The Oakland Post 12.6.2023

A Trusted Source of Independent Student Journalism since 1987.

LETTER FROM EDITOR

Addressing the Counseling Center controversy PAGE 3

PHOTO BY COURTNEY BLACKETT

Volume 49 l Issue 9 l December 6, 2023

MICHAEL LATCHA

Highlights from the previous academic year PAGE 6

OUCC WOES

Counseling Center struggles amidst staffing shortages PAGE 10-11

2 | DECEMBER 6, 2023

EDITORIAL BOARD Arianna Heyman Editor-in-Chief aheyman@oakland.edu Autumn Okuszka Content Editor aokuszka@oakland.edu Megan Parker Managing Editor meganparker@oakland.edu

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

DECEMBER 6, 2023 | 3

Letter from the Editor: The state of the counseling center is disgraceful ARIANNA HEYMAN Editor-in-Chief

As Editor in Chief, I am made privy to the comments and concerns of faculty and students alike regarding this institution. Throughout the fall semester, one issue has been brought to my attention over and over again –– the counseling center.

The current state of the counseling center is shameful and embarrassing. Currently, the OU Counseling Center (OUCC) is the lowest-staffed counseling center in the state and one of the worststaffed counseling centers in the country.

In October, Dr. David Schwartz, OUCC director, spoke with The Oakland Post about his unease after the OUCC’s singular administrative position — which handles the front desk and office management — was cut with little consultation.

A bell was placed at the front desk for students to ring in order to receive assistance, but Schwartz was concerned students in desperate need of help would not follow the directions on the sign, which reads as follows: “If you have an appointment, have a seat in the lobby and your therapist will be with you shortly.

If you have been waiting for more than 10 minutes past your scheduled appointment time, ring the bell for assistance. If no one comes to the window, please see a staff member at the [Graham Health Center] GHC window.

“If you want to make an appointment and this is not an emergency, please either speak with the attendant at the front desk (if available) or call the main line and leave a message and someone will get back to you.

“If this is an URGENT matter, please see the attendant at the front desk or ring the bell. If no one is available, please speak to a staff member at the GHC window. We apologize for any inconvenience.”

Schwartz’s worries did not go unfounded. During the week of Sept. 18, a student came into the OUCC

seeking help, attempted to follow the steps provided on the sign, and was unable to receive support.

Later, that student made a suicide attempt.

Following this incident, Schwartz was invited to make a presentation in front of the faculty Senate and was granted permission to hire graduate students to work at the front desk on a part-time basis. Schwartz later credited OU administration for their quick reaction, but their solution was equivalent to putting a bandaid on a bullet wound.

Since October, the situation has not vastly improved. At a recent Student Activity Fund Assessment Committee (SAFAC) meeting, a proposal was submitted for consideration from Mental Health Matters, a student organization dedicated to raising mental health awareness among minorities at OU. The proposal requested $5,000 from SAFAC’s special projects fund, a monetary reserve that would typically be utilized to support student organizations on campus.

Mental Health Matters requested this sum in order to assist the OUCC. The proposal read as follows: “It is essential that the student body has sufficient resources needed to promote a safe and supportive environment. The Oakland University Counseling Center is the lowest staffed counseling center in the State of Michigan. There are multiple complaints regarding the counseling center’s ability to meet with their students.

“What is most concerning is the student to staff ratio of the counseling center. The average staff to student ratio in Michigan is 1 full-time staff for every 1328 students. Compared to the Oakland University Counseling Center, which has an average staff to student ratio of 1 full-time staff for every 3096 students, it is essential we allocate resources to help our students.

“It is deeply troubling that the counseling center is below the average staff to student ratio.

Students reserve the right to be supported in their academic journey with the appropriate and adequate resources. Designating more funds for

the emergency fund of the counseling center would provide support to students through an institution whose goal is to provide quality confidential counseling to the students at Oakland University.

“Therefore, Mental Health Matters requests the use of the Special Projects Funding to allocate $5000 towards the emergency fund of the Oakland University Counseling Center to improve the resources for a better staff to student ratio.”

This is a catastrophic failure and a humiliating look for OU’s administration. The fact students are now asking other students to help fund a vital college resource is beyond comprehension. It is not the responsibility of the students to do the jobs of OU’s administration.

The OU administration needs to act on this immediately. This situation is becoming more disgraceful as the days go by.

According to a recent survey conducted by the National Education Association, “The majority of college students (more than 60 percent) meet the criteria for at least one mental health problem — a nearly 50 percent increase since 2013… specifically, 44 percent of students reported symptoms of depression; 37 percent said they experienced anxiety; and 15 percent said they were considering suicide — the highest rate in the 15-year history of the survey.”

With these sorts of statistics in mind, it is unconscionable the OU administration has not made the OUCC a top priority. They must rectify the issues at the OUCC now –– there are lives at stake.

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CAMPUS

4 | DECEMBER 6, 2023

OUSC asks OU community to share thoughts on the Adams Road expansion project CHLOE KUKUK Campus Reporter

Following the completion of phase two of the four-year Adams Road study in September, the Oakland University Student Congress (OUSC) is asking the campus community to share their thoughts on the project.

The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) began the study of the approximately two-mile corridor, which stretches from W Hamlin Road to Walton Boulevard, east of OU’s campus in 2021 due to the higher rate of traffic congestion and accidents that occur in the area compared the rest of the county.

The technical team for the project includes representatives from RCOC, the City of Rochester Hills and OU, which meets monthly.

The Planning and Environment Linkages/ Environmental Assessment study — funded partially with a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, partially by RCOC and the City of Rochester Hills — aims to find a solution that will improve safety, improve capacity, promote walking and biking, complement and preserve the environment, history and culture of the area and improve the condition of the corridor ’s infrastructure.

At present, there are no formal plans for what the development of the area will look like. Suggestions by the public and technical team include adding designated left turn lanes, bypass lanes, retiming lights in congested areas and widening Adams Road into a boulevard — the latter of which OUSC Director of Sustainability Katya Eskander takes

issue with. This is a sentiment shared by 80% of the 1,500 respondents on the Vision Adams Road Ideas Wall.

Eskander said that although the intention is to reduce traffic and increase safety, the construction period will cause the opposite. Ultimately, she added, the induced demand for a five-lane road will, in time, result in the same level of traffic in the area.

“This concept of induced demand is very well researched. It just means if you build it, they will come. Within two years at least, traffic is going to be at the exact same level as it was before,” Eskander said.

“There’s this idea of suppressed demand whenever you have congested roads, that people avoid using these roads because they know they’re going to be busy. They know it’s going to be inconvenient,” she added. “You add another [lane], and it becomes slightly more convenient for a year. More people become aware of this, and they start using those roads.”

Considering the environmental impacts, taxpayer cost and reduced traversability for pedestrians and bikers, the benefits of the shortterm improvement in traffic are outweighed by the negatives, Eskander said.

However, Eskander encourages OU students to make their opinions heard regarding the Adams Road construction, regardless of what their opinions may be.

“With this being the type of project that is so far down the line… if people are made aware early in advance, and early in advance they’re able to express their opinions, the facts that they find one way or another, then things can be modified,” she said.

“If the community is sitting down and it happens

under their noses, and they don’t put forth an effort to make it known to the RCOC what their opinions are, nobody is going to have the opportunity to give input,” Eskander added. “It’s important for everyone at large to be able to make their voices known one way or another.”

Eskander encourages students to give their input via a Google Form to OUSC. The link to this form is available on their Instagram, @ouscoffical.

Additionally, the Visioning Adams Road website provides an interactive map and Ideas Wall for community members to give input.

As of Nov. 2023, there is no anticipated date for construction. The next public workshop is planned for Winter 2024 to review the project’s alternatives. For more information, visit the Visioning Adams Road website.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARY BETH ALMOND

Living narratives told at Kresge Library through Human Library Organization DAYSHAWN FIELDS Campus Reporter

The Human Library Organization, a Denmarkbased non-governmental organization (NGO), hosted an event at Kresge Library on Thursday, Nov. 30, from 4-7 p.m.

The organization prides itself on ‘’publishing people as Open Books,” which is exactly what occurred inside Kresge Library.

Several people generously shared their life stories, becoming living narratives at the Human Library.

One such individual was Red, a doctorate student and Writing Center consultant who found themselves at Oakland University after a childhood of hardships and dealing with familial mental illness. Appropriately, they represented the book “Transgender and Mentally Ill Parents.”

“I think the biggest issue is because people have not been able to be themselves, they turn to drugs, they turn to alcohol, they self-medicate and they act out and behave strangely,” Red said when posed with the question of what exactly is the biggest hurdle for their demographic.

Red called to the differing climate throughout regions just in Michigan.

“Where my wife’s from, over in West Michigan, there’s Catholic-affiliated hospitals that seriously won’t treat people who have had abortions, been

divorced and that are transgender, it’s very rigid conservatism,” Red said.

The event saw several students come out and take heed of the stories the Open Books had to tell.

WXOU Sports Director Harjun Buttar found Red’s story to be very impactful and shed light on the progress made but also the progress yet to come into fruition for LGBTQ+ individuals.

“I appreciate your time, and you gave a great parting message,” Buttar said to Red as he walked away from the table with a smile.

Current OU student Katie Kraemer welcomed readers to her table for a dive into the book “Non-

PHOTO BY COURTNEY BLACKETT

binary/Identical Twin.” They went into detail about the dynamic created when one identifies as non-binary while having someone whom you were assigned the same sex as at birth, as identical twins.

“She’s not non-binary. Actually, she’s cisgendered. That’s the really interesting experience, coming out as non-binary and having an identical twin like that,” Kramer said. “Growing up, you have matching outfits, and you’re doing all this stuff together. You’re the same person, you’re twins.

Then you throw a wrench in because at birth, you’re same gender, and you forged your own identity.”

