These seniors are making no small plans after May 5
ORU athletes seek coveted chances at Olympic glory
Pages 6-7
Pages 10-11
A season on the brink
ORU hopes to step up game in final stretch
Page 14
Photo by Austin St. John
Oral Roberts University • April 20, 2012
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2 • Friday, April 20, 2012 • THE ORACLE
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BETTER NEWSPAPER CONTEST
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Contents 4
Life: Disbanded wing returns
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Life: Seniors honored for excellence
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Center: ORU has 7 Olympic hopefuls
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Sports: ORU bested by OU’s baseball team
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Muse: Date Doctor advises about summer
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Muse: Sexism on the ORU campus
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Photo by Stephen Salmon
Oral Roberts University’s Branding and Promotions class hosted a Trafficking Awareness Night at 7 p.m. April 10 in Zoppelt Auditorium. The hourlong event was designed to promote the awareness of sex trafficking and educate the community. Six student account executives from the class, including Jessica Sherwood (above) spoke at the event about sex trafficking, organizations currently fighting against sex trafficking, such as Truckers Against Trafficking, and how to become involved in the fight. Videos produced by the student agencies were also shown at the event. Sex trafficking is a worldwide issue, with estimates of more than 27 million children being sold into the business.
THE ORACLE • Friday, April 20, 2012 • 3
Life
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Here comes the scum: EMR floor returns Disbanded wing famous for antics is holding reunion back on campus
By Hannah Covington They call themselves Am Herratz, Hebrew for “scum of the Earth.” It all started with a group of male misfits and mischief-makers. They found a Scripture that reads, “When we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.” Bingo. Equal parts anomaly and sarcasm — perfect for the new name of this pushthe-envelope wing at ORU. Today, the initial group of guys is known ceremoniously as the “founding fathers.” I Corinthians 4:13 stands as their holy verse. From 1982-1991, this bunch of ORU misfits made a name for themselves as intramural royalty, earning a certain reputation in the process. On April 20, almost 30 years after their first class moved onto EMR 3-South, 37 “Ratzer” alumni will reunite on the campus that brought them together decades ago. Floor alum Curtis Stoddard (1984-88) said people knew them as “fun, goodlooking” guys. Sometimes the descriptor “cocky” was also thrown in. “People generally loved
or hated us,” Stoddard said. “Sometimes both.” This year’s reunion marks the 12th time that Ratzers have traveled from across the country to get together. Alum Richard “A.C.” Griffith (1982-86) said it’s an ongoing joke that Am Herratz reunions have been in existence longer than the floor itself. Over their nine-year stint as one of the most infamous floors on campus, Am Herratz claimed the intramural championship title five times. This is also the subject of another group joke. “It probably doesn’t seem like we ever played intramurals looking at us now,” Griffith said. During its brief existence, Am Herratz strove to carve out memories by doing the unexpected. Griffith referred to their good-natured antics as “ways to have fun within the rules.” Stoddard called it their “silliness” coming out. By 1991, this creative silliness had added up to repeated Honor Code violations and failures to adhere to policy and procedure. That year, the floor was disbanded by administrators. Call it creativity. Maybe even call it the inevitable product when charisma and cockiness collide. Whatever “it” was, it sure made for some good stories. Take the time during Griffith’s years on Am Herratz when he and his floormates gave late-night furni-
4 • Friday, April 20, 2012 • THE ORACLE
Courtesy Photo
The “Ratzers,” shown here in the mid-1980s, lived on EMR 3-South from 1982 until 1991 when the Am Herratz wing was disbanded by ORU administrators. ture shoppers more than they bargained for. That night, a bevy of Ratzers lounged languidly on sofas, watching some late night television. A furniture store ad came on, announcing a sale beginning at 11:30 p.m. They laughed. “Who would go shopping at 11:30 at night? That’s silly,” Griffith remembers them saying. Then they looked at each other. “Well…we would.” Sporting their bathrobes, 20 guys proceeded to amble out of EMR. Sisterwingers threw down stuffed animals from Claudius. The guys went to that sale, tried out the beds. Then, all 20 Ratzers fell asleep in a bed while customers walked around them. Thankfully, the salesman
thought they added a nice touch to the floor display. Or take the time during Stoddard’s years on the floor when they used Saga for a purpose that was — well, original. It was pouring rain outside. Water fell in torrents off the slopes and edges of Hamill Student Union. What to do with this rainwater? Take a shower, of course. Wrapped in towels and bathing suits, Stoddard and company grabbed soap and showered in sight of students eating in Saga.
“The water was so cold. It was like your whole body had a frozen drink headache just from showering under it,” Stoddard said. Then there’s the time they set up a wrestling ring of mattresses during open dorms, boasting 200-300 in attendance. Or when all the freshmen went through initiation during the first week of classes by being assigned two upperclassmen that dressed them and told them what to do. Think plaid and pinstripes.
Dean Helland Ministries Outreach to Mormons
• Visit my Website where you can find Bible-based tools to witness to Mormon family and friends • View the online article “My Visit with Two Mormon Missionaries”--Published in 12 languages
www.deanhelland.com Dr. Dean Helland, Doctor of Ministry, ORU • Former Book of Mormon Believer
Student center construction ahead of schedule By Hannah Rundell As the spring semester is coming to an end, construction for the Armand Hammer Alumni-Student Center is just taking off. Students and faculty may be noticing the student center already well under construction, with structural steel being put into place. “The project has been coming along nicely and we’re going to continue right on schedule,” according to Kyle Rudolph, senior project manager for Key Construction. Rudolph also said the dry weather has been helping the work progress, but there is still a ways to go before the roof can be put in place. The current target date for the new building’s opening is January
2013. The building will be a place where students can experience “fun, food and fellowship.” According to ORU Director of Buildings and Grounds George Perkins, some of the features will include a Moe’s Southwest Grill, a coffee shop, fireplaces, an outdoor porch/patio and a large television set for student use and events such as parties to watch athletic games away from home. Student Association, Career Services and Alumni offices will be moved to the new location. As far as the outside of the building goes, Perkins believes that this building will be cohesive with the current buildings on campus despite its unique design. ORU wanted the design to
have a more modern look to it. “There have been a lot of comments about the architecture kind of dating us,” said Perkins. “It’s pretty much a unique building. It won’t have that gold look like you see around campus.” One of the more prominent features of the design is the Pacifica glass walls that will cover the exterior. According to Rudolph, students will be able to stand in the middle of the building and look out and see Lake Evelyn to one side and the Prayer Tower on the other side. Although some students have expressed concerns about the glass breaking, Rudolph assured them it will be able to withstand. “My biggest fear is the geese
landing up there and they’ll have to call me to get up there and powerwash that,” said Perkins. “So hopefully that won’t happen.” While the geese may remain on campus, students away for the summer can monitor the construction at www.hammercenter.org. According to Rudolph, when students return in the fall, they will see the structural framing in place, the wall framing and exterior finishes. “That will be the peak of construction,” Rudolph said. Until then, as students study hard until the end of the semester, they can see the Armand Hammer Alumni-Student Center building progress and have something to look forward to.
