Aug. 29 by MediaOCU

THE CAMPUS August 29, 2018 – Volume 112 Issue 2

Clara Luper’s daughter visits campus for civil rights dialogue Emily Wollenberg

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The daughter of Clara Luper, Oklahoma City civil rights activist, was scheduled to visit campus to honor the 60th anniversary of the sit-ins led by her mother. Marilyn Hildreth intended to share her memories of the civil rights movement, including the historic sit-ins in Oklahoma City, during her visit Tuesday in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. The Student Diversity and Inclusion Office hosted the event. Russ Tallchief, director of student diversity and inclusion, said Luper and her children helped propel the civil rights movement in Oklahoma. “This is really where peaceful protests began, in Oklahoma City, and Clara Luper was at the helm,” he said. Luper taught high school during a time when Supreme Court rulings mandated the desegregation of Oklahoma schools. She is famous for her peaceful protests against racism and segregation, particularly in continuous sit-ins with her children in Katz Drug Store in Oklahoma City. Prior to the sit-ins, Luper took her children to a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People convention in New York City. Her children were able to experience an environment without segregation, contrasting to the animosity they felt in their hometown. Upon returning to Oklahoma, the children felt inspired to have a sit-in at Katz Drug Store, a “whites only” shop, to protest the racism against the black community. The Katz Drug Store employees called the police, but, because the children were minors, they were not arrested. The children continued returning to the drugstore to stage their peaceful protest until they were served. The protests grew until every eating establishment in the city was integrated. Hildreth speaks about why the sit-ins were necessary and how they started. During the time of the sit-ins, Oklahoma was one of the most segregated states in the United States. She said, until she and others decided to go to Katz Drug Store to bring attention to the bigotry and hatred in Oklahoma, Oklahomans didn’t understand what was going on. She advocates for current events in Oklahoma and the important role young people play

Nate Billings The Oklahoman Marilyn Hildreth oversees the reenactment of the first Katz Drug Store sit-in. The reenactment commemorates the 60th anniversary of the sit-ins. Children protested racism at the “whites only” drugstore in the ‘50s.

in society. “It’s about the importance of the vote, the importance of speaking up against injustice, the importance of helping others,” she said. Tallchief said students should learn about segregation and civil rights history in Oklahoma City. “We’ve come a long way in 60 years, but we still have racial tensions out there. We’ve got to continue to bridge those gaps and reach out,” he said. “We have to think about what we can do as OCU students and faculty and staff to help bridge that in the way that those kids did back in the 1950s.” Hildreth said she wants people who attended the campus dialogue to understand the important role her mother played in Oklahoma history. “Not only did she talk the talk by helping others, she walked the walk, and she believed that every kid could learn,” she said. “And she worked diligently in the classroom to make sure that happened.” Hildreth said she hopes that, by telling her story, others will feel inspired to stand up against injustice. Ashleigh Robinson, music theater senior, was scheduled to

sing at the event. Robinson said Clara Luper’s legacy has had a big impact on the campus community, and students should be open to learning about her history. “Anything that provides students cultural education, especially historical cultural education, is important,” Robinson said. “The more people that choose to learn and choose to grow, the more our university will foster those opportunities and will provide other chances for people to become more culturally aware.” The Clara Luper Scholarship, started in 2003 and funded by Devon Energy, is a full tuition, room and board scholarship specifically for OCU students who excel in academics, community service and leadership. The scholarship includes membership in the President’s Leadership Class, an opportunity for emerging leaders and distinguished scholars. “Students are selected based on their embodiment of the Clara Luper spirit,” Tallchief said. “It’s open to anybody who demonstrates financial need, and they are all from diverse backgrounds. We find those people that really personify her commitment to service.” Clara Luper died in 2011. Hildreth said Luper scholars are expected to take on leadership in the community to honor Luper’s memory. “They cannot afford to sit back on their constitutions and do nothing. They must become involved in their community,” she said. The Clara Luper corridor on N.W. 23rd Street by the Oklahoma State Capitol honors Luper’s commitment to the community. “I take the scholars and we go and clean up the corridor every spring,” Tallchief said. Hildreth said she wants people to know the importance of helping others. Robinson said students should continue to learn about Luper’s legacy and impact on the community. “A lot of the established culture of our campus has to do with Clara Luper, and so many people don’t know about the work that she did in not only the Oklahoma City community, but Oklahoma state and the African-American community nationwide,” Robinson said.

