Feb 22 by MediaOCU

THE CAMPUS

February 22, 2017 – Volume 110 Issue 45

Students stuck outside buildings during campus lockdown Miguel Rios EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The lockdown last week was issued to keep students safe inside school buildings, but some were stuck outside waiting for it to end. A drive-by shooting near campus caused officials to issue the lockdown Feb. 15 when a witness reported that the suspect drove onto campus. Kaleb Ogle, business senior, received the Blue Alert while driving to class. When he arrived at Meinders School of Business, one of his friends was waiting outside by his car, already locked out of the building. “We sat by our trucks for a bit and watched students walk up to the doors then walk away,” Ogle said. “We ended up sitting on the bench by the globe outside Meinders to wait it out, not realizing it would be a 40-minute ordeal.” While they waited, two other students joined them on the bench, he said. “Finally a cop came up to us and said ‘y’all oughta just go back to your vehicles,’ so we walked back to our cars,” Ogle said. “I decided to leave and, 30 seconds later, got the message saying it was all clear, so I went back and ended up going into my class.” Students stuck outside during a lockdown should find somewhere to lock themselves in or get into their cars, said Bradd Brown, chief of police. “It’s really hard to predict everybody’s situation,” he said. “What we want to do is provide the most information we can by Blue Alert to give people the knowledge of what’s going on so they can make decisions for themselves.” Campus police assisted some students who were stuck outside. “We actually helped a few students get into a building,” Brown said. “Our officers were present, of course, and they unlocked the doors to get them inside.” Campus police are always looking for ways to improve, so they met with Lee Brown, the university’s risk manager, to review feedback

and discuss the situation, Bradd Brown said. Lee Brown said campus police did a phenomenal job with the lockdown and providing information, but identified some areas to improve on. “We received reports of some faculty not having full understanding of their role and responsibility as it relates to a lockdown or a shelter in place,” he said. “We also want to educate students on what to do if they’re outside during an event like this.” Students should take a certain level of responsibility in emergency situations and do what’s best for them in the moment, Lee Brown said. He said that, if stuck outside, students should seek shelter elsewhere like a dorm or go to their cars and drive away. He also said every campus computer should have a desktop alert system that takes over the screen and announces a Blue Alert. If faculty or staff are not receiving those, they need to contact Campus Tech as soon as possible. Officials at the meeting also discussed ways to distinguish between a shelter-in-place situation and a lockdown. Shelter-in-place alerts are issued when students need to be away from an outside hazard, typically weather-related. A lockdown is issued when there’s a hostile or dangerous intruder on campus and doors need to be locked. Campus police sent an email Monday detailing emergency procedures and how to act in each situation. “We need to engage a little bit more and train a little bit harder. We need to put safety a little bit more on the forefront of people’s minds,” Lee Brown said. “We don’t want to create an environment of constant worry, fear and always looking over your shoulder, but we also want people to maintain a certain level of vigilance.” Overall, Bradd Brown said he thought the lockdown was handled smoothly. “For the most part, it went pretty well,” he said. “People were able to get inside and get locked down.”

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Talk Back “What was your lockdown experience?”

“We were up in FA 403. We get this message, and we thought it was a joke. We’re like ‘LOL, lockdown.’ Kristen Cerelli is in the room next door, and the doors don’t lock in that room because FA is janky as crap. She brings her whole class in, and we sit on the floor. Kristin was very scared, and Judy was so seriously gonna kill herself for all of us. But they kept us informed, so A+.”

“We were in the police office. We went in there, one of our friends was paying a ticket, and as soon as we walked through the door they were just like, ‘So we’re on lockdown, come in, shut the door, you can just stay with us.’ It was a little concerning. We didn’t really know what was going on, but I felt like we were pretty safe.”

