Oct 26

THE CAMPUS

October 26, 2016 – Volume 110 Issue 34

Sanders crowned Miss OCU 2017 Sage Tokach WEB EDITOR

Elina Moon Student Publications Camryn Sanders, biomedical science junior, takes her first walk as Miss OCU 2017. Sanders won first place in the talent category for her performance of "The House of the Rising Sun." Her platform is "The Storybook Exchange." She was awarded a full year of tuition.

Camryn Sanders, biomedical science junior, became Miss OCU 2017 last weekend, making her the 36th student to win the title.

Nine women competed for this year’s Miss OCU crown, earning scores for private interview, lifestyle and fitness, evening wear, onstage question, and talent.

Sanders sang The House of the Rising Sun for her talent. Her question was "How can we have separation of church and state and still protect religious beliefs?"

She answered that the separation is exactly the thing that protects religion and allows people to worship freely. Sanders’s platform is “The Storybook Exchange,” a literary campaign and book donation drive.

As Miss OCU, Sanders receives a full year of tuition, valued at more than $27,000. She also will go on to represent OCU in the Miss Oklahoma pageant

in June.

“It is such a blessing to have the opportunity to represent OCU for the next year,” Sanders said. “Winning what is, in my opinion, the most sought-after title in the Miss Oklahoma Organization was unexpected, but I cannot wait to give 150 percent for the next year in my preparations for Miss Oklahoma and across this campus.”

Ashleigh Robinson, music theater sophomore, won first runner-up, as well as the Miss Congeniality title. Robinson receives a semester of tuition, valued at $13,500. For her talent, she sang God Help the Outcasts from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. When asked what she would discuss if given an hour with Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, she replied that she would ask them what they could do for the country, not just herself.

Robinson’s platform is “I Am Able! – Focusing on the abilities of the disabled.”

Elise O’Connell, music theater sophomore, placed first in the lifestyle and fitness category and was awarded second runner-up, with a prize of $200 in Sodexo points. Sandra Coursey, third runner-up, and Meghan Bradley, fourth runner-up, each received $100 in Sodexo points.

Megan Gold, 16, was crowned Miss OCU Teen 2017. Gold performed Dueling Banjos on the flute for her talent. Her platform is “Ending Senior Hunger.” She received a full year of tuition at OCU. “I can’t believe some of these girls are 13 and so talented,” said Anna Nguyen, marketing senior.

“When I was 13, I was eating macaroni.”

The pageant, which lasted three hours and 30 minutes, featured Miss OCU 2016 Monica Thompson and Miss OCU 2015 Veronica Wisniewski as the masters of ceremony. Contestant talents included singing, playing the piano, dancing, painting a

canvas, and sewing a dress.

“The talent was so outstanding that my friend turned to me and asked how she even got into this school,” said Erik Hamilton, acting freshman.

One student said the experience was unlike anything else.

“I’ve never been to a pageant before, and this is one of the most overwhelming experiences of my life for so many reasons,” said Laura Jardine, biology junior. “And I’ve let several dozen bumblebees out of their hive into a 10-by-10-by10-foot room before.”

Another student said she admired the contestants.

“I thought the question about church and state was handled extremely well,” said Haley Fortune, acting senior.

“Also, I was a huge fan of the teen wearing high-waisted jeans in the opening number.”

Distinguished Speaker Series discontinued Chandler White STAFF WRITER

The Distinguished Speakers Series, a program that hosted globally acclaimed speakers every semester, was cut from the university’s programs.

Headed by Harbour Winn, a film and literature professor emeritus, and Robin Meyers, a rhetoric/philosophy professor, the Distinguished Speakers Series included speakers like Kurt Vonnegut, Jane Goodall, Elie Wiesel, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Each event was free and open to the public.

“It was such an amazing and successful series,” said

Meyers, whose initial idea founded the program. “We had huge crowds, especially for speakers like Kurt Vonnegut, where we even claimed interest from other universities like OU.” Some speakers in the series caused controversy in the area and inspired a subsequent dialogue from opposing viewpoints. One such case that gained a high amount of attention and discourse was the first speaker in Spring 2000, Morris Dees. Dees is an anti-hate group activist and the founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Dees’s visit to OCU provoked protests from the Ku Klux Klan.

“We are a liberal arts uni-

versity. We believe in offering students diverse points of view without espousing any one perspective,” Winn said. “The people that were provocative only provoked certain, isolated mindsets.”

The program hosted its final speakers, poets Brian Turner and Dunya Mikhail, in February 2015. Officials cut the program’s funding as part of a university-wide prioritization.

Prioritization allowed officials to see where university money was being spent and determine if changes should be made.

