Feb. 27

THE“CAMPUS

February 27, 2019 – Volume 112 Issue 19

Stray cats run loose in auditorium during opera Emily Wollenberg

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Audience members paid $20 for a front-row seat to this weekend’s opera, but some stray cats saw it for free.

Two stray cats were in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center during a Saturday night performance of the Wanda L. Bass School of Music’s production of Cendrillon.

One cat ran across the stage before the curtain opened, said Simón Gómez, music theater and composition sophomore. Members of the ensemble were in place on stage behind the curtain when they saw it run onstage and into the house.

Gómez said he thinks the cat has been in the theater since the tech rehearsal the previous Saturday.

“It distracted a few audience members, but it wasn’t particularly disruptive,” he said. “The house manager tried to get it out of the pit during intermission but couldn’t.”

OCU police department had to handle the situation before the Sunday performance, Gómez said.

Kevin Howery, music theater freshman, said he heard about another cat who frequents the orchestra pit and seemed to be present during the evening’s performance.

“It was a different cat than people had already seen,” Howery said. “There are at least two cats, or one cat that likes to wear different shirts.”

The stage-sprinting cat is described by students as gray and white, and the pit-dwelling cat is small and ginger.

The cats could have entered the theater through the basement, Howery said.

“The fine arts building is older than the school of music, so maybe in the foundation somewhere there’s a hole that they’re getting in through,” he said.

Howery said he didn’t think the cats distracted the audience too much.

“As far as I know, nobody actually saw the cat when it ran out at the beginning of the show because it was dark, and they were

People need to stop feeding these cats and attracting them to campus.

Jennifer Rodgers chief police

watching the curtain close. They didn’t hear about it until the ushers said something. The audience could forget about it very quickly,” he said.

Kennen Wedge, an audience member, said he saw people staring over the pit during intermission looking for the cats.

“There were about 12 people peering over. There was a cop. The cats were running around the pit. It was wild,” he said.

Evan Couch, music theater/vocal performance sophomore, said he tried to catch the cat, but it got spooked and ran away.

“I’ll never forget the look on everyone’s faces immediately after. We were all still laughing well into the performance of the overture. I think it increased our energy output throughout the performance,” he said.

Saturdays are usually the most difficult performances because the cast is tired and worn out, Couch said.

“It was a nice spark to start the show, and Saturday night ended up being one of our best runs,” he said.

Christopher Richie, music theater freshman, said the cast named one of the cats “Chuck Herald” after his character in the show and an inside joke with Dr. David Herendeen, professor of music and director of opera and music theater.

“You know if the cat came onstage while I was on there, I would have called it ‘Fat Louie’ from The Princess Diaries,” he said.

The cats are making more appearances because of the warmer

“

weather, Howery said.

“I’m sure our issue of leaving trash out on campus doesn’t help,” he said.

Police Chief Jennifer Rodgers said campus police received a 911 call about the cat and responded to the situation.

“Nobody was hurt, of course, but everyone was quite excited,” she said.

The best way to catch the cats is in cages or traps, Rodgers said.

“I know there are some cat-lovers on campus. My very last resort is to put out cages because that could upset some people,” she said.

The cats return to campus because some students are probably encouraging them, Rodgers said.

“People need to stop feeding these cats and attracting them to campus,” she said.

Campus police think the cats have left the theater, Rodgers said.

“I would suspect by now that surely they are out of the theater,” she said. “We’ve received no additional phone calls.”

People need to realize that the cats are not vaccinated and could carry diseases, Rodgers said. She advised students not to approach the cats.

“I am definitely concerned about the diseases that could be passed along. They could have rabies,” she said.

Howery said he wants to start a Twitter account for the cats.

“The cat, I personally believe, would have tweeted one of two things,” he said. “First, it certainly would have been grateful to the cast of Cendrillon for giving it the opportunity to share the stage with us. Second, and most importantly, it would be like, ‘haha, suck it losers, you can’t catch me now, and you still haven’t caught me.’”

Editor’s note: Photo Editor Elina Moon and Web Editor Jessica Vanek were cast members in Cendrillon. They did not participate in writing or editing the story.

Parking pass regulations confuse, frustrate students Emily Wollenberg

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

A student was given a $100 ticket for displaying a parking permit backward.

Kira Odom, acting sophomore, said she was driving when she hit a pothole and her parking pass fell off of her rearview mirror.

“Since I was driving, I didn’t have a lot of time to look at it or anything, so I kind of just hung it back on, and I didn’t realize that I hung it backward,” she said.

