BI
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a big student newspaper of the university of tulsa
november 11, 2013 issue 10 ~ volume 99
Everything’s bigger in
Tulsa
From the world’s largest oil man, to the Sixth Street warehouse where TU stores its unneeded goods, this big issue of the Collegian shows that size really does matter.
Big man off-campus: the rise of the Golden Driller What’s big, golden and looming over the QuikTrip Center? p. 6
Big secrets at 1635 E. 6th St. A graveyard of TU memories hidden in plain sight, p. 3
Big loss & big mess
TU football drops the ball; Aloft students still dropped off by shuttles, pp. 4, 6
Attack of the Clones!
Biodiversity be damned! Cloned trees rock TU landscaping scene, p. 2
Reading Partners Reading can change a child’s life! Become a True Blue Neighbors Reading Partner at Kendall-Whittier Elementary, commit to one hour a week and a 45 minute training session and you can be the catalyst to launch a child’s education to a higher level. Time slots are still available. Springdale Elementary Starting November 5, 2013, from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m., Springdale Elementary School is needing volunteers to assist with child care and reading buddies during ESL and Parenting classes. This is a once a week class and runs through May.
Habitat for Humanity Habitat needs volunteers to finish up their fall builds. The shifts run from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. or 12:30 – 4 p.m., and dates are November 9, 16, 23 & 30, December 7, 14 & 21 Lunch Room Monitor Kendall-Whittier needs lunch room monitors on Fridays. This is only for 30 minutes from 10:45 – 12:45. A background check is required.
For additional information on volunteer opportunities, contact Kathy Shelton in the True Blue Neighbor Volunteer Center at kathy-shelton@utulsa.edu or call 918-631-3535.
Most TU students do not take much time to stop and admire the trees on campus. “I honestly have not given a single thought to the trees in the entirety of my four years here,” says senior Stephen Theisen. There are around 3000 trees on campus, and many of them are clones. The trees lining the “Old U,” more formally known as Dietler Commons, are all genetically identical. In a technique known as “root cloning,” all of the trees are cloned from a single parent tree. The species on the “Old U” are all Highbeam Overcup Oaks, of which there are 317 on the TU grounds total. “The reason we use cloned trees is for increased disease resistance, growth and good looks,” said Bob Shipley, Associate VP of Operations at the Physical Plant. The Overcup is only one of several cloned varieties of tree students walk beneath every day. The others are the Green Giant Arborvitae, October Glory Red Maple, Chinese Fringetree, Nellie Stevens Holly, Sarah’s Favorite Crapemyrtle, Shumard Oak, and the Lacebark Elm (all trademarks of Select Trees) Select Trees, the company that provided TU with its Overcup Oaks, calls the trees “a refinement of one of our best native species.” “Leaf drop is clean and uniform,” Select Trees continues. “Branches are upswept, making Highbeam a perfect street tree.” After cloning, the trees are left
Staff Writer
Kimberly Poff
and adaptability”
hardiness, year- round interest
urban tree including form,
the attributes of an outstanding
specimen tree embodying all
“(Allée® Lacebark Elm) superb
Spirit™ Fringetree
Highbeam® Overcup Oak
October Glory® Red Maple
333 full memberships at a modest country club in Grand Rapids, Mich.
3,125 128 GB iPad Airs, enough to give one to each undergraduate student at TU
11,363 and 2/3 kegs of Pabst Blue Ribbon
October Glory® Red Maple
One Victoria’s Secret Fantasy Bra which is covered with amethysts, rubies, sapphires and various colors of diamonds
SNAP benefits for 3,742 and one half families of four
Fifty five and one half years of University of Tulsa tuition at current price
So, what else costs $2.5 million?
According to Athens, Ga., nursery Select Trees:
in a nursery and root-pruned. This process cuts the roots at their extremity to increase the root density. This increases the likelihood of the tree surviving transplantation. The trees here at TU were in the nursery for an average of seven years. The larger of the trees, known as “street” trees as opposed to their smaller “ornamental” counterparts, come at a hefty sum. A $1000 price tag includes their transportation and the necessary irrigation installation. Small trees cost about half as much. The total cost of TU’s small forest was about $2.5 million. The trees already planted on campus still have a while to mature. It will take another five to ten years for the trees to fill out. “It is a little distressing that the trees are so uniform,” opined professor Michael Keller, “but that will fix itself with time.”
TU branched out for its landscaping needs, buying $2.5 million in cloned trees from a nursery in Georgia.
So that’s why they all look the same: Yew won’t beleaf the tree TU’s been barking up
Panache® Shumard Oak
Allée® Lacebark Elm
11 novemBER 2013 the Collegian : 2
11 novemBER 2013 the Collegian : 3
Italicized sections of this article are paraphrases of direct quotes.
ing figures (it used to be in the bottom of Keplinger Hall, Head told us), and bed frames. Piles and piles of bed frames. Those all came out of Fisher East when they turned it into offices, Head said. We had some from Fisher West, too, when it went from double to single occupancy. West is now back to double occupancy, of course. J.Christopher and I counted two piles of bed frames—figure one hundred frames to a pile—and three piles of head and footboards. Some materials move through the warehouse frighteningly fast. In a separate room just to the right of the main entrance is a computer graveyard. fourteen or fifteen desktops lay stacked one on top of the other in the corner. The floor was covered by a thick carpet of old monitors. The computers get cleared out about once a month. We took in the scene before us. If this was at all representative of normalcy, TU must burn through computers like a 17th century peasant family through wood. And there are more than a few things that old TU hands might recognize: the TU-themed and barstool-style chairs from Pat Case; generic water fountains that preceded the “hydration stations;” a box of broken, yellow bicycles. If anyone’s wondering where the pool table from the LaFortune lobby got to, J.Christopher and I have a hint for you.
Room of un-Requirement
Kyle Walker Managing Editor 1635 E. 6th street is a squat, red and brown brick building. Along the east wall are several high windows at regular intervals. Two overhead doors dominate the south side next to a metal door labeled with the brass numbers “35.” Facilities Maintenance Manager Charlie Head drove up in a marked University of Tulsa vehicle. As he climbed out of the car, I could see that he stood around six feet. He wore glasses and a striped shirt. When he shakes your hand, Mr. Head seems to reach up and around a large pillar between you and him—he reaches down rather than across. This forces you to reach up at an unfamiliar angle. He did this as he introduced himself. Charlie Head, he said. So you guys want to see inside? J.Christopher and I followed him into the building. Inside were disorderly rows of disused furniture, appliances, computers and TU paraphernalia. The air was surprisingly dust-free. Yeah, the whole place is culled every once in a awhile, Head said. Some of the stuff gets donated. Some of it we sell. That way you don’t end up with a bunch of old stuff gathering dust. TU has rented the property for the past eight years. When J.Christopher and I were there, the warehouse had some notable denizens: a canoe taken from a Gilcrease museum display, a bizarre metal statue of an oil derrick bedecked with celebrat-
where TU’s unwanted things go to fade into oblivion.
Clockwise from top left: The interior of TU’s warehouse at 1635 E. 6th street. A box of broken yellow bicycles. Rows of head and footboards from the beds in TU’s residence halls. Close-up of an oil derrick statue originally in the basement of Keplinger Hall. Stacks of desktop computers in the computer graveyard. The exterior of 1635 E. 6th street.
Sports
11 November 2013
the Collegian : 4
Big season tips-off with loss to cross-town rival
Luke Lau / Collegian
Luke Lau / Collegian
Fraser Kastner / Collegian
Luke Lau / Collegian
The Golden Hurricane men’s basketball team opened its 2013–2014 season at the Reynolds Center against the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles in front of 6,160 fans Sunday night. ORU defeated TU in the 49th meeting between the two programs by a score of 74–68, breaking a four-game winning streak for the Hurricane. Tulsa leads ORU in the series 32–17. The Eagles outperformed the Hurricane at the free-throw line shooting 78.4-percent, or 29 of 37 while TU only hit 47.2-percent of its free throws. The Golden Eagles also dominated at the board, out-rebounding the Golden Hurricane 45–28, with 16 second-chance points compared to Tulsa’s three. TU did shoot .500 from the floor compared to the Golden Eagles’ .386, and each team only made one three-point shot.
