April 27 issue by MediaOCU

THE CAMPUS

April 27, 2016– Volume 110 Issue 26

Touch a star Natalya Ferch, acting freshman, touches the gold star at Matriculation Convocation. Freshmen were matriculated into the academic year Aug. 19 in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. Students touch the star at the beginning of their freshman year and again at graduation to signify the beginning and end of their college careers.

Donovan Lawson Student Publications

Celebrate life

Thomas Olson and Anastasia Fields, dance universal freshmen, watch as students perform in the pageant during Relay For Life on April 8. This year 193 participants made up 18 teams that came together to raise more than $23,000 for the American Cancer Society.

Student Publications a�chives

The Year in Review

nother academic year has gone, but students, faculty and staff made this one to remember. The campus community welcomed Michael Burns as the new housing director, while changes were made to the housing draft and the enrollment process. The community came together once again to support Relay For Life and raise money for cancer research. The event lasted 12 hours this year and named an honorary event chairperson, Kyrian Anderson, to help encourage students to participate. Athletes worked hard all year and made history

when the spirit squads brought home three national titles. One of only three physician’s assistant programs in the state was started, and we completed a $2 million renovation to the chemistry labs in Dawson-Loeffler Science and Mathematics Center. Performers presented entertaining and beautiful shows. During The Giver, actors showed their dedication as they painted themselves in black and white. The production was nominated for national awards for costumes and lighting. This issue of The Campus highlights some noteworthy events from the 2015-16 academic year. By Miguel Rios, Editor-in-chief

Ali Wonderly Student Publications

Taking the trophy

The women of Gamma Phi Beta sorority celebrate after winning Homecoming sweepstakes Nov. 7 in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center. The sorority placed first in all four categories: banner painting, window painting, Lip Sync and spirit structure building. The men’s basketball team won the Homecoming game against Southwestern Oklahoma State, 73-70.

Page 2 Lifestyles

Belt it out

Donovan Lawson Student Publications

Kelli O’Hara performs Feb. 29 at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. O’Hara returned to perform “An Evening with Kelli O’Hara,” benefiting the Meyers Theatre for Young Audiences.

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Page 3 Sports

Wrestling champ

Ali Wonderly Student Publications

Junior Wrestler Natalia Hinojo celebrates a win in the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association National Championship Finals on Feb. 13 in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center.

Page 4 A&E

Oh my goddess

Elina Moon Student Publications

Alysson Johnson, acting senior, portrays a goddess in TheatreOCU’s mainstage production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It. The play ran April 7-10 in the Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center.

Buying books

Different faiths

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Read about Dr. Larry Cobb’s contributions to the library Read about the progress of the interfaith dorm

Stand against racism

Read about the YWCA’s TED-style talk

lifestyles

Student Publications a�chives

A fresh start

Dr. David Pasto, theater professor, leads students as they walk across campus during the Matriculation Convocation ceremony Aug. 19. The ceremony welcomes new freshmen to campus and celebrates the start of the academic year. President Robert Henry spoke during the ceremony. This was the largest freshman class in recent history and an increase in enrollment for the first time in two years.

Andrew Robling Student Publications

There she is

Monica Thompson, music theater junior, is crowned Miss OCU 2016 on Oct. 24 in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. Thompson was crowned by Miss Louisiana April Nelson and Miss OCU 2015 Veronica Wisniewski. Thompson will compete for the title of Miss Oklahoma on June 11 at the Oral Roberts University Mabee Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Elina Moon Student Publications

Moving forward

Splashin’ around Kelsey Simmons, mass communica-

McAyln Forbes, vocal performance freshman, and Jorden Tartor, English freshman, throw their bad memories

tions sophomore, and Alejandra

into the fire pit as part of the Fire and Water ceremony April 20. The annual ceremony, planned by OCULeads,

Santillan, nursing sophomore,

honors freshmen and celebrates the end of their first year at OCU.

learn how to kayak at Big Event on April 12 in the Boathouse District. Students were given $5 vouchers to spend at various food trucks at the event and participated in an adventure course that included a zipline and slides. Miguel Rios Student Publications

Donovan Lawson Student Publications

It’s a zoo

Sing your heart out

Donovan Lawson Student Publications

Trevor Strahan, acting senior, holds a baby kangaroo on April 14 at the pavilion. The housing staff paid a pet-

Members of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity perform during Spring Sing on March 2 in Petree Recital Hall in Kirk-

ting zoo to provide an afternoon of fun and entertainment for students and the surrounding community. Other

patrick Fine Arts Center. The annual competition, hosted by Blue Key Honor Society, featured performances by

animals brought to campus included a lemur, a fox and a crocodile. The event was for recruitment.

six Greek organizations. Alpha Chi Omega sorority placed first and Alpha Phi sorority won People’s Choice.

THE CAMPUS

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.

