capitol to address concerns over Rep. Sally Kern’s conversion therapy bill.

Kyle Crutchfield Student Writer Oklahomans for Equality (OkEq) will be hosting LGBTQ High School Youth Day at the Capitol on Thursday, March 5.

The event, headed by OkEq Executive Director Toby Jenkins, will address concerns over Republican Sally Kern’s House Bill 1598.

The bill, which faces opposition from LGBTQ organizations such as The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Freedom Oklahoma, would effectively give state protection to the use of conversion therapy on LGBTQ minors in Oklahoma.

Conversion therapy, also called “reparative therapy” or “ex-gay therapy,” is a highly controversial form of therapy that attempts to

cally unjustifiable by all reputable mental health organizations, including the American Psychiatric Association.

Even in the face of widespread opposition from the LGBTQ community, human rights activists and medical professionals, conversion therapy is still supported by many.

Rep. Kern, author of the controversial bill (whose official title is the “Freedom to Obtain Conversion Therapy Act”), states the aim of the bill is to protect parental rights.

Kern said that “kids are being told that they are born homosexual and that they can’t change.”

Kern hopes the bill will “allow children who are struggling with homosexual feelings to have some counseling” so that they can find a solution to their struggles.

The bill outlines that no state

High School Youth Day event.

“The Oklahoma legislators have introduced anti-LGBTQ legislation for 23 years in a row,” said Jenkins. “We have had to care for the most marginalized in our community without any governmental assistance or support. So while we fought for our rights we also cared for and provided for those living with HIV/AIDS, transgender persons, LGBT older adults, and our LGBTQ youth.”

With growing support for LGBTQ rights across Oklahoma and across the US, Jenkins asserted that Kern’s bill is simply “not keeping pace with societal awareness.”

OkEq’s event will take place at the capitol and will have LGBTQ youth speak directly with legislators about House Bill 1598.

Jenkins hopes “to have them

“Practices include induced nausea, vomiting, electric shock and shaming (to name a few).” change the sexual orientations or gender identities of homosexuals through a variety of psychological methods.

Those who believe in using conversion therapy view homosexuality as a mental illness that requires professional treatment.

Denounced by virtually all professional mental health organizations in the US as a form of abuse, conversion therapy uses dangerous and discredited practices.

According to a 2009 report of the American Psychological Association, these practices include induced nausea, vomiting, electric shock and shaming (to name a few), in an attempt to discourage homosexual thoughts and behaviors.

As a result of this psychological and physical trauma, individuals who undergo conversion therapy can often experience depression, social withdrawal, sexual dysfunction, increased hostility, selfblame and suicide, according to the NCLR. Because of these resulting damages and a lack of any actual conversion derived from these practices, conversion therapy is seen as scientifically baseless and medi-

or local government will be allowed to “prohibit or restrict” this counseling, and that “unwanted same-sex attractions or behaviors” should be addressed without governmental interference.

The bill cleared the Oklahoma House of Representatives Committee on Children, Youth and Family Services by a 5–3 vote on Tuesday and is currently on its way to the full House for a vote.

Some Oklahomans see this bill as a serious threat to Oklahoma’s LGBTQ youth.

HRC National Field Director Marty Rouse described Kern’s bill as an “assault on LGBTQ youth,” adding that “so-called conversion ‘therapy’ (is) telling young people that the only way to find love or acceptance is to change the very nature of who they are.”

Echoing this criticism, Freedom Oklahoma Executive Director Troy Stevenson stated that “Rep. Kern’s bill is an attempt to promote and support child abuse and … a dangerous pseudo-science that leads to suicide and depression.”

This concern over Oklahoma’s LGBTQ youth is precisely why OkEq Executive Director Toby Jenkins is heading the LGBTQ

share some of their stories with the legislators.”

About youths’ changing attitudes, Jenkins said, “We have noticed a growing trend among our youth to be more socially conscious and politically involved.”

Jenkins considers initiatives such as the LGBTQ High School Youth Day “to be pipelines of leadership. Our youth are able to grasp the important work being done (or not being done) and they’re able to dream of themselves sitting at those desks on the floor, working to bring change.”

To parents who think conversion therapy will work on their children, Jenkins warned, “You may change a person’s sexual behavior, but you cannot change a person’s sexual orientation. Conversion therapy is abuse based on a societal desire to control and define gender roles and expressions.

It’s fraud and smoke and mirrors.”

LGBTQ High School Youth Day is open to all high schoolers.

Students need an approved absence from their classes in order to attend, and must RSVP in advance. Buses will leave the Dennis R. Neil Equality Center in downtown Tulsa at 7 a.m.

French police confiscated the passports and identity cards of six nationals who allegedly planned to join the self-proclaimed Islamic State.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said French intelligence believed the men were to depart for Syria imminently to join IS militants. The confiscation was made possible under anti-terrorism laws passed last November. The United Kingdom has, and has already used, similar powers to confiscate passports of those suspected of joining militants, and it may prevent re-entry to those already abroad.

Possible IS recruits arrested in U.S. The Federal Bureau of Investigation says it has arrested three men suspected of trying to join IS. Abdurasul Juraboev, 24, and Abror Habibov, 30, both of Uzbekistan, and Akhror Saidakhmetov, 19, of Kazakhstan, were charged with conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, reported the BBC. Saidakhmetov additionally threatened a shooting rampage against police and FBI officers if prevented from traveling to Syria. If convicted, each of the three may be handed up to 15 years in prison. New York Police Commissioner William Bratton said, “This is the concern about the lone wolf, inspired to act without ever going to the Middle East.”

Cartel leader captured in Mexico Servando Gomez, the leader of the Knights Templar cartel, was captured by Mexican federal police early Friday morning. His was arrested outside his house without a shot fired. Known as “La Tuta” and “El Profe,” Gomez extended and secured his cartel’s control over the western state of Michoacan. The Knights Templar primarily deal in the methamphetamine trade while influencing businesses and local politics. The organization is accused of murder, torture, and extortion.

Gomez will face judicial proceedings in Mexico City.

Spaniards arrested for fighting in Ukraine Spain’s Interior Ministry arrested eight Spaniards who had fought alongside Ukrainian rebels. Federal police conducted six separate raids across the country. The suspects had voiced support for the rebels on social media. They also posted pictures of themselves in full combat gear. They are charged with complicity in murder, possession of weapons and violating Spain’s neutrality in the Ukrainian conflict.

Russian opposition figure murdered Influential Russian opposition figure and former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov was assassinated within sight of the Kremlin. An unidentified person in a car shot Nemtsov four times in the back before driving off. Only hours earlier, Nemtsov had called for a march to demonstrate against Russia’s role in the war in Ukraine. The march morphed into a mourning rally, attracting tens of thousands.

Nemtsov’s disenchantment with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s handling of Ukraine caused him to fear for his life before he was murdered. “I am afraid Putin will kill me,” he told Sobesednik news outlet earlier this month. Putin has condemned the murder, describing it as “vile and cynical,” and promised an inquiry.

Since 2003, at least six politicians or members of the media who opposed Putin have been shot, poisoned, or killed by mysterious illness.

Brazil’s Truth Commission releases report Last December, after three years of work, Brazil’s Truth Commission released its report documenting abuses committed during the country’s 1964–88 military dictatorship. The report confirmed that the dictatorship was responsible for at least 191 deaths and 210 disappearances, though the actual numbers are probably higher. The Commission did not have access to documents held by Brazil’s armed forces: the military claimed that relevant documents had been destroyed.

Despite Brazil’s 1979 amnesty law, the Commission recommended the prosecution of government and military leaders it says were responsible for crimes against humanity.

Brazil’s current president, Dilma Rousseff, was among those detained by the regime. She spent almost three years from 1970–73 imprisoned in São Paolo.

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editor-in-chief—Kyle Walker managing editor—Conor Fellin news editor—Morgan Krueger sports editor—Matt Rechtien variety editor—Abigail LaBounty commentary & barricade editor—Giselle Willis satire editor—Fraser Kastner photo & graphics editor—Elias Brinkman copy editor—Amanda Hagedorn apprentice editor—Michaela Flonard business & advertising manager—Jesse Keipp distribution manager—Walker Womack editorial consultant—Nikki Hager web manager—Sam Chott social media manager—Charlie McQuigg

NEWS

the Collegian : 4

2 March 2015

TU hosts TPD, Okla. Bureau of Investigation cyber crime units Local and state agencies have cyber crime divisions on TU’s campus and occasionally include students in their work.

Michaela Flonard Apprentice Editor TU’s campus hosts the cyber crimes divisions of the Tulsa Police Department and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI).

The Collegian was asked not to report the locations used by these agencies.

Both divisions transferred to campus around 2002, although the relationship between TU and the TPD started several years prior. “(TPD) kept coming here for help,” said Sujeet Shenoi, F.P. Walter Professor of Computer Science.

Eventually the Cyber Crimes Unit moved to campus. The OSBI followed soon after.

The divisions on campus investigate all types of crimes.

“Every crime has an electronic component,” said Shenoi, and “devices will always have electronic evidence.”

Cyber Corps students help out

when an organization asks. According to Sergeant Malcolm Williams, head of TPD’s Cyber Crimes division, students have been “instrumental with assisting (TPD) in technical expertises in our investigation.”

This relationship is good for both parties, according to Sgt. Williams.

It “allows some of these kids to come in and work alongside our investigators to see how computer forensics is done and see how investigations are done from the beginning.”

Pat Kennedy, the agent in charge of OSBI computer crimes unit, echoed this statement.

TPD “took policemen and taught them enough about computers to do this job,” Kennedy said, but “the university is teaching students from the ground up with computers, and (TU) leans on us to teach them about police work.”

Kennedy emphasized the uniqueness of the situation.

“Here, a private university has stepped up in commitment to host the TPD, (OSBI) and the Secret Service,” Kennedy noted.

OSBI has sites in two public universities, the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond and

Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford.