Odom said, when she returned to campus, parked and left her car, she later came back to find a $100 ticket on it.

Campus police-issued parking tickets list all the possible parking violations and the amount of each corresponding fine.

Having no parking permit/improper display of a parking permit is listed as a $100 fine. Failure to display a parking permit is listed as a $50 fine.

Odom said she was confused as to why the fine was higher for improperly displaying a parking permit rather than failing to display one at all.

“If I hadn’t have tried to fix it, and if I hadn’t of hung it up, I would have been fined less than I would have for trying,” she said. “It’s just annoying because we pay so much for the parking passes in the first place, and I was fined for it being backwards when it was clearly an OCU parking pass,” Odom said.

OCU Police Chief Jennifer Rodgers said students are fined for

Appeals Process

1

The student files citation appeal with the OCUPD within 10 calendar days of issuance.

2

Police Chief considers the appeal.

The student is notified via email.

3

4 5

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If a student wants to appeal the decision of the chief, they must email OCUPD within 10 calendar days of the decision.

The student is required to appear in Student Court to have their appeal heard. If absent, the student will pay an additional $25 fine.

The decision of the Student Court is final.

M MEDIAOCU.com

Sou�ce: okcu.edu

Parking here is so confusing that I feel like warnings would be helpful for people who are just trying to figure it out too.

Kira Odom

acting sophomore

hanging the tag backward because it hides the date on the pass.

“What students have done is hang up last year’s pass,” she said. “They flip it around, so they can get away with that pass for another year. That’s why we need to see the date and the number, so we know who it goes to.”

Odom said she understands police having to keep track of upto-date passes, but thinks there is another way to accomplish this.

“They can scan your license plate and figure out if you’ve paid for a parking pass that year, so they could have just looked it up anyway. Why didn’t they?” she said.

If students who have their pass improperly displayed go through the appeal process, Rodgers said she will reduce the fine to $50.

“I certainly know that $100 is a lot of money,” she said. “I was not here when the fine amount was set. If they’re making an effort, I’ll try to reduce it the best I can. I need just a little bit of help from the students doing that.”

Odom said she wishes campus police would give warnings on the first offense, especially for students who are still learning about the parking system.

“Parking here is so confusing that I feel like warnings would be helpful for people who are just trying to figure it out too,” she said.

Odom said she wasn’t aware of all that students could be fined for.

“I didn’t think about improper display or anything like that.

It would be really nice if they had a one-time warning system,” she said.

Rodgers said she is working to provide incoming students with additional information about parking regulations and permits.

“If there is misinformation, we want to make sure we get the information out,” she said. “We’re working with the communications unit to have a flyer or brochure that will go out to everyone at Stars 101.”

Campus police also are working to have an informational table set up during freshman move-in, Rodgers said.

“We can get the parents' attention,” she said. “I think students have it last on their list of things to do, and they just don’t get to it. But with the fines being so high, it costs money to procrastinate, always, in life.”

Providing more parking information to incoming students will be helpful, Odom said.

“I’ve had so many problems with parking this year, so I think it would have been really nice to have been able to have it explained to me at some point,” she said. “It’s a lot of money for a parking pass, and you should understand what you’re getting with that money.”

Submitted Improperly displayed parking passes can result in fines. Police Chief Jennifer Rodgers said students must display the parking pass date and pass identification number at all times. The best way to display the pass is by hanging it front-facing from the review mirror.

The number of issued parking tickets has decreased this year because of a lack of manpower, Rodgers said.

“I researched it, and we had written half of the tickets that were written last year,” she said. “We don’t have the number of officers we had last year. Once we get back up to full speed, full manpower, then the number of tickets written will logically go up again.”

Rodgers said, if an officer incorrectly writes a ticket, and the student appeals the ticket, she will change the fine amount.

“If you get a ticket, if there’s a good reason, appeal it, so I can take a look at it and see if there’s any way I can work it down,” she said.

Odom said she appreciates Rodgers helping students.

“I did make a mistake, so I appreciate that she will lower it, and I will definitely take advantage of that. I appreciate saving that $50,” she said.

For more information about parking regulations or passes, go to okcu.edu/police. All pertaining information is listed under parking regulations.

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opinion Student-police relationship requires cooperation, healthy communication It’s crucial that the campus community be able to contact and seek assistance from campus police, but it’s proving to be more difficult than necessary at OCU. There seems to be a disconnect between policies, staffing and general disposition among the officers on campus. Police Chief Jennifer Rodgers has made it a point in her time as chief to encourage students to contact Oklahoma City University Police Department in any situation that makes them feel concerned or uncomfortable. It’s clear that she wants students to feel protected, but not all employees of the OCU police department seem to be as dedicated to this idea.