“We went through a process to prioritize what were the most important things on

“

campus and where the fat was, so to speak,” Winn said. “The Distinguished Speakers Series was fat.”

Dawson MacLeod, acting sophomore, said the program was worth funding.

“To be able to glean such wisdom and thought from such intelligent people as Elie Wiesel would greatly heighten my collegiate experience,” MacLeod said. “It would offer opportunities for students to get something from those who have lived very important life experiences.”

Olivia Johnston Student Publications

Discovering science Dr. Stephen G. Prilliman, associate professor and chairman of chemistry, gives a lab demonstration during Discover Science: Experiment with OCU on Oct. 21 in the Dawson-Loeffler Science and Mathematics Center.

The event was for prospective students interested in majoring in science.

Rowan receives second, third Lifetime Achievement Awards Zoe Travers STAFF WRITER

Jo Rowan, professor of dance and chairman of the Ann Lacy School of American Dance, received her second and third Lifetime Achievement Awards this semester.

Rowan has taught at OCU for more than 30 years and is responsible for many of the programs here, as well as other national programs. She has performed as a soloist at Radio City Music Hall and has appeared in more than 60 musicals.

Rowan won her first Lifetime Achievement award in 2009 from the National Association of Dance and Affiliated Artists for her performance in all types of dance.

The second was awarded to her Sept. 21 at the Industry Excellence Awards, presented by the Association of Dance Conventions and Competitions. This award was focused more on teaching and choreographing.

Rowan received her third Lifetime Achievement Award on Oct. 13 from the Annie Oakley Society.

It was presented to her by Bob Blackburn, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society.

The third award means the most out of the three because of

M MEDIAOCU.com

its connection to Oklahoma and its emphasis on female excellence, Rowan said.

Rowan came to Oklahoma in 1980 after studying in Russia.

She accepted a position at the Ann Lacy School of American Dance, but OCU only offered a ballet program at the time, which Rowan said was typical of American studios.

“If you wanted to study and have a good liberal arts education but be a dancer, your choice was a ballet modern program, but nothing that really brought respect to American dance,” she said.

Rowan preferred the tap and jazz she learned in Russia, so she met with Dr. Jerald Walker, former university president, to discuss the prospect of offering alternate degree paths for dance.

“I pitched the idea that we would be the first university in Oklahoma City, in Oklahoma, in America, in the world, probably also on Mars, that would offer a degree with an emphasis in tap or jazz, a music theater dance basically, to teach people how to be employed triple-threats,” Rowan said.

Row a n’s p ro g r a m w a s approved and has been in operation for 36 years.

Rowan founded the American Spirit Dance Company in 1993 in

The 11th Commandment is 'thou shalt not bore thy audience.'

Jo Rowan

chairman Ann Lacy School of American Dance

Edmond, Oklahoma. The dance studio is still operating out of Edmond, and Rowan tours with the dancers all across the country, as well as to Asia.

Oklahoma Woman magazine once featured her on the cover and named her among the “7 Incredible Women of Oklahoma.”

She served as spokesperson for National Dance week in 2002, 2003 and 2004, alongside famed dancer Tommy Tune.

“Throughout the nation and wherever I’ve toured and performed throughout the world, people know me as an artist, but here I’m just students' buddy teacher,” Rowan said.

Rowan added that she prefers not to use the term “teacher.”

“They have to call me a professor because I talk all the time,” Rowan said.

She said she can only teach students who are as invested in learning as she is. If her students

become successful in dance, it is because they took the information given to them, Rowan said.

“I want them to take responsibility,” she said. “So I tell them I’m their encyclopedia. I’m their cheerleader.”

Morgan Wilson, dance pedagogy senior, has taken six semesters of dance with Rowan.

She said Rowan deserves her awards because she is involved in her community and works hard for the dance school.

“She’s not just teaching,” Wilson said. “She loves us. She always calls us her 'grandkids.'”

Rowan’s lessons are easy to remember because she uses a lot of visual examples, Wilson said.

Rowan sometimes brings stuffed animals to class and places them on her arm to teach her dancers about form. She tells her students how to smile in pictures and how to impress people in the dance industry.

Rowan tells her students that she’s trying to help them, not push them down. Since the first day, Wilson said Rowan reminded her of her grandmother.

Rowan teaches her students how to eat properly and navigate weigh-ins. With Thanksgiving Break coming up, many dance students are being taught not to indulge during the holidays.

Many students said they are fascinated that Rowan is still dancing and teaching at her age.

“She’s been around forever,” Wilson said. “We don’t know how old she really is, and her body is in great shape. It’s insane. I don’t know how she does it.”

