Feb 7

THE CAMPUS February 7, 2018 – Volume 111 Issue 16

Students, staff to celebrate black history Miguel Rios

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Members of the Black Student Association and university officials planned events to celebrate Black History Month and to honor black leaders.

February has been designated as Black History Month by every president since 1976.

Each president endorses a theme for the month. This year’s theme is “African Americans in Times of War,” marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, according to history.com.

Housing officials are facilitating one of the first events. It is a Black History Museum, which will be a walking tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Friday in Walker Hall dormitory.

Russ Tallchief, director of student engagement, inclusion and multicultural programs, said he’s happy to see involvement from different parts of the campus community.

“To participate in Black History Month is really the type of thing that we try to encourage, for one thing, but are just really happy to see from people who are committed to celebrating diversity and the cultural heritage of our students on campus,” Tallchief said.

BSA Secretary Destini Carrington, psychology sophomore, said Black History Month is when she feels the most comfortable in her skin.

“It’s a time where I can

personally be unapologetically black,” Carrington said. “A time when I don’t have to hold back or censor myself for anyone else’s opinions of how they think I should act or present myself.”

BSA’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter will feature a “Black History Spotlight” each day to commemorate black people throughout history that don’t typically get much recognition.

“The purpose is to inform people that black people weren’t just slaves, got free, then MLK came and fought for us to have equal rights like most people learn in school,” said BSA Historian Lexi Metoyer, exercise science junior. “Black people invented important things that we use every day.”

Black History Spotlights have already featured people like Alexander Miles, who patented automatic elevator doors, and Dr. Daniel H. Williams, who performed the first successful open heart surgery.

“To me, Black History Month is about black pride,” Metoyer said. “You learn about Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Rosa Parks, but no one ever really talks about Angela Davis or Huey Newton.

“Black History Month is a month focused around black excellence, and I love it.”

Newton and Davis were Civil Rights activists and members of the Black Panthers, a political organization founded to challenge police brutality against

the African American community, according to history.com.

Newton co-founded the Black Panthers in 1966.

“Throughout this month, we reflect on all the steps African Americans have made to shape their legacy for the future generations to continue, hoping that one day true equality will be implemented and freedom would be a right to all people,” Carrington said. “This month is filled with letting everyone in the world know that this nation was built on the backs of people of color and should be reason enough for our lives to matter.”

BSA President Leondre Lattimore, art sophomore, said the events are beneficial for students.

“Black History Month is a great opportunity for students on campus to learn about our culture and history,” Lattimore said. “It’s also a great way to honor the black leaders before us that paved the way to get us to where we are now.”

Lattimore said he’s most excited for the Black History Celebration at 7 p.m. Friday in the Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. The event is free and open to the public. There will be various artistic performances.

“It’s just a night of us coming together to celebrate the month while enjoying the talent of different people within the community,” Carrington said.

Elina Moon Student Publications Taylor Blackman, acting senior, and Reoni Newsome, acting freshman, share a laugh during TheatreOCU’s The Bluest Eye. The office of Student Engagement, Inclusion and Multicultural Programs promoted the play as part of Black History Month. The Bluest Eye is based on a book by Toni Morrison about a foster child who’s told she’s ugly by her community, which associates beauty with whiteness. She wishes to have blue eyes to be beautiful. Performances were Feb. 1-4 in Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENTS:

Friday Black History Celebration 7 p.m. | Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Today through Friday Feb. 19 Black History Museum 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Walker Hall Film screening: 13th dormitory 7 p.m. | Oklahoma United Methodist Hall theater Thursday African movement and music Feb. 20 presentation with Ayinde Hurrey Game Night 2:30-3:45 p.m. | Burg Theatre in 7 p.m. | Cokesbury Court ApartKirkpatrick Fine Arts Center ments Clubhouse

Feb. 21 BSA Panel Discussion noon | Watson Lounge in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel Feb. 22 BSA Banquet 6 p.m. | Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center Feb. 23 Karaoke Night 7 p.m. | Cokesbury Court Apartments Clubhouse

Event to help prepare seniors for graduation Emily Wollenberg

ASSOCIATE WEB EDITOR

Seniors will get help this month to prepare for graduation.