Hannah Rogers Student Publications

Having a bash Caroline Purdy, music theater junior, and Jordan Wilkes, music theater senior, fight each other at the Back to School Bash on Aug. 20 on the quad. Student Affairs hosted the event that featured inflatables, food trucks and mini-golf. Students could also get a free OKCU pennant. Above: Natalie Gregg, education junior, and Halie Shelton, biochemistry sophomore, play mini-golf at the Back to School Bash. About 400 students attended the event.

Cokesbury Court enhances security, students express support Lenora LaVictoire

STAFF WRITER

Cokesbury Court Apartment residents returned this semester to new locks and heightened security. The apartment complex has been a focus for increased security in the last two years following two attempted abductions in March 2018 and a string of stolen cars and burglaries in 2016. Locks were installed over the summer on all four walkin gates and require students to enter a code to open them. “The pedestrian gates have never had any locks on them,” said Elizabeth Richardson, associate director of housing and residence life. “New locks

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were something they knew that they needed to do for a while.” Campus Living Villages, the company contracted by OCU to maintain the apartments, purchased the new locks for an unknown amount and installed them. Jordan Tarter, English senior, Student Government Association president and Cokesbury resident, said she is glad to see the new locks. “I feel a lot safer,” Tarter said. “Before, when we didn’t have those padlocks on the gates, I felt very unsafe, and I felt like my friends were unsafe.” Elizabeth Carter, business senior, has had her apartment broken into twice in the two and a half years she has lived in Cokesbury. Both times it

Elina Moon Student Publications The new padlock system outside Cokesbury Court Apartments. The system requires residents to enter a code before entering through the gate.

was a non-resident who should not have been in Cokesbury, she said. The first time, a man walked into her apartment, saw her and left. She later identified the man in court. The second time, a

man broke into her apartment and stole cookies she had baked and her mail, Carter said. Though Carter was physically unharmed, she said that the experiences left her on edge at home.

“It very much made me feel uncomfortable, like my personal space had been invaded. It made me definitely more wary of surroundings and what was happening,” she said. Despite her break-ins, Carter said she remains confident that OCU and Cokesbury staffs are doing all they can to keep residents safe. “I think they do as much as they feasibly can, but there are always more things that could be done,” she said. Tarter, who campaigned for better security during last year’s SGA election, said there are more security updates coming. She said SGA has been working to install a license plate camera on one of the drive-in gates at Cokesbury. They have set aside

about $2,145 to pay for the camera when SGA and Richardson choose the most suitable one, Tarter said. “OCUPD is helping us with placement,” Tarter said. “Cokesbury seems to be always willing to hear us out about safety issues.” Tarter said change is a slow process, but this year there has been a bigger push for more security. If students witness anything suspicious or something that makes them feel unsafe, they can call campus police at 405-208-5001 or call their emergency number at 405-208-5911.

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opinion Talks of diversity, inclusion need real application in campus affairs “Diversity and inclusion” are two coinciding buzzwords that we hear on this campus and in our extracurriculars. But what do these words mean for our campus specifically? They are used frequently, but it’s important that the campus community doesn’t use them flippantly. If our goal is to turn these words into actions, then it’s important for us to know what those actions look like. Sometimes diversity and inclusion can be implemented in our lives in simple, yet important ways. For example, joining an organization that you wouldn’t typically join, attending multicultural events on campus just to educate yourself and, most importantly, going out of your way to make connections with people and faculty members that challenge your ideas and beliefs. Russ Tallchief, director of student diversity and inclusion, said diversity is already present at OCU, but the key is to draw

attention to it. “Diversity is inherent in our campus community,” Tallchief said. “I think that we oftentimes have to point to it so that people can be more aware and more conscious of it, and, I think, more respectful of it, and so the ways that we can point to those things are through programs.” Diversity and inclusion begin with peaceful, respectful conversations and interactions with people who make you consider things in a way you never have before. Does it mean you have to completely alter everything you’ve ever known or believed in? No, but you can at least develop a dialogue of understanding and diversify your overarching knowledge of the world around you. Tallchief said dialogues about diversity should also not be limited to just one differing aspect. “I feel like a lot of times, diversity and inclusion can be limited in scope in terms of what we consider that to be,” he said.