SIFE claims regional title with business savvy
Courtesy Photos
SIFE team, above, won first place at the SIFE USA competition in Dallas. By Francesca Lucido Students In Free Enterprise is a student-led nonprofit organization aimed at meeting the needs in the local and global community through sound business principles. On April 26, ORU SIFE will partner with Liberty Church and Feed My Starving Children to pack 200,000 meals. Last year, SIFE aided Feed My Starving Children by packing 162,000 meals. This year,
From left, Hannah Sexton, Neha Ghelani and Rebecca Martinez are among the ORU SIFE members who competed in the regional competition.
180 students will go downtown and pack the meals again. Packing will continue throughout weekend. These meals are distributed by approved FMSC partners around the world. The team claimed first place for the third time during the SIFE USA Regional Competition on April 13 in Dallas. Through a written annual report and live audiovisual presentation, the ORU team reported the results of its community outreach
projects to panels of business leaders serving as judges. Outreach done by ORU this year includes a campaign to end local hunger, the reading A-Z project, a pizza fundraiser and working with churches for fall outreach, among others. The teams were evaluated based on how successful they were at using business concepts to improve the quality of life and standard of living for those in need.
THE ORACLE • Friday, April 20, 2012 • 5
CLASS OF 2012: MAKE NO LITTLE PLANS HERE
Here’s why these eight are great
Jadea Dabney Hometown: Kellyville, Okla. Major: Pre-Physical Therapy Extra-curricular activities: I’m a current 2-year RA, did basketball and volleyball intramurals, IWC, and I’m currently in the Health Exercise Science, and Recreation club. A favorite memory of ORU: LOL -- getting my first kiss behind Towers on the hillside while the sun was setting my sophomore year! It was beautiful! I know I’m too much at times, but I felt like I was on cloud nine! I just went to the Prayer Tower and worshipped for a great first kiss experience! HA! HA! Another funny memory was with my roomate Corinna Moreno my freshman year! What’s next after graduation? I will be working at St. John hospital and getting more internship opportunities and preparing for physical therapy school.
Maria Grados
Hometown: Stillwater , Okla. Major/Minor: Recreation Administration, Business Top academic achievements: Summit League Athlete’s Honor Roll, Outstanding Academic Achievement award from the College of Science and Engineering in Recreation Administration. Extracurricular activities: Member of the ORU soccer team for 4 years, 2011 captain, multiple soccer awards including first team all summit league, Summit League player of the week, 2011 Summit League leading scorer/points, FCA leader, Missions team to Brazil in summer 2010, Athletic Chairman, Tulsa Hope Academy 2010, Broken Arrow JV soccer team coach, worked for exquisite valet, intramural ref, vice president of the rec club, member of HPER club. A favorite memory of ORU: When some of my teammates and I dressed up in ridiculous costumes and did karaoke in the dorms. What’s next after graduation? I’m moving to Texas and working full time at Camp Olympia as an Aquatics director, and go to Sam Houston State to get my masters in Sports Management.
Jordan Carter
Hometown: Syracuse, N.Y. Major: International Community Development Top academic achievements: They range from passing through the fiery gates of economics to climbing the daunting foreign mountaintop of the French language and, of course, passing HPE. Extracurricular activities: Co-marketing coordinator for Ignite conference, MANTEAM member, Flint social chair, Student Ambassador, ORU Outreach coordinator, public relations officer of International Development Club, intramurals, RA on Goodfellas, Chaplain on Youngblood, team leader for missions to Togo A favorite memory of ORU: Being involved with ORU Missions. Being on the MANTEAM for the past three years has been a truly remarkable experience. It was such a unique experience! Not many people get to go to the far reaches of the African jungle to bring the Gospel to a people group that have never heard it! Another amazing thing about being a part of it was the fundraiser we were able to start the year I led the team. With the collaborative effort of team members like Joe Ninowski and Aaron Quinn we created a calendar that even President Rutland endorsed from the chapel stage! Not only that, but the team put together the Qdoba Carbash. What’s next after graduation? I am looking to attend grad school here at ORU for theology. I want to combine my passion for missions with the ability to preach and teach the Word!
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Adrianne Glass Hometown: Columbus, Ohio Major: Sacred Music Top academic achievements: Vice President’s list four semesters in a row, Outstanding Student in Sacred Music Extra-curricular activities: Chaplain for two years, Sang for basketball games, IWC, performed in two ORU operas, performed in Jazz and Funk shows, volunteered with John 3:16 mission A favorite memory of ORU: Going on my worship missions trip to Fiji in summer 2010. I was on an amazing team with eight anointed, talented and loving people. I experienced so many firsts on this trip and am glad to still be connected to the wonderful people I met there. We ministered in churches, prisons, houses, to young and old, in the city and the village. God was truly with us and blessed us. I learned so much about God’s plan for my life and how to truly love others. What’s next after graduation? I will continue to work as a phlebotomist at Hillcrest hospital and soon after transition into working full time in ministry as a minister of music and teacher. Grad school will soon follow.
CLASS OF 2012: MAKE NO LITTLE PLANS HERE Cordelia Staab
Hometown: Mayetta, Kan. Major/Minor: Biology (pre-medicine), Biochemistry Top academic achievements: Seven times on President’s Honor Roll (Fall 2008-Fall 2011), Biology Outstanding Student 2012 Extracurricular activities: Alpha Epsilon Delta president (2012), Tri-Beta and, Iota Sigma Pi member, University of Kansas School of Medicine: Scholars in Rural Health Program
Luke Grcich
Gloria O’Neale
Hometown: South Bend, Ind. Major/Minor: International Relations/French Top academic achievements: Whole Person Scholarship (full tuition), Outstanding International Relations student, Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, 3.9 GPA (if all goes as planned) Extra-curricular activities: ORU Model United Nations (2010-2012) head delegate and president (led ORU Delegation of Saudi Arabia to an Outstanding Delegation award), Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature Senate delegation (won Best Senate Freshman and Best Senate Legislation), ORU Missions Team Romania 2010, studied abroad in Strasbourg France A favorite memory of ORU: The thing that has kept me excited about coming back to ORU has been the friends that I have made here. Even in my last semester, I have continued to meet new people and develop great new friendships as well as building on older ones. What’s next for you after graduation? I’m planning on moving to Kabul, Afghanistan, to teach in the International School of Kabul at the end of the summer. I’ll be helping with their Model U.N. team there, as well as potentially teaching English as a second language, and helping faculty members as a T.A. I also plan on trying to join the U.N. volunteers while there to help promote health initiatives within the school as well as the city itself.
Hometown: Willis, Texas (via Winder, Ga.) Major: Nursing Top academic achievements: Making the President’s List twice, graduating Cum Laude Extracurricular activities: ORU Missions, intramurals, ORU Theater, International Student Organization (ISO) event coordination, athlete academic tutor A favorite memory of ORU: My funniest and favorite memory was the spontaneous night of wrestling among the ladies of Standard. Based on the wrestling match, the saying is true: It’s the quiet ones you have to look out for. I know I will forever cherish the times that I spent with the ladies of Standard, Sigma and Adel Phi; talking, praying, crying and laughing. What’s next after graduation? I am going to work at a hospital in Houston and continue studying. I would like to study art and criminal justice in pursuit of an occupation as a crime scene photographer.
