The Oakland Post 9.28.22

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EDITORIAL BOARD

Gabrielle Abdelmessih Editor-in-Chief gabdelmessih@oakland.edu

Tori Coker Content Editor toricoker@oakland.edu

Megan Parker Managing Editor

meganparker@oakland.edu

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Sophie Hume Co Photo Editor sophiahume@oakland.edu

Christopher Estrada Co-Photo Editor cestrada@oakland.edu

Brock Heilig Sports Editor brockheilig@oakland.edu

Arianna Heyman Features Editor aheyman@oakland.edu

Joe Zerilli Campus Editor jzerilli@oakland.edu

Gabby Gappy SciTech Editor gabriellegappy@oakland.edu

Bella Javier Arts Editor isabellajavier@oakland.edu

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Sam Poudal Distribution Director spoudal@oakland.edu

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Lester Reporter

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Okuszka Reporter

Garry Gilbert Editorial Adviser gjgilber@oakland.edu 248.370.2105

Don Ritenburgh Business Adviser ritenbur@oakland.edu 248.370.2533

CORRECTIONS CORNER:

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

Letter from the editor: how we moderate comments

GABRIELLE ABDELMESSIH

Editor-in-Chief

Here at The Oakland Post, we recognize the importance of sharing different viewpoints and serving as a platform for campus discussion. However, we ask that you post in accordance with our commenting policy.

The following policies apply to the comment section attached to each article published on The Oakland Post’s website. Any questions or concerns can be directed to editor@ oaklandpostonline.com.

• Is libelous or defamatory

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derogatory name-calling

• Contains advertising

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• Personal attacks

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• comments that give the appearance of legal, medical or financial advice.

• More than 4 comments from a single user in a 24-hour period

• Excessive comments on the moderation policies of The Oakland Post

• Comments can be no longer than 200 words.

Comments are either approved or rejected, and are not edited by The Oakland Post.

It may take up to 24 hours for your comment to appear in the comment section.

Comments will close on an article 72 hours after it is published.

Violating any of the above policies will result in comment removal and may result in a suspension or ban from The Post’s comment section.

The editorial board has the final say of what’s appropriate.

The Oakland Post and oaklandpostonline. com take no responsibility for the views expressed in user posts, which do not necessarily reflect the views of The Oakland Post or oaklandpostonline.com.

OUSC hosts ‘Slice of Democracy’ to share voting information

JOE ZERILLI Campus Editor

To help students prepare for Michigan’s statewide general election on Nov. 8, Oakland University Student Congress (OUSC) gave out information about voting alongside slices of pizza during their Slice of Democracy event.

The event took place on Sept. 20 outside Elliott Tower. Students were treated to pizza from Little Caesars and some free items like lanyards and pins.

Due to the pandemic, OUSC was unable to put on this event for the past few years. They first held a similar event during the Student Program Board’s Carnival, advertising the same information to students.

OUSC’s Director of Executive Platform Jeremy Johnson said he was pleased with the turnout for Slice of Democracy.

“I’m not really sure what I expected, just because I haven’t ran too many events being back on campus just yet,” he said. “But I know that people are focused on politics right now — they’re paying attention to elections. And also, we have free stuff, which helps.”

Voting is a strength of OU, named one of Washington Monthly’s Best Colleges for Student Voting in 2022. With a voter registration rate of 89.6% and a voter turnout rate of 81.9%, OU is above the average of other National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement (NSLVE) colleges.

Statistics like these put OU in high regard, and they’re something student organizations like OUSC and the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) take pride in.

“As much as I want to claim all the credit, I can’t,” Johnson said. “There are other groups on campus that do a lot of work. Professor David Dulio and the Center for Civic Engagement do a lot of work.”

“2020 was obviously a very contentious election that got

a lot of people interested,” he added. “OU has the fourth highest voter registration rate out of all the universities in the state, and it’s something to be proud of.”

Part of the reason behind the high voter registration rates is events like these, from which information on how to register as well as how to receive a mail-in ballot are made easily accessible.

If students were unable to attend the event — which OUSC plans to repeat before Nov. 8 — they can go to OUSC’s website or GrizzOrgs page for information on voting and when upcoming events will take place.

With a lot of recent attention to politics in the news lately — as in the case of Roe v. Wade — Johnson feels more of the younger generation are becoming interested in politics as a whole.

“There are lots of big things happening, specifically

with Supreme Court decisions — lots of big legislation that has passed,” he said. “A lot of people either hate the Biden administration, love the Biden administration, or want to see more or less out of what he’s doing. I think it’ll be a referendum on all of our political climate right now.”

He encourages students to keep an eye out for OUSC and other organizations on or off campus to get involved by registering or canvassing for candidates they believe in.

For those interested in registering to vote, the last day to register online is Oct. 24. As for obtaining an absentee ballot, the last day to request online or by mail is Nov. 4 at 5 p.m.

Other important dates can be found on the Michigan Department of State’s website.

Students learn of unique opportunities at Study Abroad Fair

PAYTON BUCKI Campus Reporter

Oakland University students were provided information about study abroad and study away opportunities at the OU Study Abroad Fair on Sept. 21 from 11-1 p.m. in the Habitat, located in the basement of the Oakland Center.

At the event, over 20 program directors offered attendees information about their respective trips. Various student representatives also spoke about their experience participating in study abroad programs and explained ways interested individuals could get involved with programs offered through the university.

Representatives explained their program’s purpose and handed out informational materials to individuals that visited their tables. In addition to study abroad faculty leaders and partner organizations, a caricature station and refreshments were also provided for free at the event.

One booth offered information on a three-week Italian Language and Culture program. The trip, which will take place in May and June of the 2023 Summer I semester, will have students visit the beautiful Italian coastal town of Trieste.

“Students must take one semester of Italian before participating in this program,” program director

PHOTO BY OAKLAND POST

Caterina Pieri said. “Participants will be able to see a beautiful part of Italy while simultaneously learning about the Italian culture.”

Another table promoted a three-week Spanish program that will take students to Segovia, Spain in May 2023. Students will spend one week in a Spanish class on OU’s campus and two weeks with a host family in Segovia.

“This program is extremely fast-paced and academically demanding,” program director Mary Hartson said. “Despite the rigorous curriculum, students will gain a wealth of cultural and linguistic knowledge by spending time exploring Spain and living with a host family.”

For students who are interested in studying abroad

but do not want to leave the country, a National Student Exchange program might be a good fit. The National Student Exchange program allows OU students to attend another university for a semester while continuing their current course of study.

Alternative Spring Break (ASB), a student organization at OU, also hosted a table at the Study Abroad Fair. ASB is a service-oriented group that allows participants to travel across the country during their college spring break period to aid communities in need.

In the fall, student volunteers for ASB — called Site Leaders — partner with charitable organizations to plan service trips. On the trips, participants focus on prioritizing various service values and learning beneficial skills to bring back to OU.

“Alternative Spring Break is a great way to meet new friends while giving back to the community,” ASB advisor Daryl Blackburn said. “Our club is so excited to send OU students to numerous site locations this upcoming spring.”

OU’s International Education Department offers over 300 programs in 45 countries. Students can visit OU’s Study Abroad webpage for more information about international study options. Additionally, individuals interested in participating in Alternative Spring Break programs can join the organization on GrizzOrgs.

PHOTO BY JOE ZERILLI

To help students prepare for Michigan’s statewide general election on Nov. 8, Oakland University Student Congress (OUSC) gave out information about voting alongside slices of pizza during their Slice of Democracy event.

Women in Business presents Lunch and Learn panel with Ally

SUMMER WEATHERS

Sports Reporter

Women in Business (WIB) at Oakland University is a student organization that aids in women’s professional growth and development, building confidence in their career goals.

