Jan 24, 2014 Print Edition

Oral Roberts University · Jan. 24, 2014 Tulsa, Okla. · Vol. 48, No. 8 www.oruoracle.com

LUCKY I3!

NEWS

Meet our new Provost Dr. Reid-Martinez Pg. 3

FEATURE

Guess our top news picks for 2013 PAGE 10

Dr. Kanitz completes Ph.D. studies Pg. 7

Art by Matthew Dean

SPORTS

NCAA grants waiver for ORU men’s basketball Pg. 13 Friday, Jan. 24, 2014

Address 7777 S. Lewis Ave. Tulsa, OK 74171 Web www.oruoracle.com Phone (918) 495-7080 Email oracle@oru.edu The Oracle is the premier student news media organization of Oral Roberts University. Our mission is to serve the ORU community with accurate and relevant media content, integrity, creativity and a focus on continual improvement.

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NEWS RenewU services kick-start spring semester

NEWS PAGE 6

Meet the creative minds behind chapel announcements

SPORTS PAGE 12

Find out our picks for the Super Bowl

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PAGE 4

News

New provost holds tight to ORU mission

By Hannah Covington Ask Dr. Kathaleen Reid-Martinez about the architecture on ORU’s campus, and she’ll look out the large windows in her 6th-floor office and delve into an in-depth discussion of 1960s building design trends and concrete pouring techniques.

She said she enjoys her grandstand view of the buildings each day as she adjusts to her new position as the chief academic officer of the university.

Reid-Martinez assumed the role of provost Jan. 2 after being unanimously selected by the Board of Trustees.

As she gestures from building to building, Reid-Martinez wonders aloud at each structure’s significance and looks forward to a guided tour of the 263-acre campus.

“What is the symbolic meaning?

What was the process of design? I’m very interested in it,” Reid-Martinez said. “It is a statement of the architecture of the ‘60s, and the statement of the new Armand-Hammer building is a statement of the futuristic, steel and glass movement we’ve had. So it’s ‘60s and then very, very contemporary.”

When she began her college studies as an art and architecture student, ReidMartinez said she never imagined she would one day serve as a college administrator. Later in her career, she believed she belonged, first and foremost, in the classroom teaching.

“I taught for years and that was my first love,” Reid-Martinez said. “But God has a sense of humor.”

Reid-Martinez received a B.A. in English from the University of Maryland, European Division; an M.A. in Mass Communication from the University of Denver; and a Ph.D. in Speech Communication from the University of Denver.

The former professor most recently served as provost of Mid-America Christian University in Oklahoma City.

Her other academic positions have included Lee University associate

professor of language arts and communications program coordinator, Church of God Theological Seminary executive vice president for administration and professor, Regent University dean of the School of Government and Azusa Pacific University vice president for nontraditional and experiential learning.

Her previous experience attests to a common theme in her professional life.

“I’m very committed to Christian higher education,” Reid-Martinez said.

“It’s been a primary focus in my career.”

Her top two priorities as ORU’s provost are furthering the university’s new vision of globalization and expanding online learning.

“I would like to increase the number of students and increase the number of programs available to students in the online environment,” Reid-Martinez said.

Currently, ORU serves 180 online students. She said she would like to see this number increase to between 250 and 275 students within a year.

With a background in media and media theory, Reid-Martinez has focused on the importance of online learning in her past positions. She was recently published in the Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology (third edition) for her article “Constructivism as the Driver of 21st Century Online Distance Education.”

She plans to recruit more students by working closely with the marketing department and the enrollment management team through admissions.

Regarding globalization, ReidMartinez expects to begin discussions with the faculty about implementing globalization competencies into the curriculum.

“Many of them already have great ideas,” she said. “I’m harnessing together what the faculty are already doing.”

She also hopes to make attending ORU as easy as possible for international students.

“We have to provide the right

Photo by Audrey Gray

Dr. Kathaleen Reid-Martinez stands in her new office as university provost.

After being unanimously selected by the Board of Trustees, she officially began her role at ORU on Jan. 2. student support services for any international students who would come,” she said.

During her first weeks as provost, Reid-Martinez said she made a point to introduce herself to students in elevators and in the hallways.

“I’m not closed off to students,” Reid-Martinez said. “I am hoping students will invite me to some of their events and their clubs.”

Reid-Martinez had her first interactions with an ORU student as a professor at Lee University in the late 1980s.

A student from ORU had moved to Tennessee to get married and subsequently transferred to Lee. The student became a top performer in Reid-Martinez’s class.

The new provost said she is excited to work on behalf of ORU students after having her first encounter with one student more than two decades ago.

“I am very interested in making certain students are well prepared, spirit, mind and body,” she said. “I embrace the ORU mission.”

Friday, Jan. 24, 2014

NEWS BRIEFS

Photo by Nick Conroy

Students kneel in prayer Jan. 8 at a RenewU evening service. After praise and worship led by the ORU Worship Center, students were given the chance to share personal testimonies on stage in front of their peers. At the end of the Jan. 9 service, President William Wilson also invited faculty to pray over students for the upcoming semester.

Students look to launch all-day prayer

By Madison McDaniel As students arrived back from Christmas break they were greeted by emails sharing the news that ORU would be hosting its very first “Spring Revival,” called RenewU. Students joined in Christ’s Chapel Jan. 8 and 9 for a time of worship, prayer and consecration for the new year.

As a result of RenewU, the prayer room in the Prayer Tower has been open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day.