Robert Aery Hometown: Tulsa Double Major: Government and Business Administration Top academic achievements: Full-tuition Whole Person Scholarship, 2012 Outstanding Student award for Government, full scholarship to University of Tulsa College of Law and the Hatton Sumners Scholarship (full ride) to Oklahoma City University School of Law Extra-curricular activities: Walk-on member of men’s basketball team, member of ORU delegation to Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature twice, served on the Tulsa County Republican Party’s Executive Committee, chairman of the Tulsa Alliance of Young Republicans, member of ORU College Republicans, started my own 501(c)3 non-profit organization called American Values Now, member of Victory Christian Center. A favorite memory of ORU: Being part of a Division I basketball team was a great experience. It was also a blessing to be taught by such wonderful professors here at ORU. Plus, meeting my beautiful girlfriend here at Oral Roberts also has to be a highlight. What’s next for you after graduation? I will be attending the University of Tulsa College of Law in the fall, on a full scholarship.
(918)340-1346 (918)955-3927 Host Pastor Afolabi Fasehinde
Guest Speaker Dr. Clarence V. Boyd, Jr.
President and Founder Revelations-Revealed Truth Ministries
Are you searching for a church home? Consider visiting:
Bixby Community Church or Lord of Life Lutheran Church located at Crosscreek Plaza in Bixby at 126th and South Memorial next to Rib Crib
THE ORACLE • Friday, April 20, 2012 • 7
Photo by Stephen Salmon
ORU Associate Professor of Computer Science Kenneth Preston shows a student a formula SAE racecar during the open house held on the first floor of the LRC April 12.
Engineering department uses $250,000 grant for renovations Oral Roberts University’s engineering department recently renovated areas for a machine shop and labs. An open house was held on April 12 on the first floor of the Learning Resources Center to show the renovations, which were made possible through a $250,000 grant from the Helmerich Foundation. The students will get a larger machine shop and labs with more equipment that will be used for projects and classes. The new machine shop includes 5,000 square feet of workspace to be used by all engineering students. A computer
Former ORU basketball player signs with Oakland Raiders On April 12, former Oral Roberts University men’s basketball player Andre Hardy signed a free-agent contract to play tight end for the Oakland Raiders. In only two seasons and 48 games for ORU (2007-09), Hardy averaged 17.9 minutes, 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds. Hardy played two years for the Golden Eagles before transferring to Cal State Fullerton. At Cal State, Hardy was selected as the Big West Conference Newcomer of the
lab will also be located within the shop. One of the projects to be built in the new machine shop is a formula SAE racecar. This car is a multi-year project intended to eventually be submitted to a competition. Two engineering labs also received renovations. Each lab received new instruments, furniture, computers, tables, projectors, white boards, floors and countertops, and are projected to be finished later this semester. Both the machine shop and the labs are located on the first floor of the Learning Resource Center.
Fun and done: Winners announced from Fun Run
Oral Roberts University’s semi-annual, two-mile Fun Run took place on April 14 on the ORU campus. The winners of the fun run were David Batchelder for the males with a time of 10:28 and Andrea Glenville for the females with a time of 13:38. Proceeds from the run were used as a fundraiser for the Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) department towards equipment. The Fun Run has been an ORU tradition for over 20 years and used to be a three-mile run on Riverside Parkway until seven years ago when it was moved on campus.
ORU Women’s Tennis wins Summit League title
Andre Hardy Year as a junior after he averaged 10.6 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds per game.
With a 4-0 victory over Southern Utah last Saturday, the ORU women’s tennis team clinched their first undisputed Summit League regular season championship since 2008. ORU finished the regular season at 11-5, with an 8-0 Summit League mark. The Golden Eagles will hold the top seed at the 2012 Summit League Championship tournament, which begins next week. The semifinals of the 2012 Summit League Championship will be held on Friday, April 27, in Kansas City, with the final match a day later.
Continued from page 4 After a week of wardrobe humiliation, the newbies could pick any girl on campus to accompany him on the Am Herratz date night. It was the upperclassmen’s responsibility to make sure she said “yes.” “They were best four years of my life,” Stoddard said. After nearly three decades since its inception, they may not play football much anymore. Or take showers in Saga rain runoff. That’s OK. Time has left some things unaltered. A sense of belonging and brotherhood immediately come to mind. “On the floor, you had a responsibility to care for the guys and pray for them,” Griffith said. “It was an easy transition from being young men to older men to keep caring for each other.” They still get together, relive the glory days and catch up on life—both inside and outside the planned reunions. Several years ago, Griffith had to make the difficult decision to close a restaurant he owned and operated in Bellingham, Wash. It had been a lifelong dream of his to open his own business. On the day of the closing, Griffith had some unexpected visitors. “I had two Ratzers unannounced show up just to help,” he said. “Those kinds of friendships make all the difference in life.” Daniel Guajardo, dean of Student Development, said that Am Herratz sets the example for current students who wish to stay in touch after graduation. “We’re so happy they’re back and have remained such close friends,” Guajardo said. “Making lifelong connections like that is the vision of ORU for living in the residence halls.” While on campus, the Ratzers plan on eating in Saga, attending a baseball game and touring their old floor. They may be surprised to find that Narnia, an old rival formally known as Shekinah, now lives on EMR 3-South. As for their pranks and antics, Guarjardo said he isn’t expecting much. But just know, Ratzers, there will be consequences for any misconduct. Not that they’ll actually do anything. “But if they do, they’ll clean it up,” Guajardo said, laughing. Maybe it’s fitting that after all these years, the Am Herratz reunion should have its largest turnout at their first gathering back in Tulsa. Kind of full circle. “I get to come back and see this band of brothers that I ran with all those years,” Stoddard said. “I feel very honored to be part of the scum of the Earth.”
Faith
The Faith Editor is Josh Copeland. You may contact him at joshuatrevorcopeland@gmail.com
Spring Outreach a success despite downpour By Nathaniel Robertson Despite recurring thunderstorms throughout the afternoon April 7, students participated in the annual ORU Spring Outreach. Put together by the Missions and Outreach department, more than 150 students visited the Tulsa Dream Center in North Tulsa and 100 visited the South Tulsa Community House to reach out to the respective communities. “The main goal was color your city and just to go out and show people the love of Christ,” said Aaron Quinn, one of the outreach coordinators. “It was pouring, but there was still a large number of people there, and they all crammed into the gym enjoying the events.” The events included free food, live hip-hop performances, carnival games, testimo-
nies, step teams, face painting, basketball, a communitywide Easter egg hunt, a health clinic and business seminars. “I wanted to come and just dedicate my Saturday morning to the kids because I really, really love kids,” said Sheldon Young, a music arts major from Los Angeles. “If I was back home, this is what I would be doing, so I’m glad I could be in Tulsa and do the same thing.” Juelie Scanlon, whose soccer-based missions team heads to South Africa this summer, came out with her mission team. “My missions team wanted to help with the setup and serve food, so we all decided to come out,” said Scanlon. Only his second time in the Dream Center, North Tulsa community resident Kelvin was happy to attend the event.
