The Oakland Post 2.23.22

THEOAKLANDPOST Oakland University’s Independent Student Newspaper

Rochester, Michigan

Volume 47 l Issue 24 l February 23, 2022

O’RENA HEARTBREAK

Golden Grizzly men lose their first home games of the season in pivotal conference matchups.

Page 19

DOME COLLAPSE

Athletic facilty collapses amid power outage, winter storm PAGE 3

PHOTO BY SOPHIE HUME

LIFT MALFUNCTIONS

Series of elevator entrapments sweep through OU’s campus PAGE 6

COVID-19 MASKING

University leaders discuss lifting campus mask mandate in March PAGE 7

THIS WEEK

2 | FEBRUARY 23, 2022

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

THEOAKLANDPOST EDITORIAL BOARD

Jeff Thomas Editor-in-Chief jdthomas2@oakland.edu

Lauren Reid Content Editor lrreid@oakland.edu

Bridget Janis Managing Editor bridgetjanis@oakland.edu

EDITORS

Sophie Hume Photo Editor sophiahume@oakland.edu

Matthew Scheidel Sports Editor mscheidel@oakland.edu

Gabrielle Abdelmessih Campus Editor gabdelmessih@oakland.edu

Sarah Gudenau Features Editor sgudenau@oakland.edu

COPY & VISUAL

REPORTERS

Rachel Yim Senior Reporter D’Juanna Lester Senior Reporter Grace Lovins Senior Reporter Joseph Popis Senior Reporter Arianna Heyman Senior Reporter Jennifer Wood Graphic Designer Joe Zerilli Senior Reporter Megan Parker Graphic Designer Carolina Landeros Graphic Designer Alexander Gustanski Senior Reporter Elizabeth Foster Graphic Designer Christian Tate Sports Reporter Reece Taylor Sports Reporter DISTRIBUTION Brock Heilig Sports Reporter Sam Poudal Distribution Director Noora Neiroukh Photographer Maggie Willard Photographer Stanley Tu Photographer

spoudal@oakland.edu

GRIZZ DEN OPEN New state of the art computer gaming facility for students opens up downstairs in the Oakland Center. Story on page 4.

STANLEY TU / PHOTOGRAPHER

ADVERTISING

Ryleigh Gotts Distributor Brandon Sams Distributor

Tori Coker Marketing Director toricoker@oakland.edu

ADVISING

10

HOME COURT STRUGGLES

Golden Grizzly women lose a hard-fought home game to CSU. Photo/Maggie Willard

12

COMMUTERS VS. RESIDENTS Students open up about commuting to OU and being residents.

Photo/Sophie Hume

POLL OF THE WEEK

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR SPRING BREAK?

Garry Gilbert Editorial Adviser gjgilber@oakland.edu 248.370.2105 Don Ritenburgh Business Adviser ritenbur@oakland.edu 248.370.2533

14

Michelle Kaljaj Ads Director ads@oaklandpostonline.com 248.370.4269 Leticia Santos Ads Assistant

VOTE AND CONNECT AT:

PEOPLE OF OU

oaklandpostonline.com

Alum, local sports personality Tony Dombrowski talks life after graduation.

Photo/@tonydombrowski on Twitter

LAST ISSUE’S POLL

WHAT’S THE BEST SUPER BOWL HALFTIME PERFORMANCE?

A) VACATION B) SLEEP C) WHAT BREAK? I GOTTA WORK D) HANG WITH FRIENDS/FAMILY

38%

A) DR. DRE

B)

32%

PRINCE

16%

C) BEYONCE

CORRECTIONS CORNER:The Oakland Post corrects all known errors of fact. If you know of an error, please email editor@oaklandpostonline.com.

14%

D) LADY GAGA

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FEBRUARY 23, 2022 | 3

Grizz Dome athletics facility deflates, collapses completely JEFF THOMAS Editor-in-Chief

MATTHEW SCHEIDEL Sports Editor

Amid winter weather conditions early Saturday morning, on-campus athletic facility the Grizz Dome collapsed completely. While the situation is still being investigated, it is believed that a campus-wide power outage combined with high winds caused the collapse.

Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities and Event Management Andy Adrianse provided the following statement concerning the incident and current state of the Grizz Dome facility: “Information is still being gathered but there was a campus wide power outage shortly after 3 a.m. It’s currently believed that the backup generator which is intended to provide continuous air pressure during outages may have not turned on, however there were also very

strong wind gusts at the time which also may have been a contributing factor. Power was not restored until approximately 5:30 a.m.”

“The full extent of the damage is unknown but we are working with the Grizz Dome manufacturer to deploy a service team to the site,” Adrianse continued. “The Grizz Dome can’t simply be inflated again as there are electrical, cabling, and other structural components that were likely damaged.

In the meantime we are also working to identify other solutions for the multiple varsity athletics programs and community groups that rely heavily on the space during the Winter season.”

Monday, OU Director of Media Relations Brian Bierley provided an update confirming times and damage to the facility.

“The campus power outage occurred at 3:11 AM on Saturday morning due to the severe weather conditions overnight February 18 onto February 19. DTE is investigating and will report back to OU. Power was restored back to campus at 5:30 AM on Saturday, February 19.

During that time, the Grizz Dome generator kicked on and activated fans to provide pressure for the dome to be intact and stable. It was observed

by OU staff at the site that the dome was torn around the edges above the heating unit which we believe was caused by the high winds. Moreover, there was ice and a snow load on the roof. The fan unit was unable to maintain pressure to keep the dome inflated.”

Multiple OU sports teams including: baseball, softball, soccer, golf, track and field and cross country all make use of the facility for practice. It is unclear at this time how the collapse of the dome will impact the baseball and softball teams as they start their seasons.

Oakland Men’s Soccer Head Coach Eric Pogue said the team currently doesn’t have a backup plan for a practice facility. The team starts their spring season soon.

“We are exploring all options to see what makes the most sense for us financially and logistically as we don’t see the Dome going up anytime in the

near future,” Pogue said. “The Dome is a major loss for our sports teams, so we are hopeful to get it back up and operational sooner rather than later.”

Head Baseball Coach Jordon Banfield said he’s “not that worried” about how the Grizz Dome’s collapse will affect his team.

“We often use an offsite facility and will be traveling most of the next two weeks,” Banfield said.

Cross country Head Coach and Director of Track and Field Paul Rice lended his perspective to the dome collapse situation over the weekend.

“For the past two years we have learned to deal with many challenges,” Rice said. “Losing our indoor training facility a week before our indoor championships … just add it to the list. We’ll figure it out. So thankful that this happened in the middle of the night and the place was empty.”

While the dome is owned by OU and located on campus, the facility is leased to private company Total Sports. The Post reached out to the main office of Total Sports about the collapse, and as of writing has not heard back.

OU community reacts to continued enforcement of mask mandate ARIANNA HEYMAN Senior Reporter

On Feb. 13, Oakland County officials announced they would no longer require schools to enforce a mask mandate. Despite the decision from the county, OU stated they will continue to require that students wear masks on campus. The OU community has mixed reactions to this decision, but none that are completely oppositional.

Nina N., Senior, Psychology “The fact remains that COVID-19 is a virus that spreads by one — breathing in the droplets and particles that contain the virus, two — having these droplets near the eyes, nose or mouth, as well as, three — touching the eyes, nose and mouth with hands that have been infected with the virus. It is also a fact that masks have been shown to be effective against the spread of COVID-19, in particular, N95 and medical masks (especially when worn correctly).”

“The debate here isn’t a scientific one, because the science is very clear that masks are effective at reducing transmission of COVID-19. Rather, the debate here seems to be one of the collective vs. the individual — of the line between safety and freedom. It has been my opinion that freedom of the individual is essential, but that individual freedom cannot come at the cost of the safety and rights of others. It cannot infringe on the freedoms of others, which includes negative freedoms, such as the right to be free from said threat. My opinion at this moment in time is that I agree with the university’s decision. The pro of increased community safety outweighs the con of mask-wearing. In this case, the safety of the collective far outweighs the smaller individual sacrifice of wearing a mask.”

Haley A., Junior, Political Science “I agree [with the university’s continued mask mandate]! It’s for the safety of students. A lot of students who are vaccinated still don’t get tested regularly and do tons of activities with those outside of OU, and who knows where they’ve been? And if someone doesn’t like it they are more than welcome to take online classes.”

The most common reaction from students was the suggestion that wearing a mask should be up to the individual rather than a direction from OU faculty.

Isabella P., Junior, Communication and Dance “Personally I feel like since we require vaccinations to attend classes, wearing masks should be optional especially if we enforce social distancing and other procedures to keep students safe, but I will say that I respect the university’s decision to keep students safe by enforcing the mask mandate.”

“I just feel like there are other ways to keep us safe than to wear masks and half of the masks that students wear are not protective at all. I pay tuition and housing to get the college experience and to make connections with people. I feel like the mask mandate is prohibiting me from doing so. I could be biased because I’m in the dance program, but it’s extremely frustrating to wear a mask while dancing and performing. Again, I understand why the university is doing it, but I think it’s been really hard on everybody.”

Dorian B., Senior, Communication “The mask should become optional. If [COVID-19] starts to become worse again, then [OU should] take other precautions to keep us safe — i.e. put us back online or limit the number of in-person classes.”

Erika H., Sophomore, English and Communication “Oakland University has been following the advice of the Oakland County Health Department for

the majority of the pandemic, and I believe people should have the preference to choose whether they wear a mask or not during class. Over 90% of students and staff are vaccinated against COVID-19, and there have been many health protocols in place to keep the student population safe.”

“We were told at the beginning of the year that if we got the vaccine, we would be able to stop wearing masks and return to post-pandemic life. The number of positive cases per week has drastically decreased as well state-wide and on campus. If students can sit in the dining halls together and gather off campus maskless, there should not be a strict mandate in the classroom.”

For now, the mask policy remains the same, but OU is continuing to monitor the progression of cases in the area and make informed decisions based on the status of the pandemic.

PHOTO BY SOPHIE HUME Students have mixed reactions to Oakland University’s plan to maintain the indoor mask mandate.

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Grizz Den for recreation and International Education gaming opens in Oakland Center hosts Study Abroad Expo GRACE LOVINS Senior Reporter

There’s a new hub for recreation and gaming on Oakland University’s campus. On Feb. 10, the former Bear Cave officially reopened as the new Grizz Den in the lower level of the Oakland Center (OC). The Grizz Den features 24 gaming PCs, two Nintendo Switches with five docking stations, a Playstation 4 and Playstation 5, an Xbox One and Xbox Series X, as well as multiple recreational amenities.

Chris Reed, director of the Oakland Center, said plans to create the Grizz Den had been ongoing for the past three years, but were upended as the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.