Working out of TU has been beneficial for TPD. According to Sgt. Williams, the university has been generous in providing resources and tools.

“If it wasn’t for TU, we wouldn’t be able to do the things we do because of the lack of resources,” said Sgt. Williams.

One of these resources is students. Summer is the peak time for student participation, according to Sgt. Williams. During the school year, student help is more sporadic.

When students are available, they work on a variety of cases, from online predators to the distribution of online pornography.

“The university has good people who can help,” said Shenoi.

Sgt. Williams said students were “essential in assisting with the technology aspect” of a 2003 triple homicide case, which appeared on an episode of “Forensic Files.”

“Students have been, at times, very important” to investigations, Sgt. Williams said.

Students have done research for various cases, as well as provided types of technical assistance such

as retrieving data from electronics, according to Shenoi.

Both Kennedy and Sgt. Williams have other ties with TU. Sgt. Williams graduated from TU in 1996 with a bachelor’s in sociology.

During his time at TU, Sgt. Williams played football.

While Kennedy did not attend TU, his son transferred from OSU to TU to study computer science after Kennedy began work at the TU campus.

Shenoi said students learn a great deal from their work with these law enforcement agencies.

Courtesy Information Security Buzz

Cyber crime is becoming increasingly common in the digital age.

SA passes resolutions on accessibility, etc.

Several resolutions have recently passed through SA Senate, to be discussed by the administration.

Graphic by Sam Beckmann

Tuesday, March 3 SAI philanthropy dinner

SAI Rockin’ for the Ropers Philanthropy Dinner wll be held from 5–7 p.m. in Great Hall A of ACAC. There will be Johnny Carino’s and Merritt’s Cupcakes. The dinner is $5 per person and raffle tickets are $1.

Student teaching

There will be an informational session regarding student teaching at the Normal Village Clubhouse from 7:30–8:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 5 Lecture on religious satire

The Rita and William H. Bell Distinguised Lecturship in Anglican and Ecumenical Studies presents “A Laughing Matter? Religious satire from William Hogarth to Charlie Hebdo.” This talk by visiting professor Claire Haynes will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Ellen G. Adelson Auditorium in Tyrrell Hall.

Friday, March 6 Hip-hop artist Common to visit TU

Common will be speaking at the Donal W. Reynolds Center at 7:30 p.m. (Doors open at 7 p.m.). He will discuss a variety of topics, from social isses and current events to challenges on the horizon.

Art sale at Zarrow Center

The Student and Faculty Art Sale will be held 6–9 p.m. in the first floor of the Hentry Zarrow Center for Art and Education. All proceeds go to help fund art student supplies, travel, and professional development.

Maslenitsa Join us for traditional Slavic celebration of the end of winter.

Become an expert in Russian dances, learn how to cook like a Russkiy and try Eastern European holiday meals and more! Come to the LaFortune Lobby from 6–8 p.m.

Saturday, March 7 Maker’s Market

The Pearl District Maker’s Market is a seasonal makers’ and doers’ market that features local handmade arts, crafts, goods and services as well as live music, poetry and performances. The market is located at the Dennis R Neill Equality Center from noon to 9 p.m. Cover is $3.

Service Day

Service Day was moved from its original date of Feb. 21 due to poor weather. It is currently set for this Saturday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Over 710 students have registered for this event.

The Collegian does not produce or edit event descriptions in the Community Calendar, except for content and brevity. Contact News Editor Morgan Krueger at morgan-krueger@utulsa.edu with events.

Michaela Flonard Apprentice Editor SA recently passed several resolutions. These resolutions express SA’s desire to diversify Cane Transit, provide a lottery for commuter parking, and create a committee to discuss ways to solve accessibility problems for those with disabilities. A resolution currently in the works would allow students to inquire about their meal balance.

Freshman Senator John Talmage brought forth both the Cane Transit and meal balance inquiry resolutions.

The Cane Transit resolution is a “support resolution.” It indicates SA’s willingness to continue working with Housing in the offcampus shuttle program. Talmage said he met with Mark Bernhardt, the Associate Director of Housing, to discuss ways to improve offcampus shuttles.

According to Talmage, one possibility includes “(taking) a shuttle out to a popular place in Tulsa every now and then,” an idea similar to Hurricane Thursday.

This change is soon to come into effect.

Another change is occasionally having the shuttle run on a day

other than Saturday, which is the current schedule.

Lauren Holmes, Student Investigative Committee Chair, said Cane Transit has already started planning “new and interesting places” to go occasionally. “SIC came in on the closing side of things,” she said.

Talmage said the meal balance resolution came from a suggestion last semester by a student. The resolution would allow students to check the amount of cafeteria meals and Dining Dollars left in their account.

Such an inquiry service would be “simple to implement, cheap to support, and would benefit a lot of students,” said Talmage.

The service will be online “fairly soon,” according to Talmage.

He expects students will be able to access the service through Housing’s CaneLink login. This detail has not yet been finalized, however.

This resolution has not passed through Senate, as Talmage said Senate wanted a “solid implementation plan in place and agreed upon before bringing it to the floor.” Talmage expects it to be passed “in the very near future.”

Lauren Holmes, a junior studying Biology, said her resolution is “a precursor for many parking resolutions to come.”

Last year, she worked on a plan to overhaul the entire parking system, but it was “too much change for such a short amount of time.”

She plans to do future resolutions regarding parking in increments.

Her resolution allows commuters to pick their lots on the same day as residents. This resolution, she said, “is the start of justice for commuting students.”

“It’s safe to say that cars for commuters are extremely important and necessary for them,” Holmes said. She plans to write another resolution that “allows for residential lots to be open X days and then commuting students can select the same lots.

Same for commuting lots.”

Rob Egan sponsored a resolution that “entails addressing accessibility problems on the TU campus for those with disabilities.”

Egan’s resolution will establish a committee to examine and find solutions for accessibility problems. Although the committee has not been formed, Egan hopes both faculty and students will be on the committee.

Egan said the resolution will “get greater awareness of problematically accessible or inaccessible areas on campus.”

Through this awareness, Egan hopes that “our community at large and especially the administration will create swift and effective solutions whenever possible.”

While the resolution has been in the works “for a couple of months,” Egan does not expect results until at least fall 2015.

All resolutions will undergo a final decision by the administration.

Oklahoma bill could prevent those with STDs from marrying A new bill would require an STD testing before marriage liscences are given.

Oscar Ho Student Writer An Oklahoma senator has proposed that prospective couples should be tested for sexually transmitted diseases. Oklahoma Senate Bill 733, authored by Anthony Sykes (R-Cleveland), would mandate that couples take blood tests for STDs before applying for a marriage license.

The bill reads, “The State Board of Health shall require a blood test for the discovery of syphilis and other communicable or infectious diseases prior to the issuance of a marriage license.”

The legislation further states that a couple must file a doctor’s letter with the Court Clerk which certifies “that the persons named therein are not infected with syphilis or other communicable or infectious diseases or, if infected, that such diseases are not in a stage which may be communicable to the marriage partner.”

Proponents of the bill say it forces couples to be honest about their STD status. “People who have communicable diseases ... need to know if they have it (sic), and I think this is a mechanism to provide them to do that,” Senator Kyle Loveless (R-Canadian) said to Oklahoma City News 9. In Oklahoma, the median age of men getting married for the first time is 26, according to a 2009 Pew Research analysis. The median age of women is 24.

Some argue the bill wouldn’t be effective at keeping STDs from spreading, as a lot of people are sexually active before marriage.

People between 15 and 24 years old acquire half of all new STDs, say the Centers for Disease Control. Additionally, a 2013 report by the CDC found that about 50 percent of Oklahoma high school teens have had sex at some point in time and about 42 percent did not use a condom during their most recent sexual encounter.

Privacy activists are concerned that the bill is overreaching and in violation of federal law that protects patients’ health information,

including STD test results. If those results are filed with the court, they would become publicly available information. Therefore filing STD information with the court in accordance with SB 733 would violate the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Attorney David Slane agreed, telling Oklahoma City News 9 ,“It seems to me (filing STD test results) would violate people’s real privacy rights.”

SB 733 implies that couples where one or both partners test positive for an STD could be denied a marriage license. Sen. Loveless acknowledges that the bill automatically denies such a couple a chance at a wedding.

Loveless also acknowledged that the bill needs work to ensure patients’ privacy. “There are going to be serious questions (about how) we go about it to make sure people’s privacy is still observed,” he said.

SB 733 is still in its first draft.

It is currently being reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee, which can suggest amendments to the bill.

variety

2 March 2015

the Collegian : 5

“Paradise Now” shows suicide bombers’ humanity in a heavy-handed fashion Pizza and Politics, an event sponsored by the Department of Political Science, recently screened “Paradise Now,” a Palestinian film about suicide bombers fighting Israeli occupation.

Trent Gibbons Student Writer “Paradise Now” is a 2005 film surrounded by controversy, and rightfully so. The movie means to humanize suicidebombers, a topic that is tragically relevant in the wake of recent Boko Haram bus station attacks.

The movie follows two close friends who are recruited to bomb Israeli citizens and military personnel as a way to inspire opposition against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.

Whatever your views on the issue at hand, the filmmakers intended to transform their audiences’ perspectives from “black and white” rhetoric to an understanding of suicide bombers’ humanity.

And our protagonists, Said and Khaled, are certainly human. Said is level-headed and skeptical, while Khaled is more theatrical and spontaneous, losing his job as a car mechanic after an outburst against a customer.

Both are family-oriented and God-fearing, far from the faceless destructors we might often associate with their ‘profession.’ Suicide bombing, at least in their eyes, is the last method available to an otherwise voiceless minority.

The film may evoke the viewer’s sympathy for its individuals, but it does not ask the same for the organization that binds them. Said and Khaled’s leaders are often depicted as

“Paradise Now” explores how two friends became suicide bombers to fight the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.

manipulative, untrusting, and uncaring, relying on the sacrifices of their more obedient members. Promises of divine providence are dangled like a carrot in front of the faithful two, though it guides them to little more than self-destruction.