Gateway to Graduation will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 14-15 in the campus bookstore in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center.

Representatives from various campus departments will be in the store to help seniors with graduation preparations including: - Registrar officials will verify graduation applications, - student account officials will assist with financial aid, - career services officials will help students with postgraduation plans, - graduate admissions officials will help students look for graduate school options, and - Jostens representatives will have order forms for announcements and class rings.

Jostens is a memorabilia manufacturer, specializing in yearbooks and class rings for various high schools and universities.

Bookstore Manager Christina Chapman said this is the first year officials are not doing pre-orders for cap and gowns.

Seniors will leave with their cap and gown when they attend.

“Students will just come in, and we will check your height and everything here, and then we’ll pull your gown and you will leave with them,” Chapman said.

Students will receive discounted prices for bookstore items during the event. Seniors who donate $18 to the alumni association for the senior gift will receive an 18 percent off coupon for merchandise in the bookstore.

The store will have 18 percent discounts on diploma frames and other alumni apparel. Jostens also will have special

discounted prices for rings and announcements.

Chapman said Starsky might attend the event and give hugs for Valentine’s Day. She also said seniors who cannot attend the event can go to the store anytime to pick up their caps and gowns.

“Jostens won’t be here then, but you can look online to order any of the stuff that you want,” she said. “They have rings and announcements, all that online.

If you’re not for sure what size you need in a ring, you can come by, and we do have ring sizers for them.”

Morgan Haney, music theater senior, said Gateway to Graduation will help students ensure they are prepared.

“It definitely feels like a onestop-shop kind of thing where you can walk in and make sure you have all your boxes checked for graduation,” Haney said.

“I think the event itself is very helpful to students.”

Haney said her OCU education made her feel confident for the “real” world.

“I think that OCU offers you a lot of varied opportunities to make you feel like you’re prepared,” she said.

“For me, that I’m prepared as an actor, but also that I am prepared to live as a person in the real world, which is a comforting thing.”

Haney said Gateway to Graduation should be advertised more to seniors.

“I had definitely heard of it, and I knew it was happening, but I had no idea when it was or what it was. I thought it was a career fair, but then I looked it up,” she said.

More information about Gateway to Graduation can be found at okcu.edu/ students/commencement/ gateway-to-graduation.

Official works to develop physical therapy graduate program for 2020 Callie Dewees

STAFF WRITER

A new physical therapy program may be coming to campus.

Dr. Maria Jones, clinical professor and director of physical therapy, is developing a graduate physical therapy program. The graduate program is planned to provide a doctor of physical therapy degree that will begin classes in June 2020.

The degree would be eight semesters long and combine didactic and clinical educa-

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tion. The requirements to apply would be: - completion of a bachelor’s degree, - both a science and cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, - a certain score on the Graduate Record Examination received in the last five years, and - three recommendations from various professional sources.

Jones began developing the program a year ago by submitting a plan to the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). It

is listed as a developing program, according to CAPTEonline.org.

“The exercise science degree track sets you up for PT school, but we don’t have a PT program here, and so I think they’re looking at streamlining that,” said Paige Caldwell, exercise science senior.

“I think if we do get a PT program here, there would be a lot more people coming to the school for that pre-PT program to go into it.”

Students who graduate from OCU with all of the necessary prerequisites would be guaran-

teed an interview for the doctorate program, Jones said. These prerequisites include the 3.0 GPA as well as 10 classes ranging from a behavioral science course to two chemistry courses.

A graduate cannot sit for their licensing exam unless they have graduated from an accredited program, meaning any students who participate in the first year would not be able to take their licensing exam until the program is accredited.

In case the program is not awarded accreditation, part of the application process to

CAPTE includes a contingency plan with schools that have agreed to take in students who apply to rejected programs.

