Sep. 11

THE“CAMPUS September 11, 2019 – Volume 113 Issue 3

Campus police officer accused of racial profiling Staff members file grievance against lieutenant for 'racial profiling, harassment' Emily Wollenberg

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A faculty member has submitted a grievance of racial profiling and harassment against an OCU police officer.

Anthony Edwards, Dulaney-Browne Library circulation technician, has worked at OCU since 2014. On July 10, 2019, Edwards said he had just arrived to work at the library around 1 p.m. when he was approached by Michael Kavenius, campus police lieutenant, who asked to speak with him privately. Kavenius then accused Edwards of spreading false information about him, Edwards said.

Kavenius’s accusation related to a post that had been circulating in the OCU Facebook group in June. Students began sharing a 2010 article in the group about Kavenius, detailing his firing by the Glenrock, Wyoming Town Council after he tasered a 76-year-old man who was driving a tractor during a parade and disobeyed a traffic command.

Students expressed outrage that an officer who committed this act against an elderly man is now a lieutenant for campus police.

The posts were taken down by administrators.

Kavenius did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Kavenius began working at OCU in 2011 and left when Former Police Chief Jennifer Rodgers joined campus police in 2018. After Rodgers was terminated in 2019, Kavenius returned to campus police.

Edwards said when Kavenius approached him, he asked to speak privately with him.

“He said, ‘someone’s been spreading rumors about me and I heard it was you,’” Edwards said.

Edwards said he told Kavenius he had heard of the posts circulating but he didn’t know where it had started.

“Then he makes this implied threat, saying, ‘well, you’ll be hearing from Shauntae’ or Joey in HR,’” Edwards said.

After leaving the library, Kavenius returned with Police Chief Rusty Pyle and began talking to Edwards and another library employee, Edwards said. He said both men continued discussing who was involved in spreading rumors about Kavenius.

“Kavenius looks me right in the face and says, ‘I think it might be someone with Black Lives Matter or an alumni might have,’” Edwards said.

Edwards said he identifies as Black and Native American.

“That comment was aimed directly at me,” Edwards said.

After the encounter, Edwards said he coauthored an email explaining the situation to Joey Croslin, vice president for human resources, and Shauntae’ Moham, employee relations manager, with another library employee who witnessed the situation and wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation.

Moham responded to the email and said she would communicate the information to Croslin, but several days later, Croslin still had not responded to them.

The library employee who wished to remain anonymous said they were frustrated by the lack of communication with HR, considering the seriousness of the issue.

“I was threatened and harassed by a police officer at my work,” they said. “If that’s not a serious issue, I don’t know what is.”

Edwards said they filed a grievance against Kavenius on July 19.

They also filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency that administers and enforces civil rights laws against workplace discrimination.

The allegations in the grievance included the following: Kavenius abusing his power as a police officer by initiating an investigation without the knowledge of human resources, Kavenius engaging in harassing behavior toward library employees, Kavenius racially profiling Edwards because of the Black Lives Matter comment, and Kavenius exhibiting racist viewpoints on social media.

After doing research on Kavenius, Edwards said he found things

No, this isn’t over, and it’s going to grow until you do something about it.

Anthony Edwards circulation technician Dulaney-Browne Library

Kavenius had tweeted or liked that implied racism and victimblaming in cases of sexual assault. Edwards took screenshots of the tweets he found most concerning.

In 2018, John Legend tweeted, “Please stop calling the police on black people who are just trying to live. Please. Stop. Police shoot us for no f---ing reason at all.”

Kavenius, whose twitter handle was @CasperRio, replied to the tweet saying, “Stop feeding your bulls---.”

In 2013, Kavenius tweeted, “It is not criminal to be for or against a particular group of people. It is our God given right as Americans to make our own decisions.”

In Oct. 2018 during the Brett Kavanaugh trials, Kavenius liked several tweets that accused Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, a woman who claimed she was a victim of sexual assault by Kavanaugh, of speaking out as part of a smear campaign.

“This concerns me, because number one, what is he going to do if, god forbid, there’s a sexual assault on campus, if he doesn’t agree with their viewpoint?” Edwards said. “Is he going to deny that there was an assault?”

Kavenius has since deleted his Twitter account.

“He’s allowed to have his own opinions, but you don’t bring them into the workplace, especially when you’re a cop,” Edwards said.

Edwards said after not hearing anything about the grievance for a month, he contacted Casey Ross, university general counsel.

He met Ross and President Martha Burger on Aug. 29 to discuss the grievance.

“Casey said her investigation said there’s no policy or law violation that she sees, but there are very serious HR issues that are going to have to be looked into by President Burger,” he said.

Edwards said he did not think the investigation was conducted fairly.

“It took so long for the investigation to begin,” he said. “We were 12 days out from the incident from the time the investigation began.”

Officials are trying to sweep the grievance under the rug, he said.

“No, this isn’t over, and it’s going to grow until you do something about it,” he said.

The EEOC will investigate, regardless of whether the university acts, Edwards said.

“If the EEOC does find that there was discrimination or a likelihood, the university is going to get sued,” he said. “They’re going to get sued either way. It’s just going to be a matter of time.”

After the meeting, Edwards said he is losing faith in university officials’ ability to protect their students, faculty and staff.

“It is very clear to me that either President Burger’s and Casey’s moral compasses are defective, or they’re completely broken,” he said.

