Feb 15 by MediaOCU

THE CAMPUS

February 15, 2017 – Volume 110 Issue 44

Students concerned with food allergens Sage Tokach ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Some students claim that Sodexo, OCU’s food services provider, does not accommodate their dietary needs, especially in the caf. Sodexo staff “works diligently to address students’ specific needs, especially those with food allergies, Celiac disease, or special diet needs,” according to their website with information about the OCU caf. Mandy Sigale, music freshman, said this description is inaccurate because, in her experience,Willie Butler, weekend campus cook, is the only staff member who caters to her dietary needs. “I keep Kosher, which the caf makes almost impossible because everything mingles, and most of the dishes have dairy and meat together or some kind of pork or shell-

fish,” Sigale said. “I ended up eating a lot of veggie burgers for the first couple months of school, and, instead of accommodating my eating restrictions, they moved me to Cokes.” Cokesbury Court Apartments are the only on-campus living spaces that include a kitchen, so it’s also the only on-campus housing option that does not require a full meal plan. Adrienne Pierce, acting junior, also presented requests for the caf, though her dietary restrictions are by choice. She lives in Methodist Hall with a full meal plan, but said she buys a lot of her own food. “I choose to be keto, meaning I cut out almost all carbs and sugar, training my body to turn fats into ketones for energy,” Pierce said. “The caf has a lot of proteins, but there aren’t many fats like avocados and nuts.

They do a good job of labeling the main dishes, but I need labels on things like butter so I know if it’s real or whipped or margarine.” Not all students have an issue with the way Sodexo handles special diets. Sierra Paul, theater education freshman, said she is gluten intolerant but can always find something to eat. “I love the exhibition station because they have rice a lot,” Paul said. “Generally, they could make small changes, like offering more corn tortillas and making sure they don’t run out of gluten-free bread, but the caf does pretty well. My intolerance is pretty mild compared to some, though.” Nirali Mickow, director of food service operations, was unavailable for comment. Sodexo officials refused to comment on record. Beth Woodall, vocal per-

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formance junior, said Sodexo seems to be taking students’ requests into consideration and making good adjustments. “It’s certainly not perfect, but our school’s caf is by far not the worst,” Woodall said. If a student finds it difficult to eat in the caf because they choose not to eat certain foods, then they should probably just move to Cokesbury, Woodall said. Sodexo’s website encourages students to meet with employees one-on-one to discuss any dietary needs. Students also can fill out a feedback form to request changes at ocudining.sodexomyway.com/people/feedback. html.

Elina Moon Student Publications

So good it Hurts

Libby White, music business sophomore, purchases a dozen doughnuts Feb. 8 at Jim Wade Stadium. The “Emergency Donut Vehicle” was parked on campus at noon, selling dozens of doughnuts as a fundraiser for the OCU baseball team. The amount of money raised has not been released.

University recognized as a 2016 ‘Certified Healthy Campus’ Chandler White COPY EDITOR

The university was deemed a “Certified Healthy Campus” by the State Department of Health for “promoting health and wellness for faculty, staff and students.” Every August, the State Department of Health issues a voluntary health-assessment survey for universities to fill out, consisting of 10 categories with about eight questions in each. If a campus scores above 30 percent in each category, then that campus receives the title of “Certified Healthy Campus.” Becoming Certified Healthy has benefits besides recognition as a health and wellness champion. It also means uni-

versity officials will be invited to an awards luncheon to be recognized. There’s also potential grant opportunities, according to certifiedhealthyok.com. The survey scores are divided into three levels: basic, merit and excellent. OCU earned a basic score. To reach merit, the survey score must be 45 percent or above in each category, and to reach excellent requires 60 percent or above. Valerie Robinson, benefits and wellness specialist for human resources, completed the survey in December. The main factors that led to this achievement were the university’s tobacco-free policies, oncampus gym, on-campus clinic, and open counseling services,

I don’t think we’re the most unhealthy campus, mentally or physically, but I don’t know if I would necessarily say that I feel this entire campus promotes good health. Callie Dewees acting sophomore

she said. “We’ve made strides toward making this a healthier campus,” Robinson said. OCU in the past kept a relatively steady score, reaching at least the level of basic most years and even receiving a score of excellent at one point. In 2013 and 2015 the campus didn’t place at all on the survey,

failing to achieve status as a healthy campus. Some students said that, on such a theater-based campus, mental health often falls by the wayside because of the difficult nature of performance. “Performance-based anything doesn’t breed mental health in any way, shape or form. As much as we love it, it just doesn’t,” said Callie Dewees, acting sophomore.