Books made appearances through any means. The book “Wheelchair/Bisexual” was told remotely, with readers able to come to the station and consume the story of OU alumnus Elijah Sanders.

Sanders was stricken with cerebral palsy and identifies as bisexual. He told of how being disabled added to the plight of being bisexual.

“I grew up in a very religious household,” Sanders said. “My mother was visiting me in my dorm, and she caught me in the act. She said, ‘You don’t know what you’re doing. You shouldn’t be doing that, you’re in a wheelchair. You don’t feel anything for him.’”

Sexual identity was not all that was told to readers. Tales of homelessness were mentioned, along with a bevy of other books on stigma, prejudice and biases.

CAMPUS

DECEMBER 6, 2023 | 5

OU establishes engineering student transfer agreement with OCC CHLOE KUKUK Campus Reporter

Oakland University and Oakland Community College (OCC) signed a brand-new transfer articulation agreement on Nov. 8 to ensure a smooth transition for students seeking a bachelor of science in engineering.

The agreement allows students who earn a preengineering associate degree from OCC to OU’s School of Engineering and Computer Science (SECS) to continue their education in computer engineering, electrical engineering, industrial and systems engineering, or mechanical engineering.

OU President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz said in a press release the partnership between the two institutions strengthens the regional economy.

“Today’s engineering agreement builds on our dynamic relationship with OCC, a partnership that facilitates students’ transition toward the completion of a bachelor degree,” Pescovitz said.

“We are extremely proud of our work with OCC and believe we are creating a model of cooperation that further develops the regional talent pipeline and leads to building the Michigan economy.”

The logistics of the agreement have been in development for the past eight years, SECS Dean Louay M. Chamra said. It was largely supported

by SECS’s faculty and the administration and faculty at OCC. To make the transition as seamless as possible for students, OCC’s pre-engineering program and SECS’s curriculum needed to be adjusted.

“Our engineering program is not a traditional engineering program that you have in terms of easy transfer, so we had to work with the chairs, we had to work with the faculty to make sure that everything aligned,” Chamra said.

Given OU is the top public university in Michigan for enhancing social mobility, Chamra said, the transfer agreement is an extension of providing accessibility to higher education. In the SECS, 35% of students are first-generation college students.

“Higher education is getting too expensive,” he said. “[Students] go for two years to community college, and then we want them to have a seamless transfer to our school without losing any credit and make sure they graduate and have access to the job market where the average salary for a degree in computer science right now is about $75,000, which will provide prosperity and transformation for their families.

“Community colleges play an important role in higher education. A lot of our students — 40% of our students — transferred from community college,” Chamra added.

This is the first transfer agreement between SECS and a local community college of its kind. However, Chamra said they hope to collaborate with other community colleges in the region now that a template for the transition has been established.

“OCC is just the beginning,” Chamra said. “It’s a template, but we can tweak it, adjust it to make sure that the community college we’re working with is serving our students. Bottom line, it’s about students. It’s not about me or anybody else.

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It’s about making sure that everybody has access to higher education.

“We’re here about student success, and we’re here about uplifting the community regardless of their background,” Chamra added. “Whether [our students] start as a freshman at Oakland or OCC, it’s irrelevant to me. As long as they get an education, and especially right now… that fouryear degree is extremely important because you cannot replace it with any other experience.”

The transfer agreement runs through Oct. 31, 2028.

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6 | DECEMBER 6, 2023

A conversation with OU-AAUP President, Michael Latcha ARIANNA HEYMAN Editor-in-Chief

In May of 2024, Oakland University administration and Oakland University’s Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (OU-AAUP) will begin faculty contract renegotiations.

In 2021, contract renegotiations were notoriously bitter, leading the faculty to strike at the beginning of the fall semester.

Recently, The Oakland Post sat down with OUAAUP President Michael Latcha for a conversation on next year’s renegotiations, current faculty sentiment toward administration, and his hopes for the future.

OP: What are your goals as OUAAUP President?

ML: “Some of the goals have been kind of evolving as I’ve stepped into this role. I’ve never been the president before. I have been the vice president a couple times. I have served on the executive committee for 20 years or so. It’s clear that a lot of the faculty that we have now, especially the newer faculty, they’re not aware of a lot of their rights and their responsibilities in dealing with the administration.

Both of those issues are written down for everyone to read and understand. Not only the faculty agreement but also in the constitution and the bylaws of all of the schools and the colleges. A lot of people don’t seem to understand that those things exist, and they don’t understand the power that gives them. That’s one of the things that I’ve decided to try to do with these two years –– is to make people more aware of that. Show them how they can use this to stick up for their own rights and the rights of other faculty members and to be able to get back to a more shared type of governance on campus.”

OP: What challenges are you currently facing as OU-AAUP President?

ML: “Certainly post-pandemic, there are issues on campus that we’re going to have to work with the administration on. It’s no secret that the student body is three-quarters of what it was. That transition, and hopefully building up the student body is going to take some serious conversation to make sure that all of that is not just one-sided.”

OP: Currently, what is the sentiment from the faculty toward the administration?

ML: “The morale of the faculty has not greatly improved since the fall of 2021. We know that going in, and the president knows that also. She has been told that several times and in several different ways. That’s not a surprise on either side. We have surveyed the faculty, we have gotten over 500 responses to the survey that we sent out to faculty, and we are sifting through those looking for issues, priorities, things like that. Those will be those will eventually be turned over to the burdens to develop their strategies.”

OP: What issues have stood out to you while conducting this survey?

ML: “People are not happy. Kinda across the board not happy. Certainly, money is a huge issue.

We have not had a significant raise for seven or

eight years –– before 2021. It’s going to get worse in January since the amount that the university will be contributing to healthcare is going to decrease, so we will end up having to pay more for that.”

OP: How do you hope that OU administration responds to the concerns of the faculty?

ML: “There’s a lot of things that I could hope that they do. The big thing that I would hope that they do is to actually sit down across the table and talk to us. That has not happened in over 10 years.

Oakland insists on hiring outside attorneys to do their renegotiations. I have mentioned this to the president. She thanked me for my input.”

OP: For those who are unaware, can you describe what challenges OU-AAUP faced during the contract renegotiation process in 2021?

ML: “In 2021, the administration pretty much looked to gut everything out of the agreement. So we have a fairly, you could say, generous tuition waiver system, and ours is very different than the way it is at most schools. The way ours was set up back in the 1960s is that if my dependent wanted to take a class at Oakland, the course cap for that course would be increased by one, which means that it costs Oakland no money. That’s very different than the way it is at the vast majority of schools. At most schools, that person is actually counted as a student in class. At Oakland, it’s not, and the way it was structured is that we, the faculty, teach other faculty dependents for free. Oakland does not see it that way. They see another body in class as ‘lost tuition’ even though structurally, they’re losing nothing. So when they went after the tuition benefit, that got a lot of people very upset.

Another thing that they went after in 2021 was our retirement benefits. We don’t have a pension, so Oakland makes contributions to our retirement accounts. If you look at the number, you would say that was very generous. However, the reason that number is so high is because, in the 1980s, when inflation was running at double digits –– it was running 12-15% a year. When we were only able to secure raises in the 6-8% range. Oakland at that point was offering more money into the retirement accounts, figuring that they would not have to pay for that for a while. So that high number that we have in 2021 –– that was bought and paid for in previous contracts.

For people who’ve been here for more than two years, it was 16%, and Oakland was looking to reduce that to what they considered a more normal amount of 10% but without actually paying for it. The way that got settled was sort of a two-tier system. People that were hired after 2001 got 10%, the rest of us who have been here longer stayed with the system. It really didn’t save Oakland anything except in the very long run.

They had no money on the table essentially until the very end. Any money they had on the table was only for merit. There were no across-the-board raises or anything else. Then the last big piece was healthcare. They were looking to move that to decrease their contribution much sooner. All of those things taken together, they sort of sum up a lack of respect. Then of course immediately as soon as the fall semester ended in 2021, inflation skyrocketed, and anything that was in the contract

PHOTO BY COURTNEY BLACKETT

just evaporated. It was gone in the winter of 2022.”

OP: How are contract negotiations different now from in the past?

ML: “The main difference that we see is we do not speak to the administration. We speak to someone who is not an academic, who does not have to administer the contract, and who does not have to live under its rules. We’re still not quite sure who that person takes their orders from to go to the table. It used to be that we sat down with people, for instance, from the Provost office. Everyone that was at the table lived and worked and breathed Oakland. So we were able to talk about issues that we all knew were issues because we live them every single day. We were able to come to either an agreement to disagree or more often, we worked out solutions that everybody bought into right there at the table.

[That] doesn’t happen anymore. It has not happened since 2012. So that is what I think is seriously missing from contract negotiations.

I’ve seen it both ways. It was much more collegial before. Not to say that either side didn’t bargain very hard because we all did, [but] you bargained with the singular idea that we could make Oakland better.”

OP: What are you hearing from the OU administration at present?

ML: “I regularly speak with many people in the administration. The people that would be involved with making decisions with bargaining have told me that I will be pleasantly surprised. Don’t know what that means, but we’ll see what happens.”

OP: What do you see as the best possible outcome for contract renegotiations next spring?

ML: “I absolutely would like to see the faculty and the administration working closer together. That would be the very best outcome I think, because right now we do not. I don’t think the faculty trusts many people in administration, and because of that, faculty have pulled back from interacting with administration. That’s not healthy. That’s not the way a healthy university works. If we can change that, then that would be fabulous.”

FEATURES

DECEMBER 6, 2023 | 7

Red Douglas’s doctoral research on university student bereavement policies PAYTON BUCKI Features Editor

After suffering the tragic loss of his father in the senior year of his undergraduate studies at Oakland University, Red Douglas decided to become a ‘meaning-maker.’ Douglas made it his mission to mitigate the struggles of other grieving students. Thus, he turned to researching the student bereavement policies of postsecondary institutions.