Talk Back “What do you like about the renovated Caf?”

“It could be limited to someone’s race or ethnicity, and that’s not really the scope of diversity and inclusion. It extends beyond that.” This year, OCU had one of its largest incoming freshman classes in recent history. The class of 2022 has rich diversity that returning students and transfers should get to know. Not only does this help encourage inclusion on campus, but it will help new students feel like they have a new home. Student Government Association and Black Student Association will host a “Culture of Cultures Potluck” at 6 p.m. Friday in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. Different multicultural groups on campus will bring a dish of their own cultural cuisine to the potluck. This is just one of the many ways that the student body can make the words “diversity and inclusion” truly mean something.

"The pictures— there's no soccer, though."

"It's so innovative. You feel like you're in the heart of OCU."

Logan Stewart exercise science senior

Teddy Edgar music theater/vocal performance junior

"More room for more people to sit together"

"I like requesting songs, but sometimes they're a little too quiet."

Hannah Boyens film and music senior

Daniel Etti-Williams acting senior

"I like Barrett Cahalen's photo."

"It's very bright. Makes it look very big."

Tyler Jones acting sophomore

Madison Bailey acting freshman

Mueller investigation advances in direction of president’s inner circle President Donald Trump is back to his Twitter games. His tweets follow weeks of interesting developments in the Mueller investigation. Michael D. Cohen, Trump’s one-time personal lawyer, and Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, were found guilty Aug. 21, according to The New York Times. Both sentences have yet to be decided. The Mueller investigation has snowballed into depositions, subpoenas and trials. Others like Michael Flynn, one of Trump’s foreign policy advisers, and Lt. Gen. George Papadopoulos already were convicted.

These names are significant in the Mueller investigation because both men have direct ties to the President. Cohen even admitted under oath that Trump gave him the order to pay porn star Stormy Daniels to keep silent about their affair as the president was worried it would cause issues with his campaign. While it’s a relief to know that these criminals are going to be behind bars, one issue remains—their former boss is president of the United States. This gives President Trump the full power to pardon both men, regardless of their pleas and convictions. If Trump were to pardon these men, it would

Harrison Langford is an acting junior from Las Vegas who loves golden retrievers and the New York Giants.

be a Nixon–esque power play that could insight riots and outrage from Americans. Americans have to keep a close eye on the Mueller investigation. While Trump claims it’s a witch hunt, it seems like Mueller may be onto something. Every day he gets closer to Trump’s desk with a subpoena or at least a meeting.

What’s so concerning about this investigation is its lifeline. The president could potentially end the investigation. His director of justice, Jeff Sessions, is within his limits to fire Mueller and stop the investigation of the criminals working for Trump in his personal life or on his campaign. What’s even more concerning about the investigation is the

president’s new lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani was the mayor of New York during 9/11, and he is known to have rallied the city and Americans together in the face of terror. His skills regarding criminal law, though, seem lacking. Not only does he say one thing and go back on his word constantly, but during a recent interview on CNBC, he told Meet the Press host Chuck Todd that “truth isn’t truth.” He went as far as to say that everyone has their own truth, and the president might remember things differently than how they happened, according to CNBC.com.

Giuliani may have a notable political career and may be highly respected, but is this how we want our president’s lawyers to respond to crisis—saying that the president has his own version of the truth? When it comes down to it, it’s clear that President Trump and his team of lawyers are getting nervous that Mueller is close. That doesn’t mean the president will be seeing Mueller this year, but it’s in the country’s near future. The president should stop questioning the validity of Mueller’s investigation and let justice take its natural course.

