Apr 5 by MediaOCU

“ THE CAMPUS April 5, 2017 – Volume 110 Issue 50

SGA president-elect begins working on campaign goals Miguel Rios

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Student Government Association will have a new president later this month, but he’s already working to fulfill campaign promises. Randy Gipson-Black, religion sophomore, was elected after a two-day voting period that started March 28. Any undergraduate or law student was allowed to vote. Out of 478 students who voted, 75 percent chose Gipson-Black, while 25 percent voted for David Hall, music education/sociology sophomore. “A vote for David wasn’t a wrong vote by any means. It was just a different vote, and that’s great,” Gipson-Black said. “I’m glad that there is opposition out there because, if there wasn’t opposition, there wouldn’t be a reason for accountability.” Hall said Gipson-Black and his cabinet are capable of working with students to check things off the list of student requests. “Should he need help coordinating the efforts, I am more than willing to help,” he said. “However, being that both of us combined were able to speak to over 300 students in less than a week, it shouldn’t be too difficult.” Gipson-Black served on Student Court for two years. He’s a part of Lambda Chi Alpha, serving as the fraternity’s external vice president and philanthropy chairman throughout his membership. He’s also a member of the debate team and serves as the risk manager for the Young Democrats. Holly Randall, SGA vice president, said she felt the need to endorse “the best candidate for the job.” “Randy impressed me with his leadership skills and his honest intentions to do what he found best for the school,” she said. “He

When it comes to SGA as a whole, I just really want to get more involved, more active on campus. It's not something that people take a very large interest in currently. Randy Gipson-Black SGA president-elect

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has unique ideas and has already been looking into the implementation of them, proving that he is ready to hit the ground running.” Randall will serve on Gipson-Black’s cabinet as chief of staff. Gipson-Black said he’s already working to get faded parking spots repainted. He said senators are researching the cost and process so they can talk to maintenance and facilities. “My secretary of policies and initiatives, Victoria Mayhall, is getting me in contact with the head of maintenance and facilities,” he said. “We’re going to come to maintenance and facilities with the cost, time frame, et cetera, and give them what they need to know in order to hopefully fulfill it by the fall semester.” Gipson-Black said he’s going to meet with Dr. Amy Ayres, vice president for student affairs and dean of students, and Lesley Black, associate dean of students, to discuss the process before going to maintenance. He said he also is focused on expanding the Aduddell Fitness Center and is working with Josh Hall, assistant director of student life, intramural sports and recreation, to discuss the initiative. “I just really would love to see the conversations with Aduddell

actually get movement started before I get out of office because I realize that’s a big project,” he said. Another thing Gipson-Black is already working on is a new recycling bill. He said he and some senators rewrote the original bill by Ken Williams, chemistry senior, for recycling bins in each Oklahoma United Methodist Hall room. SGA members talked with Michael Burns, director of housing operations, to have the bins be considered furniture, so students would have to pay for them if they disappeared. The initial cost for the bins would come out of SGA’s budget. “The amount we requested for the bill from SGA’s budget is right at $796.80, and that would cover 204 bins, from what I understand,” Gipson-Black said. “We’re trying to keep it costeffective, yet we want to make students aware that it is a piece of furniture, so they have a good option to use it.” Gipson-Black said there is a good possibility the bins would be in Methodist dorms at the beginning of next semester. Gipson-Black said his biggest aspiration as president is to get more people involved and excited about SGA. “When it comes to SGA as a whole, I just really want to get more involved, more active on campus. It’s not something that people take a very large interest in currently,” he said. “I want to be a steward to the campus, and I think a lot of that involves making sure people who want to be in SGA get to be in SGA because that’s how we’re going to get the best OCU experience possible.” The SGA inauguration will be from 5:45-7 p.m. Friday in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center.