Douglas is currently a doctoral student at OU, pursuing a PhD in higher-ed educational leadership. To earn his degree, Douglas must write a dissertation. Immediately, Douglas knew what topic he would write about — grief.

“The toughest experience of my undergraduate years happened just a couple weeks before I graduated,” Douglas said. “My dad died in an unexpected way. It was a nightmare.”

As the first one from his immediate family to graduate from college, it was a bittersweet moment when Douglas received his diploma.

“I was proud to be a first-generation graduate, yet my mind was flooded with grief,” Douglas said. “I was mentally preoccupied with making after-death arrangements and supporting my family.”

If the death had occurred sooner, Douglas admits he would have struggled through college or even dropped out.

“Most schools and jobs only offer 3-5 consecutive days of bereavement time. After my

dad’s death, there were so many things to do. I needed more nonconsecutive bereavement days,” Douglas said. “I can’t even imagine the struggle of being a grieving student in the beginning or middle of their college studies.”

When Douglas returned to OU to begin his doctoral studies, he knew there was already a student bereavement policy on the books. Shortly after Douglas graduated with his bachelor’s degree, another grieving student worked with campus administration to put a student leave policy into place.

Douglas is working to make the university’s student bereavement policy more accessible to all students on campus, including graduate students. Douglas’s personal experiences with death and his work in refining OU’s policy led him to conduct broader research on the topic of student bereavement.

Quickly, Douglas realized OU was a rarity in terms of its efforts to support grieving students.

“I was shocked to realize OU was one of the few universities with a student bereavement policy,” Douglas said. “As of 2019, only 44 universities in the nation had student bereavement policies.”

In most postsecondary institutions, student bereavement policies are not system-wide.

Douglas argues they ought to be.

“If you work at the university, you have bereavement. But what if you go to the university as a student?” Douglas said. “It’s [death is] not a unique experience. Before beginning my research, I didn’t realize that there were so many other

college students struggling because there is a lack of robust student support for students on this issue.”

Douglas attributes the lack of student support to our “emotion-phobic” society. Instead of recognizing and discussing feelings of grief, it is commonplace for grieving individuals to develop a bootstrap mentality.

“Instead of repressing negative feelings surrounding death, we should embrace them by fostering some sense of community,” Douglas said. “After all, grief is a fundamental process of healing.”

(Continue on our website)

PHOTO COURTESY OF RED DOUGLAS

Madison Siewart launches BeGolden, OU’s first-ever fashion magazine PAYTON BUCKI Features Editor

For as long as she can remember, Madison Siewart has had a passion for fashion journalism.

Siewart was unable to find an outlet to express her stylistic creativity through Oakland University’s journalism department, so she decided to develop her own project. BeGolden, OU’s first-ever fashion magazine, is Siewart’s breakout contribution to fashion journalism.

Siewart has long dreamed of paving her way in the fashion industry. This is in part due to the unique experiences her part-time job has provided her.

Aside from her collegiate studies, the OU junior nannies for the children of a co-owner of SEEN Magazine. This connection has allowed

PHOTO COURTESY OF BEGOLDEN MAGAZINE

her the opportunity of shadowing at a couple of the magazine’s photoshoots. These experiences confirmed Siewart’s aspiration to pursue a career in the fashion journalism industry.

Siewart’s experiences with SEEN inspired her to bring her love for fashion to OU’s campus. While Siewart was not able to find a cohesive group that emulated her vision, she came across many journalism majors with similar fashion interests, including Olivia Chiappelli and Chloe Dyke.

Siewart worked alongside Chiappelli, Dyke and Kelsey Rife to conceptualize BeGolden, a fashion magazine created entirely by OU students.

“I spent the beginning of the semester recruiting people to write, design and model for the magazine by reaching out via social media and tabling at GrizzFest,” Siewart said.

It was clear by BeGolden’s first general body meeting that Siewart’s recruitment efforts had paid off. There were so many eager contributors in attendance at the first meeting that chairs needed to be borrowed from the classroom next door to seat everyone.

“To be honest, I was so worried about the first meeting. I was nervous that no one would show up,” Siewart said. “It was rewarding to see so many people who were excited to get involved with the magazine.”

Siewart’s time working on BeGolden has been tantamount to a roller coaster ride, with many ups and downs carrying her through the semester.

To lead such a big project is stressful for Siewart since she is in charge of delegating tasks, managing editing and figuring out the printing process. Despite the pressure that comes with

being the editor-in-chief of a magazine, Siewart enjoys every minute of the process.

“Running the magazine is a sort-of ‘fun stress,’” Siewart said. “While I carry so many responsibilities in managing the magazine, it has been so great to see the visions of so many contributors coming to life.”

Throughout the several months of planning BeGolden’s first issue, some of Siewart’s favorite moments have been her involvement in photoshoots for the magazine. Siewart especially enjoyed a shoot in a local restaurant in Downtown Rochester.

Siewart is most proud of the diverse array of styles found on the magazine’s pages. The conglomerate of different ideas and designs makes BeGolden a truly unique project.

While Siewart has made considerable efforts to see BeGolden come to life, she would not trade the experience for the world. Siewart is already making plans to produce BeGolden’s second issue in the spring.

“I definitely want to see this magazine continue onto next semester and even further in the future,” Siewart said. “After I graduate, I would love to pass the operation of the magazine down to the next generation of students.”

To receive timely updates about BeGolden, follow the magazine’s Instagram @begoldenou.

If you would like to participate in the creation of BeGolden’s second issue in the winter 2024 semester, contact Siewart via email at madisonsiewart@oakland.edu.

FEATURES

8 | DECEMBER 6, 2023

Ethics bowl team advances to national competition NOAH FRANCIS Features Editor

On Nov. 18, the Oakland University Ethics Bowl team competed in the Central States Regional for the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl (IEB) competition, hosted by the Association for Applied and Practical Ethics (APPE).

The team—Payton Bucki, Calla Bazinski, John Rubarth, Ethan Pemberton and Erica Luft— won first place at the competition, the first time since 2019 that an OU Ethics Bowl team has accomplished such a feat. This February, the team will go to Cincinnati, Ohio to compete in the 2024 IEB National Competition.

An Ethics Bowl competition can be described as a debate about an ethical dilemma. Teams are given 10 minutes to present their argument before answering questions from the opposing team and the judges.

Ethan Pemberton, a first-year Ethics Bowl competitor, explains how much preparation is done before the competition.

“Essentially, your job is to memorize all the facets of that case and work with your teammates to construct a 10-minute presentation that you’re all really well informed on,” Pemberton said. “It’s two and a half months of research, memorization and writing, for a total of 30 to 45 minutes of trying your best not to stumble over all your words. It’s a lot of build-up for a couple of small

moments, but it is so worth it.”

The best way to prepare for competition is to communicate your ideas and perspectives on an ethical dilemma with others. Fortunately, OU’s Ethics Bowl program had enough members to make two teams this year. One team was comprised mostly of returning members, and the other team was exclusively new members.

“In the past, we haven’t had a ton of interest in the team, so we’ve only been able to field one team with, like, five or six members,” Rubarth said. “This year, we had nine members, so we were able to field two teams, so that was awesome. It was an opportunity to practice more against each other, having more people around.”

Pemberton explains how having two teams was helpful when preparing for regionals.

“Getting to run through the cases and hear the feedback multiple times starts to get you prepared for not only what the weaknesses in your argument are, but also what kinds of questions other people would likely be asking,” Pemberton said. “You can go in knowing which couple of areas kept coming up with questions and prepare for that.”

While Ethics Bowl competitions mainly involve research and preparing for questions, speech skills are also an important aspect of competition.

Rubarth explains how an Ethics Bowl member would sharpen their speech skills.

“The key is understanding,” Rubarth said.

“When you truly know and understand the topic

that you’re talking about, it shows, and it leads to clarity in speeches.”

Another method Rubarth gave for people to work on their speech skills was figuring out their own speaking style.

“Some people like to memorize verbatim, others like to focus on remembering key phrases to keep them structured, some rely on jokes, there is variability in tone,” Rubarth said. “Regardless, understanding one’s style and adhering to it tends to yield success.”

For students interested in trying out for the team this upcoming spring, they may reach out to coach Lisa Campbell at llcampbe@oakland.edu.

PHOTO COURTESY OF OU ETHICS BOWL

OU alum Lauren Roll on her return to campus ANA GJORGJEVSKI Features Editor

From a young age, Lauren Roll knew she possessed strong resilience. Throughout her life, she has persevered through countless personal battles and never once let it affect her truly selfless spirit.

Roll attended Oakland University from 2015 to 2018 and received a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and psychology with a minor in criminal justice.

PHOTO BY COURTNEY BLACKETT

During her time at OU, Roll studied abroad in Spain. The trip, she says, was truly a once-ina-lifetime experience wherein she lived with a sponsor family who helped to better her studies of the language and culture.

Roll attributes her experience and preparedness for the trip to two professors: Adolfo CampoyCubillo and Dan Lorca.

“Those two Spanish professors helped me with my study abroad program and getting everything in order, and when I came back, they helped me with extra programs and really helped me get good with my Spanish,” Roll said.

Roll would also like to recognize the immense help she received from Dr. Shackelford, an amazing professor who assisted her greatly with her psychology studies.

Since graduating, Roll’s life has taken a slightly different path than she originally planned. Her dream of moving to Spain was sadly shattered when a personal tragedy occurred. Although the incident prevented Roll from pursuing her original path, it did not stop her from reaching her goals.

“Life was supposed to take me to Spain, but due to family circumstances, I ended up staying in Michigan and taking a job as a waitress. This job led me to meet some really great people and actually ended up shaping my life in a really great way. So, I’m glad I ended up staying,” Roll said.

Although Roll had every reason to give up, she returned to OU in the fall to pursue another degree.

The thought of going back to school had been weighing heavily upon Roll’s mind for quite some time. There was much to think about before taking such a big step once again.

“I had been wanting to go back to school for a long time, and I was saving up money and deciding what major I wanted to do before I went back,” Roll said.