Students tell stories of times when they were ignored or given questionable advice when they called OCUPD. For example, a student was unable to get into Cokesbury Court Apartments in

the middle of the night during a recent snow storm because the keypad had frozen over.

The student called OCUPD’s “Never Walk Alone” program so they could help her get in, but was told to park in a nearby neighborhood and walk back to her apartment in Cokesbury instead.

Students also said they’ve called OCUPD and were snapped at or ignored. Another student said she was put on hold for almost 15 minutes in an emergency situation. While it’s not the job of OCUPD to make students feel respected and comfortable, snapping at students and having a lack of immediacy could potentially prevent them from coming forward with helpful information or reports of emergencies.

Another student claimed to have gotten permission from one officer to temporarily park in a visitor spot because she had a flat tire. When she came

Talk Back “What kind of food or meal would you like to learn to cook?”

back, her car had a ticket on it from a different officer who was unaware of the previous exchange. When the student called the police department to appeal the ticket, she said she was accused of being “immature” and told she was "just trying to get out of purchasing a parking pass.”

The two main issues seem to be communication and general lack of empathy for the students. These aspects don’t make students feel safe and may make them forgo reporting problems on campus. A sense of trust can’t be established like this.

Students must also respect that the officers are busy and may be responding to multiple emergencies at one time. But busy doesn’t have to mean complacent.

Animosity in any direction does not promote a healthy, safe campus environment.

"Chicken alfredo"

"Pasta"

Jenni Rupp music theater/vocal performance freshman

Asia Reyes human performance

"Any roast or casserole"

"Chicken cordon bleu"

Joel Jenkins acting junior

Madelynn Buckman entertainment business senior

"Pierogies from scratch"

"I know how to cook everything."

Corinne Prudente acting junior

Logan Johnson pre-engineering sophomore

Columnist discusses Lady Gaga’s inspiring movie transformation It’s been more than four months since A Star is Born came out, yet somehow it’s still on my mind with awards season reaching its biggest night (The Oscars were Sunday). I think it’s fair to give a second thought to the movies that are still being discussed. And after some reflection, I’m not sure exactly what to make of one of the season’s biggest films.

I think back to the documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two, an intimate look into Lady Gaga’s personal life, complete with the scene where she found out she had received the role of “Ally.” Walking up a staircase covered in balloons, Gaga recounts how Bradley Cooper was set to direct A Star is Born, and he wanted her to star in it.

While it was in theaters, I saw the film on three separate occasions between its release and the New Year, each time with different people. Something kept pulling me back to it. I cried each time, but at different parts with each viewing.

But it took me much longer to realize the message that came along with the film, thoughts about women in show business, specifically. I was mesmerized by the Coachella-style performances and the endearing romance so fully that I didn’t realize how Ally had so little say in her future.

I think about how Ally had no last name and spent almost no time speaking directly to other women–backup dancers, hair and makeup artists and

Amanda Miller is an English senior from Kansas City. She likes pop culture, glitter and iced coffee.

backstage persons exchange one, maybe two lines each with Ally. And how throughout the film, Ally is stared at by her father, by his friends, by viewers as she stands up in a bathtub, and by Cooper’s character who just “wants to take another look” at her. It feels like Ally isn’t living her own life.

When comparing Ally’s career to Gaga’s own, it feels like Ally has no agency. Simple modifications, like hair color

or dress, are discussed by the men around her. Even after saying she’s uncomfortable with backup dancers, Ally is reminded that it’s not her choice to make. But in Gaga: Five Foot Two, Gaga makes her own decisions. She has a say in her sound, her appearance and absolutely speaks her mind when she’s not understanding or seeing the benefit of Super Bowl Halftime Show rehearsals.

I don’t think Ally would be able

to do that in the universe of A Star is Born.

But then I remember the story that went viral when Cooper himself wiped off Gaga’s makeup so she was “completely open” for her 2016 screen test, a story retold to The Los Angeles Times. And how Gaga’s entire awards season of promotional appearances have been either tied to Cooper himself or spent complimenting and thanking Cooper for such an opportunity.

The lines seem to have blurred between Lady Gaga and Ally within the world of speeches and awards. Tess Garcia of Instyle detailed just how often Gaga speaks highly of Cooper and glosses over her vocal and acting training, as if

they were nonexistent before someone (Cooper) found a place for them. Gaga has won seven Grammys, not even counting the awards she won for the movie’s main song, Shallow, including an Oscar on Sunday.