Destini Carrington, psychology senior and president of the Black Student Association, said she hasn’t personally had any issues with campus police, but the students of BSA have to be conscious of tensions with campus police after a 2017 incident in which Broderick McQuarters, a student involved in BSA accused campus police of racial profiling.

“How can we trust someone who in a tweet says, ‘we can choose to hate who we want to,’” Carrington said. “If we have an issue on

campus, who can we call? At this point, it’s someone who is supposed to be the leader for their team not upholding an unbiased position.”

Officials have a responsibility to protect minority students, Carrington said.

“That’s something that members of our campus get paid to do,” she said. “It’s their responsibility to have a safe space for us on campus.

Carrington said she is frustrated by officials removing posts from the OCU Facebook group.

“Blinding us from the issues is not a form of protection,” she said.

Edwards said he will continue to speak out about the issues on campus.

“I know they want me to shut up and not say anything, but I’m well within my rights,” Edwards said. “They were trying to intimidate people into not using their First Amendment rights.”

Edwards said he contacted the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for help.

Garland Pruitt, president of the NAACP Oklahoma City branch, said he has opened an investigation into the situation.

A few months is too long to not address the issue, Pruitt said.

“Look at what the complaints are and let the police department know that this cannot be tolerated,” he said. “This is overdue.”

If university officials don't bring disciplinary action against Kavenius, NAACP officials will take action, he said.

“They have fallen short, and we are going to confront them. he said. “We will have to take it to the media, and the state and then to the national office.”

NAACP officials will be working with impacted minority communities on campus to help situations like Edwards’s be brought to light, said Sara Bana, Oklahoma civil rights advocate who has worked with the NAACP on several investigations.

“If Title IX and HR are incapable of dealing with survivors in an ethical way, we need to set up a way through another avenue for those complaints that have more of a foundation of trust,” she said.

Bana said students can contact her at sara@sarabana.com if they need to file a complaint about any issue.

“We need to demand for accountability, equity and equality.”

Leslie Berger, senior director of university communications, released a statement to Student Publications which stated the following: “Matters involving individual employees are personnel issues, which cannot be discussed. Oklahoma City University has high professional standards for all employees, including our police officers, and prohibits discrimination of any kind. Our police department is focused on giving OCU students and employees a safe place to live, work, and learn. The university has a continual police training program in place. Every officer completes more than 25 hours of training through the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) each year. The OCU Police Department is committed to providing the highest level of service to the OCU community.”

Levi Harrel, dean of students, has planned a mandatory diversity workshop for all Greek Life students before Fall Break. The workshop will be open to the campus community.

Harrel said the workshop is not a direct result of any allegations of discrimination, but part of furthering diversity and inclusion at OCU. “We are not dismissive of situations that perhaps were discriminatory to anyone, but this is part of the continued education of the campus community,” he said.

Croslin and Moham were unavailable for comment.

Soccer coach Brian Harvey celebrates 800th win at OCU Jessica Vanek

COMMUNITY MANAGER

Oklahoma City University’s first and only head soccer coach has earned his 800th win.

Brian Harvey, head men’s and women’s soccer coach, started coaching at OCU in 1986 when he started the university’s first male soccer team. He started the women’s team in 1994.

Harvey’s 800th win came in an away game on Aug. 31 with the women’s soccer team. The Stars played against Houston Victoria and won 3-0. They beat Randall University at the Sept. 5 game, giving Harvey his 802nd win.

In an interview with OCUsports, Harvey said after coaching professionally, he wanted to coach at a university.

“It was about shaping people’s lives at a time where they needed it most,” he said. “I felt like a discipline like soccer could help that, and that was one of the main times I felt this could be a very good niche for me.”

Harvey said he has made great memories and connections with students and coaches throughout the years.

“You’ve got to love it, and it’s something that I’ve always enjoyed doing,” he said. “It became a second home to me.”

Abigail Banks, political science/philosophy/economics sophomore, said her attendance at OCU was partly because of the soccer program’s history.

“I’ve always had an interest in OCU, but after finding out about the legacy that the soccer team has and the legacy that Harvey has, I reached out to the team,” Banks said.

Banks said the team entered the game knowing it could be

M MEDIAOCU.com

Clara Foster Student Publications

Top: Stars Field, the OCU soccer field, was renamed "Brian Harvey Field," commemorating Harvey's 34 years of coaching with the OCU soccer teams.

Harvey celebrated his 800th win after the Aug. 31 game against Houston Victoria.

Harvey’s 800th win.

“I think that gave us more motivation to put goals into the back of the net,” she said. “At the end of the day we took a picture. He doesn’t like to celebrate things like that, but the whole team was excited and so was the other team.”

Jessica Titsworth, marketing senior, said the team went to the San Antonio River Walk the following day for a small celebration.

In addition to earning his 800th win, Harvey has collected a number of other merits. Harvey is in the NAIA Hall of Fame, Oklahoma Soccer Association Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma City University Athletics Hall of Fame. Harvey has also been conference coach of the year 16 times.

The university renamed the campus soccer field after Harvey on Aug. 24. The ceremony honored Harvey’s achievements as a coach.

Titsworth said she appreciates Harvey’s approach to coaching.

“He just is the type of coach who tells you what to fix and teaches

you through constructive criticism,” Titsworth said. “With him, it’s more positive.”

Titsworth says Harvey has impacted her life in more ways than one.