“Before the pandemic hit, we started to look at other spaces in the Oakland Center that could potentially house electronic sports (Esports) a couple of months before the athletics team was announced, because we knew it was something we wanted to bring to campus,” Reed said. “We looked at potential donors outside of the university to help support building such a space, and then the pandemic hit and things started to slow down — donors weren’t as keen on putting money up for something like this given everything that was going on early in the pandemic.”

Campuses across the country have been introducing similar gaming destinations in relation to the growing number of Esports teams. Reed says the Grizz Den will also potentially serve as a recruitment tool for prospective Esports players.

Although Esports was in mind during the Grizz Den creation process, Reed noted the aim for the den was to have a modernized space for students to enjoy gaming.

The Grizz Den PCs are currently equipped with four different games: League of Legends, Overwatch, Rocket League and Valorant, with hopes of offering more in the future.

Edward ‘Rahz’ Azzam, president of OU’s Rocket League Club and member of the varsity Rocket League Esports team, says he likes having a gaming space on campus that both encourages esports and creates an inviting atmosphere for anybody to enjoy.

“I think it’s a good show of faith from the university,” Azzam said. “It shows they’ve invested in Esports and believe in it because it would be hard to take this place down and reorganize it [into the Grizz Den]. I also like that it’s not just a varsity space, the varsity team has their own space, so this space is geared toward everyone else on campus which is nice. It gives people — such as people

who are touring the campus or people who are already at the campus — the prospect into Esports and maybe entices them to get more involved.”

Similar to Reed, Azzam feels the den will allow prospective students to see OU’s efforts towards increasing Esports engagement. He feels the space also provides an opportunity for students to explore their interests and connect with other members of the campus community.

“I think, at the end of the day, even if your goal isn’t to become a player on the Esports team, I think it’s just a cool place to hang out and try out different games,” Azzam said. “These games, while they are competitive at high levels, are really fun to play if you’re just a casual player.

You can just come here and hang out with your friends between classes or after classes, you’re never going to have a bad time here.

Reed is excited about the Grizz Den officially being available for the campus community to enjoy, saying it serves as another way to demonstrate the University’s support for students.

He also hopes that in the near future, the den will allow the university to continue to build relationships with the surrounding communities saying, “it took a little longer than we wanted to, but to finally be here and have it open and see people using it, it’s very exciting, and to hear the positive feedback and how we can improve it [is welcomed] so we can continue to make sure it’s fitting what the students are looking for.”

For more information about the Grizz Den and its available amenities, visit the “Grizz Den” tab on the Oakland Center webpage.

PHOTO BY STANLEY TU The Grizz Den is now open in the Oakland Center, replacing the Bear Cave.

GRACE LOVINS Senior Reporter

International Education hosted the biannual Study Abroad exposition (expo) on Thursday, Feb. 17 in the Oakland Center Habitat. The expo was open to all OU students to learn about the wide range of study abroad options available through the university.

Alex Zimmerman, director of International Education, stated the expo aimed to increase visibility of study abroad opportunities for students.

With almost 300 different programs to choose from in roughly 50 different countries, deciding the best-suited program for yourself can be challenging.

The expo offered students an opportunity to explore study abroad options with faculty and program directors available to answer questions and provide insight into the various study abroad programs.

Zimmerman listed several advantages to study abroad opportunities — stating how they allow students to learn how their course material is implemented in the real world, and gives them the chance to make connections with people around the globe.

He also notes that students tend to return from their study abroad experience with increased self-confidence and a better understanding of their future goals and aspirations after graduation.

“I think study abroad is one of the best things you can do here during your time at Oakland in terms of the benefit to students’ futures, their sense of satisfaction with their university education and with the careers they end up in. All of that is impacted by study abroad,” Zimmerman said.

Study abroad student advisor, Malaena Caldwell, studied abroad during the 2020 winter semester in Orléans, France.

Caldwell states that, while her experience was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, her time abroad allowed her to grow both as an individual and French-language learner.

“When you learn a language I feel like there’s always one strong thing that you’re good at that stands out and one thing that’s a weakness. My strong suit is grammar and vocabulary and my weakness was speaking. My accent wasn’t that great. Right when I was leaving that barrier was going away for me,” she said.

“I just recommend it to everybody because it changes you,” Caldwell continued. “I came home from my study abroad and I gained so much more confidence having to travel alone for the first time. I feel like that implicitly teaches you how to be more confident. I

PHOTO BY STANLEY TU The Study Abroad Expo on Thursday, Feb. 17 detailed various study abroad programs for interested students.

just became so much more sure of myself while being over there.”

Conor Urban, also a study abroad student advisor, studied abroad in Orléans, France in the fall of 2019.

He highly encourages students to take advantage of study abroad opportunities, especially students studying language.

He mentioned not only was his experience beneficial to his French language abilities, but it offered him perspectives from different cultures.

“In a broader sense, I think it’s really good for everybody to study abroad because [I know I] realized that a lot of where you come from kind of influences how you think of things. Even just being in other places, you realize that everything you know is kind of based on where you live,” Urban said.

“I think that that’s also an important part of studying abroad, realizing that we’re kind of creatures of our own habitat that we grew up in. I think it helps you when you come back to realize the broader base of perspectives there are in the world.”

Zimmerman, Urban and Caldwell all strongly recommend students to reach out to the International Education office, even if they’re unsure about the opportunity to study abroad.

“If you’re thinking about it and unsure, but just have an inkling, just come talk to somebody at our office,” Caldwell said. “It doesn’t hurt to ask questions. The best thing you can do is just see what opportunities are available and then assess what is best for you as an individual. Talking to us will be the best way to go about that.”

International Education offers appointments with staff, and/or walkins every Monday through Thursday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and can always be reached via phone-call or email. For more information about study abroad, students can visit their Oakland webpage or reach out directly to the staff and faculty.

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FEBRUARY 23, 2022 | 5

Exploring Inclusion in the Workplace: Diversity Workshop SARAH GUDENAU Features Editor

Career Services at Oakland University hosted Exploring Inclusion in the Workplace: Diversity Workshop and Mixer in the Founders Ballroom of the Oakland Center (OC) on Tuesday, Feb. 15 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The event was sponsored by Rocket Companies, a Detroit-based leader in the mortgage industry. Open to all students, representatives talked to students about company culture, employee resource groups, passion for breaking inclusion barriers and support and accommodations for employees from all backgrounds.

The focus of the event was inclusivity — University Relations Manager Jasmine Hines led discussions of navigating inclusivity.

Such conversations included Creative Strategist Bellal Ammar and Senior Data Analyst Andrea Bajaj on race, Senior Trainer of Talent Development Danielle Atkins discussed culture and religion, Team Leader of Client Experience Operations Alyssa Sayed talked about disability and accommodation status, Senior

National Account Executive Matthew Blackmer and Executive Trainer of Talent Development Valdet Selimaj led the conversation about gender and sexuality and Talent Acquisition Partner Corey Kelly talked about veteran status.

The workshop also provided an opportunity for students and OU alumni to network with each other and employers to explore what the companies have to offer. The conversations were followed by snacks.

Additional events hosted by Career Services include the in-person Career Fair on Tuesday, Feb. 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the OC Banquet Rooms and Ballrooms, which was postponed due to inclement weather during the original Feb. 2 date.

Another networking opportunity for students to connect with professionals will be the Exploration Fair: Opportunities in Healthcare and Natural Sciences which will take place on Friday, March 18 from noon to 2 p.m. in Banquet Room A of the OC. Students will be able to explore job shadowing, volunteer, full-time, part-time and internship opportunities at natural science and healthcare companies.

To stay updated on Career Service events, check them out on Campus Labs. Students can also schedule one-on-one in-person or virtual appointments with Career Consultants for any and all career questions from career fair preparation, resume and cover letter review and job search help to mock

interviews and LinkedIn and social media advice.

Stop in to the Career Services office in Room 154 of North Foundation Hall, or call (248) 370-3250 or email careers@oakland.edu to schedule an appointment.

PHOTO BY MAGGIE WILLARD Senior Vice President for Student Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer Glenn McIntosh kicked off the event.

Make your own self-care products and destress with H.O.M.E.S. JOSEPH POPIS Senior Reporter For students looking for self-care strategies and products — look no further. On March 10, the Healthy, Optimistic, Mindfulness, Education, Stability (H.O.M.E.S) organization is presenting “Prepare Self-Care with H.O.M.E.S.,” which will run from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Oakland Center (OC’s) Lake Huron room.

Students will be able to make their own self-care products such as face masks, lip scrubs, essential oils and hand lotion.

President of H.O.M.E.S, Meghan Savel, says this event is intended to be a safe space, allowing for attendees to talk and make things together. They will also be taking home the self-care products.

According to their GrizzOrgs page, H.O.M.E.S. “advocates a balance between body, mind and social aspects of life. [They] focus on educating students on-campus about common mental health stigmas, stress management, food and exercise.

H.O.M.E.S. works with students to connect them to resources on and off-campus that will benefit their overall health.”

“Our purpose is to make everyone feel welcome on campus,” said Vice President of H.O.M.E.S. Hannah Brendle. “I think we have a diverse group of people, and it’s just a safe space to talk about topics that aren’t normally talked about.”

Brendle said the upcoming “Prepare Self-Care

with H.O.M.E.S.” event aims to reduce stress. The organization wants to promote self-care and provide students with the materials and space to do it.

“This [event] is just kind of a destresser,” Brendle said. “We want to promote self-care a lot, but this way, we can provide people with the materials they need and a safe space to do it with friends — just to make sure they’re getting their self-care.”

Savel emphasized the importance of self-care and watching out for your mental health.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEGHAN SAVEL Members of H.O.M.E.S pose last April at a destress event.

Features Editor Sarah Gudenau profiled the organization earlier this academic year.

“I think self-care is very important, especially to take care of your mental health,” Savel said. “It goes kind of hand in hand. We always tell our members once a week, just have a self-care day, pamper yourself, take a bath, a face mask, light a candle.

It’s very important to do self-care to improve your mental health.”

H.O.M.E.S hopes to end the stigma surrounding mental health, as Savel mentions. Additionally, since many people who participate in H.O.M.E.S are underclassmen, they get the chance to make new friends.

“We stand for, you know, ending the stigma around mental health,” Savel said. “A lot of people that come to H.O.M.E.S. are freshmen or sophomores, and they didn’t get the full OU experience last year. So, they didn’t have the opportunity to make friends or have a friend group like that. A lot of our members are making new friends, and that’s another big part of self-care.”

Brendle had a similar sentiment, citing the community cultivated within the organization.

“I feel like every time a new person comes, we all just get along so well. It’s just a very chill, chatty group. Attendees at this event specifically can gain different ways to destress, relax and make time for self-care and ways to do it,” Brendle said.

H.O.M.E.S. meets on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Kresge Library. For more information on H.O.M.E.S and their future events, visit GrizzOrgs or email homes.org.ou@gmail.com.