That “Paradise” is grounded in realism helps tremendously to make its characters and events more fact than fiction.

There’s a minimal amount of the comical coincidences that often plague blockbuster releases, and a well strung together narrative leaves no plot-holes to be

filled by the audience’s suspension of disbelief. The absence of a soundtrack leaves most scenes ambiguous, though the film finds plenty of other effective methods to convey tension and dread.

Historical fiction often has a common dilemma in earning their viewer’s sympathy: to convey something pitiable without seeming an exaggerated melodrama. “Paradise” finds its balance in its dreary setting.

Imprisoning our main characters is the Palestinian city of Nablus, characterized by nearly-dystopian imagery. Build-

ings are cluttered with rubble, military checkpoints frequent the roads and city-wide silences are punctuated by distant fits of gunfire.

I’d suggest approaching “Paradise Now” with an open yet guarded mindset. The filmmakers aren’t exactly unbiased in their telling of this tale: the director has openly accused the wider Jewish populace of ignoring their own conscience and claims he would have taken up the role of suicide bomber should he have been raised in the Palestinian territory.

Still, often through the pleas

Courtesy Hazazah Pictures

of its relatable characters, the film brings plenty of viable talking points to the table, ranging from politics to philosophy.

“How can the occupiers be both the oppressor and the victim?”

“The occupation chooses the direction of the resistance.”

As political murders and atrocities mar international news, many of the character’s sentiments stay hauntingly topical: “Death is better than inferiority. That means whoever fights for freedom, can also die for it.”

“Still Alice”: emotional kitsch outweighed

by Julianne Moore’s superb performance

An emotionally heavy film that explores a family’s reactions familial bond with Moore.

In one such sequence, we blatantly aims for Oscar nomiThe most intriguing part of progress in a matter of minutes nations and a Lifetime original to their mother’s Alzhiemer’s diagnosis, “Still Alice” is “Still Alice” is how the edit- from Dr. Howland receiving film is the performance of the barely rescued by Julianne Moore’s performance.

Joe Watkins Student Writer Viewers could be excused for dismissing “Still Alice” as the sort of emotional kitsch that airs on Lifetime.

The titular Dr. Alice Howland (Julianne Moore), a linguistics professor at Columbia University, is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, disrupting her idyllic life.

zheimer’s she has. And so we must suffer through the hackneyed tension of whether or not each child will take the test for the gene.

Later on, she delivers a moving speech at an Alzheimer’s society meeting where she is forced to use a highlighter to avoid rereading sentences.

The film is replete with these ham-fisted scenarios, and were it not for Moore’s refusal to

However, Moore’s performance and an interesting editing style that mirrors the decline of Dr. Howland’s mental faculties elevates the movie above what might be expected.

From her diagnosis to the movie’s final scene, Moore’s performance is measured. She presents a realistic portrayal of a woman with Alzheimer’s without ever descending into emotional patronization, even when the script seems to demand it.

We learn that Alice’s three children each have a chance of carrying the same gene that causes the rare variety of Al-

play them as they were written they would almost be intolerable.

Unfortunately, the remaining cast of “Still Alice” does not have Moore’s moderation. Alec Baldwin and Kristen Stewart, playing Alice’s husband John and daughter Lydia, respectively, are responsible for most of the film’s overacting.

Lydia’s career as an actress conflicts with Alice’s desire to see her attend college, and there is a dismal confrontation between the two of them halfway through the film where Kristen Stewart utterly fails to establish anything resembling a

ing throughout the film mirrors Moore’s decline. As her condition progresses, key events start to disappear from the film’s edit.

Months pass between sequential scenes, and characters refer back to events whose occurrence can only be inferred by context clues.

news that one of her daughters is pregnant to the child’s delivery.

This style allows the viewer to gain some modicum of understanding for the awful disease Alice contends with.

“Still Alice” made me realize that often the only real difference between a movie that

lead.

The question of whether Moore deserves her Best Actress for “Still Alice” isn’t really in debate; her performance deserves it.

However, outside of her performance and the editing style, the film is merely mediocre.

“Outside of (Julianne Moore’s) performance and the editing style, the film is merely mediocre”

Courtesy HitFix

Dr. Alice Howland, played by Julianne Moore, is a linguistics professor learning to live with Alzheimer’s in “Still Alice.”

variety

the Collegian : 6

2 March 2015

The Oscars: can you really watch them?

With all the hullabaloo about the Oscars, we asked the Void writers if they watched the show.

Unsurprisingly, they answered this in a long-winded fashion that left us wondering why we asked in the first place.

Adam Lux says he didn’t watch the Oscars. He thinks that passively staring at a television hardly constitutes watching something.

Elias Brinkman / Collegian

Conor Fellin says he watched the Oscars. He observed the effect the Oscars had on those around him, which is no less reliable than actually watching the Oscars.

Conor Fellin Managing Editor “No man is an island,” said John Donne. Or so I hear. I don’t actually know all that much about this man, except that his name is a part of the cultural landscape I have been forced to occupy.

Supposedly, he lived during the 16th and 17th centuries. He spent the first years of his life writing raunchy love poems only to later relent before God when faced with the inevitability of his own death.

At least a few things are universal.

Bearing this in mind, I take up a question many have asked me in the last week: did you watch the Oscars?

Yes, I did watch the Oscars. I observed the impact that the Oscars made on people around me.

Do I know the exact details? Of course not. Neither do you. At best you know the impact the Oscars had on your nervous system.

I know that the Oscars have caused an interminable chatter; my friends have rambled endlessly about how “Boyman” was cheated of its accolades. You know that the Oscars have caused you to perceive pictures on your television of people on a stage.

“You’re black,” says the kettle to the pot, unaware that both are merely comfortable anthropomorphisms in an insensible universe.

No man is an island. Rather, each man is a prisoner of the windowless cell of his mind, who hears echos of the world outside and is unable to distinguish the direct from the indirect, the near from the distant. He knows only the loud from the quiet.

Adam Lux Student Writer The Oxford Dictionary defines useless as “not fulfilling or not expected to achieve the intended purpose or desired outcome.” This is what came to mind when a friend asked me if I watched this year’s Oscars.

Let me explain. The purpose of media, at least in this iteration of the human species, is to transfer information in some capacity or another. This is about as fundamental a definition as our postmodern society can achieve in relation to this word. This is apparent in the explosion of popularity of print media among college students who enjoy whining and think they have “artistic talent.” (a topic for another day.)

However there are few examples that so systematically fail at this definition quite like the Oscars. “Yes,” my readership cries, “tear those aristocratic elitists down, what with their ranking of artistic endeavours using arbitrary and secretive criteria.” But no,

no. This is not what I speak of. It is not the inherent meaninglessness of the Oscars that is the problem. It is YOU dear reader.

You are a vacuum of information, but not in the good, kindergarten children way, rather in the book burning, internet censoring, goddamn commie way. Withholding the fact that the Academy is a baseless, esoteric, unqualified institution whose praise ultimately is foundationless, you did not really even watch the Oscars.

Sure maybe wavelengths of light, supposedly representative of the physical matter and entropy of the Oscars, were received by your eyes and converted into electric signals.

And yeah, maybe vibrations in the air around the Oscars were recorded, transferred to your location and recreated. However does this really mean you “watched” the Oscars? Did you derive some grandiose “meaning” from this imperfect stand-in? If not, how come? Do you think you’re better than the Oscars? Huh, do ya? If you did, what the hell gives you that right! You think you’re so smart, don’t you.

Let’s say for a minute that these crude representations can actually count as the Oscars. But what information was actually transmitted to you? That some people got little naked golden statues and others didn’t. What does this have to do with movies?

If anything you watched snide little kids trading action figures and called it meaningful. Useless, that’s what the Oscars are, BECAUSE OF YOU! Madeline Woods / Collegian

“The Last Five Years” riveting in spite of worn premise “The Last Five Years” is a film adaptation of the off-Broadway musical of the same name. The film follows its stars from the time they fall in love to their divorce five years later. Far from being a cliche love story, the film manages to explore some deep issues.

Hannah Kloppenburg Student Writer I saw “The Last Five Years” this past Tuesday. At the time, I decided that it was a decent movie, but not the best I’d ever seen. I went home and grudgingly settled in with some homework, fully expecting to put it on the back burner until it came time to write this review.

It seems I was wrong. Several days later, bits and pieces of “The Last Five Years” are still lingering in my mind.

The film, based on a musical of the same name, takes the slightly overdone trope of a failed marriage viewed from the perspective of both partners and brings it back to life in a heart-wrenching way.

Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan are Cathy and Jamie, a struggling actress and a successful novelist. The course of the film follows each of their perspectives, but with a twist: Cathy’s story opens at the end of their marriage and travels in reverse, while Jamie’s narrative moves from start to finish. While confusing at first, the opposite perspectives add depth and intricacy to an otherwise slightly overdone plot device.

One of my favorite things about this movie is how the separate views are exaggerated by the music. The songs are primarily solos from Kendrick and Jordan. The only duet the two sing in the entire movie, “The Next Ten Minutes,” is at the moment when Jamie proposes.

This duet is prefaced by a string of lightly sung comments from Jamie and ends with a string of

Courtesy Grand Peaks Entertainment

“The Last Five Years” follows Cathy (Anna Kendrick) and Jamie (Jeremy Jordan) from their first dates to their divorce five years later.

responses from Cathy—basically, separate halves of the conversation they have right before the proposal. The result is a really chilling effect and insight into the divergence of their perspectives.

The music itself is gorgeous, focusing on piano and string accompaniment and complementing the performers’ voices perfectly.

Other notable pieces include “The Schmuel Song,” an uplifting story about a tailor and a magical clock, told by Jamie in an effort to cheer Cathy up at Christmastime and encourage her efforts in acting.

It’s accompanied by Jeremy Jordan’s goofy antics and the cozy glow of string lights, and is a refreshing break from the primarily heavy subject matter.