“I like that they’re reaching out to all different kinds of people and get them to love one another and come together where the neighborhood is united as one,” said Kelvin. For many, including McLain High School student Connell Logan and Dwayne Lee from East Central High School, the highlight of the day was playing basketball. “I came out to have fun,” Logan said. “And of course, for the basketball,” said Lee. Free T-shirts were offered to the first 200 participants, and Starbucks coffee, granola bars and bananas were provided. More than 250 residents and their families came out to the Tulsa Dream Center. “It was a really big crowd, especially considering all the rain we got, but it was a blast,” said Quinn.
Photos by Sami Prichard
Josh Wagoner, above, helps children get on the bouncy slide, while ORU students, left, man a carnival game in the rain during Spring Outreach at the Tulsa Dream Center.
THE ORACLE • Friday, April 20, 2012 • 9
ORU may have 7 potential Olympians By Nathaniel Robertson Four years ago in Beijing, Andretti Bain became the first ORU Olympic medalist in any sport, winning a silver medal in the 4x400m relay. This year, ORU could potentially have four current students and three alumni competing at the games scheduled to take place July 27 to Aug. 12 in London. One of those athletes is junior Jeffery Gibson, a recreation administration major. Currently the national champion for the Bahamas in the 400-meter hurdles and six-time Summit League champion, Gibson started running track and field in 2005 to stay in shape for competitive swimming. “When [my coach] first met me, he told me off the bat ‘you’re going to be a 400 runner’ just based on my height, legs and open stride, so he worked with me a lot on the 400 meters,” said Gibson. Working with his coach, Frederick Bastian, and the Kenyan Knights track club based out of Nassau, Bahamas, Gibson quickly made strides and in just two years had qualified for the 2007
Photo by Stephen Salmon
ORU Olympic hopefuls include, from left, Jeffery Gibson, Clive Chafausipo, Camila Pirelli, Jack Whitt and Andretti Bain. World Youth Games held in the Czech Republic. He placed sixth in his semifinal that year and competed the next year in the World Junior Championships held in Bydgoszcz, Poland. ORU was the first school to offer him a full ride, and despite later offers from LSU and many powerhouse schools along the East Coast, Gibson came to ORU where he met fellow national Bain.
“Once I start something I tend to finish it no matter what, and I knew no matter where I went, my speed and time would progress the way I wanted,” said Gibson. “[Bain] really helped me in training. I really like when there is someone of his caliber who can run with me and give me a challenge at practice.” Gibson is looking to qualify for the 400-meter
hurdle this summer and currently holds a personal best of 50.82 seconds, which he ran last summer. To qualify, Gibson must run an Olympic B standard of 49.80 anytime between now and his national trials June 22. Whether he qualifies, at 21 years old, Gibson still has some running left to do. Gibson wants to make a career of track and field, being paid to do what he loves.
“I’m proud and happy to be able to represent my country,” Gibson said. “I feel that not too many people are able to do so, and I just want to make my people proud by doing what I can do and that is run.” Of the seven ORU athletes looking to represent their nations this summer, only Clive Chafausipo and Prince Mumba have punched their tickets to the Olympics.
ORU alumnus wins Olympic silver medal in ‘08 Andretti Bain
Hometown: Nassau, Bahamas ORU graduation: 2007, Master’s 2008 Personal record: 44.62 in 2008 ORU accomplishments: • 2008 NCAA champion in both the indoor and outdoor 400 meters. • 11-time Summit League individual event champion • Nine-time Summit League Track Athlete of the Week award winner • Holds the league’s all-time indoor
400-meter record with a time of 46.80 set in 2005 • Multiple Summit League Athlete of the Week and Year awards International accomplishments: • Won a silver medal in the 4X400-meter relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics for his native Bahamas • Competed in the 2004 World Junior Championships where he placed sixth in the semifinals
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3 students work hard to make Olympics Clive Chafausipo
Bio: Junior marketing major from Harare, Zimbabwe Personal record: 26.6 feet/8.09 meters long jump ORU accomplishments: All American. Placed sixth at the NCAA Indoor Nationals this year and 16th at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Championships last year. Won three individual Summit League championships and eight medals total. International experience: Placed fourth in the high jump and 4x100-meter relay and fifth in the long jump at the 2007 African Junior Championships in Burkina Faso. Went to the Penn Relays in 2007 and 2008 to be a part of the USA vs. The World 4X400-meter relay. Training until the Games: Monday-Friday until the second week of July when he leaves for London. How to make the Olympics: Will go to Olympics as part of the Olympic Development Program, but will need to make the qualifying standard before July 10 to compete for medals.
ORU Alumni Marvin Bonde
Bio: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Personal record: Ran 100 meters in 10.35 seconds and 200 meters in 20.77 seconds. ORU accomplishments: Placed seventh in the 200 meters at the 2010 NCAA Championships and fifth at the 2009 Indoor Championships. Holds the ORU 200-meter indoor record. International accomplishments: 2007 South Africa regional champion in 100 meters.
Prince Mumba
Bio: Zambia Personal record: 146.14 in the 800 meters ran last summer. ORU accomplishments: Placed second in 2006 NCAA Indoor National Championships and third in outdoor season. Holds the ORU record in the 800 meters with a time of 1:47.19. International accomplishments: Qualified for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games in the 800 meters and finished 28th.
Jack Whitt
Bio: Junior health and exercise science major from Norman, Okla. Personal record: 5.65 meters/18.06 feet 6 inches pole vault ORU accomplishments: Came in as the No. 1ranked vaulter in the nation for his class and No. 2 in the world for his age group. Placed third in the 2012 NCAA Indoor Championships. Placed third at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Nationals and second during the outdoor season. Placed sixth at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships and has won five Summit League pole vault gold medals. International experience: A 2009 Pan American Junior Championship gold medalist. Competed for Team USA in 2010 at the NACAC Games. Training until the Games: Two-hour daily practice for running and about 90 minutes for lifting. How to make Olympics happen: Must hit A standard of 5.72 meters/18 feet 9 inches and place in the top three at USA national trials and may go if he places fourth.
Camila Pirelli
Bio: Senior biology major from Ayolas, Paraguay Personal record: 51:57 in the heptathlon and 25.51 in the 200-meter dash. ORU accomplishments: Won silver and bronze medals at Summit League Championships. Holds school record in heptathlon and in the Indoor pentathlon. International experience: Placed third in the 2010 South American Olympics and ninth in the Pan American Games. Has participated in several South American championships at the youth, junior and senior levels. Holds more than 15 national records and is the current national champion in the heptathlon in Paraguay. Training until the Games: Return to Paraguay in the summer to focus on reaching the 200-meter mark before the first week of July. How to make Olympics happen: If she can get a 24.70, she will be Paraguay’s athlete closest to the B standard, securing a spot in the Olympics.