“It’s one of the challenges of a developing program,” Jones said. “It’s a huge time and money commitment for OCU to start this process, so making sure we have all our ducks in a row, we follow all those rules, and we’re upfront about where we are in the process really serves us good in the long run.”

The program is scheduled to open applications in Spring 2019.

More informational sessions are scheduled to take place as the program gets closer to opening. A website also will be launched with information on the program and the application process.

Students can email Jones at mjones1@okcu.edu or Michael Harrington, director of graduate admissions, at maharrington@okcu.edu for more information.

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opinion Enjoy final semester in college as graduation approaches Graduation is less than three months away, but the semester’s work is nowhere near finished.

For seniors, the final semester may be easier than previous years simply because they’ve already made it through their more tedious courses. Often they don’t need to take as many hours as in previous years, and this extra free time allows students to better prepare for life after college, whether they’re applying for graduate programs, interviewing for jobs or internships or auditioning for theaters.

Extra time also allows students to spend more time with their friends and classmates. Seniors, this is your chance to cherish your last college months. Go to school functions like performances, sporting events and Midnight Breakfast. Spend your Stars Cash and use your student

discounts while you can. Accept invitations to outings with your classmates, even if they take you out of your comfort zone. For some of you, this is your last chance to be a college student.

That being said, remember that the real world is waiting for you in May, so don’t do anything that will screw up your future.

Go to the bars with your friends, but don’t drive home drunk and get a DUI. Stay up late watching movies with your roommates, but don’t sleep through the mandatory Spanish quiz you need to pass to get your foreign language credits.

Go on a spontaneous road trip with your buddies, but don’t spend all of your savings in the Vegas casinos.

“Senioritis” is a real problem for many who are graduating, but don’t let it take control of your work ethic. Stay on top

Talk Back “If you could choose the graduation speaker, who would it be?”

of your deadlines and finish the semester strong. Don’t get too far ahead of yourself. Just remember to have fun and that college is about the work and the experiences.

Four years of hard work in the same environment can lead to collegiate cabin fever, and it’s easy to get burnt out grinding through gen eds for so many months in a row, but it is possible to properly prepare for the future while enjoying the rest of your time at OCU. It’s a social privilege that many who can’t attend college don’t get to experience.

For this reason, Stars who are about to go out into the big, bad world would be wise to make the best of their small, blue campus while they still can.

“Dr. Miller. He inspires me a lot.”

“Steve Carell”

Aboubakr Diallo human performance junior

Ryan Hummel accounting junior

“Leslie Knope”

“Michael Scott”

Bequer Gomez mass communications junior

Tyler Berge accounting junior

“My mom”

“Nobody. It saves time.”

Lydia Mato criminal justice senior

Aaron Stafford film production senior

Shape of Water falls just short of 'Best Picture' expectations Thanks to Free Movie Night, I was able to see a film beloved by so many that it garnered itself the m o s t A c a d e m y Aw a r d nominations of any film this year, including “Best Picture.”

The Shape of Water is Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro’s latest venture. That’s a name you’ve probably come to associate with movies like Crimson Peak or, more famously, the haunting fairytale beauty, Pan’s Labyrinth. In these films, del Toro has gained a reputation for his darkly fantastical taste, equal parts morbid and whimsical. The Shape of Water doesn’t disappoint on this front.

The film follows “Elisa

Esposito,” a mute janitor working for a secret government laboratory in Baltimore during the Cold War era. One day, a strange semiamphibian, semi-humanoid creature is brought into the lab for analysis and, as ordered by grade-A douchebag “Colonel Richard Strickland,” eventual vivisection, all for the sake of defeating the Russians.

But, the more Elisa cleans the creature’s chamber, the more she seems to relate to it, care for it and even fall in love with it. This connection is enough to motivate her to try and help the creature escape its grisly fate, and it establishes a deep relationship between two voiceless individuals.