“He’s taught me so much. I’ve grown not only as a player but as a person,” she said. “I thank him for helping me grow and teaching me and coaching me.”

Banks said she admires Harvey’s concern with his players.

“My biggest thing about Coach Harvey is that he’s more than a soccer coach,” she said. “He consistently asks us how we are doing and about life in general. He doesn’t just care about our performance on the field, but who we are as people.”

Madi Caputo, marketing sophomore, scored two goals at the game that got Harvey his 800th win.

Caputo said Harvey is inspiring.

“He has a lot of wisdom and knowledge that he’s gathered over the years,” she said. “He’s great at motivating and keeping us together.”

Caputo said Harvey will be retiring from his position at OCU after 34 years of coaching.

Banks said she has a message for Harvey.

“Thank you for this opportunity to be able to come to this amazing university and play for an amazing coach,” she said.

Caputo said she thanks Harvey for everything.

“Thank you for all of your hard work and how much effort and time you put into this,” she said.

Harvey was unavailable for comment.

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opinion University administrators must ensure students of color feel safe, included In the past two years, campus police have been met with two accusations of racially profiling a student or staff member. In 2017, Broderick McQuarters, flute performance senior, accused campus police of racially profiling him when they entered his room in the middle of the night and accused him of being involved with breaking a Methodist Hall parking garage fence motion sensor.

The suspect mentioned in the police report was described as an African American male, but other than skin color, he did not match McQuarters’s appearance. McQuarters said his hair was longer, and he was heavier than the person the police described to him.

See mediaocu.com for more on the incident.

Campus police officers made the choice to invade McQuarters’s room in the middle of the night without sufficient evidence to support he was the

suspect. This type of behavior can have an influential impact on students’ relationships with campus police. They may feel as if they will always be branded as suspicious because of their skin color. These actions can make students feel isolated and discriminated against. University officials preach diversity and inclusion, yet people of color continue to have negative experiences on campus.

Anthony Edwards, DulaneyBrowne Library circulation technician, filed a grievance against Lieutenant Michael Kavenius for racial profiling and harassment after he said Kavenius made a comment about Black Lives Matter and directed it at Edwards.

See page 1 for more about the grievance.

While these types of comments may seem insignificant to the speaker, they can make people of color feel attacked.

Having a diverse and cel-

Talk Back “What clubs and organizations are you involved with?”

ebrated university population is important for many reasons.

People of color often do not have the same educational opportunities as other students. It is important for non-marginalized students to learn from and experience other cultures. If diversity and inclusion really is woven into the fabric of OCU, university officials need to practice what they preach and make students of all cultures feel included and celebrated. Officials also need to ensure that all employees go through diversity training and understand the impact their actions can have on the campus community. Many students of color are beginning to lose trust in their university leadership.

Officials must take action to guarantee all students feel welcome in the OCU community.

"Cheer."

"Lambda Chi Alpha and the Native American Society."

Delaney Schneider marketing freshman

Brady Tener education sophomore

"I'm planning on joining the ethics team, the investment club, and Student Activities Council."

"Phi Mu and I'm thinking about joining Tri Beta."

Tori Permann economics/stage management freshman

Cici Higgs music/premed sophomore

"I’m involved with Tonal Eclipse, Student Activities Council and Kappa Sigma.”

"Alpha Chi Omega and I plan on joining Students of Arts Management"

Rishi Malhotra music education sophomore

Bridget Alcox dance freshman

Columnist discusses Taylor Swift's new album, artists as political advocates I find it of the utmost importance for a writer to be transparent with their audience. It is for this reason I must make a confession: I have not always liked Taylor Swift.

Let me defend myself by prefacing that I have never disliked the artist; however, I am guilty of indifference. How did I manage to avoid one of the most famous women in pop culture for the past 13 years, you may ask? The answer, my friends, comes very swiftly.

This being said, Swift’s newest album has turned me into a “lover” of her music.

Swift’s seventh album, Lover, became 2019’s topselling album in the U.S. a mere two days after its release on Aug. 2. The last artist to sell a million album copies in

the first week of sales was Swift herself in 2017 with Reputation. Breaking her own record, Lover has sold more than three million copies internationally in its first week, becoming the number one song in over ten countries.

Lover is everything you could want in an album. From angsty pop to doo-wop inspired folk tunes, there truly is something for everyone. Originally a country singer, Taylor Swift gradually transitioned into a pop artist before our eyes. Her music soon became less influenced by her Nashville musical roots. It wasn’t until her fifth album, 1989, that she shook it off and never looked back.

Along with her music, she has also blossomed into an advocate for equality. Swift has

Francesca Iacovacci is a music theater junior from Clearwater, Florida. She loves zoodles, Jeopardy! and a good poop joke.

not always been outspoken on controversial, political subjects and has been heavily criticized for this in the past.

Nowadays, we expect celebrities in the entertainment industry to also be political advocates. Given such a large platform, they have the opportunity to influence many people who look up to them to get politically involved.

This concept reminded me of lyrics from Propellerheads’ “History Repeating,” featuring

Shirley Bassey.

“Some people don’t dance if they don’t know who’s singing. / Why ask your head, it’s your hips that are swinging.”

While I fully support advocacy through the arts, is it right to require artists to take on this second, full-time job? Can we only enjoy music by artists who are politically active in the media?