I also greatly enjoyed the absolutely stunning “Goodbye Until

Tomorrow/I Could Never Rescue You,” the tear-jerking final song and Jamie and Cathy’s last nearduet.

It’s more intricate than it seems at first glance and hard-hitting emotionally, but also bittersweet and beautiful.

formance—the stunning music, the talented actors and the authenticity of their interactions makes the viewer think and rethink and

“I think the reason that ‘The Last Five Years’ left such an unexpected impression on me is that it deals with a number of themes that are deeper than you’d expect” I think the reason that “The Last Five Years” left such an unexpected impression on me is that it deals with a number of themes that are deeper than you’d expect.

While it’s a love story, it also deals with issues like success and failure, discrepancies in perspective, nostalgia, the rush of new love and the emptiness of love lost.

And of course, as it is with most musicals, the music conveys something to the heart and gut that spoken word can’t always touch.

Honestly, my only major criticism of this film is that the subject matter is perhaps a little tired.

What makes “The Last Five Years” truly notable is the life given to the story by other aspects of the per-

smile and cry (I may have shed a tear or two in the theatre).

I would definitely recommend “The Last Five Years” to everyone—even if you don’t like musicals, suck it up for a couple hours and give this movie a try. With gorgeous music, talented performers and a compelling story, it’s worth the watch.

variety

2 March 2015

the Collegian : 7

TU Spring Film Festival screens pleasing student work

Courtesy Grant Goodner

Grant Goodner’s “Once Upon a Time in the Wasteland” won Best Film, Audience Favorite and Best Soundtrack at the University of Tulsa Spring Film Festival. Anna Bennett won Best Acting for her role in the film.

Every year TU’s film studies program takes a night to show off a handful of student films and hand out a few awards.

The entries at this year’s TU Film Festival were quite enjoyable.

Maddi Burkey Student Writer Every spring, shortly after the Academy Awards have aired, the University of Tulsa’s Film Department has its own Oscars, the TU Spring Film Festival. This year is their seventh annual festival, although there have been festivals like this since the early 2000s. At the festival, student films made in the last year are screened by an audience of film students, TU students, faculty and members of the public.

While watching, the audience

is asked to vote on their favorite movies. At the end of the screening, some unfortunate film department work study employee has to—in a small amount of time— count up all those ballots to see which movie won.

Then the awards are announced: Best Soundtrack, Best Actor, Runner-Up Best Film, Best Film and Audience Favorite. After this, one of the film department’s professors goes on-stage to announce the winner of the Outstanding Senior award, given every year to the best filmmaker in the senior class. The night closes with cake and socializing.

I have a work-study job in the film department, so I was privileged to help out at the 2015 Spring Film Festival. Six movies were in the running this year, ranging in length from five minutes to thirty minutes.

The first to show was “The Fish-

ing Contest,” which told the story of Bob, an ordinary guy who just wants to beat Fabio in one contest and regain his honor. I thought the story was funny and had a good moral: don’t cheat or you’ll lose the contest.

Next was “Fat Guy,” the tale of a rather overweight man who only wants a bottle of Mountain Dew and the adventure is just to get that soda. It was also funny, with a nice little “oh no” moment at the end.

Then there was “Devil’s Food,” in which a very tired and barely coherent young man meets a kindly-looking old guy at a coffeeshop. The kindly old man gives the young man a book and says whatever the man wants will appear in that book. There was a really nice dream sequence in the middle of this, and a very interesting deal with the devil at the end that I really think I should call the Winchesters about.

Fourth film on the roster was “Once Upon a Time in the Wasteland,” which was based off the video game franchise “Fallout.” It was the longest film to be shown that night, clocking in at around thirty minutes in length. It featured some amazing acting, special effects and a stunning soundtrack made by a fellow TU student expressly for the film. I enjoyed the story it told, even though I have never played or even seen any game footage of “Fallout.”

The next film was “Indie,” an interesting little film that satirized many things about our generation.

A young woman is talking to her boyfriend about her time with him, using metaphors and terms that make no sense at all, and at the end admits she is on “so many drugs right now.” It’s a good laugh.

And the final film was “Cinemagic,” in which a well-dressed young man goes to the theater

alone, despondent, and ends up making a new friend while watching the movie. There’s a lot of ridiculous shenanigans and the bestowing of a helicopter hat, but it’s a funny story and a cute buddy film.

And now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for: the awards.

There were six awards given out that night. Best Soundtrack went to “Once Upon a Time in the Wasteland.” Best Actor was awarded to Anna Bennett for her role in “Once Upon a Time in the Wasteland.”

Runner-Up Best Film was given to “Devil’s Food.” “Once Upon a Time in the Wasteland” won Best Film and Audience Favorite, as it should have.

And the award for Outstanding Senior went to Brandon Baney. All in all, it was a fun night with some pretty amazing student films.

“The Vagina Monologues” challenges and rewards with its women’s stories Inspired by Dr. Joanne Davis’ Psychology of Trauma class recently produced “The Vagina Monologues,” a play written by Eve Ensler based upon a series of interviews she conducted with women. The monologues cover female genital mutilation, rape, sex, menstruation, masturbation and the stigma surrounding vaginas.

Sam Chott Web Editor When I first came to college, I had a set of expectations that I think I gathered from some combination of ’80s college movies, the show “Community” and a set of amusing anecdotes from my grandmother. Largely, I’ve been disappointed.

I haven’t gotten into anything that could be reasonably described as shenanigans, my study groups never form into a

Courtesy University of Tulsa Department of Women and Gender Studies

“The Vagina Monologues” by Eve Ensler has been performed internationally since its premier in 1996.

dysfunctional yet loving family, and I have never been accused of making too much noise while doing the Charleston in the early morning.

Last Friday night, though, as I sat listening to a performance entitled “My Angry Vagina,” I realized that I could finally one-up my grandma’s stories.

That was only one of the scenes in the recent production of “The Vagina Monologues.” This year’s production at TU was initiated by Hayley Higgs and Abby Meaders, students in Professor Joanne Davis’ psychology of trauma class, who decided to organize it as a semester project after hearing about “The Vagina Monologues” in class.

Since “Monologues” is traditionally performed in February, they had three weeks from that decision to gather actresses, reserve a space and rehearse the performance.

The play, originally written by Eve Ensler for a 1996 production, is now performed almost exclusively in February, as part of the V-Day movement, which is focused on preventing violence against women and supporting survivors.

The proceeds from the TU production, which had a $5 suggested donation, went to DVIS/Call Rape, a Tulsa-based nonprofit that provides intervention and prevention services to those affected by domestic or sexual violence.

The play, organized into discrete pieces, varied wildly in tone. It started with “Hair,” in which Grace Doyle portrayed a woman angry about her ex-husband’s insistence that she shave her pubic hair.

There was “The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy,” where Taylor Keefe had the audience in hysterics (pun intended) with her

imitations of the moans of different kinds of women, from lawyers to college students, and “Because He Liked To Look At It,” where Preslie Watkins played a woman who was embarrassed of her vagina until a sexual encounter with a man named Bob, who spent hours staring at it.

On the other hand, there was also the uncomfortably graphic “My Vagina Was My Village”, in which Tendai Dandajena played a Bosnian woman who discussed her vagina before and after her experiences of systematic war rape. The thing that pulled all of the performances together was that they all elicited some emotional reaction, sometimes changing tone in the middle of a piece.

The Vagina Monologues is a polarizing play, and I can understand why. It certainly doesn’t pull any punches, and at one point a performer told the audience to chant a word that I’m reasonably sure I’m not allowed to reprint here.

Lacking the requisite equipment, as it were, I can’t really judge how accurate the play was, vis-à-vis vaginas. It was, however, one of the most entertaining plays I’ve ever seen, and it had me entranced even while it was making me uncomfortable.

One of the organizers, at a short panel after the play, said that, when spreading the word about the play, she saw a woman cringe at the word “vagina.” “No,” she said, looking around. “Don’t use that word!”

The Vagina Monologues, from the vagina-themed cookies offered at the entrance, to the listing of euphemisms for “vagina” at the beginning of the play, deals with a taboo subject that really can’t be a taboo for functioning adults in an egalitarian society. That, as much as anything, is a good reason to see it.

the Collegian: 8

commentary

2 March 2015

Okla. shouldn’t require blood test for marriage license

A bill that would require a blood test for a marriage license would be ineffective and attract lawsuits.

Brennen VanderVeen Politics Reporter In an effort to promote health, a bill has been proposed that would require couples

seeking a marriage license to undergo a blood test for STDs. If it passes, the bill will be ineffective, violate privacy and face legal scrutiny.

It’s unlikely that requiring couples to get a blood test would do much to decrease the number of STDs. The Tulsa World quotes Jan Fox, Oklahoma’s director for HIV/STD Services, as saying that “premarital testing for syphilis or any other infectious disease does not appear to have any usefulness for disease control efforts.”

Testing for syphilis was required in Oklahoma prior to 2004, and in the five years before it was repealed, only five cases out of 300,000 resulted in someone learning that they were positive.

The ineffectiveness of the measure isn’t so surprising. Many couples, rightly or

wrongly, do not wait for their marriage vows to be completed before having sexual intercourse. This bill would do nothing to protect those who do so.

The bill would also put Oklahoma under legal scrutiny for possibly violating both privacy and personal rights. Medical records are protected by federal confidentiality laws. Being required to give one’s records to a court clerk, which may cause the results to become public, could violate those laws.

Federal courts have repeatedly recognized marriage as an inalienable right. The bill hasn’t even made it out of committee yet, but as it’s written, people who test positive and could potentially pass on an STD wouldn’t be able to get married.

These people would certainly have grounds for a lawsuit. Oklahoma would

have to prove that the state has a compelling interest in preventing them from getting married. Given that unmarried people can legally have sexual intercourse, and therefore spread diseases anyway, it’s very possible that the regulation will be struck down.