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

Del Toro’s trademark theme of authority opposing humanity is reflected in The Shape of Water, but with an interesting twist in the direction of diversity. Diversity is not just a happy coincidence in this film–it is vital to the heart of the film and its artistic ode to people of all colors, languages and orientations,

especially those who, much like Elisa and the creature, are voiceless.

This ethos lives in the visual metaphors as well, of which there are plenty: the resemblance of Elisa’s muterendering neck wound to the creature’s gills, the “Occam Aerospace Research Center” being a nod to the Occam’s

Oscar nominee for "Best Picture"

razor theory, the two dead fingers on Strickland’s hand rotting black to show what little difference lies between him and his cleaning staff, this connection between water and the innate worth of all human lives–all of it enough to keep the film theorist in me rambling for pages.

But, interesting and developed as it is, does all this really add up to a “Best Picture” nomination?

Watching this film just felt a little too straightforward. Elisa and the creature slide cleanly into a heart-toheart bond with little to no lead-up or delay, something a viewer can predict from stories like Beauty and the Beast. Strickland’s role is

well acted and easy to hate.

So easy to hate that he’s barely even a character, rather just a face for the viewer to glare at in place of a person with actual motivations other than “evil.”

As a result, The Shape of Water is a film with clear wrongs and rights, good guys and bad guys, and there’s nothing that interesting or questionable when examining the morality of each character.

Things like this don’t break the movie, and it’s still a movie I was glad to have seen.

The Shape of Water is one of the better pictures of this Oscar season, but it’s not the “Best Picture.”

Columnist encourages students to leave the drama behind I would like to address something that we all deal with on a small campus—drama.

We all claim to avoid the “hot goss,” but we have to admit that we secretly love to hear all of the dirty little details of other peoples’ personal lives.

I have noticed a trend in the OCU student body. I’ve talked to many students, who have asked to remain nameless, who have expressed similar disappointment. I’ve encountered many dramatic events in my time here at OCU, where I’ve thought to myself, “Didn’t I graduate from high school already?”

College is about making

friends, learning how to “adult” and getting a degree.

But college also has become specifically about cliques and drama.

Admittedly it is easy to fall into a clique. And, admittedly, it’s easy to hear something dramatic and immediately want to tell someone. It empowers us. We feel cool because we know things that other people don’t. It gives us a feeling of superiority. It doesn’t make us bad people, but it leads to heightened tension.

Is spreading information, regardless of its validity, really the best thing to do? Sure, some information is more pertinent, but often times it

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

does more harm than good.

I know it’s easy to fall into this trap, but maybe we should start changing the way we think about social interactions.

We live in a social world with social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc. right at our fingertips. Everything

we do online is designed to be public, yet there are some parts of our lives that we like to keep private.

My challenge to you: when spreading information, put yourself in the other person’s shoes. If that scandalous information was printed about you on the front page of the local paper, would you be comfort-

able with your grandmother reading it? If not, then I suggest rethinking your plan to spread information.

Additionally, there is a fine line between spreading information and going to a friend to vent about hardships that you may bear. I find a lot of comfort in telling my friends details of my social life when I am upset. Just ensure that you vent to people you can trust. If someone betrays that trust and spreads information that was told to them in confidence, you probably shouldn’t vent to that person anymore.

Lastly, college is, simply put, difficult. We are under tremendous academic, occu-

pational and social pressure.

Rather than rambling about each other, we should maybe start raising each other up.

The word “fake” is thrown around a lot, and I really dislike its mainstream use.

You may not like someone, but what is so wrong with being nice and showing them a smile? Maybe that smile is all that’s needed to turn a relationship around.

Ev e r y a r g u m e n t I ’v e made, of course, could only really happen in a perfect world. The fact remains that we are all human, and tensions and emotions run high at OCU. But it’s never too late to turn things around.