633 students to graduate May 5 in Mabee Center The end is near… for the graduating Class of 2012 at Oral Roberts University. That’s great news for 633 students who will receive undergraduate and graduate degrees at the 2012 Commencement scheduled at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 5, in the Mabee Center. ORU’s six colleges will award the following number of degrees: • College of Arts and Cultural Studies: 173 bachelor’s degrees • College of Business: 103
bachelor’s degrees, 39 master’s degrees • College of Education: 20 bachelor’s degrees, six master’s degrees, four doctoral degrees • College of Nursing: 39 bachelor’s degrees • College of Science and Engineering: 120 bachelor’s degrees • College of Theology and Ministry: 60 bachelor’s degrees, 71 master’s degrees and six doctoral degrees. Of the 633 students who will be conferred diplomas,
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eight of those students will receive two degrees. Hollywood film producer Ralph Winter will deliver this year’s commencement address. His film credits include the “X-Men” and “Fantastic Four” movies as well as episodes three through six of the “Star Trek” film series. Winter holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California at Berkley. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Several preliminary events are scheduled for the Class of 2012 before
Ralph Winter they actually walk across the Mabee Center stage May 5 to receive diplomas. All participating seniors must attend a mandatory rehearsal at noon Friday, May 4, in the Mabee Center. Caps and gowns will not be worn at this event. Those students also will be participating in hooding services within each depart-
ment at the following times and places May 4: • Behavioral Sciences – 7:30 p.m. at Fellowship Lutheran Church, 6727 S. Sheridan • Biology and Chemistry – 2:30-4:30 p.m. in Howard Auditorium • Business (undergraduate) – 7 p.m. in Christ’s Chapel • Business (graduate) – 7 p.m. in Christ’s Chapel • Communication, Arts and Media – 7:30 p.m. in Howard Auditorium • Education (undergraduate) – 4 p.m. in CityPlex Towers (60th floor) • Engineering, Computer Science, Physics and Math – 2:30-4:30 p.m. in Howard Auditorium • English and Modern Languages – 2-3:30 p.m. in Zoppelt Auditorium • HPER – 2:30 p.m. in Mabee Center Conference and Event Center (south side of building) • History, Humanities and Government – 10 a.m. in Zoppelt Auditorium • Music – 3-4 p.m. in Timko Barton Performance Hall • Nursing – 1 p.m. at St. James United Methodist Church, 111th and Yale • Theology (undergraduate) – 3 p.m. at Central Church, 7291 E. 81st St. • Theology (graduate) – 3 p.m. in Christ’s Chapel Students are asked to arrive at hooding 30 to 60 minutes before the start of the service. They should consult their individual departments for more specifics. The Honors Program will hold a separate hooding from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, May 3, in the Holy Spirit Room in Christ’s Chapel.
Effectiveness of short-term missions questioned By Josh Copeland Short-term missions is a large part of the Western church today. With summer fast approaching, ORU missions teams are finishing final preparations for their trips and the ORU Missions and Outreach department is preparing to send out their teams to go into every man’s world. In a recent article on “World on Campus,” a news website where college-aged students can develop and discuss their Christian worldview, Leigh Jones questioned the effectiveness of shortterm mission trips. In the article, Jones linked the effectiveness of a mission trip with the psychology behind the individual going on the mission trip. “While experts applaud today’s emphasis on service, they say many short-term mission trips fail because they are built around the preferences of the people who go, rather than the longterm development needs of the community,” said Jones. Jones gave an extreme example of a team who went to Guatemala to help a pastor and the pastor told them to tear down the pavilion the team before them had built because it was useless. The issue was a lack of communication between the local pastor and the mission team. “If not done properly, short-term missions is good for introducing people to missions, but only supplies a Band-Aid to a deeper, long-term problem,” said Vamsi Guda, ORU alumnae
and previous Team New York member. One study suggests most short-term missionaries arrive without much prior cultural or language training and then depend on the local ministers not only to host them, but deliver the missionary’s message and make it culturally relevant to the intended audience, making themselves a burden instead of a help to long-term missionaries present. “The biggest problem to short-term missions is not being there for follow up,” said Guda. “The harm is done when there is not an effective way to follow up.” But this does not negate the positive benefits shortterm missions trips can bring. According to one study, one of the biggest benefits of short-term missions is being an encouragement to the long-term missionaries. “Its no secret that those that go benefit from the trip and are going to grow,” said ORU Director of Missions and Outreach Bobby Parks. “We really try to be a strategic investment to the longterm work already there. Our first priority is to serve the contact. Our biggest goal is to help the disciples of Christ that are there. We plan around leaving something with them that will last.” The biggest thing shortterm missionaries can do is prepare. The old adage is true: when preparation meets opportunity, success is possible. Another study suggests it is important for the missionary to do a psychologi-
cal check of their motive for going on the trip. “[We] work with contacts about 11 months in advance, and our summer teams are preparing for almost eight months prior to their going in the field,” said Parks. Student missionaries at ORU are passionate about their convictions for going on a short-term mission trip. “I’ve gone on short-term missions before, and the key is to just be flexible and use any opportunity God gives you to share and build relationships,” said Rachel Carroll, a member of Team South Africa. “My motive was that I wanted to use my sport to reach people, with similar interests, with the gospel. When you humble yourself to being a servant
and dedicate a trip for being trip this summer believe they His hands and feet, you learn have appropriate intentions so much about God and for their prospective trips. yourself and grow in faith as “We aren’t going to ‘Americanize’ them, or show them how much better we are than them because we have Jesus and that’s what they need, but to help them,” said Leah Bobby Parks Bickers, a memORU Director of Missions and Outreach ber of the Burkina Faso team. “How well as being able to share can we help them unless your faith, be a light, and we find out what they truly build some life-long friend- need? Like a doctor, he won’t ships.” prescribe anything till first Parks understands the diagnosing what the patient issues of crossing cultural bor- really needs. In the same ders and echoes Jones’ article. way, we are going to learn, “We adopt the mindset to learn how they do things, their go as a learner,” said Parks. strengths, and what they may “We go to learn from them. need. Then we can join and We try to be culturally sensipartner together. tive. We don’t try to teach that “I am not going to Burkina our cultural way is better.” Faso to solve a short-term need Many students preparing or problem, but to play a part for their short-term mission in a long-term solution.”
“We adopt the mindset to go as a learner...We try to be culturally sensitive. We don’t try to teach that our cultural way is better.”
THE ORACLE • Friday, April 20, 2012 • 13
Sports
The Sports Editor is Billy Burke. You may contact him with comments or questions at therevolutionis@oru.edu
Eagles hover around .500 for season Stats adding up, except where they count most By Billy Burke It’s the bottom of the fifth, bases loaded, ORU is down by two. Cam Schiller steps up to bat and a few pitches later hits into a double play. Although ORU would score a run in the inning, it would be held to three and give up six, losing April 17 to the University of Oklahoma and falling to 17-18 on the season. This year, ORU has underperformed as a whole, while at times flashing moments of brilliance that fans are accustomed to seeing. Outside the conference, ORU is 13-15 while within
the Summit League the squad is 4-3. Although neither record is horrible, some feel that ORU has underperformed this season. The main example is the team’s offense, which is hot and cold from one game to the next. The Golden Eagles have 14 games where they scored 2 or less runs (1-13); but have 13 games where they scored more than 6 (13-0). ORU is swinging for the fences, which can reap benefits or dig a grave. The Eagles are fourth in the league in batting average (.257), but possess a runaway lead in the league for home runs (28) and are second in slugging percentage (.387). ORU’s squad also ranks fifth in on base percentage (.339) and fourth in walks drawn (123). Realistically, except for
the batting average, none of these stats is terrible. However, if ORU hopes to compete with powerhouses outside the Summit League this season, the team will have to find a more consistent stroke. Something that cannot be knocked is ORU’s pitching, which sits atop the Summit League in multiple pitching categories: ERA (3.32), opponent batting average (.253), batters struck out (252), hits allowed (277), runs allowed (126), earned runs allowed (108) and innings pitched (293.0). When looking at these stats, it’s really a headscratcher as to why ORU can’t seem to get on a roll, as premium pitching is not common in college baseball. But as previous stats show, if ORU can get run support Continued on page 15
Photos by Austin St. John
Captain Jared Schlehuber, above, dejectedly jogs off the field after a disappointing inning against OU. Brandon Healy, left, swings at a pitch during the game April 17.