If this bill passes as it is currently written, it will bring problems to the state without improving the health of Oklahomans. The government’s involvement in a such a deeply personal matter raises philosophical questions about the nature of government and human relations.

In this case it isn’t even good policy since it will only inconvenience citizens and quite possibly result in lawsuits while having marginal benefits at best.

Christians protest Muslim Day in OKC On Friday, the Council on American-Islamic Relations hosted a “Muslim Day” in Oklahoma City in an effort to engage locals in a conversation about what it means to be Islamic. Christian protestors chanted outside the Capitol Building, and one woman interrupted the afternoon’s call to prayer with a Christian prayer.

Courtesy Vox

Russians protest murder of opposition leader

Boris Nemtsov was a leading critic of President Putin who was shot to death on Friday. He had been planning a rally on Sunday, and the rally became a memorial march. Similar marches took place in several of Russia’s biggest cities.

Courtesy KGOU

Lowering Minn. drinking age helpful despite legal challenges

Minnesota state legislators are considering lowering the drinking age. The bill proposed could decrease unsafe drinking practices among teenagers.

Morgan Krueger News Editor In the 1980s, the drinking age was 18 in roughly half the US states. That changed when US President Ronald Reagan demanded all states raise the age to 21 or their federal highway construction money would be slashed.

As their budgets were being threatened,

the states naturally complied.

Minnesota State Rep Phyllis Kahn wants to fight that decision, and has been pushing for over ten years to get the drinking age lowered to 18 again.

Kahn earned a biophysics PhD from Yale and an MPA from the Kennedy School at Harvard. She is also “known as the mother of Title IX in Minnesota,” state Rep. Joe Atkins told the Washington Post.

Sen. Branden Petersen has announced he will be introducing Kahn’s idea to the state senate. He stated the theory that since 18 is the legal age of adulthood for everything else, is should be the age for drinking as well.

It makes no sense that our own country will deem us responsible to go die in war, but not responsible enough to drink a beer.

Either an 18 year old is considered a responsible adult, or not.

The general idea of Kahn’s proposal is that bars and restaurants should serve those aged 18 and higher. Minors who are under the drinking age would also be allowed al-

cohol in bars and restaurants if they are with a guardian or spouse of legal age. The age to buy alcohol from liquor stores would remain the same.

House Commerce Chairman Joe Hoppe has said he will schedule a hearing for either

binge drinking in the U.S. College students have “drunk themselves to death … after friends sent their pals to bed assuming that they would ‘sleep it off,’” a USA Today article said.

Kahn believes she has found a way

Kahn’s bills or legislation of his own that would lower the limit to 19, with the extra year serving to ensure that high-school-age kids could not purchase alcohol.

Several university presidents are supporters of Kahn’s idea, believing that bar drinking is a safer alternative to the drinking activities that currently occur on college campuses.

The proposed change is “a very good way to deal with the serious problem of binge drinking, particularly on college campuses,” Kahn told the Washington Post.

Roughly 80,000 die each year due to

around the possible loss of federal funding that caused the age to be raised in the first place.

In 2012 decision on Medicaid expansion, the Supreme Court said the federal government cannot threaten to withhold funding in order to force the states to comply with the federal government’s “requests.”

So if Minnesota lowered the drinking age, it is possible they would not face monetary repercussions.

Some disagree with this conclusion, such as Law Professor Sam Bagenstos, from the University of Michigan. He said the Medicaid case “was explicitly based on the unprecedentedly large size of the threat.”

Highway budgets do not make up a huge part of states’ budgets, therefore it is possible the Medicaid ruling may not apply.

“I still think the small amount of funding at stake negates a coercion argument,” law professor Nicole Huberfeld of the University of Kentucky wrote.

Either way, Kahn will have to face the problem of getting constituents’ support to pass the bill before she need worry about possible repercussions.

Hoppe said, “I think it has a chance. I don’t want to say it’s going to pass. I think for a lot of people it’s going to be something they haven’t thought of and, when they first hear it, I think a lot of people will have the reaction of ‘What? We can’t do that.’ But we’ll see.”

An alternative option had been proposed—raising alcohol taxes, specifically on beer which is largely drunk by college students. MADD member Donna Kopec brought attention to the fact that “the five states with the highest beer taxes have half the binge drinking of other states.”

But is punishing all beer consumers, plus the bars and companies that sell them, really the way to go?

Instead of finding ways to make drinking more difficult for young adults, lets give them legal ways to drink that are preferable to binge drinking in a fraternity basement.

“Bar drinking is a safer alternative to the drinking activities that currently occur on college campuses”

Eli Brinkman / Collegian

Father-son bonding could include a fun run to the bar, where Dad could impart words of wisdom regarding how many mugs of beer his lightweight son should drink. If Minn. lowered its drinking age, it would allow bar drinking like this for people age 18 or older.

2 march 2015

Commentary

the Collegian: 9

Going off the deep end: Superfish a surprise part of Lenovo deal

A piece of stealthy and unwanted adware called Superfish comes installed on Lenovo laptops, much to the surprised chagrin of all consumers.

Sam Beckmann Student Writer Everyone knows how easy it is to accidently get some sort of malware onto your computer, especially if browsing “sketchy”looking sites without a firewall. But until now, malware has been something that gets on your computer after you buy it. Nobody would think that a brand new laptop would be delivered with malware pre-installed. Yet this is exactly what happened with Superfish, which infected millions of users worldwide.

It all started in Sept. 2014 when Lenovo began packaging a software called from a company named Superfish into its laptops.

Superfish has actually been a headache for many users for much longer than that, but the version in question started shipping then. Marketed as a “visual search” app that enhances browser experience, in reality Su-

perfish is just adware, if not borderline malware. Its sole purpose is to inject ads into your browser. Hardly something that would be considered useful software, but nevertheless shipped by default with Lenovo laptops.

This is certainly not unique to Lenovo, though. For years now, computer and phone manufacturers have been taking money from various nefarious companies in order to have their questionable software installed by default when the hardware is shipped out.

In some cases (I’m looking at you, McAfee) it is incredibly difficult for the end user to uninstall said software. And although certainly what Superfish did was not beneficial to anyone buying Lenovo laptops, that’s not nearly as much of a big deal than how Superfish did it.

In order to inject ads into your browsing experience, Superfish issues a fake SSL certificate to your browser. Certificates are the methods by with which browsers determine that they are connected to an actual website, and whether or not that website is secure.

By issuing its own certificate, Superfish can make your browser think it’s connected to a real website, when it fact is connected to Superfish, which allows Superfish to place ads in the current webpage. To recap so far: Lenovo installed Superfish onto its computers before selling them, then Superfish registered a fake certificate, which allows it to place ads on whatever website it wants. It gets worse though.

In a stroke of pure genius, Superfish uses the exact same certificate for every comput-

er it’s on, and the private key for this certificate has been published online. Through this, Superfish has gone from a slight annoyance to a full blown security threat.

Since the key is public, anyone, not just Superfish, can use it to convince your browser that it’s connected to a real, secured website when it’s not.

So for instance, you could believe that you are sending your password to a bank, and the little lock would appear in your browser, indicating your connection is secure. In reality though, anyone with the key (which is everyone) could be listening, and take your username and password. Even worse, your computer has no way of telling whether or not it’s been compromised. And uninstalling Superfish doesn’t fix the problem! You have to manually go into the certificate list used by your browser, and remove the evil Superfish certificate.

So why should you care?

Well, if you own a Lenovo laptop, use one of many tools that have popped up online to figure out if your computer is infected, and if so, go through the sets to remove the infection.

If you don’t use a Lenovo laptop, you should still care about what Lenovo and Superfish did.

In a world more and more dominated by digital transactions, keeping your passwords

and information safe is more important than ever. Bank robbers’ weapon of choice has moved from guns to keyboards as our world moves online.

So you should care when a major computer manufacture compromises the security of its user base without their knowledge by trying to make an extra buck bundling adware with its computers.

Eli Brinkman / Collegian

This Superfish has more eyebrow than the actual logo, but otherwise, it’s an accurate portrayal of the scuba-diving fish that shows up with pop-up ads on Lenovo laptops.

Okla. constitution outdated, convoluted, needs to be replaced

Oklahoma’s constitution should be replaced with a simpler and more updated version.

Brennen VanderVeen Politics Reporter The Constitution of the United States has only six articles and twenty-seven amendments. At over 200 years old, it is one of the oldest constitutions in the world. It governs the world’s sole superpower, a country that is among the largest in the world in terms of both land area and population.

In contrast, Oklahoma has one of the longest constitutions in the world. At the time of its adoption, it was the longest. In its just over 100 year existence, it has been amended over 150 times. Much of the length comes from provisions that are outdated, stricken down, or, quite often, better handled by statute.

The state constitution reflects the biases of its original adopters in 1907. It spends an inordinate amount of time limiting the power of the railroads. The word “railroad” or

“railroads” is used a total of 56 times. Some of these regulations aren’t inherently bad, but it’s odd to place the regulations in the constitution rather than in statute, especially given that citizens are much less concerned with abuses by railroad monopolies a hundred years later.

The constitution decrees how railroad companies must have meetings and the manner in which they should trade stock. It also bans railroad companies from operating in this state until they accept the entirety of

for some YMCAs, hospital patients, charity workers, homeless people and inspectors for the post office, customs and immigration enforcement.

There are a few other provisions that come off as quite dated. For instance, the state is allowed to enter into any business activity it wants, except for agriculture. In dividing up college funding, there’s a reference to the “Colored Agricultural and Normal University,” now Langston University. The section that ensures freedom of religion also bans

the constitution. Understandably, corporation commissioners are required to state in their oath of office that they are don’t have a conflict of interest regarding the companies they seek to regulate. However, the constitution only mentions certain types of companies directly. Among them are railroads, street railways, steam boats and telegraph lines.

One of the sections regulating railroads is rather peculiar. It bans the railroads from giving free services to people. However, there are exceptions. These exceptions take up 17 lines on the version from the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. The exceptions include surgeons, physicians, attorneys, religious ministers, certain secretaries

“polygamous or plural marriages.” There is also one section that defines both the flash test and specific gravity test for kerosene.