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Repairs made to Vandenberg, OC following elevator entrapments TORI COKER

Marketing Director Following a string of elevator entrapment incidents throughout the month of January, repairs have been initiated in response to malfunctioning equipment in East Vandenberg Hall (VBH) and the Oakland Center (OC), while the causes behind entrapments reported within Hamlin Hall (HH) and Hillcrest Hall (HCH) were determined to be unrelated to equipment.

As reported in a recent police files article, VBH was the site of the majority of entrapments in a month-long series of similar incidents across campus, including other entrapments in the OC, HH and HCH — the former two of which are also serviced through Schindler Group, while Otis Elevator services the latter.

Schindler Group did not respond to requests for comment, though details surrounding recent repairs they’ve made in the wake of these incidents were obtained

by The Oakland Post through documents provided by OU Facilities Management.

Schindler determined a faulty board to be the culprit behind the four recent entrapments in East VBH, replacing this mechanism on Fri., Feb 11. Additionally, a Jan. 10 inspection of the freight elevator in the OC revealed that the door was not closing completely, an issue resolved that day as the company lubricated the door.

Brian Ward, Director of Operations for OU’s Facilities Management department,

takes pride in the response afforded to this situation by his department and those external companies they partner with.

“Only skilled tradesmen with the proper licensing are permitted to work on elevators,” Ward said. “That is why we contract with companies who retain the proper training, licensing, and insurance to work on these highly complex machines.”

The Jan. 30 incident regarding an elevator within HH did not prompt a call or follow-up inspection from Schindler Group, as the OUPD determined that the panic button was pushed without response whilst the elevator appeared to be operating normally, with no passengers trapped inside.

Similarly, the entrapment reported

PHOTO BY BRIDGET JANIS The east elevator in Vandenberg Hall has had to be serviced recently. The campus has seen a series of elevator entrapments.

from within HCH on Jan. 10 was deemed to be the product of human error rather than equipment failure. Upon reaching the scene, Otis Elevator determined the car to be overloaded with passengers who were jumping.

OU sophomore Drew Kamp was one of four trapped passengers during this incident. He recalls a loud crack and a sudden bounce marking the onset of their entrapment, after two of his roommates jumped at the same time. The elevator was then unable to move, the door unable to be opened.

“I’d never really been stuck in an elevator before, so I didn’t know exactly what was going on,” Kamp said. “I tried holding the red button to contact OUPD and it connected but I couldn’t hear anything. It was super glitchy and I couldn’t understand anything that the operator was saying other than [in] bits and pieces, so after a while — probably three [or] four minutes of trying to communicate to one another — we both finally understood what we were saying.”

According to OU Facilities Management, a qualified mechanic is to report to the scene of a stalled elevator within 45 minutes of trapped passengers’ request for help — yet in the case of the Jan. 10 entrapment in HCH, it appears that Otis Elevator did not arrive within this time frame.

“The police officer got there pretty quick — that was within probably ten minutes — but I feel like the elevator mechanic took a little bit longer than 45

minutes,” Kamp said.

Kamp and his roommates made their emergency call at 8:43 p.m. According to Facilities Management records, Otis Elevator was called at 8:52 p.m. and arrived on-scene at 10:02 p.m. — a response time of 70 minutes. OUPD records show that the passengers were freed from the elevator as of 10:06 p.m. What remains noteworthy in reference to this incident, then, isn’t so much an issue on the part of equipment, but rather policy follow through on the part of emergency response.

Reflecting on the recent slew of entrapment incidents, Ward cites age as a factor likely to affect the function of elevators in older buildings — VBH was built in 1967, for instance, with the most recent elevator upgrade taking place in 1999, though state certifications for the machines are current.

Ward stresses that his department takes the proper maintenance of campus elevators very seriously, and encourages students to practice a similar vigilance.

“I hope that [this situation] will remind all elevator passengers to ride responsibly without jumping or trying to compromise the elevator’s functionality in any way,” Ward said.

On Feb. 19, two additional elevator entrapment calls were made from within HH and HCH at 3:18 a.m. and 3:20 a.m., respectively. The Post awaits further details regarding these two most recent incidents.

The Filmmakers Guild of OU is working hard making short films ALEXANDER GUSTANSKI Senior Reporter

Students looking to learn more about filmmaking, or to network for their next short film, can join the Filmmakers Guild of OU student organization. The group is currently working on the post-production of their first short film of the semester, an ironic western homage titled “A Man Walks into a Bar.” Sean Donovan, president of the organization and director for “A Man Walks into a Bar,” talked about the purpose of the club.

“Filmmakers guild is an allinclusive club, where anyone who wants to make films or just loves films can come and interact with a lot of people,” Donovan said. “We are a community of film lovers and filmmakers. We make films and host editing workshops for our members.”

Donovan also talked about the benefits of joining the filmmakers guild saying, “[it’s] an easy way of networking but also a fun community where we go out and get dinner every few weeks, and we go and see movies.

On our discord server, people are very

active. Members use the server to get help on film projects with acting and other roles.”

During the month of January, the group held virtual game nights and meetings, where they worked on their newest script and played “Jackbox Party Pack” games. The group most recently took a trip to the theater so they could watch Joel Cohen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, and then went out to eat after to discuss the film over food. The organization is planning on viewing more films this semester in theaters, and would like to invite other students to join them for their next outing.

Emnet Kahsai, the cinematographer for “A Man Walks into a Bar,” talked about her role in the film saying, “cinematographers are responsible for capturing all of the shots seen in a film.

Usually, they talk with the director in advance to get an idea of what kind of shots and angles they want to capture, and after that, they work their magic.

It takes a lot of skill to know how to capture certain angles or to do certain panning and zooming techniques, but the better it’s done, the more effective they’ll be in conveying emotion and meaning in a film. Cinematography

is a lot more important than people would expect it to be.”

Before she went back to manning the camera, Kahsai also gave her thoughts on the guild’s current film project.

“The actors were hilarious, and I think we all had a lot of fun with this one. I love being behind the camera, so any opportunity that gives me the

chance to film something is a good one.

I can’t wait for the next film we do.”

The organization is finally back in person, and they meet every Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the Oakland Center. You can find their demo reel here, and for more information or to get in contact, you can visit their GrizzOrgs page.

PHOTO COURTESY OF @OUFILMMAKERSGUILD ON INSTAGRAM The OU Filmmakers Guild is a group of students creating films together. Pictured here are costume contest winners from Halloween.

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Student Video Productions gives students experience in film JOSEPH POPIS Senior Reporter

Student Video Productions (SVP) is a student organization helping students gain experience within the film industry, media creation or content creation — and is open to any major. SVP also creates shows and films, which are uploaded onto OU TV and YouTube. Some of their films are even submitted to film festivals.

SVP is currently finishing up a short film they worked on last semester called “Bobbi & Clive,” which will be released in mid-March. Two more new shows will be filmed and produced this semester, as well, called “In A World,” a variety type show, and “Kalliope’s Creations,” a make-up show.

Vice President of SVP, Danielle Parker, said the organization for anyone who wants to get involved in video content creation or media creation. The organization is also willing to do podcasts — anything that’s appealing to students.

“The purpose [of SVP] is just to get people involved,” Parker said. “Sometimes it’s really hard to get your foot in the door, especially in the film industry. Some people don’t know where to start, and we’re the people you start with. We just want students to get involved.”

Event Coordinator and an actor within SVP, Phillip Christiansen, discussed what he has learned since joining the organization. “[I’ve gained] a deeper knowledge of how productions work,” Christiansen said. “[For example] — what it’s like to be on set, what each of the individual roles are and how it’s just a really in-depth level of teamwork. Not one person can really get it done themselves. You have a team

of people who are all knowledgeable in their own thing.

Learning all those different aspects has been really helpful and beneficial.”

Christiansen mentioned SVP is a great resource for students interested in film. There are also benefits in being able to use the rental equipment for uses outside of the organization, since members have rental privileges for all equipment.

The entertainment aspect of SVP is also a benefit of joining.

“What we do is make entertainment videos that we can [release] on OU TV and things like that,” Christiansen said. “So I think those are the big two [reasons to join SVP]. We can help teach people about the filmmaking they’re interested in, [but also] the equipment and the entertainment side of it.”

SVP does not assign specific roles that members have to stick to. Everybody can experience all of the roles in this organization while also specializing if that is what they desire, whether it’s camera work, sound equipment or lighting.

Editing is one of the more challenging aspects in SVP as it is an independent study, Parker explains. Spreading out the knowledge and having a collaborative effort can help.

“We try to be like, ‘Hey, I learned this neat little trick, do this next time because it saves time,’” Parker said. “But yeah, anything that one person knows, we try to make sure everybody’s filled in about it.”

Parker mentioned making and meeting friends is one of the most valuable aspects of joining SVP. “It’s going to sound cheesy — but I think that one of the most valuable things somebody who joins SVP can gain is friends,” Parker said. “That’s the way that the world

PHOTO COURTESY OF SVP ON GRIZZORGS Student Video Productions is open to any major, allowing students to gain experience and knowledge in film, media creation and content creation.

works. You need to make friends to be able to operate in society now.”

Technical knowledge is another thing students can gain from joining SVP. Additionally, students can learn about rights to use music, how to market yourself on social media and how to edit effectively.

Parker also highlighted the importance of connections saying, “if you don’t have the right connections, you’re just on your island, and it takes a lot longer, takes a lot more effort to get somewhere.”

The SVP office is located in the basement of the Oakland Center near The Habitat and Grizz Den. Meetings are held every other Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Room 125 of the Oakland Center (OC).

Students looking for additional information can visit GrizzOrgs or email oaklandsvp@gmail.com, and, check out the SVP portfolio, OaklandSVP.

OU discusses lifting mask mandate before end of winter semester

JEFF THOMAS Editor-in-Chief

During last Thursday’s OU Senate meeting, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Britt Rios-Ellis and other members of OU leadership engaged in a discussion about potentially lifting the oncampus indoor mask mandate on March 18.

With the decline in new COVID-19 cases, the mandate has come up on campus in recent weeks.

Oakland and Wayne county, among several others, have announced plans to lift mask mandates in public schools by the end of February.

While the discussion occurred, the university has not committed to any plans to change the mask mandate at this point.

In a statement provided to The Post by OU Director of Media Relations Brian Bierley, the university acknowledged that the idea of lifting the mandate was discussed and that they are encouraged by downward trends in cases.

“Our goal is to continue maintaining safe classrooms while working with our infection control team and faculty members about any timing regarding when and if we rescind our mask mandate.

We are not planning on rescinding the mask mandates to follow the schedule of the county or public K-12 schools. However, we are watching closely for any new recommendations from the CDC that help guide our decision-making.

One plan discussed at that meeting, and brought forward by Graham Health Center leadership, was to consider March 18 as a possible date to consider moving from a mask mandate to strongly recommending mask

wearing if COVID continues to trend down. This would provide us an opportunity to see if there are any spikes after our spring break.”