“I don’t think we’re the most unhealthy campus, mentally or physically, but I don’t know if I would necessarily say that I feel like this entire campus promotes good health.” Some students said a potential source for health issues are the policies in Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment, specifically those regarding weigh-ins. Meghan Carter, dance management senior, said the weigh-in policies are not only disruptive to student health, but also misrepresentative of the professional dance field. “Dancers who are all in B-level classes, who have incredible technique and are incredible storytellers and performers get told ‘No, you can’t perform because

we think you need to lose five pounds,’” Carter said. “I’ve been in New York, I’ve seen so many Broadway shows, and when you look on stage, there’s all different body types. They don’t want everyone to be stick-skinny.” For the future, the university will pursue the merit level, Robinson said. This will be especially challenging for 2017, as the survey will undergo its regular biannual changes to make the questions more difficult and up-to-date. “We know that the rest of the campus is aware of this, and we’ll be working toward scoring higher on the survey this year,” she said.

President Henry to receive Lifetime Achievement Award for service Zoe Travers NEWS EDITOR

President Robert Henry is being recognized for his work in the interfaith community. Henry will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in the interfaith community from the Dialogue Institute of Oklahoma City at 5:30 p.m. March 30 at Embassy Suites, 741 N. Philips Ave. Tickets are $100, and 25 percent per individual ticket will be donated to Positive Tomorrows, a local nonprofit that works in educating children in abusive households or homeless. A night of recognition The ceremony is to recognize “those that dedicated themselves in their profession and service to society by generously contributing their time, energy, expertise and financial resource,” according to the Dialogue Institute website, dialogueok.org. “The Dialogue Institute is one of several community organizations that really tries to promote interfaith dialogue and has done a wonderful job and has brought many highly-respected people together,” Henry said. The institute was established in 2002 by Turkish-Americans and their friends. They set out to address the question, “How can citizens of the world live in peace and harmony,” according to the institute’s website. Henry is being honored by keynote speaker the Rev. Dirk Ficca, executive director of the Council for Parliament of the World’s Religions. The topic of Ficca’s speech will be “Antidotes to Extremism The Art of Living Together.” Henry is being honored alongside Enes Kanter , Oklahoma City Thunder Basketball player and founder of the Light Foundation, who will accept the Humanitarian Award, and Mary B. Pointer, senior vice president of Republic Bank, who will accept the Global Vision Award. A lifetime of achievements Henry said standing up for varying faiths has become part of

M MEDIAOCU.com

his nature. “When people of good faith are under attack simply because of membership in a religious group or order, I think it’s unconstitutional and un-American as well as being a violation of my personal religious faith,” he said. Henry has served the interfaith comRobert Henry munity for more than 30 years through his university career in politics, law and civil service. president Before coming to OCU in 2010, Henry served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and as a chief judge for the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. He represented the United States Judiciary at the Arab Judicial Forum, led by Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, and he served on the Council on Foreign Relations. Henry was nominated and succeeded by O’Connor on the board of directors for Foundation for the Future in Amman, Jordan. In addition to that, Henry was awarded the Oklahoma Human Rights Award, the Myrtle Wreath Award for Humanitarianism from the Oklahoma City Chapter of Hadassah, and the Oklahoma Israel Exchange Award. No to Hate Out of all of Henry’s accomplishments, the most meaningful experience he said he’s had was with the “Say No to Hate” campaign, which he helped start in the late 1980s after Aryan supremacists desecrated a Jewish temple and synagogue by painting “take a shower, Jew” on it. “It still horrifies me to recall that,” Henry said. The same people painted “Christ Killer” on what they thought were Jewish tombstones, but they selected the tombstones based on Germanic names, and several of them actually had Christian crosses on them, meaning they weren’t Jewish at all. “It showed me the connection between hatred and ignorance,” Henry said. The leaders of the temple and the synagogue called Henry after this happened.