TU drops big game, bowl dreams dashed The Tulsa Golden Hurricane failed to keep its postseason dreams alive by losing to the East Caroline Pirates 58–24. Will Bramlett Sports Editor
The Golden Hurricane will not play in a bowl game this year for only the second time since joining Conference USA in 2005. The (6–2) East Carolina Pirates hosted the Hurricane Saturday afternoon. Tulsa tried to spoil the homecoming celebration in Greenville, N.C. by driving down the field to take a 7–0 lead after forcing a turnover on downs on the Pirates’ first drive. But the Pirates responded with two touchdowns of their own and then held the Hurricane to a field goal despite having 1st and goal from the ECU 3-yard line halfway through the second quarter. With just over a minute left in the first half, Dane Evans threw his first interception of the day. On the following play, ECU’s QB Shane
Carden threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Jones to take a 21–10 lead going into halftime. Tulsa’s Trey Watts recorded his second touchdown of the day in the third quarter, his first receiving touchdown of the season, but Carden had two more touchdown passes in the third quarter to give the Pirates a 35–17 lead going into the 4th. The Pirates had scored on their first complete drive of the fourth quarter. On the following Pirates drive, Tulsa’s Austin McDaniel wrapped up ECU’s receiver Lance Ray. DeWitt Jennings came in with a big hit on Ray to force the ball loose. Tulsa’s Will Barrow picked up the ball and returned the ball for a 37-yard touchdown to bring the score to 42–24 in favor of ECU. The Pirates drove down to the Tulsa 1-yard line on the following drive, but the Hurricane defense stood their ground and held the Pirates to a field goal. Carden threw his fifth touchdown pass of the game, setting a East Carolina school record, with 4:20 left in the second half to give
the Pirates a 52–24 lead over the Golden Hurricane. For the final Tulsa drive, Joseph Calcagni came into the game to play quarterback. Tulsa began its drive at its own 28-yard line. Calcagni led the Hurricane to a 1st and goal on the East Carolina 4-yard line. Calcagni threw the ball on first, second and third down, but all passes fell incomplete. On 4th and goal, Calcagni, but ECU’s DaShaun Amos came down with the ball with no time left on the clock. Rather than taking a knee in the end zone for a touchback to end the game, Amos ran the ball 100 yards to the TU end zone for a touchdown to end the East Carolina homecoming game. The Hurricane’s 58–24 loss to the Pirates brought TU’s overall record to 2–7 and 1–4 in C-USA play. With only three games remaining this season, it is now impossible for the Hurricane to have a winning record and advance to a bowl game ending a three-year bowl game streak.
The Pirates are currently tied atop the C-USA East standings with the Marshall Thundering Herd, who beat the UAB Blazers 56–14 Saturday. The Herd and Pirates are schedule to play on the last week of the season. Should the Pirates win their remaining C-USA game and the Herd win their last two C-USA games, setting up for an exciting game on Nov. 29 when the two teams are scheduled to face-off in Marshall, W.V. to play in the CUSA championshop. The Herd play the Hurricane Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Tulsa. The game will be televised nationally on FOX Sports 1. Following Tulsa’s game against Marshall, the Hurricane will play
the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in Ruston, L.A. a week from Saturday at 6 p.m. on CBS Sports Network and finish the season at home against the North Texas Mean Green. The Bulldogs are 3–2 in C-USA play and 4–5 overall. The Mean Green are 7–3 overall and are 5–1 in its first season of C-USA play. The Mean Green and the Rice Owls sit atop the C-USA West with one loss in conference play each. The end of the C-USA season is shaping up to be filled with excitement which will not involve the Hurricane, unless the team can step up their play to be play the part of spoiler to the Herd or Mean Green.
Nick Faulkner / The East Carolinian
Tulsa defenders Gabe Moyer (left) and Garrett Stafford (right) rest while the Tulsa offense tries to put points on the board.
Wednesday Nov. 13
M. Soccer
C-USA First Round
Charlotte, N.C.
TBA
Thursday Nov. 14 Drew Carter / The East Carolinian
Football
Trey Watts continues to be one of the bright spots for the Golden Hurricane’s offense. Watts had a big day, rushing for 120 yards. The team rushed for 188 total yards. The Pirates had allowed on average only 94 rushing yards per game entering Saturday’s game.
Volleyball
Big News and Big Notes •
Former Oklahoma State Cowboys running back and Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders told the Tulsa World at the Oklahoma State vs Kansas football game Saturday, “My dad really wanted me to go to Tulsa. He wasn’t that please initially when I signed [to Oklahoma State].”
•
The Tulsa Oilers are on a hot streak, having won four games in a row. The team which started the season 0–5–2 is now 4–5–2. The Oilers beat the defending CHL champion Allen Americans 3–1 Nov. 3, then shutout the Wichita Thunder 4–0 and beat the newly formed St. Charles Chill 6–4 Friday and 3–2 in a shootout Saturday. The Oilers look to reach .500 Tuesday against the Wichita Thunder in the BOK Center at 7:05 p.m.
•
The Marshall Thundering Herd football team’s helmet art is normally a large “M,” but this week the team’s helmet will read “75” when it plays at Tulsa. The Thursday night game is on the 33rd anniversary of plane crash which killed 75 members of the Marshall football program.
vs Marshall
H.A. Chapman Stadium
Friday Nov. 15
6:30 p.m.
vs UTEP
El Paso, Texas
8 p.m.
C-USA Semifinals
Ames, Iowa
12 p.m.
vs Tulane
Ames, Iowa
1:15 p.m.
M. Soccer**
C-USA Semifinals
Charlotte, N.C.
TBA
M. Basketball
vs Missouri State
M. Cross Country W. Cross Country
Saturday Nov. 16
Volleyball
W. Basketball M. Soccer**
Springfield, Mo.
Sunday Nov. 17
vs UTSA
San Antonio, Texas
C-USA Finals
Charlotte, N.C.
vs Lamar
Beaumont, Texas
** if the men’s soccer team advances in C-USA tournament.
7:05 p.m.
1 p.m.
2 p.m.
1:30 p.m.
Sports
the Collegian : 5
Big
11 November 2013
Chiefs shock, excite with big start
Fans of the Kansas City Chiefs hope for the best at the start of each season, but have been let down Jesse Keipp Staff Writer for the last 20 seasons. With a 9–0 start, Chiefs fans are hoping this can In a Week 9 game against the Oakland Raidfinally be their year. ers, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles tossed an NFL-record-tying seven touchdowns. Before Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos threw seven touchdowns in this year’s season opener, Joe Kapp most recently achieved the feat 44 years ago in 1969. Only seven quarterbacks in total (including Foles) have matched this record, so Foles’s jersey now hangs in the Hall of Fame with Peyton Manning’s. However, no one cares. No one is proclaiming the greatness of Foles. Eagles head coach Chip Kelly wouldn’t even proclaim Foles the starter for the rest of the year. Why? Because Foles is the victim here. He’s the victim of the most offensive friendly system the NFL has ever seen. On a side note, after infamously making racist comments at a Kenny Chesney concert over the summer, Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper has improved tremendously since Nick Foles, a white quarterback, took the place of an injured Michael Vick, a black quarterback. The only two games Cooper has caught for over 100 yards were while Foles was at quarterback. Coincidence? Definitely not. Clearly, Cooper is as racist as ever.
Nikki Hager Staff Writer
The Kansas City Chiefs have yet to win a playoff game in my lifetime. The last time the Chiefs won a playoff game was January 1993; the Chiefs hold the NFL record for consecutive first-round playoff losses. Since I have been a child, at the beginning of each season, I have though “this will be our year.” And each year, they break my heart. In 2010, we won the AFC West Title for the first time since 2003. Of course, we lost in the first round of the playoffs. In 2006, we lost the wild card playoff game to the Colts 23–8. And in 2003, Trent Green, Priest Holmes, and Dante Hall led the Chiefs to
Jesse Keipp Staff Writer
Photo courtesy USA Today
In the absence of news about Tim Tebow and Brett Favre, NFL fans have been indulged with the league’s newest soap opera star, bad-boy Richie Incognito. The Miami Dolphins’ lineman has come under fire for a voicemail directed at fellow lineman, Jonathan Martin: “Hey, wassaup, you half n---- piece of s---. I saw you on Twitter, you been training 10 weeks. [I want to] s--- in your f------ mouth. [I’m going to] slap your f------ mouth. [I’m going to] slap your real mother across the face [laughter]. F--- you, you’re still a rookie. I’ll kill you.” Violence, racism and including Martin’s mother? Hey, if you’re going to verbally abuse someone, Incognito thinks you must go all the way. Maybe Incognito gets a free pass on the racism because some teammates reportedly consider him “an honorary black man?” You be the judge. Martin has since quit the team, and the Dolphins have suspended Incognito. Incognito, nothing more than a kindergarten bully on steroids, has been known to take rookies’ lunch money. While it is fairly common practice around the league for veterans to make rookies pay for expensive meals, Incognito and other Dolphins players have taken it to the extreme. While the minimum rookie salary this year is $400,000, Dolphins rookies picked up the tab on a $30,000 dinner for the veterans. Incognito had Martin pay for a $15,000 trip to Las Vegas earlier this year. Hey, they were just buds; they even had a cute nicknames for each other! Martin, affectionately known as “Big Weirdo,” appreciated the camaraderie so much that he quit the team after a lunch table prank. Perhaps the worst part of the entire situation is how many people have rushed to defend Incognito and further victimize Martin. Allegedly, Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin told Martin to “toughen up,” a line said by every bully ever. Heck, the GM, Jeff Ireland, suggested that Martin “just punch” Incognito. It sounds like the Dolphins leadership may need to take a class or two on conflict resolution. Several Dolphins players, including Brian Hartline and John Jerry (who is black), have insisted that Incognito is not racist. Apparently, berating a half-black athlete by calling him an N-word isn’t racist? The thing about racist jokes is that they’re, well, racist. In the midst of all of this, it has been revealed that Incognito sexually harassed a female employee at a golf course in 2012. Keep it classy, Incognito.
“I continued to wear my Chiefs gear proudly” The response from fans has been roaring. Fans at Arrowhead Stadium broke the record for the loudest outdoor sporting event at 137.5 decibels on Oct. 13 against the Oakland Raiders. In the 1990’s, Arrowhead had a reputation for being one the loudest, toughest stadiums in the NFL. It can now
stake that claim again, this time with a Guinness World Record confirmation. To be fair, the Chiefs’ schedule has been on the easier side. And by on the easier side, I mean the team has only faced one opponent that has won over half their games. That said, winning is winning. Two of the next three upcoming games are division games against the Denver Broncos who lead the NFL in offensive yards per game and have a 7–1 record for the season. These games will better gauge how the Chiefs will fare for the rest of the season—the remainder of the team’s games are against significantly better teams that the Chiefs have faced thus far. Additionally, the games against Denver will give us a better shot at knowing what our chances in the postseason will look like. In a Super Bowl era, only 19 teams have ever gone 9–0. Eleven of them went to the Super Bowl. Sadly, the 2003 Chiefs were not one of those eleven teams. As a Chiefs fan who’s been through it all, I do not care if we win the Super Bowl. I do not care if we make it to the Super Bowl. I just want to win a playoff game. I have waited my entire life to win a single postseason game. Now that’s not to say I don’t want to win the Super Bowl—but hey, we have to start somewhere.