I think it’s worth consideration, but it’s not something we have to worry about in Swift’s

new album where she directly tackles subjects of homophobia and sexism.

Released during Pride Month on June 14, “You Need to Calm Down” directly speaks to those who attack the LGBTQ+ community. In fact, on Aug. 26, the artist won “Best Video of the Year” at the Video Music Awards for the aforementioned hit single and used her acceptance speech as an opportunity to urge fans to sign a petition for the Equality Act. The lively song can also be viewed as Taylor’s response to the media’s harsh perspective of her. Swift is no stranger to sexist judgement; nobody blinks an eye when male musicians write songs about their past relationships. Any woman who has had to work twice as hard to

earn the same respect as her male counterparts will love the powerful feminist anthem that is “The Man.” In my opinion, the most important lyrics of the album are not sung, but are spoken at the end of the final track, “Daylight.” Voiced over the underscore of the outro, Taylor says “I wanna be defined by the things I love. Not the things I hate. […] I just think you are what you love.”

I think this quote perfectly captures the message of the album. It is imminent that life will have hardships, but our perspectives can influence how they affect us and how we choose to view the world.

Lover is an account of Swift’s journey to search for the good in people and to “see daylight.”

New columnist reviews Vietnamese pho restaurant, brands 'hidden gem' This week, I had a relative visiting from out of town, and he asked if we could meet for lunch. Luckily, this provided me the perfect opportunity to try out a restaurant that had been catching attention for quite some time, Pho Lien Hoa. This Vietnamese restaurant is located on 23rd street, extremely close to OCU. And yet, I have to admit that if I hadn't done my research online, then I would've never noticed this place. It’s located in a nondescript building at the corner of a shopping center without any fancy signage or decorations.

I first took notice of the restaurant while searching for new restaurants near OCU, and this one stood out to me because it had a 4.5 star rating and

over 1,100 reviews on Google Review. After asking around, I learned that some of my friends frequented the restaurant and loved it, so I knew I had to check it out.

To my suprise, the simple building was absolutely packed for lunch. Despite this, my relative and I were seated pretty quickly and promptly given menus. The menu featured a variety of Vietnamese soup, noodles and rice dishes with various cuts of meat. At first glance, I was disappointed to see virtually no vegetarian items.

However, after speaking to the waitress I discovered that they are pretty accommodating and are willing to make many dishes with tofu instead of meat upon request.

I ended up ordering a tofu

Hope Melton is a political science senior from Edmond, Oklahoma. She likes basketball, 70s music, and Marvel movies.

noodle bowl and a Vietnamese limeade. The prices seemed very reasonable and all of their dishes were around $7 to $11 for pretty sizable portions.

I will warn potential diners that the restaurant features some foods that just aren’t typically consumed in a western diet, such as tripe (cow's stomach lining). If you or your dining companions tend to be a bit cautious when it comes to trying new foods, then I recommend the noodle bowls. They feature

many ingredients that most Oklahomans are familiar with, even if you’ve never eaten Vietnamese food before (and I’ve been told that the lemongrass chicken in the chicken noodle bowls is absolutely phenomenal). Otherwise, if you have experience with Vietnamese food or you're just an adventurous eater, then I would suggest trying their pho seeing as how highly rated it is in other reviews.

As for the taste, I know this may be a controversial opinion,

but, honestly, I liked Pho Lien Hoa’s limeade better than Sonic’s limeade. Part of that may have to do with the fact that I prefer sweeter limeades, and this one was definitely on the sweeter side. But the fresh lime and mint in the drink stopped the sugar from being overpowering and kept it flavorful and refreshing.

The noodle bowl was much, much bigger than I anticipated, and it came with noodles, fried tofu, cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, bean sprouts, and chopped peanuts.

The bowl by itself was good; however, when I started experimenting with the sauces and seasonings that were left on every table, the flavor went to the next level. I’m still not sure what type of sauce it is, but there is a very sweet, dark brown sauce

that comes in a bottle, and I highly recommend adding it to whatever you order.

The only real negative aspect of my meal came at the end. I went up to the counter to pay and was informed that they only accept cash. They have an ATM right next to the counter, and, fortunately, I had cash on me. Still, I can see this being a very big inconvenience for many potential customers.

Overall, I consider Pho Lien Hoa an absolute hidden gem and I can see why they have so many positive reviews. I highly recommend this restaurant for anybody that’s looking to eat adventurously and venture beyond the restaurants that are typically recommended.

Just remember to bring plenty of cash!

SATURDAY Volleyball vs. Mid-America Christian at 1 p.m. in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center

Harvey Field TUESDAY Women's Soccer vs. Bethany at 5 p.m. at Brian Harvey Field

Men's Soccer vs. Texas A&M Texarkana at 3 p.m. at Brian

Men's Soccer vs. Bethany at 7 p.m. at Brian Harvey Field

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

TODAY University Counseling Open House from 5-6 p.m. at University Counseling in Walker Hall

THURSDAY Weekly chapel service from 1-2 p.m. in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel

Men's Soccer vs. Friends Univeristy at 7 p.m. at Brian Harvey Field

OCU Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble Season Opener at 7:30 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall

in Wanda L. Bass School of Music Weekly Play Club meeting at 7 p.m. in the Honors Lounge in Gold Star Memorial Building Metropolitan Library Card Signup from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Tom

and Brenda McDaniel University Center FRIDAY Volleyball vs. USAO at 7 p.m. in Abe Lemons Arena 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 Sept. 11, 2019, Volume 113, Issue 3