WIB co-hosted a panel event on Thursday, Sept. 22 with innovative financial company Ally, whose motto is “Do It Right.” Its internship opportunities give hands-on experience in the many programs they offer, offering students the necessary exposure.

This event was hosted by business transfer students, and aimed at giving attendees a chance to speak with recruiters and current employees. Networking was a strongly emphasized concept during this event, deemed a brilliant way to talk to different people and build relationships, making those connections that matter.

“You always want to take an opportunity to talk to somebody outside of your group or talk to leaders within your group, and always let them know what your interests are,” Shenali Gunaratne, technology recruiter at Ally, said. “I’ve met a lot of different people so far during my time working with Ally. Anytime you get an opportunity to join something that may be outside of your specific major, still take it.”

Ally also has a great mentorship program. The power of mentorship promises career achievement for both the mentor and mentee.

“Within the mentoring program, we welcome all employees to sign up,” Lynn Cowie, manager of business continuity at Ally, said. “There’s never an opportunity that goes by where we don’t always want, or always need people to give back. If you have a degree in economics, that doesn’t mean you

have to settle. It’s where your passion is. You’re not locked in by your major.”

Ally wants those who are interested in expressing what their ultimate goal is. It is important to be open to available roles as well because that will help in gaining beneficial experience.

“Where you end up in an internship doesn’t necessarily mean that is your career choice — it’s just great to get your foot through the door and better understand different companies,” Cowie

said. “To determine if that is the career path you want to go down, it will also help in deciding what you thought you wanted to do. This is what Ally is all about — students learning.”

WIB is always looking to get different companies to come in and speak that can help women in their career paths by giving professional tips and advice for navigating the workforce.

At 12 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4th, WIB will be co-hosting a resume and LinkedIn profile-building workshop as their next event.

PHOTO BY WIB

Becoming a Golden Grizzly: Emma McWilliams’ transfer to OU

AUTUMN OKUSZKA Features Reporter

The Fall 2022 semester marked a new beginning for junior Emma McWilliams’s educational journey.

McWilliams is a transfer student from Oakland Community College (OCC), where nearly 50% of students who attend end up transferring to a fouryear institution such as OU. OU welcomes more than 1,000 transfer students every year.

McWilliams’s experience at OCC wasn’t what a new college student would expect. She began her college career in January 2020, two months before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Most of it was online,” McWilliams said. “March of 2020 came, and we went online. So a majority of [getting] my degree was doing Zoom classes. We kind of worked with what we had, but I liked it. For what it was, it was [a] pretty good [experience].”

McWilliams received her associate’s degree in paralegal studies from OCC and is now working towards getting her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at OU. She plans on going to law school after graduating.

“It was really easy to transfer,” she said. “I feel like [OU is] a really good foundation for law school.”

McWilliams’s primary reason for wanting to transfer to OU was because it was close to where she lives, making it easy for her to commute to the university. Nearly 87% of students choose to

commute to OU rather than live on campus.

“It’s super close,” McWilliams said. “I live in Clarkson, [and] it was the best school for me to transfer to. [OU] took a lot of credits, and I initially thought about [OU] when I graduated high school, [but] I just kind of took a different path.”

Having been a virtual student for most of her college career, McWilliams likes that her time at OU feels more like the college experience she first expected as a freshman in 2020.

“I’m in [in-]person classes — I have bigger classes,” she said. “I have people who are a little bit closer [to me] in age, [people who are] a little bit more focused on the same goal. My classes are really major-specific, so we’re learning the same thing. We kind of, more or less, have the same end goal to get our bachelor’s, mainly [in] criminal justice. I like how focused it is on specifically my degree I’m getting.”

When McWilliams isn’t attending classes on campus, she is reading, listening to music, or simply relaxing at home. She also works at a place where she can enjoy her favorite hobby — at the front desk of a tennis club.

“I’ve joined a few tennis classes since working there and met some great people who enjoy the sport as much as I do,” McWilliams said.

McWilliams is excited to attend OU for the next two years of her college career while finishing her bachelor’s degree. She looks forward to experiencing college now that her classes are in-person.

“I am looking forward to all [of] my in-person,

major-specific classes,” she said.

OU was listed on Phi Theta Kappa’s 2022 Transfer Honor Roll for recognizing the needs of and properly supporting transfer students.

SPB presents ‘Uncharted’ in the Habitat

PAYTON BUCKI

Campus Reporter

Oakland University’s Student Program Board (SPB) hosted a showing of the movie “Uncharted” on Sept. 22 from 8-10 p.m. in the Habitat, located in the basement of the Oakland Center.

SPB members greeted students at the showing with information about their upcoming events and ongoing programs. Additionally, a free-to-enter raffle challenged students to guess the number of Academy Awards Tom Holland has won for the chance to win a prize.

As attendees entered the Habitat, they were offered a variety of free treats. Students were encouraged to grab candy, cupcakes and sodas to enjoy during the movie.

The Alliance Coalition of Oakland County hosted a table at the event. The group focuses on building healthy communities through substance abuse prevention, wellness and recovery.

Representatives of the Alliance handed out goodie bags full of candy, chips and a water bottle. They also taught students about a practice called “Positive Norming,” which focuses on ensuring youth understand the behavior that is expected of them and are held accountable for their actions.

“It was really cool to learn about the good things the Alliance is doing for our community,” OU sophomore Eien VanRiper said. “I am happy to

hear that they are committed to bettering OU.”

Before the movie began, SPB President Kaleigh Belz announced the winners of the raffle contest. Students chosen as winners won their choice of a range of prizes, which included Funko Pop figurines and Nalgene water bottles.

After the prizes were handed out, the movie began. “Uncharted” — an adventure/action film

starring Holland — proved to be a major hit amongst students.

“I really liked the movie,” VanRiper said. “It has been awhile since I have seen a newer action movie that I enjoyed.”

Overall, the SPB Movie Night event was very successful. Students enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of the event, the free items given out and the opportunity to socialize with friends.

“The event was really fun,” OU junior Katie Pugh said. “I enjoyed hanging out with my friends and watching the movie.”

This fall, SPB has many exciting events planned for students — including a Halloweekends at Cedar Point trip and the OU Has Talent showcase. SPB also has their ongoing Hump Day program, in which the organization provides freebies to students every Wednesday at a different time and location.

During Thursday’s movie event, SPB Vice President Matthew Murray handed out flyers promoting SPB’s upcoming 70s-themed Silent Disco, which will be held next to Elliott Tower on Oct. 13 from 7-10 p.m. Attendees will be provided with headphones at the event and are invited to participate in a dance-off contest for the chance to win a record player.

Information for all of SPB’s events can be found on the SPB GrizzOrgs page and their Instagram account. Additionally, students can sign up to receive SPB Hump Day reminders by texting @ SPBOU to 81010.

PHOTO BY EMMA MCWILLIAMS. McWilliams received her associate’s degree in paralegal studies from OCC and is now working towards getting her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at OU. She plans on going to law school after graduating.

PHOTO BY LINDESY SOBKOWSKI

Oakland University’s Student Program Board (SPB) hosted a showing of the movie “Uncharted” on Sept. 22 from 8-10 p.m. in the Habitat, located in the basement of the Oakland Center.

OU professor selected as president-elect of PSA Honor Society

AUTUMN OKUSZKA Features Reporter

Terri Towner, professor of political science and former advisor of Nu Omega, has been nominated as president-elect of Nu Omega’s national office — Pi Sigma Alpha (PSA).

PSA is the only national political science honor society in the United States. Officially chartered in 1920, PSA now hosts nearly 850 chapters on college campuses across the country — including Oakland University’s chapter, Nu Omega.