College athletes left out of a big business Many persons and organizations collectively make billions off of unpaid college athletes.
Maimi Dolphins’ big man Richie Incognito has been under fire over the last week and a half after reports came out that he left a racist and threatening voicemail on a rookie’s phone and forced the player to pay for meals and a trip which the rookie did not even make.
start the season 9–0, only to lose in the first round of the playoffs. Now, ten years later, we must break our playoff curse. We must win a playoff game. Last year, we finished the season 2–14, the worst in franchise history. I continued to wear my Chiefs gear proudly, even on Mondays after despicable loses. People would sneer at my shirt and apologize for how badly we had been playing. The Jovan Belcher tragedy escalated the season from embarrassing to a disaster. Yet Kansas City has remained resilient. New head coach Andy Reid has led the Chiefs to begin the season 9–0, under new management led by John Dorsey.
NCAA athletics has become a big industry. How big? Try $11 billion per year big. Meanwhile, the primary employees of this industry aren’t even compensated for their work. I’m talking, of course, about studentathletes. Because NCAA rules mean student-athletes can’t be paid, they lose out on money they could earn if working and are paid by their schools via controversial methods, or are simply paid under the table. Meanwhile, coaches, athletic directors, and NCAA executives earn massive paychecks off their players’ work. Opponents of paying college athletes argue that athletes are already compensated with scholarships. These young men, many of whom might not otherwise be able to afford a college education, do not have to pay full cost for college. However, the average full Division I scholarship is $25,000 per
year. But the costs of attendance include tuition, room and board, meals, books and travel between home and school, totalling much more than that average of $25,000. Furthermore, many college athletes don’t receive any athletic scholarships—let alone football and men’s basketball players, who turn hefty profits for their athletic programs. Collegiate athletic programs vigorously recruit top athletes for their programs without being able to pay their athletes. Since they can’t pay their athletes, some schools find other ways to entice them. In September, Sports Illustrated released a five-part report on the recruiting scandals of Oklahoma State football. According to the report, many players received money under the table. In the most controversial part of the report, members of Orange Pride, OSU’s hostess group, allegedly admitted to having sex with recruits in order to entice them to attend OSU. Furthermore, because their schools don’t pay them, oftentimes athletes will find their own ways to earn money. A few years ago, five Ohio State football players, including their star quarterback Terrelle Pryor, were suspended for five games for selling awards and receiving improper benefits. What did they do? Some sold championship memorabilia. Some signed autographs. Because they needed a little extra money, they were punished. But some athletes resort to more extreme ends in order to earn money. In the SI report on OSU, it was revealed that some players not only did drugs, but
dealt them in order to earn money. Maybe if those players had been paid for playing, they would have been less inclined to turn to alternative revenue sources. So where is all the money generated by NCAA games and paraphernalia going if not to the players themselves? According to USA Today, University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban makes the most of any collegiate football head coach at over $5.5 million, not including any possible bonuses. Sixty-five NCAA football head coaches make over $1 million per year. NCAA President Mark Emmert made $1.7 million during 2011. NCAA COO Jim Isch made $977,531. NCAA coaches and leadership bring millions into their schools and organizations and deserve to be compensated accordingly—but not at the expense of their athletes. Football and men’s basketball players bring in profits by playing and deserve some slice of the pie. The NCAA doesn’t want to pay college athletes because it uses the money that the athletes earn to line their own pockets. Even the coaches earn massive salaries from their respective academic institutions. But the workhorses, the students who put their bodies at risk—the athletes—do not get paid. Unfortunately, this opens the door to universities paying athletes under the table or athletes resorting to illegal activities to make ends meet. The NCAA should help its student-athletes, but the current system only hurts them.
Top two C-USA volleyball teams set for big match to end season
Luke Lau / Collegian
The Golden Hurricane volleyball team’s 13-game winning streak came to an end Friday when its lost to the Tulane Green Wave 3–0. Tulsa rebounded with a 3–1 victory over the Marshall Thundering Herd Sunday afternoon at the Reynolds Center. The team plays at UTEP and UTSA before beginning the C-USA volleyball tournament in Murfreesboro, T.N. Nov. 21. The UTSA Roadrunners and the Golden Hurricane are the two remaining one-loss teams in C-USA, setting up what may be a de facto regular season championship game.
NEWS
11 november 2013
the Collegian : 6
“What’s the Golden Driller all about?” Students attempt to explain the meaning, critique the aesthetic of the fourthlargest free-standing statue in the U.S. Morgan Krueger Apprentice Editor
“The Golden Driller statue represents the culture and history of Tulsa,” said sophomore finance major Yuchen Gan. Tulsa’s 76-foot, 43,500-pound resident is the fourth-largest freestanding statue in the U.S., after the Statue of Liberty; Our Lady of the Rockies in Butte, Montana; and the National Monument to the Forefathers in Plymouth, Massachusetts. But he’s a shoo-in for the largest oil man in the world. While the statue’s reference to Tulsa’s oil-drilling days may seem obvious some, there are those who
remain in the dark about this giant man’s rich history. “What’s the Golden Driller all about?” asked freshmen mathematics major Holly Kuss. What indeed. The Mid-Continent Supply company of Fort Worth originally built the Golden Driller and displayed him at the International Petroleum Exposition in Tulsa in 1953. While different than he looks today, he has the same basic form. When he was erected again six years later for the 1959 show, he was fashioned climbing a derrick and waving to the people passing below. The Golden Driller attracted so much positive attention that the Mid-Continent Supply company donated the Golden Driller to the Tulsa County Fairgrounds. He was redesigned into the statue we see today and given a home in front
of the Tulsa Expo Center. The oil derrick on which the Golden Driller now rests his right hand was brought in from Seminole, Oklahoma. The new Golden Driller had to be designed to withstand the elements. He has a frame of nearly two and a half miles of rods and mesh filled and covered with plaster and concrete. He is purportedly able to survive 200-mile-per-hourwinds. After his makeover, the base of the Golden Driller was inscribed with the words, “The Golden Driller, a symbol of the International Petroleum Exposition. Dedicated to the men of the petroleum industry who by their vision and daring have created from God’s abundance a better life for mankind.” And it has accordingly become an icon for many. “It is a symbol for confidence
and success in drilling oil,” explained petroleum engineering major Zhiyuan Li. Freshmen petroleum engineering major Lauren Eck agreed. “It shows the history of Tulsa, and how we were an oil town.” Symbolic meanings aside, many have differing opinions on the anatomical appearance of the Golden Driller. Is he an eyesore or majestic monument? “I do like the statue,” said senior political science major Drake Norman. “It’s very cool and seems to resemble power while at the same time looking a little funny. It catches everyone’s eye and that’s pretty cool.” Not everyone is so positive. “It looks very disturbing,” said junior biochemistry major Aiken Sujana. “A giant golden man, with ‘Tulsa’ written on his belt? Really?”
While the Golden Driller is unique, not all view that as a detriment. “It’s kind of weird, but weird in a quirky way,” said freshman mechanical engineering major Tyler Morrison. “I like it, though I can’t take it seriously.” Quirky, disturbing, or somewhere in between, the Golden Driller has done great things. He became the state monument of Oklahoma in 1979, and in 2006, he won first place in a contest sponsored by Kimberly-Clark identifying the top ten “quirkiest destinations” in the United States. At times, the Golden Driller has variously worn beads, t-shirts and ties—all adding to his eccentric personality. For those who want to get our large friend a Christmas gift, his belt size is 48 feet in circumference, he wears as size 393 DDD shoe and has a 122 hat size.
Courtesy Tulsa Gal Blog
Left: the first incarnation of the Golden Driller was unveiled at a 1953 International Petroleum Exchange (IPE) show. Right: the 1959 edition of the Golden Driller appeared at another IPE show. Though it has changed much throughout its history, the Golden Driller has always been a towering symbol of—well, whatever a giant seminude driller symbolizes.
Flustered students await departure from Aloft After months where few succeeded in moving to campus, students remain frustrated with Aloft Hotel living arrangements. Fraser Kastner Staff Writer
Freshman rower and Aloft Hotel resident Jackie Miller’s request to be moved onto campus had gone all the way to the director of housing and residence life. Juggling a daily commute to and from downtown, twenty hours of workouts per week for rowing and the demands of her physics major was starting to take a toll on Miller’s grades. She needed Housing to do something to help her. In the end, Miller’s housing situation did not change. Her coach had to drive her to the 5 a.m. rowing practices, since no shuttles left for campus early enough. Eventually practices got moved to 6 a.m., but Miller still has to spend up to three nights a week sleeping over at a friend’s dorm on campus in order to get to practice on time. Miller commented on the isolation at the Aloft. She only knows of two other University of Tulsa students on her entire floor. Knowing a friend who was no longer staying at her room in LaFortune, Miller requested to move into the half-occupied room. Housing told her the room was reserved and that she could not have it.