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 Black History Museum at 10 a.m. in Walker Hall dormitory THURSDAY TheatreOCU Stage II presents: Music From a Sparkling Planet at 8 p.m. in the Black Box Theater in Wanda L. Bass Music Center Cultural Arts Series: African Movement and Music at 2:30 p.m. in Burg Theater in Kirkpat-

rick Fine Arts Center Black History Museum at 10 a.m. in Walker Hall dormitory FRIDAY Women’s Wrestling vs. WCWA Championships at 10 a.m. in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activities Center TheatreOCU Stage II presents: Music From a Sparkling Planet at

8 p.m. in the Black Box Theater in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activities Center

Black History Celebration at 7 p.m. in Burg Theater in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Baseball vs. Culver-Stockton at 10 a.m. at Jim Wade Stadium

Black History Museum at 10 a.m. in Walker Hall dormitory SATURDAY Women’s Wrestling vs. WCWA Championships at 10 a.m. in

Baseball vs. Bellevue at 3 p.m. at Jim Wade Stadium TheatreOCU Stage II presents: Music From a Sparkling Planet at 8 p.m. in the Black Box Theater in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

February 7, 2018, Volume 111, Number 16

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Associate Community Manager: Harrison Langford Web Editor: Nicole Waltman Associate Web Editor: Emily Wollenberg Staff Writers: Rodney Smith Photographer: Hannah Rogers

Baseball vs. Bellevue at 1 p.m. at Jim Wade Stadium Distinguished Artists Series Presents: Emile Naoumoff at 3 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center The Dialogue Institute of the

Southwest's Dinner of Abrahamic Traditions from 4-6 p.m. in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center ThetreOCU Stage II presents: Music From a Sparkling Planet at 8 p.m. in Black Box Theater in Wanda L. Bass Music Center OCU Edge presents: Body Awareness at 9 p.m. in Clara E. Jones Administration Building

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 Photo Editor: Elina Moon Community Manager: Lauren Berlingeri

SUNDAY Baseball vs. Culver-Stockton at 10 a.m. at Jim Wade Stadium

The Student Publications staff welcomes unsolicited material and let-

Columnist: Caroline Hawthorne Videographer: Emily Haan Proofreader: Tyler Patton Circulation Director: Kalen Castor Faculty Adviser: Kenna Griffin

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

The first issue of The Campus is free. Each additional issue costs 25 cents. Contents copyright, 2018. All rights reserved.

February 7, 2018

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Tiffany Kashala Student Publications

Moving to the music Above: Taylor Summers, Maddie Barnes and Kate Frieden, dance universal freshmen, perform “Front Backwards” at the Night of Song and Dance on Feb. 3 in the Medium Rehearsal Hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center. The piece was choreographed by Ashley Ellis, dance universal sophomore. The Night of Song and Dance was a collaboration of dance students and composers of Project 21, a student music composition group. The next Project 21 concert will be at 8 p.m. Feb. 23.

Right: Brittany Dugas, dance universal freshman, and Barrett Cahalen, dance performance junior, perform “Meditations of the Future,” choreographed by Louisa Holland, dance pedagogy junior. The song was written by Aaron Phillips, a composition graduate, and was performed as part of Project 21’s second concert of the semester.

University officials provide presidential search update Zoe Travers

NEWS EDITOR

Officials released a statement last week regarding the university presidential search, reassuring students that a candidate will be chosen by April.

A search committee is working with an executive search firm to replace President Robert Henry, who plans to retire in June.

Some tudents expressed feeling like there was a lack of communication after not receiving updates on the search since November.

The most recent search update, until last week, included a list of topics from a focus group in October meant to gauge opinions on important presidential values.

The committee is on track to recommend a candidate to

the board by April, according to the Feb. 1 email to the campus community from Ron Norick, search committee chairman and president of the board of trustees.

“Shortly after the winter break, search committee members began reviewing a robust applicant pool of over 40 qualified applicants,” Norick wrote.

“The committee met in midJanuary to narrow the applicant pool by selecting semi-finalist candidates.”