Editor-in-chief: Emily Wollenberg Copy Editor: Paul Dower Photo Editor: Clara Foster Community Manager: Jessica Vanek Web Editor: Luke Barrett Ad Director: Maddie Bowes Graphic Designer: Melissa

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Campbell Staff Writers: MaKayla Baxter, Ava Cruchon, Maria DeLoera, Erik Hamilton, Francesca Iacovacci, Hope Melton, Shelby O'Brien, Hannah Prentice Columnists: Paul Dower, Francesca Iacovacci, Hope Melton Photographers: Clara Foster,

The Student Publications staff welcomes unsolicited material and let-

Hannah Campbell, Kai Dunn, Katie Gibbs, Hope Melton Faculty Adviser: Ben Felder

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.

The first issue of The Campus is free. Each additional issue costs 25 cents. Contents copyright, 2019. All rights reserved.

September 11, 2019

A&E

Playbill recognizes OCU alumni Shelby O’Brien

STAFF WRITER

Playbill recognized OCU for being well represented by alumni on Broadway for the second year in a row.

Playbill is a company that publishes articles about what’s going on in the Broadway world. An article was published Aug. 26 ranking OCU tenth for the most represented colleges currently on Broadway, tied with the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Dr. David Herendeen, director of opera and music theater at OCU, has been in his position since 1997 and has seen many of his students go on to have big careers.

Herendeen said seeing OCU on the list for the

second year in a row came as no surprise.

“You constantly see universities’ sports teams quantified for being in the top ten. How does one decide the quality of a school; the rankings? There is no such thing as competitive art.

This is one way to do it,” he said.

Herendeen said he believes this list is a simple way to rank training quality. OCU is unique because of its size compared to other schools, he said. The students and faculty across the performance schools at OCU are a family and they work together, he said.

Dr. Mark Parker, dean of the music and theater schools, said he was pleased that OCU has been named to Playbill’s list once again.

“It’s amazing; in the past, at any one time there was probably

five or six OCU graduates on Broadway, but last year having 19 and then this year having a count of 24, our numbers are growing,” he said.

Parker also said OCU’s numbers aren’t just expanding onstage, but offstage as well, working on technical aspects of Broadway shows.

“This is not just a fluke or coincidence when you have that many people at what’s considered the top of the theatrical pyramid of the world, Broadway,” he said.

Parker said OCU is the only school west of the Mississippi on the list and is in many ways the smallest institution.

“OCU is very unique having almost 800 performing arts majors in comparison to the total population,” he said.

OCU was specifically listed

“

for the School of Music as well as the School of Dance.

Kiera McGovern, sophomore dance major from New Jersey, said she often sees alumni performing in Broadway shows because of her proximity to New York City.

“One of the reasons I chose this school was because of its representation in the musical theater industry,” she said.

OCU is continuing to grow and become more well known, Herendeen said.

“OCU is the little engine that could, and does,” he said.

For more information, visit the Playbill website.

Kai Dunn Student Publications

Mastering the Marimba Top: Stephanie Krichena, marimbist and percussion performance junior, performs the third movement of Eric Ewazen’s Concerto for Marimba at the 2019 Honors Concerto Recital in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Building.

Design and production students work on Hamilton crew Hannah Prentice

STAFF WRITER

Two OCU students recently worked for the Hamilton tour.

Alix Phelan, design and production senior, and Erin Wilson, design and production junior, got to experience working on a professional Broadway traveling crew.

For traveling shows, crews often hire local people for crew work. When the touring production of Hamilton came to Oklahoma City, they reached out to locals with a background in wardrobe crew to work on the show from July 30 to Aug. 18.

Phelan said she helped actors with quick changes as well as other needs.

“Our job is to literally dress the actors and make sure they are wearing the right thing when they go on stage and double check that their accessories look good, as well as help with quick changes when needed,” Phelan said.

Phelan said the opportu-

nity came suddenly.

“They texted me a week before the show, and I had to respond quickly, because if not, they would have just moved down the big list of names they have,” Phelan said. “The boss of the show texted me and I replied yes, yes, yes, and that’s pretty much how it happened.”

Phelan said this was not her first time working with a touring Broadway cast.

Phelan began working as a dresser for Lyric Theatre. She also worked with the traveling Broadway cast of Cats last summer when they were in Oklahoma City.

Phelan said these opportunities have opened more doors for her future in the business.

“For the last year and a half I have been trying to get my name on a list to be hired by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Union, to work touring shows,” Phelan said. “It is hard to become a member of IATSE because in order to be a member, you have to work a show first. I am actually working on gaining an IATSE membership now that I

Something new was always happening, and there were always problems we had to solve, and I loved that atmosphere and the show itself.

Alix Phelan design and production senior

have worked two official IATSE shows.”

Along with these two OCU students, a group of 40 students had the opportunity to sit down with a panel of department heads for the traveling crew of Hamilton, such as the stage manager, and learn from them about working on a touring show.

Laura Tapia, theater performance freshman, was one of the students who attended the event on campus. Tapia said she gained a lot of insight into the specifics of the business and was excited by this opportunity.

“Through speaking with the panel from Hamilton, I gained a lot of knowledge about how to

“

be successful in the industry, as well as how to be professional and how to build better connections with people, which will lead to better jobs,” Tapia said.