Towner has had a long history with PSA. She first started as Nu Omega’s advisor in 2010, with the chapter named as best chapter six times under her supervision. She then served as the faculty advisor of the Pi Sigma Alpha Undergraduate Journal of Politics for nearly eight years.

When Towner stepped down as advisor of Nu Omega, she then served on the executive council for the national office of PSA. She said it felt like a natural step to be nominated as president because of her long history with the honor society.

“I was very honored to be nominated as president,” Towner said. “The council [recognized] my service to not only our chapter at Oakland University, but to the journal and beyond, so I was very, very pleased to accept that nomination and then be elected by all of the faculty advisors nationwide.”

When Towner was nominated, she knew that it would be a big commitment — an eight-year one, at that. She will serve as president-elect for two years, president for two years and then past-president for four.

Towner is passionate about the growth of the honor society and hopes to drive its success and engagement by giving back to PSA students.

“One of the top things we’re doing this fall is strategic planning,” she said. “We really want to make sure the honorary stays healthy, and ensure that we are serving our students and those with academic excellence. Our role is to recognize and promote students who have very high academic achievement in the field of political science.”

Whether students want to go to graduate school, law school or even become a lobbyist — PSA

provides internships and grant money for internships, graduate school or for travel.

“[Providing internships and grant money] is probably, to me, one of the most important things we do,” Towner said.

Although Towner is no longer the advisor of Nu Omega, she recommends that juniors, seniors and graduate students that meet the GPA requirement and are political science majors or minors join OU’s chapter.

“You [have] to pay a lifetime national due [of] $35, and once you pay the $35, you’re in for life,” she said.

For non-Nu Omega members, there are other opportunities to get involved with the chapter — such as attending one of the various events they host on campus.

“We bring speakers to campus,” Towner said. “We did a book club all during the pandemic, which was amazing. We had a pizza party welcome event [recently.] We had history, sociology [majors there] — I mean, all [different kinds of] humanities [majors] there.”

If you’re interested and believe you meet the requirements to join

How students can borrow tech on campus

JOSEPH GORAL

Contributor

From Zoom calls and assignment submissions to video editing and design software, technology is needed for students to excel at their work today. Oakland University (OU) students can make sure they have access to what they need through the Student Technology Center (STC).

Technology experience is more important than ever, with a report published by advisory firm Oxford Economics estimating that 75% of jobs will require advanced digital skills by 2030. This is one reason a wide variety of technology can be borrowed at OU’s STC.

Any student can borrow Dell or Apple laptops, tablets, microphones, voice recorders and cameras ranging from GoPros to DSLRs. Other items offered by the technology center include mounts and kits for GoPros, webcams, mini tripods, CD drives and TI-84 calculators.

All of the STC’s equipment can be borrowed for free and is permitted to be taken off campus so students can work at home.

Getting Started

The first thing students should do is decide if they need to borrow equipment by visiting the STC website.

Students can use printers, scanners, iMacs and Dell All-In-One computers in the STC at any time. The STC’s computers are all equipped with Adobe Creative Cloud applications and a variety of Microsoft software.

Borrowing Equipment

After seeing what is available for use within the STC, a student may still need to borrow additional equipment. The STC has several ways to do this.

One method is simply walking into the STC — located in room 44 of the Oakland Center (OC) — and speaking with a staff member.

“[I] just walked in [to the STC,]” OU student Mitchel McCartney said. “All I really had to do was give them my Grizzly ID number and sign some paperwork, and the camera was mine.”

McCartney did not have an appointment and had not reserved the camera he borrowed — though a student can reserve equipment in advance if needed.

A visit to the Technology Loan Program section on the STC’s website will give students the information they need to reserve equipment. Students can email the STC at STC@oakland.edu or call (248) 370-4832 to reserve equipment for a specific day.

There is a chance that there will be no equipment available during the requested day or at the time of a walk in. If this is the case, students can request to be added to a waitlist through contacting the same email and phone number mentioned above.

According to an STC employee, students can typically expect to be on a waitlist for one to four business days.

Know the Policies

Students should also be aware of the STC’s policies for borrowing equipment.

This is especially important because, according to an STC employee, the STC’s website is not up to date. For example: contradictory to what the website says,

students can borrow laptops for an entire semester and may renew them for the following semester.

Other equipment is loaned for a period of one week at a time. Once a loan period expires, students can renew their period up to three times.

“The only thing I didn’t like was [that] you would have to renew your rental even if you needed the tech for the entire semester of a course,” McCartney said. “That’s the one thing I would say was kind of frustrating.”

To work around this, STC employees say students can renew their equipment for additional periods if no other student is on the waitlist.

Visit the STC

For additional information, email, visit or call the STC. The STC is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

PHOTO BY MAGGIE WILLARD OU students can borrow items such as Dell laptops from the Student Technology Center (STC) on campus.

PSA’s OU chapter, Nu Omega, please contact Nicole Mathew, PSA’s current chapter advisor at OU, at nmathew@oakland.edu.

PHOTO BY TERRI TOWNER Terri Towner, professor of political science and former advisor of Nu Omega, has been nominated as president-elect of Nu Omega’s national office — Pi Sigma Alpha (PSA).

SPB tribute night celebrates Harry Styles, Taylor Swift

OU’s resident Swifties and Harries united on the Gold Room dance floor at the Student Program Board (SPB) Harry Styles and Taylor Swift tribute night on Tuesday, Sept. 20. Attendees sang and danced along to tracks from each artist, basking in the glow of pink lights a Lover-era Swift would approve of and a disco ball that reflected the Styles-inspired boas many guests donned with flair. From deeper cuts to greatest hits, the fans hit every ad-lib and even formed a conga line around the room — a pow erful vision of unity and the best outcomes that a shared love of music can breed.

The festivities eventually broke from the dancefloor, with guests relocating to tables adorned with cardboard cutout centerpieces of each artist for a few rounds of trivia — in cluding one segment called “Swift or Shake speare,” which tasked players with identify ing whether a given poetic line was penned by the songwriter or the playwright.

Elsewhere, guests posed for photos with life-size cutouts of the Grammy-winning artists while rock ing SPB-provided pairs of heart-shaped glasses that resembled those Styles wore in his “Water melon Sugar” music video.

SPB mainstage director Isabella Mahuad envis

aged this event after noticing significant follow ings for each artist across the campus community. “My original thought was actually just Harry Styles because I noticed there’s a huge fol lowing for him – I personally know people who have gone to New York to see him and have tickets to go to Chicago and whatnot, so there’s clearly a lot of interest in Harry,” Mahuad said. “As I was talking to people, I noticed there’s a huge overlap in people who are also huge Taylor Swift fans.”

“Those are two really excited, passionate fan bas es, so it just felt like it made sense to have a night of [celebrating] them together,” she continued. The passion exhibited by those in attendance seemed to confirm Mahuad’s hunch. Isabelle Lundin and Kaylie Lukomski — two students whose individual histories of supporting Swift and Styles, respectively, initiated each other’s “indoctrination” into the other artists’ fanbase once they became best friends — shared that they felt as though this event was made just for them. Taylor got me into writing songs, [and] her music has always made me feel like I had a friend,” Lundin, a senior writing and rhetoric major, said. “[…] There’s something so beau tiful about a song speaking to you right when

you need to hear it the most, [and] Taylor’s always been that for me.”

Lukomski, a senior double majoring in lin guistics and English with a minor in Chinese, expressed similar sentiments toward Styles. Having supported the songwriter and actor throughout his One Direction days and into his solo career, she shared that both his work and the community that rallies around it have given been a massive source of comfort for her over the years. “You’re not alone be cause [Styles and Swift] go through the same things you do so that you can go through it with them,” Lukomski said. “[…] You make friends, also, through Harry — going to con certs and stuff, you make lifelong bonds. […] [He] brings people together.”