Although she is not currently involved in any extracurricular activities on campus, Roll was once a part of the Women’s Rugby Club. Roll thrived while playing rugby and assisted the team as a coach for a few years.

In pursuing her graduate studies, Roll has enjoyed a fresh experience at OU. Roll’s return to OU is a testament to her resilience. Her story proves one can persevere through adversity and find joy in an unexpected pathway.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

DECEMBER 6, 2023 | 9

Letter to the editor: Understaffed. Underfunded. Overdue.

IAN ALLEN Contributor

In the fall of 2021, I went through one of the lowest periods of my life. I had just gone through the breakup of an unhealthy relationship, I was fighting to take care of myself, and overall, I was struggling to manage life in a post- COVID world.

November 10th, after not being able to sleep or eat, my friend expressed his concern and drove me to the Counseling Center. After dragging myself into the building, I was met with the explanation that the Counseling Center was understaffed and in great demand. Instead of getting the help I needed, I was handed a packet of costly off-campus resources and offered to be put on a waitlist until March.

Due to my lack of financial wherewithal and inability to repress my struggles for 4 months, I was left without help. I was left in a dangerous, disorganized, and disoriented position.

I am a student-athlete on OU’s Swim and Dive Team and I pride myself on maintaining great athletic and academic standing. I have been known to go the extra mile and swim the extra laps needed to succeed on an already back-breaking 19.5 hour week of practices and swim meets. These added

aspects of my life add an overwhelming pressure to the credits I have to take every semester to obtain my degree. Despite all of this, I was left with no help: feeling overtrained, severely under-recovered, and physically and mentally burnt out. To say I was “surviving” is an overstatement.

Yet, here we are, 2 years later, with the lowest staffed Counseling Center in the state of Michigan, that have presented various situations where students are left with the same sense of lost helplessness that I felt back then. Just to add a metric ton of gasoline to an already rampant and all encompassing wildfire, administration cut funding to a Counseling Center that is fighting to keep our student body - quite literally - alive and well.

According to the World Health Organization, prevalence in anxiety and depression increased globally by 25% since COVID. Children and college students now experience the same level of anxiety as psychiatric patients in the 1950’s (American Psychiatric Association) and suicide still remains the leading cause of death in young people (National Institute of Mental Health).

We, as a University, could increase our Counseling Center staff two fold and still be tied for last in the state. Administration has to understand

with haste and urgency that the need for adequate counseling isn’t just a “desire” in our generation, it’s an absolute necessity. Administration needs to respond with overwhelming financial support for the Counseling Center to even come close to average in accessibility.

Our student body’s strength relies on our ability to seek and obtain help, and right now, we are deprived to a degree of the very strength we seek.

Somehow, even asking for that strength back seems like too much to ask for.

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OU Counseling Center struggles: underfunded and understaffed With the pressures of college classes and seasonal depression rising towards its peaks during the winter season, mental health resources such as the Oakland University Counseling Center (OUCC) are important for students.

Students experiencing mental health struggles can find it difficult to reach out to counseling services for support. When a student finds the courage to seek support, it is comforting to be met with the reassuring smile of another human being. For students in crisis, the front desk receptionist is vital in facilitating access to support services.

Although the role of a university counseling center receptionist is considered integral by many academic publications, OU’s administration decided the role of receptionist at the OUCC was unnecessary in light of apparent budget constraints.

Last spring, the OU administration laid off the OUCC’s only dedicated administrative position. The receptionist had worked for the center for several years and was nearing retirement before her position was abruptly terminated.

The receptionist was replaced by a tiny bell.

For months, students arrived at the OUCC expecting to divulge their concerns and needs to a staff member immediately. Instead, visitors were instructed by a sign to ring the bell and wait alone.

The replacement of the OUCC’s receptionist with a bell shocked Cassidy Taylor, a psychology major who graduated from OU in 2022.

“I feel like the school should put their money towards that important resource, at least one person behind the front desk at all times,” Taylor said. “What if someone comes in with a crisis and they have to stand in there for 30 minutes or even 10 minutes and they say, ‘Oh, nevermind. I’m going home now.’ That’s shocking to me.”

Dr. David Schwartz, the director of the OUCC, recognizes the bell was not an ideal welcome to the center. However, the bell was the center’s only option.

The OUCC is the lowest-staffed counseling center in the state, with an average staff-to-student ratio of one full-time staff for every 3,096 students. To put this into perspective, the average staff-to-student ratio in

Michigan is one full-time staff for every 1,328 students.

With heavy caseloads and a constant stream of new patients, counselors at the OUCC struggled to handle the administrative work passed along to them following the termination of the receptionist position.

Graduate students in OU’s Masters of Social Work program were incredibly helpful in alleviating some administrative burdens the office was experiencing.

The graduate students who are currently working in the center to meet their field experience requirements would volunteer to sit at the front desk during their lunch breaks to meet students visiting the office.

While the altruism of the social work students is greatly appreciated by Dr. Schwartz, he would rather the students enjoy a true break from work during the day.

After all, helping professionals are highly susceptible to experiencing burnout and compassion fatigue.

Ever since its inception, the “reception bell” has been a thorn in the side of the OUCC staff. However, the lack of a dedicated receptionist personnel is not a simple inconvenience — it is a danger.

At the beginning of the fall semester, a student experiencing a mental health crisis arrived at the OU Counseling Center.

“The student followed all the correct instructions [on the sign at the reception desk],” Dr. Schwartz said.

“They rang the bell and waited patiently for help to arrive.”

The center was busy that day, and it took several minutes for a counselor to arrive to assist the student.

It was too late. Impatient, the struggling student fled the counseling center and immediately attempted suicide.

This situation was, thankfully, an almost tragedy.

Dr. Schwartz immediately sprang to action. Dr. Schwartz prepared a detailed presentation with statistics detailing the OUCC’s abysmal staff-to-student ratio. Faculty and administrators were informed a student had almost committed suicide partly due to the termination of the receptionist position.

Faculty members were horrified upon learning about the situation. Many faculty members have called for the issue to be investigated. However, the faculty does not possess the funding nor authority to make changes

at the counseling center, only the administration can do so.

If a receptionist had been at the center, the student would have immediately received help.

Thankfully, Dr. Schwartz was successful in advocating for the reinstatement of a receptionist position. However, the small win comes with its drawbacks.

The receptionist position will now be filled by a student with undoubtedly less experience than the seasoned receptionist whose job was terminated in the spring. Further, the hiring of students to staff the receptionist desk raises confidentiality and conf lict-ofinterest concerns.

Despite progress in hiring a student worker for the OUCC’s receptionist duties, the OU Counseling Center is still undoubtedly underfunded and understaffed.

Jolie Saul, an anthropology major who has utilized the counseling center’s services in the past, understands the frustration of being placed on the OUCC’s waitlist. However, she knows an overf low of students is inevitable with a staffing shortage.

“It does take a while when you’re put on the waiting list to go in and be able to see someone, and that is

STORY BY NOAH FRANCIS

frustrating, but I understand that they’re a staff of only so many people,” Saul said. “ I hope that the problem can resolve itself, but I also understand they might be limited by budgets.”

Taylor explains how she finds the understaffing of the center to be baffling.

“That is also crazy to me because Oakland is a smaller state school,” Taylor said. “With UofM or MSU, I can understand having the huge ratios, but Oakland doesn’t put their money where it needs to go. I don’t understand how they can afford new buildings or new athletic centers and not afford to help the students.”

The OUCC staff demonstrates resilience by providing quality support services in an understaffed, underfunded environment. The OUCC staff must perform their best with the limited resources available.

Student lives depend on the support of the OUCC. It is less clear whether the OUCC can depend on the support of the OU administration.

For more information on the OUCC and the services they provide, visit the OUCC webpage. Or, visit the center, which is located in the Graham Health Center’s east wing.

design by barret schettler and megan judy

photo courtesy of ou counseling center

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Letter to the editor: A change needs to come 12 | DECEMBER 6, 2023

MARCUS W. JOHNSON Contributor

The topic of mental health has become a conglomerate of a discussion topic. It becomes even more so when the younger generations pick up the talking stick to join in on the conversation. However, I would be remiss not to make note of the fact that since starting at Oakland University, it seems the school I’ve decided to go into debt to attend is rather insistent on keeping us from joining that conversation.

Something else I’ve come to notice is that the University is very willing to treat its students as adults when they seem to benefit from it. A struggle that comes with that, at least for the University Administration, is that we tend to notice. Especially when our mental health concerns are not being taken seriously.

Like many people, when I’m left to my own thoughts, I try to figure out why things are the way they are. I’ve concluded that the administration doesn’t see mental health in the same level of importance as students do. What tends to be neglected is how much mental health impacts student academics. I’ve heard from plenty of students who intend to transfer from Oakland University next year because of how bad their mental health has gotten.

When you factor in the fact that most students don’t live on campus, have jobs, some have familial obligations, or have other outside commitments, balancing school on top of that is stressful enough.

Going to a school that would opt to do the bare minimum to help them deal with that, only exasperates

the issue. These conditions will produce students who either lack the energy to participate in class, or lack the energy to put effort into their work.

Now, I have no intention of going on a rant claiming that Oakland University does nothing for their student population’s mental health. I will say however, that the limitations on the services they do provide have created an environment that can best be compared to telling your boss that you’re burnt out and then giving you a pizza party in return. I say this primarily because I learned the unfortunate news that Oakland University ranks the lowest in the state of Michigan in terms of counseling staff.

I personally think we pay too much money for that to be the case. Another factor that I feel should be underscored is the fact that many people can’t afford the resources offered by the University. I may be lonely on this limb, but I would take it a step further to say that students shouldn’t have to pay for the services for the simple reason that we already pay to utilize the resources this school offers.