Students encouraged to attend forum, give feedback on strategic plan Zoe Travers

NEWS EDITOR

Members of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee will meet with students to update them on their plan for the university’s future. There will be an open forum from 1-2:30 p.m. Monday in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. Strategic planning is a process that university officials go through to plan the priorities for the next three years. “It’s a group that looks forward and envisions where we need to be for the future,” Provost Kent Buchanan said. The strategic planning process involves meeting with university officials and students to determine the main areas of concern at the university. The steering committee reviews these concerns and settles on focus areas. The committee is partnering with Huron Consulting Group and is made up of staff, faculty, alumni, deans, and students. They have met for eight months and decided on four

focus areas based on student feedback and meetings with the board of trustees. After the forum, officials will take plans to the deans and ask for them to comply with the plans set in place. The first of these focus areas is student success. “It’s very important to us that we provide an environment where our students can be not just successful in the classroom and academically but also in getting jobs and moving forward in their careers,” Buchanan said. The second area is infrastructure, which would involve improving facilities. The third is faculty, administration and staff cultivation. The fourth is community service, which deals with involving the campus with the outside community by collaborating with the mayor and organizing community events. These focus areas are subject to change, depending on student feedback at the forum. The committee uses a grassroots approach in which they analyze input from students and create a plan based on that. “The whole process can be done by five people in a room

The whole process can be done by five people in a room coming up with their own thing. We don't want to do it that way. Kent Buchanan university provost

coming up with their own thing,” Buchanan said. “We didn’t want to do it that way.” Students have had opportunities to give feedback. The committee also is looking at student concerns like bills introduced in Student Senate. Based on student feedback, officials decided to release their contact with Sodexo, the university’s food service provider, and make the switch to Chartwells. They also decided to replace Alvin’s Café with a Chick-fil-A. Buchanan sat in on a committee of trustees responsible for making that change, and he said the committee focused on student opinions to make their decisions. “I heard one of the trustees say ‘what do the students

want to do?’ The answer was, ‘the students are ready for a change.’ And he said, ‘well that’s simple. That’s what we’ll do,’” Buchanan said. “The trustees have students’ feelings at heart and a fiduciary responsibility to the university that they take very seriously.” Buchanan said he’s interested in focusing on improving facilities during the next three years. “It’s important for students to know that these things don’t fall on deaf ears,” Buchanan said. “Our ears are open. We’re listening.” Occasionally, the plans set in place by the steering committee cannot be accomplished because of unwillingness from officials or budgeting issues. “You don’t always get what

you hope to get out of it, but the idea is to set goals that are attainable and are worthy of doing, and it will push us forward and make us a better university in the future,” Buchanan said. The committee has experienced issues because of the recent prioritization process. Prioritization showed university officials where money was spent in each department, which led to university budget cuts. The committee had a plan in place, but it was put on hold throughout prioritization. “There became this situation where the university may have been a little fatigued,” Buchanan said. But, plans are still in place to bring the final plan to the board of trustees by April 26. “I think we’ve gotten to the point where people on campus are ready for this, and I’m very excited for what we come up with,” Buchanan said. Nic Rhodes, economics/ finance senior, is the only student who signed up to be on the steering committee and assisted in the planning. He represents the voice of the students, Buchanan said.

Rhodes is establishing a priority in student technology and will meet with SGA President-elect Randy GipsonBlack to speak to the trustees. “Technology should be implemented in the classroom as much as possible,” Rhodes said. Rhodes said he urges students to be involved in the process by closely reading their emails and expressing their concerns. “The more students are involved, the more they’re going to get out of it,” Rhodes said. Students can email concerns to strategicplanning@ okcu.edu. For more information, students can contact Catherine Maninger, chief financial officer and co-chairwoman of the strategic planning steering committee, at 405-208-5498 or camaninger@okcu.edu. Buchanan can be reached at 405-208-5287 or kbuchanan@okcu.edu.