Months later, Miller finally received permission to move into that very room, but she has yet to hear of any details or procedures for moving out of the Aloft. Sebastian Pineda has been living on the eighth floor of the Aloft Hotel since August. “I really like just being downtown in general. I don’t think I would have visited if I hadn’t gotten the chance to live down here.” Sebastian is one of two Residence Assistants assigned to the Aloft Hotel at 200 Civic Center. A large portion of downtown Tulsa can be seen from his window. Sebastian applied for and was accepted to this position during the middle of the summer. During the summer, the Housing Department began looking for people to work in the Aloft. “It’s not like it was that last minute but I guess they knew they were going to have a lot of people,” said Pineda.“They did have a plan, because … in the middle of the summer they were trying to find a person who would work over here.” However, many students are still in the dark about how they ended up in Aloft. Jackson James, along with the eighty freshmen originally assigned to the Aloft, was only informed of his living arrangements a few weeks before he was to move in. Only a few people have moved out of the Aloft, mostly into sorority or fraternity housing. “I know of three or four. I think
most of them were domestic students,” said James. According to James most of the students who were moved left during the first month of school. TU students are currently living in rooms from floors three to eight, spread out among hotel residents. Housing has been quiet about these arrangements. “It’s just kind of a grey area, that they’re not really telling us,” said James. “Everyone just gives answers like, ‘I don’t know’ or ‘we’ll see’ or ‘we’ll get back to you.’” Feelings are mixed about staying at the Aloft. “I won’t miss taking the shuttle,” said Pineda. Many of the students living in the Aloft are international students, and nearly all those staying in the Aloft are freshmen. As such, few are likely to own cars, forcing them to rely on the shuttle service, which only runs every 50 minutes. The Aloft Downtown is a franchise of W Hotels. It was opened on May 29, 2013, in a building that once housed City Hall. Students were warned when they first arrived not to bother hotel guests. “The atmosphere’s very chic and it’s very modernized,” said freshman Jackson James. “On weekends they usually have live entertainment in the lounge area.” On the other hand, James expressed disappointment with his lack of knowledge of the campus, describing a recent visit to campus in which he got lost trying to find a building.
James does not know where he will live on campus if he lives on campus next semester. He filled out a questionnaire asking what buildings he prefers and similar questions, and this is the most he has heard of his living space next year. According to an e-mail sent to all Lottie Jane Mabee Hall residents, Campus Housing plans to begin moving students from downtown into Lottie, possibly starting in November.
Pineda confirmed, “The plan is to have people start moving out before break.” While the exact procedure for checking out of the Aloft and into campus housing has not yet been revealed, students were told that free boxes for moving would be available to pick up from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. any evening. Apprentice Editor Morgan Krueger contributed to this article.
Campo collecting military care packages Campus security and Psi Chi are working together to collect care packages for overseas soldiers through the month of November. A tub set up at the Security Office front window will accept donations. Patrol Captain James Eric Palmer recommends the donation of items listed on give2thetroops.org, which include non-canned foods, toiletries and entertainment and sports items. Though Campus Security will not accept cash in person, concerned students can donate money to similar projects through shopmyexchange.com, as well as through AnySoldier.com and its affiliated sites.
In the Nov. 4 issue of the Collegian, the byline for “Mayors face off in Nov. 12 election” should read “Giselle Willis.” The deck on the cover of the same issue should read “Orientation, gender identity protected by new policies.”
NEWS
the Collegian : 7
Eye on the world:
Magdalena Sudibjo Staff Writer Asia INDIA India launched its first spacecraft
bounded for Mars, the Mangalyaan, last Tuesday in an effort to become the first Asian country to complete an inter-planetary mission. The Mangalyaan is set to orbit Earth for a month before it advances towards Mars. It is expected to arrive at its destination late
next September. “This spaceship to Mars will be a huge step for us in the area of science and technology,” said India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Compared to NASA’s $671 million cost of launching the Maven satellite towards the same planet next Monday, India’s budget is much lower at $73 million. Still, many have criticized India’s government for spending money on a space program when many of its citizens are impoverished and malnourished. Jean Dreze, an influential economist in India, told India Today that the Mars expedition “seems to be part of the Indian elite’s delusional quest for superpower status.” The Mars mission was widely interpreted as India’s response to China’s failed attempt in 2011.
Bazaar showcases diverse cultures
11 november 2013 Europe RUSSIA Last Wednesday, the Russian Central Bank opened voting on five potential symbols for the ruble out of thousands submitted. The government hopes that an official symbol for the ruble will help boost people’s confidence in the currency. Earlier last week, the Britishbased, multinational bank Barclays announced that the ruble and Turkey’s lira will be joining its Global Index on March 31, which experts expect will increase cash flows towards the countries. “The weights are optically modest, but the amount tracking the index is sizeable,” Barclays said in a statement. “We estimate potential tracking flows of $2.5–3 billion to Russia and $2–2.2 billion to Turkey.” FRANCE The French court has ordered Google to remove links to images of former Formula One President Max Mosley, who was secretly photographed and filmed at an orgy with five prostitutes in 2008. Mosley had won previous suits against British and French tabloids for breaching his privacy. “As soon as a search engine finds it is available to everybody and the thing you sued over and won over is republished again and again ... Clearly that can be stopped and should be stopped in
my opinion,” Mosley said of his decision to sue Google. Google said that it had already deleted hundreds of pages of the incident after the images were found to violate the law but could not prevent people from reposting them. They argue that the search engine is only a platform for links to content and the company should not be held responsible for policing them. “This is a troubling ruling with serious consequences for free expression and we will appeal it,” said Google’s associate general counsel Daphne Keller. Africa MOZAMBIQUE Mia Couta, a Mozambican writer and biologist, has won the biennial Neustadt International Prize for Literature, also known as “The American Nobel.” Couto has written several novels, short stories, and collections of poetry, all written in Portuguese. “It is a sad moment for Mozambique because we are starting a war that we thought would never come back again. So to receive this good news is something like a compensation for me,” Couta told PolicyMic. The prize includes a silver eagle feather and a $50,000 award that is sponsored by the University of Oklahoma, the Neustadt family and World Literature Today. ure Today.
Women’s and Gender Studies calls for creative works
Courtesy Hai Phung
A fashion show, a dance performance and lots of free food greeted attendees of the international bazaar on Friday. The event, sponsored by Student Association and the Office of International Student Services, gave students a taste of a few of the diverse cultures represented by the University of Tulsa’s student body.
state and contacted Tulsa Police, who arrested the student for driving under the influence of an intoxicating substance.
Nov. 1 0:25 A resident of Brown Village reported that someone covered their apartment door with a silly string product. No other apartments were affected. The resident reported the name of a possible suspect. The investigation is pending. 3:30 Officers responded to Brown Village after receiving a complaint of a loud argument. Upon arrival, Officers received information that a physical altercation had occurred prior to Officers arrival. The persons involved described an altercation with an unknown male that approached them and started pushing on of the students. The altercation was broken up by others and the unknown male left the area. No injuries were reported and the investigation is pending. Nov. 2 0:15 Officers received a report of bottles being broken at US West Apartments. Upon arrival, Officers discovered broken bottles on and around a tractor lift in the lot. As they were investigating the scene, they located and identified a resident who admitted to throwing the bottles at the tractor because they were irritated it took up so many parking spaces and the student had to park elsewhere. 2:35 Officers on patrol witnessed a vehicle driving erratically and aggressively through the Mabee East Lot. They observed the vehicle strike the driveway parking lot sign before exiting onto Gary Ave. where they stopped the vehicle. The driver was identified as a student and asked to exit the vehicle. Officers observed the student appeared to be in an intoxicated
9:00 A student was informed a Student Misconduct report would be filed after being disrespectful and belligerent to an Officer working game day traffic control at 8th St. & Delaware Ave. The student was stopped after failing to heed commands to stop from the Officer on Delaware Ave. The student was allowed to continue after the Officer verified the student’s information and accessibility. 14:00 Officers observed EMSA and Tulsa Fire responding to the Wesley Foundation site. Upon arrival, Officers determined that a non-TU affiliated person had experienced pain in their left arm and fainted while attending a tailgate event at the Wesley Foundation. The patient was conscious and alert. Paramedics treated on scene before transporting the patient to a local hospital for further treatment. Nov. 3 9:00 Officers on patrol observed a disabled golf cart near Collins Hall. They were unable to determine if it was a University owned cart. The Officers impounded the golf cart inside of the Physical Plant fence until the owner can be determined. 10:55 Officers received a report of a larceny from residence at a Brown Village apartment. The residents reported leaving their apartment on 2 Nov., at approximately 9:00 PM and returning on 3 Nov., at approximately 10:55 AM. Upon their return, they discovered that unknown persons had entered their unlocked apartment and overturned their couch and lamp. They also discovered 2 drinking glasses had been taken from a box on the kitchen counter. No other
items were taken or damage reported. Officers learned that a party shutdown had been conducted in the immediate vicinity while the residents were out and that persons from that party could have entered the apartment. There are no known suspects at this time and the investigation is pending. Nov. 4 9:00 The investigating Officer was later able to determine that the golf cart had been rented for Homecoming. It was determined that an unknown person had apparently taken the golf cart for a joyride before leaving it at Collins Hall with a flat tire. The rental company removed the golf cart from campus. 19:59 Tulsa Police informed Security of a 911 hangup call from a cell phone coming from the Lorton Village area. Officers and Tulsa Police Officers searched the area but could not locate the caller or any emergency situation. Tulsa Police later informed Security that the person called 911 again to explain it was an accidental call. Nov. 5 13:35 A University employee, coordinating donations for military care packages, reported that items that had been donated in a bin at Chapman Hall had been stolen. Officers are investigating the theft by reviewing security cameras in the building. 18:00 Officers responded to a fire alarm at the Delta Delta Delta sorority. Upon arrival, Officers determined a kitchen smoke detector was activated by cooking food. Tulsa Fire was cancelled after it was determined there were no injuries or damage. The Collegian does not produce or edit the Campus Crime Watch except for content and brevity.