One of the reasons I was so eager to get involved with Student Congress was so that I could work to ensure the voices of the students were heard either through me, because of me, or because of something I did. In that spirit of advocacy, I think it important to make note of the fact that Oakland University not only has contractual obligations to the students, but moral ones.

I have an obligation to the student populace for the fact that it is my job to represent them. It is the school’s job to ensure the students’ wellbeing and success. I am a very solution-oriented person, so I won’t list off a litany of problems without offering solutions.

I think the University would do well to offer better support resources for students. Offering a structural support system for students who are struggling academically because of their mental health would yield amazing results. The Counseling Center is proposing an increase in funding, which should be granted. Students should have access to better forms of communication when in a crisis. These are all things that this school should implement to ensure the betterment of the student experience and retention.

I refuse to believe that this University cannot do more than it currently is with mental health resources. I was raised to never waste potential, so one can imagine how I feel when I see my school doing it habitually.

Our school has a duty to do better for us, and I intend to do everything within my power to remind them of that. They can do better therefore they must do better.

A change most definitely must come.

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ARTS ‘The Marvels:’ Higher, further and faster MOE DEL ROSARIO Arts Reporter

The big question everyone asks when a new Marvel movie releases is: Is the golden age of superhero movies over?

The consensus is that yes, after “Avengers: Endgame,” it ended. There is truth to that, but that does not mean every superhero film that follows is doomed.

“I don’t know if it’s about just getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Because then, like, what’s left?

You know, I think it’s just about making the audience care about their characters,” “The Marvels” star Iman Vellani said in an interview with The Direct.

I had high hopes for the film before it was released — and I wasn’t disappointed. The film had a fair balance of humor and emotion and knew when to have one over the other.

Carol Danvers — played by Brie Larson — has a complex storyline. She faces a villain she’s previously wronged and wants to undo that. The villain, DarBenn, is understandable to a degree but is so consumed with the desire for vengeance that when offered an olive branch by the central trio, she declines it.

Monica Rambeau has grown comfortable with her powers since “WandaVision” and now works side by side with Nick Fury in S.A.B.E.R. — previously mentioned in “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”

The relationship between Carol and Monica — which was previously strained — is resolved with a bittersweet memory shared of Monica’s mother dying. There was enough tension and hesitance from Monica that

displayed her wish to forgive Carol from the start, and Teyonah Parris did an excellent job of conveying that.

Kamala Khan was who I was most excited to see interact with the others, and I was not let down.

Vellani stole the scene whenever she was present and brought a lighter tone to the team. She also acted as the bridge between Carol and Monica and honestly, nothing would’ve been solved without her.

One of my favorite scenes was when all three characters were on Carol’s ship and began testing the limits of their intertwined powers and practicing how to combat successfully — all soundtracked to “Intergalactic” by the Beastie Boys. All of their combat scenes showed the creativity of the three.

The relationship between Carol, Kamala and Monica made the movie.

“These three women are basically like sisters: Carol’s the oldest, Kamala’s the youngest and Monica is in the middle,” director Nia DaCosta said in an interview with Variety.

The scene where the trio embarked on their first rescue of the Skrull was an emotional one, especially for newcomer Kamala. That being said, I’m glad they didn’t go down the route of Kamala changing her view on being a superhero or of Carol as a person.

Three major characters were shown at the end of the film as well as the mid-credit: Kate Bishop from “Hawkeye,” Binary and Beast from the original “X-men” trilogy. These cameos teased the future of the MCU, and I can’t wait to see where they go with the Young Avengers and X-Men. While it did poorly at the box office, “The Marvels” did break records and became the biggest-ever opening

DECEMBER 6, 2023 | 13

weekend for a film made by a black female director, Nia DaCosta. Additionally, this was the first Marvel movie directed by a black female director.

Rating: 4/5 stars

PHOTO COURTESY OF SLATE MAGAZINE

‘Scott Pilgrim Takes Off’ and over Netflix MOE DEL ROSARIO Arts Reporter

After six long weeks of striking, the United Auto Workers Union reached a deal with the Detroit Big Three (Ford, GM and Stellantis). The new contracts for UAW members will include an immediate 11% wage increase, which raises to 25% by the end of the contract, reinstatement of cost-of-living adjustments that counterbalance rising inflation, a shorter progression period to the highest level of wages and some workers at battery plants will be included in the union.

These are major gains for the UAW, and the contracts are a notch on the belt of recent successes for unions in the U.S., such as the Writers Guild and the Teamster workers at UPS. The potential success of the UAW with the Big Three could be the start of a successful movement to unionize at other automakers such as BMW, Hyundai and Tesla. However, these efforts will still be difficult because these automakers are located in southern states with anti-union legislation.

Non-unionized automakers will fight to keep their plants from unionizing as most companies do through various, often illegal methods. Since the UAW strikes ended, we have already seen some automakers such as Toyota, Hyundai and Honda raise wages in what is most likely a message to workers that they don’t need to unionize to get higher wages.

Tesla has a unique policy of giving their

employees stock options in the company, which would encourage those workers to not do anything like unionizing as that could lower Tesla’s stock value, at least for the short term. Tesla has not been above making threats that this stock option could go away and threatening its workers, such as when Tesla fired one union supporter, which the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled was unjust.

Before the UAW can work on unionizing other automakers, the union still needs its members to approve the contracts the union leaders and

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NEW YORK TIMES

companies agreed to. The voting has been a surprisingly difficult process for the UAW as not everyone is satisfied with the benefits provided.

All the contracts currently have over 50% support, with the Ford contract at 65% support, GM at 52% support and Stellantis at 82% support. However, the proportion of workers at each company whose votes have been counted is not equal, as Stellantis is still in the early stages of voting.

The main resistance to the deals seems to come from veteran workers who feel they have not gotten enough from the deal. Some are upset that the raises they’re getting are only 25% compared to newer workers who could be getting up to 160% wage increases.

Some are saddened that the deal does not do enough for retirees since it doesn’t include healthcare benefits, which can be a problem because workers in the auto industry tend to retire before they can use Medicare.

Many demands from the union weren’t met, such as a 40% wage increase and the ending of the tiered benefits and wage system that sees employees hired in the past receiving wages and benefits inaccessible to recently hired employees.

The deals also lacked the 32-hour workweek and the return of pensions for all workers.

ARTS

14 | DECEMBER 6, 2023

2023 musical recap: Singles edition CHELSEA BOSSERT Arts Reporter

2023 has been a fantastic year for music, with monumental releases achieved in almost every genre imaginable. These are 10 singles that have stood out to me this year in no particular order.

“Doubt” by Jeff Rosenstock “Doubt” is an emotive and impactful pop-punk song about the trials and tribulations of being an anxious adult in 2023. Rosenstock’s truly cathartic vocal performance, mixed with the screeching and angular guitar riffs near the breakdown at the song’s end, makes this one of the most exciting songs of 2023.

“Emergency Contact” by Ian Sweet It’s the holiday season, which means it is likely a tumultuous break-up season for couples everywhere.

Jilian Medford — a.k.a. Ian Sweet — understands this completely.

That feeling when you take the heart emojis off of someone’s name in your contact list on your phone is a feeling Medford clearly and deliberately explores on “Emergency Contact.” Lyrically, this one hits hard.

“Locals (Girls like us) [with gabby start]” by Underscores and Gabby Start April Harper Grey — a.k.a. Underscores — is an artist I have been watching for a while now — since at least 2020 — and I have watched her grow and change right before my eyes into a competent artist with the ability to put out monster singles like “Locals (Girls like us).”

Sonically, the song is a decadent 2000s Ke$ha-blingera throwback with crunchy bass hits, penetrating synthesizers and nasally full-of-herself vocals — in a good way. The rap feature by Gabby Start is a welcome

and, frankly, goofy inclusion on a super non-serious song that fits perfectly.

“A&W” by Lana Del Rey Lana Del Rey’s first single of 2023 for her album “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard?” happens to be one of the longest and most emotionally-charged songs she has ever put out.

Her lyrical prowess and talent for catchy hooks rings true on “A&W,” and if that was not enough, she subverts expectations by plunging the song into a dingy and dark trap beat around four and a half minutes into the track.

This proves Del Rey’s versatility as not only a pop artist but also a pop icon in an era that demands women be everything and more.

“Chosen to Deserve” by Wednesday To switch gears a bit, here’s a sweet and sappy love song with a killer riff attached to it. The lead singer of Wednesday — Karly Hartzman — does a fantastic job putting out a trashy yet elegant country-girl vibe.

A mix of indie rock, alt-country and country rock, “Chosen to Deserve” balances lyrics with sonics as it contains one of the catchiest and most captivating guitar riffs of the year — performed by MJ Lenderman.

“Amaranth” by Model/Actriz “Amaranth,” by the dance-punk-inspired noise-rock band from Boston, is a grimy and dirty tune. It is a song that showcases not only impressive guitar work but catastrophically heartbreaking lyrics and vocals by frontman Cole Haden.

The song follows the main character as he navigates a broken and toxic relationship. We feel the same pain he feels, but we also feel enthralled by the chaos.

“Skin in the Game” by Slowdive “Skin in the Game” is dream-pop done right.

Oftentimes dream-pop gets trapped in a cycle of drab

instrumentation mixed with wishy-washy vocals.

However, the sixth track of Slowdive’s newest record does none of these things. This single’s hypnotic vocals and instrumentation take over your mind and completely wash you into its ocean of sound.

“Talk To Me Nice” by Tinashe Tinashe Jorgenson Kachingwe — a.k.a. Tinashe — is now an industry veteran at this point. She released her sixth album, “BB/Angel,” this past summer, and her second single for that album, “Talk To Me Nice,” cemented herself as a great R&B artist but also a daring electronic artist.

“Talk To Me Nice” is a nice mix of alt-R&B, trap soul, footwork, dubstep and UK bass music that never oversteps its bounds.