Spirit squad members proud of winning first national championship Jeremiah Rupp

STAFF WRITER

The university hosted and won the first National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics Competitive Cheer Championship. The championship was March 11 in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center. “We finally have recognition for our hard work and our athletes,” Cheer Coach Alicia Bailey told OCUsports.com.“We’ve always known that our sport was athletic, and it’s exciting to be recognized like all the other sports.” The cheer team finished first with a score of 87.08. “It was a good season, it had a lot of ups and downs,” Cheer Senior Ben Harris said. “But we learned to push through that adversity and persevere and make that championship happen. It was the first cheer sport national championship, so it was very exciting to have that happen here.” The team practices several times a week, starting at 6 a.m. on most days. “The 6 a.m. practices mean just getting to grow with everyone, basically, putting in work. It’s definitely a different dynamic than any other sport I’ve done, but it’s definitely the most rewarding,”

M MEDIAOCU.com

Cou�tesy o� OCUspo�ts.com The university's competitive cheer squad displays their banner after winning the first National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics Championship. This is the first year the NAIA recognized cheer and pom as a competitive sport. OCU hosted the championship March 11 in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center.

“I was very pleased with our performance today,” Pom Coach Tasha Hinex told OCUsports. “We knew the level of competition would be very high today, and I thought our team stepped up to the challenge.” Pom Freshman Abby Peek said the pom squad is hoping to place a little higher, but will continue to work hard and bond as a team. She said making sure everyone is solid on their skills will be a big focus, especially in the first semester. Cheer Sophomore Dawson MacLeod said he hopes new members come in ready to work hard next season. “I’m sad to see these seniors go, but I hope that the recruits that we pull in next year are willing to step up and really put in everything that they have,” he said. Harris said the team strives to be better next season than they were this season, despite their win. “We want to grow as a team. We want to definitely do better than we did last year, that’s our goal every year.” Contributing: Miguel Rios, editor-in-chief

Harris said. “Once you’re done with that two minutes and thirty seconds, it’s a relief.” The pom squad finished fifth with a score of 84.30.

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opinion Editors encourage students to support new SGA president St u d e n t G ov e r n m e n t Association will have a new president next semester. Randy Gipson-Black, religion sophomore, won the SGA presidential election 75 to 25 percent, becoming the president-elect until the inauguration on April 7. See more on Gipson-Black on Page 1. His opponent, David Hall, music education/sociology sophomore, focused his campaign on issues that a lot of students resonated with, such as fixing issues with housing and improving the theater facilities. Students should support the new president, regardless of whether or not they voted for him. But students shouldn’t get complacent. They should still work to make sure the policies they care about are being

addressed. For the 25 percent of students who sided with Hall, there are still ways they can put Hall’s policies in place even though he didn’t win the election. It’s important that students be engaged in the student government process so they can make their voices heard. It’s SGA’s job to represent the students’ voices. So, for those who feel Gipson-Black doesn’t represent their policies, they can change that by recommending bills to Student Senate or engaging in open dialogue with SGA. For students who are adamant about the painting of new parking spots, which is the first issue Gipson-Black hopes to fix, it may not be as difficult for them to support the new president. But for students who reso-

Talk Back “What do you hope the new SGA president will accomplish?”

nate with Hall’s campaign to better engage multicultural organizations like Hispanic Student Association and Native American Society, they may have to work harder at making sure their ideas make it to student government. Essentially, while who we elect is important, what they do in office is even more important. The job of SGA president, as both candidates illustrated in their campaigns, is to address student concerns and act on behalf of the student body. If students feel their concerns are not being addressed, the most important thing to do is get involved and keep their elected officials accountable.

“Assist the students of the School of Theater with the petition”

“Assist all the clubs and organizations on campus, large and small“

Travis Huddleston acting senior

Camryn Sanders biomedical science junior

“Everything he was running on and that he helps OCU grow together” Sarah Todd political science sophomore

“Pull together a more unified and cohesive campus” Dani Jo Towle dance universal freshman

“Really work with the acting majors on getting their facilities in order” Bethany Stanley religious education freshman

“A way to spread information to the entire campus in a more efficient manner” Erica Herman cell and molecular biology junior