‘Slender Man’ mixes good, bad elements, turns out mediocre In an era where memes and internet not-so-inside jokes transcend culture in almost every imaginable way, they may as well slip into the horror realm as well. Born from an online Photoshop contest and the subsequent video series Marble Hornets, the faceless and thin-limbed “Slender Man” has come a long way since 2009. Evidence to this fact is the recently released Slender Man movie, which, with oceans of doubt from film critics and a whopping 8 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, I just had to see for myself. True to most Slender Man stories, the movie follows a

group of four high schoolers who, after watching online videos about how to summon the specter, find themselves under his influence and pursuit. “Katie” disappears first, and the other three are left with no hint of where she has gone, their only real lead being the disturbing online persona they unwittingly released the previous night. In many ways, this plot setup feels familiar, right? It feels repetitive, samey and boring. But, this, like every single element in Slender Man, is good or bad, depending on the moment. The plot setup feels like an homage to the horror films of

Chandler White is an English senior from Meeker, Oklahoma. He likes gothic horror and good hip-hop.

the ’80s, with rambunctious teens accidentally invoking monsters by playing what they thought was just a game. This can make the movie predictable, yes, but it also feels somewhat appropriate, seeing as Slender Man himself is somewhat symbolic of a mature force that imposes on innocent youth, much like “Freddy Krueger” or other

such villains of the 1980s. From the start, though, Slender Man fights an uphill battle because its title character’s name and lack-of-face are already familiar to the audience. Either you know who he is, or you’re probably not coming to this movie, and this jeopardizes the element of the unknown that makes or breaks a horror story. But,

the film seems to acknowledge and almost counteract this with neat cinematography effects that make any background shadow seem like it could be Slender Man, or a tree, or a streetlamp, or just the shadows of the characters themselves, similar to The Woman in Black. This keeps the suspense and unknown element high enough that the experience isn’t ruined if the viewer already knows about the title character. The scares are unpredictable and unsettling at times, and, at others, they’re formulaic jump scares. The cinematography is eerie and atmospheric at times, and, at others, it’s

too murky and dark to see anything. The teenaged dialogue sometimes succeeds in mimicking the 2017 It, and at other times it results in hilariously awkward and unrealistic moments. Slender Man’s true sin is not terrible filmmaking—it’s inconsistent filmmaking. Slender Man deser ves more than 8 percent, and viewers looking for a campy, old-style horror film will find some fun in this movie. But, with all of its sins, formulas and predictabilities, Slender Man will never break the bar of “mediocre” and ultimately brings nothing new to the table of horror cinema.

SUNDAY Tonal Eclipse auditions at 2 p.m. in Wimberly Recital Hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

Music Recital Meeting from 1-2 p.m. in Medium Rehearsal Hall in Wanda L. Bass Music 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.

THURSDAY Volleyball vs John Brown at 7:30 p.m. in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center Weekly chapel service from 1-2 p.m. in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel Weekly Play Club meeting from 7 p.m. to midnight in the Honors Lounge in Gold Star Memorial

Building FRIDAY Final day to register or add classes

Honors Friday Forum at noon in Honors Lounge in the Gold Star Memorial Building

Final day to drop classes without a transcript record (W)

Student Government Association and Black Student Association host The Culture of Cultures potluck from 6-8 p.m. in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center

Final day to select credit/no credit option

SATURDAY Womens soccer vs Our Lady of the

Final day to recieve 100 percent tuition adjustment

Lake at 1 p.m. at Stars Field Tonal Eclipse auditions at 2 p.m. in Wimberly Recital Hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center Men's soccer vs Our Lady of the Lake at 3 p.m. at Stars Field TheatreOCU presents Bad Shakespeare at 6:30 and 8 p.m. in Black Box Theatre in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

THE CAMPUS

MONDAY Labor Day—no classes TUESDAY Men's golf vs U.C. Ferguson Classic all day at Lincoln Park Golf Course, 4001 N.E. Grand Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73111

Honors Concerto Recital at 7:30 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center Women’s soccer vs Randall at 5 p.m. at Stars Field Men’s soccer vs Randall at 7 p.m. at Stars Field

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.