The email was sent to students after the publication of last week’s issue of The Campus, wherein Norick refused to comment on the search, citing candidate confidentiality.

Norick made the same point in the email, saying updates must stay confidential for the protection of the candidate, stating job security as a reason

to keep the information private.

“Confidentiality is very critical as most of the candidates are currently employed in key leadership positions at other higher education institutions and organizations,” Norick wrote. “It is typical for the names of applicants and candidates progressing through the search process to remain confidential at this stage in the search process.”

Frank LoMonte, director at the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, previously told Student Publications that this explanation, although legal, is not in the best interest of a university.

He said the “job security” argument doesn’t hold up because many candidates will have their current employers

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notified throughout the selection process.

“I cannot imagine, in the year 2018, that any college is hiring a president without talking to the people at their present workplace,” LoMonte said.

LoMonte said it’s in the university’s best interest to keep people informed and keep the process as open as possible.

“People on the campus will feel more ownership of the decision,” he said. “They will really feel like this is their president as opposed to a president that has been pushed upon them by the trustees.”

Norick wrote that more information will be revealed “at a time deemed appropriate by the search committee.”

Norick was unavailable for comment Feb. 5, as was Joey Croslin, vice president for human resources and sec-

retary of the president search committee.

Suzy Newsom, early childhood education sophomore, said she understands the sensitivity in relation to job security and is glad precautions are being taken.

“I think it’s great they’re taking such care and consideration to find the new president, and that they’re not rushing to find one,” Newsom said.

Pierce Gordon, political science senior, said he hopes the next president helps the university achieve more funding, develop more programs, advertise those programs, and bring up paid enrollment.

He said he would like the new president to focus on alumni contributions, and federal and state grants.

“Ultimately, Henry did some great stuff, bringing the univer-

sity out of the red on budget, reorganizing the parts of the school and raising morale,” Gordon said. “However, I think that those aren’t the areas that help the most.”

Gordon said he also would like more money to be invested into Petree College of Arts and Sciences.

“We are a liberal arts school, and recently we’ve allowed liberal arts to slip,” he said.

Students can track the progress of the presidential search on the website, okcu.edu/ admin/hr/president-search or look for updates via email.

The most recent update on the website is the same statement Norick emailed to the campus community. It was posted Feb. 1.

Student-founded theater troupe celebrates 10th anniversary as campus organization Chandler White

COPY EDITOR

Members of Out of the Box will celebrate the theater company’s 10th anniversary with an event in March.

OOTB is a student-run theater troupe. Members plan to have performances from several campus organizations related to OOTB. “We want to walk the campus through the history of Out of the Box over the course of the last 10 years while also incorporating other organizations on campus who have taken up a mantle where we have left it,” said Dawson MacLeod, acting junior and OOTB co-artistic director.

MacLeod said he wants the event to feature groups and performances related to what OOTB formerly has done.

The troupe used to specialize in movement pieces, devising pieces and improv, so the event will feature appearances from Motus Operandi, the on-campus physical theater company; the Shadow Collective, the student-run devising company, and OCU Improv.

Some students will speak between performances, including MacLeod, Amanda Miller, English junior and OOTB coartistic director, and five or six past artistic directors.

“It is a solid foundation with excellent personnel and a structure that will last,” MacLeod said. “It’s cool to see where we’ve come from, as hectic and non-focused as it was at times.”

Musical performances will include numbers from OOTB’s upcoming drag and miscast cabarets as well as from Baseball Play, OOTB’s upcoming playwright-in-residence play with music.

It’s cool to see where we’ve come from, as hectic and nonfocused as it was at times.

Dawson MacLeod acting junior

Patty Irwin, music theater junior, and her jazz band will perform before the ceremony. Annie Oakley, an Oklahoma City band featuring Grace Babb and Sophia Babb, mass communication juniors, will play after the ceremony.

Miller said she wants the event to give representation to everyone involved in an artistic creation process.