Maybe all of this is a longform allegory for the way that women are treated in the music industry. Perhaps Cooper has something greater to say with this film than just the story.

Maybe he himself wants to comment on the ways that women are silenced in their fields. And maybe not. There are still themes and ramifications to be discussed within this film. And if I’m being completely honest with myself, I’ll probably watch it again.

How to Train Your Dragon trilogy ends with strong, entertaining movie Dreamworks’s How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World was released in theaters Feb. 22, following its two predecessors How to Train Your Dragon and How to Train Your Dragon 2 and completing its trilogy.

I absolutely LOVED the first movie when it came out in 2010. I stand by to this day that How to Train Your Dragon is THE best 3D movie in existence. Sorry, not sorry, James Cameron, but Avatar ain’t got nothing on my guy “Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III” and his lovable “Night Fury” dragon, “Toothless.” On top of that, the beautiful animation, storytelling and lovable characters made the movie relatable and fun.

The second movie was not

as good. It seemed like the sequel wasn’t planned and so the writers just had to make something up for it. The goofy side characters had to take a bigger role in the story that the characters were not at all written for. “Astrid,” Hiccup’s love interest, became bland and uninteresting due to her character arc being completed in the first movie, and the plot was a little too cliché. This is not to say it was a bad movie, it just felt predictable and unplanned.

The Hidden World is a solid ending to the series. The movie starts off rough with some unpolished animation, okay direction and most of the characters being one note and borderline annoying. It seemed to be teetering toward the second movie in terms of how the

I should have seen this is 3D.” Normally I hate seeing movies in 3D because it hurts my eyes, but dude, this movie makes me want to endure the pain to watch it. It is none of that 3D that’s like, “Woah dude my hand is going to reach out and touch your face.” Most of the shots are subtle and would seem like the 3D would help convey the scale of the dragons and other objects in different scenes.

Some of the flying scenes were so cool and fun, it made me feel like I was flying alongside the dragons. The characters were just so much fun.

One thing about this series that I’ve always appreciated was seeing the characters grow older with each new installment. Normally in animation, the characters stay the same age

due to the writers wanting to tell different stories with them that require them to appear ageless. There is nothing wrong with that, but it’s really cool to see how these characters grow up to become the people they were meant to be by the end of the movie.

If you grew up with the film series like I did, you will be a little weepy at the end of the movie. The ending leaves off with a bit of a tear jerker that you will not want to miss.

The Hidden World gets off the ground a little awkwardly, but, by the end, it sticks the landing, dragon and all. This fast-flying adventure is not one you want to miss, especially if you have seen the first two. A movie like this is about as rare as a Night Fury.

McDaniel University Center

atre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

SATURDAY Baseball vs. Southwestern Christian University at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. at Jim Wade Stadium

SUNDAY L'amico Fritz from 3-5 p.m. in Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts

Advising Session at 4 p.m. in Room 100 in Sarkey's Science and Math Center

Paul Dower is a film production freshman from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He likes squishy toys, hoodies and Stanley Kubrick.

characters were written. But, as the movie went on, it kept getting better. The plot dealt with themes about growing up, taking responsibility and realizing that one does not have to go through life on their own.

The performances were solid. Jay Baruchel reprises his role as Hiccup and you can see how much he enjoys the role and just how much passion he put into the character through his lines. The introduction of the villain, voiced by F. Murray

Abraham, was intimidating and posed an honest threat to “Berk” and its citizens. He also plays a nice shadow to Hiccup as he must overcome the last of his anxieties to become the strong and rightful chief of Berk. Even the side characters, who were a little annoying at first, became less annoying and more funny.

The animation was SO PRETTY. While I was watching the movie, I actually thought to myself, “Man,

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 Weekly Play Club meeting at 7 p.m. in the Honors Lounge in Gold Star Memorial Building

rick Fine Arts Center Chapel at 1 p.m. in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel

FRIDAY L'amico Fritz from 8-10 p.m. in Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

OCU Wind Philharmonic's 2019 Concert Debut from 7:30-9 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpat-

L'amico Fritz at 8 p.m. in Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Financial Matters with President Martha Burger at noon in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda

L'amico Fritz at 8 p.m. in Burg The-

THE CAMPUS

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

Feb. 27, 2019, Volume 112, Issue 19

Editor-in-chief: Nicole Waltman Associate Editor: Emily Wollenberg Copy Editor: Chandler White Associate Copy Editor: Paul Dower Photo Editor: Elina Moon Community Manager: Maddie Bowes