The SPB team conceptualized their tribute night series — of which this event comes as the first of several installments — to celebrate artists whose high level of stardom make on-campus concerts infeasible.

“[This is] a very chill event, a very fun event — a way everybody gets to dance together,” SPB operations event staffer Joey Zieman said. The tribute night series will continue next month with an evening dedicated to Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion on Tuesday, Oct. 25, from 5-7 p.m. in the same location. The following tribute night will honor BTS and Twice on Tuesday, Nov. 29, during the same two-hour slot — this time from within the OC’s Banquet Rooms.

harry styles harry styles harry styles harry styles harry styles harry styles

STORY BY TORI COKER DESIGN BY MEGAN PARKER PHOTOS BY LINDSEY SOBKOWSKI

with them,” Lukomski said. “[…] You make friends, also, through Harry — going to concerts The SPB team conceptualized their tribute night series — of which this event comes as the first of several installments — to celebrate artists whose high level of stardom make on-campus

The tribute night series will continue next month with an evening dedicated to Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion on Tuesday, Oct. 25, from 5-7 p.m. in the same location. The following OU’s resident Swifties and Harries united on the Gold Room dance floor at the Student Program Board (SPB) Harry Styles and Taylor Swift tribute night on Tuesday, Sept. 20. king in the glow of pink lights a Lover-era Swift would approve of and a disco ball that reflected the Styles-inspired boas many guests with flair. From deeper cuts to greatest hits, the fans hit every ad-lib and even formed a conga line around the room — a powerful vision of unity and the best outcomes that a shared love of music The festivities eventually broke from the dancefloor, with guests relocating to tables adorned with cardboard cutout centerpieces of each artist for a few rounds of trivia — including one rt-shaped glasses that resembled those Styles wore in his “Watermelon Sugar”

“My original thought was actually just Harry Styles because I noticed there’s a huge following for him – I personally know people who have gone to New York to see him and have tickets Chicago and whatnot, so there’s clearly a lot of interest in Harry,” Mahuad said. “As I was talking to people, I noticed there’s a huge overlap in people who are also huge Taylor Swift ahuad’s hunch. Isabelle Lundin and Kaylie Lukomski — two students whose individual histories of supporting Swift and Styles, respectively, Taylor got me into writing songs, [and] her music has always made me feel like I had a friend,” Lundin, a senior writing and rhetoric major, said. “[…] There’s something so beautiful Lukomski, a senior double majoring in linguistics and English with a minor in Chinese, expressed similar sentiments toward Styles. Having supported the songwriter and actor throughout

days and into his solo career, she

that both his work and the community that

source

for her over the years.

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from 5-7 p.m. in the same location. The following OU’s resident Swifties and Harries united on the Gold Room dance floor at the Student Program Board (SPB) Harry Styles and Taylor Swift tribute night on Tuesday, Sept. 20. king in the glow of pink lights a Lover-era Swift would approve of and a disco ball that reflected the Styles-inspired boas many guests with flair. From deeper cuts to greatest hits, the fans hit every ad-lib and even formed a conga line around the room — a powerful vision of unity and the best outcomes that a shared love of music The festivities eventually broke from the dancefloor, with guests relocating to tables adorned with cardboard cutout centerpieces of each artist for a few rounds of trivia — including one rt-shaped glasses that resembled those Styles wore in his “Watermelon Sugar”

original thought was actually just Harry Styles because I noticed there’s a huge following for him – I personally know people who have gone to New York to see him and have tickets Chicago and whatnot, so there’s clearly a lot of interest in Harry,” Mahuad said. “As I was talking to people, I noticed there’s a huge overlap in people who are also huge Taylor Swift ahuad’s hunch. Isabelle Lundin and Kaylie Lukomski — two students whose individual histories of supporting Swift and Styles, respectively, Taylor got me into writing songs, [and] her music has always made me feel like I had a friend,” Lundin, a senior writing and rhetoric major, said. “[…] There’s something so beautiful Lukomski, a senior double majoring in linguistics and English with a minor in Chinese, expressed similar sentiments toward Styles. Having supported the songwriter and actor throughout Direction days and into his solo career, she shared that both his work and the community that rallies around it have given been a massive source of comfort for her over the years. “You’re because [Styles and Swift] go through the same things you do so that you can go through it with them,” Lukomski said. “[…] You make friends, also, through Harry — going to concerts

The SPB team conceptualized their tribute night series — of which this event comes as the first of several installments — to celebrate artists whose high level of stardom make on-campus

The tribute night series will continue next month with an evening dedicated to Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion on Tuesday, Oct. 25, from 5-7 p.m. in the same location. The following Attendees sang and danced along to tracks from each the glow of pink lights a Lover-era Swift would approve of and a disco ball that reflected the Styles-inspired boas many guests donned with flair. From deeper cuts to greatest hits, the fans hit every The festivities eventually broke from the dancefloor, with guests relocating to tables adorned with cardboard cutout centerpieces of each artist for a few rounds of trivia — including one rt-shaped glasses that resembled those Styles wore in his “Watermelon Sugar”

“My original thought was actually just Harry Styles because I noticed there’s a huge following for him – I personally know people who have gone to New York to see him and have tickets Chicago and whatnot, so there’s clearly a lot of interest in Harry,” Mahuad said. “As I was talking to people, I noticed there’s a huge overlap in people who are also huge Taylor Swift ahuad’s hunch. Isabelle Lundin and Kaylie Lukomski — two students whose individual histories of supporting Swift and Styles, respectively, Taylor got me into writing songs, [and] her music has always made me feel like I had a friend,” Lundin, a senior writing and rhetoric major, said. “[…] There’s something so beautiful Lukomski, a senior double majoring in linguistics and English with a minor in Chinese, expressed similar sentiments toward Styles. Having supported the songwriter and actor throughout Direction days and into his solo career, she shared that both his work and the community that rallies around it have given been a massive source of comfort for her over the years. “You’re because [Styles and Swift] go through the same things you do so that you can go through it with them,” Lukomski said. “[…] You make friends, also, through Harry — going to concerts

OU’s

Swifties

at the Student Program Board (SPB) Harry Styles and Taylor Swift tribute night on Tuesday, Sept. 20.

from each artist, basking in the glow of pink lights a Lover-era Swift would approve of and a disco ball that reflected the Styles-inspired

and

formed a conga line around the room — a powerful vision of unity and the best

relocating

adorned with cardboard cutout centerpieces of each artist for a few rounds of trivia —

line was penned by the songwriter or the playwright.

have gone to New York to see him and have tickets to go to Chicago and whatnot, so there’s clearly a lot of interest in Harry,” Mahuad said. “As I was talking to people, I noticed there’s a huge overlap in people who are also huge Taylor Swift fans.”

“Those are two really excited, passionate fan bases, so it just felt like it made sense to have a night of [celebrating] them together,” she continued. The passion exhibited by those in attendance seemed to confirm Mahuad’s hunch. Isabelle Lundin and Kaylie Lukomski — two students whose individual histories of supporting Swift and Styles, respectively, initiated each other’s “indoctrination” into the other artists’ fanbase once they became best friends — shared that they felt as though this event was made just for them.