Shendra Stevens acting freshman

Jennifer Wilson nursing senior

Continued on Page 2

Student continues working on universitywide recycling program Zoe Travers NEWS EDITOR

The Repurposing Club’s proposal for recycling bins on campus failed, resulting in further discussion of on-campus recycling. Student senators approved the bill Feb. 3, but Nic Rhodes, Student Government Association president, vetoed it, saying the Senate needed more time to discuss the bill due to concerns about practicality. Senators met Feb. 8 and unanimously decided to sustain the veto. The original bill asked for about $760 to fund the placement of 200 recycling bins in United Methodist Hall. The program’s goal was to urge students to place recycling bins outside their doors on assigned days of the week, according to the proposal. After Rhodes’s veto, several students spoke out in support of the bill. Arrash Allahyar, cell and molecular biology senior,

sent an email Feb. 8 to all members of the Honors Program urging them to support the bill. Despite several students’ emails to senators, the Senate agreed to sustain Rhodes’s veto. “I think it became clear to the senators that there are alternative routes to recycling,” Rhodes said. Rhodes said he has discussed alternatives, such as a smaller pilot program and the approval of housing and facilities workers. “We’ll need to utilize all of the school’s programs so we can make it the best program it can be,” Rhodes said. “I really appreciate the Senate for looking at the facts and making a decision based on that information.” Monica Hiller, elementary education junior and speaker of the Senate, said she originally supported the bill because she saw support from students, but she reconsidered after speaking with Rhodes. “What really got me think-

I think this will eventually come to fruition one way or another. Whoever’s budget it comes out of, it doesn’t matter. It’s going to happen because it needs to and there’s enough people who care about it.

Ken Williams chemistry senior

ing was that there wasn’t a lot of research prior to the bill being written,” Hiller said. She said she would be willing to fund a pilot program requesting 75 bins instead of 200. Hiller also said she would like to see data proving that students will use the bins and that the program will work in compliance with Oklahoma City’s recycling process. “I am in favor of recycling on campus,” Hiller said. “I think something needs to be done. I also think that what was presented is not the best start.” Hiller said she received several emails urging her to con-

sider approval. “I was very pleased to see students and faculty emailing me in support of the bill,” Hiller said. “I loved seeing SGA involved.” Ken Williams, chemistry senior, formed the Repurposing Club and introduced the bill. Williams said he will work with SGA to present a resolution to the administration proposing that money be placed in the facilities budget to fund the project. Williams spoke with Michael Burns, director of housing and residence life, about making the recycling bins part of housing

fees. The bins would come with the room just as the furniture does, and students would be responsible for them and fined if they remove them. Williams said recycling would be beneficial to the students and would improve the university’s image of ecological awareness. “This really just needs to happen,” Williams said. “It’s pathetic that it hasn’t happened yet.” He said he hopes students will support the Repurposing Club while they work to have the bill approved. Williams said he would especially appreciate the support of underclassmen who can continue the program. Members of the Honors Program and TriBeta, the biology fraternity, came forward in support of the Repurposing Club’s plans. “I think this will eventually come to fruition in one way or another,” Williams said. “Whoever’s budget it comes out of, it doesn’t matter. It’s going

to happen because it needs to and there’s enough people who care about it.” Williams said his plans for the Repurposing Club include composting food from the caf that would otherwise be thrown out. “College is the perfect environment to set people up to do a little bit of something to help the huge global issue that’s really going to be on the forefront of our generation’s minds throughout our lives,” he said. Williams said he hopes student-led action will lead to similar programs in the future. Students can join the Repurposing Club by joining their Facebook group, OCU Repurposing Club. For more information, email Williams at kowilliams@my.okcu.edu.

Religious solicitors on campus disturb, pressure students Sage Tokach ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Some students have expressed discomfort when people visit campus to promote their religions. The most frequently seen group consists of elderly men from Gideon International, an evangelical Christian organization, who station themselves on sidewalks around the quad to pass out free miniature Bibles. Letting the group onto campus is a bad idea, said Melaina Riley, religion junior. “I think here at OCU, especially in the religion world, we work really hard to make sure we are welcoming and accepting and accommodating of everybody,” Riley said. “Religion has such a negative connotation for a lot of people, and, by having people who don’t necessarily agree with our theology here from off campus, we run the risk of undoing all the work we’ve put in.” Off-campus entities must go through an approval process and follow a set of soliciting rules to be let onto campus. Any religion-related solicitations must seek approval through the office of Religious Life, according to Page 20 of the student handbook. Elizabeth Horton-Ware, director of religious life, said she sets