The possibility of lifting the mandate before the end of the winter semester was met with concerns from faculty and student leaders.

Faculty had concerns about the possibility of lifting the mandate, with leaders from Oakland University’s Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (OU AAUP) pointing to immunocompromised community members and student expectations as reasons to keep the mandate through the end of the semester.

“The AAUP is deeply concerned about the potential of a premature suspension of the mask mandate,” OU AAUP President Karen Miller said. “Because faculty and students made decisions to participate in face-to-face instruction based on the assumption that masking would be mandated, that policy should remain in place through the semester. We have a number of faculty members who live with immune compromised people or young children who cannot yet be vaccinated. It is important that we defend their well-being. We would point to the fact that the vast majority of University Senate members supported a continuation of the mask mandate at the last senate meeting on Thursday, [Feb. 17].”

Oakland University Student Congress (OUSC) President Andrew Romano and Vice President Murryum Farooqi were both at the meeting and left concerned about what could be motivating the potential change in masking policy.

“One of the main reasons upper administration is considering dropping the mask mandate is that there seems to be an overwhelming amount of students who

want the mask mandate gone,” Romano said. “The evidence that led them to this conclusion was that they are getting more angry emails than supportive ones about the mandate. Without knowing the mask mandate was in jeopardy those who support it likely had no reason to email administration about the issue, creating what could be a biased sample size.”

In an effort to make sure as many student voices are heard as possible on the mask mandate issue, OUSC and The Post are collaborating to host the Oakland University mask mandate student survey. To access the survey go to Instagram and go to either @ theoaklandpost or @ouscoffical.

“If our university is going to pivot from their ‘listening to the science approach’ and adopt a ‘listening to the students’ approach on [COVID-19], I suggest they give every student a fair opportunity to share their perspective,” Romano said. “Which is why [OUSC] has created a Google form poll for students to be able to vote and comment their perspective on the mask mandate. I intend to meet with the administration and share the results of the poll, to ensure every student who wants to be heard will be heard on this issue.”

With the exception of a period last summer, OU has been consistent with mask wearing on campus since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the latest available data, since the beginning of the year there have been 628 confirmed COVID-19 cases among the campus community. Cases peaked the week of Jan. 8 with 230 cases. There were 11 new cases reported last week.

The Post will continue to follow this story. All students are strongly encouraged to participate in the student mask mandate survey.

CAMPUS Looking Back: OU celebrates 25th anniversary 8 | FEBRUARY 23, 2022

BRIDGET JANIS Managing Editor

Oakland University offers a lot of fun and unique activities for students to enjoy, and they also know how to throw big milestone celebrations.

Back in 1984, OU celebrated the university’s 25th anniversary with a hot air balloon festival — dedicated to launching hot air balloons for students, faculty, staff and the community to enjoy.

During the 25th anniversary of the university, OU did not shy away from throwing a big event just to celebrate. The hot air balloons were launched from the Lapley Sports field. Eight of the balloons were sponsored by local businesses such as Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, Father and Son Construction, First of America-Rochester, Liberty State Bank, Michigan Yellow Pages, Oakland Press and ReMax. The event had about 150 volunteers coming together to support the lift-off of the 25 balloons during the festival. The festival was expected to have over 20,000 spectators.

This event definitely connected local businesses with OU and created a sense of community at the university. OU’s connection with the community has always been something the university has been proud of, and the hot air balloon festival was a great example of that.

During the festivals there were two events — the Sanctioned Task, which was when pilots raced to

PHOTO BY LAUREN REID For it’s 25th anniversary in 1984, OU celebrated with a hot air balloon festival.

gain points that would count in qualifying for the national competition. Then there was the Hare and

Hound race, where balloons were released 10-15 minutes apart and flew for about a half an hour, then would place an x on the ground where they landed. The other balloons would try to get as close as possible and drop a bean bag on the mark, the closest to the mark would win.

There were other events that marked the 25th anniversary of OU — such as the Resident Halls cosponsoring OU Day at Tiger Stadium, a Resident Hall After School Party, Alumni Fun Run as well as many events being held at Meadow Brook Hall.

The hot air balloon festival was a big hit within the community and the following year in 1985, a reporter from The Oakland Post discussed the absence of a hot air balloon festival that year was a let down.

“Memories of last year’s Septemberfest bring back images of brightly colored hot air balloons dotting the skies of campus,” an OU student at the time said. “Somehow, even though there were plenty of fun and exciting activities in this year’s Septemberfest, it just didn’t seem the same without the balloons.”

It would be fun to see OU bring back old festivals such as this hot air balloon one, it seems like an event that would get students, faculty, staff and the local community together. Who wouldn’t love seeing hot air balloons this upcoming fall?

With all that has gone on recently, the university owes it to everyone to bring back a hot air balloon festival.

Connecting with heritage through the Jewish Student Organization ARIANNA HEYMAN Senior Reporter

The Jewish Student Organization (JSO) at Oakland University is a small club with growing influence. The JSO encourages members to “take advantage of the connections, programs and leadership opportunities that will make you stand out from the crowd.”

With meetings occurring on Wednesdays, JSO members bond over shared history and future goals they hope to accomplish as an organization. Vice President Lily Hooberman cites many examples of why joining JSO can be an enlightening experience. “[You] learn about our Jewish heritage and how you can implement it in your life,” Hooberman says. “You can relate to other people who you know share the same religion as you.”

Through JSO, members celebrate various Jewish holidays, gather for Shabbat dinners and engage with like-minded individuals. The JSO provides students with a way to connect through shared cultural practices which creates a sense of community on campuses where many students often feel alone.

JSO is sponsored by the Hillel organization which is a national group. Hillel was founded in 1923 to strengthen Jewish communities on college campuses. Through Hillel of Metro Detroit, other JSO groups have the opportunity to interact through various events. “[In the] beginning of this year, there was an event. It was the Van Gogh exhibit downtown [with] all the Hillels,” Hooberman says. “We [also] partner with [Wayne State University] and do

Shabbat dinner sometimes.”

Another goal the JSO hopes to achieve is partnering with other OU cultural organizations to plan events.

“People [who] don’t really know about Judaism can come and join,” Hooberman says. “They can learn all about it and we [plan to] partner with other organizations and we can learn about each other’s religions.”

The JSO regularly schedules events and is planning numerous activities for the rest of the winter semester.

“After break we’re having a Purim event where we’re gonna make our own hamentashen and play games,” Hooberman says.

The JSO events are not exclusively for members and Jewish students. The JSO encourages OU students of all cultural backgrounds to come celebrate and learn about the Jewish culture alongside JSO members.

With antisemitism on the rise on college campuses across the country, the need for the JSO is more vital than ever. In the last year alone, antisemitic incidents on campuses reached an all time high.

“A survey conducted for Hillel International and ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) found that antisemitism is a looming and present threat for Jewish college students, with one in three students personally experiencing antisemitic hate directed at them in the last academic year,” Hooberman says.

Hooberman says that while antisemitism is not frequently spoken about, the issue is ever present in the back of everyone’s minds.

With antisemitism and hate speech on the rise, it is more important for minority group to have a

strong sense of community in order to lean on one another in trying times. The JSO provides this for Jewish students at OU and across metro Detroit.

For more information about JSO or for those looking to join the organization, find them on Facebook, Instagram or via Campus Labs.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HILLELMETRODETROIT ON INSTAGRAM Hillel of Metro Detroit students volunteered for bookstock.

FEATURES

FEBRUARY 23, 2022 | 9

SMART buses may no longer pass through Auburn Hills, OU

D’JUANNA LESTER Senior Reporter

Adding to the ongoing conversation surrounding campus accessibility and transportation, Auburn Hills’ SMART Bus may no longer pass through the city, including Oakland University’s campus.

In a meeting on Feb. 7, the Auburn Hills City Council debated the potential to opt-out of SMART. At the meeting, the Mayor and the majority of council members accepted the recommendation from the Local Transit committee to opt-out, and the decision will be voted on and finalized at the next City Council meeting scheduled for Feb. 21.

If the majority votes to opt-out, SMART transportation will no longer pass through the city. The service would be replaced with a voter-funded transit service to be used only by seniors and people with disabilities from Monday through Friday. The proposed replacement would be cheaper, according to the City Council.

SMART bus routes connect many locations throughout the region to OU. As previously reported, OU has not offered students any alternative transportation options following the elimination of the Bear Bus in 2020.

The Bear Bus was vital to campus accessibility, and with the return to campus and winter weather, there’s been great concern regarding campus accessibility.

With the Bear Bus no longer available, the city’s SMART Bus that passes through campus has been the only remaining form of public transportation.

Rochester Riders — a local group advocating for transportation — has been organizing to keep many

communities in Oakland County as optin options. The website includes a call to action to the local community to support Auburn Hills as an opt-in.

The Transportation Committee of OU Student Congress (OUSC) has also been rallying people — especially students, staff and faculty at OU — to get involved in showing support for the cause.

“The committee started as part of the Grizzlies Healthy Planet Initiative (GHPI), which is a university-wide sustainability initiative that was announced on Earth Day last year,” OUSC Transportation Committee member Mozhgon Rajaee said. “The GHPI has ten committees focusing on different areas of sustainability.”

The committee has worked to encourage university administration to work with the city of Auburn Hills on retaining SMART bus access.

“Our committee has stressed the importance that we actively work with our neighboring communities,” Rajaee said. “Rochester Riders is doing great work on this. SMART is underutilized, and the city therefore is considering opting-out of SMART devices. However, there has been strong support for SMART devices when it’s on the ballot.”

The underutilization and subsequent cancellation of the SMART Bus mirrors what happened with the Bear Bus. SMART buses are especially critical to disabled students and others who do not drive or have other modes of transportation.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF ROCHESTER RIDERS A SMART Bus shelter on Oakland University’s campus.

“With the Bear Bus being discontinued in 2020, the SMART Bus is the only way for students to affordably get to and from campus without a personal vehicle,” Rajaee said. “Ubers and Lyfts are expensive when compared to buses. For students living on campus without access to a car, the SMART Bus is one of the only ways to leave campus outside of walking.”

There are two ways for people to show their support for the SMART Bus cause: one is to submit a written public comment to the City Clerk, which can be read at the Feb. 21 council meeting. The other is to give a public comment by attending the city council meeting on Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. at Auburn Hills City Hall.

Women’s basketball loses third straight game Story by: Brock Heilig |

Photos by: Maggie Willard | Design by: Carolina Landeros

The Oakland women’s basketball team dropped its third straight game on Thursday, Feb. 17 in an 85-65 loss to Cleveland State at the O’rena. This was just the first matchup between the two opponents this season.

Oakland was scheduled to travel to Cleveland State on Saturday, Jan. 8, but that game was canceled.

Oakland struggled early, connecting on just one of its first six shots. However, the Vikings were also cold, making two of their first nine shots from the floor.

A Kennedie Montue 3-pointer gave the Grizzlies a 7-5 lead with just under six minutes to play in the first quarter.