“Two of the main things that they really hit on were taking care of your body, because if your instrument of work doesn’t work, you don’t work, as well as to be kind to people and be easy to work with, otherwise you will stop receiving job offers.

Overall, they were just really fun and nice; they answered all our questions and were incredibly smart.”

During this discussion, Tapia also asked about scenic elements of the show. In the original Broadway Hamilton

show, the center of the floor rotates during specific scenes.

Tapia asked the stage manager how that translated to the touring show.

“Apparently every time they go to a new theater, they have a crew that goes to the next theater 12 hours before the rest of the cast to set up the floor so when everyone else arrives, it is ready to go,” Tapia said. “It is just a six inch tall deck that they mount on top of the stage wherever they are, but they have two so they alternate which one is being used and which one is at the next location being set up.”

Phelan said this unique show element played into her role as a dresser, as well as the show as a whole.

“They give us a packet for the shows of where we are supposed to stand at every moment, and if we mess it up, it is such a big show that we can get in trouble,” Phelan said. “Even if a button fell off one of the coats, they would have to literally stop the show because of the turntable on the floor, which something as small as a button could break.”

Both the students who were able to work hands-on with the show and those who had the opportunity to speak with members of the crew said the experience was special and reinforced that they truly do want to go on to work with a Broadway show after their time at OCU. “I smile every time I think about that show, because every day was so much fun,” Phelan said. “Something new was always happening, and there were always problems we had to solve, and I loved that atmosphere and the show itself.

I knew after I did Cats this was what I wanted to do as a career, but my experience with Hamilton really stuck with me and reinforced that.”

Theater students attend Houston stage combat workshop MaKayla Baxter

STAFF WRITER

Six theater students learned to fight with swords and daggers over the Labor Day weekend.

Sarah Muscarella, acting sophomore, Matthew Lavery and Hannah Hamel, acting juniors, Tessa Neeno, theatre and performance junior, Mandy Sigale, theatre and performance senior, and McKenna O’Meara, acting senior, attended the Texas Intensive Stage Combat Workshop Aug. 31-Sept. 1.

The students attended workshops and classes taught by professional fight directors from around the country. Students learned various stage and screen combat techniques, including unarmed combat and the use of a single sword, quarter staff, rapier and dagger, knife, broad sword, and small sword.

Luke Eddy, assistant acting professor, supervised the group.

“Workshops like these are really important for our program,” Eddy said. “They’re helpful tools to make sure we are staying connected with the professional world and giving students the best and most up-to-date education we can regarding what the industry is going to be expecting of them in the future.”

O’Meara said she learned many new techniques at the workshop.

“The biggest lessons for me were being intentional with every movement and finding the difference between action and motion,”

The biggest lessons for me were being intentional with every movement and finding the difference between action and motion.

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McKenna O’Meara acting senior

O’Meara said. “Combat is very partner-based, and connecting with those you are working with and trusting each other to create a safe environment with our movements is a huge part of that.”

Students also worked with intimacy coaches.

“They gave us opportunities to ask questions, not just about intimacy choreography itself, but also the process of becoming an intimacy coach or director,” Neeno said. “They talked a lot about how to create safe environments for actors who are performing various types of intimacy onstage, which was very cool.”

Eddy said he believes one of the most important lessons students learned was how to network with professionals.

“The students had the chance to work with lots of professional directors who teach with different methods and styles than we do

on campus. They learned some really valuable communication and networking skills that way.”

Neeno said the workshop was an experience they will never forget.

“It was incredible,” Neeno said. “You meet so many talented people from across the nation, and the connections you make are invaluable. It opens up so many doors for actors and stage combatants.”

O’Meara said she recommends the workshops to anyone interested in theater.

“It’s absolutely for everyone: actors, music students, even dancers,” O’Meara said. “Whether you’re an absolute beginner or at the professional level, there’s a spot for you. Anyone can go and feel supported. Even if it sounds terrifying, try it anyway.”

Eddy said the workshop offered starter tracks for stage combat beginners.

“It’s a fun, challenging and immersive way to get started,” Eddy said. “We’re really trying to spread the word and get more students involved.”

Eddy encourages students who are interested in attending future workshops to contact him at lteddy@okcu.edu.

Staff writer Matthew Lavery attended the stage combat wokrshop.

Acting students write haikus to track progress, publish book Maria DeLoera

STAFF WRITER

Students in the vocal production class are contributing poems to yearly anthologies.

Kate Brennan, associate professor of voice and theater, invites her students to record their thoughts during class sessions in a haiku style. Students say it’s a mindful exercise and it gives them confidence.

“They get to have this to remind them of all the work they did,” said Brennan. “It feels like an accomplishment.”

Brennan utilizes the Linklater method for students to understand the potential of their voice. The method uses body awareness, breath, touch, sound, and vibration.

“You could use your whole body as an instrument,” said Brennan.

After sessions, she asks her students to jot down syllables. Students write down their thoughts about the exercises in increments.

Brennan said before the students know it, they have written a September 11, 2019

They get to have this to remind them of all the work they did. It feels like an accomplishment.

Kate Brennan associate professor of voice theater

haiku by the end of class.

Joe Bonfiglio, acting senior, said he appreciates this way of tracking the class.

“It was so refreshing,” Bonfiglio said. “It’s so refreshing to go back into my work.”