“We want to celebrate all art, all theater, everything,” she said. “Whether that be an improv show or a new play with music, we want to just honor and celebrate the people that are working on things right now.”

The OOTB 10th anniversary celebration will be at 7 p.m.

March 23 on the quad. Students can visit the organization’s Facebook page “OCU Out of the Box” for updates and information on the event.

Elina Moon Student Publications

Appreciating art Jordan Tarter, English junior, participates in an art exercise at the Symbiotic art show Friday. Tarter filled in the blank on what art and community means to her. Symbiotic is a collaborative art show that will last through March 9 in the Nona Jean Hulsey Gallery in Norick Art Center.

Students worked with local artists to create pieces of work for the exhibit.

Bulgarian pianist to visit campus as part of artist series Rodney Smith

STAFF WRITER

A Bulgarian pianist will be the next visiting artist for the OCU Distinguished Artists’ Series.

Emile Naoumoff will perform at 3 p.m. Feb. 11 in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center.

February 7, 2018

Naoumoff is the last student of Nadia Boulanger, a 20th century French composer, conductor and teacher.

He has performed as a featured soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the National Symphony Orchestra. He also has recorded for various music companies and record labels.

Past Distinguished Artist performances this year included Sergio Monteiro, Gerard Schwarz and the OKC Jazz Orchestra.

The Distinguished Artists’ Series is developed by officials from the Wanda L. Bass School of Music and led by Dr. Mark Parker, dean of music and theater.

“Faculty and I create a list of outstanding artists that we would like to perform for the campus and for the community,” Parker said. “We are always looking for those models for students to learn from as part of this series.”

Naoumoff will perform two original compositions and his transcription of Faure

Requiem, a piece originally composed for choir, organ and orchestra.

Naoumoff also will lead a masterclass for music students from 6-9 p.m. Feb. 10 in Wanda L. Bass Music Center.

“I really appreciate the Distinguished Artists Series because I get the opportunity to talk to real professionals

and see how they perform,” said Tomi Vetter, piano performance freshman.

“It’s a great chance for musicians all across the board, and not many schools get the opportunity either.”

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SHINING STAR

Education senior teaches fifth grade classes at local school

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n elementary education senior is already teaching the fifth grade.

Monica Hiller began student teaching fifth grade classes at Rollingwood Elementary School, 6301 N. Ann Arbor Ave., in the Putnam City School District this semester.

Education seniors spend their last semester teaching at assigned schools around the area instead of attending classes at the university.

Hiller observed the Rollingwood classroom for 30 hours in the fall, so she knew the teacher and students before receiving her assignment. She said she does everything a “normal” teacher would do, like grading papers, setting agendas and running the classroom.

“I am at school from 7:45 a.m. to around 4 p.m. every day, unless my boys have a basketball game. Then, I stay and watch,” Hiller said. “I am teaching fifth grade math, which is my worst subject, of course. I do the same thing every day, but every day is totally different.”

When the students arrive at school, Hiller hosts a meeting where students share positive things that happened to them the day before. She then teaches three rotations of math, one for each fifth grade class. After lunch at 1 p.m., the students work on social studies or writing to prepare for the end-of-year writing test, Hiller said.

Hiller also said the position reassured her that teaching is her biggest passion, though she still wants to be a school administrator some day.

“I didn’t think I would love fifth grade, but I love the school I’m at and the age of the students I am with,” she said. “The best part is that I can joke around with the kids, and they know

One of them told me, 'You know, Ms. Hiller, you could be a really good teacher.'

Monica Hiller elementary education senior

the difference between right and wrong.”

Hiller said she loves watching her students learn and grow every day while she develops a bond with them.

“They call me ‘Ms. Hiller,’ which I love,” she said. “One of them has called me ‘Ms. Hitler,’ but we got that shut down real quick. One of them told me, ‘You know, Ms. Hiller, you could be a really good teacher.’”

The worst parts about student teaching are the higher chances of getting the flu, feeling disconnected from OCU and the hours, Hiller said.