The TU Women's and Gender Studies department is seeking submissions of original monologues and short pieces for their upcoming annual February show. The show will be on the theme of rape culture: its attributes, the damage it causes and ways to combat it. Rape culture is a latticework of harmful myths and misconceptions about sexual violence generally accepted to be true. It includes the popular idea that women are responsible for preventing rape and sexual assault through their dress, conduct and chosen sexual activity; that only women are raped; that men are not able to control themselves when sexually aroused; that sexual violence enacted on certain body types is considered less damaging than that enacted on other body types; and that people of various races, genders, abilities, ages, et cetera, have different experiences reporting rape and sexual assault based on their identities. Rape cultures accept and normalize rape and sexual assault as part of the lived experience of all members of society. We live in a rape culture. Submissions should fit the theme, be between one and five minutes long when performed, and be able to be performed on a bare or mostly bare stage. People of all genders and backgrounds are welcome to submit. Submissions may be edited for length or clarity. Please understand that by submitting your work, you are giving us permission to perform your work in the February performances, and that you will not be compensated. Submissions will be accepted through Dec. 1, 2013. A casting call will be held in the near future. The performances will be Feb. 21 and 22. For more information (such as writing prompts), questions, or to submit a piece, email tuwgs2013@gmail.com. Anonymous submissions are welcome. The University of Tulsa does not discriminate on the basis of personal status or group characteristics, including, but not limited to the classes protected under federal and state law. The University seeks to recruit, select, and promote students, faculty, and all other employees on the basis of individual merit.
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Word List: CLONE VETERAN BUSINESS
TREE PRINCETON CAMPO
ALOFT INEQUALITY ARCHIVES
CALIFORNIA MOZAMBIQUE BROWNIE
GREEK SERVICE PROGRAMMING
Someone scrambled up our words. Thanks, Obama. Courtesy Lakeshore Learning
variety
11 November 2013
the Collegian : 8
“Call of Duty: Ghosts” innovative, yet uncreative From developer Infinity Ward comes the latest installment in the Call of Duty franchise, which features new player customizations, playable female characters and much more. Yet, despite the advancements, the singleplayer campaign remains dull and unexciting. Elliot Bauman Staff Writer
After the disappointment that was 2011’s “Modern Warfare 3,” many fans of the Call of Duty franchise felt that developer Infinity Ward had lost its touch. Unbeknownst to most, at the time of development of “Modern Warfare 3,” the studio was in the midst of an enormous lawsuit that ultimately led to the dismissal and resignation of several key employees. To say the least, the studio was heavily fragmented. Two years later, a rebuilt Infinity Ward is back in the spotlight with the release of “Call of Duty: Ghosts,” the latest installment in a franchise that has dominated the gaming industry in recent years. Completely separate from the “Modern Warfare” and “Black Ops” universes, “Ghosts” seeks to serve as a fresh beginning for a series commonly criticized for lacking innovation. In this regard, the title has varying degrees of success. “Call of Duty: Ghosts” was released on Nov. 5 for the PlayStation 3, PC, Xbox 360 and Wii U after a significant marketing campaign. At its core, the game does make a number of significant changes that have been long requested by fans of the series. However, for every step forward, Infinity Ward manages to take two back. The main attraction to any Call of Duty game is the competitive multiplayer, and that is certainly no different in “Ghosts.” The defining characteristics that fans have come to expect are once again present, with a number of new additions, the most significant of which is the new player customization feature. Users have long had the ability to tweak and personalize their weapons and loadouts, but “Ghosts” takes the experience to a whole new level by enabling players to decide how their own character model actually appears in game. Users can opt to play as a man or a woman, and then customize that
soldier with dozens of unique uniform options. A number of items require challenges to be completed before they can be equipped, which helps increase the longevity of the title. This introduces a metagame that complements the load out system very well. As with previous installments, there is an abundance of weapons and attachments for players to select from. These are now purchased with an in game currency known as “squad points,” rather than requiring users to reach a specific level in order to unlock the content. The perk system used for customizing load outs has also experienced some change. For one, the amount of perks has increased from 15 to 35. There are now seven perk categories, such as “Handling,” “Stealth” and “Resistance,” and each perk has an associated point value. Players are given eight points to spend on any combination of perks. Forgoing a secondary weapon, tactical or lethal equipment can each bring the total up by one. Minor perks, such as “On the Go,” which allows reloading while sprinting, cost only one point, while players must fork over three or more to gain access to the most potent abilities including “Incog”—resistance to enemy tracking devices. The new perk system present in “Ghosts” allows for hundreds of combinations for every play style and situation. The game also introduces the concept of dynamic maps to the franchise. For example, in the map “Free Fall,” players fight to control a collapsing building. As the match progresses, the structure further deteriorates, which changes the nature of the battle. This adds an interesting element to multiplayer that has not been present in previous titles. Infinity Ward included a number of new game modes to accompany its new evolving maps. The most intriguing of these is “Search and Rescue,” a new twist on a classic Call of Duty variant, “Search and Destroy.” Another interesting addition is “Extinction,” a cooperative mode that supports up to two players local and four online. “Extinction” features a mini story in which gamers must fend off invading aliens bent on human destruction. A small customization system is present which allows players to purchase upgrades with earned points. There is even a unique level progression; as players rank up, they unlock access to different classes and weapons. To top it all off, “Ghosts” offers support for highly competitive clan matches for teams of players
that want to take their gaming experience to the next level. Winning clan matches can net teams a better clan rank, unique customization options, in-game bonuses and a number of other accolades. Yet despite all of the innovations, “Ghosts” shipped with a number of issues, and it soon became clear that Infinity Ward dropped the ball in a few areas. The most obvious shortcoming is, once again, the single player campaign. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world that has been decimated due to orbital bombardment from the Odin and Loki satellites—massive space centers controlled by an ominous world power known as “The Federation.” Gamers are placed in an elite military resistance group, not surprisingly called the “Ghosts,” that wages guerilla warfare against the allpowerful Federation. While there are a number of exciting moments, the majority of the campaign is boring, repetitive and uninspiring. The plot has some potential, but most of it is completely ridiculous. Why franchises such as Call of Duty continue to tack on horrible single player campaigns remains a giant mystery, as they do nothing but bring the title down. Fortunately, the single player campaign can be skipped, but the unavoidable flaws in multiplayer are what really hamper “Ghosts.” For whatever reason, Infinity Ward removed a large number of classic, fan favorite game modes such as “Capture the Flag” and “Demolition” from the multiplayer playlists. This comes as a huge slap in the face to long-time fans of the series, as these exciting variants were part of what made the Call of Duty franchise fun. Furthermore, issues that have been mostly corrected in previous installments, such as poor map design and problematic respawn programming, are somehow back. It almost seems that Activision and Infinity Ward are so focused on selling copies that they neglected to test and deliver a quality product. From a business point of view, this may be an acceptable practice, but it puts a bad taste in the mouth of fans. At the end of the day, “Call of Duty: Ghosts” does introduce a number of new features that add to the franchise. Player customization, the competitive new game modes, and refined perk system all contribute to a better gaming experience. That being said, the game is ultimately a step backwards due to the numerous issues that accompanied the title. For these reasons, “Call of Duty: Ghosts” earns a 7.5/10 across major platforms.
“Thor: The Dark World” electrifies Released on Nov. 8, Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” follows the sequence of events that took place in 2012’s “The Avengers,” and is laced with more humor and fantasy than its 2011 predecessor, “Thor.” Helen Patterson Staff Writer
“Thor: The Dark World,” the latest movie in the blockbuster Marvel franchise, opened Nov. 8. The movie picks up after 2012’s “The Avengers” and follows Thor (Chris Hemsworth) as he teams up with astrophysicist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and his treacherous adopted brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), to fight Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), who is intent on bringing darkness to the universe, effectively destroying all life. The sequel is superior to its predecessor, “Thor” which suffered at times from a ponderous, plodding tone. “The Dark World” is laced with more humor and a sense of
wonder, inviting the audience to explore exciting and different worlds. There is also an interesting twist at the end of the movie, making it almost certain that Marvel is planning on at least one more installment in the Thor series. Overall, the acting is well done. Several characters, such as Eccleston’s Malekith and Odin, Thor’s father (Anthony Hopkins), lack personality and are a little wooden at times. Fortunately, the large roster of secondary characters is wonderful. Hiddleston’s Loki continues to dominate his scenes, with his cunning manipulation, hidden motivations and omnipresent smirk— even when he is imprisoned. Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) is a delightful, upbeat and effusive presence, radiating humor and energy. The film would have benefited from relegating more screen time to these characters. “The Dark World” also has much better portrayals of women than is typical for a superhero movie. Though there are still far fewer women than men in the film, there are four featured female characters, Darcy Lewis, Jane Foster, Lady Sif (Jaimie Alexander) and Queen Frigga (Rene Russo) who are all complex and strong in
different ways and are never portrayed exclusively based on their relationships to men. “The Dark World” passes the Bechdel Test—a well-known measure of gender bias, which requires that two female characters talk to each other about something other than a man—at the beginning of the movie when Darcy and Jane investigate some unusual scientific readings. Despite the positives, the movie has a few questionable plot points. For instance, there are a few too many coincidences. However, this is a common fault of narratives in general, and “The Dark World” is not the worst offender. Moreover, there is also a heavy reliance on digital effects, fight sequences and landscapes that are not overly imaginative to audiences grown used to films such as the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Though not a perfect movie, “The Dark World” should be an enjoyable experience for fans of superhero and action movies, and is superior to many of the other entries into the Marvel franchise. Though it is a pricier ticket, the movie works very well as an IMAX 3D experience. As a side note, do not forget to wait through the credits for the bonus scene at the end.