That would be the last lead the Grizzlies saw, however. After the Montue triple, Cleveland State went on a 17-7 run to close out the first quarter.

Oakland didn’t have a player with more than three points in the game’s opening quarter.

Kahlaijah Dean and Montue each had three points, and Sydney Gouard, C’Erra Maholmes, Breanne Beatty and Kayla Luchenbach all added two points.

The Grizzlies crept their way back into the game in the second quarter. Beatty, Dean and Gouard combined for 10 points in the first two minutes of the second quarter to cut the Vikings’ lead to two.

Cleveland State didn’t falter, however, and finished the second quarter much like it did the first.

Led by 16 first half points from guard Destiny Leo, the Vikings enjoyed a comfortable nine-point lead at halftime.

Beatty and Dean carried the load for the Grizzlies in the first half, combining for half [18 of 36] of Oakland’s points.

Oakland couldn’t make up any ground in the third quarter. The Vikings maintained their lead, and held off any potential runs that the Grizzlies tried to make.

Both teams finished with 14 third quarter points, and the Grizzlies were left, still trailing by nine going into the final quarter.

Things fell apart for the Grizzlies in the fourth quarter. The Vikings jumped out to a commanding 16-point lead less than two minutes in, and they never looked back.

Oakland’s 35 percent fourth quarter shooting clip was not enough to make up the deficit, and Cleveland State won going away.

The Vikings shot 4-9 from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter, which was more than enough to keep the Grizzlies from putting together a comeback.

The Grizzlies were dominated on the boards. The Vikings outrebounded Oakland by a staggering 50-25, including 18 offensive boards.

“We just have to hit bodies and get bodies before we go pursue the ball,” Interim Head Coach Ke’Sha Blanton said. “I didn’t think we did a great job of boxing out.”

Dean led the way in scoring for the Grizzlies with 17 points on 6-18 from the floor. Beatty added 12 of her own on 4-6 from the floor. No other Grizzly was in double figures.

“It’s always good to have [Dean] playing really well,” Blanton said. “And obviously we want her and the rest of the team to be able to administer the ball and spread it around. As many threats as we can have on the floor makes it a lot harder for us to be guarded.”

Oakland now sits at 11-13 overall and 9-8 in the Horizon League. The Grizzlies will finish out the regular season on the road with matchups at Northern Kentucky and at Wright State.

The Grizzlies will take on the Norse on Thursday, Feb. 24 at 4 p.m., and will then travel to Ohio to take on the Raiders on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m.

12 | FEBRUARY 23, 2022

Living on-campus or commuting: students weigh in

LAUREN REID Content Editor

The decision to live in OU housing or commute to campus is a tough one — one that got even tougher amid the COVID-19 pandemic, where justifying the cost in lieu of online classes felt like a nobrainer for some.

For the Chiappelli triplets — freshmen Jacob, Nick and Olivia — Jacob and Nick live at home, while Olivia lives in Oak PHOTO BY SOPHIE HUME View Hall, along with the other To commute or live on campus is a question most col1,816 students currently living on lege students ask themselves at some point. Here, OU students weigh in on which they prefer. campus. The fall 2021 enrollment numbers were 17,170 students — 13,771 undergraduate and 3,399 time the way she’d like saying, “I love graduate — according to OU fast facts. the freedom and space I have with my This means only about 13% of own time. But commuting to school undergraduate students live on campus, during the winter can be a pain with the with the other 87% making the drive. ice and cold.”

“I like living on campus because Some students have experience living I’ve noticed [when OU was remote in both on and off campus, such as OU January], I wouldn’t do anything all sophomore Erika Head, who commuted as day,” O. Chiappelli said. “When I came a freshman and now lives in Oak View Hall. back to school, I realized I’m always out As a commuter, Head, like Wright, doing something — I feel so much more mentioned she had more time to do what connected to the school environment.” she wanted to do off campus. For Head Connectivity is a common theme — that was working at Starbucks, going among on-campus residents, whereas to her church group and traveling. She commuters often cite a lack of school was also able to save money and put it spirit and tougher time getting involved. toward purchasing her dream car.

Assistant Director for Housing However, Head said commuting didn’t Enrollment, Kelly Garnett, said living allow her to gain independence, and she on campus comes with convenience, had to work extra hard to get involved connection and community. Garnett and develop relationships. also mentioned on-campus residents are “It wasn’t as easy to make friends, I statistically shown to have higher grade really had to put myself out there,” Head point averages than commuting students, said. “It is possible to feel involved on and are also more likely to graduate. campus as a commuter if you make an “I have worked in University Housing effort and put yourself out there — [but] for over a decade now, and have been it can be easy to fall into the come to amazed to see the way the students bond class, go home mindset.” together to build an incredible home This year, living on campus, Head has away from home,” Garnett said. “The had a great experience, but mentioned residents are active in student leadership the cost is awfully steep. and government, engaged in student According to the housing homepage on activities, athletics and organizations OU’s website, Hamlin Hall, Vandenberg and are taking part in on-campus Hall and Van Wagoner House cost employment opportunities.” $10,639 per student for fall 2021 and Although living on campus comes winter 2022 semesters combined. with a plethora of positive benefits, there Hillcrest and Oak View are pricier are certainly pros to commuting as well. — $11,746 and $11,190 to $11,746 “I have a bunch of resources available respectively. Scholarships can defray the to me at home that aren’t necessarily cost, and meal plans are included. available to me at OU,” N. Chiappelli said.

Like most things, there are certainly “For example, I can eat whenever I want pros and cons to both sides — living — I don’t have to go to some dining hall on campus or commuting. It’s cliche, and if it’s closed I can’t eat, I have food but deciding what’s right for you is the in my fridge. It’s definitely a lot more way to go. comfortable. It doesn’t feel very different If you’re looking to get more involved from how it would be going to high school, on campus, whether a housing resident or which is a very comfortable experience.” not, visit GrizzOrgs for a list of student Senior Kaleigh Wright detailed how organizations and activities. commuting allows her to manage her

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FEATURES Roundnet bounces into being top club sport FEBRUARY 23, 2022 | 13

JOE ZERILLI Senior Reporter

Club sports are a staple of the college experience, and Oakland University is no exception. One of the fastest growing clubs at OU is the Roundnet Club.

Roundnet — commonly referred to as Spikeball — is a fast-paced game with two teams of two going back and forth with volleys played around a circular net.

A common inference is that roundnet is the baby of volleyball and foursquare.

Roundnet originally began in 1989, faded out of popularity in 1995 due to outdated equipment and then got a resurgence in 2008 when Spikeball CEO Chris Ruder took over the brand. Fast forward to 2020 — when the roundnet club was founded — roundnet club president and co-founder Alex Doty is ready to bring the game to OU. “We worked together to build what it would look like because I had this idea since 2019 to make the club,” Doty says. “I was able to get people together and bring my idea to fruition.”

Doty had first discovered roundnet in 2018 while attending multiple grad parties that summer, saying it’s “kind of like the grad party game.” He would go on to buy his own net and end up driving to Grand Rapids to participate in a tournament with a friend.

“It opened my eyes to Spikeball as a competitive sport,” Doty says. “This could be something I do at Oakland … it would be my own to make and see how things go.”

Vice President Jon Herppich has also been around

PHOTO COURTESY OF @OUROUNDNET ON INSTAGRAM Roundnet Club is a fast-growing club sport at Oakland University.

the world of roundnet since 2019, and he joined forces with Alex to make this club a reality. Herppich says being vice president is a really cool experience.

“Since I’ve been here since the start of the club, the coolest thing I’ve seen from roundnet is the transformation from the first meeting on the grass behind the track — with about 10 people — to our meetings now that have around 40,” Herppich says.

“Being VP to a club that is growing so fast is awesome because we can plan events, run practices and know that people are going to come and want to learn and play the game of spikeball.”

Meetings are currently held 9:45 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. every Monday at the Grizz Dome with a potential outdoor meeting to be added in late March, weather permitting. For meetings, all people need to bring is a

mask and shoes as the nets and balls are provided.

Doty and Herppich are looking forward to the future of the club, with the first collegiate tournament for the club set to take place in April at Bowling Green University. The high stakes tournament will send the winner to nationals.

Doty’s goal is to bring three squads — a squad being three teams of two — to the tournament so there’s still time to join. Sign up for the tournament will be available on the club’s linktree.

Herppich believes that the Roundnet Club will continue to grow as it’s accessible to almost everyone.

“You don’t have to have any special talents or physical attributes to play — you can just show up and have fun,” Herppich says. “I also think Spikeball is going to continue to grow on college campuses everywhere … it offers community when you have a club, and it offers competition with collegiate tournaments.”

Roundnet Club is open to teach new people who haven’t played Spikeball before, with a goal to have a competitive team and also have fun. Some students express interest in the club, no matter their experience with the game.

“I played it a couple times,” sophomore Jason Washington says. “I was aware that there was a club at OU. I thought about joining a few times in passive thought.”

“I have never played Spikeball before — I wasn’t aware of the Roundnet Club,” freshman Stephen Green says. “I would be interested in learning how to play Spikeball and becoming competitive.”

For more information, check out the roundnet Instagram page @ouroundnet or visit their linktree.

The highs and lows of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics RACHEL YIM Senior Reporter

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics were probably one of the most controversial Olympics to date, with many “scandals” in various sports.

The Winter Olympics was held in Beijing – the capital city of China – from Feb. 4 to Feb. 20. 224 U.S. athletes (115 men, 108 women and one non-binary person) competed in 15 sports, and the U.S. has won eight gold, nine silver and seven bronze medals.

In fact, the beginning of the Olympics was quite messy. Recent genocide and brutal crimes against the Muslim population that were happening in Xinjiang, China led the Biden administration, along with other countries, such as Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, India, Kosovo and Lithuania, to announce the diplomatic boycott.

The boycott was only the beginning. Athletes’ complaints about the quarantine facilities, food and weather conditions followed. Natalia Maliszewska, a Polish short-track speed skater, once said on Twitter, “I don’t believe in anything anymore.” There were no tests conducted. There will be no games. After a series of errors by Chinese officials when conducting COVID-19 tests on her, she said, “It’s a huge joke for me.”

The food was another source of criticism among many athletes and coaches. German coach for alpine skiing Christian Schweiger said, during the men’s alpine skiing downhill event, that the catering was “extremely questionable.”

Soon after the opening ceremony, the games started.

On Feb. 7, several injuries from alpine skiing and questionable officiating mostly from short track became a hot topic for many. Winter Olympics are notorious for injuries but on the fourth day of the Olympics, the Beijing Winter Olympics has delivered several injuries – from mild to severe – to alpine skiers, and American alpine skier Nina O’Brien was one of the victims. Many officials say the organizers and fake snow created by China are partially to blame.