April 27, 2016, Volume 110, Number 26

Editor-in-chief: Miguel Rios Associate Editor: Emily Wiley Web Editor: Maleyia Vaughn Lifestyles Editor: Sage Tokach Photo Editor: Ali Wonderly Copy Editor: John Hiller Community Manager: Lauren Berlingeri

Photographers: Danielle Frost, Donovan Lawson, Andrew Robling Staff Writers: Prisca Lynch, Elina Moon, Taylor Rey Columnists: Tatum Nelson, Madelyn Parker Film Critic: Danielle Petersen

The Student Publications staff welcomes unsolicited material and let-

Ad and Marketing Director: Ashten Vincent Circulation Director: Allie Glazner 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 27, 2016

sports

Shining bright The pom and cheer squads perform during Blue Out Blow Out on Aug. 21 to welcome new students and show off the Stars’ spirit. The spirit squads made history at the National Cheer and Dance Alliance National Championships April 6-10 in Daytona by bringing home three national titles. It was the first year in OCU history that pom won a national title for both team performance and hip hop. Maleyia Vaughn Student Publications

Anna Andersen Student Publications

Spike it Sophomore Middle Blocker Manon Soraru prepares to spike the ball against Wayland Baptist on Sept. 26. The volleyball team reached its highest ranking in history this season at No. 23. The team also spent four weeks in the top Ali Wonderly Student Publications

Pitch perfect

25 and finished its season 11-0 at home. The Stars advanced to the Sooner Athletic Conference, only the third time in OCU history, and had the most academic all-conference choices.

Junior Infielder Madison Ellis throws the ball to first in the Stars’s match-up against Texas Wesleyan on March 24. The softball team is ranked No. 1 in National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Coach Phil McSpadden recently celebrated his 1,500th win. Under McSpadden, the softball team has won eight national championships, the most in NAIA history, according to ocusports.com.

Courtney Beyer Student Publications

Row, row, row your boat Senior Kaleb Bledsoe, Junior Hunter Bingham, Sophomore Milos Aleksic, and Junior Marshall McCabe compete during the Head of the Oklahoma Regatta on Oct. 3. The men’s rowing team has won the past five team points trophies in the regatta. This season the Stars also won their fifth-consecutive Head of the Hooch team points trophy on Nov. 8, the Opening Day Regatta against Wichita State on March 13, and the SIRA Championships on April 17.

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Andrew Robling Student Publications

Shootin’ hoops

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Ali Wonderly Student Publications

Senior Forward Catherine Kruschke shoots a three-pointer during the game against Mid-America Christian

University on Feb. 4. The Stars went on to defeat MACU 70-62 making their conference record 10-1. This was the team’s first season with Head Coach Bo Overton after former Head Coach Latricia Trammell resigned. The team finished its season 20-9, the 18th consecutive 20-win season, and received its 19th consecutive national tourna-

April 27, 2016

a&e

Andrew Robling Student Publications

Help me to see Professional actor Ben Hall transfers memories to Daniel Brown, acting junior, during the Feb. 5 performance of The Giver. The show follows “Jonas,” a boy growing up in a utopian society. Upon turning 12, the youth in the community are assigned their career paths. “Jonas” is chosen for special training with “the Giver.” The show was performed in black and white to show the sameness that the utopian community adopted.

Dance the day away

Elina Moon Student Publications

Renee Griese, dance freshman, rehearses for The American Spirit Dance Company’s annual spring show, Hot Shoe Shuffle. The show included 24 dances, featuring tap, jazz and music theater dance styles, as well as 68 moving lights. The show was performed March 10-12.

Don’t leave me Ariel Richardson, acting senior, and Olivia Cinquepalmi, acting junior, discuss their troubles with men as “Rosalind” and “Celia” in TheatreOCU’s production of As You Like It. The play ran April 7-10 in Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. It followed “Rosalind”

Donovan Lawson Student Publications

as she flees persecution in her

Read it to me again

uncle’s court, accompanied by her cousin “Celia” to find safety and,

Dagny McCartney and Jasmine Richman, acting seniors, read a letter

eventually, love in the Forest of

during a production of The Liar in the Black Box Theatre in Wanda L. Bass

Arden.

Music Center. The show, which ran Feb. 25-28, was based on La Verdad Sospechosa by the Spanish-American playwright Juan Ruíz de Alarcón.

Elina Moon Student Publications

The power of coffee

Donovan Lawson Student Publications

Employees of World Wide Wicket Company break into song as they realize the coffee machine is out during the Sept. 18 performance of OCU Stripped’s How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. The story concerns young, ambitious “J. Pierrepont Finch” who, with the help of the book, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, rises from window washer to chairman of the board.

What about love

Ali Wonderly Student Publications

The cast of Rent performs La Vie Boheme during the Sept. 25 rehearsal in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. The show ran Oct. 2-4. Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, loosely based on Giacomo Puccini’s opera La Bohème. It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in New York City’s East Village during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Tickets sold out for all three nights of the show.

Now watch me whip Students whip and nae nae at the annual Broadway Fun for Funds on Feb. 26 in Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. The dance was choreographed by Julie Graff, dance performance senior. The event is to raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, which provides funding for AIDS research and treatment and medical needs in the Broadway community.

Elina Moon Student Publications

April 27, 2016

Play that magic flute

Andrew Robling Student Publications

Caitlin Crabill, music theater graduate, and London Long-Wheeler, vocal performance senior, look over Benjamin Hopkins, music theater graduate, as he examines a flute during the Feb. 16 performance of The Magic Flute in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. The opera follows “Prince Tamino” as he tries to save “Pamina” who is promised to him by the “Queen of the Night.”