Wilson attended a dance workshop at OCU when she was in high school, and she remembers being impressed by Rowan.

“I was like, 'this woman’s crazy, but it’s making sense now,'” Wilson said. “Nothing’s ever made sense, and now it does. I had to come here. This woman in a tutu is older than my grandma.”

Rowan is known for her obscure sayings, which students call “Jo-isms.”

Some of these quotes were collected and sent to Rod Jones, assistant director of media relations, who put them together on a website. These are some examples: - "The 11th Command-

ment is ‘thou shalt not bore thy audience.’"

- "Compete with yourself, not others."

- "For success in showbiz, simply make yourself desirable."

- "Employers are not interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time."

To teach a specific dance move, Rowan tells her students that there is a cookie on their foot, and they are feeding it to the mouse.

Rowan uses the phrase “holy blue cookies,” which students said they find peculiar. A dance student actually made blue cookies for Rowan last year.

Wilson’s favorite quote from Rowan is “so you can love someone more than you need them.”

Rowan said this about her husband, Dean John Bedford.

This quote is meant to inspire independence, Wilson said. “[She and her husband] run this school together, and she loves him, but she could still do it on her own,” Wilson said.

She said Rowan is constantly inspiring her students to support themselves.

“She’s a big advocate for standing on your own two feet and not relying on anyone whatsoever,” Wilson said.

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opinion Editors encourage reaching out to international students Most American students who study abroad not only hope to see famous world landmarks, but also hope for the opportunity to immerse themselves and make friends in different cultures.

Students often return home with memorable stories of friendships made from all around the world.

What many of these Americans students forget, especially those from OCU, is that Americans aren’t the only ones hoping to make memorable international friendships.

Students from Europe to Asia and beyond travel to OCU to study, experience the “American life,” and build new relationships.

But, they find that they only spend their time with friends from their respective cultures, even though they are thousands of miles away from home.

Though some international students study during brief residency programs,

restricting potential time with American students, the interactions that international students have with American students are little to none.

“There wasn’t much of a conversation, usually the hi-bye contact,” said Aishah Farid, mass communications alumna from Singapore who spent nearly a month on campus for her residency.

“But generally, people were nice.”

Even when some international students live at OCU for longer periods of time, whether it be semesters or years, the number of interactions with American OCU students are the same as those international students living here for a couple of weeks.

“The only thing is that I wished there were more activities and opportunities for the Singaporean students to interact with the students on campus, so that we can network and build friendships across borders,” Farid said.

American OCU students

Talk Back "How will you survive the rest of the semester?"

need to engage with international students, not only to build friendships, but to be a decent person and help another student out who may not be familiar with their surroundings. If you were in their shoes, you might hope they would do the same for you.

Sit by them in class. Be patient and help them with their language skills if they are struggling. Invite them to hang out with you and your friends, as you would any other person.

OCU StarsConnect creates numerous opportunities to help you along the way.

Read more about StarsConnect on Page 4.

You don’t always have to fly across oceans or cross borders to make international friends.

"If anybody figures it out, let me know."

"Coffee. Coffee.

Coffee."

Bailey Youngs acting Junior

Tyler Rivera acting freshman

"Pizza, sleep, shower, repeat"

"Probably sitting in a corner, rocking back and forth, muttering to myself"

Phillip Oliver entertainment business senior

Collin Salmonowicz film freshman

"Procrastinate"

"Hard work and prayer"

Avery Parsons nursing freshman

John Vick religion freshman

Cast of The Accountant almost makes up for poor plot, editing The Accountant, which hit theaters Oct. 14, came close in many ways to filling the action-movie void that plagues America, but ultimately fell short. The star-studded cast delivered some exceptional performances that unfortunately were unsupported by a weak story line and poor editing.

The first act of the film, during which we meet our characters and establish some intriguing plot points, was the strongest part of the whole thing. Ben Affleck’s perfor-

mance as a high-functioning autistic accountant assassin/ flannel shirt model was believable and engrossing.

Anna Kendrick starred alongside Affleck as, you guessed it, an accountant. Kendrick herself did not disappoint. Her emotions cut right through the screen into the audience’s lap, and her trademark sincerity pervaded every one of her scenes.

That said, the movie could have greatly benefitted from more of her character, Dana Cummings, who was dropped off at a hotel in the middle of the action, only

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

to be seen again in an epilogue of sorts.

One action scene, which involved a Ford F-150, a belt, a henchman and a hostage, takes the cake as the best action sequence of the movie. Most of the other fast-moving scenes fell

short in some way. Some were so darkly lit that the movement and choreography was completely lost. Others dragged on for much longer than they should have.

Simply handing the film over to any average editor with

access to iMovie could have solved most of the timing issues.