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Web Editor: Jessica Vanek Staff Writers: Luke Barrett, Callie Dewees, Erik Hamilton, Dru Norton, Hope Melton Columnists: Caroline Hawthorne, Amanda Miller Photographers: Carolann Stout, Kylie Sullivan, Hope Melton, Clara Foster

MONDAY Physician Assistant Program

TUESDAY Wade in the Water at 6:30 p.m. in Room 151 in Walker Center for Arts and Sciences

The Student Publications staff welcomes unsolicited material and let-

Videographer: Emily Haan Ad Director: Emily Jones 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.

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

February 27, 2019

lifestyles

Fit for a queen

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Kylie Sullivan Student Publications

Sabrina Brush, vocal performance freshman; Nadjalie Santos, vocal performance sophomore, and Hallie Schmidt, vocal performance junior, play “Dorothee,” “Madame” and “Noemie” in Wanda L. Bass School of Music’s production of Cendrillon. The mainstage opera had performances 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center.

Right: Tessa McQueen, vocal performance senior, and Taylor Thomas, vocal performance junior, sing a duet as “Cendrillon” and “Prince” in Cendrillon. The next opera is L’amico Fritz and has performances 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday in Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center.

Chartwells officials to teach cooking classes Erik Hamilton

STAFF WRITER

Students soon will have the opportunity to learn how to cook from the chefs in the caf.

Fifteen-minute cooking classes will take place at an undecided frequency in the caf. Caf officials will teach to anyone who attends, students or staff. Three classes will take place any day when the classes are taught.

Executive Chef Chris Barton wants to teach lessons covering topics including sanitation in the kitchen, common errors to avoid and cheap meals.

“I think to get started here, we need to start at ground zero,” Barton said. “Cooking on a budget and learning some of the most, I don’t mean to say, ‘elementary skills,’ but there are a few things that, if you learn those first, everything develops off of that.”

Barton said he wants to give people skills they can use for

If the food's not good, then what's the point, right?

Chris Barton

executive chef

independent culinary study and exploration. He also said those running the classes will gauge interest and use that to decide how often classes will occur and what they will learn.

“What people want to learn, that’s what we’ll teach,” Barton said.

Attendance of the classes is free and does not require a meal plan.

Marty Gibson, studio art junior, said they enjoy the idea of these classes, but they’re also unsure of the feasibility of application due to the limitations of United Methodist Hall.

“I love cooking,” Gibson said. “I just wish that the building I live in had cooking supplies and things like an oven so that I could actually use what I learn.”

Barton said those running the classes will teach lessons tailored to the class’s resources.

“You can do an awful lot with a microwave,” Barton said. “As a matter of fact, someone taught me how to do macaroni and cheese in a microwave from scratch, and it’s awesome. So, we’ll work around the limitations. Not everyone’s got a stove top, so we’ll find a way to make it work. And of course, the food’s got to be good. If the food’s not good, then what’s the point, right?”

Phi Mu sorority makes changes to philanthropy week Dru Norton

STAFF WRITER

Phi Mu sorority is starting a new philanthropy basketball event called “Miracle Madness.”

Miracle Madness will be from 8-11:30 p.m. March 22 in the Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center. Mackenzie Vanzee, religion sophomore, is in charge of the event and said Miracle Madness was a replacement for their former philanthropy event “Miracle Mac,” a charity event in which macaroni and cheese is served at the Phi Mu house for $5.

“Phi Mu’s been around for five years, and we’ve done the same philanthropy event every semester, Miracle Mac,” Vanzee said. “Everyone loves it, but we felt like doing it every semester kind of loses its specialness. We wanted to start a different event to get people excited.”

Phi Mu’s philanthropy week will be March 18-22.

“We’re going to have a bunch of smaller events throughout our philanthropy week to get people excited about Miracle Madness and Children’s Miracle Network Hospital,” Vanzee said.

“Miracle Madness is kind of the finale to our philanthropy week.”

Miracle Madness will be a three-on-three basketball tournament in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center. There also will be food and halftime performances by students.

“All students are welcome to compete. All you need is five people to make a team, three players and two subs,” Vanzee said.

We wanted to star t a different event to get people excited.

“

Mackenzie Vanzee

religion sophomore

“The games will only be 10 minutes long each, so everyone should be able to have a chance to play. You can do it competitively or just for fun, it doesn’t matter. We just want this event to be open to as many people as possible.”