Numerous provisions of the constitution are no longer in effect. Two articles and 21 sections have been repealed. Other provisions have been struck down by federal courts. For instance, virtually all of Oklahoma’s rules for apportionment for the state legislature have been invalidated by the Supreme Court of the United States. One of the amendments to the constitution attempted to place term limits on Oklahoma’s federal representatives. This was also struck down by the Supreme Court. Another amendment defines marriage as between one man and one woman. Federal courts have struck this

“The state constitution reflects the biases of its original adopters in 1907.”

down, and many expect that the Supreme Court will uphold those decisions later this year.

Many provisions are arguably better handled by statute. Many regulations for railroads arguably would be better handled through normal laws than through constitutional provisions. Provisions concerning labor laws and alcohol would also be better handled by statutes. For instance, the state’s right to work law, child labor laws and the eight hour workday for certain professions are enshrined into the constitution. There is no reason why these items couldn’t be handled by normal legislation. The state’s regulation of alcohol is more peculiar. Alcohol sales on Sunday or to people under twentyone isn’t just illegal, it’s unconstitutional.

The number of outdated references, provisions that are no longer in force and overly specific provisions make Oklahoma’s constitution overly long and complicated. A constitution should set out to form the structure of the government and to safeguard the most fundamental rights of citizens. Oklahoma’s constitution goes well beyond this goal, and sets to consider nearly everything under the sun. Also, while one should expect a constitution to be amended at times, it’s completely unnecessary to do so nearly every election. Oklahoma would be better served with a constitution that’s shorter and easier to understand. More trivial matters should be handled at the legislative, not constitutional, level.

Sports

the Collegian : 10

Improved Cuban relations mean defection is no longer necessary to play in the MLB Baseball begins in just over a month, and the Collegian is counting down to opening day. This week, with the recent signing of Yoan Moncada, we look at Cuban players playing in the MLB. Wade Crawford Sports Writer When Yoan Moncada recently signed with the Boston Red Sox, he joined the long list of Cuban baseball players to leave the country to play for Major League Baseball.

Around 200 Cuban players have defected in the past two decades, and some represent the upper echelon of Major League talent— Yasiel Puig and Yoenis Cespedes come to mind.

But how do these players find themselves in a MLB contract? Plus, with the improved situation between the United States and Cuba, will defection become a thing of the past?

Cuban players were once free to play in

the United States, with Cubans playing in both Major League Baseball and the Negro Leagues.

After the Cuban Revolution and Fidel Castro’s rise to leadership, he forbade these players from playing abroad. Thus, players left Cuba as defectors, aiming to reach the big dollars of the MLB. However, players rarely defect to the United States itself. Defecting to the US means that these players must enter the MLB draft, while taking citizenship of another country allows them to be signed as free agents.

For example, Jose Abreu (last year’s AL Rookie of the Year) and Aroldis Chapman took residency in the Dominican Republic and Andorra, respectively.

Defection is not always a success, though—Puig attempted to defect several times before being successful (with a story that would be an article itself).

Oddly enough, Moncada didn’t defect from Cuba at all. In June of last year, Moncada was granted the ability to leave the country by the Cuban government to

pursue a career in the MLB. This grant shows a possibility of defections being a thing of the past.

The improvement of relations between the United States and Cuba this past December has already began to have an effect on baseball.

Now, instead of having to get a specific license from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, all players need to get is a signed affidavit stating they have established residency in a separate country.

A possible deal has been discussed, and changes could occur as soon as the next collective bargaining agreement between owners and the Player’s Association.

What comes next for Cuban players and Major League Baseball remains unseen.

But, for the most part, days of leaving under the guise of night or defecting while at international tournaments seem to be in the past.

Whatever the case may be, improved Cuban relations will have positive implications on Major League Baseball.

Thunder hosts job fair

The Oklahoma City Thunder hosted a job fair for students interested in working in the sports industry and included a free tour of Chesapeake Energy Arena and Thunder game.

Mason Morgan Student Writer

Defensive Quality Coach Announced Montgomery has announced Luke Olsen as the Defensive Quality Control Coach for the upcoming season. Olsen has served two seasons as a graduate assistant, and one season as a volunteer assistant where he worked with and prepared the defense before games.

Track Travels to New York for Indoor Championships The men and women’s track teams traveled to New York for the American Indoor Championship. The men finished in second falling to Houston by a single point, and the women finished seventh in the field of eleven. Junior Bryce Robinson was named the Men’s Track Most Outstanding Performer, and Steve Gulley and staff were name Co-Men’s Coaching Staff of the Year award.

The men had a one point lead going into the final event, the 4x400 meter relay. The University of Houston Cougars edged out the Hurricane by 0.43 seconds to win the relay and take home the title.

Robinson won the both the 200-meter and 400-meter resulting in meet records for both of his finishes.

Redshirt sophomore Adam Palamar set a record of his own in the mile run, finishing in 4:04.88. Marc Scott finished the record setting performances on the men’s side, taking first in the 3000-meter run with a time of 8:01.77. For the women Audrey Jean-Baptiste took first in the 400-meter race setting a meet record in the process with a time of 52.82.

Up next for the Hurricane is the NCAA Indoor Championships on Mar. 13–14 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Women Fall to TCU The women’s tennis team traveled to Fort Worth to play the No. 17 Horned Frogs, falling 4–2. The Horned Frogs took an early lead after winning two of three doubles matches and. After TU got within one point of TCU, the Horned Frogs jumped out and won two more to take the win. The Hurricane’s record sits at 8–6.

On Tuesday, Feb. 24th, a group of more than 50 TU students were taken to the state’s capital for the Oklahoma City Thunder’s fourth annual Career Fair.

This trip involved a free trip to OKC for the day, an opportunity for a job in the business of sports and a free ticket to the game that night.

I was one of those students.

Many sports-related companies from around the area were represented in the job fair including the Thunder, the Tulsa Oilers and the newly renamed Oklahoma City Dodgers. Many of them were looking for both full time positions and summer interns.

The University of Tulsa had arguably the biggest turnout among the groups attending the fair. Other schools were represented like Oklahoma State University and Oral Roberts, but they were limited to just their sports management department while TU offered the trip to anyone who wanted to go.

After the job fair, each group was given a tour of the Thunder’s home venue, the Chesapeake Energy Arena. This included walking on the actual floor that the games are played on and visiting all of the luxury suites that the Thunder have to offer.

Lonnie Nichols and Ryan Hock, two

members of the Thunder staff, gave the tour to the TU group. They talked about how the arena and the team have changed since they came here in 2008, while trying to keep Tulsa in perspective.

“The Thunder would not be in Oklahoma without the influence of Tulsa.” Hock said when describing the decision to move the team. “When operating in a small market like Oklahoma City, you need a strong surrounding fan base from outside the city to support the team.”

They also mentioned their specialty in marketing and how they implement that into their jobs. The Thunder has a system called the Blue Alliance that builds a fan base in every Oklahoma City plus some in other states and holds events and meetings to support the team. This involves having watch parties or even traveling as a group to the games.

After the tour, everyone had time to eat dinner and explore the Bricktown District before the game began. Once the game started, everyone met back up in the same section and watched it together.

Oklahoma City won handily over the Indiana Pacers thanks in part to a triple-double from Russell Westbrook without even playing the fourth quarter.

The consensus from everyone was that it was a trip worth taking. Everything except for dinner was free of charge, so why not take that opportunity?

The only way anyone would have to pay was if they signed up but then decided not to go. I, among others, hope that this will be a recurring event for the University of Tulsa.

Softball season in full swing The Golden Hurricane softball team’s first home games were cancelled due to the weather, so instead we’ll take a look at their season so far.

Joey Byron Student Writer

The softball team has started the season with a strong 9–5 record; from this point the future looks bright.

Their early success has come from the strong presence of senior first baseman Julie Kernen. This past week she was named the American Softball Player of the Week for the second straight time. She had an average of .429 along with 6 RBI. Unfortunately, the Hurricane dropped out of the top 25 during the last tournament. They had been ranked number 25 in the country previously, but after losing two games (one to Baylor and one to Oregon) they fell from their former spot. The team is

optimistic that this will just be a speed bump in their season as a whole and looks forward to gaining a dominant position in the country once again.

Last season was very historic for the softball program. Their final record was 53–9, which will be hard to duplicate. They also finished the season ranked 18th in the country. It must have left a sour taste to lose to Baylor again in this past tournament considering that that is who knocked them out of the postseason last year.

The most recent tournament which was scheduled to be here in Tulsa was cancelled this past week due to the winter weather.

They would have played Northern Iowa, Creighton, Nebraska and North Texas.

I’m sure the team will use this off time to hone their skills and prepare for their next games which will take place in New Mexico for their round-robin style tournament. The team won’t play Baylor again during the regular season, but hopefully they will be able to seek revenge in a game during the postseason.

2 march 2015

Jesse Keipp is…

The tale of one city The 2015 Gold Rush for an NFL team (or teams) in Los Angeles is well underway.

The St. Louis Rams, San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders aren’t being all that secretive in their attempts to move on from their current homes.

In recent months, Stan Kroenke and his real estate group released plans for an NFL stadium in Inglewood, Calif., outside of Los Angeles. The plans have since been ratified

by Inglewood’s city council. Meanwhile, the Chargers and Raiders have announced joint plans for a potential stadium in the LA suburb of Carson.

Somewhat lost in the fray has been AEG’s downtown LA stadium plans. Long before NFL teams attached themselves to stadium plans, AEG announced Farmers Field, an NFL facility to be built next to the Staples Center. However, with mounds of red tape, plans for Farmers Field have stalled like a tractor on a cold, Midwestern morning.

Not to be outdone by all the coverage of the competing stadium plans, AEG released a report which claims that Kroenke’s Inglewood stadium poses a security threat.