Taylor got me into writing songs, [and] her music has always made me feel like I had a friend,” Lundin, a senior writing and rhetoric major, said. “[…] There’s something so beautiful about a song speaking to you right when you need to hear it the most, [and] Taylor’s always been that for me.” Lukomski, a senior double majoring in linguistics and English with a minor in Chinese, expressed similar sentiments toward Styles. Having supported the songwriter and actor throughout his One Direction days and into his solo career, she shared that both his work and the community that rallies around it have given been a massive source of comfort for her over the years. “You’re not alone because [Styles and Swift] go through the same things you do so that you can go through it with them,” Lukomski said. “[…] You make friends, also, through Harry — going to concerts and stuff, you make lifelong bonds. […] [He] brings people together.” The SPB team conceptualized their tribute night series — of which this event comes as the first of several installments — to celebrate artists whose high level of stardom make

“[This is] a very chill event, a very fun event — a way everybody gets to dance together,”

SPB operations event staffer Joey Zieman said. The tribute night series will continue next month with an evening dedicated to Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion on Tuesday, Oct. 25, from 5-7 p.m. in the same location. The following tribute night will honor BTS and Twice on Tuesday, Nov. 29, during the same two-hour slot — this time from within the OC’s Banquet Rooms. OU’s resident Swifties and Harries united on the Gold Room dance floor at the Student Program Board (SPB) Harry Styles and Taylor Swift tribute night on Tuesday, Sept. 20. king in the glow of pink lights a Lover-era Swift would approve of and a disco ball that reflected the Styles-inspired boas many guests donned with flair. From deeper cuts to greatest hits, the fans hit every ad-lib and even formed a conga line around the room — a powerful vision of unity and the best

dancefloor, with guests relocating to tables adorned with cardboard cutout centerpieces of each artist for a few rounds of trivia —

Shakespeare,”

players

poetic line was penned by the songwriter or the playwright. rt-shaped glasses that resembled those Styles wore in his mpus community.

original thought was actually just Harry Styles because I noticed there’s a huge following for him – I personally know people who have gone to New York to see him and have tickets

Chicago

so there’s clearly a lot of interest in Harry,” Mahuad said. “As I was talking to people, I noticed there’s a huge overlap in people ogether,” she continued.

hunch. Isabelle Lundin and Kaylie Lukomski — two students whose individual histories of supporting Swift and Styles, respectively,

OU professor travels to India, shares data science expertise through Fulbright Specialist program

RACHEL YIM Science and Technology Reporter

Dr. Ravindra Khattree, a professor of applied statistics at OU and co-director of the Center for Data Science and Big Data Analytics (CDaS), visited the Central University of Rajasthan (CURaj) in India for two weeks this past summer to share his expertise in data science and analytics through the Fulbright Specialist program.

The Fulbright Specialist program – or in this case, the Nehru-Fulbright Specialist program, since it pertains to India – is a program sponsored by the Department of State to encourage the collaboration between U.S. universities and other countries around the world.

His presentation discussed data visualization, data reduction, use of data to classify objects or individuals to understand the data, modeling the huge amounts of data and determining causal relationships. In addition, he had several separate meeting sessions with groups of undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty members and the vice chancellor of the university. He also gave a general universitywide colloquium for the non-technical audience, which was presided by the dean of the college of science.

“The CURaj is a relatively newer university in India with an academic emphasis on STEM fields,” Khattree said. “They wanted their students to be introduced to some cutting-edge data science work, and thus thought of submitting a proposal to the Fulbright Foundation.”

The project was initially funded in 2019 for a proposed visit in 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent travel bans, Khattree’s visit was postponed for two years. It finally happened in the summer of 2022.

“I certainly was very interested in this visit, since India is fast becoming a key participant in technological research and applications, and I wanted to see what the new developments are in data science education taking place at their end,” he said.

As the co-director of the CDaS, Khattree, along with other founding members of the center, strives to provide a common platform for OU faculty and researchers whose research involves data, encouraging quantitative research and awareness which, as a result, will be incorporated into graduate and undergraduate teaching at OU.

“We, the members of the CDaS, strongly believe that — whether one likes it or not — in [the] future, data and quantitative methods are going to be

an integral part of doing any scientific research or of making business decisions,” he said. “Thus, in order to avoid being obsolete in the current competitive job market, we must update our teaching approaches and course contents and train our students in ways which make them competitive and desirable in the job market. As a co-director of CDaS, I feel that this is my — as well as our — biggest responsibility and challenge.”

“I have been here at OU for 31 years and my most important objective during this long period has been to promote data-centric quantitative literacy and educational training,” Khattree continued. “It has been quite gratifying for me to see my students – graduate as well as undergraduate – succeed and apply this knowledge in their careers. I consider that as the single most important and most interesting aspect of my career here.”

Khattree is also a member of the Center for Biomedical Research. For his own research, he focuses on the aspects pertaining to how to choose a particular approach for the data analysis of a specific type of data, what to compute and do that using what algorithm rather than on efficient programming and coding of that algorithm.

For the future, he hopes to continue promoting and introducing cutting-edge

data science education as it is currently evolving, learn the new techniques and methodologies and train the students in those methods.

Lastly, he shared his opinions, convictions and evaluations about data science with the OU community – students, faculty and administration.

“To students, I have to emphasize or rather cajole them to explore data science and statistics as a career. If you have quantitative interests, then there could not be a better and more promising education and training than this.

“Further, there could not be a better time to dive into these fields — the job market needs you! And it is going to be a very satisfying career as well. Even when you are not considering data science as a future career, please consider taking a few courses in statistics and data science.

“As a professor of statistics, I would also like to see more quantitative and data-centric emphases in courses offered at, as well as the research that comes out of OU. We all should work towards making OU education competitive and relevant to today’s market environment and an important step towards that aim is to refine, redesign and introduce the STEM courses where emphasis is on data and its related science.”

‘From maize to medicine:’ Dr. Lal on plant genomics and bioinformatics

GABRIELLE GAPPY Science and Technology Reporter

Dr. Shailesh Lal is a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and serves as the chair of the Department of Bioengineering. In addition to teaching, he operates a laboratory focusing on plant genomics and bioinformatics.

“Initially I started studying what are called jumping genes, [or] transposable elements — but lately my funded research is on the molecular biology and genetic engineering of corn, which is one of the most important economic imported crop plants in the United States and in the world,” Lal said. “Even if you are non-vegetarian, you are dependent on corn because that is what they feed the livestock. Corn is also used for gasoline.”

Lal studies the genes involved in starch synthesis and what makes the kernel plump. One of the genes he studies is called RBM-48, an RNA binding protein. After destroying this gene, he saw that mutant plants produce wrinkled and shriveled corn kernels.

“During the course of studying this gene, we saw that mutant kernels proliferate like cancer,” Lal said. “We, as human beings, have an orthologous gene involved in development and proliferation which is related to cancer.”

He approached two other OU faculty members — Dr, Gerard Madlambayan, whose research focuses on cancer, and Dr. Randal Westrick, who studies

blood and thrombosis — to dive deeper into the function of this gene. They have found connections to myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), which can progress to the cancer acute myeloid leukemia (AML.)

“Using CRISPR-cas 9, we knocked out this master gene in humans and saw that it had the same function that it did in the corn,” Lal said. “It resulted in certain introns not being spliced and removed, which exposes these regions to cancer and developmental defects. The next step is working on this in mice models after seeing this in cancer cells.”

In addition to the biomedical implications that arise from working with corn, Lal is also interested in the prospect of ensuring that corn remains a secure food source even when facing the threats of war and climate change.

“As we look into the future, food security is going to be major,” Lal said. “We are trying to genetically engineer plants to be able to grow in drought conditions. Especially in countries with increasing populations, like India, where I am from, and China, there is a lot of interest in this research because they have to be able to feed the population.”

Lal encourages students interested in getting involved in any research lab to approach faculty during their sophomore or the beginning of their junior year, so that they can have the necessary time to effectively learn techniques before they apply them in experiments.