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up a meeting with anyone who emails or calls about wanting to promote their religion at OCU. “Student groups from here get precedent over outside groups, but, either way, we will discuss the group’s background and intentions before permitting them to solicit,” Horton-Ware said. “I’m new this year, so I haven’t spoken with the Gideon group, but I met with one group of Christians who wanted to come onto campus. They had no specific church affiliation, and we had no background with them, so I declined their request.” Officials historically have permitted them to hand out Bibles under the condition that they do not approach or pressure students, said Rita Himes, church relations administrative assistant. Meagan Chew, acting senior, said she doesn’t mind if the group offers her a Bible, but she doesn’t think the group respects the views of other religions. “Last semester I was asked four different times on the way to my 8 a.m. class if I wanted a New Testament, and they kept shoving the books in my face, even when I said ‘no thank you’ several times,” Chew said. “I can get them off my back by telling them that I’m Jewish, but I feel completely judged afterward, as they usually give me a really dirty look. I respect that they are on campus and that they can have different views from me. Why can’t they respect my religious views in return?”

Dr. Charles Neff, vice president for university-church relations, sent an email Feb. 9 to the campus community in response to a report of proselytization-promotion of a religion or belief for the purpose of conversion-where people from an off-campus group aggressively attempted to get students off campus to baptize them. “The university promotes religious dialogue and faith sharing, but never for the purpose of proselytizing and never in an aggressive or demeaning manner,” Neff wrote in the email. Neff encouraged students to alert campus police at 405-2085001 if they encounter someone behaving in a similar way. Not all students oppose the outside promotion of religion. Abigail Padgett, nursing senior, said she values the visitors’ missions but wishes there was more of a personal connection. “I feel the personal, intentional relationships built on any foundation, especially that of faith, could be a more effective outreach method,” Padgett said. “I think God uses their presence for good, regardless, but I see our college campus needing more personal and relational-centered mission work.”

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opinion Students encouraged to take Blue Alert messages seriously Blue Alerts can be annoying, but they’re also extremely valuable. Not only do they announce snow days and other weather-related events, but they keep the campus safe in potentially dangerous situations like last week’s lockdown. After a drive-by shooting near the school on Wednesday, officials issued a lockdown via Blue Alert. Blue Alert is the university’s way of alerting the campus of emergency situations and need-to-know information. “We can’t predict every situation that somebody will be in, but we do believe that we have to give them the knowledge so they’re able to make decisions for themselves,” said Bradd Brown, chief of police. The lockdown was stressful to some staff, faculty and students, but the fact that Blue Alerts kept providing information made the situation easier to handle. In the about 45

minutes that the university was on lockdown, seven Blue Alert messages were issued with varying information. The campus community was updated on what the situation was and whether anyone on campus was injured. Once the lockdown was cleared, President Robert Henry sent out an email about the situation. In the email, Henry commended campus police for their work. Some students said the Blue Alerts were helpful. “I think they kept us moderately informed,” said Kaleb Ogle, marketing senior. “We kept checking Blue Alerts and whatnot. I ended up just streaming the news, though, so I had a better idea of where and when everything was going on.” Some didn’t take the Blue Alert seriously, though, instead taking to social media to make jokes about the situation. Although laughing is a good way to relieve stress, an emergency

Talk Back (cont'd from Page 1) “What was your lockdown experience?”

lockdown is no laughing matter. Students should take Blue Alert messages seriously and follow instructions closely, even when the message says it’s a drill. Furthermore, if students aren’t receiving Blue Alert notifications, they need to sign up for them as soon as possible. If students are signed up but not receiving notifications, the phone number listed might be incorrect. To sign up or change a number, students can log in to BlueLink and click on “View/ Update Blue Alert” in the Home tab, bluelink.okcu.edu. Students will then be prompted to enter a network ID and password. This will sign them up for Blue Alert notifications through phone and email. So sign up, pay attention and stay alert.

“It was a little scary, but all our teachers knew what to do."

“I was studying for a test that got canceled as a result of the lockdown.“

Anna Caison Boyd dance freshman

Lucas Haupert acting senior

“I wasn't feeling too endangered. I just stayed in my room.”

“I was in my room. I slept through it, actually.”

Michal Roguski chemistry freshman

Misael Martinez finance senior

“I was just outside when I got the message. I was a little bit freaked out."

“I was in the costume shop, so I had needles and weapons.”