Henry said the “Say No to Hate” campaign was created to educate people about interfaith dialogue. As part of a “Say No to Hate” mission, Henry recalled seeing Rabbi David Packman clean graffiti off a church with turpentine. Henry asked him what he planned to do if it happened again. He said: “I’ll come back and clean it off again. I have a lot of turpentine.”

A faithful university Henry praised OCU for its close relations with the interfaith community and its willingness to let rabbis teach. Henry created the Islamic studies program in 2009 and chose the Imam Dr. Imad Enchassi to head it in 2012. “Since I’ve been here at OCU, we’ve really done a lot of interfaith work, particularly with our Muslim friends because, frankly, they’re the ones who are under attack right now,” Henry said. In addition to the Islamic studies program, there is also an Interfaith Prayer Room open 24 hours a day to students of all faiths. There is an opportunity for an interfaith studies minor, which was established in 2015. Plans are in place to open an interfaith dorm in Smith Hall by Fall 2018. Henry has been instrumental in these changes. Enchassi said he appreciates that Henry is present during interfaith conversations. “His commitment is very refreshing considering the political atmosphere,” Enchassi said. “His approach to interfaith dialogue is not only needed for us to live in a tolerant society, but also to achieve peace.” Henry said he will continue to speak at churches and other events about interfaith dialogue. Lucas Freeman, political science and history freshman and member of the president’s leadership class, described Henry as personable. “He’s an important man, but I wouldn’t use that to define him,” Freeman said.

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opinion Dining services needs to better accommodate dietary restrictions Dining services should do more to accommodate students’ diets and fulfill its promise to be vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free. When prospective students tour the campus, they’re told how accommodating the dining services are. It’s said that there is always a meat-free option for vegetarian students. Though this is mostly true in the sense that there’s always salad and cheese pizza, the meat-free options don’t compare to the quality of the main entrees. While meat-eating students have a new course every day, vegetarian students are stuck with just three or four different foods they have to recycle through the week. It’s even worse for vegan students. Though the vegetarian/vegan section claims to be stocked during meals, it’s only occasionally stocked during lunch, leaving vegan students

to eat only fruit and vegetables. While most vegans and vegetarians choose their food based on a moral decision, some students can’t eat certain foods because of an intolerance, allergy or religious restriction. These students find it difficult to navigate the caf, knowing they’re not always sure of the food’s ingredients. When students can’t find food in the caf, they often turn to Alvin’s, which also can be unreliable. Students have come to expect broken ovens and espresso machines making them settle for whatever is available, even if that means an energy drink and ramen for the fourth night in a row. Dining services has plenty of room for improvement, but it is impossible to satisfy everyone’s requests. Students also can help themselves by staying informed and giving feedback. At the beginning of the aca-

Talk Back “What movie should win Best Picture at the Oscars?”

demic year, Sodexo announced the BITE app, which lists daily menus for the caf and Alvin’s. It can help some students with dietary considerations plan their meals in advance. Sodexo also sends out a campus dining survey to the campus community, asking for input on how to improve. By filling it out, students have an easy way to provide detailed requests and suggestions without even confronting anyone. In the meantime, some students still have issues in getting their voices heard. See Page 1 for more on dietary accommodations. Going forward, students should keep themselves informed and continue to fight for their needs. Complaints to each other will not fix the problem, but more communication with Sodexo might.

“Hidden Figures"

“I think either Fences or Manchester by the Sea“

Katie Vaughn exercise sports science junior

Walker Northcutt acting sophomore

“I haven't seen it yet, but La La Land”

“I'm gonna go with Fences.”

Maddie Bowes entertainment business freshman

Dexter Hudson music business junior

“Harry Potter"

“I think Hidden Figures. I want them to win.”