“Students working in my lab learn molecular biology techniques and critical thinking skills,

and have presented at international and national conferences,” Lal said. “Getting laboratory experience can do wonders.”

Some of the innovative techniques include CRISPR-cas 9 and tissue culture. Another experiment that a student is a part of is growing E.coli cells in zero gravity to see if this causes mutations.

For anyone interested in Lal’s work or in getting more information about biology or bioengineering research involvement, stop by his office at 346 DH or email him at lal@oakland.edu.

PHOTO SOURTESY OF DR. SHAILESH LAL Dr. Lal pictured with undergraduate student Annaliese Riegel.

FDA warns of viral ‘NyQuil Chicken Challenge’ on TikTok

RACHEL YIM

Science and Technology Reporter

Peer pressure and social media trends — particularly when they involve the misuse of medications — can be a harmful combination for many people.

As part of a recent social media video challenge, people were encouraged to cook chicken with NyQuil, an over the counter (OTC) drug that cures the nighttime symptoms of the common cold and flu. This is in response to a viral TikTok video of a man frying two chicken breasts in the cold and flu medication.

Although the “NyQuil Chicken Challenge” has gained popularity on TikTok as of late, the picture of chicken covered with NyQuil has been circulating online for years.

Tristan Depew, a Twitter user, shared a picture of chicken in NyQuil in 2017 along with a caption, “If she cooks you NyQuil chicken... do NOT let her go.” Despite being a joke and without asking that others follow and eat the chicken, the tweet’s image immediately became viral, and turned into a trend.

Other reactions on social media include:

“Thanks for the new recipe @NyQuilDayQuil !!! My chicken is going to be a knockout!!!” by @ Congress Duke.

“I tried the new NyQuil chicken recipe yesterday because I was feeling under the weather and now I feel more sick now :(”by @Anthony_pichu.

“The challenge sounds silly and unappetizing –

and it is,” the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Sept. 15. “But it could also be very unsafe.”

The FDA further explained that boiling the medication makes it more dangerous because it can change its concentration. Even if people don’t eat it, cooking it creates vapors that could cause high levels of the drug to enter the body and hurt the lungs.

The #sleepychicken challenge has already received a warning from TikTok. Users on the app are confronted with the following text when searching for related videos: “Some online challenges can be dangerous, disturbing or even fabricated. Learn how to recognize harmful challenges so you can protect your health and well-being.

Some social media users also claim that it was not something people were actually starting to eat all the time, and it wasn’t on the mainstream radar until the FDA released a warning last week that referenced the practice as being at the center of a dangerous “recent social media challenge,” firing the trend.

Although it is unclear to what extent users sharing content about the phenomenon actually participated in the “trend,” these video challenges that frequently target young people can cause harm, and even result in death. These difficulties become considerably riskier given that OTC medications are widely available in many homes and can offer serious risks when misused or abused.

Whether good or bad that more people are now aware of the “NyQuil Chicken Challenge,” it still remains important to not rely on social media to

gain information about drugs and thoroughly read the Drug Facts Label when taking OTC drugs. This ensures individuals are taking the medication properly and will prevent misuse that can cause serious health issues.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NPR

As part of a recent social media video challenge, people were encouraged to cook chicken with NyQuil, an over the counter (OTC) drug that cures the nighttime symptoms of the common cold and flu. This is in response to a viral TikTok video of a man frying two chicken breasts in the cold and flu medication.

Navigating OU Art Gallery’s new exhibition, ‘Critical Voices’

BELLA JAVIER

Arts Editor

On Sept. 9, the Oakland University Art Gallery (OUAG) celebrated the opening of its newest exhibition, “Critical Voices: Selections from the Hall Collection.” Seeing as the only other time I’d ever visited the campus art gallery was to get my COVID vaccine, I was more than happy to return as a patron.

This exhibition features the works of 15 German and American contemporary artists who reflect on pivotal developments in each culture.

“[…] My intention in curating this exhibition is to show how artists, always on the forefront of change, react with their vigilant and diverse voices to the unfolding drama of social and technological transformation,” curator and OUAG manager Leo Barnes said in the forward of the exhibition’s catalogue.

In my personal opinion, Barnes’ point came across seamlessly. The range of profound work

speaks for itself.

During my visit to the gallery, I felt as though I was able to piece together the story behind each piece. I think it was the relevance that provoked a feeling of sympathy toward the art itself — something I personally had never experienced in an art exhibit.

If you haven’t been to the OUAG, know that it is a very intimate space. This is a quality that I think plays to the advantage of this particular exhibit.

Because there are a variety of mediums to observe, each piece feels like a different person with

a different story to tell. It’s as though the exhibit is just a room full of people having a conversation in an evolutionary period of time.

OUAG had the pleasure of making this exhibition possible with the Hall Art Foundation — an organization which, according to their website, “collaborates with other public institutions around the world to organize exhibitions and facilitate loans from its own collection and that of the Halls.”

The gallery is located in Wilson Hall 208 and is free to the public. “Critical Voices,” however, is only available to the community until Nov. 20.

For further details on the exhibit and gallery hours, visit ouartgallery.org.

PHOTO BY SOPHIA HUME

PHOTO BY SOPHIA HUME

PHOTO BY SOPHIA HUME

PHOTO BY SOPHIA HUME

‘Don’t Worry Darling:’ I will not be making a pun

OLIVIA CHIAPPELLI Arts Reporter

I actually cannot believe that the time has come and I am writing this right now. I remember exactly where I was when it was announced that Harry Styles was cast in Olivia Wilde’s sophomore film “Don’t Worry Darling” over two years ago — my worlds felt like they were colliding.

Wilde’s 2019 directorial debut “Booksmart” is my favorite movie of all time, and consuming anything that Styles puts out is my most dedicated hobby, so you can assume how much this meant to me.

The film centers around Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack (Styles) as a married couple living in a seemingly idyllic 1950’s community called Victory. All of the men in the community work for the mysterious Victory Project run by Frank (Chris Pine) while all of the women spend their days keeping house — classic 50’s.

However, when cracks appear in Alice’s seemingly perfect life, she begins to question her life in Victory, as well as the Victory Project — suspecting there is something sinister lurking beneath all of the glossy beauty.

Given that this is a psychological thriller, that’s all I can really say about the plot without giving anything away. The twists and turns of this movie reveal such nuanced themes that I do not want to spoil, as they go hand in hand.

But I will leave you with the purposely ominous

question: What would you be willing to give up to dismantle the system that serves you?

As I am a permanent resident of Twitter, I had fallen victim to some spoilers prior to seeing the film, partly by accident and partly by succumbing to curiosity (not my finest moment.)

However, I still sat in that theater with my jaw to the floor, which speaks volumes of the movie’s craftsmanship. The delicious cinematography, costumes, locations, throwback soundtrack and unsettling score were so amazing and put you right into the nostalgic past of the 1950’s. It was a push and pull of being so seduced by it yet knowing that

something was wrong.

Pugh became Alice, a truly strong and brave heroine, yet still displayed the vulnerabilities that she and all of the women in Victory fell victim to. I also was really taken by Styles’s performance, after recovering from the shock of seeing him on screen — which, when reflecting on the film, was a genius move on Wilde’s part.

I wish I could say more, but you truly need to see this movie for yourself. It’s full of unexpected laughs and shocks and swoons and crawling into the fetal position-worthy moments. However, I will say this:

If you go into this movie writing it off by reductively claiming its only argument is “the 1950s were bad” or “the patriarchy is bad,” and still leave with that conviction, I fear you were the subject of the movie’s critiques.