On the same day, Hwang Dae-heon and Lee Juneseo, two South Korean short track speed skaters, were disqualified for illegal contact during the semifinals of the men’s 1,000-meter event in short track after which the Chinese skaters advanced to the final race. The penalty against these two skaters, specifically the world record holder Hwang, led Koreans to allege that there was unfair officiating in favor of the host nation.

During the final race of this event, a similar penalty was given to Shaolin Sándor Liu, Hungarian short track speed skater, for a straight lane change from inside to out causing contact after crossing the finish line first, which eventually led two Chinese skaters winning gold and silver medals. After the event, both the South Korean and the Hungarian team filed protests to the International Skating Union (ISU), who rejected the protests.

Another event to note, yet probably the most controversial event during the Olympic games, was the ISU allowing Russian figure-skater Kamila Valieva, who tested positive on the most recent doping test, to compete in the women’s singles free skating program in figure skating. This 15-year-old’s doping test result showed

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NEW YORK TIMES 15-year-old Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva was at the center of a doping scandal.

three drugs – with one banned (trimetazidine) – that are known to enhance the performance of many athletes.

No matter what the stories behind these controversies are, these create biases and unfair circumstances to many athletes, and they must not repeat.

Although overshadowed by these controversies, moments of genuine Olympic spirits and sportsmanship indeed existed. From cheering for American snowboarder Shaun White after the final run in his career, to American speed skater Erin Jackson becoming the first African American woman to win an individual medal in speed skating, it is with no doubt that many athletes shined in their positions regardless of the medals.

FEATURES People of OU: Podcast host Tony Dombrowski 14 | FEBRUARY 23, 2022

JOE ZERILLI

Features Reporter In a world where Detroit sports aren’t necessarily doing amazing things, it can be hard to talk about them while staying positive. But Tony Dombrowski has created a community with which he constantly spreads positivity and joy.

Dombrowski has surpassed 10,000 followers on Twitter since beginning to tweet out all things Detroit sports in August 2017. He has become somewhat of a local celebrity, but he remains humble through the whole experience.

“Always a humbling experience, people come up and want to see me and talk to me,” Dombrowski says. “I want to connect with people more than just at a sports level.”

Dombrowski graduated from Oakland University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and a minor in digital media production. His big break came at WXOU when he started his own radio show “Trash Talk with Tony Dombrowski”.

“If I could run it back one more time, I absolutely would go back to OU,” Dombrowski says. “I wouldn’t be where I am without WXOU.” On the show, he would invite a guest or guests on the show to talk mostly about Detroit sports. What started at WXOU is

now his own podcast of the same name that is featured on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The Trash Talk crew started with WXOU with Dombrowski, Grant Richards, Tyler Siwa, Eli Bashi, Mike Bilica and Jaylen (Jay) Horne.

Dombrowski would meet these guests through OU, Twitter and friends.

His show matches exactly with what he offers on Twitter — his honest and positive spin on things.

“I will never go in front of a camera and lie to an audience,” Dombrowski says. “[I]

PHOTO COURTESY OF TONY DOMBROWSKI Tony Dombrowski and Detroit Tigers baseball player Miguel “Miggy” Cabrera.

try to stay away from hot take, garbage stuff.”

Dombrowski started making connections early — one of his first connections was Johnny Kane of Bally Sports Detroit. He “slid in” to Kane’s Instagram Direct Messages asking for advice, and they’ve been not just good connections, but good friends.

Other big connections that Dombrowski made were beat writers for the Detroit teams, including James Edwards III of the Pistons and Max Bultman of the Red Wings.

“I never would’ve imagined I would have connections with beat writers,” Dombrowski says.

On Twitter, Dombrowski is known for things such as his daily “GOOD MORNING” posts and his ongoing shtick with the Tigers about getting a dome for Comerica Park. While his goal was to get big and talk to a community on Twitter, he may not have always expected it.

“Absolutely no way did I ever think people would care what I had to say about our teams,” Dombrowski says.

“Absolutely no way did I think I would pass 10,000 followers. To this day I don’t know how I did it.”

Besides the Tigers, Dombrowski has good connections with all the Detroit sports teams social media accounts. From posting custom pictures after wins to getting

featured in hype videos for the Lions, you can expect to see Dombrowski in any big news story for Detroit.

Dombrowski has recently partnered with Roast Umber — a Michigan based coffee company — that now sponsors all of his Twitter videos. He even has his own code — TonyD — that followers can use to get 20% off at checkout.

“Sponsorship boss at Roast Umber, [he] mentioned the reason why he wanted it (the partnership) is because the world sucks and is negative, but I always have a smile on my face and put a positive spin on things,” Dombrowski says.

The biggest piece of advice that Kane shared with Dombrowski is to “have fun with what you’re doing and to be yourself.”

Some advice from Dombrowski is “there is nothing wrong with not knowing what you’re gonna do or what you’re gonna be.”

“It’s a grind — if you’re not having fun with it then why do it,” Dombrowski says.

“Another piece of advice I got was ‘you have your entire life to work so have fun with your life.’”

“One thing I’ve always told myself is I don’t want to get to a point where I say ‘what am I doing,’” he says. “It’s like baby steps, you don’t just graduate and land at ESPN. I feel OU and WXOU did a good job at teaching me that.”

Looking for a bakery? Try Give Thanks Bakery RACHEL YIM

Campus Reporter Love pastries but haven’t found your go-to bakery? Try Give Thanks Bakery — Michigan’s Premier European Artisan Bakery.

First founded by a German family – Gerald and Margaret Matthes, the Give Thanks Bakery’s tradition dates back to 1998. Its tradition continues as another German family – Dietrich and Katy Knoer – is carrying on the ownership of the bakery since Jan. 2021.

“We were customers of the bakery, and we started talking about his desire for a succession plan five years ago,” Knoer said. “The food and beverage industries were hit so hard, but for us, this time [early pandemic] gave us a lot of chance for reflection and intentional decision on what we would do next. That’s what really led us to stepping into this ownership.”

The Knoers both have master’s degrees in Business and Administration from the Tuck School at Dartmouth College, and have long looked forward to having a business together. Knoer said their love for food and passion for baking led them to carry on the tradition of the Give Thanks Bakery.

“We are both foodies,” Knoer said.

“We love to eat, and we are very adventurous eaters. There are tricky things in a lot of food services and businesses because there are not many

people who are both good business people and have the required culinary skills to run a business like a bakery.

So, what we bring to the table is love of food, good taste, passion for quality and understanding of business operations.”

Then, what’s so special about this bakery? Knoer emphasized two things: artisan products made by old-fashioned technique and the culture.

“We live in a very special corner of the bakery market, where we make artisan products. Everything we make in the bakery is from scratch and by hand, and we use old-world techniques with no machine involved.”

Another, yet the most important factor, is the culture. Knoer said its culture is rooted in the spirit of gratitude, generosity and service to others – their customers, community members and employees.

“Many people who visit our bakery tell us they love the products we make, but the thing they love most is how they are treated when they come in here,” Knoer said. “We know a lot of customers by names, we know their favorite pastries they order. We always try to be very accommodating to their needs or requests.”

In order to provide the best possible pastries and service to the community, the bakery has a tremendous team of 22 workers including bakers, pastry chefs and counter staff.

“It’s a little bit family-like,” Knoer said, describing her team. “We’re very fortunate to have a group of people, many

of whom have worked for the bakery for a long time. They are skilled artists in their particular areas, and it makes for a successful combination.”

The bakery is currently open in Rochester and Midland in Detroit.

However, the Knoers have announced they will open another location in downtown Royal Oak (317 Main St.) in spring of 2022.

“We are stepping into a historic bakery called Hermann’s Bakery that has a history of more than 100 years,” she said.

“We have the opportunity to reactivate this historic bakery as the Give Thanks Bakery. We hope to have the ability to produce pastries and soft breads there, and also have a retail space in front of the house. When that is done, we’d

PHOTO BY MAGGIE WILLARD Rochester is home to Give Thanks Bakery. A new Royal Oak location is coming soon, as well.

have three places to buy things. We will continue to make bread in Rochester, and we will probably put much of our pastries operations in Royal Oak.” If you are a first visitor, Knoer recommended three most-beloved pastries from their menu: almond croissant, French sourdough ‘Levain’ and cookies (rustic walnut and earthquake cookies).

Another pastry from the bakery to note is ‘Paczki [poonch-key],’ which originated from Poland. The Give Thanks Bakery is currently making baked Paczki for a seasonal sale in Midtown or Rochester starting Feb. 15 through Mar. 1.

“It’s basically a fried donut, usually filled with chocolate, cream, or jam,” she said. “Our Paczki are different because they are baked. Fried foods are not really part of our baking heritage. We offer them with fillings of variant cream which are like vanilla, chocolate, raspberry cream and lemon.”

Despite the many challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Knoers are hoping to continue growing the bakery both on the production side and on sales side, as well as carrying on their German heritage.

“We have the understanding of the unique heritage of this bakery, but at the same time we are situated in America with most of our customers being Americans,” she said. “We have a unique bicultural family that can make the most of the special blend.”

OPINION

FEBRUARY 23, 2022 | 15

‘Smiling Friends’: Adult Swim’s best show in years ALEXANDER GUSTANSKI Senior Reporter

I have a massive soft spot for Adult Swim’s animated programming. The network has produced some of the best adult animated shows of all time.

The newest addition to their animated lineup, “Smiling Friends,” is not only great in its own right, but has the potential to become truly iconic.

The show has a simple premise: Pim (Michael Cusack) and Charlie (Zach Hadel) are employees for the titular company, Smiling Friends. The premise is often subverted as clients are usually deeply troubled people that require serious help our protagonists struggle to provide. For example, the second episode titled “Mr. Frog” has Pim and Charlie trying to help a canceled celebrity get his show back.

Unfortunately, Mr. Frog is a deeply troubled character, and every attempt at trying to rehabilitate his image ends up digging his grave even further.

The show has a very hands-on feel as the creators, Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack, not only voice the main characters but also work on

the animation. Hadel, also known by his username “psychicpebbles,” is known for appearing on the Oney Plays channel, alongside producing original animations on YouTube and Newgrounds. Cusack, the series’ cocreator, is known for creating the show “YOLO: Crystal Fantasy,” which was adapted from his own original YouTube animations. The backgrounds of the series’ co-creators mean they not only have years of animation experience, but also a very in-touch sense of humor.

The humor of “Smiling Friends” is the show’s biggest strength. I can’t remember a show in recent memory that made me laugh as much as this one. The comedy mainly comes from the show’s frantic and surreal nature, making the show feel like a natural extension of their YouTube careers.

The episodes are wholly unpredictable. At any second, the show could introduce a new grotesque or odd character that steals the spotlight for a few seconds. There are compilations on YouTube that show off all of the series’ background gags, and it’s incredible to see how much

work was put into small details the average viewer might miss.

Speaking of effort, the presentation of this show is gorgeous. The backgrounds are rich and full of detail, an element that is typically lacking in mainstream animation.