“I miss being a college student,” she said.

While student teaching, Hiller has remained active in Student Activities Council and Alpha Chi Omega sorority. She also coaches the Lambda Chi Alpha intramural basketball team.

Hiller said she hopes her senior classmates live it up during their last semester.

“It is really confusing to not be in college anymore,” she said.

“It is so much fun to be doing what you love and were created to do every day, but it is really difficult to schedule time to see your friends when you are used to hanging out with them at Alvin’s at midnight. Enjoy it while you can.”

By Associate Editor Sage Tokach

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Submitted Monica Hiller, elementary education senior, shows off her “teach like me” shirt in front of the Gold Star Memorial Building. Hiller began teaching at a local elementary school this semester as part of her degree requirements.

Hannah Rogers Student Publications

A privilege to pee Top left: The cast of OCU Stripped’s Urinetown reacts to a revolt. The musical is about a town with a water shortage so bad that the public has to pay to use amenities.

Left: Sarah Schulz, voice freshman, and Scott Sipes, music theater/vocal performance freshman, discuss hydraulics in OCU Stripped’s production of Urinetown. Throughout the musical, “Little Sally” and “Officer Lockstock” pause to discuss the show.

Above: Kaley McConnaughey, music theater freshman, and Blake Sauceda, acting sophomore, decide what to do with Delanie Kinney, music theater/vocal performance freshman. The Wanda L. Bass School of Music’s next musical is On the Town, which runs at 8 p.m. April 20-21 and 3 p.m. April 22.

Former St. Gregory's dean of students joins administration Sage Tokach

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

A new official is advising Student Senate and handling conduct issues.

Lilly Bermudez was appointed Jan. 4 as the new associate dean of students.

She replaced Lesley Black, who transitioned from associate dean of students to associate director for international programs in the Petree College of Arts and Sciences.

Black said she made a personal decision to move away from the dean’s position last semester.

“I was very fortunate that my current position in arts and sciences opened up right at the end of the semester February 7, 2018

and I was able to remain on campus,” she said.

“I’m excited to still have the opportunity to work with the amazing students, faculty and staff members I have gotten to know over the years, but I was ready for a professional change.”

Bermudez, originally from El Salvador, got her master’s degree in pastoral theology from Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, Florida.

She also has undergraduate degrees in international relations and political science from Ave Maria College of the Americas in Nicaragua.

Bermudez worked at St. Gregory’s University in Shawnee, Oklahoma, as dean of students before coming to OCU.

People think you can only talk to me when you're in trouble because I'm the conduct officer, but come to my office anytime. I don't bite.

Lilly Bermudez associate dean of students

St. Gregory’s closed at the end of 2017 due to financial issues.

Bermudez said she had a close friend who went to OCU and who made her interested in the university.

“I heard it was a community of engagement and inclusion, and I wanted to be a part of that,” she said.

Bermudez oversees student

conduct, advises the Student Senate and has assumed leadership roles in committees and programs including OCULeads, the president’s leadership class, Stars Volunteers, and FIRST, a program for first-generation college students.

Bermudez said one of her goals for the year is to make

sure students understand that student affairs is there to help.

“We’re not here to work against your educational goals, but to help you accomplish them,” she said. “I want students to use this office as one more step in the ladder toward graduation and a fulfilled college career.

“We’re the perfect place to seek answers because, if we don’t know them, we’ll find them.”

Bermudez said she hopes to facilitate an environment for engagement and diversity.

“I’m very easy to talk to,” she said. “People think you can only talk to me when you’re in trouble because I’m the conduct officer, but come to my office anytime. I don’t bite.”

Joanna Whipple, student court chief justice, said she loved working with Black through Student Government Association.

“I’m glad that she is still a member of the OCU team, just in a different department,” Whipple said. “However, we are very excited to begin working with the incoming associate dean of students. She seems eager to be engaged with SGA and OCU’s students in general.

We are glad to have her as a new adviser for SGA.”

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