Katelyn Jassoy music theater sophomore

Christina Patterson film production freshman

Critic takes break from Oscar nominees, regrets choosing Hope Floats The 2017 Oscars are approaching on Feb. 26. Among the nominees for Best Picture is Moonlight, a stunning and mesmerizing tale of the black queer experience in America, as well as La La Land, a bright new musical from Damien Chazelle starring Hollywood royalty. The other nominees include stories of parents, aliens, soldiers, orphans, and scientists. Because this year’s Academy Awards will offer a refreshingly diverse sampling of innovative filmmaking, this review will focus on the atrocity that is the non-Oscar nominated movie Hope Floats,

a film made in 1998 starring Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick Jr. Hope Floats, directed by Forest Whitaker, tells the story of “Birdee Pruitt,” played by Bullock, after she finds out on a Jerry Springer-esque national T.V. show that her husband has been cheating on her with her best friend. Birdee and her daughter “Bernice,” played by Mae Whitman, pack up their things in Chicago and head down to Texas to start anew. The pair moves in with Birdee’s mother, played by Gena Rowlands, and slowly begin to confront their emotional distress brought on by the divorce, Birdee’s hometown

Mary McLain is a film production sophomore from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who loves sandwiches and social media.

and her familial history. While home, Birdee is reunited with a young and charming high school acquaintance, “Justin Matisse,” played by Connick Jr. The film is a disaster. At 114 minutes long, Hope Floats subjects its viewers to almost two hours of the most lackluster storytelling to ever grace the silver screen. This story could have been told in half that

time, and it still would have been too long. The romance, though the main plot of the film, is arguably the most tragic element. Bullock is undeniably beautiful and talented. Connick Jr. tries his best. He is young, tan and wears flattering jeans throughout the movie, but his unexpressive face and flat acting distract from Bullock’s effortless

performance as a divorcée in various sundresses. The movie follows their reunion and romance, but leaves out one vital element of any halfway decent romantic movie—a kiss. Connick Jr. and Bullock do not kiss a single time on screen in this movie. The one time Harry leans in to finally kiss Sandra on the mouth, the kiss is cut off before their lips meet. “It’s like making a movie about bowling and fading to black right before the pins fall down,” said Mia McGlinn, acting sophomore. Another egregious element of the film is the ratio of romantic scenes to scenes about old

people and taxidermy. The film, which is formally categorized online as a “romantic drama,” dedicates almost half of its time to plotlines involving Birdee’s boring mother. This undesirable focus on secondary characters simply distracts from the plotline that the audience came for—the romance—and considering the aforementioned lack of kisses in all 114 minutes of the film, the romantic elements of the plot are guaranteed to disappoint. Do yourself a favor and watch the 2017 Academy Award nominees instead of this horrible movie.

Columnist abroad praises those who learn new languages Walking around Spain, to hear English is startling and exciting, even if you’re in a touristy spot like Puerta del Sol. Though hearing my native language is scarce, you could easily live in Madrid without learning its native language. I don’t write this to say that getting my Spanish minor was a waste of time. Spanish is a valuable language, and it deserves to be learned, especially by an English speaker. I write this to say that knowing more than one language is commendable, and trying to

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.

learn an additional language should be appreciated just as much. But in the U.S., especially in small, conservative areas like where I grew up, it’s common to hear negative opinions about native Spanish speakers who are trying to learn English. The harshness that I have heard from English speakers criticizing Spanish speakers is awful. I’ve heard things like, “You won’t believe what I had to deal with. I was trying to order at McDonald’s, and this man with a terrible Spanish accent

was at the register. I don’t think he understood anything I said.” I hate absolute statements, but I believe a privileged woman from the States (like me) needs to become the minority in another country to fully understand the perspective of minori-

ties in her own country. If the people in Spain treated me the way that English-learners are sometimes treated in the U.S., I probably wouldn’t ever speak. Many people here may think I’m a dumb tourist who

doesn’t speak any Spanish at all, but they don’t assume that I’m an overall stupid person. Where I grew up, not knowing English meant you didn’t know anything. It meant you couldn’t do anything. But what Estadounidenses (a Spanish term for U.S. citizens) need to realize is that they’re trying so very hard. When Spaniards talk to me, I don’t hear what they said the first, second or third time. It takes a long time for my brain to process it because learning a new language is difficult.

A lot of the time, the Spaniard I’m talking to will just use what little “tourist” English they know and point at things to communicate. You can survive in a country that speaks a language you don’t know by pointing and gesturing to communicate. I’ve had to do it before, and I got what I needed faster than if I’d tried to stumble through my broken Spanish. Anyone who is trying to learn a new language is trying and should never be treated like they are stupid.