Bonfiglio said it was helpful to go back to the haiku and remember those thoughts and feel grounded.

Students from previous classes have created books with all the

haikus. They are called “Here I am, I am Here” and “X Number of Days After the Eclipse.” Brennan sent them to Kristin Linklater, the creator of the Linklater Progression.

The students’ haikus are a tribute to the results of the method and how it teaches them to be aware of their body and voice, Brennan said.

Brennan said she has seen her students’ confidence grow in voice and speech. The haikus captured the students’ progression in vocal production, Brennan said. She hopes the book is a source of inspiration.

“Years later they could revisit it,” said Brennan. “The book also allows classmates to see each others’ work at the end of the year and relate.”

Vocal production students said they have already bought some previous classes’ books. The poems cost $3.99. To purchase, visit lulu.com or contact Kate Brennan.

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Stars are on a roll Left: Forward Aubrey Armstrong dribbles the ball during the game at 5 p.m. Sept.5 at Brian Harvey Field. The Stars beat Randall University 6-0. The win marked Coach Brian Harvey’s 802nd victory. See page 1 for more on Harvey.

Right: Forward Jessica Titsworth passes the ball during the Sept. 5 game. The next home game is at 1 p.m. Sept. 14 against Texas A&M at Brian Harvey Clara Foster Student Publications

Field.

SGA president makes first executive order, updates budget Maxwell McIntire

STAFF WRITER

Student Government Association started the semester with many changes, including the organization’s first-ever executive order in SGA history.

Trae Trousdale, SGA President, said one of his campaign platforms last year was the implementation of programs and projects to increase the sense of community within OCU. Executive Order 001 and the SGA Budget for the 2019-2020 school year are attempting to fulfill those promises.

The budget has several differences from last year’s, with a focus placed on special projects that aim to improve student life and offer more opportunities for students to participate in the school community. Executive Order 001 aims to create five new commissions focused on gathering student opinions and communicating them to SGA. Executive Order 001 addresses the formation of five oversight commissions: Campus Environmental Sustainability; Mental Health Awareness; Multicultural Inclusion; Sexual Assault & Prevention; and Religious Life. Each commission is intended to foster communication between administration, SGA and the student body as a whole. The commissions, which will meet once a month, will be comprised of a minimum of three to four nonSGA affiliated students, appointed by the Executive Branch and approved by the high officers.

The SGA Budget for the 2019-2020 school year has changed since the 2018-2019 budget. The amount allotted by Student Affairs for the organization ($50,000 for 2019-2020) is less than

What our faculty members need to do to prepare students for life is all changing.

Trae Trousdale SGA president

last school year’s budget of about $180,000. This change comes from across-the-board budget cuts throughout OCU. Last year’s budget covered SGA, the Student Activities Council, and the OCU School of Law’s Student Bar Association. This year, SAC and the Student Bar Association are not included in SGA’s budget. Drafted

by Trousdale and Erik Rangel, secretary of finance, the budget has been approved by both the Executive Committee and the Steering Committee and was accepted with a unanimous vote by the Student Senate on Sept 5. Within the budget, the salaries of SGA members are being increased, and the President and Vice President no longer receive tuition waivers. These new amounts are intended to reflect the amount the average student professional would be making.

Special projects have also received a significant increase in funding; $6,000 are allotted this year, compared to last year’s $1,000.

Among these projects are Pads and Tampons, a project aimed to provide feminine hygiene products in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center restrooms, with future plans to expand campuswide. The Service Animal Waste initiative will focus on cleaning up animal waste left on-campus.

The project receiving the most funding is Constellation, an initiative aimed at community growth.

“It is probably our largest shift in SGA,” Trousdale said. “It is a community-building initiative that aims to create a sense of community and connectedness among our entire student body, and to break down these silos that we’ve constructed around our colleges or around our friend groups.”

Constellation’s first event in campus was Big Yell on Aug. 22.

Natalie Gregg, education senior, said she was receptive to the contents of Executive Order 001. She said she also expressed a desire for SGA to communicate more information about their functions.

“I know a big buzzword for last year was transparency, and I know that information about SGA, things like when their meetings are, and who our representatives are, is available, but it’s not easy to access,” Gregg said. “I say that as someone who has tried to figure that out before. I’d really like to see that, too.”

With new changes underway, Trousdale said he’s looking forward to growing SGA and improving campus life for students.

“I’m very excited to see the role that SGA can play in renewing the sense of community,” Trousdale said. “I’m also very excited to see what our students have to say untapped, and what OCU really thinks. I think it’s going to be phenomenal, and it’s going to direct SGA where we need to go for the school year.”

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‘Unicycle man’ rides 10 laps around campus, impresses students Jessica Vanek

My name’s Allie. I’m a sophomore, if you ever want to come say hi. The unicycle man is pretty cute.

COMMUNITY MANAGER

There’s a unicycle man in our midst.

Joey Witten, acting junior, has been unicycling since last October.

“I always thought it would be a good time, kind of a quirky, fun little thing,” Witten said. “Then, I had an assignment for vocal prod called the curiosity project where you have to explore and dive deep into something that you’re curious about.”

Witten said his decision to take the plunge into the unicycling world was spontaneous.

“I kind of impulsively bought a unicycle online,” he said. “I built it in my intro to theatrical design class and just started going at it. I used the wall outside of the chapel to hang onto while I first learned. Then I graduated to the sidewalk with a trash can to hold onto, and now I can just hop on and go.”