Leondre Lattimore studio art freshman

Sarah Lubaroff dance freshman

Amy Winehouse documentary provides new perspective on the artist The death of Amy Winehouse in 2011 didn’t so much come as a shock to casual fans. It was more of a sad, predictable ending. Years before her death, stories of her issues with drugs and alcohol had come to the surface to the point that it became a running joke among comedians and late night talk show hosts. There was mourning for the loss of a tremendous talent, but not much sympathy for the death of a well-known addict. That view has changed gradually in the last couple of years. Thanks to a 2015 documentary about her life that was

met with critical acclaim, viewers saw a different side of the troubled singer, one that helped fans understand the struggle her so called “easy life” had become. Directed by Asif Kapadia and named simply Amy, the 2015 documentary is available for free on Amazon Prime. The most fascinating aspect of the documentary is the astounding amount of private videos and recordings the filmmakers are able to show of the singer. Pulled from home movies, outtakes and even paparazzi photos and videos, audiences are granted more access to

Danielle Petersen is a violin performance graduate from San Jose, Calif. She likes playing with her cat and watching films.

Winehouse’s personal life than anyone would have thought possible. With this extensive footage, Kapadia is able to form a complete story without having to film anything or even show the interviews that took place with Amy’s family and friends. It’s refreshing to not have to see

the same format that countless other docs have used to deathshowing the interviewee, cutting briefly to a photo or video that relates to what is being said, and then back to the person talking. Using only the audio from the interviews, the audience is able to watch the footage from a close perspective, less like an

outside viewer and more like someone in Winehouse’s inner circle. Knowing what is really going through her mind as she’s being filmed offers a chance to see things from Amy’s point of view instead of what the tabloid news reported. Even moments that were televised at the time, like when she won the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album, are radically changed because now the audience knows exactly what she was dealing with at that moment. If you’re like me, this film will give you a new appreciation for the late singer, and not just from a talent-oriented perspec-

tive. The endless stream of cameras watching her every move becomes truly sickening, and seeing people revel in someone’s struggles leaves a bad feeling in the pit of one’s stomach. Instead of seeing an addict destroy themselves with drugs and alcohol, with Amy, you see a person struggling to deal with the horrors of intense fame and an unreliable inner circle. As far as documentaries go, this may be one of the more powerful pieces I have seen. This film is highly recommended.

Spain still feels magical, even when columnist finds home Living in a city like Madrid begins to feel ordinary once you take the same metro every day and walk the same street home every afternoon. The shops become familiar. You begin to recognize the same people every morning. But you only need to see the familiar from a different perspective, and things become surreal. After about a month of being in Spain, I went home a different way than I normally do. A friend and I decided to go get lunch at VIPS, a restaurant chain

famous for its United States style food-hamburgers, pancakes, eggs, and bacon. One thing you can be certain of is that VIPS has nothing on Oklahoma City's Bev’s, and you can’t really expect it to. VIPS can’t even reach IHOP status, and while IHOP still is a good place to get your pancake fix, that’s the most standard, commercial pancake you could get in the U.S. Plainly put, Spain can’t do U.S. breakfast food. And it’s true, you’d be hard pressed to find really good Spanish jamòn or churros con choco-

Madelyn Parker is an English and studio art sophomore who loves to rant about feminism and tell stories. She's currently studying in Spain. Visit MediaOCU.com to follow her abroad column.

late in the U.S. either. That’s the trade-off when experiencing new cultures. The good thing about going to VIPS, though, was that it is near my host family’s flat, and I got to see more of the barrio that I live in than I had before. I chose to walk home a different way than I’d

come, cutting through streets that I don’t have to take to get to the metro. It was strange having one part of me not know where I was and the other part of me recognize the park that I pass on my way to school. It felt like I was in a movie about a big city girl who has her life

together, and I knew I wasn’t the sidekick. I was seeing views I hadn’t seen before and little restaurants I hadn’t known about, but it was all the way it was meant to be. I was supposed to be there. It was new but familiar. I encountered an intersection I walk by every day and could see down streets that are normally out of my line of vision, and the world around me was vast once again. Even after I began to get used to Madrid, I still am not a part of her. I am made of wide pastures and single

stoplight towns. Oklahoma City runs through my veins, but, by comparison, it by no means makes me a city girl. So t h e b u i l d i n g s o f Madrid, her side streets and small pastelerias will feel magical to me, even after I find a ghost of home at VIPS. Though I have made my own home here in Spain, it’s a place I have begun to miss months before I’ll have to leave it. It’s a place unlike anywhere I have ever lived before.