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 OCU Blue-White Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the banquet room at Belle Isle Restaurant in 50 Penn Place, 1900 NW Expressway

in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

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

Bass School of Music presents: Dark Sisters at 8 p.m. in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

FRIDAY Deadline to apply for May 2017 commencement via okcu.edu Dark Sisters opening night dinner at 6 p.m. in the atrium

Dark Sisters preshow director's talk at 7 p.m. in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Out of the Box presents: Crooked at 10:30 p.m. in Clara E. Jones Administration Building SATURDAY Sarah Lapaz's senior music the-

ater recital from 4-5 p.m. in the small rehearsal hall in Wanda L. Bass Music Center

O u t o f t h e B ox p r e s e n t s : Crooked at 10:30 p.m. in Clara E. Jones Administration Building

Virginia Newsome's senior music theater recital from 6-7 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

SUNDAY Fi re wo r k s We d n e s d a y f i l m screening at 2 p.m. in KerrMcGee Auditorium in Meinders School of Business

Dark Sisters preshow director's talk at 7 p.m. in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Dark Sisters director's talk at 2 p.m. in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Bass School of Music presents: Dark Sisters at 8 p.m. in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Bass School of Music presents: Dark Sisters at 3 p.m. in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

February 15, 2017, Volume 110, Number 44

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

from 7-9 p.m. in Room 151 in Walker Center for Arts and Sciences

Ashton Parrack's senior vocal performance recital from 8-9 p.m. in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

Wanda L. Bass School of Music presents: Violinist Jassen Todorov at 8 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

FCA meeting from 8:30-10 p.m. in the Leichter Reunion Room in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center

TUESDAY "Absolutely True Diary of a PartTime Indian" book discussion

Improv jam at 10:30 p.m. in FA 402 in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

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

THE CAMPUS 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

Nicholas Haas's junior music theater recital from 6-6:30 p.m. 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 15, 2017

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English professor receives first creative writing endowment Adrianna DelPercio STAFF WRITER

Rob Roensch, associate professor of English, was named the Katherine and Mary Clary Endowed Chair of Creative Writing earlier this semester. Roensch is the first person to receive this endowment. It was given through an estate gift from Mary Clary Sargent and was named the Katherine and Mary Clary Endowment to recognize both sisters. The endowment will pay for the faculty position, Roensch said. Roensch was given the award because of the work he does with creative writing on and off campus. “This endowment is a recognition of how important creative writing and English are to a college,” Roensch said. “It’s mainly a responsibility to keep sharing that with the students and the community.” What excites Roensch is the endowment’s backstory because it reflects how the university helped develop and support two students’ love of writing, he said. Katherine Clary Corinth and Mary Clary Sargent are OCU alumnae from the 1930s. They went on to New York and had experience writing for Seventeen, Time and Newsweek. Roensch has been teaching at OCU for four years, and some students regard him as an inspiration. “He actually cares about writing as a discipline, as an art

This endowment is a recognition of how important creative writing and English are to a college. Rob Roensch associate professor English

form. He cares about its function, its potential and how it serves in the world,” said Patience Williams, English senior. Williams was in Roensch’s creative writing class and said she saw his love for creative writing firsthand. “Roensch genuinely wants to help those who write to their highest potential, and he’s a great writer himself,” Williams said. The endowed chair is a two-year position. The next recipient will be chosen in 2019.

Think on your feet

Elina Moon Student Publications

Sydney Blosch, music theater junior, demonstrates an excercise from her pure barre class at the OCU Improv show Feb. 11 in Clara E. Jones Administration Building. OCU Imrov’s next shows will be 10:30 p.m. March 10-11 in the same location.

Award-winning guest artist to direct TheatreOCU production Taylor Rey STAFF WRITER

A national award-winning stage director is collaborating with TheatreOCU to direct this semester’s mainstage play, The House of Atreus: Part I. Leslie Swackhammer is a guest artist this semester, teaching masterclasses and production classes as well as directing. “I think it’s really useful for actors to get used to working with two directors and running shows in rep,” said Lance Marsh, head of performance. “I’ve done a ton of rep work as a professional actor, and I wish I would have had more experience in college before I went out in the real world and bumbled around.” Swackhammer, an opera and theater stage director, is also the executive director of the Susan Smith Blackburn prize, an inter-

February 15, 2017

national award presented exclusively to female playwrights. She helped found the Women Playwright’s Festival in Seattle, and she develops and directs new works throughout the nation. The House of Atreus Parts I & II will run for two weekends, March 30 to April 2 and April 7-9. Each part will be presented on a separate evening, Part I being directed by Swackhammer and Part 2 directed by Marsh. “Atreus is really four shows, but we are presenting it on two different nights, and the two evenings feel different so it made sense for us to have two directors,” Marsh said. The play follows the plot of the first book of the Oresteia trilogy where “Agamemnon,” the king of Argos, comes back from fighting the Trojan war to find his adulterous wife seeking revenge for her murdered daughter “Iphigenia.” “The play itself is really the original dysfunctional family story.