Breaking News: former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge says Kroenke’s stadium poses a TERRORIST THREAT. Because of its proximity to LAX, the stadium poses a “twofer” for terrorists.

Yes, he called a terrorist attack a “twofer.” Most importantly, the report was funded by the entirely unbiased AEG. 2016 presidential candidates take note!

Courtesy nbclosangeles

One thing they forget to mention is that planes can travel really fast and that they don’t need to be next to an airport to crash into the stadium. And unless terrorists have access to WMDs in the U.S., I don’t think they can hit two places 3 miles away from each other.

The original terrorists Speaking of terrorists, Sky News published a photo of one of ISIS’s newest members, Jihadi John, in a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball cap. The Pirates were quick to release a statement denouncing the Pirates fan’s favorite pastime (terrorism).

Via CBS Pittsburgh, the Pirates said, “It is absolutely sickening to everyone within the Pirates organization, and to our great fans, to see this murderer wearing a Pirates cap in this old photo.”

Thankfully, the Pirates released a statement before riotous protesting erupted in the streets of the Steel City.

On an entirely unrelated note, the baseball team is named after a profession of raping and pillaging. Basically, pirates were terrorists when terrorism was cool.

Too much noise In an act of solidarity with frat houses and Mayo apartments, the Baltimore Orioles solicited noise complaints from their neighbors at their spring training complex.

Angry old men called local police after the Orioles used simulated crowd noise during pop-up drills. If the sound of baseball angered anyone, it would be the residents of “God’s waiting room.”

Rousey and UConn For the first time in UFC history, both the main and co-main events were women’s fights at Saturday night’s UFC 184. Ronda Rousey set a title fight record by defeating Cat Zingano in just fourteen seconds, short enough to fit in an Instagram video.

While American women’s sports have been gaining notoriety, they haven’t gained much parity. UConn women’s basketball, the prime example of sports dominance, defeated Tulsa by a score of 92–46 on Feb. 21.

‘Cane Calendar Mar. 2–8 Monday, Mar. 2 Women’s Basketball @ Cincinnati; Cincinnati, Oh; 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Mar. 3 Men’s Tennis @ UCLA; Los Angeles,

CA; 2 p.m Wednesday, Mar. 4 Men’s Basketball vs. Cincinnati; Reynolds Center; 8 p.m.

Friday, Mar. 6 Softball vs. North Dakota; Las Cruces,

NM; 1 p.m.

Softball vs. New Mexico State; Las Cruces, NM; 3 p.m.

Women’s Basketball @ American Athletic Conference Tournament;

Uncasville, CT

Women’s Basketball @ American Athletic Conference Tournament;

Uncasville, CT

Sunday, Mar. 8 Women’s Tennis vs. Rice; Case Tennis

Center; 1 p.m.

Saturday, Mar. 7 Men’s Basketball @ SMU; Dallas, TX; Softball vs. North Dakota; Las Cruces,

2 p.m.

NM; 1 p.m.

Women’s Basketball @ American Women’s Soccer vs. Northwestern State; Athletic Conference Tournament;

Dallas, TX; 1:30 p.m.

Uncasville, CT Softball vs. New Mexico State; Men’s Golf @ Tiger Invitational; Las Cruces, NM; 3 p.m.

Opelika, AL; All Day Women’s Soccer vs. North Texas; Dallas, TX; 4 p.m.

Courtesy foxsports

Based on this stare alone, I’m not surprised that Rousey regularly beats opponents in under a minute.

That stare is just scary.

As long as UConn basketball and Ronda Rousey exist, there won’t be many changes atop women’s sports.

2 march 2015

Sports

the Collegian : 11

Basketball beats Tulane, Memphis; Conference set for Sunday

David Kennedy / Collegian

Left to right: Guard James Woodard goes to the basket against Green Wave defender Jay Hook (#24) on Wednesday night’s game. Woodard led the Hurricane with 18 points, including 12 from behind the three-point arc. Guard Rashad Ray fights for a loose ball against Keith Pinckney (#1). With SMU’s loss to Connecticut on Sunday afternoon, the Golden Hurricane sits atop the American standings. The conference will be decided on Sunday when TU travels to Dallas to take on SMU.

Tulsa took down the Tulane Green Wave at home and earned a tough road win against the Memphis Tigers on Saturday, retaking first place in the American Athletic Conference with two games left.

Joseph Edmunds Sports Writer The Golden Hurricane men’s basketball team added two more wins as they passed the 20 win mark for the second consecutive season.

On Wednesday, the Green Wave of Tulane traveled to the Reynolds Center to face Tulsa. For the first 18 minutes of gameplay, the two teams couldn’t separate themselves from each other. The first half featured a tied score six different times, along with nine lead changes.

Tulane guard Louis Dabney had a very strong first half, as he scored 17 of the first 19 points for Tulane. Tulsa was having trouble shooting the ball from the perimeter in the first half and turned the ball over multiple times. This combination led to Tulane taking a 14–9 lead seven minutes into the contest. Tulsa scored six consecutive points after that, however, to take a one-point lead.

Because their perimeter shots were not fall-

ing, the Golden Hurricane relied heavily on their inside game, and had a 18–6 advantage over the Green Wave in terms of points in the paint in the first half.

As the first half progressed on, Tulsa was able to contain Dabney, preventing him from scoring for a period of about ten minutes. With the half coming to a close, Tulsa got hot on offense, and used a 9–0 run to reach a 34–26 advantage that they took into halftime.

In the second half, the lead was still nine for the first two minutes of the half, but from there, the Golden Hurricane never led by less than 10. Tulsa played strong on defense, and started to make shots from the perimeter on offense. In the second half, TU shot 70 percent from behind the three-point line, including a stretch where 12 consecutive Tulsa points came from three-pointers: three from guard James Woodard and one from guard Marquel Curtis.

Tulsa pushed the lead to twenty at 61–41 with six minutes remaining, and then up to 25 at 66–41 with five minutes left. Dabney started to get hot again, but Tulsa guard Rashad Ray countered Dabney with some sharp shooting from behind the three-point arc.

The 76–55 win gave Tulsa their 20th victory of the season. This season is the second season in a row they have achieved that mark.

Tulsa then traveled to Memphis to play an away game against the Tigers on Saturday.

Throughout the game, the teams were evenly matched. It took ten minutes of play for either team to take a lead of more than three points, which Memphis accomplished with a four point lead of 17–13. Tulsa cut the lead to one at 17–16, but Memphis then pulled away and reached the largest lead of either team for the game, a nine-point lead at 27–18 with six minutes remaining in the half. Tulsa fought back to keep the game close, and managed to pull within two with a score of 36–34 before the halftime break.

The second half saw much of the same gameplay as the first half, with the game still tightly contested. It took Tulsa five minutes into the half to pull ahead of the Tigers again, but they could only hold their small lead momentarily. After Tulsa took the lead, Memphis went on a run and again managed to pull out to a nine point lead at 60–51 with eight minutes left in the game. The Golden Hurricane had to fight back into the game again, and with a 12–3 run brought the score level at 63–63 with two minutes remaining.

The teams traded scores, and regulation ended with the score knotted at 66–66.

In overtime, Tulsa guard Shaquille Harrison took matters into his own hands, and scored all eight Golden Hurricane points in the extra period. He outscored the Tigers 8–6 in overtime.

After a balanced team effort, the Golden Hurricane came away with a 74–72 overtime victory. After the game, coach Frank Haith said, “It was a great win. I just feel that it’s a heck of a win for us to get on the road.” Tulsa played a well-rounded game, scoring 38 points in the paint, converting turnovers into 16 points, and receiving strong contributions from bench players, including 33 bench points. Harrison led Tulsa scorers with 23 points, and Ray chipped in 18 in another strong performance.

team in the country.

USC is one of the strongest tennis teams in recent history, winning five national championships in the last six years, and came into the match as the heavy favorites.

Tulsa had to fight an uphill battle after being swept in the doubles matches and losing the doubles point to the Trojans.

Or Ram-Harel, who recently was ranked 71st in the country by the Tennis Association Singles Poll, faced off against the Tro-

jan’s best player, No. 6 Yannick Hanfmann who hasn’t lost a game this season. In the biggest upset of the match, Ram-Harel beat Hanfmann in straight sets (meaning swept) 6–3, 6–2, handing him his first loss of the season.

The Trojans picked up the next point and held a 2–1 lead over the Hurricane until Alejandro Espejo handed No. 20 Roberto Quiroz in straight sets handing Quiroz only his second loss of the season.

After Dylan McCloskey put the Hurricane up 3–2, Mitchell Pritchard had an intense three-set win over Rob Bellamy, giving the Hurricane their most memorable win in program history. After the match was won, the Trojans and the Hurricane finished the last match, which Carlos Bautista narrowly lost against No. 72 Max de Vroom.

The win put Tulsa at 9–6 on the season, and gave USC their second loss of the season, putting their record at 10–2.

With the victories, Tulsa now has a record of 21–7 (14–2 American Athletic Conference). They have now pulled level with SMU for a tie atop the American Athletic Conference standings, but the Mustangs have the tiebreaker after beating Tulsa earlier in the season. With their strong play in conference this season, Tulsa has earned a bye in the first round of the American Athletic Conference tournament, which will take place March 11–15.

The Golden Hurricane next play on Wednesday in their final home game of the season, against the third place Bearcats of Cincinnati. After that, they travel to Dallas on Sunday to face SMU (who lost to UConn on Sunday), where the American Athletic Conference regular season title will be on the line.

Men’s tennis beats No. 1 USC in upset fashion

The men’s tennis team defeated USC in one of its most memorable wins in program history.

Matt Rechtien Sports Editor

The men’s Golden Hurricane tennis team traveled to Southern California to play against the USC Trojans, and shocked the tennis world with an upset over the No. 1

Women’s basketball wins last home game of the season The women’s basketball team looks to go into the conference tournament on a winning streak, beating Memphis and Tulane this week and looking to beat the Bearcats of Cincinnati on Monday.