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

WEDNESDAY Black Histor y Month Film Festival from 5:30-8 p.m. in Shdeed Lounge in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center 5-on-5 basketball from 8-11 p.m. in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center THURSDAY Chapel from 1-2 p.m. in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel Women's basketball vs. Southwestern Assemblies of God

from 6-7:45 p.m. in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center Free Movie Night from 7-11 p.m. at Harkins Bricktown Cinemas 16, 150 E. Reno Ave. Men's basketball vs. Southwestern Assemblies of God from 8-9:45 p.m. in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center FRIDAY Stars Junior Day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Meinders School of Business

TheatreOCU presents: Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play at 7:30 p.m. in City Space Theater at the Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave. Project 21 Concert at 8 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center SATURDAY Baseball vs. Texas A&M-Texarkana at 10 a.m. at Jim Wade Stadium Baseball vs. Tabor at 3 p.m. at Jim Wade Stadium TheatreOCU presents: Mr. Burns,

a Post-Electric Play at 1:30 p.m. in City Space Theater at the Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave.

at 10 a.m. at Jim Wade Stadium

Kyle David Rudolph's junior voice recital from 2-2:30 p.m. in the small rehearsal hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

TheatreOCU presents: Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play at 1:30 p.m. in City Space Theater at the Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave.

TheatreOCU presents: Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play at 7:30 p.m. in City Space Theater at the Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave.

5-on-5 basketball from 8-11 p.m. in Abe Lemons Arena in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center

SUNDAY Baseball vs. Texas A&M-Texarkana

Ali Funkhouser's junior music theater recital from 8-8:30 p.m.

February 22, 2017, Volume 110, Number 45

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

Samantha Schneider-Behen's senior vocal performance recital from 8-9 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center MONDAY Evensong worship service at 8 p.m. in Watson Lounge in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel TUESDAY Recommended deadline to apply for financial aid for summer and fall 2017

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

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

Baseball vs. Tabor at 3 p.m. at Jim Wade Stadium

in the small rehearsal hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

The Student Publications staff welcomes unsolicited material and let-

Ad/Marketing Director: Madison Clark Ad Representatives: Jonathan May Circulation Director: Brianna Demuth Faculty Adviser: Kenna Griffin

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

February 22, 2017

news Business organization advances to national competition Nathan Moelling STAFF WRITER

OCU’s Distributive Education Clubs of America chapter represented Meinders School of Business in a regional competition on Jan. 7. The regional competition advanced qualifiers to the national competition. DECA is an organization at the high school and college level that focuses on preparing students for their careers. They specialize in the industries of marketing, finance, hospitality, and entrepreneurship. “At the competition, you either compete in a case study or you compete with a presen-

tation over a business plan or a business study,” said MaKenzi Fox, marketing freshman. “We competed in the business research category, and we researched marketing strategies for a local business, and we won.” Fox’s team consists of three students besides herself: Raymond Bendita, accounting sophomor; Elias Dominguez, software engineering junior, and Kaleb Ogle, marketing senior. They are the first group of students to represent Meinders at a collegiate DECA competition. With their regional victory, they will travel in April to Anaheim, California to compete at nationals. “DECA has changed my

life,” Fox said. “I was in DECA in high school, and it prepared me for college in so many ways.” The scholarships are offered to business students who placed in the state DECA competition at the high school level. “It is one of the main reasons I am at OCU today, and I am so grateful for all of the opportunities DECA gives me to not only develop my business skills but my character as well,” Fox said. Maranda Kitchingham, director of outreach and special projects, was unavailable for comment last week.

Donut rush me!

Elina Moon Student Publications

Maddie Williams, dance sophomore, picks out a doughnut during Alpha Chi Omega’s “DONUT let love hurt” on Feb. 17, where students paid a $5 entry fee for unlimited doughnuts. The event was part of the sorority’s Domestic Violence Awareness Week. A variety of doughnuts were provided from Dunkin’ Donuts and Hurts Donut Company.