Every play that is about a dysfunctional family since then came from this show,” Marsh said. Students involved in the production are enjoying the opportunity to work with two distinct directors. “Leslie has a very organic and academic approach to directing,” said Franny Harms, acting junior. “She started off with working towards building the ensemble whereas Lance usually starts with text and table-work. Both of them are very different people but working towards the same target, so it’s been super valuable to experience that.”

lifestyles

Ali Wonderly Student Publications

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Elina Moon Student Publications

Supporting NOCC Devon Carrington, music senior, plays the saxophone at the Pancake Palooza on Feb. 11. Top: Meagan Chew, acting senior, performs with OCUpella during Gamma Phi Beta’s Pancake Palooza on Feb. 11 at the Nellie R. Melton Panhellenic Quadrangle. The event supported the organization’s National Ovarian Cancer Coalition fundraising week. Bottom: Austin Martin, vocal performance/music theater junior, smiles at the doughnut he’s about to eat on Feb. 7 during Gamma Phi Beta’s philanthropy week. The sorority raised money and awareness for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition by hosting events throughout the week, which concluded

Ali Wonderly Student Publications

with Pancake Palooza. They raised more than $1,700.

Film Guild to host Academy Awards watch party Sage Tokach ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The Film Guild will host an Oscars watch party during the 89th Academy Awards ceremony. The celebration will be open to the campus community. It will start at 5 p.m. Feb. 26 outside the caf in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. The actual ceremony does not begin until 6 p.m., but everyone is invited to watch the red carpet coverage and listen to preshow commentary. Attendees are asked to bring $1 for food and another dollar if they want to fill out an Oscars bracket to enter in the Film Guild competition. The winner will win a small basket filled with movies, snacks and an OCU shirt. “Last year, I won the bracket prize, which contained some snacks, The Hurtlocker, Dallas Buyers Club, and West Side Story,” said Libby White, music business sophomore. “I want to reclaim my crown.” Hannah Rogers, film production sophomore, said the Oscars watch party will be a good way for the Film Guild to interact and

Last year, I won the bracket prize, which contained some snacks, The Hurtlocker , Dallas Buyers Club , and West Side Story . I want to reclaim my crown. Libby White music business sophomore

be involved with other students on campus. “We want people of other majors to come find out what the film department is doing, and the Oscars watch party is a great way to do that,” Rogers said. Lysa Engle, film production sophomore, said the Oscars watch party is her version of the Super Bowl. “All of us film kids have been gearing up for it,” Engle said. “I enjoy the event because we all know the fun terms to use when talking about films, so we can discuss cinematography without worrying about whether someone knows what that means.”

Some students have already formed their predictions. “I haven’t seen many of the films this year, unfortunately, but I watch a lot of film theories, so I can predict what will win based on the judges and the fact that they are from an older generation,” White said. “I’m going to be pretty annoyed if La La Land wins because it’s such an ideal, typical candidate.” The films nominated for Best Picture are: - La La Land, - Arrival, - Lion, - Hell or High Water, - Hidden Figures, - Moonlight, - Hacksaw Ridge, - Manchester by the Sea, and - Fences. For more information on the OCU Film Guild, email President Casey Marks at cpmarks@my.okcu.edu.