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Continued from page 14 then they are a tough club to beat. So what does ORU have to do to win? Well, despite having a Jekyll and Hyde offense, the Golden Eagles are second in the Summit League standings and only a half-game back. Furthermore, in the Summit League, North Dakota State is the only team whose overall record is above .500, though they’re only 2-2 against fellow Summit League teams. ORU still has 15 games until the Summit League Championship, with 12 of those games being conference games. So although ORU seems to be struggling right now, there is definitely time to improve on these things before playoff time rolls around. Not to mention the
simple fact that although ORU is having an off year offensively, the Eagles still rank near the top of virtually every offensive category in the Summit League. It’s safe to assume that the Eagles just haven’t peaked yet, but are still competing. But for those who are in love with America’s pastime, that’s the beauty of baseball. It’s a sport that’s not measured how you start, but when you connect the dots and pull it together. ORU still has yet to click as a team, but there’s still plenty of innings to play, plenty of balls to hit and more than enough summer sunshine to grace J.L. Johnson’s diamond. The only thing that’s left to do is find a seat, open a bag of peanuts and watch some baseball.
Photo by Austin St. John
Left-hander Mike Torrence uses a side-arm motion to deliver a pitch April 17 against the University of Oklahoma. He pitched 1.2 innings without giving up a hit.
Drillers offer major fun in minor league way By Billy Burke Although baseball season started about two weeks ago, many Tulsa residents were not able to experience the thrill of going to an opening day game. However, on April 12, T-Town residents flocked to the ONEOK field to see the Tulsa Drillers take on the San Antonio Missions. Despite losing the game 2-1, the Drillers gave the Tulsa community a baseball presence. Although the Drillers are not MLB status, they’re still a blast to watch. ORU student Skyler Ray was in attendance opening night. “I wish Tulsa had a pro team, but since we have the Drillers, I love going to their games,” said Ray. “It really is a fun experience.” People may not know much about the Drillers, but fear not mediocre baseball fans. Here are a few quick facts about the Drillers that will make you somewhat baseball savvy. Affiliation: Colorado Rockies AA
History: The Drillers came to Tulsa from Lafayette, La. in 1977. They spent their first 26 years of existence in Tulsa as a Texas Rangers affiliate before joining the Colorado Rockies organization in 2003. Home Stadium: ONEOK Field. Seating capacity: 7,833. Playoff Experience: The Drillers won the Texas League Championship in 1982, 1988 and 1998 and have been in the playoffs seven times in the past 11 seasons. Star Prospect: Nolan Arenado 3B Arenado hits more for average than power, but that’s not an issue the Rockies have with him. Rated the No. 1 prospect in their system, this guy is a monster. Last year he lead
the minors in RBI’s with 122. The Rockies team website says “it might not be too long before he’s spotted in Coors Field.” Enjoy him while he lasts, Tulsa. Star Prospect: Drew Pomeranz SP After coming over in the Ubaldo Jimenez deal, Pomeranz is now sitting pretty as the Rockies No. 2 overall prospect and No. 1 pitching prospect. He was recently called up for a spot start Sunday against Arizona and got lit up for five ER in four innings. Assuming he will be back and forth between the minors and the majors this season, he might be a flash many Driller fans won’t see consistently. Star Prospect: Josh Rutledge SS,2B
Rutledge is a toolsy, solid infielder who hits for average and relies on speed. Although he currently plays SS for the Drillers, he would have to switch to 2B should he be called up by the Rockies since they already have Troy Tulowitzki. Although he isn’t estimated to make an appearance in the MLB until 2013, Drillers fans can enjoy him for another year or so. Star Prospect: Kent Matthes Every team needs a powerhouse to crank out some deep bombs, and Matthes is the Drillers guy for that. Last year, he sent 23 balls to the point of no return, and in 33 AB this season he has 2 HR. There is talk of him possibly being promoted due to a plateau effect, but Drillers fans should at least be able to enjoy watching him send pitches deep for this season.
THE ORACLE • Friday, April 20, 2012 • 15
Scene
The Oracle Scene Editor is Halle Byrams. You may contact her with comments or questions at hbyrams@oru.edu
“October Baby” perpetuates pro-life agenda
Internet Photo
By Mary Harp In an industry all too often consumed with violence, offensive language and sex, it’s nice to come across a movie with redeeming value. So when my R.A. invited my floor to the matinee viewing of “October Baby” last Saturday, I was thrilled. Little did I know what I was getting into. Two hours later, I left changed and relieved a Christian movie could leave viewers with a positive perception of the church. Before entering the theater, I understood the basic premise: Hannah Lawson (played by Rachel Hendrix), a teenage abortion survivor learns about her past and, to the dismay of her adopted family, goes on a jour-
ney to find her birth mother. Along the way, she discovers the freedom of forgiveness and proves that every life has meaning. Like almost every other Christian movie, “October Baby” succumbs to what I like to call “the awkward scenes” – an attempt to create a more relevant plot with unrealistic moments, over exaggerated character actors and a Hollywood love story gone wrong. Yes, there were a few instances when I couldn’t bear to look at the screen and wish it would just end. Yet, what the movie lacks in originality, it makes up for in the message. Although the movie’s plot surrounds the controversial pro life/pro choice debate, I was pleasantly surprised
how the movie’s emphasis focused not on the issue, but on forgiveness. John and Andrew Erwin, brothers and executive producers of the film, tried to create a film authentic and sensitive to the real-life situations surrounding abortion and free from the bigotry commonly seen in “Christians.” “From the post-abortive mother, it was very important to be sensitive to that and for this to be a healing movie for them,” expressed Andrew Erwin. Above all, the most valuable part of the movie was not in the movie itself, but within the credits. While the credits rolled, Shari Rigby, who plays Hannah’s birthmother (Cindy Hastings) in the film shared her story. Twenty years ago, while in a relationship, Rigby discovered she was pregnant and decided to have an abortion. “It was easier to get rid of the child - to not be questioned again; rather than to have a child and be looked upon, at the time, like another failure,” Rigby admitted about her own experience. “And so many times, I think especially as young women we carry that burden that we’re going to look like a failure that it’s shameful.” In her testimony, she exposes
what the pro-life/pro-choice debate lacks: the pain of women at the center of the issue. In fact, Rigby’s story is the story of the majority. Recent statistics show that 65 percent of abortions in America are by women identifying themselves as Christian, which means that the same women who vote pro-life chose abortions as a last resort to “save face” within the Christian community. The problem no longer lies in the secular world – the problem is us. Even in that harsh truth, Rigby’s story is proof that God still offers forgiveness and restoration for our mistakes. In her scene, where as the birth mother, she meets the forgiveness of God, Rigby felt complete healing from her own past. In that moment, she collapsed to the floor and wept. “That wasn’t acting,” Rigby said. “That was my moment with God and with me to say, ‘It’s OK. It’s over. You’ve been forgiven.’” That is the essence of this movie. No matter your past, God is ready to meet you in your moment and gently restore you. He stands with open arms and affirms you are still of value: “The past is over. You have been forgiven.”