Methodist organizations offer scholarships for Fall 2017 Chandler White COPY EDITOR

Two organizations are providing students with thousands of dollars in financial aid. The United Methodist Higher Education Foundation and the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry are giving scholarships and loans to students who attend Methodist-based universities. UMHEF and GBHEM are national, Methodist-founded organizations that provide opportunities for church members or any student who attends college at a Methodist-based institution. OCU students can apply for scholarships or loans to help pay their tuition. Funds range between $500 and $2,000, depending on the scholarship or loan. Scholarships from GBHEM are reserved exclusively for members of the United Methodist Church, requiring proof of membership in the form of a letter from the student’s home church or other related document verifying active church involvement for

February 22, 2017

one year, or, for international scholarships, three years. Many of the scholarships from UMHEF, however, are available to OCU students of any faith due to their attendance at a Methodist-based university. “Some are reserved for United Methodist students,” said Charles Neff, vice president for university church relations. “Others are available to students that study at United Methodist-affiliated colleges, so just by virtue of their enrollment here at OCU, they’ll be eligible for those scholarships.” Scholarships can all be applied for through generalized, online applications, one for each organization. The basic requirements of each scholarship or loan vary, and the results of the form indicate what scholarships a student is eligible for based on the information. GPA requirements generally range from 2.50 to 3.0, depending on the scholarship. UMHEF offers a specialized program called “Dollars for Scholars,” which offers one-year members of the United Methodist Church a scholarship that can potentially total up to $4,000. The system works so that if a student’s home church offers $1,000, then

UMHEF will match it with another $1,000, and the participating United Methodist-related schools and UMC Conference Foundations will each match with another $1,000. The funds from the Dollars for Scholars program can go towards things beyond tuition as well, such as textbooks and housing. Of all the Methodist-based universities, OCU tied this year for the number of students attending who received money from Dollars for Scholars, the count being 67 students. “These scholarships are so helpful, especially for those like myself entering into the ministry,” said John Vick, religion freshman and Dollars for Scholars recipient. “I believe John Wesley would be proud of what the United Methodist denomination is doing for students.” The deadline for all scholarships and loans from both organizations is March 1. Applications and more information can be found on their websites gbhem.org and umhef.org.

lifestyles

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Elina Moon Student Publications

Unbreakable

Sophia Macias, music theater senior, plays “Ruth,” while Gavin Guthrie, music theater sophomore, and Gavin Drew, music theater freshman, play her two dead sons in the mainstage opera Dark Sisters. The show was performed Feb. 17- 19 in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. The next opera, The Juniper Tree, is March 3-8 in Burg Theater in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. Above: Kay Frazier and Karlye Whitt, vocal performance seniors; Monica Thompson, music theater/vocal performance senior; and Rachel Weisbart, music theater sophomore, give an interview on live television in Dark Sisters. The show centers around a polygamist family struggling to get their children back. The composer, Nico Muhly, attended the performance and gave a pre-show talk on Feb. 17.

Mind and body:

OCU’s Relay For Life organization ranks first in state, seventh in nation Taylor Rey STAFF WRITER

OCU’s Relay For Life team recently came in seventh in the nation for the Pack the Track challenge due to the increase in participants this year. Relay For Life is the official fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, run by volunteers across the U.S. and 20 other countries. Relay is an event where team members take turns walking around a path all night to signify that “cancer doesn’t sleep.” “Nineteen thousand people in Oklahoma will have gotten cancer in 2016. We did the math and guesstimated that that means 969 people would be affected or get cancer on our campus,” said Sarah Cason, psychology senior. “This is very relevant and more common than you would think. That’s why donating money and raising awareness is so important.” The Pack the Track recruitment challenge is an annual challenge to encourage participants to register. Groups with the most participation win prizes. OCU ranked seventh in the nation and first in the area with a 629 percent increase in participation. “The challenge is actually judged on percentages and not numbers so that OCU can still compete with bigger schools

Relay For Life, for me, is not just a fundraiser. It’s something that everyone can be a part of.

Evie Simons political science senior

like OSU and OU,” Cason said. “For winning this challenge, we actually get a balloon arch that we get to display at Relay. I’m really excited for it.” The “Fund the Mission” challenge is underway and will end Feb. 24. The challenge typically takes place all in one day, but, due to students’ busy schedules, OCU Relay For Life is hosting it for one week. Student volunteers will man tables outside the caf all week to sell luminaria for students to decorate the Relay path. Luminaria are small paper bags that are illuminated from the inside with a

candle. They can be decorated to honor a loved one who struggled with cancer. Other upcoming fundraising events include “Give Cancer the Boot,” where students can donate money to help fill a boot with donations; “Kiss Cancer Away,” where students can tape a cut-out of lips onto a board to create a collage, and “Billy on the Street,” where OCU Relay will take over the OCU Snapchat on Feb. 24 to feature students who want to give donations. “Relay For Life, for me, is not just a fundraiser. It’s something that everyone can be a part of,” said Evie Simons, political science senior. “My Mom had two scares where they thought she had thyroid cancer, and, though it came back negative both times, those two weeks were very scary for me when I had to start thinking, ‘am I going to have to watch my Mom get sick and her hair fall out and possibly die?’ That really made it more real for me.” Relay For Life is from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on April 8-9. For more information, follow OCU Relay on Twitter and Instagram @OCURelayforLife and on Facebook @ RelayforLifeOCU.