Tickets to attend Miracle Madness are $5, including concessions. Tickets for students wanting to compete in the basketball tournament are $4. All of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Children’s Miracle Network, a nonprofit organization that promotes medical research and public awareness for children’s health issues. The money will go to a nearby Children’s Miracle Network Hospital and will be used to fund research, recruit doctors, purchase child-size equipment, and assist families, Vanzee said.

“There’s actually one located close to campus, so you know

the money is going towards families and children in our community,” Vanzee said.

The decision to create Miracle Madness was decided using a poll on Facebook that the entire chapter of Phi Mu voted on, Vanzee said.

“There had been mumbles in the chapter of, ‘We need to do something different this year,’ so I came up with a bunch of ideas,” Vanzee said. “I posted a poll, and the entire chapter voted on which one they wanted, and Miracle Madness was what the majority of the chapter decided on by a wide margin. It was exciting to know that the entire chapter is on board with it.”

Lydia Wade, business freshman and Phi Mu member, said she is excited to help start the new event.

“The best part about Miracle Madness is the fact that it’s brand new to this campus and can gain the interest of all different types of students,” Wade said. “It’s a fun and different way to raise money and bring awareness to our philanthropy.”

Students wanting to participate in the basketball tournament or in a halftime performance as a singer, dancer or other performer may email Vanzee at mrvanzee@my.okcu.edu.

Spotlight opera to present love story in minimalist way Paul Dower

ASSOCIATE COPY EDITOR

The spotlight opera of the Wanda L. Bass School of Music season is a minimalist opera.

L’amico Fritz by Pietro Mascagni will be performed 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday in Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center and is directed by Dr. David Herendeen, professor of music and director of opera and music theater.

The show is set in the 1800s and is about the main character, “Fritz,” who thinks he does February 27, 2019

not have time for love until his friends try to match him up with “Sutzel.”

Herendeen said the show is a minimalist approach to opera.

“It’s more of a studio performance. We do this with just piano—we have lights, we have boxes and implied costumes.

It doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles of a big mainstage show,” he said. “So I pick a show that doesn’t require car chases and explosions.”

Hannah Kilpatrick, vocal performance senior and “Sutzel” in the show, said she appreciates her character’s strength.

“I think a lot of times in

This is an opera to explore and to try out for the first time.

You won't be disappointed.

It's a blast.

Dr. David Herendeen

director opera and music theater

operas and in shows, especially women characters, get put into a box, so to speak. I think Sutzel is a very interesting character because she doesn’t take crap from anybody, she’s very fierce and she isn’t afraid to make a

fool out of herself,” she said.

The show was chosen for its simple story and beautiful music, said Jackson Holtkamp, vocal performance junior and “David” in the show.

“It’s not a super complex

story, so it’s sort of just to highlight the vocal talent of the university and just to give the audience just a night of good singing,” Holtkamp said.

Translating the lyrics from English to Italian has been a fun process, said Grace Knight, music theater/vocal performance freshman and “Beppe” in the show.

“The music is written in Italian, so the text setting works better in Italian. So we’ve been figuring out what little English words we need to change to make it fit better with the lines,” she said. “It’s really interesting because we get to think about

how it fits together.”

Herendeen said the opera is good for audiences new to watching opera.

“This is an opera to explore and to try it out for the first time,” he said. “You won’t be disappointed. It’s a blast. Bring some friends.”

Ti c k e t s a re a va i l a b l e at the box office in Edith Kinney Gaylord Center or online at okcu.edu/music/ academics/opera-musictheater/2018-2019-season/ spotlight-opera.

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news SHINING STAR Music education senior teaches young musicians Nayely Vargas Ramos is a music education senior, but at three different Oklahoma locations, she’s the one teaching.

Ramos teaches at several different locations in Oklahoma as part of her graduation credit. Ramos began student teaching at the beginning of the spring semester.

“I’m currently student teaching at Edmond Santa Fe and Summit Middle School,” Ramos said.

Ramos works alongside Christy Fine, orchestra director at Santa Fe High School in Edmond, as a student teacher.

Ramos’s primary instrument is cello, but she assists in teaching entire orchestras, as well as giving individual lessons.

“It’s been fantastic,” she said. “There’s a lot of learning to be had.”

Ramos also teaches for El Sistema Oklahoma, an afterschool program for music education. Ramos said El Sistema is different because of how many other music teachers work there.

“In a public school, I could be the only music teacher, and that can be really isolating, but at El Sistema I get to work with an awesome team of string teachers under a great team leader,” she said.