By eliminating a handful of unnecessary pauses and cheesy lines of dialogue, the film could have shaved a couple minutes off, which would have been a welcomed changed to most viewers.

The last 20 minutes of the movie were spent tying up some pitifully underdeveloped subplots and symbols, most of which could have been excluded from the whole of the movie in the first place. The strong cast thankfully works to balance out

these flaws, making some of the slow editing and vague dialogue more forgivable.

Jeffrey Tambor, John Lithgow, J. K. Simmons, and Jon Bernthal fill the supporting roles in the film, and deliver the fresh performances that most audiences expect from them.

A ticket to see The Accountant is not a total waste of money, but with the batch of movies available most places this weekend, don’t make The Accountant your first choice.

Columnist discusses dedication required to study abroad The preparation process for study abroad is not glamorous. The idea of study abroad is adventurous and romantic, but, like all things that are worth doing, it takes work. But that work is worth it.

Paige Caldwell, exercise science junior, just came back from her study abroad experience in Wales last spring.

“You have to be super dedicated to it,” she said.

Caldwell said she "bugged" Mary Benner, director of global engagement, for about

a year before going. To get more information about study abroad, students can visit the Office of Global Engagement and talk to Benner or Elise Blalock, OCU study abroad advisor. Students can also email Benner at mbenner@okcu.edu or Blalock at ehblalock@okcu.edu.

Caldwell is right when she says students need dedication to study abroad. The preparation process can involve a lot of paperwork and will require approval from different programs. It can take several

Madelyn Parker is an English and studio art sophomore who loves to rant about feminism and tell stories.

months of processing time for many official documents. But doing the work that gets you abroad is more than worth it in the end.

“I was looking stuff up on my own because for me [studying abroad] was non-

negotiable,” said Caldwell.

The first step in studying abroad is getting your home university’s approval. Online applications can be found at okcu.abroadoffice.net, and starting an application is as simple as clicking a location

on a map.

Once the home university approves, the next step is to apply to a study abroad program. If you’re approved by that program as well as the host university, then you’re in for the long haul.

At this point, you begin to figure out housing options and enrollment. To receive course credit for your study abroad experience, your adviser must approve your classes. You’ll need a passport, a Visa, and you’ll need to book flights in advance. You’ll need to

call your phone company and your bank to make sure that you can still have those services when you go abroad.

If you aren’t in a reciprocal exchange program, a consortium agreement and a long hunt for new scholarships, because your current scholarships won’t apply, becomes another priority.

But most importantly you have to want to study abroad more than anything else in the world, because dedication is what will pull you through all the paperwork.

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

To the staff and editors of The Campus: Kudos for running the story about the importance of the flu vaccine at the top of today’s issue. You’ve provided an important public health service by educating the campus community with facts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and by relaying the information about convenient vaccination options at the Campus Health Center.

It is worth noting that this virus is spread through aerosols that travel several feet, so we are all at risk of exposure, and the vaccine is our best protection.

Every year I remind my students that this illness is serious and can be life-threatening in certain populations, including the very young, persons over the age of 50, and the immunocompromised. Unless you have a condition that makes you ineligible for the flu vaccine, you should get one. If you don’t do it for yourself, do it for Grandma.

Helen M. Gaudin, Ph.D. Professor of Biology

WEDNESDAY Homecoming women's volleyball game from 7-8:45 p.m. in Henry J. Freede Wellness Center THURSDAY Chapel from 1-2 p.m. in Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel Take Back the Night: Pumps for Power at 6 p.m. on the quad FRIDAY Dance with the Stars from 9-4 p.m. in Edith Kinney Gaylord Cener SATURDAY Homecoming women's soccer

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Donovan Lawson, Olivia Johnston, Kelsey Simmons, Ali Wonderly Staff Writers: Taylor Rey, Prisca Lynch, Chandler White, Zoe Travers, McAlyn Forbes, Tatum Nelson, Nicole Waltman

W. Angie Smith Chapel

Homecoming men's soccer from 5-7 p.m. at Stars Field

TUESDAY Enrollment

Pizza and Pie with Alpha Chi from 10 p.m. to 2 am. in the Alpha Chi Omega house

WEDNESDAY Enrollment

SUNDAY Homecoming window decoration from 1:30-5:15 p.m. in the student lounge in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center MONDAY Enrollment Evensong Worship from 8-9:30 p.m. in Watson Lounge in Bishop

THURSDAY Enrollment Homecoming Float Competition from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the quad Lipsync from 8-10 p.m. in Henry J. Freede Wellness Center Floyd Collins from 8-10 p.m. in Burg Theater 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.