Honors students, counseling services partner for mental health marathon Nicole Waltman WEB EDITOR

OCU Counseling Services and the Honors Student Council executive team are hosting a “Mental Health Marathon” that spans three Fridays. The marathon is a series of events regarding different aspects of mental health. The first two events were Jan. 10 and Jan. 17. “We as Honors Student Council were thinking about some of the stress and problems that people at OCU face,” said Sylvia Hayes, cell and molecular biology senior and president of HSC. “We kind of wondered if there was anything we could do about it, so we thought the best thing we could do was raise mental health awareness and open the conversation in hopes of getting people to think about it.” The first session revolved around general mental health awareness, and the second was about building healthy relationships. About 20 students attended each session so far. Some professors were at the most recent session to share their

Our main purpose is just to remind people that it’s okay to not be okay, and there’s always people you can go to and ways you can handle it. Sylvia Hayes honors student council president

personal insights with students, Hayes said. “I think it’s cool that they’re doing more to bring awareness to mental health,” said Christina Stewart, theater performance junior. “It’s super beneficial just because mental health is something so many college kids struggle with. I think we need to know that we’re not alone in that and know that there are resources available to us.” The entire campus community is invited to attend the events. Each event features things like movie clips, food,

activities, and an open place to come and talk, Hayes said. “OCU counseling has been a big help,” Hayes said. “Mindy does a lot of the programming, and we just sort of fill in as needed.” Mindy Windholz, director of counseling services, is in attendance at every session. Hayes said more faculty participation would be beneficial. “We’re hoping to get students and professors to kind of come together because professors have way more insight about life than we do,” Hayes said. The final session will be March 3 and will be about stress and perfectionism. It’s scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. in the Honors Student Lounge in Gold Star Memorial Building. “There’s a lot of stigmatization around mental health,” Hayes said. “But we’re not trying to fix anybody or tell anybody that they’re bad. Our main purpose is just to remind people that it’s okay to not be okay, and there’s always people you can go to and ways you can handle it.”

Officials plan eating disorder panel to raise awareness Adrianna DelPercio STAFF WRITER

Officials are hosting a National Eating Disorders Awareness Week panel. The Oklahoma Eating Disorder Association is working with OCU Counseling Services to bring the panel to campus. The panelists will discuss eating disorders, the signs and how to recover from them. The discussion will be at 7 p.m. Feb. 27 in Room 214 of the Dulaney-Browne Library. The women speaking at the event will be Paulette Pitt, Deanna James and Michelle Hill. February 22, 2017

Pitt has a doctorate degree in neuropsychology and specializes in assessment, psychology and psychotherapy. James has a counseling license and is a certified eating disorder specialist. Hill has a counseling license as well. It is the first year officials have brought a panel to speak for NEDA week. “We did it this year because we are wanting to get awareness out there about it. On campus, being kind of a theater, dance school, we see a lot of issues with disordered eating and questions about nutrition,” said Lori Finley, OCU counselor. Eating disorders are common on college campuses, but there has been a high amount of

reports regarding eating disorders and nutrition concerns here at OCU, Finley said. Kelly Pan, nursing freshman, said officials are doing a great thing by bringing this panel on campus. “Eating disorders are very prominent everywhere, but especially here at this school because obviously performance things can be very look-based,” Pan said. The discussion is free to the campus community, and anyone is welcome to bring questions they wish to ask the panel. For more information, email info@okeatingdisorders.org or call (405) 418-4448.

Elina Moon Student Publications

Feel the love Jordan Tarter, English sophomore, writes a love poem for Poetry on Demand on Feb. 11 in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. Sigma Tau Delta, the English fraternity, hosted the event as a Valentine’s Day activity. There are two more Poetry on Demand events planned for the semester on March 29 and April 12.