“Census Designated” by Jane Remover Like Underscores, Jane Remover has undergone some changes within the last three years or so. Emerging in 2020 as an upcoming talent in the mashcore and dariacore scene, Jane eventually transitioned to hyperpop, noise pop and now alternative rock as well as shoegaze.

Jane’s ability to write emotionally potent hooks and verses remains true on this impressively long single spanning six minutes of crazy talented energy.

“Vampire Empire” by Big Thief Last but not least, “Vampire Empire” by Big Thief might be the most lyrically devastating song of the year. Originally performed on “The Colbert Show” in September 2023, this song’s lyrics are truly original and emotionally charged.

The frontwoman of Big Thief, Adrianne Lenker, is no stranger to emotionally draining lyrical performances, but this one takes the cake. Often screaming and shouting the lyrics, Lenker proves women still have a place in rock and folk music in 2023.

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POLITICS

Presidential candidate Marianne Williamson visits OU ARIANNA HEYMAN Editor-in-Chief

On Monday, Nov. 20, democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson visited Oakland University to discuss capitalism, the state of American politics and detail why she jumped into the presidential race.

Regarded as an anti-establishment political figure, Williamson spent much of the evening at OU reproaching America’s economic system and warning attendees of the pitfalls of capitalism.

Williamson’s stances on each major issue are as follows: Capitalism “The demonization and squashing of unions, exploiting workers and subsidizing more and more of these huge corporate entities. It created a system — it created a strain of capitalism, often called vulture capitalism. It is an unfettered capitalism in which, quite simply, there is no soul. There is no sense of ethical responsibility to anyone for anything. There is no sense of no responsibility.

There’s only a recognition of fiduciary responsibility to its stockholders.

This is about how systems work. It’s the idea that if we concentrate all this wealth into our hands, a few would be job creators. But that system’s business model was never job creation. It’s job elimination.

Its worker exploitation, and it is sampled a value at the expense of the other stakeholders, at the expense of workers, at the expense of the communities, at the expense of our health, at the expense of our safety, at the expense of our children, at the expense of the earth and at the expense of the future of humanity.

I’m running for president because this stuff’s got to stop.

Capitalism when I was growing up –– there was at least a sense that we were supposed to be a good society. We were supposed to try. And corporations were supposed to try to treat people well. We have created such despair among so many.”

Corporations “The majority of Republicans, as well as Democrats, not as big a majority, but the majority of

PHOTO BY ARIANNA HEYMAN

Republicans, as well as Democrats, want universal health care. The majority of Republicans, as well as Democrats, want free college and tech school.

The majority of Republicans, as well as Democrats, including gun owners, want common sense gun safety laws. The problem is we are ruled by corporate overlords. We are ruled by this principle of their profits coming first, and it is a system at this point of corporate tyranny. It is economic tyranny, and it has its tentacles into every sector of American civilization.”

Economic Reform “I want to be president because I think we need to turn the ship around. We need fundamental economic reform. It’s not enough if the Republicans only give you crumbs, but the Democrats are corporations [who say] ‘I’m gonna give you cookies.’ You can’t live on cookies either. This is America. Everybody’s supposed to feast here, too.”

State of American Society “You have 70% of Americans who live who reported living with constant chronic economic anxiety.

We have over a third of the American people who routinely report skipping meals. We have an order entitlement. We have one in four Americans who live with medical debt. We have 18 million Americans who could not afford to pay for the prescriptions that their doctors give them. We have 68,000 Americans who die every year from lack of health care. We have over a million people. 1.3 million people ration their insulin. We have carcinogens in our food. By the way, everything I just said doesn’t happen in any other advanced democracy. Because in every other advanced democracy, they have universal health care. Every other advanced democracy has tuitionfree college and tech school, which we used to have in the 1970s.”

War “JFK said if we do not get rid of war if mankind does not get rid of war, war will get rid of mankind.

Now there are people who say, and they say this about me. Not on this issue, but about many. They say that when we talk about reverse engineering –– imagining a world without war within 100 years, and America taking the lead. Seeking a new trajectory

DECEMBER 6, 2023 | 15

of possibility for the human for the human race.

There’s some people say that it’s very naive to say that we could be rid of war in 100 years. You know, what I say is naive? What’s naive is to assume that we have a guaranteed survival of the human race for another 100 years if we don’t at least try.”

Foreign Policy “We need to remove the sanctions on Venezuela.

These are two things which are part of a larger picture of how American foreign policy in the past and in the present actually has contributed to the destabilization of economies in Latin America.

And I’ll tell you, those people who have been so traumatized by economic despair and violence in their countries, so traumatized that they were willing to walk across the Darien Gap, one of the most inhospitable pieces of land on the planet with their children in the possibility of getting anything that would be a survivable life in the United States.”

The Media “There is a political media industrial complex –– And they don’t just chop wood and carry water for huge corporate interests. They are huge corporate interests. And to be honest, much of what I spoken about here, they don’t want in the conversation.”

Student Loan Debt “The college loan debts –– I can’t even imagine being in my 20s with tens of thousands of dollars worth of college debt, which I only took out to better my life because I was told that was a way to close a college debt but the wage gap. It’s wrong.

There’s just too much wrong. And at this point, no one president can fix it. I couldn’t get this ship turned around completely. But I believe with all my heart that because of yes, my experience, I could get us around the curve.”

PHOTO BY COURTNEY BLACKETT

POLITICS

16 | DECEMBER 6, 2023

Bombs drop just hours after Israel-Hamas cease-fire ends NOAH THOMASON Political Reporter

After an all too brief weeklong cease-fire in Gaza, the conflict resumed on Friday, Dec. 1. The cease-fire was extended from four days to a week after tireless negotiations to keep it extended.

The cease-fire agreement was based on an exchange of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel for the hostages recently taken by Hamas, and 100 humanitarian aid trucks would be delivered to Gaza each day of the truce. The hostages for prisoners were released in batches, and before the conflict resumed, about 102 Israeli hostages were released, while 210 Palestinian prisoners were released, with most of the Palestinian prisoners being younger than 18.

There are still 140 Israeli hostages, and it’s uncertain what will happen to them now the conflict has resumed.

Israel claims they are ending the cease-fire because of reported rocket attacks into Israel supposedly fired

by Hamas and because Hamas refused to release more hostages. There was also an attack in Jerusalem by two Palestinian gunmen, which killed three people on Thursday, Nov. 30, which Israel believes was an attack by Hamas.

While Hamas and Israel have gone back and forth on who to blame for violating the cease-fire agreement, the U.S. remains staunchly on the side of Israel and their claims Hamas was the one to break the truce.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has ardently

supported Israel since the conflict resumed and has also blamed Hamas for the attack.

Israel has continued their policy of dropping leaflets with information about supposedly safe zones for civilians to move to, and these leaflets have extended to the southern end of Gaza, which indicates the expansion of the conflict from the north.

As Israel tells civilians to move for their safety, it begs the question of where Palestinians are supposed to move to as the conflict comes to every part of the territory, which is only 25 miles long and 3.7 to 7.5 miles wide.

Egypt is also not accepting Palestinian refugees, so it’s incredibly unclear what safe areas there are for civilians in Gaza to go to.

Aid to Gaza has also virtually stopped as the Rafah checkpoint on the Egyptian/Palestinian border has been closed since the bombings continued, and this point was where the vast majority of aid to Gaza was coming from. Without continued aid, Gaza seems to have little food, water and medical supplies to keep its citizens alive, and the territory only has three hospitals that don’t have the medical supplies to care for everyone.

Since the conflict resumed, there have already been many casualties, with 184 killed. While Israel has claimed they have killed thousands of Hamas militants throughout the conflict, they have not produced evidence of this.

The three dead from the Palestinian gunmen are a tragedy, and the continuation of the conflict and the thousands who could die from it only adds to the tragedy. The cease-fire was a brief pause on a great

humanitarian crisis with no current end in sight, but it’s hard to say if the cease-fire would last much longer even if it hadn’t ended on Friday.

It seems likely the war will begin again at some point, and there’s no place for the Palestinians to return to during the cease-fire. It was only a brief pause of the harm they’ve been experiencing.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN MACDOUGALL

Tesla wrestles with Swedish unions as it fights collective bargaining NOAH THOMASON Political Reporter

Recently, Tesla has come under fire from multiple unions in Sweden showing solidarity with Tesla workers looking to unionize. Tesla has long since been an opponent of unions, and has fought to keep its plants from unionizing.

Unionized dock workers, cleaners and postal workers have sent a clear message that if Tesla wants to do business in Sweden, it must let its workers unionize.

Dock workers have refused to unload Tesla cargo, cleaners have refused to clean Tesla buildings and postal workers have refused to deliver mail to Tesla.

What’s interesting about the strikes against Tesla is how most of the unionized workers are not directly employees of Tesla at manufacturing plants because Tesla does not have any plants in Sweden. These workers are striking in solidarity with the 120 mechanics in the Swedish union IF Metall who work with Tesla.

These mechanics are a fraction of the total IF Metall union, which has over 300,000 Swedish workers, but so far, Tesla has refused to allow collective bargaining from IF Metall mechanics. Tesla not allowing collective bargaining is a massive problem for Sweden, as the country’s labor market is based on unionization and the right to collectively bargain.

Tesla refusing its workers the right to collectively bargain is as fundamentally opposed to Sweden’s economic structure as you can get, and Sweden’s workers are showing what they think of Tesla. The Swedish labor market has very few state regulations and

no minimum wage, and it is based on voluntary collective action agreements and unions to argue for wages, benefits and worker’s rights.

If Tesla is allowed to refuse its workers the right to collective bargaining, it could mean more for the country than the protection of a few workers. Tesla is the most valued car manufacturer by a significant margin, so anything relating to worker’s rights and Tesla would have a significant influence on Sweden.

Tesla denying collective bargaining rights to its workers could encourage other corporations to follow suit and deny their workers the same rights.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has commented on the strikes, calling them “insane” because postal services in Sweden handle the delivery of license plates for cars.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIRED

Without the license plates for Tesla vehicles, they could not be distributed.