October 26, 2016, Volume 110, Number 34

Editor-in-chief: Miguel Rios Web Editor: Sage Tokach Lifestyles Editor: Madelyn Parker Photo Editor: Elina Moon Community Manager: Lauren Berlingeri Photographers: Courtney Beyer,

from 3-5 p.m. at Stars Field

The Student Publications staff welcomes unsolicited material and let-

Film Critics: Danielle Petersen, Mary McLain 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.

The first issue of The Campus is free. Each additional issue costs 25 cents. Contents copyright, 2016. All rights reserved.

October 26, 2016

news

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Elina Moon Student Publications

Make ‘em laugh!

Daxx Wieser, music theater senior; Casey Andrews, music theater junior, and Patricia Irwin, music theater sophomore, strike a pose during the OCU Improv show Oct. 21 in the Clara E. Jones Administration Building.

Above: Students react as OCU Improv performs their first show of the semester. The improv group will host an improv jam, open to all students, at 10:30 p.m. Nov. 1 in FA 402 in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center.

New scholarship program created for education majors Chandler White STAFF WRITER

Education officials are partnering with Oklahoma City Community College to arrange scholarships in support of training better teachers in Oklahoma City.

“There’s close to 1,000 emergency certified teachers in our state this year, without any teacher education programs or any particular degrees,” said Liz Willner, director of teacher education. “We have this problem of

unqualified teachers being in the classroom, and we, as a university, need to make a difference.”

Hoping to increase the number of qualified educators, OCU and OCCC collaborated to form a scholarship program for those who pursue a bachelor’s degree in any of OCU’s education majors. OCCC students with an associate’s degree and at least a 3.0 GPA, can take five semesters at OCU to earn an education degree through the scholarship.

The scholarship program

We have one of the best teacher education programs in the state.

Monica Hiller education junior

addresses various needs that the education system in Oklahoma has had for years. These issues include the scarcity of certified educators, the low levels of pay for teachers, as well as auton-

omy within classrooms that is required by teachers. Without proper qualification, many teachers are forced to adhere to strict curriculums without freedom to teach in their own way.

“Educators want to be able to teach well in the ways they know are best,” Willner said.

“Sometimes, though, they’ll go to districts where so much is mandated for them that they’re not able to best use their own knowledge of how children learn and develop.”

The scholarship will provide OCCC students with an opportunity to complete their degrees at OCU. “We have one of the best teacher education programs in the state,” said Monica Hiller,

elementary education junior.

“I think it would be really good to be training as many future teachers through our program as possible.”

For more information about the scholarship program, email Willner at LWillner@okcu.edu or look up the scholarship at okcu.edu/artsci/departments/ education/undergraduate/ teaching-scholars-program

Film Guild to host movie night Adrianna DelPercio STAFF WRITER

The Film Guild will host a screening of the Blair Witch Project from 8-10 p.m. Thursday on the quad.

The movie is free to all students, but there will be snacks and T-shirts for sale.

“In lieu of the recent sequel release and Halloween quickly approaching, we picked the Blair Witch Project because we felt it would be the most scary when sitting out on the quad with your friends,” said Casey Marks, film production major and president of the Film Guild.

This isn’t the only event that the Film Guild has planned.

In December they will show a

Christmas-themed movie on the quad. Starting soon, they will screen student-written films on the quad.

The Guild will also host an Oscars Watch Party in February where guests can guess the winner, and the person with the most correct answers will receive a prize.

They also plan to start a monthly movie challenge in November to give non-film students the opportunity to have their films shown.

“Despite all the fun events we have planned, the main point of the Guild is to allow students who aren’t film majors to experience the movie making process,” Marks said.

Matthew Hester, film produc-

tion senior and Guild vice president, said being part of the Guild exposes him to talented people.

“I always look forward to the Guild’s annual student film screening,” he said. “A lot of talented people pass through the university, and getting the opportunity to show off that work to our peers and colleagues is a real treat.”

Any student who has a desire or interest to participate can sit in on their meetings. The Guild meets every two weeks. Students can also like the Facebook page, OCU Film Guild.

For more information on the Guild, email Marks at cpmarks@ my.okcu.edu

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Donovan Lawson Student Publications

Pizza in the hut Rabbi Vered Harris, from Temple B’nai Israel, teaches Celia Tedde, music theater/vocal performance sophomore, and Eric Capelle, vocal performance junior, how to wave the lulav and etrog. This was part of the OCU Jewish Stars’ event Pizza in the Hut: a Sukkot Celebration on Oct. 20 on the quad. Sukkot is a Jewish holiday celebrating the harvest and commemorates the 40-year period in which the Israelites traveled through the desert.