By Anna Bennett
Big things at TU Despite being categorized as a small school, there are big things going on at TU! It may not all be good, but hey, at least it’s big. Because as a small, private school knows all too well, size matters! 1. Big Student Debt! Just think of how many years it’ll take to pay back your massive student loans! Good thing you studied Philosophy. You prez scholars are missing out! 2. Big university president! Have we mentioned we have the tallest president in the country? A few times maybe? 3. Big portions at the Hut! Comes with a steaming helping of sodium with a side of slow service. 4. Big scandals on frat row! Watch out boys, TU has ways of shutting that whole thing down.
Telulah have the whole haunting thing covered, and there might just be secret tunnels under the school. Also, we made a university president magically disappear! 6. Big football losses! It doesn’t matter if you win or lose…? 7. Big commutes! Your housing fees might just buy you a 15 minute shuttle ride to get to campus! 8. Big crushes on Goldie! I mean just look at that cyoot widdle face I just wanna shnookie wookie pookie mmmwah! 9. Big athletic-spendingto-enthusiam ratio! Guess money can’t buy me love. Or school spirit. 10. Big infestations! The Great Cricket Plagues of 2012 and 2013 will forever scar the psyches of the students who witnessed them.
5. Big mysteries! Ghostly duo Farley and
Mansfield’s “The Aloe” a luminous read Studio 54: A weekly review of all things retro. Helen Patterson Staff Writer
Katherine Mansfield was born in 1888 in New Zealand, where she spent most of her childhood. She would later draw heavily on these early experiences in her writing, especially in her novel “The Aloe,” which is heavily autobiographical. Mansfield spent most of her adult life in England and Europe, travelling between England and France in particular. In England, Mansfield was influenced by writers such as D.H. Lawrence and Virginia Woolf. She was primarily a short story writer; “The Aloe”— though more a novella than a novel—is the longest piece she ever wrote. “The Aloe” was published posthumously in 1930 after her death of tuberculosis in 1923 . The plot of “The Aloe” depicts the Burnell family’s move from their cramped city house to a larger, more isolated house six and a half miles from town—a daunting distance prior to family cars. The Burnells are a large clan, containing Linda and Stanley Burnell at the core, as well as Linda’s mother, Mrs. Fairfield; her sister, Beryl; her three daughters, Kenzia, Lottie and Isabel; and several servants. “The Aloe” touches on their various perspectives, subtly depicting how they each see the world. There are a few particularly luminous scenes, such as when
Linda and her mother, Mrs. Fairfield, study the aloe plants by the new house in the moonlight. During this scene, Linda finds herself reflecting on how, “for all her love and respect and admiration she hated” her husband. In another scene, the children witness that evening’s meal, a duck, being slaughtered. Following the beheading, they exclaim such childish things as, “ The blood the blood,” “Put head back put head back” and “It’s like an engine—it’s like a funny little darling engine;” the scene is as poignant as it is unnerving. Mansfield’s writing is modernist in many ways. She uses character-driven, almost stream-ofconsciousness depictions to give the reader a glimpse at the present, ephemeral world of her characters. Of an earlier piece, “Prelude,” which was adapted from the beginning of “The Aloe” and published in Mansfield’s lifetime, she talked of her love of New Zealand, and her desire to “lift the mist from my people and let them be seen and then to hide them again.” Thus “The Aloe” unfolds, shifting from Kenzia to Linda, and on to the other members of the household, illuminating the characters whilst offering sudden, startling insights into how they see the world and those around them before shrouding them once more in the mystery of their hidden thoughts. “The Aloe,” as hinted earlier, is not a plot-driven piece. It reads as a pensive, reflective series of fragments of Mansfield’s childhood, scattered with occasional bitter and satirical notes that hint at the ambivalent relationship that she had with her family. The piece will be confusing for anyone expecting narrative twists or a tidy, resolved ending. In order to appreciate it, a reader would do well to look at it as Mansfield did, as “a sketch, hardly that, more a psychological study,” rather than as a story.
opinion
the Collegian : 9
11 November 2013
OSSM Pres. makes right decision, rejects raise
culture and manufacturing, this growth has not been reflected in all parts of the economy. The past few years have also seen severe budget cuts to education. Instead of growth and prosperity, school personnel have expeAbigail rienced layoffs, pay cuts and inLaBounty creasing class sizes. Student Writer Oklahoma leads the nation in budget cuts from education. Since 2008, Oklahoma has cut almost twenty-three percent, over Oklahoma has fared exception- $300 million, from education ally well in the comeback from the funding and is currently ranked the Great Recession. Oklahoma City third-lowest state in the country on has been ranked third in economic amount spent per student. Oklahoma schools continue to growth since the recession, has score below national averages on one of the lowest unemployment achievement rankings. rates in the country and has even Along with state budget cuts, been called “recession-proof.” Oklahoma faces the threat of fedUnfortunately, while Oklahoma eral budget cuts from education in continues to see growth in agri-
In light of state education cuts, Dr. Frank Wang has rejected a raise to his salary as president of OSSM.
2014. It is estimated that Oklahoma will lose $47 million dollars in federal aid if alternative solutions are not found before January 2. These cuts include funding for special education programs and services for disadvantaged students. While state employees are experiencing the effects of these cuts, heads of government agencies in Oklahoma have been granted salary hikes ranging from ten thousand to fifty thousand dollars. These pay increases come at a time when most government employees, including teachers, have not received raises in years. However, not all agency heads are accepting the offered raises. Dr. Frank Wang is the president of the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics (OSSM). According to the school’s mission
statement, the goal of the OSSM is “to foster the educational development of Oklahoma high school students who are academically talented in science and mathematics … and to assist in the improvement of science and mathematics education for the state.” Despite its status as one of the most elite public schools in the county, OSSM has received more budget cuts than other schools in the past years. This is because OSSM is technically not just a school but a government agency. OSSM was formed as an agency under the Department of Education, and as such its budget is regulated, and cut, separately from other schools in the state. Since 2009, two million dollars have been removed from the school’s budget and the number
Who got a raise in Oklahoma this year?
of employees has fallen from 76 to 57. Dr. Wang taught for free at OSSM from 2003–2005, and when offered a raise similar in amount to other agency heads, Wang declined, saying that money for the raise would come from the school’s existing budget and mean losing more employees. This stands a stark contrast to other agency heads who are accepting raises at the expense of their employees. Oklahoma has an obligation to its citizens to ensure that their children are educated on a competitive level with the rest of the country. When education is an overlooked as a priority for the state of Oklahoma, Dr. Wang’s actions provide a strong statement that the current state of affairs is not acceptable.
In a time of slashed budgets and limited spending, these heads of various Oklahoma state agencies have accepted large pay increases, despite State employees not receiving raises in eight years. Photo courtesy of travelok.com
Deby Snodgrass, State Tourism Executive Director Salary Change: $86,000 to $126,508 + $40,000
Photo courtesy ofnews9.com
Stan Florence, State Bureau of Investigation Director Salary Change: $80,138 to $127,000 + $47,000
Photo courtesy of oklahomawatch.org
Terri White, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Commissioner Salary Change: $133,455 to $173,318 + $40,000
Photo courtesy of ok.gov
Mick Thompson, State Banking Commissioner Salary Change: $137,239 to $151,000 + $14,000
Medical amnesty would benefit students
although 200 other college campuses around the United States do. Medical amnesty on a campus works the same as a state law—it says that if you are an intoxicated minor and seek medical help, the University cannot punish you too harshly (i.e. no academic penalties Olivia Blankenship or fines). In the majority of schools with a Staff Writer medical amnesty policy, the policy covers both the caller and the victim. Although there are no harsh conIt is no secret that underage drink- sequences for contacting a medical ing is both common and danger- emergency professional, those inous, contributing to nearly 5,000 volved are usually required to take deaths annually according to the part in some sort of alcohol awareness program or to see a counselor. CDC. Currently, TU policy punishes Oklahoma passed a medical amnesty bill last April in an effort to intoxicated minors or minors in cut down on alcohol-related inju- possession of alcohol with a $150 ries and deaths among underage fine or 30 hours of community service; an alcohol assessment; drinkers. “The bill grants limited amnesty required attendance to an alcohol (an exception). . . to intoxicated workshop; academic probation for minors that contact emergency one semester and notification to personnel for themselves or an- the minor’s parents. So if you have too much to other person who is in need of medical attention,” the Medical drink one night while you’re at an on-campus party, contact medical Amnesty Initiative reported. Unfortunately, the law has only help and the University finds out been passed in 17 states—about about it, you will be subject to the consequences listed above. one-third of the country. Unless it is a second or third Given Oklahoma’s general conservatism, that Oklahoma is a part offense, because in that case, the penalties will be much harsher. of that one-third is surprising. If that were me, knowing the However, the University of Tulsa does not have a medical am- consequences, I would be a little nesty policy in place on campus, reluctant to contact anyone for
Being able to seek medical help for intoxication without fear of punishment will save lives of minors.
help, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Shouldn’t the University’s top priority be the safety of its students? TU should consider following the example of the 200 other colleges that currently have this policy in place for the overall wellbeing of their students. The elimination of the $150 fine and the notification of the minor’s parents would encourage more students to seek out medical help
when needed, knowing the consequences would not be too harsh. Some parties still believe that medical amnesty will actually encourage minors to consume large amounts of alcohol because they know that they will not get in trouble. That is a ridiculous and ignorant claim. Underage drinking is already a part of social life on campus, with or without amnesty—55 percent of underage undergrads self-report as
such, and the actual total is likely much higher. A minor’s willingness to seek out medical attention depends on the expected repercussions of their actions. The Medical Amnesty Initiative reported that after four years of the implementation of the Medical Amnesty policy, underage drinking remained constant but the fear of “judicial repercussion in emergency situations” dropped by 61 percent. This initiative can truly save lives.