Ramos said she also gets experience working with stu-

dents of all different ages.

“Although we do have some high schoolers at El Sistema, my work is with those who just joined, which is late elementary and early middle schoolers,” she said.

Ramos said making connections is important for success in one’s career.

“Having a sunny disposition really does help when establishing connections,” she said.

Ramos said she plans to teach after graduation and is meeting as many orchestra directors as she can.

Cass King, music education sophomore, said Ramos uses her background to connect with her students at El Sistema.

“She connects with her students really well,” King said. “She just loves working with kids.”

Tomasz Zieba, instructor of cello and chamber music, said Ramos is sincere and hardworking.

“I met her in her senior year of high school, and since the very beginning, I was really impressed with her maturity level and her seriousness about becoming a teacher,” Zieba said. “She likes to accomplish goals that she sets for herself every semester.

She’s really passionate about her work, and it shows.”

By Web Editor Jessica Vanek

Submitted Nayely Vargas Ramos, music education senior, plays the cello. Ramos teaches at two schools and an after-school program, assisting in teaching entire orchestras and giving one-on-one lessons.

Nursing school to award new scholarships Hope Melton

STAFF WRITER

Kramer School of Nursing officials recently announced a new scholarship called “The Kramer Way Scholarship.”

The scholarship was made possible through an anonymous donor. It will provide $400,000 for 10 new students working toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and $90,000 for six new students working toward a Master of Science in Nursing.

The money will be distributed throughout a two-year period starting in Fall 2019.

To be considered for the scholarship, applicants must submit a 500-word essay that shows evidence of “The Kramer Way,” provide two references and possess a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. Linda Cook, associate dean of the nursing school, said the nursing staff defines The Kramer Way as caring, kindness and respect.

“Several years ago, many of us realized that we were working in a fairly unique situation, very different from other schools of nursing,” Cook said. “The person who is now our dean jokingly called it The Kramer Way, and the name stuck. As a faculty, we set out to figure out what that really meant."

All the faculty and staff wrote down five words that spoke to them about what The Kramer Way really meant, Cook said.

“When we entered all the words from the faculty and staff, what we found was that the three words that popped up the most often were caring, kindness and respect,” she said.

Cook said scholarship recipients will need to understand the

school’s values.

“It’s a way to make a really productive environment for learning,” Cook said. “What we want to attract are students who are cognizant of the caring, kindness and respect in their lives and how they’re living it. We think that’s going to translate very well into the environment here.”

Decisions on scholarship recipients will be made by the Kramer deans with input from faculty and program specialists. Preference will be given to Oklahoma students.

Cook said the scholarship will hopefully attract more nursing students.

“It’s going to mean an increase in numbers for us,” Cook said.

“With the downturn in the economy in recent years, our numbers have dropped off some, and we’re hoping that this will see a return.”

Kelly Pan, nursing senior, said the scholarship could increase the number of freshmen in the nursing program.

“It will increase how many people we get as freshmen because right now, a lot of nursing students transfer in from other schools,” Pan said. “People will be more enticed to come here for their prerequisites and not just as an upperclassman.”

The application for the scholarship is available at okcu.edu/ nursing/kramer-way-scholarship. Applicants must submit the required materials by June 30 to be considered for the fall semester.

Hope Melton Student Publications

She shoots, she scores Freshman Center Abby Selzer shoots the ball at the Feb. 21 game against the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center. The Stars won 65-53. Their next game is Friday in Abe Lemons Arena to kick off the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament. The game time was unavailable at presstime.

Officials improve technology in business auditorium Luke Barrett

STAFF WRITER

Campus Technology Services officials renovated the KerrMcGee Auditorium to improve the technology and functionality of the space.

The Kerr-McGee Auditorium is located in Meinders School of Business on the first floor. It can seat 250 people and is useful for film showings or presentations, according to okcu.edu. The renovations, which began last spring, were completed Friday.

The renovations cost about $112,456, paid for by the budgets from campus tech and the Meinders School of Business. Gerry Hunt, chief information officer of campus technology, said KerrMcGee Auditorium was a budget priority for campus tech this fiscal year, and he worked with the Meinders deans to agree on renovations and costs to improve the space.

“The Kerr-McGee was due some updates in terms of the technology in the space, and also to adapt to the way it’s being used, so with that in mind, Campus Technology Services partnered with the Meinders School of Business to design out upgrades that will make this a better space, a more usable space that really fits what our needs are to that room,” Hunt said.