August 29, 2018, Volume 112, Number 2

The Student Publications staff welcomes unsolicited material and let-

Editor-in-chief: Nicole Waltman Associate Editor: Emily Wollenberg Copy Editor: Chandler White Photo Editor: Elina Moon Community Manager: Harrison Langford Ad/Marketing Director: Emily Jones

Staff Writers: Callie Dewees, Mallory Scheidel, Erik Hamilton, Lenora LaVictoire Columnist: Caroline Hawthorne Photographer: Carolann Stout, Hannah Rogers Videographer: Emily Haan Circulation Director: Kalen Castor

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.

August 29, 2018

lifestyles

Spending time with family Devaunjue Williams, religion junior, reads to his nephews, Andre and Anthony, who now reside in his care and moved into Cokesbury Court Apartments with him last year. Cou�tesy o� Kat Evans Photography

Cheerleader nominated for 'prestigious' athletic award Erik Hamilton

STAFF WRITER

An OCU cheerleader is a nominee for the Dr. Leroy Walker Champion of Character Award, one of the most prestigious awards in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Devaunjue Williams, religion junior, is the only member of the OCU student body nominated for the award. The award was named after a former NAIA president. Only students who are juniors or older can be nominated. The prize for winning the award is $1,000, a plaque and recognition at an annual function in conjunction with the NAIA National Convention. The characteristics judged are academic success, ambition and initiative. The last OCU student to be nominated for the award was cross-country runner Kaitlin Pontikes in 2015. Williams is the caretaker of Andre and Anthony, his 10-year-old nephews. The boys moved into his apartment in Cokesbury Court on March 1 and still reside there. “We come from a family that has some history,” Williams said. “So, right now, my goal is kind of trying to rewrite some of our history and help future generations thrive.” Cheer Coach Alicia Bailey said, while Williams has cared for these boys for months, the initial transition to caretaker was quite sudden. “Jay, last year, kind of got an idea that he was going to take

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his nephews in,” Bailey said. “Started preparing for it, kind of knew he was going to have to move apartments and things like that, but about a week and a half before nationals, he got a call from DHS saying, ‘We’re dropping the kids off tonight. Like, eight o’clock tonight.’ And he wasn’t expecting to get them until after school was out.” Bailey said Williams thought he would have to quit the team, but she made compromises with him so that he could stay on. Williams said Andre and Anthony love seeing him perform, and they were happy to hear that he is still a member of the cheer team. He said they attend his competitions and practices, and they also love to spend time around campus and experience college life. In doing so, they have made quite a few friends out of OCU students, Williams said. “They definitely consider themselves famous,” he said. “Everyone on campus pretty much knows them, so it’s pretty cool. They feel like celebrities. That’s what they call themselves all the time. Now they’re just waiting on their big break. Hopefully they can meet Ellen. I would love to meet Ellen, so that’s our next goal.” Bethany Stanley, religious education junior, is a friend of Williams and the boys. “Jay is probably one of the most dedicated and strongest people I know,” Stanley said. “I’m 20, so I can’t imagine being 21 and all of a sudden having two 9-year-olds.” Williams said Anthony and Andre have substantially ben-

efitted him. He said a good example of this occurred when he drove around the city with his nephews and they passed a car broken down in the middle of an intersection. Williams didn’t give much thought to it, he said, but then he went back, pushed the car out of the intersection, bought the low-income family gas, and conversed with them. “Because the boys asked me to do it. We talk about loving and accepting everyone and that plays a big role in their lives,” Williams said. “We helped these people, and it probably wouldn’t have happened if the boys weren’t in the car with me.” Williams said he is honored to be the only member of the Sooner Athletic Conference of the NAIA nominated for the Dr. Leroy Walker Champion of Character Award. Dr. Leroy Walker was the first African-American president of the U.S. Olympic Committee, and Williams said he is grateful to be associated with a man so prominent in the African-American community. The winner of the Dr. Leroy Walker Champion of Character Award winner will be announced in December. “I’ve shared his story with everyone at our staff meeting,” Bailey said. “I nominated him for our Jim Wade Award last year. And then the athletic department wanted to take it and nominate him further. He truly has a great character.”