Summer movies rife with aliens, sci-fi action By Halle Byrams With the school year coming to a close, summer will be upon us in just a few short weeks. While many students have missions trips, vacations, summer jobs and internships planned for the summer, making time to see a good movie has become an essential part of summer fun and entertainment in our culture. Summer 2012’s movie options, as usual, will have something for everyone.
“The Avengers,” starring Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansen, opens May 4.
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“Battleship,” starring Alexander Skarsgard, Liam Neeson and Rihanna, opens May 18.
“The Dark Knight Rises,” starring Christian Bale and Joseph GordonLevitt, opens July 20.
“Men in Black 3,” starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin, opens May 25.
“Snow White & the Huntsman,” starring Kristin Stewart and Chris Helmsworth, opens June 1.
Muse
Date Doctor By Christian Aranza So the summer is here and you’re excited to head home, but most of you will be heading in opposite directions of the boyfriend or girlfriend you’ve made here. So what does this mean for the status of your relationship? Will you do the long-distance relationship for a few months, call it quits or leave it at friends? As a guy who has successfully accomplished years of long-distance dating, here’s my advice and some pointers to last you the summer. If your relationship is a solid one and you feel like this could be the person you desire to spend the rest of your life with, then for you, this is a great test to find out! As the old saying goes, distance makes the heart grow fonder! Sadly, sometimes it also makes the eyes go wander! For those who feel like trying to make it work, this will be a great time period to see if you truly want to be with this person. Inevitably, you will get a month in and either miss your significant other terribly or you’ll realize... this is not the relationship you want, and BOTH are OK! Remember your Date Doctor’s cardinal rule: until you’re married, you are single. (I can hear about 1,200 people thinking terrible thoughts about me after that statement.) However, the reality is
The Muse Editor is Kelsie Wardell. Contact her with comments or questions at klwardell@oru.edu.
Summer is here! What now for you two?
you’re not married and this summer will either leave you incredibly happy or incredibly hurt. I’ve seen it happen so many times. Now, I am not saying don’t do it, because it can be done. My wife and I maintained a three-year, long-distance relationship and we’re all the stronger for it! Was it incredibly hard and frustrating at times? You bet! However, we both knew what we wanted, and our friendship far exceeded our relationship. So here are a few tips to make it work if you’re dead set on it. 1. DO NOT spend all your time on the phone. That will get old sooo fast, and you will get sick and tired of each other.
4. BE HONEST! If two weeks into the summer you realize you no longer have feelings for this person, be honest and up front, and just tell them that. Don’t lie to them and drag them on a roller coaster all summer and have a blast while they’re waiting around for you. So that’s it! That’s how I would do it and did do it for three years, but if you want my opinion on being in a relationship going into the summer, read on. What would I do? Well, funny you ask. I would say to my significant other, “Why don’t we be happy being friends? You go and enjoy your summer and I’ll enjoy mine, and if in two or three months we come back and feel the same way about each other, then great! But if
not, then we will be content to continue our friendship with no one being hurt or feelings left high and dry.” Most of you are young as well as whomever you are dating. Chances are they are not going to be the person you marry. So if I could transport myself back to age 18, when I tried to do this and wound up hurting myself and my girlfriend at the time, I would do it differently. I would realize these are some of the best times of your lives. You will never have less responsibility than you have right now. Enjoy it with all your heart! Date casually, and don’t tie yourself down to a relationship that might not be there in six months. I promise you will regret it. However, I know sometimes you have to do it to
learn it, so by all means, good luck! Although, I hope you all guard your hearts because nothing is more important than preserving your heart for your future mate. Have a wonderful summer, enjoy this time being young and remember all the tips I’ve tried to pass on. I’m not some guy sitting behind a computer making stuff up. I have lived through every relationship scenario, and I hope and pray with all my heart that you can take some of the advice I could not take when I was your age. This will be my last semester at ORU, but I am always willing to give any advice and help I can! Feel free to follow or contact me on twitter at @detroithp77. It’s been a privilege to write for you all. Much love and happy dating!
2. DO NOT be controlling or obsessive! You like the other person for who they are, so be content to let them live their life with his or her friends and family and be happy to hear about it at the end of the night. 3. DO NOT set any expectations, because inevitably, one of you will be hurt by failed expectations. Give them your trust and tell them you want them to have a great summer and, if all goes well, you will enjoy them being your significant other still in a few months.
THE ORACLE • Friday, April 20, 2012 • 17
It’s way too easy to be a male at ORU Dear Oracle, As a freshman, I knew what I was getting into with the rules here. I wasn’t a fan of them since most seem a little excessive, but figuring out how strict the rules are is usually the first thing people check when they’re about to spend all of their life savings at a Christian university. However, I never expected a completely separate male and female ORU. Don’t get me wrong, I love ORU. I am in the Student Ambassador program and can easily talk about the great education, ministries to get involved in and a variety of other great things about the school. There’s a reason I chose to come here. However, the amount of sexism I face on a consistent basis is disappointing to see at such a good university. By
sexism I don’t mean “hatred of women.” I’m referring to typical gender stereotypes, as well as obvious privileges given to one gender over the other. Overall, it seems as though men do not have to abide to the same rules as women and get away with more. During Spring Break, I went to the midnight movie premiere of “The Hunger Games.” The weather was cold and rainy, and it was about the only thing we could do to get out of the dorms that didn’t involve destroying neurons. All of the women who went to the movie received a $50 fine, but not one guy did. Keep in mind, they live in separate dorms, so it wasn’t one particular person deciding to punish the girls and not the guys. I cannot put into
words how offensive it is to receive harsh punishments for coming in late for curfew when most students who had enough money were basking in bikinis, drinking margaritas, and none of the guys received any punishment. It wasn’t even a smaller punishment; it was none at all. It’s as if I was being punished for being born a female. I worked the overnight desk shift at EMR for two years because it kept me entertained the whole night. No other dorm seemed to have fireworks go off in the stairwells or welt-covered freshman come in the front door from a “buck buck.” Guys would come downstairs asking for the broom, later returning with full buckets of glass. I didn’t even want to know. One thing that drove me
crazy every time I worked was the amount of hissy fits I received from guys who didn’t want me to write their name down on a sheet of paper. I’m talking large guys having full-on hissy fits. I actually had to call security twice over the span of two years for things being thrown at me. It wasn’t surprising to see freshmen getting angry who weren’t used to the rules yet, but when I started receiving this behavior from upperclassmen, and even guys in leadership positions, I knew something was up. It was as if in all three or four years they had never once had their name written down or couldn’t figure out curfew was at 1:30 a.m. after serving as an R.A. for a whole year. I was annoyed beyond description. If I came in late half the amount of times