Viewers need to experience the comedic intricacy of The History Boys The 2006 film, The History Boys, based on a play of the same name, holds up nearly a decade later as a triumph of storytelling, casting and acting. Both written by Alan Bennett, the play and screen adaptations tell the story of a group of eight high school senior boys in England as they prepare for the exams and interviews that will grant them admission to England’s top tier universities, Oxford and Cambridge. The story focuses around

the arrival of a new teacher, “Irwin” (Stephen Campbell Moore), who is hired to make the boys well rounded candidates for the universities. The boys’ other teachers, “Hector”(Richard Griffiths) and “Mrs. Lintott” (Frances de la Tour) work alongside Irwin as the boys study mainly history and English in preparation for the upcoming tests. The whip-smart dialogue makes for rich scenes with intellectually stimulating content while giving each boy a chance to build a complex and

Mary McLain is a film production sophomore from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who loves sandwiches and social media.

unique character. The group dynamic is fueled not only by the esoteric banter, but also by the fast-paced humor and theatrical interactions of the boys. The film format allows even a few frames of eye contact to reveal exponential meaning

and intricate character relationships. On a surface level, the film appears to be a simple but sharp comedy, when in fact the story tackles some of education and life’s most daunting questions. The boys, many of whom

have reached mainstream American fame by now, deliver stunning performances throughout the film. The original cast of the play also takes on the roles in the film adaptation, bringing a deft physicality to the performances that only a couple hundred live performances can hone with such detail. The meticulous writing allows this cast of 10 men to explore complexities of masculinity in a direct and refreshingly honest manner. It is almost impossible to

watch this film only once. As the credits begin to roll, the temptation to restart the whole thing is difficult to resist. From the opening scene, full of celebration and energy, to the closing scene, this group of actors reaches through the screen, at times laughing with the audience and at times holding their hand. The History Boys challenges its viewers to laugh, read, think, and empathize more every day, making any rental fees worth every single penny.

Columnist discusses writer's block as a common form of anxiety I found myself sitting on the floor talking to my roommates when I realized what I would write about. I was complaining about how I had no inspiration, as a true tortured writer does. “There’s no such thing as writer’s block. That’s just an excuse,” my friend and apparently superior writer said. Immediately,

I defended my stance. It is, too, a thing. I signed up to be a columnist because I like writing columns. I don’t want to procrastinate, I just want to write a column that actually has complex sentences. So I researched it. Writer’s block is definitely real, and it’s a form of anxiety, according to an article by

McAlyn Forbes is an acting sophomore from the beautiful mountains of Colorado. She loves petting any dog that she sees and reading in bed with tea.

Lisa Duchene at Penn State. Bingo! I have anxiety. I know all about that. Perfect.

Most experts believe writer’s block begins in elementary school, where we are

taught that writing is a kind of performance rather than a process. This makes even more sense. To date, I have written around three assignments for school that I truly enjoyed writing. This is undoubtedly old news. We all know how homework sucks out our passion and our souls and

causes anxiety in many of us. That’s not the point I am trying to make. My point is that I can write a column even when I feel like I have no inspiration. If my friend/supposed superior writer tells me my complaints are invalid, my writing fury is sparked and the passion is ignited. Hey, look at that. We have a column.

Wanda L. Bass Music Center

p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Campus Calendar Calendar items must be received in the Newsroom or stupub@okcu.edu by noon Friday for inclusion in the following Wednesday issue.

WEDNESDAY Summer/Fall 2017 enrollment begins for undergrads with 60+ completed hours Simon Armitage's poetry reading and conversation at 9:30 a.m. in Kerr-McGee Auditorium in Meinders School of Business Wednesday at the Wesley from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Watson Lounge in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel Simon Armitage's poetry reading and Q&A at 8 p.m. in KerrMcGee Auditorium in Meinders School of Business Spencer Gualdoni's senior music theatre recital from 8-9 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center Out of the Box's Miscast Cabaret at 9 p.m. in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel Univer-