The characters populating the world of “Smiling Friends” are equally as intricate. Characters are portrayed using 2D animation, 3D animation, claymation and live-action actors.

Additionally, while Cusack and Hadel voice a majority of the characters from the show, there is an impressive amount of guest stars.

The show uses the voice talents of Chris O’Neill, Joshua Tomar, Mike Stolkasa, Tom Fulp and Gilbert Gottfried.

The show was renewed for a second season and I have no doubt it will match or surpass the quality of the first season. Hopefully, the show’s viral success on YouTube and TikTok helps the creators bargain for a larger budget and episode order.

“Smiling Friends” is now available to stream on the Adult Swim website and HBO Max.

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB “Smiling Friends” follows characters Pim and Charlie, and provides a good laugh to its viewers.

Leigh Bardugo’s ‘Six of Crows’ is fantasy genius D’JUANNA LESTER Senior Reporter

*Spoilers ahead!* A month and a half into the new year, and my book count for the year is already climbing. I am currently on my 25th book: “Rule of Wolves”, the seventh book in the Grishaverse series

by Leigh Bardugo.

Fans are mostly in agreement about which books are the best in the series.

Between the “Shadow and Bone” trilogy, the “Six of Crows” duology or the most recent “King of Scars” duology, most are saying the “Six of Crows” duology is the best. I want to focus on the fourth book in the series, “Six of Crows.”

I have talked about “Six of Crows” before in my articles about the Grishaverse Netflix series. It is my favorite book in the series for the sole reason of Bardugo’s incredible way of writing characters. The Crows make this book, and they’re why the duology is so popular. These characters hold a special place in my heart and inspire my own writing.

The Crows: Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, Jesper Fahey, Wylan Van Eck, Nina Zenik and Mattias Helvar. How

does someone write characters that are so complex and diverse that fans can’t even rank them? I go back and forth between who is my favorite.

The representation alone is groundbreaking for the young adult (YA) fantasy genre. The race, sexuality and disability representation mean so much to the fans who aren’t used to seeing themselves represented in stories.

The characters are revolutionary.

Their complexity makes them so interesting. They each have their own heartbreaking backstories and distinct personalities. Inej and Kaz particularly stand out with their relationship. They’re so different, and seeing how beautifully written their arc is makes me so happy.

The plot of the story shows off how fun these characters are. The gang goes through so many trials to complete their mission, and their goals are different. They all want a prize but for different reasons. This adds to the story by making the audience want to see the Crows succeed.

We see how vulnerable they are, but also how they interact with each other while trying to pull off a suicide mission. The stakes for each character

are high. The writing establishes that these characters are strong but vulnerable and young compared to the rival gangs that are also on this mission. We see the characters struggle, but also Kaz Brekker’s infamous “scheming face.”

The man always has a plan. And a backup plan. And several backup plans.

Readers are constantly taken aback by how clever he is. When you think something’s going wrong, Kaz comes in to pull the rug out from everyone — including the characters themselves.

THE. ENDING. Where do I start with it? Wylan’s ableist dad? Inej’s kidnapping? Kaz’s ending line that makes me squeal even when I know it’s coming? THIS is how you write an ending. All the plots come together, affecting each of the characters physically and mentally. It’s still my favorite book ending of all time!

No one feels out of character as the plot moves along, which is a big problem in a lot of stories. We see their relationships with each other grow, as well as internally, throughout the story in a way that doesn’t feel forced. Readers will laugh, cry and come to love these characters.

Rating: 5/5 stars

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEIGHBARDUGO.COM “Six of Crows” is the fourth book in the Grishaverse series.

16 | FEBRUARY 23, 2022

SPORTS

FEBRUARY 23, 2022 | 17

Baseball opens up season with victory over CSU-Bakersfield CHRISTIAN TATE Sports Reporter

The Golden Grizzlies opened up their 2022 baseball season this past weekend, going against the California State-Bakersfield Roadrunners and leaving with a 2-1 series victory.

In the first game, the score stayed knotted together at 0 as neither team could score until the third inning.

The Roadrunners broke the tie with their first score of the game on an RBI from an Andrew Allanson single. The Grizzlies ended the inning quickly after that, with starter Bryce Konitzer striking out the next batter.

The score stayed 1-0 until the top of the fifth inning, where the Golden Grizzlies rattled off three straight runs to take the lead by two. The Golden Grizzlies continued their scoring ways into the sixth inning, scoring one more run to get the score up to 4-1.

The Roadrunners didn’t respond to the scoring barrage until the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring four straight runs to overtake the lead 5-4.

This is a lead that the Roadrunners would hold onto until the 27th out, taking home the first win of the series The second game started in a similar vein to the first one, as the Roadrunners captured the first lead of the day with an early first inning run, setting their lead up 1-0. The Golden Grizzlies responded in kind in the following inning, scoring on a Brenton

Phillips solo home run and tying the game at 1-1.

This stalemate would not last long, as the Golden Grizzlies rattled off five straight runs in the third inning to extend their lead to 6-1.

The Roadrunners, not to be outdone, scored four straight runs to close the gap in the score to 6-5.

The Golden Grizzlies extended their lead by two, increasing the score to 8-5. The Roadrunners closed the gap again, scoring one more run before the end of the sixth inning.

By the end of the ninth inning, the Golden Grizzlies scored two more runs to increase the game winning score to 10-6. This win for the Golden Grizzlies tied the series up 1-1, setting up an allimportant final game to decide the series victor.

The final series deciding game was a fairly slow affair, with neither team scoring until the fifth inning where the Golden Grizzlies scored the first run of the game on an RBI single by Seth Tucker.

The Grizzlies would follow this up with another run in the sixth inning, three more in the seventh inning, and two more in the eighth inning.

The Golden Grizzlies, in the series-deciding game, pitched a complete shutout, highlighted by five shutout innings from starter Jacob Wosinski.

The Grizzlies’ offense continued to batter the Roadrunners’ pitching staff with seven runs in four innings. Starting off the season with a 2-1 record and currently being on a two-game winning streak, the Golden Grizzlies will look to take this momentum into their series with their next opponent.

The Golden Grizzlies baseball team will return

to the diamond to face off in their second straight road series of the baseball season against the New Mexico State Aggies in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSE JUAREZ, OU ATHLETICS The Oakland baseball team started their season with an impressive opening series victory against CSU-Bakersfield.

SPORTS

18 | FEBRUARY 23, 2022

Oakland softball looking for another historical season BROCK HEILIG Sports Reporter

Last season ended in gut-wrenching fashion for the Oakland University softball team.

Down 4-2 going into the seventh inning of the Horizon League championship game, the Grizzlies had just three outs to try and extend what had already been a remarkable season.

Oakland could only muster one run, and one of the best seasons in program history came to a screeching halt.

Although the season didn’t end the way they wanted, the Grizzlies still had plenty to be proud of. The team broke many school records — including conference wins [23], batting average [.299] and slugging percentage [.450].

Despite the historically great season, Head Coach Lauren Karn has higher goals for her team this season than to break a few records.

“We did have quite a few records broken last year,” Karn said. “But overall our main goal is to win the championship, and we came up short.”

Karn says this year’s team, now with a little more experience, is built to do what last year’s team couldn’t.

“We graduated seven last year, but

PHOTO BY NOORA NEIROUKH Oakland University softball huddling up. The Golden Grizzlies will start their season on Friday, Feb. 25.

only two of them were starters,” Karn said. “So we’re bringing the majority of our starters back, and especially in important positions — most of them being the girls who performed at a very high level. The scary part of our lineup [is that] they’re all here.”

One player the Grizzlies are especially excited to have back is redshirt senior Madison Jones. Jones started all 42 games at third base last season, and was named to her second All-Horizon League First Team.

Jones led the team in batting average last season with an astounding .411 mark, and also added 13 doubles, six triples and seven home runs. She holds the school record for career home runs with 22.

Before the Grizzlies begin their quest for a Horizon League championship, they will travel to Orlando, Florida to compete in The Knights Classic.

The Grizzlies are scheduled to battle some of the nation’s best, including No. 22 James Madison, No. 4 Florida, No. 24 UCF and No. 5 Florida State.

“Typically we try to schedule at least one really tough weekend,” Karn said. “What we want to do is prepare ourselves not only to win the Horizon League, but to get to regionals and compete and win at regionals.”

“Tough” may not be a strong enough word to describe this stretch. The Grizzlies will take on the aforementioned four ranked teams in a span of just six days, with games against DePaul and Ole Miss mixed in as well.

After the gauntlet to kick off the season, Oakland will travel to Evansville, Indiana to compete in the University of Evansville Softball Invitational. The Grizzlies are slated to play Bowling Green, Evansville, Morehead State and Creighton in this invitational, which will

take place in the first week of March.

After the invitational, the Grizzlies will embark upon their ultimate goal: winning the Horizon League championship.

“We have a very specific goal now,” Karn said. “When it comes to winning the championship, that’s not the only thing that’s going to define our success, but it is a big part of what we’re working for every single day.”

Karn also notices a difference between last year’s team and this year’s team, which she thinks will ultimately pay dividends in the long run saying, “our mentality as individuals is more cohesive than it’s ever been.”

Karn explained how some players in the past haven’t been as committed to winning a championship as she would have liked, but this year’s team, she says, is all in.

“This year, from one to 19, we’re talking about it, and we’re trying to do it every single day as we’re working,” Karn said.

The goal is clear this season: win the Horizon League championship.

Oakland will leave for Florida on Wednesday, staying there for about a week before making a second stop in Indiana to complete the first round of non-conference play.

Swimming and Diving wins ninth straight Horizon League Championship REECE TAYLOR Sports Reporter

The Oakland University Golden Grizzlies men’s and women’s swim team won their ninth straight Horizon League Championship in a four-day meet from Feb. 16-19 in Indianapolis, Indiana. This marks the 44th straight for the men’s team, and 28th for the women’s team.

The Golden Grizzlies led in all four days to take home their record-setting championships, with the women’s team winning the meet in dominant fashion, scoring 917 points in comparison to the second-place Milwaukee Panther’s 598.5, and the men’s team surviving a late surge from the Cleveland State Vikings, winning the meet 745 to Cleveland’s 678. This Horizon League showdown also featured the hometown IUPUI, UIC, Youngstown and Green Bay. Led by Horizon League Athlete of the Year senior Susan LaGrand, the women’s team started off strong against the competition, and it was never close. On day one, the Golden Grizzlies jumped to a 115-92 lead. From here on, Oakland’s women were unrelenting as they swept days 2-4 en route to a complete dismantling of competition in gold medals, silver medals and bronze medals as the Golden Grizzlies’ women took home their 28th straight conference title, ninth of the Horizon League.

The Golden Grizzlies men faced one of their

toughest challenges yet as they faced off against a plethora of threats. Oakland started off dominant from day one, leading competitors with 479 points after the first three days.