Musk has a long track record of anti-union sentiments and actions, with the National Labor Relations Board calling him and Tesla out for illegal anti-union activities in the U.S. by discriminating against workers who support unionization.

IF Metall spokesperson Jesper Petterson has said the union “tried to negotiate with Tesla for the better part of five years” before striking. So, this strike is less of an ideological punishment for Tesla and Musk and is instead a step taken once all other options are exhausted by the union.

The strike from IF Metall and subsequent sympathy strikes and Tesla’s seeming unwillingness to negotiate with the union have led to Tesla issuing lawsuits against Sweden’s postal service to force them to deliver the license plates. The lawsuit was successful for Tesla, and a local district court ruled Sweden’s Transport Agency must agree to let Tesla collect the license plates within seven days or be fined.

This could be a significant blow to the sympathy strikes as those license plates were an important reason Tesla couldn’t sell its vehicles in Sweden. It remains to be seen if Musk and Tesla will hold out and refuse to recognize the union of its mechanics. If Tesla does succeed in this regard, it could mean a significant reduction in wages and benefits for workers as a whole in Sweden as more companies refuse to acknowledge the unions.

POLITICS Updates on the Ukraine-Russia conflict MALLORY WALIGORA Political Reporter

While global attention has been fixated on the IsraelPalenstine conflict dominating press and social media, the ongoing Russian-Ukraine conflict continues to unfold. The conflict, which started in 2014 and escalated in early 2022, has been overshadowed by other world conflicts. As the situation continues to evolve, several key developments have emerged that offer insight into the complex and long-term battle.

Russia has added Ukrainian singer Susana Jamaldinova, the winner of the Eurovision contest, to its wanted list. She has been accused by Russian forces of spreading misinformation as she has been openly critical of Russia’s invasion.

Jamaldinova’s song, titled ‘1944,’ broke Eurovision rules by utilizing politically-charged lyrics. She was inspired by the forced deportation of Ukrainians by Russia in 1944. The song highlights the geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe with an artistic edge.

Russian news channels have accused Jamaldinova of posting false information about atrocities that took place in Bucha, a town outside Kyiv. Russia has denied responsibility for the events that happened in Bucha, although primary sources have described the event in grueling detail.

On Nov. 20, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited the U.S. embassy in Kyiv. His act of diplomacy was to show U.S. support for Ukraine despite concerns over dwindling U.S. funding and assistance.

On behalf of the Biden administration, Austin met

with Zelensky and other high-ranking Ukrainian officials. While at the meeting, Austin emphasized the importance of Ukraine in a global context and further solidified U.S. involvement in supporting Ukraine.

“Our congressional members have valid questions, and we will answer, but I would point out that Ukraine matters. What happens here matters, not just to Ukraine but to the entire world,” Austin said.

Amid the heightened focus on the Israel-Palenstine conflict taking center stage, the U.S. aimed to reinforce its support for Ukraine amidst the global turmoil. Austin announced the Department of Defense will send $100 million of equipment to Kyiv. The release explains the package includes additional air defense capabilities, artillery ammunition and anti-tank weapons, along

DECEMBER 6, 2023 | 17

with several other resources.

“Without U.S. assistance, we can’t simply not stop the Russian invasion. We can’t survive,” Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian parliament’s commissioner for human rights, said.

U.S. aid to Ukraine has surpassed $76 billion, more than double what the European Union has provided to the cause. The hefty financial commitment to Ukraine signifies a solidified alliance between the two countries and highlights the importance of Ukraine to the Biden administration.

Finland has decided to close its borders to Russia in an attempt to stop asylum seekers from entering.

On Nov. 17, barriers were put up at four borders in south-east Finland.

Finland has accused Russia of aiding migrants without proper documents to cross the border. The closing of borders marks a change in bilateral relations between the two countries and reflects the geopolitical impact of the conflict on neighboring countries.

Despite these recent developments, the prospect of the conflict’s resolution soon remains bleak.

Many experts predict an enduring and lengthy battle.

Continued international attention and funding will be needed to address the challenges of a conflict that extends far beyond the borders of Ukraine.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FINANCIAL TIMES

Looking Back: A Year of King Charles III MALLORY WALIGORA Political Reporter

On May 6, King Charles was crowned as the royal monarch of the United Kingdom. His coronation was the first one in nearly 70 years. Queen Elizabeth was the longest-reigning monarch in British history, and Charles had been the longest-waiting heir to the throne.

The media has been highly critical of Charles in the past, specifically after his infamous split with Princess Diana. In recent years, however, the press has grown increasingly supportive of Charles.

In addition to the past drama surrounding Charles’s romantic life, a family feud has been heavily covered by the press. Prince Harry, Charles’s younger son, has broken off several relationships with the royal family.

With the release of a Netflix documentary series and a memoir, Prince Harry lambasted the royal family and painted Buckingham Palace negatively.

Before being crowned, Charles had been outspoken about his commitment to environmentalism, raising grave concerns about climate change through his public platform. Since becoming monarch, Charles has become more neutral and apolitical.

On Nov. 7, Charles delivered his first King’s speech at the State Opening of Parliament, in which he outlined his priorities for the future. Crime and justice were major components of the speech, as the British government has recently introduced several bills to increase safety. A sentencing bill will require life sentences for rapists, and they cannot be released early from a lifetime sentence. Additionally, law enforcement

will be given more access to personal data through an investigatory powers bill.

A tobacco and vapes bill will help plans for a phased ban on smoking. The government has already introduced a new law to stop children under the age of 14 from being sold cigarettes. There will be further regulations to help prevent the promotion of vapes to children.

“My government will introduce legislation to create a smoke-free generation,” Charles said.

With Charles’s first birthday on the throne occurring on Nov. 14, many birthday festivities have taken place. A new stamp collection celebrating Charles’s connotation has been released to coincide with his birthday.

Charles’s birthday also marked the official launch of

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE INDEPENDENT

his Coronation Food Project. The project is designed to fix two problems — the issue of increasing numbers of people unable to afford food and surplus food being thrown away. The project helps connect surplus food with food banks, creating a larger supply of food for those in need.

“For many years, I have been deeply concerned about the amount of food which goes to waste across our nation. At every stage of the food production process, millions of tons of food are sadly discarded,” Charles said.

In recent years, the monarchy has grown increasingly out of touch with the younger generations. Attitudes differ dramatically by age, and the elders back the crown significantly more.

In recent polls, 55% of UK young adults under 25 claim they don’t consider the royal family a good source of leadership— those aged 55 or older poll at 36%.

In 2013, attitudes were much different, as about 72% of those aged 18-24 supported the monarchy. Royal events such as Prince Harry and Meghan cutting off ties and Prince Andrew’s Jeffrey Epstein Scandal have certainly contributed to these divisive negative attitudes by age demographic.

King Charles III has started on a cautious and successful path so far. He has created little drama and avoided controversy since starting. Although he has large shoes to fill, only time can tell how the new monarch will hold up.

SPORTS

18 | DECEMBER 6, 2023

Trey Townsend’s huge night lifts Oakland over Xavier in 78-76 upset BROCK HEILIG Sports Editor

Third time’s a charm, right?

In Oakland’s third buy game of the season against a Power Six opponent, the Golden Grizzlies defeated the Xavier Musketeers, 78-76. Many mid-major teams are lucky to compete in any of their buy games against Power Six schools, but Oakland has not only competed in all three of its buy games so far, it has stolen a win from a team that was a No. 3 seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament.

Essentially, a buy game is one in which a bigger, Power Six school (Xavier, in this instance) pays a smaller, mid-major school (Oakland) a large sum of money (normally around $100,000) to come to its arena to fill out its nonconference schedule. The bigger school typically pounds the mid-major school into submission, while the smaller school collects its check and learns what it can work on going forward into the rest of the season.

Oakland visited Ohio State and Illinois is back-toback buy games earlier this season, but head coach Greg Kampe’s Golden Grizzlies came up short in both contests against the Big Ten foes.

It was clear Oakland had the talent and personnel to compete with some big-brand teams — Oakland was in tight, one-point affairs with both teams at halftime — but it couldn’t quite get over the hump and pull off the upset.

Until Monday night.

Trey Townsend led the way for Oakland in the win

over Xavier with a dominant 28-point, six-rebound and seven-assist performance. He shot 11-18 from the floor and 6-10 from the free throw line as he carried Oakland to the two-point victory.

As many Golden Grizzlies struggled with foul trouble throughout the majority of the night, Townsend was the constant variable. Chris Conway, who had a really solid night with 15 points, fouled out, and so did guard Tone Hunter, but Townsend continued to dominate in the low post.

The occasional offensive trip down the floor featured Jack Gohlke attempting a 3-point shot — he finished 4-13 from distance on the night — but Townsend did most of the damage.

Late in the game, Gohlke fooled multiple Musketeer

defenders with a pump fake, and he drilled a triple to give Oakland a three-point lead — one that Kampe’s team didn’t relinquish.

Townsend and Rocket Watts drilled jumpers late in the game to keep Xavier at bay.

Leading by two points with just three seconds to play, Townsend had an opportunity to seal the game at the free throw line. He had two shots — make both, and Xavier goes home with a loss. After shooting 6-8 from the charity stripe in the first 39 minutes and 57 seconds of the game, Townsend missed both shots.

Xavier grabbed the rebound, guard Dailyn Swain dribbled up the court and fired of a half-court shot that just barely caromed off the rim.

With the huge victory, Oakland improves to 4-3 overall on the season. The Horizon League season now awaits as Oakland is set to take on Detroit Mercy in the league-opener on Wednesday night in Detroit at Calihan Hall.

Looking even further ahead, exactly three weeks from Oakland’s huge upset over Xavier, the Golden Grizzlies will have an opportunity to pull off another huge upset as they head to East Lansing to take on a struggling Michigan State team that began the year ranked No. 4 in the country.