sity Center THURSDAY Summer/Fall 2017 enrollment begins for undergrads with 30+ completed hours Chapel at 1 p.m. in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel Star Summit at 2 p.m. in the Leichter Room in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center TheatreOCU presents The House of Atreus Part II at 8 p.m. in Burg Theater in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center TheatreOCU's Stage II season presents All This Intimacy at 8 p.m. in the Black Box Theater in Wanda L. Bass Music Center FRIDAY Summer/Fall 2017 enrollment continues for all students Alyssa Jackson's graduate vocal

performance recital from 6-7 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center Baseball vs. Texas Wesleyan at 6 p.m. at Jim Wade Stadium Hannah Green's senior voice recital from 6-7 p.m. in the small rehearsal hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center Kay Frazier's senior vocal performance recital from 8-9 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center TheatreOCU presents The House of Atreus Part I at 8 p.m. in Burg Theater in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center TheatreOCU's Stage II season presents All This Intimacy at 8 p.m. in the Black Box Theater in Wanda L. Bass Music Center SATURDAY Sibs Day at 10 a.m. in Tom and

Brenda McDaniel University Center Baseball vs. Texas Wesleyan at 1 p.m. at Jim Wade Stadium TheatreOCU presents The House of Atreus Part II at 8 p.m. in Burg Theater in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center TheatreOCU's Stage II season presents All This Intimacy at 8 p.m. in the Black Box Theater in Wanda L. Bass Music Center Orchestra concert at 8 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center SUNDAY TheatreOCU presents The House of Atreus Part II at 2 p.m. in Burg Theater in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center TheatreOCU's Stage II season presents All This Intimacy at 2 p.m. in the Black Box Theater in

April 5, 2017, Volume 110, Number 50

Photographers: Courtney Beyer, Donovan Lawson, Ali Wonderly Staff Writers: Taylor Rey, Prisca Lynch, McAlyn Forbes, Nathan Moelling, Adrianna DelPercio Film Critics: Danielle Petersen, Mary McLain Videographer: Emily Haan Ad/Marketing Director: Madison

MONDAY Evensong at 8 p.m. in the Watson Lounge in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel

Erin Epperly's senior percussion recital from 4-4:30 p.m. in the medium rehearsal hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

Horn studio recital from 8-9 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Emily Myers's senior voice recital from 4-5 p.m. in the small rehearsal hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

TUESDAY Softball Tailgate from 4-5 p.m. in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center

Jeff Newel's senior clarinet recital from 6-7 p.m. in the small rehearsal hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

Softball vs. St. Gregory's at 5 p.m. at Jim Wade Stadium

Kevin M. Taylor's senior music theater recital from 6-7 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center Brennan Martinez's senior vocal performance recital from 8-9

SGA inauguration from 5:45-7 p.m. in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center FCA meeting at 8:30 in the Leichter Room in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center

The Campus has served the Oklahoma City University community since 1907. It is published Wednesday during the academic year, with the exception of holidays and exam periods.

THE CAMPUS Editor-in-chief: Miguel Rios Associate Editor: Sage Tokach Copy Editor: Chandler White News Editor: Zoe Travers Lifestyles Editor: Madelyn Parker Photo Editor: Elina Moon Community Manager: Lauren Berlingeri Web Editor: Nicole Waltman

Brass Faculty Quintet concert from 3-4 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

The Student Publications staff welcomes unsolicited material and let-

Clark Ad Representative: Jonathan May Circulation Director: Brianna Demuth Faculty Adviser: Kenna Griffin

ters to the editor. All letters must be signed and include the writer’s phone number, address, major, and classification. The staff reserves the right to edit all letters. The staff also reserves the right to refuse letters without explanation. Letters can be sent online at mediaocu.com, emailed to stupub@ okcu.edu or dropped off at the Newsroom in Walker Center for Arts and Sciences. Submitted items may appear on MediaOCU and in the print edition.