Graphic by Jill Graves
Currently, 17 states have a Medical Amnesty law in place for intoxicated minors. The states in the above map that are gray are the states with these laws. The cities noted are the locations of several of the 200+ universities that have medical amnesty policies.
11 November 2013
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This Veterans Day, we look back through the pages of wartime Collegians. The first war the university, then Kendall College, faced was the Spanish-American War of 1898. It also saw its first fallen veteran, Milo Hendrix, who died at San Juan Hill. In 1917, America entered World War I. The Collegian printed a 50-page special booster edition themed around the war (from which the above graphic comes). In 1941, Pearl Harbor dragged the nation into a second world war, and the University of Tulsa transformed in response. The following material was collected from the Collegian archives.
1 Year of War Makes Changes On Campus Staff Report Jay Vickers 12-12-1941
War IS HERE. This may be a trite statement but today it is a reality instead of a foregone conclusion as it had been to many of you. The state of war that now exists between the United States and the Nipponese brings out one important thing that the Americas have accomplished and in my opinion should bring honor to those heading the administrations of the North, South and Central American countries. That one fact is SOLIDARITY in this hemisphere and to a certain degree over the world. The ABCD powers — American, British, Chinese and Dutch—have united their power and resources to defeat the Axis plans to dominate the world and do away with everything that is decent and worth living for. The war promises to be an economic war which will be more naval warfare than the tremendous struggle that is going on in Russia between two vast armies. The Japanese during their undeclared war in China have purchased from 75 to 90 per cent of the essential war materials from the Americas and the Dutch East Indies. Now with these sources cut off the Nipponese industry
is materially crippled and unless they can immediately seize and control these sources in the Dutch East Indies, it will only be a matter of time before they are forced to
surrender because of an economic blockade… See tucollegian.org for the remainder of the article.
Above: The 1917 booster edition wasn’t solely devoted to the boys in uniform. This segment praised Kendall College women supporting the war effort from Tulsa. Above right: This was the centerpiece of the 1917 booster edition. Right: The pages of World War II Collegians were filled with ads for war bonds. This one, published on May 11, 1945, advertised the “Mighty 7th War Loan.”
College and Town: Milo Hendrix Staff Report 05-01-1900
The class of 1900 was graduated upon Decoration Day. As their orations ended one after another of the graduating class received in the flower-decked church the wealth of blossoms laid at their feet by the attendant ushers, as the eloquent, strong words of the president urged them to fight as good soldiers the battles of life for which they had now armed themselves, remembrance came to some of one who had once been a member of the class. Two years before, brave, gener-
ous-hearted Milo Hendrix, an idolized, only son, beloved of all who knew him, had gone at the call of his country to fight the battle for freedom and justice. In the front rank of the conflict where the famous “Troop L” of the Rough Riders was always found, he was instantly killed in the first day’s charge at San Juan. With the many hundreds of those who fell in Cuba his remains were brought back to his native land. In the silent ranks at beautiful, historic Arlington there rests all that was mortal of Milo Hendrix. Far from home and kindred the
sleeping soldier-boy was not forgotten on Memorial Day. Money for the purpose having been given by his old friends at the college a young lady of Washington whose father is also among the nation’s dead at Arlington, covered the grave with flowers—carnations, the class flower of 1900, with white and crimson roses and the College colors. “Their works do follow them” and the impress of Milo Hendrix’ life on those who were associated with him in his College days will never be lost. Kendall probably never had a more loyal or devoted student.
12-04-1942
A complete year has rolled around since war was declared by the president and congress. During this year, there have been many changes, not only in national and international affairs, but also in our activities on the campus. These changes, some insignificant, others vital, have all been a part of our college makeup, and have gone to make this year one of the most interesting in the university's history. Remember back in '41 on December the 8th, how we all poured out of the classrooms into Kendall hall auditorium, most of us confused as to the general scope of things. All we knew was that Pearl Harbor, one of our possessions in the Pacific had brutally and viciously been attacked by a marauding band of Japanese cutthroats the day before. We hadn't even had time to really get good and mad about it, but we suspected that the address we were about to hear from Washington would mean war. And it did. A chill went up and down the spines of most students when the President asked Congress for a war declaration. Gloomily and in a serious frame of mind; the students filed out, and back to their schoolwork, knowing full well that they better obtain as much education as possible while there was still time. Christmas rolled around. Many sacrifices were already being made and felt by the students and populace. Tires were rationed and then prohibited. Sugar was next. Everyone complied cheerfully however, for they knew they must. After finals ended and the new semester began, many new ideas arose which referred to a war-time campus. The social life was cut down slightly, then tremendously. The editor of the collegian at that time, Jay Vickers, came out with a plan to minimize expense and to still have a full social program as usual. Numerous suggestions flooded the Collegian office, many were accepted and many rejected. Along in March the draft situation became acute. Men were being taken right and left. The reserves came into prominence. Every week Kendall hall auditorium would be filled with men lending eager ears to learn more about the army, navy, marines, army air corps and naval air corp. By the end of school almost everyone had signed up in some branch of service. The scholastic average began to rise. At last students were in a serious mood and in view of this fact, the board of
The Collegian is the independent student newspaper of the University of Tulsa. It is distributed Mondays during the fall and spring semesters except during holidays and final exam weeks. The University of Tulsa does not discriminate on the basis of personal status or group characteristics including but not limited to the classes protected under federal and state law in its programs, services, aids, or benefits. Inquiries regarding implementation of this policy may be addressed to the Office of Human Resources, 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104-9700, 918-631-2616. Requests for accommodation of disabilities may be addressed to the University’s 504 Coordinator, Dr. Tawny Taylor, 918-631-3814. To ensure availability of an interpreter, five to seven days notice is needed; 48 hours is recommended for all other accommodations. Advertising Policy: Advertising appearing in this publication does not imply approval or endorsement by the University of Tulsa or The Collegian for the products or services advertised. For advertising information, email The Collegian at collegian@utulsa.edu or elizabeth-cohen@utulsa.edu. The deadline for advertising is 12 p.m. on the Friday prior to the publication. Editing Policy: The Collegian reserves the right to edit all copy submitted by all writers. This editing may take place in many forms, including grammar corrections, changes in paragraph structure or even the addition or removal of sections of content. Editorial Policy: Columnists are solely responsible for the content of their columns. Opinions expressed in columns may not represent the opinions of the entire Collegian staff, the administrative policies of the University of Tulsa, the views of the student body or our advertisers. Letter Policy: Letters to the editor must be less than 500 words. While we do not require it, letters sent via e-mail to the Collegian are encouraged. Under no circumstances will anonymous letters be published. The name of the person submitting the letter must be published with the letter. We reserve the right to edit or reject all letters. The deadline for letters is 5 p.m. on the Saturday prior to publication.
regents of Oklahoma inaugurated the accelerated program, so as to enable those in reserve to finish as fast as possible. It was possible to take ten hours in summer school and most students took just that. The summer was not spent in the usual relaxation and play mood but students were seen everywhere cramming in order to cut a half year off their schedule. The war did not cut very drastically into sports however. T. U. received their first bowl bid and the Sun Bowl was the topic of discussion for a long time. One of the most perplexing problems confronting the student body concerned a place to dance. Some thought the union building would be ideal for student dances. The administrative council considered this plan however and rejected it, because the deterioration of the equipment would be too great. However they did approve of Tyrrell hall auditorium. Then the biggest news of all came. Combines at last were broken up. The two combines that had held sway on the campus for more than five years were drastically and completely split asunder. The community council was proposed and approved by a vote of both the students and the faculty. Many will long remember the heated debate that went on for five solid hours one evening in Tyrrel hall when this plan was opposed. Discussion fell thick and fast, and students were not exactly careful about the type of oratory they used. Never in the history of the school did anything arouse so much enthusiasm, both pro and con. However the plan was accepted and the old student council died a quick death, and the student government became consolidated under one council by this plan. When school started in September, a completely new setup presented itself. The students however exercising splendid spirit, faced it and made the most of it. Naturally the football team drew the most attention. And well it might. Needless to say here that it is the greatest team this institution has ever had, and perhaps one of the greatest teams in the history of the nation. Yes, a whole year has gone by, and with it we have seen some very exciting events. This next year will be met with even more sacrifices, but the students will demonstrate just that much more courage. When we sit down to write a review of the year’s chief happenings at this date next year, let us hope that we may be able to say that among other things that happened this year, the war ended with the United Nations the glorious victors.