Officials plan events for film, literature organization Chandler White COPY EDITOR

Dr. Tracy Floreani has been the director of the Center for Interpersonal Studies through Film and Literature since the beginning of the academic year. Now the center is enacting its spring events under the English professor’s lead. The organization, which was led by Dr. Harbour Winn, film professor, uses film and literature to reach students and contribute to the liberal arts environment at OCU. The center, which is spon-

sored by OCU and the Oklahoma Humanities Council, hosted events for 18 years, though it remained alongside the film institute for all 35 years of its existence. “It’s really about the power of storytelling to help us understand the world better,” Floreani said. “It’s to have people exposed to interesting stories and to talk with each other about them and connect with each other through them.” After Winn retired last year, he resigned from being the head of the center. Floreani was interviewed by the advisory

committee along with others before being selected by the dean’s office as the center’s new director in Spring 2016. Though she intends to keep the organization’s customs relatively unaltered, Floreani said she plans to increase campus awareness of the center through social media and advertised events. “I’ve committed to keeping the center’s first year very much like it is, just to prevent too many sudden changes,” Floreani said. “But what I’ve been focusing on is getting more students involved, because there’s not too much awareness of it

on campus.” The center organizers brought poet Andrea Gibson to visit campus in November and are planning spring events. U.K. poet Simon Armitage will visit campus April 5 for the annual celebration of National Poetry Month to discuss his creative process. The visit will be divided into two sessions, one at 10 a.m. at which he will answer questions, and one at 8 p.m. at which he will read his poetry. “The overall mission is, quite explicitly, to bring literature, poetry and movies to

a greater spectrum of people,” said Matthew Hester, film production senior. “And that includes both students of OCU as well as the greater Oklahoma community.” The center began its annual “Let’s Talk About It Oklahoma” series on Jan. 10 that will run biweekly through Spring Break. The series fosters literary discussion, and the center partnered with them to host some of these discussions at OCU. This year’s subject is crossover fiction, a form of fiction that blends elements of adult and young adult fiction.

“Let’s Talk About It Oklahoma” series events are at 7 p.m. every other Tuesday in Room 151 in Walker Center for Arts & Sciences. An international film series began Jan. 22. It is a series of discussions on the French film, The Last Metro. The series events take place regularly at 2 p.m. Sundays in Kerr-McGee Auditiorium in Meinders School of Business. All events are free for entry and open to all students.

English fraternity begins literary discussion podcast Nicole Waltman WEB EDITOR

Sigma Tau Delta, the English fraternity, has started a literary podcast series. The series is called Lit Chat and showcases literary works in comparison with modern-day topics. “Lit Chat is a discussion of literature and how it fits into our everyday lives, and how what is discussed in literature can help us better understand what it means to be human,” said Chandler White, English sophomore and Sigma Tau Delta vice president. Sigma Tau Delta is essentially an English honor society, White said. They host events like movie nights and round table discussions, along with running OCU’s literary journal, The Scarab. “We’ve been struggling to come up with new ideas in Sigma Tau Delta for the past year now,” said Brandie McAllister, English senior and Sigma Tau Delta president. “We think we need to do something to get our voice out there February 15, 2017

and get it heard.” Lit Chat recorded one episode so far. It was uploaded to SoundCloud in January and is titled “1984 and the Donald Trump Campaign.” “Basically we just sat in a room in the library and discussed for 30 minutes,” McAllister said. “It’s not scripted, and we just bounce ideas off of each other.” White proposed the series to WOCU on Feb. 2 in hopes that Lit Chat could become a regular series with them. WOCU is the new podcast channel at OCU that hosts several different shows, such as Thank You Ten and Devising. “I did this because I think it’s one of those things that could unite every major, every class, every person on campus,” White said. “I really do believe it could appeal to everybody. Even if WOCU doesn’t accept it, we will still continue running it independently.” As of right now, the Lit Chat team is unsure how often their podcasts will be uploaded. “It’s my personal belief that literature can acquaint human beings with something that’s universal to all of us,” White said. “It can help us better understand ourselves, our own

minds, our own hearts, our own countries, everything. It’s a way for us to give articulation to the human spirit. Essentially, that’s the idea here.” Any student interested can submit ideas to White at cswhite@myokcu.edu, McAllister at bamcallister@my.okcu. edu or ocuscarab@yahoo.com. “We want to include more people into it because it shouldn’t just be our thing. It would be cool to incorporate the student body as a whole,” McAllister said. Ultimately, White said he values literature as more than just a subject to be studied. “Literature is an art form. It’s not just this thing you have to sit through in high school. It can help us all,” White said. Editor’s Note: White is the copy editor for Student Publications. He did not participate in the writing or editing of this story.