Students campaign for better facilities in the theater school Taylor Rey STAFF WRITER

Caroline Stella, acting senior, has noticed some problems with the classrooms and facilities for the acting program and is bringing attention to the issues.

Stella created a petition that students can sign that says they’ve noticed the problems in the buildings. She also will create a video series to demonstrate the problems in the different spaces.

“I’m getting 230 signatures from performing students that

have or will take classes in the theater school. I want to show the school that something needs to be done about the theater facilities,” Stella said. “For example, Studio A is falling apart and the basement of Gold Star is not healthy to work in.”

Stella plans to use the petition and videos to bring officials’ attention to students’ concerns.

“The signatures demonstrate a large portion of the performing students are behind this and video is a visual representation of the rooms and it’s coming from the

I want to show the school that something needs to be done about the theater facilities.

Caroline Stella acting senior

mouths of the students that work in them,” Stella said.

The videos won’t be posted on any social platform, but will be used for presentational purposes.

They will primarily showcase the

Gold Star Memorial Building’s basement and classrooms to show that they need to be soundproofed. They also will showcase the Clara E. Jones Administration Building and Studio A.

Stella will present the petition and videos to D. Lance Marsh, head of performance. The process is taking longer than expected, but when materials are ready, Marsh will take them to higher officials, Stella said.

Franziska Harms, acting junior, agrees that the buildings have issues.

“In terms of facilities, I think we’re the red-headed step child of the music school. I didn’t come up with that, though, I think a lot of people feel that way,” she said.

“I like the homey feel in some of

the spaces like the top of admin because it makes me feel like I’m doing super organic exploration like was intended when teaching the beginning of this work.”

For more information or to sign the petition, email Stella at castella@my.okcu.edu.

“Our professors have tried very hard to give their students the best facilities they could, so it was time for the students to stand up and ask for better facilities,” Stella said.

SPECTRUM aims for more student involvement, recruitment Taylor Rey STAFF WRITER

SPECTRUM, the university’s LGBT alliance, is trying to become more active on campus.

SPECTRUM creates a safe space for students to educate and create a community. The organization was started on campus more than 10 years ago and is open to all students.

The organization hosted an event Oct. 11 for National Coming Out Day. “This is an event SPECOctober 26, 2016

T RU M t r i e s t o d o e a c h year,” said Matthew Hester, film production senior. “We haven’t been able to do it in the past few years because SPECTRUM has been sort of out of commission but we’re hoping to get students involved again.”

National Coming Out Day is an annual celebration that started in 1988, marking the anniversary of the first march on Washington for LGBT rights. The goal each year is to show the public that the LGBT community is everywhere.

SPECTRUM provides support, education, community, and a voice for LGBT students on campus that wish to assemble, according to the university website, okcu.edu.

The event is celebrated around the world, and was a way to show the campus that SPECTRUM is becoming more active, said Russ Tallchief, director of student inclusion and multicultural program.

“Our biggest goal with this event was to raise awareness and to recruit for SPECTRUM,” he said.

Mosaic Mental Health, located in Shepherd Mall, 2401 N.W. 23rd St., was present at the event to offer a resource for students who might need counseling.

They offer counseling for students struggling with their identity. They also offer free group therapy twice a week for people who are transgender or gender non-conforming, and they can write hormone replacement therapy letters for those transitioning.

SPECTRUM is trying to recruit for ally training and support groups on campus.

They will be hosting workshops later this semester, Hester said.

An ally is any heterosexual or cisgender person who supports LGBT rights and fair treatment. They are considered some of the most effective and powerful voices in the LGBT movement because they help others understand the importance of equality and acceptance, according to the GLADD website, glaad.org.

“The ally program creates a safe zone, be it a classroom or an office space where LGBT students can come and have a

safe space to talk. Allies don’t have all the answers, but we want to help,” Tallchief said.

SPECTRUM plans to host movie screenings later this semester for any students who are interested in joining the group.

For more information on SPECTRUM events, students can email Hester at mwhester@my.okcu.edu or visit the OCU SPECTRUM Facebook page.

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lifestyles The Crucible tells the story of the Salem Witch Trials with 27 actors Nicole Waltman STAFF WRITER

The School of Theater’s first mainstage play of the season is The Crucible by Arthur Miller.

The play is set during the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts, where a Puritan farmer named “John Proctor” and his wife “Elizabeth,” are accused of being witches.

“This show was chosen because it is a classic of American Realism and needs to be in our acting students’ repertory,” said D. Lance Marsh, head of performance and director for the show. “It was also attractive to us because of the large number of female roles, and the fact that it raises a ton of political questions, right before the election in November.”