April 5, 2017

news

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Courtney Beyer Student Publications

It’s out of the park! Left: Junior Infielder Shaun Corso prepares to catch the ball during baseball team’s game against Bacone College on March 30 in Jim Wade Stadium. The Stars won 10-0, extending their winning streak to 14 games. Above: Senior Pitcher Anthony Rosati winds his arm back before pitching a ball during the March 30 home game against Bacone College in Jim Wade Stadium. The Stars beat Bacone 10-0. The next home games will be against Texas Wesleyan at 6 p.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Saturday in Jim Wade Stadium.

Classical theater instructors to host first conference on campus Taylor Rey

STAFF WRITER

The Center for Excellence in Classical Theatre Training officials are preparing to host their inaugural conference. It will be all day Saturday in Wanda L. Bass Music Center. The organization was started last fall by Lance Marsh, acting professor; Brian Parsons, associate dean of the school of theater, and Robert Richmond, chairman of theater at University of South Carolina and associate artist at the Folger Theater. It was created as a center point for

connecting teachers of classical theater and hiring actors to perform classical works. “The conference will be a full day of workshops and panel presentations, Robert Richmond will be coming to be the keynote speaker, and we’ve got guests artists coming from the region, the nation and internationally,” Marsh said. “Most of what we do isn’t papers. It’s on its feet, and there aren’t really a lot of places you can go to present and legitimize your work, so that is why we wanted to create a place to do that.” The conference welcome

Most of what we do isn’t papers, it’s on its feet, and there aren’t really a lot of places you can go to present and legitimize your work, so that is why we wanted to create a place to do that. Lance Marsh acting professor

will be at 12:15 p.m. after morning registration, and Robert Richmond will lead a master class 12:30-2 p.m. and 2:15-3:45 p.m. There will be three sessions of workshops, and, in each

individual session, there will be three different workshops so students can choose which sessions they would like to attend. “It’s going to be a really rich look at Shakespeare and the classics,” Marsh said.

Workshops will include - Jenny Mercein, assistant professor of acting at Tulane University in New Orleans, on “LA: Viewpoints and Shakespeare, A Physical Approach to Unlocking Shakespeare and Building Ensemble,” - Lisa Dalton, president of the National Michael Chekhov Association, on “Classic Chekhov: Using Michael Chekhov’s Technique to Train Classical Theatre Artists” and - Alissa Mortimer, assistant professor of acting at University of Oklahoma, and Rena Cook, professor emeritus at University of Oklahoma, on “The Shake-

speare Audition.” “I’m really excited we’re hosting this on campus this year. OCU really focuses on classical theater, and so it’s very helpful to have this available for our students,” said Franziska Harms, acting junior. The conference is free for all OCU students and is $20 for participants from the community. Students who wish to attend can email Marsh at dmarsh@okcu.edu.

Banning Hall residents confused with air conditioning situation Chandler White

COPY EDITOR

Some students say they are having trouble adjusting to problems with the electric system in Banning Hall. Banning adapted to a new air conditioning system earlier this year. The new system led to some initial malfunctions with heating, prompting maintenance workers to distribute space heaters to residents. The space heaters indirectly caused the electrical outlets to stop working in the northeast stairwell early in March, according a Facebook post on the Banning page by Wesley Yang, psychology/youth ministry senior and Banning RA. The space heaters were revoked within the next few days, but shortly given back to residents in the belief that the problem was resolved, though it caused the same issues to reoccur. Michael Burns, director of housing and residence life, said the air conditioning problems were a temporary issue and were

resolved quickly. “It wasn’t a persisting issue,” Burns said. “I don’t know that anybody could have anticipated exactly how it was going to happen. Whenever it happened, they just flipped the switches back on.” Despite this, some students still expressed discontent with the repercussions of the lack of air conditioning. “They weren’t originally planning on turning on the A/C until March 31, which is frankly ridiculous,” said Sierra Paul, theater education freshman and Banning resident. “It was so hot in my room, sleeping there made me feel physically ill.” The issue was potentially due to the number of appliances plugged into the outlets at one time, according to a Facebook post by Darilynn Hammond, head resident for Banning and Draper halls. “At this time, we do not have a clear estimate of how much longer our partners will be working to repair the heating system, but will provide more information as it becomes available,” the post reads. “To minimize this