editor-in-chief—J.Christopher Proctor managing editor—Kyle Walker news editor—Conor Fellin sports editor—Will Bramlett variety editor—Stephanie Hice opinion editor—Patrick Creedon satire editor—Anna Bennett photo & graphics editor—Jill Graves copy editor—Carly Putnam business & advertising manager—Liz Cohen distribution manager—Walker Womack web manager—Alex White aribitrary writer of the week—Nick Johnson
the Collegian : 11
11 novemBER 2013
ENS students spend Saturday introducing Brownies to engineering Brownies gathered to learn about science, engineering in an event designed to promote STEM disciplines to young girls. Conor Fellin News Editor
On Saturday, the Society for Women’s Engineers cooperated with the Institute of Electrical Engineers; the American Institute of Chemical Engineers; Iota Sigma Pi, the national honor society of women in chemistry; and Engineers Without Borders to promote the engineering disciplines to young Girl Scouts. The electrical engineering department, which set up camp in the basement, offered the Brownies mazes to navigate, robots to play
with and conductive Play Dough with which to build circuits. Society for Women Engineers hosted a statistics event in which Brownies compared samples of M&M’s and Skittles to the whole jar from which they were taken. The American Institute of Chemical Engineers hosted an event in which Brownies learned about molecules and viscosity by making silly putty. Iota Sigma Pi took Brownies to chemistry labs for a series of experiments, and Engineers Without Borders lead Brownies in a mapmaking activity. The University of Tulsa has been hosting Brownie Day for roughly twenty years. “I find it particularly gratifying when my TU students tell me that they came to TU when they were little for Brownie Day,” said chemical engineering professor Christi Patton-Luks.
Courtesy Rick Shipley
Top: Girl Scouts watch a demonstration of electromagnetic induction. Left: A Girl Scout is introduced to a Van der Graaf generator, which uses static electricity to produce a charge on the metal sphere. Right: Brownies participate in a meet and greet with the robots in attendance.
May 2014 Graduates Nominate a Secondary School Teacher For The Prize for Inspiration Here’s how to nominate a high school teacher who inspired you: 1. Nominations may be made by any undergraduate who expects to graduate in May, 2014. 2. Nominations are due by 5:00 PM on December 13, 2013 and should be sent to the Dean’s office of the College in which the graduating senior is enrolled via-email as follows: College of Arts and Sciences: Stephanie-Boulden@utulsa.edu College of Business Administration: Chante-clarkson@utulsa.edu College of Engineering & Natural Sciences: Dottie-Smith@utulsa.edu 3. Teachers selected will receive a $2,000 award and their high schools will receive $1,000. The teachers will be recognized during the May commencement ceremony. High school teachers throughout the USA are eligible. 4. Students whose nominated teachers are selected will receive $500. 5. For more information including the nomination criteria go to the Student Affairs website:
http://www.utulsa.edu/studentaffairs.
11 November 2013
the
The State-run Media
State-Run media Go big or go back to the Collegian.
Treehousing takes root on campus Students to connect with campus, nature in new treehouse-style residence halls. Anna Bennett Tree Hugger
Photo by David Kennedy / Graphic by Anna Bennett
Mellophone player Jayson Burscough catches an interception in the 3rd quarter, leading his team to a less-embarassing-thanusual defeat. The opposing team was “blown away” by the performance of TU’s safeties, who managed to simulateously prevent big gains while playing the theme from “Star Trek” on clarinet.
Band plays show, then ball It sounds like the TU marching band is at least a half-step higher in skill than the football team. Nikki Hager Band Nerd
In a rare turn of events, the University of Tulsa’s marching band stormed the field during last week’s game at East Carolina. While the marching band does not usually play at away games, the administration hoped bringing the band would give the team a bit of a morale boost. Little did they know, the band had plans of their own. “I was just really fed up with all of the interceptions and bad defense,” said sousaphone player Eric Gammenthaler, “We decided to take matters into our own hands.” Following their tribute to Justin Bieber show at halftime, when the players tried to take the field, the marching band refused to yield. They were ready to play some football. The baritone section took offensive line. Two piccolo players, Mike Smith and Sarah Pook, played wide receiver and the running backs were trombone players Aaron Cole and Dylan Brumley. The offense was headed by drum major Justin Ander-
son at quarterback. The drumline played defense. “I was flabbergasted. At first I wasn’t going to have any of it,” said head coach Bill Blankenship, “But then they threatened to never play at any of the games next year. What’s the point of a football game without a marching band?” Almost the entire team agreed wholeheartedly.
“I really can’t imagine game day without the band,” said quarterback Cody Green, “They put in so many hours just for our entertainment.” “I know that sometimes the band gets a little flak from the student body because they think the administration pays way too much for something not even academically-related,” added running back Trey Watts. “It’s gotten even worse this year since their performance has started suffering.” Despite high hopes, there were some minor setbacks and the band fell a bit flat. It turns out defense wasn’t drumline’s forte. They had a bit of treble defending against both running and passing plays. East Carolina found a snare in their tactics. The first time East Carolina
conducted plays against the new defense, they managed to score. This was just a prelude to repeat offenses. Upon further inspection, it appeared the drumline was all on hash. Additionally, the offense was a bit off-key. Anderson really wasn’t in tune with what was going on. He tried to play it natural, not wanting to jazz it up too much. However, it seemed as if he couldn’t keep up with the tempo of the game and had to keep scaling back. No matter where he pitched the ball, no one could stay in time. His team harped on him, but he only got frustrated. Anderson either didn’t have the staff to win the game or just couldn’t handel the pressure. Despite losing 58-24, the game did end on a bit of a high note–it cymbalizes how much the band is capable of.
Amidst student and parent concern at the apparent permanence of the Aloft housing arrangement, University officials are now backtracking. Despite earlier insistence that there was no room on campus for the high numbers of incoming freshman, Head of Housing Bill Moore now insists that through “creative redistribution” of space, every freshman can now enjoy the experience of an overpriced dorm. There has been much speculation over the past week as to where this s p a c e would come from. Professors have been proliferating rumors that space in residence halls will be opened up by allowing students to actually live in the buildings that they spend most of their days in anyway. Several members of the Board purportedly suggested turning abandoned buildings on campus like Zink and Harwell into cozy prep-school style dormitories. But on Monday in an official press release, Moore revealed housing’s plan, the roots of which were already planted firmly on
campus. “All of the trees are already genetically engineered,” explained Moore, “so we talked to our campus mad scientists--er, bioengineers--and discovered that it’s actually possible to get the trees to grow into specific shapes.” In layman’s terms, that means that the tree clones will now be treehouse clones. Moore estimates that two students could be housed in each tree, so that planting a mere 40 of these new trees would alleviate the problem. On learning of the University’s plans to look out for her, freshman Nia Vettie expressed
excitement at the prospect of finally putting down some roots. “I can’t wait to for my dorm room to literally be open to the rest of campus! Anytime things are going on on the U, I will definitely know about it! It’ll be a great place to really spread my limbs.” She grinned, then added, “I’ll never want to leaf!” Photo by Logan Miller Graphic by Anna Bennett
Chiseled nipples of democracy Third-party candidate brings a refreshingly insane vision of Tulsa into the mayoral race. Fraser Kastner
Obscure Political Analyst
Graphic content by Anna Bennett
Buzz “Danger” Wilkins, a little -known mayoral candidate, vowed to “make some changes around here” in a press conference Friday. Wilkins, a retired house-painter, enumerated his many plans for the Tulsa area. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve driven past the Golden Driller and thought to myself, ‘Where are the nipples?’ Well, I vow to give the Golden Driller the nipples that God intended, even if I have to climb up there and chisel them on myself,” uttered a visibly inebriated Wilkins on Friday. After listing several more of his projects, including training attack ducks to defend the city parks against vandals, making squirrel hides Tulsa’s official currency, building a pink lemonade fountain in the center of town, and making rain illegal, Wilkins grew visibly disoriented and wandered off stage, mumbling to himself. Wilkins’ mayoral candidacy began last year, when he “received a vision of the Holy Spirit” outside
of a gas station on the western outskirts of town. Tad Shephard, Wilkins’ campaign advisor, says that it was in this moment of rapture that the campaign, dubbed the “Wilkins Initiative,” began. Although Wilkins’ aims may seem strange, he does have a small, dedicated cadre of supporters. “Have years of exposure to paint fumes driven this man dangerously insane? Absolutely,” said Apollo Jist, a Wilkins supporter. “Does he advocate teaching taxidermy in public schools? Wholeheartedly. But the way I see it, Buzz is much, much more likely to even try to keep his campaign promises than either of the leading candidates.” “He’s the best we can do,” agreed Rosey G. Nashon, another Wilkins backer. “We’ve been continually let down by cynical, selfish elected officials on every level. After all that, the sincere idealism of a crazy person is refreshing.” Wilkins was unavailable for comment, although this reporter thought he saw him in Woodward Park, stuffing squirrels into a bag.
While Kathy Taylor and Dewey Bartlett may be making wild promises about “fixing the budget,” “keeping the streets safe” or “turning the lights on,” dark horse candidate Buzz “Danger” Wilkins is dedicated to addressing problems Tulsans didn’t even know they had. He went so far as to go ahead and fix the Golden Driller without even being elected first.