Director of campus housekeeping retires after 44 years of service Chandler White

COPY EDITOR

One of OCU’s longestworking employees retired this summer. Ruth Sutter, former director of housekeeping, retired after 44 years working at OCU. Sutter worked with the housekeeping staff to keep all campus buildings clean, provide setups for events and manage oncampus recycling. Sutter said she enjoyed interacting with students and faculty, as well as watching the campus grow and change over time. “When I first started working there, the only athletics we had were men’s basketball and tennis,” she said. “I’ve just watched the campus grow and grow, the buildings and everything. It’s just been an amazing 44 years to watch it.” Sutter officially retired July 31, and her position was filled by Nahum Villalovos, who will manage the same crew that Sutter had. But Sutter said she’ll continue to help the housekeeping staff when she can. Sutter also said a big reason for her retirement was to take care of her mother in Arkansas. “I wanted to retire while I could still enjoy life and be able to go to Arkansas and see my mom. She’s in hospice care, so I want to be available for her if she needs me,” she said. “It was just time. It wasn’t an easy decision, but we all have to retire at some point.” Sutter started working at OCU in 1974, and she has the second-longest record for time spent working at August 29, 2018

ORDER YOUR FAVORITE

You have to like people. You have to engage with the students, and you’ll know right away if that’s the place for you.

Ruth Sutter

housekeeping former director

the university, behind Florence Birdwell, music professor. Sutter spent her first 10 years working for OCU itself, then switched to ABM Engineering, an outside contractor for the university, for 25 years. After this, she came back to OCU for two years and helped develop SchoolDude, a program students use to schedule organization events or request maintenance on their rooms. Sutter switched employment in 2009 from OCU to WFF Services, OCU’s current contractor, so she could manage the contracts. WFF Services is based in St. Louis but manages other Oklahoman colleges like Oklahoma City Community College, Oklahoma Christian University in Oklahoma City, Rose State College in Midwest City, the University of Tulsa; and University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. Despite this, Sutter said she always felt like a part of OCU rather than someone working outside of it. “It’s kind of like a family up there,” she said. “Even though we were an outside contractor, we were treated as part of OCU.” Sutter said she has a variety of memories from the university, including her wedding in 1978 in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel, planting a tree on the north side of Gold Star

Memorial Building as a favor for former first lady Bre n d a Mc Da n i e l , a n d her experiences with Abe Lemons, former head basketball coach from 1955–73 and namesake of the Abe Lemons Arena. “When I was expecting my daughter, Abe Lemons would tell the basketball players when I would walk through, ‘there goes Ruth, taking another basketball,’” she said. Lindsay Steinberg, acting senior and Cokesbury resident assistant, said housekeeping does an impressive job at maintaining campus cleanliness. “I think they do a really nice job of cleaning the rooms,” Steinberg said. “Especially my freshman year, when I moved in, I was shook at how nice the apartment looked. I was in Methodist, but I was like, ‘this is a freshman apartment? What? This is insane.’” Sutter said the most important part of her job at the university is being able to enjoy the people there. “You have to like people,” she said. “You have to engage with the students, and you’ll know right away if that’s the place for you.”

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a&e Guitar Institute scholarship honors deceased music student Jessica Vanek

STAFF WRITER

The Celedonio Romero Guitar Institute is offering a new scholarship named after a former student who passed away last semester. The institute began in 2008 at the Quartz Mountain music festival and moved to OCU in the summer of 2013. Thirty-six students are accepted every year to participate in private lessons, master classes and chamber coaching. The students also deliver two solo concerts and one concert with the Romeros, a famous guitar quartet started by Celedonio Romero in 1960. The institute, taking place every summer for nine days on campus, recently awarded a scholarship in honor of Vinnie Franco, former pre-med and guitar performance freshman. Franco, originally from Brazil, lived with a host family in Norman, Oklahoma, from his sophomore year of high school until his death last semester. His host family, the Foshees, started a scholarship this summer. Qualifiers must be international students wanting to attend the Celedonio Romero Guitar institute, but they do not have to be students at OCU. The scholarship covers the event, food and housing, which totals to about $1,700. The inaugural scholarship was awarded to Gustavo Samor, music education senior at University of Arkansas. Samor is originally from Panama, which qualified him for the funding.