issue and ensure that the outlets continue to work, please turn off the space heaters and unplug any other devices that aren’t readily being used, particularly when you are out for class and rehearsals.” Kathryn Sugianto, mass communications freshman and resident of Banning’s northeast stairwell, said the outlet failures began during Spring Break. “Had it not been the space heaters, the fridge was fine operating as it was. I think it was just kind of the combination of the two that made everything go to hell,” she said. “I thought it was my power strip, but it was just the appliances and the space heater that kind of pushed it over the edge.” Sugianto said some Banning residents still have the space heaters, even though the air conditioning problems were resolved. “We still have them, I guess because they turned the air conditioner back on, so it gets cold on random nights,” she said.

Business school adviser retires Adrianna DelPercio

STAFF WRITER

Business students will work with a new adviser this semester. James DePuy, former undergraduate adviser for Meinders School of Business, recently retired. Undergraduate business students will work with Lynette Martin, director of student services. Graduate students will still work with Graduate Adviser Cindy Treadway. Enrollment started Monday for graduate students and undergraduate honors April 5, 2017

students. “Other undergraduates are eligible to enroll throughout the rest of the week based on hours completed,” said Dr. Steve Agee, dean of the business school. Ellie Roth, finance freshman, said Martin is attentive and friendly. “She is very helpful and tries hard to help everyone with their class schedules, but it is a lot of work for one person to be doing,” Roth said. Even though Martin has many students to advise, she always has a positive attitude, said Sarah Kelly, business

administration junior. “Lynette is an incredible professor, adviser and mentor. She truly cares about each student in Meinders,” Kelly said. “I’m always thankful when I see her shiny red car in the parking lot because I know that means Lynette is hard at work, ready to share a smile and word of encouragement with all who walk through the door.” For more information on advisement for business students, contact Agee at sagee@ okcu.edu.

lifestyles J.C. Penney, Career Services to host shopping event McAlyn Forbes

STAFF WRITER

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What is your damage?

Elina Moon Student Publications

The cast of Heathers the Musical rehearse “The Me Inside of Me.” OCU Stripped organized the performances March 31 and April 1 in Petree Recital Hall in

Career Services officials are partnering with J.C. Penney to give students discounted clothing. They are hosting “Suit Up,” a shopping event from 6:30-10 p.m. April 23 at the J.C. Penney in Quail Springs Mall, 2501 W. Memorial Road. J.C. Penney will open its doors after the mall closes. Anybody with an OCU ID, including alumni and staff, is welcome to shop with 40 percent off storewide, except on Sephora products. The event sounds exciting, said Emily Nelson, acting freshman. “I don’t ever really shop at J.C. Penney, but I’d totally go and check it out because it seems like such a fun idea,” Nelson said. OCU is sharing the event with Oklahoma Christian University, but no other customers will be allowed to attend. The event is a great opportunity for all students, said Amelia Hurt, director of Career Services. “It’s another way for them to get prepared for professional opportunities, whether that be going to auditions, doing internships, especially for graduating seniors to kind of get a little bit of that business wardrobe established,” Hurt said. J.C. Penney will order new stock and a couple of new lines for the event. If students want to pre-register for Suit Up, they can email Career Services at careerservices@okcu.edu. Those who preregister will be entered to win J.C. Penney gift cards, ranging from $25 to $200, to use at the event. Amanda Dolph, music theater junior, said she’s excited for the event. “Thank you, OCU, for giving me a reason to go shopping,” she said.

Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. The musical is based on the 1988 cult film Heathers, a movie that deals with suicide, bullying, homophobia, and gun violence through dark humor. Sophia Macias, music theater senior, directed the show with Nicholas Haas, music theater junior, as assistant director.