these guys did, I would have to sell my left kidney to pay for the amount of fines. Instead of coming in earlier or acknowledging the fines, they would just yell and cuss me out. Yes, including chaplains. There are many other instances of sexism. It doesn’t just stop at curfew. Men tend to have way more leniency when it comes to chapel services. For example, ever since my freshman year I have been required to come to every chapel service (minus the three allowed skips) and sit in the assigned seating arrangements. I cannot get on my cell phone or look at homework without an R.A. telling me to stop. Trust me, I’ve tried. I’ve even come to chapel services sick with fevers and coughing up Continued on back page
Shot Calling Sleeper cells found in fields of dreams
By Billy Burke I love baseball. Anybody who knows me or has talked to me during April through October knows I cannot get enough of America’s pastime. But I don’t just like to watch, talk and scream (sometimes unmentionable things) until my lungs bleed baseball, I love crunching the stats. So when I was introduced to a game called Fantasy Baseball, I
thanked God for it. Now I know the season is as green as the ivy walls at Wrigley, but some predictions do stick. Those sleepers can lead to that waiver wire stud who might just win you that shiny imaginary trophy. Light Sleeper: Josh Willingham OF - Minnesota Twins OK, this guy cranks out 29 home runs last year and has three 20+ HR seasons under his belt and he is a sleeper? Yup. The ranking system is something I don’t understand, and I never will. But this year, he is tied for second in the league for bombs (4) and is sporting a tasty .514 OBP. Either draft or pick this fool up. Moderate Sleeper: Yoenis Céspedes OF - Oakland A’s Cespy hails straight from Cuba. He brings some hype, yet hasn’t been in the majors (or minors) at all, and
18 • Friday, April 20, 2012 • THE ORACLE
the A’s gave him a 6-year multimillion dollar contract? He has come down to earth recently (.212). In the first week in the majors he was launching balls over 450 feet and hit HRs in three consecutive games. There’s no doubt he has talent, so snag him at the end of your drafts. Moderate Sleeper: Aroldis Chapman RP - Cincinnati Reds Second Cuban in a row? Ozzie would be proud. But as for his talent, he has plenty to spare. This guy doesn’t throw balls, he throws freaking bullets. He consistently tops 100 mph on the radar gun and has yet to give up an earned run this year. The Reds say they eventually want to move him to the rotation. There are rumors this might still happen at some point, but either way this guy is a good stash who can give you quality innings and K’s.
Deep Sleeper Mike Aviles 2B,3B,SS - Boston Red Sox When I saw Boston snagged this guy, I cringed. On top of being a defensive stalwart at multiple positions. Whenever he has gotten at least 400 AB he’s hit for over .300 and with Boston not having any other decent options at shortstop and the injuries they could encounter in the infield, he is definitely looking at 500 AB. And in Beantown he is bound to have scoring opportunities. Comatose Sleeper Kyle Drabek SP - Toronto Blue Jays When the Phillies traded him in the deal to land Halladay, he was their top pitching prospect. In his two starts this year, he has an impressive 1.42 ERA. It’s bound to go up, but with his potential and the run support in HR happy Canada T-town, he’s worth keeping an eye on.
The most valuable asset of summer is rest By Chandler Elmore I am sitting here at 1 a.m. as I write this. My days have seemingly blended, melding into an endless stream of papers, projects, meetings and deadlines. I have had a tough semester. Besides taking the maximum number of credits, being on floor leadership and enrolling in time-intensive courses, my mom passed away over Christmas break, taking the support I counted on during times of high stress. I know I am not alone in this mindset of complete exhaustion. These stressors orbit around a fledgling social life and sleep schedule. Ah, but the end is in sight. Finals are right around the corner, and then it’s the best time of the year for a student: summer break. Amid the chaos of college there is the call of rest growing louder with every paper being turned in.
For a person my age, finding time to rest is the hardest thing to include in my schedule. I am not talking about a solid eight-hour night devoted to sleeping. Being rested, in my opinion, requires a time of silence and a time free from anxieties. Living in EMR, I can tell you this is not possible from August to the end of April. Getting up at 7:50 a.m. for Humanities alone requires a great deal of noise from my alarm clock and provides anxieties as soon as I wake up. Day in and out, rest is the hardest thing to come by. The only outcome is being worn down to the point of exhaustion. I want to be rested again. The rest I am talking about is when there is a degree of silence in your heart. Rest brings a peaceful state of being, giving you a confidence like nothing else.
Being rested is not a mental state of being, but rather, it is your heart’s state of being. One of the biggest things I have learned this semester is how to rest. Be still. Stop doing. With the gentle, but knowing, guidance of those much wiser then me, I have noticed I indeed am tired and I have a right to be. Sounds like something to laugh at, but this was a big step for me. This is why I am excited, like so many of you, for summer. It is a time of rest. Summer break offers innumerable opportunities to unplug, unwind and begin the process of repairing the damage a year’s worth of academic stress can deal you. My summer will be filled with my first mission trip, time with my family and
then two months out in the woods working with little children at camp. It is shaping up to be a great break already. I implore you while school is in session to give it your all. Listen to the old adage and “finish strong.” There is something about giving something 100 percent all the way that leaves you feeling great and accomplished. But here’s the kicker. After that last final, seek after one thing.
Rest. There is a difference between relaxing and resting. The former is just a cheap imitation and not a force that recharges the heart. So rest. Be still. Take pause and admire things that you pass by. Indulge in having time on your hands to do things other than write papers and prepare for allnighters. I know I will be.
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Continued from page 18 a lung - clearly disrupting the service. On the other hand, most of my guy friends can sit anywhere they want and/or miss more services because they are tired, hungry or need to study. Moreover, men have more leniency when working out. I see guys outside all the time with their shirt off, but God forbid if my shoulder blades show when I’m at the A.C. When I asked why we have the racerback rule, the answer I received is that racerbacks, modest workout shirts specifically designed to not show any sports bra, make the shoulders look “too sexy.” I have no idea what that even means. There is not a man on the
face of the planet who looks at a woman’s shoulderblades lustfully unless they have some sort of strange fetish. Clean room check is usually only seen in the women’s dorms as well. Based on what guys have told me, if any guy R.A. checks rooms, it’s usually just to quickly look for alcohol. It is extremely sexist to have to clean my room before every women’s open dorms so “guys won’t see anything messy.” My boyfriend has seen every bad side of me. If I repeatedly belch in front of him, I highly doubt he’d care if he sees some clothes on the floor. I have to vacuum, wash my counters, make my bed and everything I would have
20 • Friday, April 20, 2012 • THE ORACLE
to do as if I was leaving for Spring or Fall break. I’m not paying money to receive the Mrs. degree., I’m paying to become a medical doctor. My friends are paying loads of money as well to
start their own businesses, teach or become nurses. We simply do not have time to spend two hours every other Wednesday making sure our rooms are cleaned because that’s what “godly” women do. It’s simply a per-
sonality trait.
I hope this can somehow get people to think twice about how women are treated differently here. By Cassie McNaney, junior biology major.