PHOTO BY KATIE STRATMAN

Brock’s Thoughts: Terror in Tallahassee BROCK HEILIG Sports Editor

What happened on Sunday afternoon was a disgrace to sports.

More than 100 college kids’ lives were drastically altered — and not for the better — thanks to the opinions of what has to be the most odd combination of 13 people you’ll ever meet.

Those 13 people make up the College Football Playoff committee, which had the unenviable task of selecting four teams to compete for college football’s national championship. But there was only one problem: Six different teams had strong cases to be included in the four-team field.

In the 10-year history of the CFP, which is ironically expanding to 12 teams next season, there has arguably never been a decision as tough as what the committee had to face on Sunday afternoon.

The committee had to cut a six-team field of Michigan (13-0), Washington (13-0), Texas (12-1), Florida State (13-0), Alabama (12-1) and Georgia (12-1) down to just four teams.

Setting aside conference titles and head-to-head results, any non-college football watcher would rather easily deduce the three undefeated teams — Michigan, Washington and Florida State — should all be in.

The fourth spot would seemingly be up for grabs between Texas, Alabama and Georgia, all of which held 12-1 records.

But it wasn’t that simple.

What should have been a three-teams-for-one-spot

debate turned into a four-teams-for-two-spots one for a variety of reasons.

The argument centered around Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis, who recently suffered a season-ending injury. Since Travis’ injury, the Seminoles have looked mediocre at best, but they’ve continued to win.

Meanwhile, Alabama claimed the best win in the country with its defeat of No. 1 Georgia, ending the Bulldogs’ 29-game win streak.

Just hours before Alabama’s huge win, Texas throttled Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship Game.

To make matters even more interesting, Texas beat Alabama by 10 points in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, back in September.

While undefeated Michigan and Washington sat comfortably on Sunday morning leading up to the selection show, Florida State, Alabama, Georgia and Texas were all on pins and needles waiting for the announcement.

An undefeated Power Five champion — in this case, Florida State — had never been left out of the playoff in its 10-year history.

But the Seminoles had been looking very suspect without their star quarterback, and they weren’t one of the four best teams in the country without him.

The committee quickly decided Georgia, the only team of the bunch that didn’t win its conference championship, should be eliminated and Texas’ resume was good enough to put the Longhorns into the playoff.

With Michigan, Washington and Texas seemingly in and Georgia out, the debate came down to 13-0 Florida State and 12-1 Alabama.

In short, the committee sided with Alabama, which was a cowardly move and a complete disgrace to anyone associated with Florida State.

Florida State is 10 times more deserving than Alabama, and that’s a hill I will die on.

I want to be clear. If Alabama and Florida State played on a neutral field tomorrow, I’d predict the Crimson Tide to win by 14 or more.

But that’s not the point. Is Alabama the better team?

Yeah, probably. But they didn’t do enough to put themselves in the CFP. At least not in this wild year.

What else was Florida State supposed to do? Their quarterback got hurt, and all they did was keep winning.

All 21 other starters continued to do their jobs. All the work they put in throughout the offseason was done with an end goal of 13-0 in mind.

They did it, but the committee hosed them.

It’s a disgraceful move by the 13 people in that small room in Grapevine, Texas. The bias toward the SEC has never been stronger, and I feel awful for Florida State players, coaches and fans.

They were robbed in favor of the bright, shiny toy that is Alabama.

SPORTS

DECEMBER 6, 2023 | 19

Women’s basketball faces setback during first conference clash of season KURT SZYMANSKI Sports Reporter

The Oakland women’s basketball team lost their in-conference home opener 84-66 to the Purdue Fort Wayne (PFW) Mastodons on Thursday, Nov. 30, at the OU Credit Union O’rena.

The loss snaps a two-game winning streak the team had built up in their previous matchups against Cleary University and Madonna University.

Markyia McCormick led the Grizzlies in scoring with a season-high 26 points while dishing out three assists.

McCormick finished the game as efficiently as ever, converting nine of her 16 shot attempts from the field.

Notably, 12 of the 16 shot attempts came from deep.

Linda Van Schaik and Brooke Quarles-Daniels also had solid performances for the Grizzlies. Van Schaik contributed 12 points, four rebounds and a block, while Quarles-Daniels added seven points, 10 rebounds, six assists and a steal.

The first quarter was a battle, as both teams traded blows. PFW held the lead for the majority of the quarter before OU brought the pressure on the defense, setting up a full-court press that stifled the Mastodons on offense.

With PFW’s offense at a standstill, the Grizzlies closed out the quarter on a 6-2 run highlighted by Kennedie Montue’s final shot of the quarter, giving the Grizzlies a 16-15 lead heading into the second quarter.

Remarkably, there were four lead changes and a tie in the first.

In the second quarter, both teams continued to compete intensely. The Mastodons took the lead back

from the Grizzlies in the first ten seconds of the quarter.

However, the Grizzly press defense continued to cause issues for the PFW. Minutes later, Alexis Johnson converted a layup to give OU their third lead of the night. Although the Mastodons snatched the lead back, the Grizzlies went on an 8-0 run, giving them their largest lead of the night at 31-24.

However, the Mastodons slowly battled back in the rest of the second and stuck to their strengths, converting at the three-point line. Despite leading the game by seven at one point, OU went into halftime trailing 41-38.

The third quarter was the beginning of the end for the Grizzlies. With less aggression on defense and a stagnant offense, OU converted only two of their nine-

shot attempts in the first five minutes of the quarter, while PFW was able to convert three of their four-shot attempts from deep.

Following a media timeout, the Mastodons continued to build upon their lead. At the end of the quarter, the Mastodons converted an unbelievable 72.7% of their shots, boosting their lead to 64-50 over the Grizzlies. In comparison, OU converted just 27.8% of their shot attempts.

Heading into the fourth down big, the Grizzlies found themselves in foul trouble, and while the team kept pace with PFW, the Mastodons continued to find new ways on offense to surprise the Grizzlies.

In the fourth, the Mastodons made it to the free throw line a game-high 12 times and buried eight of their attempts, and with Johnson, Kianni Westbrook and Miriam Ibezim fouling out in the fourth, the game concluded in a loss for OU. Notably, the Mastodons’ bench outscored the Grizzlies’ bench 28-12. Additionally, PFW cashed in on 14 secondchance points compared to OU’s seven points.

The three-point shooting performance further underscored PFW’s offensive prowess, with a team total three-point percentage of 53.8%, outshining OU’s 32%. These three disparities were the catalysts for the OU loss.

Up next, the Grizzlies will face off against the Xavier Musketeers on the road on Thursday, Dec. 7, before hosting the Central Michigan Chippewas on Saturday, Dec. 9, at the OU Credit Union O’rena.

PHOTO BY KATIE REID

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20 | DECEMBER 6, 2023

No Win November: Unraveling the Detroit Pistons’ struggles KURT SZYMANSKI Sports Reporter

In November, many people participate in no-shave November. However, following the Detroit Pistons’ loss to the New York Knicks on Nov. 30, it completes the Pistons’ pursuit of a challenge no NBA team wants to achieve: No Win November.

Not only has the loss to the Knicks left the Pistons winless in November, but it also extends the franchise’s largest losing streak in franchise history to 16 consecutive losses.

So the question to ask is, how did the Pistons get here? Just one month ago, this team started 2-1 and looked to be turning a corner from their losing ways. While this season has been horrid for the team for multiple reasons, the four following issues have been the most apparent.

The lack of veteran talent is just one issue the Pistons have had this season.

Currently, the average age of the Pistons starting lineup is precisely 21 years old. Among all other starting lineups in the NBA, they have the youngest starting lineup in the league.

Additionally, among NBA rosters as a whole, the Pistons have the eighthyoungest team in the league.

With an absence of experience and leadership in the starting lineup, it’s difficult for the Pistons to navigate high-pressure situations and maintain consistency on the court. A young starting lineup also promotes more mistakes, such as missed defensive assignments and turnovers.

The injury bug has also been a notable factor in the Pistons’ losing streak this season.

At one point, the Pistons were missing six of their players due to injuries. That accounts for a staggering 33% of the roster when you include the three players on two-way contracts this season: Jared Rhoden, Stanley Umude and Malcolm Cazalon.

Among those six players, Monte Morris has not clocked in for a single minute this season for the Pistons.

Additionally, Bojan Bogdanovic just returned from injury, and starter Jalen Duren missed seven games and left one early due to an ankle injury.

Injuries have also contributed to the Pistons’ lack of spacing this year. In the most recently used starting lineup, just one player, Isaiah Stewart, shoots above the league average from deep.

The next-best three-point threat, Isaiah Livers, ranks just below the league average at 34.6%.

Another element of this Pistons’ losing streak is the lack of opportunities the Pistons have gotten at the free throw line. The opposing team has shot more free throws than the Pistons in 13 games out of 19 total games. In those 13 games, the Pistons have lost 12 of them.

Furthermore, in November, the Pistons ranked in the bottom three in the NBA for personal fouls drawn. Additionally, the team ranks in the bottom ten in free throw attempts per game, a staggering number for a team that ranks in the top ten in free throw percentage this season.

One last issue that has plagued the Pistons this season is the inability to close out games in the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Pistons average 26 points. Compared to the rest of the league, the Pistons are the thirdworst team when it comes to putting up points in the fourth.

Additionally, Pistons leading scorer Cade Cunningham has had his fair share of disappointing fourth quarters.

The former first overall selection by the Pistons shoots 31.7% from the field and 23.1% from three in the fourth.

This is a noticeable dip compared to Cunningham’s overall stats, which are 41.6% from the floor and 34.2% from deep this season.

If the Pistons continue their losing ways this season, the team is set to finish with five wins by the All-Star break in February and eight wins by the end of the season in April. In the event the team finishes with eight wins, the Pistons will rank as the worst team in NBA history.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALONZO ADAMS

SPORTS