Nick Mayes, acting senior, plays “John Proctor.” Marsh double-cast Kally Duncan, acting senior, and Ali Wonderly, vocal music/theater performance senior, in the role of “Elizabeth.”

“Abigail Williams,” the main accuser, is also double-cast, played by Keziah Williamson, acting junior, and Julia Waits,

acting senior.

“This show completely drains and exhausts everyone, but in the most gratifying way,” Mayes said. “It’s physically demanding being onstage the whole time listening with our bodies and our hearts.”

There are a number of features that have been added to the show, such as several movement pieces that tie the acts together, and the fact that the entire cast is onstage the whole time, Marsh said.

The cast consists of 27 actors, all of them working as a team to stay focused during a four-act show.

“From the very first rehearsal, this cast has been so supportive and ready to work,” Williamson said. “I feel like I can trust each and every one of the actors, which is the most important thing during a rehearsal process. Also, it doesn’t hurt that they’re all insanely talented.”

The set design is reminiscent of the Salem Witch Trial Memorial. It’s a small, claustrophobic space, surrounded by the untamed wilderness, which is symbolic of Salem at the time the play is set, Marsh said.

“The Crucible is a drama, and should give the audience all the feels and chills,” he said. “This is a different and darker Crucible than some people may be familiar with.”

The show will run Thursday through Sunday in Burg Theater in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center.. Tickets and prices are available through the box office tab on okcu.edu.

“I hope the audience takes away a message of peace and tolerance,” Mayes said. “The people in The Crucible seem crazy when we look at them. And in Salem’s defense, they knew hardly anything outside of the little towns and forest edges. But, if we’d all take a step back and look at ourselves, we could all argue that we’re just as insane today.”

Editors’ Note: Wonderly is a photographer for Student Publications. She did not participate in the writing or editing of this story.

Play provokes thought about controversial topics McAlyn Forbes STAFF WRITER

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Donovan Lawson Student Publications

Painting Pumpkins

Abigail Bryan and Anna Wenger, acting freshmen, decorate mini pumpkins with glitter glue at the Student Activity Council Fall Celebration from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 20 on the quad. During the celebration, students were given free snacks, pumpkins and art supplies. About 75 students participated in the event.

The Nether, the next Stage II play in the School of Theater, explores a moral dilemma in a not-too-distant-future dystopian society.

The Nether is a relatively short play (with about an hour and 15 minutes run time) set sometime in the near future.

It focuses on an artificial reality, taking virtual reality a step further.

“Right now we’re right in the middle of a big, massive consumer turnout of virtual reality hitting the market, and that’s all sight and sound,” said Hal Kohlman, director and adjunct theater professor.

“With artificial reality, add in not only sight, sound, but smell, taste, touch. So all five senses would be involved in

fooling you into thinking you were in a different place.”

The play poses the question of what people would do with this intelligence.

“You can do anything in The Nether. School has kind of been replaced by playing games and learning things,” said Matt Tuley, acting sophomore and cast member.

The show focuses on a location called “The Hideaway,” in which people can live out their desires of pedophilia. Acts of pedophilia are addressed, but not shown onstage.

Kohlman said he hopes the play will start some discussion.

“The Nether is a play that sort of examines the absolute darkest possible use of what could be a wondrous technology,” he said.

Students said they are curious about the show.

“I think that’s a very odd con-

cept to think about because it makes you think about a moral dilemma,” said Sarah Thias, dance sophomore. “You have to analyze what actually is wrong about the situation.”

Another student said he looks forward to the show.

“Hal is a capable director, and the cast is incredible. I expect great things,” said Dawson MacLeod, acting sophomore.

Haley Fortune, acting senior; Gareth Forsberg, acting freshman, and Matt Tuley, acting sophomore, will play lead roles in the production.

The Nether will have performances at 8 p.m. Nov. 3-5 and 2 p.m. Nov. 6 in the Black Box Theater in Wanda L. Bass Music Center. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Music theater student writes, publishes juvenile fairytale novel Sage Tokach WEB EDITOR

Sydney Hughes, music theater senior, wrote and published a juvenile fiction fairytale book.

The book, Thalia and the Wish: The Untold Story of Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother, was published last fall but recently became popular due to enlarged distribution channels.

“People here just found out about it, and they keep asking me why I didn’t tell them before,” Hughes said. “It didn’t really come up in conversation. I thought it would sound vain to bring it up out of the blue.”

Thalia and the Wish is a story about a young fairy who goes on a quest to break a spell and save herself. Along the way, she encounters new experiences and people (like “Cinderella”) who help her learn that love conquers fear, and anyone can change the world with the right amount of brains and determination.