If stories like this have to be told time and time again, think about why and maybe look at our current political landscape to get some clues. And once you do see the central twist for yourself, you will see how this movie is far more current than can be assumed from a 1950’s style trailer.

And for the people saying, “we get it,” when faced with confronting topics involving feminism or the patriarchy — that’s like if someone yelled ‘we get it!” from the back of the theater during Saoirse Ronan’s famed “Little Women” monologue, so no, you clearly do not get it yet. Keep worrying, darling.

Rating: 5/5

‘5SOS5’ is pop perfection

D’JUANNA LESTER

Arts Reporter

5SOS fam, the moment has arrived. Australian pop band 5 Seconds of Summer (5SOS) have finally dropped their highly anticipated fifth album, “5SOS5.”

Let’s go track by track reviewing these songs. Warning: tissues are required.

“Complete Mess”

The start of an era. Such a good song. Michael Clifford’s bridge! It’s one of their best singles.

“Easy for You to Say”

Luke Hemmings’s vocals in this song transcend me. How can someone be so vocally gifted? The chorus goes extremely hard.

“Bad Omens”

Top three song for sure. The beat, the instruments, the vocals — it’s so different from their usual sound, and I love it!

“Me, Myself and I”

My favorite out of the singles. It’s so angsty and catchy.

“Take my Hand”

No wonder the tour was named after this one. It’s so nostalgic — like a love letter from the band. The bridge is especially great. “Shallow hearts for shallow minds that ache to be alive,” is lyrical mastery.

“CAROUSEL”

Angst. Anxiety. “Life’s just a carousel spinnin’ round?” Come on!

This song embodies the tunnel scene from “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” I love the guitar riffs on this track.

“Older”

Wedding. Song. Playlist. The fact that Hemmings wrote this with his fiancée, Sierra Deaton, is just adorable. An ode to 1950’s love songs that’s so beautifully dark.

“HAZE”

Calum Hood doing the chorus just does something to me in this song. Getting Hemmings and Ashton Irwin’s harmonies is so powerful. This is in my top three. The bass, the drumming — so good.

“You Don’t Go To Parties”

Best song on the album. My number one. It’s a Cashton song. End of story. Hood and Irwin need more songs just the two of them, because this is perfection in a song.

“BLENDER”

Listening to this song has made me stressed and depressed. I’m in an emotional blender going through this entire album. How is a song called Blender so… good?

“Caramel”

“I know we melt like caramel?” Excellence. Can I steal their lyrical talent please? The drums in this song are so perfect — I’m obsessed. “Love like a landslide, I kiss you goodnight,” come on!

“Best Friends”

4/4 vocals on a song reminiscing on 12 years of friendship? Yeah, make me cry even more, guys!

“Bleach”

“Everything I want is spilling down the drain,” is now my new favorite song lyric. Hemmings and Clifford trading off on the pre-chorus? Yes.

“Red Line”

Using the Australian train connecting their memories together? Yep, this album’s theme of brotherhood is so evident in these tracks. It’s so beautiful.

“Moodswings”

“Without you I don’t even know myself?” Man, this album is sad. I love it. Hemmings, Irwin, Hood and Clifford pairing up on split verses? This song is just…

“Flatline”

I thought this song was going to make me sad — maybe talking about death, or something. Hood singing a candy pop love song was such a sweet surprise.

“Emotions”

Michael Clifford, I am not ok. Clifford wrote, sang and produced this song — I mean, wow. It’s a grown up version of their song “Jet Black Heart,” and I’m still in pain from this one. This one hurt.

“Bloodhound”

Bass line. Hot vocals from all four members. An upbeat track after back to back sad songs.

“TEARS!”

An Ashton Irwin solo song? Automatic top three track. What else is there to say?

This album is literally perfect. The instruments; the vocals from all four band members on several songs! The themes of brotherhood, love, struggles in relationships, death and not being okay are so beautifully written. This is their best album, and I’m so happy it’s in the world.

Rating: 11/10

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB

Florence Pugh (left) and Harry Styles (right) star in Olivia Wilde’s “Don’t Worry Darling,” in theaters now.

‘Look Both Ways’: What if it was all different?

LETICIA CEZÁRIO SANTOS

Marketing Director

*Spoilers ahead*

Here we are — the first month of classes is almost gone, and you might still be wondering what this semester will look like for you. Besides that, if you are about to graduate, you probably already feel the weight of that “what now?” feeling.

Focus on this feeling and let’s talk about “Look Both Ways.” Premiered on Netflix on Aug. 17, 2022 and starring Lili Reinhart, this not-sotraditional romance might make you rethink the flexibility of your plans.

Like some of you — and me — Natalie is one of those obsessive planners.

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail,” Benjamin Franklin said, a long time ago, and so agreed our Natalie Bennet.

Natalie had a five-year plan that laid out her career and life goals: moving to LA, finding her dream job, living with her best friend and all those other cliché, post-graduation dreams.

Bennet did not expect to find herself on the night of her graduation party having a pregnancy scare (disclosure: of her best friend.)

The special touch of this movie is that, in contrast to similar films, it does not show only one end of this story. “Look Both Ways” follows Natalie’s journey on both, opposite sides of the same night. It gives the viewer the side of a positive test result and the side of the negative one.

For us curious planners, this movie solves the question of, “what if?” It can be confusing to follow a double, parallel timeline, but it actually fulfills a curiosity that I’m sure all of us have had before: “What if this day had gone differently?”

To help the viewer understand each perspective, director Wanuri Kahiu created two visually different universes. In the pink scenario, you have the “not pregnant” version of Natalie. In the blue universe, you have Natalie and her motherhood experiences.

Just as positive differs from negative, so did both of Natalie’s realities. However, the catch of this production is how both opposites end at the same “grand finale.”

“There’s a happy ending here, and there’s not one life that’s worse or better than the other,” Reinhart told Variety. “(...) you have options, and your life doesn’t have to look a certain way for you to feel happy.”

However, “Look Both Ways” got a wave of critiques regarding the way it portrayed Natalie’s reproductive rights — partly because the movie was released closely following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the U.S.

“The beautiful thing in our film, which now sadly feels a bit dystopian (...), but it is a movie about a woman who had the opportunity to make a choice,” Reinhart said.

Still, critics did not interpret the movie as the actress and director explained it. Many viewers defined the movie as stereotyped and tone-deaf for women.

“Never mind that “Look Both Ways” seems to posit that, for women, child rearing and a career are in relative opposition — when Natalie comes to a fork in the road, the movie hardly lets her look both ways,” Natalia Winkelman wrote for The New York Post.

For many, the story omitted too many important details that would have made a total difference in the interpretation of Natalie’s life.

“But like the rest of the film, the portrayal of events in Natalie’s pregnancy timeline seems too glossy to be true,” Sam Reed wrote for Glamour. com. “(...) While it’s clear she is privileged, the failure to acknowledge it at all leads me to believe that perhaps the filmmakers think of her situation as the rule rather than the exception.”

I agree that “Look Both Ways” is a bit too much of a fantasy — and I say that referring to both perspectives.

The transition post-graduation is not necessarily as smooth as it was for Natalie. Sometimes, five years is not enough to find a dream job (and fulfill your career dream, and get the relationship of your life — see what I’m getting at?)

Natalie’s motherhood also lacks a lot of important and realistic details. Motherhood is a unique life experience, and it was diminished to a very stereotypical pattern here.

Still, I could get three thought-provoking topics from this movie.

Plans sometimes have to change, and this is not necessarily bad — it can actually be good.

Life is too unpredictable to be limited to one right “future” — allow yourself to explore.

Determination and career plans can look different in each phase of life.