The unicycle’s name is Bike Wazowski, he said.

Witten said there is not an exact science to the art of the unicycle.

“I realized pretty quickly that there’s no definitive right way to do it. Some people will tell you to do it one way or another,” he said. “One thing I did learn from tutorials is that you need the seat height to be higher than you think. I realized if you place it higher, it’s less work for your legs.”

Allie Milburn, music theater and vocal performance sophomore, said she has seen the infamous Joey Witten cycling on one wheel.

“I have seen the unicycle man,” Millburn said. “The thing is, I’ve always wanted to know him. I’ve never gotten to talk to him because I’ve only ever seen him from across the quad doing wonderful tricks.”

Millburn said the instant she saw Witten, her day was put at a standstill.

“I was walking from Cokesbury and there was a man on the quad, and I was walking with my friend and we stopped our normal everyday routine and said ‘Who is that man?’ It was just me. They didn’t care. I cared,” she said. “And I just wanted to know the man on the unicycle, because he was doing some fancy tricks, but I was too scared to talk to him.”

Millburn said she has worked up the confidence to give Witten a message.

“My name’s Allie. I’m a sophomore, if you ever want to come say hi,” she said. “The unicycle man is pretty cute.”

Witten currently owns a 24-inch wheel unicycle; however, he’s looking on to bigger and better things.

Allie Millburn music sophomore

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Submitted

Joey Witten, acting junior, and Bike Wazowski, unicycle, take a ride through the OCU quad. The two have been seen together since last year and enjoy long rides on the sidewalk.

“I have plans to get a 32-inch unicycle, but it’s like, $200,” he said.

Bike Wazowski was unable to comment on the matter.

In addition to investing in a bigger unicycle, Witten said he has more goals for his mono-wheel hobby.

Witten has unicycling, juggling, making balloon animals, and playing accordion on his resume. However, he is currently unable to do any of these tricks simultaneously.

“I would love one day to juggle or make balloon animals on the unicycle,” he said. “I still need to use my arms and upper body a lot to balance, but I’m getting to a point where I can sink lower and use my lower half to balance.”

Witten said he admires multiple unicyclists, one of which is on campus.

“There’s no one that I sought to be like by unicycling, but after discovering the unicycling community, I’ve come to have some favorites. Ed Pratt is a British unicyclist whose goal is to unicycle across the whole world to raise money for a charity. He’s doing it country by country,” he said. “Marcus Canada is a fellow oncampus unicyclist, but I haven’t really talked to him about it. He seems like a nice guy.”

Marcus Canada, music theater senior, can juggle and unicycle at the same time. Canada said the ability to do both is no easy feat.

“It’s pretty hard,” Canada said. “You have to be able to idle on a unicycle, which means pedaling forwards and backwards to stay in one spot, and that takes people a really long time to do, even apart from juggling.”

When asked for advice on the topic, Canada offered a suggestion to Witten on the subject of mastering both skills.

“Keep trying,” Canada said.

Witten said he still is more comfortable on a bicycle than a unicycle, however, he accomplished unicycling a mile on one wheel.

“My record is 10 laps, and if you go on Google Earth and use the little ruler thing and find out how big the quad is, it’s .15 mile,” he said. “So, 10 laps is a little over a mile.”

Witten is still pushing for more, he said.

“My goal this year is to get to 15 or 20 laps,” he said. “But my stamina has gone down the drain, and it’s so hot right now, but I’m hoping once it cools down I can just go.”

When asked when this feat would be executed, Witten gave his honest answer.

“One day,” he said.

Witten said whenever he falls, he remembers this advice.

“The time you get hit the hardest is the time you go the farthest,” he said.

Campus police test new intercom system for active shooters Francesca Iacovacci

STAFF WRITER

The police intercom system tested a new type of phone during an emergency drill.

Students and faculty practiced an active shooter/shelter in place drill at 9:45 a.m. on Aug. 26. These types of drills are done periodically to test the system and make sure the campus community understands how to respond in case of an emergency, said Rusty Pyle, chief of police.

The police department has replaced their analog phones with Skype Voice over Internet Protocol phones. Pyle said the old system allowed a message to broadcast for any duration of time, but the new system shut off after about eight seconds, cutting off the warning.

“The Information Technology department is currently working with the vendor to fix this,” Pyle said. “As always with new September 11, 2019

available channel to give the campus community multiple ways to receive the message,” Pyle said.

You never know when a real Tara Ramakrishnan, business sophomore, said she heard the intruder could come on campus intercom while leaving the Meinders building. so every safety measure they “It’s really important that campus safety procedures are can impose, I feel, is going to be enforced,” Ramakrishnan said. “You never know when a real beneficial. intruder could come on campus, so every safety measure they can impose, I feel, is going to be beneficial.”

Ramakrishnan also said she heard from her peers some of the Tara Ramakrishnan business Blue Phones on campus are not working.

Pyle said this is an issue that is also being addressed. sophomore “The majority of the Blue Phones are working just fine,” Pyle technology, you have to work the little bugs out, and that’s what said. “There are a couple of Blue Phones that are having some issues and IT is also looking into those.” we’re doing now.”

The system will soon be tested again on an undecided date.

In addition to the intercom system, the drill was broadcast via text message, email, social media, and desktop alerts.

“We always issue emergency alerts and drills through every 4