Hughes came up with the fairytale’s premise in ninth grade, while telling stories to her younger sisters. She said she always enjoyed reading fairytale books, especially stories written by Gale Carson Levine, author of Ella Enchanted. She also followed Levine’s blog posts and would often write comments and ideas, to which Levine would respond.

“Levine really helped me solidify my ideas,” Hughes said. “In one prompt, she asked about a fairytale that needed more elaboration, and I asked why the fairy godmother was such a huge part of Cinderella, when we don’t actually know anything about her.”

Levine quoted this particular online discussion in her book, Writer to Writer, which describes interactions with writers and fans. In the

I’ve learned to be proud that I took something that only existed in my mind and put it out there.

Sydney Hughes

music theater senior

book, Levine refers to Hughes by her middle school online username, “TheUnsocializedHomeschooler.”

In her Western Literature class at OCU, Hughes was given a fairytale writing assignment that required her to create a twist on a fairytale. She revived her previous idea about the fairy godmother. After writing the paper, Hughes decided to expand the story into a full book, dedicating it to her sister, Hannah, as a birthday gift.

“I chose to publish it through CreateSpace, an independent, Amazon-owned company because it gave me the most control over how the book turned out,” Hughes said.

The book’s distribution channels enlarged last month, making the book available in more locations. Thalia and the Wish is available in print from Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, Amazon, and various local bookstores for $7-$9.99. Kindle also sells an eBook version for $4.99, and Hughes said she is working to make it into an audiobook that will play the story in her voice.

Hughes receives royalties from the book, but the amount varies,

depending on the distributer. She can buy copies for herself for the printing price of $1.20 per copy, and she usually gets a few dollars in royalties every time someone buys a book.

“I get $3-$4 per book if people buy it from Amazon or a big distributer, but the amount decreases when stores go through more steps to get it on their shelves,” she said. “A random bookstore in England actually sold a few copies. I got $1.75 per copy from that.”

Hughes’s story has 62 pages, with no illustrations other than the cover, which features a picture of a fairy that Hughes drew. She does not know how many total copies have sold, but last month, she saw a quote saying she sold 50 books, she said.

“I think people think it’s a bigger deal than it is, but I’ve learned to be proud that I took something that only existed in my mind and put it out there,” Hughes said. “We always deal with negative feelings and doubt, but you have to be brave enough to claim what you do and put yourself out in the world.”

Thalia and the Wish has two reviews on Barnes & Noble’s website, both with five-star ratings. One reviewer was initially skeptical but said she enjoyed the story.

“My daughter is not a huge reader, so we read it together, and it was a very charming story,” posted KatherineHolmes21. “It was engaging, and not as predictable as you might have expected, given it’s a ‘retelling’ of Cinderella. The characters are well-thought out and realistic, especially for a juvenile fantasy novel.”

Hughes said she has ideas for juvenile fiction and adult novels, but she plans to wait until after graduation to publish anything. She does not plan to write a sequel to Thalia and the Wish.

Group hosts events to involve international students McAlyn Forbes STAFF WRITER

StarsConnect will host a Halloween Party at 6 p.m.

Oct. 31 in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. The party is open to all students and will include a costume contest, pumpkin decorating and snacks.

StarsConnect, which originally launched in 2011, is an organization dedicated to connecting domestic and international students. In the updated program, students involved are put into groups that hang out with each other October 26, 2016

at least once a week.

“They might do activities like going out to see a movie together, eating in the caf together, trying a new restaurant together, going shopping together,” said Katie Kelly, acting sophomore and director of StarsConnect. “A lot of people at OCU are in their own little world, and it’s hard sometimes to reach out of your own friend group and get connected with people.”

Students said they have positive feelings toward the new organization.

“I think international students are fun to hang out with because they have different

perspectives of what I consider commonplace,” said Jeremiah Rupp, double bass performance sophomore.

StarsConnect will host two more parties this semester.

There will be an election watch party from 7-9 p.m. Nov. 8 in the Great Hall, and a Thanksgiving Party on Nov. 19.

Interested students can join the OCU StarsConnect group on Facebook, message Kelly via Facebook, or go to the Study Abroad office on the fourth floor of the Clara E. Jones Administration Building.

Elina Moon Student Publications

Blowing us away!

Valerie Gose, music education freshman, and Tristan Coles, music performance and pre-med sophomore, play “Consortium” by John Cheetham at the Brass Chamber Music Recital at 8 p.m. Oct. 30 in Petree Recital Hall in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. The recital featured the OCU Horn Choir, John Allen Brass Project, OCU Tuba/ Euphonium Ensemble, OCU Brass, and Blackwelder Brass. The next Brass Chamber concert is Dec. 5.

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