He said one of the main issues with the room’s old layout was the projector. Any maintenance or projector issues required using a ladder to reach the projector. During projections or films, if there was foot traffic on the above floor, the projector would shake slightly, possibly causing motion sickness to viewers. Use of the projector also necessitated lowering the room’s shades to prevent washing out the projection.

The projector was removed, and a video wall was added.

Renovations began last spring, but the original video wall did not meet the team’s expectations, so a new one was brought in to finish the project. It is a composite of nine smaller screens, Hunt said, and it will be bright enough that the shades will not need to be lowered while using it. The video wall will have 4K

Luke Barrett Student Publications The audio renovations in Kerr-McGee Auditorium in Meinders School of Business. Campus Technology Services officials completed renovations Friday on the 250-seat auditorium.

video capability.

The auditorium’s old lectern was replaced with a smaller, sleeker one with the goal of blocking the screen less.

“That lectern has technology in it—a huge touch screen panel that allows you manipulate everything in the room from the screen, what sources you’re going to send to the screen, you can control the shades, lifting them up and down all from the lectern,” Hunt said. “Everything right there will be at the fingertips of whoever’s presenting.”

Renovations also include a complete audio overhaul, so the room will have surround sound and has been equipped with subwoofers.

“Again, that’s nothing visual you will see, but it will definitely be something you will notice when you hear sound in the room,” he said.

Another about 90-inch screen was added to the room in front of the right auditorium seats, so people sitting in the corners without good visuals on the main screen still can view whatever is being

presented, Hunt said. The side screen also can show a different presentation from the main wall, such as additional information on an event or speaker.

The room is now equipped with dedicated microphones.

Previously, campus tech officials had to bring in and remove mics for events, but the room now has a set of wireless handheld microphones and lavalier microphones which can be attached to a person’s ear.

The new system also allows for wireless presentation. Any mobile devices, including laptops and smartphones, can connect to the room through AirMedia by downloading an app, Hunt said. This allows a speaker to present from anywhere in the room.

Hunt said the reason for this decision was some of the technology growing troublesome and an overhaul being more effective than replacing things in portions. Organizations and groups on and off campus use Kerr-McGee to host events, so it’s highly visible.

Trae Trousdale, mass communications sophomore, said he was glad to hear the auditorium was undergoing renovations. Trousdale used it while coordinating for Rising Stars, a multicultural visitation day collaborated on by several student organizations.

“I think that it’s probably for the better. I’m very excited that we were able to renovate it,” he said.

Kelsey Cooper, economics freshman, said she hopes the improvements will better the sound design of the auditorium.

“I feel like the new upgrades would greatly improve any experience within the auditorium,” she said. “I distinctly remember attending a business luncheon before I had even enrolled at OCU and panicking because I could not hear the speakers because the microphones kept failing, and I was only sitting in the fourth row.”

Career Services officials to provide job opportunities with pop-up events Caroline Hawthorne

STAFF WRITER

Career Services officials are beginning School Pop-up Days to provide career guidance to more students.

School Pop-up Days are events where Tiffany Smith, director of career services, and Kanika Brown, assistant director of career services, will visit different schools and provide services including help with resumes, cover letters and personal statements. Food and raffle prizes will also be available.

Smith said her team had discussed ways to reach out to more students and had considered this idea for a while.

“We were trying to find more ways to be visible with the schools, and because we’re in Meinders School of Business, we February 27, 2019

may seem far away from other schools,” she said. “This is our way to provide more visibility.”

Their first pop-up event was Feb. 12 in Room 151 in Walker Center for Arts and Sciences.

“We had a lot of students come on by in between classes, which is what we were aiming for,” Smith said. “Our hopes are to be in a visible spot where we can hit a lot of student traffic. They can come up with anything—our goal is to be at a certain school for a few hours to show we can help with anything.”

Smith said they will visit Kramer School of Nursing next from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday in the student lounge in Kramer East, and they will provide pizza. She also scheduled a pop-up event for music students from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. April 9 in the atrium in Wanda L. Bass Music Center. Smith said she also

is working with Emily Wilkinson, student services coordinator for theater, to arrange a pop-up day for the School of Theater.

Jacqueline Bennett, acting senior and Career Services student professional, said the program’s goal is to provide more help to students across campus.

“We’re coming to you because coming to Meinders can be really hard,” she said. “Ideally, we’ll go to the theater schools and the science and mathematic ones. We want to be more accessible to students, so we’re coming to you.”

Students may email careerservices@okcu.edu if they have questions.

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