“Look Both Ways” made viewers look at more than two different ways of interpreting this production, but I think it is still valid to watch it and check for yourself. Are you going to like it or not? Who knows — try to look both ways!

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX

PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX

Oakland baseball cruises past Lansing Community College in first fall ball game

BROCK HEILIG

Sports Editor

The Oakland baseball team took the diamond on Sunday against Lansing Community College for the first time since last season. The Golden Grizzlies put together an offensive masterpiece in a 19-4 beatdown of the Stars.

Coming off an impressive 31 wins last season, head coach Jordon Banfield and the Golden Grizzlies are looking to add to last year’s historic season. It all starts in the fall, and Oakland began its quest for greatness on Sunday.

Oakland scored 19 runs on 12 hits en route to an absolute onslaught of the Lansing Community College Stars.

Brandon Heidal and Brandon Nigh led the way for the Golden Grizzlies, as the two combined for half of the team’s hits. The junior and sophomore, respectively, each went 3-5.

Heidal also recorded two hit by pitches as he reached base in five of his six at bats.

Nigh picked up right where he left off from last season. As a true freshman last year, he finished near the top of almost every hitting statistic.

He batted .327 with a 1.038 OPS and drove in 32 runs in his freshman campaign, and he received high praise not only from his teammates and coaches, but also from the Horizon League when they named him their Freshman of the Year back in May.

The now sophomore didn’t lose a step over the offseason. In Sunday’s game, he hit a home run, a

triple and a double, and finished just a single shy of hitting for the cycle.

He finished with a stunning eight RBIs, and he crossed the plate three times as well, accounting for 11 of Oakland’s 19 runs.

Redshirt sophomore Reagan Paulina also showed out for the Golden Grizzlies. Paulina finished the game 2-2 with a home run and two walks.

He also stole a base, scored three runs and drove in two as well.

As for pitching, juniors Brandon Decker and Jake Matthaidess each recorded multiple strikeouts, and showed a lot of promise on the mound for the Golden Grizzlies.

The Stars struck right away in the top of the first with a deep home run, but Oakland answered with four runs of its own in the home half of the inning and never looked back.

Lansing Community failed to score for the next nine innings, in what turned out to be a friendly 12-inning game.

Oakland will enjoy a lengthy break before it crosses the Michigan-Ohio border on Oct. 16 to take on the Toledo Rockets in the second game of its fall schedule.

The 2023 schedule is yet to be finalized for Oakland. Getting the opportunity to play friendly games in the fall will not only help the returning starters, but it also serves as an opportunity to get the younger players some more experience as they try and perfect their crafts in hopes of one day starting on the team.

Women’s volleyball drops match to Northern Kentucky

SUMMER WEATHER

Sports Reporter

The Golden Grizzlies women’s volleyball team lost to Northern Kentucky on Sept. 23 at home in three straight sets.

Despite strong kills by Northern Kentucky, it is without a doubt the Grizzlies still showed their athleticism.

Coming out strong were Libby Gentile and Patti Cesarini, stepping on the gas in crucial moments of the game — especially when it was was tied up at 12-12. They played their roles efficiently, attacking down the stretch when Northern Kentucky seemed to be storming through and racking up their points. Set one ended with a score of 25-23.

Northern Kentucky came into set two with a fierceness. Their middle blocker, Abby Kanakry, wasn’t letting up, hungry for a win. Northern Kentucky defeated the Grizzlies in this set by 10, with a score of 25-15.

By the third set, OU started to apply some pressure, making things challenging for the Norse. This set was impressive — a battle between the two teams.

The Grizzlies were not going to go down without a fight. It was neck and neck, and in the last few possessions, Northern Kentucky came out ahead, calling the game with a set score of 25-22.

Despite the 3-0 loss, there were some things that head coach Krista Rice liked down the stretch from her squad.

“I thought that in both sets, one and three, we had a couple of opportunities to just sort of surge ahead,” Rice said. “A couple things that stood out to me: our service pressure amped up in those moments. And I think two, we were just able to execute what our game plan was.”

“We had talked about getting the ball off of their libero — sort of making their setters play more balls — and when you saw us close those sets a little bit closer together, we were having good execution of that,” Rice said. “We more so wanted to see that we had consistency in our plays.”

“You saw a sort of a rollercoaster of emotions, a rollercoaster of our play and execution,” Rice continued. “I think if we can steady out and execute what we want from play to play a little bit more regularly, we will start to see more success.”

Rice’s team is really bought into what they’re trying to do. The style of volleyball that the team is playing and the culture that they’re trying to build are evident.

“It’s just a matter of the small details and really honing in on those time after time, not allowing it to slip away,” she said.

The Grizzlies are making great strides to bring home a win. They head down to Ohio on Sept. 27 to face Youngstown State University.

PHOTO BY MAGGIE WILLARD

A plan to upgrade the Oakland Baseball Field is in the works.

PHOTO BY AYMAN ISHIMWE

Lessons a future OU football team could learn from Friday Night Lights

OLIVIA CHIAPPELLI

Arts Reporter

TORI COKER Content Editor

It has come to our attention that many OU students would like to see the university introduce an NCAA-level football team. Rest assured — we are here to lend our incredibly robust knowledge of the game to help facilitate this introduction.

Once OU’s administration gets that ball rolling (or spiraling, am I right?! …what is that cricket-y sound?) we’ve got a few pieces of wisdom to offer.

Note: this article will be fully composed of references to the 2006 feel-good family football drama “Friday Night Lights,” so if you’ve never seen the show, think of the following as some fun riddles to decipher. (Why would we give you honest advice when we could give you pop culture references from a network television show no one has thought about in 10 years?)

If you’re suddenly thrust from second string to star quarterback as a lovable but green sophomore rookie, take it all in your stride.

Lean into that whole not-like-the-other-jocks shy boy swagger and keep your chin up, even in the face of any hot-shot Freshmen recruits that might pop up and threaten your hold on the QB1 position. You’ve undoubtedly got a few wins in you — and if nothing

else, you could keep your grandma’s lights on.

A good team needs a good coach.

Chiappelli volunteers to be OU’s Coach Taylor, as her daily reality so closely mirrors that of a middle aged man with the weight of a small Texas town on his back. And while we’re at it, Coker can supply our version of the best character of the series — Connie Britton’s perfect hair — with her newly minted red mane that could surely girlboss

its way to state. (Hot take: Tami Taylor’s hair did more for the Dillon Panthers than anyone on that coaching staff.)

A powder puff game can be just the moraleboosting exercise to reinvigorate any team.

Every powder puff coach wants to be a Tim Riggins, but will most likely wind up as an awkward little Matt Saracen. Fear not! You can turn that team right around by locating the human equivalent of the intersection between the most outwardly uninterested attitude and the most straw-like bangs (sorry Julie Taylor.)

I, too, would like a 2006 Taylor Kitsch to coach my powder puff team, but we have to make the most of what we’ve got here. I don’t see a lot of flowy little bobs and sherpa-lined denim jackets around here, but maybe that’ll get you your football team?

If your best friend starts a relationship with your high school sweetheart after you sustain a life-altering injury during the game, then… yeah, we’ve got nothing.

Soulmate-ism aside, we understand if you just want to hold that grudge.

If all else fails, remember clear eyes and full hearts can’t lose.

This phrase actually works as literally as you allow it to. Don’t even think about getting on that field if your heart is broken, in two, sinking or what have you. And once you’ve got matters of the heart sorted, invest in some Visine and maybe a refreshed contact subscription and hit the green.

PHOTO COURTESY OF INSIDER

Taylor Kitsch as Tim Riggins in Friday Night Lights — a vision of excellence in football. Potential future OU team, take notes.