Joseph Edmunds Sports Writer The Golden Hurricane women’s basketball team won tightly contested games against foes Memphis and Tulane.

On Tuesday, Tulsa traveled to Memphis to take on the Tigers. Tulsa jumped out to a quick 6–0 lead, but the Tigers fought back to keep themselves in the game. Memphis pushed to a momentary lead at 14–13, but Tulsa tied the game at 16 and proceeded to take and maintain a lead for the remainder of the first half. The Golden Hurricane was able to expand their lead to a maximum of twelve with five minutes left in the half, and took a ten-point lead into halftime.

In the first half, Tulsa shot 51 percent from the field, including hot shooting 57 percent from the three-point line. They held an 18–8 advantage in points in the paint.

For the beginning of the second half, the teams played a fairly even game, as the Tulsa lead fluctuated between eight and thirteen points. About halfway through the half, however, Memphis started to cut into

the lead. As they continued to pressure Tulsa, the Tigers managed to grab a one point lead at 60–59 with three minutes remaining in the game. The Golden Hurricane made a few clutch buckets down the stretch, and came away with a tough 65–62 road victory.

Three Tulsa starters scored in double figures, and Ashley Clark came off the bench to score a team-high 17 points.

Tulsa coach Matilda Mossman had this to say about Clark’s performance: “The reason we have Ashley coming off the bench is because she has been so successful when she enters the game. She is one of the most competitive kids we have.”

Clark also led the team with eight rebounds in the game.

On Saturday, Tulsa hosted Tulane for their senior day game, the final home game of the season. Forward Mariah Turner, guard Kadan Brady and manager Stephanie Medina were honored before the game.

Tulane started the game by scoring the first six points, all from center Chinwe Duru. She scored the first eight points for the Green Wave, as Tulsa had difficulty guarding her in the paint.

Soon after scoring her fourth basket, however, she picked up her second foul of the game and had to sit on the bench for the remainder of the half to avoid being in foul trouble for the rest of the game.

Tulsa struggled to score early on in the first half, as the Green Wave was applying

pressure with their 1–2–2 zone. The Golden Hurricane turned the ball over often, and that prevented their offense from getting into a rhythm.

Despite their offensive difficulties, Tulsa was able to play better on defense with Duru off the court, and held a 16–14 lead with eleven minutes left in the half. From there, though, Tulane picked up their defensive intensity again and forced a string of Tulsa turnovers, leading to a 10–0 Tulane run that gave them a lead with six minutes remaining in the first half. Tulsa responded a run of their own that gave them a one-point edge late in the half. From there, Tulane scored the last bucket of the half to take a 28–27 lead into the locker room at halftime.

In the second half, Duru was back on the court. She picked up right where she had left off, scoring the first basket of the half.

At thirty seconds left in the game, neither team could manage a lead of more than four points, and multiples deadlocks occurred, such as 34–34 and 45–45. Tulsa guard Kelsee Grovey hit two of her four three-pointers with less than two minutes remaining in the game, helping Tulsa pull ahead of the Green Wave 51–49 with 1:23 remaining and extend the lead to five with 23 seconds left in the game. Tulane guard Kolby Morgan then scored a three-pointer of her own. Morgan had an opportunity to tie the game after the Golden Hurricane turned the ball over on a five-second inbound call. She was then

fouled and missed the front end of a 1–and– 1 opportunity at the free throw line. Tulsa converted one more free throw and held on for a 55–52 victory.

Coach Mossman had high praise for Grovey after the game, saying, “she was huge down the stretch. It was a great night for our two seniors, Mariah and Kadan, and when a junior steps up for them and does those kinds of heroics it shows the passion they have for their teammates.” Grovey was a large part of the Golden Hurricane’s hot shooting from three-point range, as they shot 7–13 for the game.

With the wins, Tulsa moved into third place in the American Athletic Conference with a record of 16–12 (11–6 AAC). They have the same conference record as fourthplace Temple, but hold the tiebreaker after defeating the Owls earlier in the season.

The Golden Hurricane conclude their regular season on Monday at 6 p.m. when they travel to face Cincinnati.

This weekend the women will travel to Uncasville, CT for the American Athletic Conference tournament. With a win on Monday against the Bearcats they would be guaranteed a first-round bye in the tournament.

With the No. 1 ranked Huskies having the first seed, the road to an automatic NCAA berth goes through UConn, in which case winning the championship will be an uphill battle.

2 March 2015

The State-Run Media

the

State-Run media Probably on a terrorist watch list

Announcement: Racism over

This week, while the StateRun Media was doing some routine surveillance, it was discovered that Racism is officially over, and we can all move on.

Abigail LaBounty Completely Unbiased

This week, I was doing some casual data mining to check up on the loyal citizens of the State-Run Media, and I realized something strange. It seems that Racism is over.

I know, I was super surprised too. But the evidence is too overwhelming to ignore.

In 2013, black men made only 73 cents for every dollar a white man made, and black women made only 64 cents for the same dollar. And even last week, people with “white sounding” names were twice as likely to get a job over equally qualified people with “non-white sounding” names. But that’s all over.

Someone told CEOs that racism was over, and they immediately changed it and started paying people of color more.

Some CEOs are even promoting people of color into leadership positions. Their kindheartedness is amazing.

They could just keep the status quo since it’s cheaper for them, but CEOs realized that a fairly paid workforce contributes to more consumerism and less population growth, so overall, it contributes to the economy. It’s amazing that they’re not

Courtesy New York Times

Ferguson police approach an African American man in order to inform him that Racism is finally over. Taken out of context, of course, this could be construed the wrong way.

just shortsighted and greedy, but there you go.

In 2014, more black men between 20 and 24 were killed by the police than any other group, and people of color were disproportionately killed by police, with black and Native American men most likely to be killed. But

police saw these numbers and, instead of getting defensive or racist, decided to educate themselves on unconscious bias and de-escalation of force. So now, on top of not killing people of color willy nilly, police aren’t shooting people just because they have a mental illness either.

Because people of color are more likely to grow up in poor, underprivileged areas and therefore less likely to have the same access to educational opportunities, programs were put in place to take that into consideration when assessing college admissions. Wait, no, that’s affirma-

tive action, and it’s been in place for years. But really, who could argue with that?

And, most importantly, yesterday when I was on Tumblr, no one called me a cracker. So Racism is totally over, you guys!

Human Sexuality class much less exciting than you would think SOC 2125 is one of several courses that has a high drop rate, probably for different reasons than others do.

Fraser Kastner

Disappointment Correspondent Sources confirmed last Thursday that SOC 2125, Sociology of Human Sexuality, is much less exciting than one would think.

“I showed up on the first day thinking it would be my favorite class,” said Walter Smits, one of the students enrolled in the course. “Turns out we’re just

learning about people’s attitudes toward sex and sexuality over the last two centuries.”

The course, which is mainly concerned with the shifting perceptions of and institutional constraints on sexual expression, almost never deals with the act of sexual intercourse itself.

This is a huge disappointment to most of the students enrolled in it, who expected something a little more raunchy.

“I’m not entirely sure what I expected,” said Jon Shepard, a freshman economics major who needed a Block II credit. “I was hoping I’d have seen at least

one nipple by this point in the semester.”

While earlier in the semester the students remained optimis-

fumed Dr. Frank Jones, who teaches the course. “Every year people sign up for the course because it involves the word ‘sex.’

“One guy asked me what kinds of ‘films’ we would watch.” tic despite the lack of titillating content in the syllabus, sources have confirmed that most have finally resigned themselves to a semester of reading dry case studies and firsthand accounts from the Sexual Revolution.

“This happens every time,”

People don’t even stop for a second and consider that this is actually just a sociology class.

“One time a guy asked me what kinds of ‘films’ we would watch as part of the course,” continued Dr. Jones, holding the bridge of her nose. “As I

explained that we would only watch an excerpt from a documentary, I watched his eyes glaze over and I knew he had stopped listening. That was the first and only time he came to class.”

Sociology of Human Sexuality is one of several courses offered by the University that have a high dropout rate. Some of the others include PHYS 4012, Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, and HIST 2412, Revolutionary History, both of which sound more exciting than they are.

Men’s Rights Activist crafts masculine response to Vagina Monologues

Gregory Hawthorne has created his very own response to the famous feminist play, all in the three days since the Vagina Monologues showed on Friday.

Abigail LaBounty Some Girl

Elias Brinkman / Collegian

Jon Shepard reacts to finding out about the content of the course Human Sexuality. The class is mainly about shifting perceptions of sexuality and not, you know, the act itself.

In response to Friday’s performance of “The Vagina Monologues,” Gregory Hawthorne III has since written, produced, performed and reviewed his new work, “The Manginalogues.”

Hawthorne, who goes by “Trilby” in certain circles, mostly on the internet, was shocked when he went to the performance of “The Vagina Monologues” and noticed

that it exclusively portrays women’s stories.

He remarked that “there’s just not enough representation of men in the media. I mean, sure women exist, but how am I supposed to feel validated as a man if speaking roles fall below 80 percent male.”

Hawthorne also expressed concern about the lack of representation for Men’s issues in “The Vagina Monologues.”

“They talk about rape and female genital mutilation, but when do they ever mention domestic violence against men or false rape accusations?” asked Hawthorne as he prepared a series of autographed programs for what he assured us was a small but spirited fanbase. “Obviously if these topics aren’t present in every single conversation, feminists don’t really

care.”

When asked why there weren’t any representations of gay men or transgender men and the struggles they face in “The Manginalogues,” Hawthorne told us, “I mean, it’s not that I mind gay men as long as they’re not gay in front of me. But ‘The Manginalogues’ is about real men’s issues like violence against men and higher suicide completion rates amongst men, so obviously gay and trans men don’t enter into it.”

A review of the piece, which Hawthorne wrote himself, was ultimately positive. He really thinks he captures the spirit of male struggle, along with having a really catchy title. In the end, however, he says, “I’m my own harshest critic.”