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Submitted

Vinnie Franco, former guitar student, plays with Pepe Romero at the Celedonio Romero Guitar Institute in 2017 in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel.

The Foshee family intends to maintain the scholarship annually and award it to students like Franco and Samor. Matt Denman, former director of education at the Guitar Foundation of America, taught Franco during his time at OCU. “I think, for Vinnie, [the institute] was pretty transformative,” Denman said. “Vinnie’s eyes lit up when he was able to play with Pepe Romero. He was part of their family.” Jackson Roberg, guitar performance sophomore, attended the institute with Franco for two years. “Vinnie’s heart was filled with love for music and the guitar,” Roberg said. “This scholarship gives its recipients the opportunity to experience Vinnie’s love of music and the Romeros. I think it is a beautiful dedication to his spirit.” Tomi Vetter, piano performance sophomore, said the scholarship is a great way to honor Vinnie. “As a close friend of Vinnie’s, the scholarship is more than wonderful, and I can definitely say on the behalf of everyone who knew Vinnie that it is very touching and endearing.” The specific dates for the 2019 program have not been set, but it will take place for nine days in June or July. For more information, visit romeroinstitute.wixsite.com/romero.

Samor met Franco in 2017 at the Celedonio Romero Guitar Institute. He made a connection with the Romeros and returned for the 2018 event. “When I met with them, they opened their arms to me,” Samor said. “That was really beautiful.”

Music theater student creates club to improve audition skills Caroline Hawthorne

STAFF WRITER

Student performers will now have the chance to practice auditioning with a new student organization. Caroline Allen, music theater junior, is starting an industry club designed to help performance majors prepare for auditions. Dr. Jake Johnson, assistant professor of musicology, will be the faculty supervisor. Allen came up with the idea

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for the club because of a gap she saw in her training. “It was actually inspired by my own personal lack of confidence and professionalism in auditions,” Allen said. “We have a few big auditions, but it’s not enough.” During the fall semester, vocal students audition three times for a panel of directors: for musical theater shows and for the fall and spring operas. Johnson said although there are plenty of performance opportunities on campus, students still are only auditioning

This offers the students a variety of different accompanists, as well as practice for the coaches.

Caroline Allen music theater junior

for faculty. “They get a lot of opportunities to audition, but have to audition for the same people,” Johnson said. “This is to give

them the opportunity to work with a variety of pianists, as well as experience a new decorum.” Students will be able to sign up for 10-15 minute slots

where they can work on musical audition material. They will slate their piece, perform their cut and receive constructive feedback from students. They will also get the chance to rerun their piece. Allen said she hopes to bring in a variety of accompanists, as well as potentially bring in voice faculty. “I want to reach out to different pianists, including coaching faculty and students,” she said. “This offers the students a variety of different accompanists, as well as practice for the

coaches.” Any performance major can attend the club. There is no official meeting time, but Allen plans to send out a survey to see when people would be available. “We all have confidence issues when it comes to these things,” Johnson said. “The only way to fix it is to practice.” Students may email Allen at callen2@my.okcu.edu if they have questions.

Summer studio art course inspires student's new exhibit Mallory Scheidel

STAFF WRITER

A new student exhibit at the Norick Arts Center combines superheroes and Japanese tradition. XinChen (Jack) Cai, studio art junior, is the artist behind the exhibit. His paintings are displayed in the building with the works of other student artists. Cai’s focus is mainly on the art of painting. “I can create different kinds of paintings, such as oil paintings, watercolors, printmaking, and sketches,” he said. The exhibit combines popular and traditional influences from America and Japan. “I’ve always wanted to combine Japanese culture with other things that inspire my art,” he said. Cai said he achieved this combination by painting characters from the Batman comic book series with Japanese flowers, warriors and clothing. “I normally work in oils

I’ve always wanted to combine Japanese culture with other things that inspire my art.