Students to receive free admission, voucher for annual Big Event Sage Tokach

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ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Students will have free admission to Frontier City for Big Event. Student Activities Council, a branch of Student Government Association, organizes Big Event annually as an end of the year celebration. SAC chose to host this year’s Big Event at Frontier City, 11501 N. I-35 Service Road. Students will have free admission to the park from 7-10 p.m. April 20. Past Big Events have taken place on campus, at the Bricktown Ballpark and in the Boathouse District. SAC also chose Frontier City for the event’s venue in 2014. Shannon Beshears, dance performance senior and SAC chairwoman, said she chose the venue because of the event’s success there her freshman year. “This venue was insanely fun, and students have the whole

At the event in the Boathouse District, I tried and enjoyed more new experiences than I ever have. This year will be the same, but with different experiences. Mackenzie Reitz dance management sophomore

park to themselves,” Beshears said. “I love roller coasters, especially since there will basically be no lines.” Emily Jones, dance pedagogy sophomore and member of SAC, also helped choose the event. “I thought it was a great idea because most students wouldn’t just be able to pop out $30 for something like this,” Jones said.

SAC encourages students to use their own transportation, but a shuttle will leave at 7:30 p.m. for students that need it, Beshears said. To reserve a spot on the shuttle, email Beshears at sebeshears@my.okcu.edu. Free parking will be available for those who drive themselves. When entering the park, students will receive a $10 voucher for food and merchandise provided by Frontier City. Mackenzie Reitz, dance management sophomore, said she loved Big Event last year and looks forward to a similar experience. “At the event in the Boathouse District, I tried and enjoyed more new experiences than I ever have,” Reitz said. “This year will be the same, but with different experiences. This is a moment for us to indulge in being college students.”

Relay For Life to host additional fundraisers during 12-hour event Emily Wollenberg

STAFF WRITER

Students and teams can still fundraise for the upcoming Relay For Life event. The Relay For Life American Cancer Society fundraiser will be from 7 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday. Kickoff week for Relay began Monday. Volunteers will sell luminarias for the event outside the caf throughout the week, said Emily Diaz, acting junior and event lead. Luminarias are paper bags with candles inside that people decorate to honor a cancer patient or someone who has died from cancer. Hurts Donuts will be available on Wednesday for $3 outside the caf until supplies last. Fundraiser night will be 5-10 p.m. April 16 at Chipotle, 3315 Northwest Expressway. The event will be Monopoly-themed this year, Diaz said. “The campus will be surprised when they come out to the quad and see our setup,” she said. The event will include a VIP area for participants who raise $240 or more, Diaz said. “It will have food, a napping area and other fun goodies,” she said. Diaz said they planned activities and entertainment for all 12 hours to keep people up. Diaz said she is passionate April 5, 2017

To all of the patients and survivors, I want to say that I applaud you. You are a brave fighter who said ‘I am not going to sit here and let this disease take me.’ Emily Diaz Relay For Life event lead

about Relay because she felt there was finally a group of people that understood her after her mother was diagnosed with colon cancer. “To all of the patients and survivors, I want to say that I applaud you,” Diaz said. “You are a brave fighter who said ‘I am not going to sit here and let this disease take me.’” Students can get involved by joining a team or starting their own, volunteering to set up, volunteering during the event, or donating to the cause. Sarah Cason, senior psychology major and fundraising committee lead, said she fundraises by sending emails and Facebook messages. She advises others to reach out to family to fundraise. The fundraising committee created OCU Relay beanies that are now on sale for $10. Students can use the American Cancer Society FUNdraising app to accept credit card donations. Cason said Relay is important to her because the more

money that is funneled to the ACS, the more they can do in research and programs. “My Dad was in a clinical trial for leukemia, and, although it was too late for him, it was successful for other patients,” she said. “Cancer constantly evolves, so constant funding is needed to support the best research.” Relay allows people to fight for those who are unable to, said Sarah Lubaroff, dance freshman and chairwoman of the sur vivor/caregiver committee. “The sad reality is, most people will have some experience with cancer in their life, but Relay For Life is a way to decrease that number,” she said. For more information about the event, go to the Relay For Life website, relay.org/okcuok, or contact Diaz at ecdiazbrenes@my.okcu.edu.