Day four is where the drama started, as top competitor Cleveland State Vikings briefly led the Horizon League champions in points as they pushed to make a late surge. Oakland’s Marko Khotynetskyi lead Oakland to quell any rebellion as he won several golds en route to hold off the Vikings, until a clutch victory in the 200 butterfly

by Danylo Hrebelnyi would shut the door on their Horizon League Rival, and the Oakland Relay team increased the margin, securing the 44th straight title for the men’s Swim team. Khotynetskyi took home Top Swimmer of the Meet honors.

To go along with the Championship and Top Swimmers honors, Oakland’s Jonas Cantrell took home the Horizon League Freshman Swimmer of the Year Honors, and Coach Pete Hovland earned Coach of the Year honors, cementing Oakland’s dominance on the season. Though the top awards and times are mentioned above, this only scratches the surface of the Oakland team that earned their ninth straight championship.

Though history will show the titles and accolades that Oakland won this year, the gold only tells part of the story. The Golden Grizzlies were a team that blended young talents with veterans, experience with hunger, but most importantly, skill with perseverance. Oakland faced challenging opponents, some of the top swimmers in the Horizon

League, but withstood the challenge with a stoic demeanor and battle tested mentalities. Their nine straight Horizon League titles are an amazing feat, but the Golden Grizzlies met the gold standard.

PHOTO COURTESY OF OAKLAND UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS The Oakland University swimming and diving team won their ninth consecutive Horizon League title last weekend.

SPORTS

FEBRUARY 23, 2022 | 19

Men’s basketball suffers first home loss of season

MATTHEW SCHEIDEL Sports Editor

The Oakland University men’s basketball team lost at home for the first time this season at the hands of the Wright State Raiders 78-74 on Friday night at the O’rena.

Both teams got off to fast starts offensively. Jalen Moore scored the first seven points for the Golden Grizzlies, and Jamal Cain added four of his own.

However, Wright State was picking apart Oakland’s zone. The game was tied at 11 at the first media timeout.

Both teams would turn up the pressure on the defensive end, with Oakland forcing three straight Wright State turnovers. They would only turn that into two points though, with the score being tied at 13 at the second media timeout.

After the timeout, the Raiders went on a 12-2 run. This was aided by some careless Oakland turnovers. Very quickly, Wright State had opened up a 10-point lead, 25-15.

Then a momentum shift took root, with the Golden Grizzlies going on a 15-5 run of their own to tie things up at 30. Blake Lampman hit back-to-back 3-pointers to tie things up.

Micah Parrish hit his third 3-pointer of the half to give the Golden Grizzlies their first lead with about two minutes left in the first half.

At the end of a first half that only lasted about 40 minutes of real time, Oakland led 35-34.

At halftime, former men’s basketball star Kendrick Nunn was honored and had his banner unveiled.

The second half began similarly to the first — with the two teams trading baskets. Oakland led 45-43 at the

PHOTO BY STANLEY TU Jamal Cain looks to make a move in the post against Wright State on Feb. 18.

under-16 timeout.

This is where Oakland started to get hot from beyond the arc. Lampman and Parrish hit back-to-back threes to give Oakland a 53-46 lead at under-12 timeout.

The hot 3-point shooting continued, as Lampman hit another one in transition to force a Wright State timeout. Oakland’s zone had started to give the Raiders problems during this time, as well.

The Raiders soon found their footing again. They went on an 11-0 run to tie the game at 69 before Parrish untied it with another 3-pointer. The Golden Grizzlies led by just one, 72-71, at the final media timeout.

With under a minute to go, Cain went up for a dunk, but missed. Then, with 5.8 seconds to go, Wright State’s Grant Basile, who led all scorers with 26 points, gave the Raiders a twopoint lead.

Cain would turn the ball over on the inbounds pass which led to a Wright State dunk. They won the game 78-74.

Head Coach Greg Kampe said he believes Cain let the missed dunk affect his psyche down the stretch.

“He was very loose with the ball with five seconds to go,” Kampe said.

“We could still win the game — there were five and a half seconds to go, you should be able to get the ball to the timeout area in two seconds. And then when they got the putback too I think he thought ‘oh, I cost us the game’ or something like that. I mean, Jamal’s a great kid. He’s in that locker room right now in a corner by himself and he’s just devastated.”

Oakland was heavily outrebounded.

Moore said that was why they lost, not because of Cain’s struggles at the end.

“I think we just outsmarted ourselves,” Moore said about the turnover on that last inbounds pass.

“Me and [Cain] were just thinking too much, instead of just playing that last possession. But that didn’t cost us today. We got outrebounded 3821, that’s a major point right there.

We gotta be better and I believe in our guys. We’ll get there.”

Kampe said defensive rebounding continues to be his biggest concern with the team saying, “I mean it’s something that I talked about at the beginning of the year. And when things go bad, that’s usually part of why it goes bad.”

The Golden Grizzlies will hit the hardwood for their final two games of the regular season on Thursday, Feb. 24 against Purdue-Fort Wayne and on Saturday, Feb. 26 against Cleveland State, both at the O’rena.

Men’s basketball blows lead against Northern Kentucky

REECE TAYLOR Sports Reporter

Despite a 13-point lead in the first half, the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies men’s basketball team fell to the Northern Kentucky Norse at the O’rena on Sunday.

The Golden Grizzlies, who scored 40 in the first half, couldn’t find their footing offensively as their Horizon League rival Norse forced turnovers and controlled the pace of the game in the second half to secure the game on Oakland’s home court in front of a sellout crowd. Oakland’s offensive struggles mostly came from turnovers, as they led both teams with 23 turnovers to 12, which led to 34 Viking points compared to Oakland’s nine.

The first period started off rocky for the Golden Grizzlies, who fought inside with a physical Vikings team who kept it a one-possession game for a while until a pair of Micah Parrish jumpers put Oakland up by six. Oakland upped the defensive pressure, forcing turnovers and out-hustling for rebounds until Oakland led 31-18.

From there, the Norse would go on a 14-9 run until the half ended.

Oakland would go into the half up 4032. Turnovers were an early problem for the Golden Grizzlies, who had nine at the half. Oakland’s Jamal Cain and Micah Parrish lead both teams in scoring with 13.

Oakland’s struggles to take care of the ball spilled into the second half, opening the period with four straight turnovers to the Norse, who cut the lead down to two. The Golden Grizzlies would fend the Vikings off until 9:18 left in the game, when a 3-pointer gave Northern Kentucky their first lead of the night.

The Horizon League competitors

traded leads back and forth until a quick Norse run saw the Golden Grizzlies go down by nine. Oakland struggled to keep control of the ball, turning it over 14 times in the second half, but despite a late fury and a few clutch shots, Oakland would fall to the visiting Norse 71-66.

Outside of Cain and Parrish combining for 40, Oakland struggled to shoot the ball from the floor, shooting around 38% from the field, including 29% from three, but the real issues were turnovers, to Head Coach Greg Kampe’s frustration.

“If you look at our top four offensive players, the other three of them turned the ball over eight, five, and four, and how many of those 17 turnovers were forced by Northern Kentucky?”

Kampe said.

These frustrations have boiled over to Oakland’s record, where the Golden Grizzlies have now dropped two straight at home after being undefeated on the blacktop this season going into Friday’s game against Wright State.

With two games left in the regular season, Oakland stays at home against two of the top competitors in the Horizon League, those being PurdueFort Wayne and Cleveland State. The Grizzlies will have time to think about today’s game, taking the next few practices to figure things out before Thursday’s game. Oakland will look to lock up a first-round bye in the Horizon League tournament with a pair of wins, which is a daunting task against a pair of juggernauts.

Despite their struggles, Oakland remains one of the most interesting teams in the Horizon League and one that will command respect in the playoffs. Oakland must focus on each game moving forward or risk stumbling into the postseason.

PHOTO BY SOPHIE HUME Jalen Moore passes the ball to a teammate against Northern Kentucky on Feb. 20.

SPORTS Women’s basketball defeats Purdue-Fort Wayne 20 | FEBRUARY 23, 2022

CHRISTIAN TATE Sports Reporter

The Golden Grizzlies women’s basketball team pulled out a close victory against the Purdue-Fort Wayne Mastodons on Senior Day, squeaking out a 58-54 win amid a hard fought offensive battle.

The game saw a slow start in the first quarter, but picked up in intensity near the middle of the quarter. The two teams traded buckets back and forth until the Mastodons grabbed the lead by the horns and refused to let go. The quarter ended with the Mastodons holding a six-point lead, as the scoreboard read 15-9.

The second quarter shared much of the same scoring intensity for the Mastodons, but the Golden Grizzlies took a little more time to catch up to the on-fire Mastodons. Even as the Golden Grizzlies began to score more, the Mastodons continued to create a sizable lead over the Golden Grizzlies. The lead ballooned to 10 points before the Grizzlies could stop them and return the scoring.

The Mastodons went into halftime leading by 4 — 29-25 — as the Golden Grizzlies shrank the 10-point gap down. The Grizzlies continued to shrink the lead, eventually taking the lead over in the final minutes of the third quarter. Even as they took the lead, the Golden Grizzlies never slowed down as the apparent trouble scoring was

seemingly passed on to the Mastodons.

The Golden Grizzlies kept a stranglehold on the lead for the rest of the fourth quarter, denying the Mastodons a chance at coming back into this game. The final buzzer sounded with the Golden Grizzlies standing tall as the victor.

The statistics actually show a different story than how the game really panned out, with the

PHOTO BY STANLEY TU Kahlaijah Dean drives to the basket against Purdue-Fort Wayne on Feb. 19.

Golden Grizzlies shooting a worse percentage from everywhere on the floor except from the 3-point line when compared to the Mastodons.

The Golden Grizzlies shot 22-62 from the field, 9-25 from the three point line and 5-9 from the free throw line [good enough for 35%, 36% and 55% shooting splits from each spot, respectively].

The Mastodons, for comparison sake, shot 2047 from the field, 7-21 from the 3-point line and 7-8 from the free throw line [good enough for 42%, 33% and 87% shooting splits from each spot, respectively]. Despite the shooting performance, the Golden Grizzlies dominated the rebound battle to help secure the comeback win.

The Mastodons recorded a modest 27 rebounds for the game, which would pale in comparison to the Golden Grizzlies’ totals. The Grizzlies grabbed an astonishing 42 rebounds during this game, with 19 of those rebounds coming on the offensive end.

This, combined with the Mastodons’ inability to score effectively in the second half, pretty much sealed the deal for the Grizzlies’ win.

This win will get the Golden Grizzlies’ winning percentage just under .500% for the season, with their record sitting at 12-13 [10-8 in conference play].

The Golden Grizzlies will return to the court on Thursday, Feb. 24 at 4 p.m. to do battle with the Northern Kentucky University Norse on the road in Highland Heights, Kentucky at the BB&T Arena.

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