XinChen Cai studio art junior

but decided to explore acrylic paint for this series,” Cai said. “I feel I achieved the results I was seeking.” Kyla Brugel, film production/studio art senior, went to the exhibit Aug. 20. “The exhibit is displayed in a hallway near the studio,” Brugel said. “It is in a good location for students to see as they go to class, and the bright colors of the works caught my eye.” Brugel said Cai’s colorful artwork definitely stuck in her memory. “I am a huge comic book fan, so I love that someone can create such a beautiful tribute by blending the art styles of dif-

ferent cultures,” she said. “It is clearly recognizable as comic book characters, but the style is unique from comic book art I’ve seen.” The series was part of a summer independent art studio course that Cai took under the guidance of Danny Rose, the visiting artist for Petree College of Arts and Sciences. Rose said Cai is still making small changes to his paintings, and the title of the collection needs to be added, but the exhibit is otherwise ready. The exhibit will be featured all semester. Cai said the course gives students a lot of artistic freedom. “First of all, this course

requires you to determine a theme, then you need to decide how you create—I chose to paint with acrylic paint— and finally discuss your work with the professor,” Cai said. “After the revision of some small problems, I finished the course.” Cai said the class has potential to change the way students think about art. “I think this course can stimulate students’ interest in art,” Cai said. “I feel that my thinking in painting has changed, and I think more about the work itself.” Cai said he hopes to become an art teacher in the future or work in a gallery. Norick Art Center’s next exhibition is called “Take a Seat,” and is a collection of feminist art. Take a Seat will be on display from Sept. 6 to Oct. 3, with the opening reception at 6 p.m. on Sept. 14 in Norick Art Center.

Elina Moon Student Publications XinChen Cai, studio art junior, created an exhibit that includes paintings of characters from the Batman comic book series like “Harley Quinn,” as well as “Poison Ivy,” “Catwoman” and “Bane” with traditional Japanese artistic elements. The paintings will be on display all semester in Norick Art Center.

Campus acapella group rebrands, plans for championships Callie Dewees

STAFF WRITER

An on-campus acapella group got new leadership and a new name. OCUpella restructured and rebranded, changing their name from OCUpella to “Tonal Eclipse.” Until last year, most of the events the group performed at were on campus. Jeffrey Laughrun, music theater senior and music director of Tonal Eclipse, and Joshua Kelley, music theater junior and managing director, said they plan for the group to have more paid gigs this year as well as participate in competitions. “People at other gigs and even here had trouble pronouncing the name OCUpella,” Laughrun said. “Also, we’re looking at going competitive this year. We just wanted to get a little more organized. We were pretty loosely organized last semester, and we wanted to make it more of a priority for the people in the group to be in the group.” The group previously had 15 members. Laughrun said that was a problem because they were too large to participate in competitions as a small ensemble and too small to participate as a large ensemble. This year Tonal Eclipse will have 13 members, three for each voice part and a beatboxer. “We will be submitting a video audition to the International August 29, 2018

Elina Moon Student Publications

Jeffrey Laughrun, music theater senior and music director of Tonal Eclipse, performs a solo with OCUpella on Feb. 28 at a sorority philanthropy event.

Collegiate Championships of Acapella,” Kelley said. “If we got accepted to that, which it’s a pretty good chance that we would, we would be going to the central regional championships to hopefully compete to go to quarterfinals.”

The group performed off campus last year at local events such as Comic Con and Live! On the Plaza. Kelley said they hope to have more bookings off campus and bring in more money than they have previously. “We do want to be working really quickly this year,” Kelley said. “Getting songs down week after week, building a good set and finding the songs that work best for us and making those competition worthy, adding choreography and adding lots of texture and dynamic.” Other than Kelley and Laughrun, all 11 spots for Tonal Eclipse are open. Auditions will be 2-4 p.m. Sept. 1 and 2 in Wimberly Hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center and are open to students of any major. “You need to prepare a 30 to 60 second cut of a song that makes your voice sound great,” Laughrun said. “You’ve got to sing it at us acapella. There will also be a little bit of sight reading just to get some information on that, and we’ll have a selection from an acapella arrangement that everyone will learn, and we can figure out things with blend and balance.” For more information, students may contact Laughrun at jdlaughrun@my.okcu.edu or Kelley at jnkelley@my.okcu.edu.