“We didn’t know exactly what to expect,” said Christian Polus, student director of the Prayer Movement.

“RenewU was a new thing for our school, so we did not know what the tone was going to be, but that is why we just prayed and asked God to have his way.”

Polus hoped that the student body would experience God in a very real and personal way.

, Jan. 24, 2014

“I was going through a hard time during that week,” freshman Ron Parker said. “RenewU just really helped me feel refreshed through all of the praise, worship and open mic.

Afterwards, I just really felt a cleansing on the inside.”

Parker said RenewU gave the students a fresh excitement and dedication to start the new year off right.

“At its core, revival is not outward signs such as elongated chapels or more prayer meetings,” Polus said.

“Revival is when we, as a student body, collectively receive the call to holiness, repentance and brokenness before God, wanting nothing more than to be in His presence and let His Spirit work within us.”

Many students said the open-mic portion of the services was their favorite.

“What I really appreciated was the vulnerability of the students during

the testimony segment,” sophomore Tolu Mejolagbe said. “I know that took a lot of courage to openly share your struggles and weaknesses to encourage others in the faith.”

The Prayer Movement team is attempting to make all-day prayer an ongoing reality every day of the week.

“Obviously, at this point we are not able to do prayer after curfew unless it’s in the dorms, but eventually we hope to be able to work something out with the administration to allow for that,” said Polus.

All-day prayer provides the student body the opportunity to seek the Lord for what He has in store for ORU. “I truly believe this is the year that God has chosen to finally do this work that He has been preparing for years,” said Polus. “Revival is already here and coming in greater measures.”

By McKensie Garber Being on a tight budget, Student Association has recently been discussing the possibility of discontinuing cable TV for the coming fall 2013 school year due to the high expense.

Cable TV is costing the Student Association $20,000. The quality of the Students topristine, participate cable is not always as many channels don’t come in clearly. in ads competition Associations Op-UniInStudent April, a group of OralChief Roberts erating Officer, Bethany White said, versity students will be competing “There’s so many other things we can for the first time in the 2014 Nationdo with $20,000 than pay for cable that al one Student no likes.”Advertising Competition sponsored American AdverAccordingbytothe Student Association tising Federation in Austin, President Daniel Holman, theTexas.

SA is allotted a budget at the beginning of each The district winners will advance to year.

Th is money comes from student the ADMERICA! national conference activity fees, which all students pay. in Boca Raton, Fla. The Student Association is to receive a percent of each of those activity fees.

This allows their budget to fluctuate year-to-year depending upon the number of students enrolled on campus.

Due to the increase in students on campus this year, the SA should have received money to pay for things The fifthmore Whole Person Triathlon such cable TV. However, will as beevents takingand place February 22-23. their budgetstudents was cut over $30,000 from Individual brave enough what it was lastmeters, year. bike 6.2 miles to swim 400 “It run makes verycan diffipay cult $30 to continue and 1.5 itmiles to toregister, serve the students forfor and teams by canpaying register perks cable TV, movie nights, $40. such Moreasinformation on this event homecoming parties, money can be foundevents, by contacting the for clubs, shuttles Aerobics Center.etc. when we do not receive what the fees that are meant to go towards these things,” President Holman said.

Many students have said thatfortheir Flu shots will be available a cable does not always work properly limited time on campus at Student and somefor rooms don’tof even Health the price $30.have Theworkflu ing cable. shot is a great way to keep from beSeniorsick Becca Valdez “The cable coming during thesaid, semester if initmy room doesn’t work and I know is used in conjunction with other that other girls have complained that flu-preventing measures.

For more their channels don’t come through, information, visit www.cdc.gov/flu while some rooms do receive working or take a trip to Student Health on channels.

I wish all of us could have campus. equal entertainment.”

On-campus triathlon slated for Feb. 22-23

Have you had your flu shot?

Meet Chaplain Mike

By Dominique Johnson He didn’t want a stage or a microphone. Rather, hearing students share from their hearts in front of hundreds of their peers was enough for Mike Eddins.

RenewU marked the first official project for Eddins, the new men’s chaplain.

Eddins said he’s looking forward to helping men become the men that God intends for them to be.

“It’s very simple in a sense,” he said.

“But that’s the core. That’s what a lot of men are missing. They just want to know who God wants them to be.”

His duties as men’s chaplain started immediately at the start of the spring semester. On top of helping with RenewU, he’s started interviewing students for chaplain positions.

“I have multiple positions to fill,” Eddins said. “And those are scholarship positions. Since there hasn’t been a men’s chaplain, there’s men on this campus that haven’t been able to get a scholarship because [no one could] interview them.”

Since students have graduated or moved schools, some floors have lost their chaplains. One of Eddins’ main goals is to fill every position as soon as possible. He also wants to get to know all the current chaplains.

As men’s chaplain, Eddins helps oversee the Prayer Movement and the operations of the Prayer Tower. He meets and mentors the male head chaplains.

“I want to make an atmosphere that’s going to catapult men into what God has called them to [be],” Eddins said. “That’s unique for every person.”

Eddins owns his own non-profit business called Potter’s Hand Ministries.

His work there gave him experience with mentoring men.

“We do different ministry projects including traveling, [raising] expenses for traveling and expenses for meeting with guys,” Eddins said. “It’s specifically a spiritual formation ministry. It aims to treat one on one [through] meetings

Roaring ’20s theme takes over homecoming

Photo by Violet Mwanza

Mike Eddins made his debut as men’s chaplain at RenewU services, which were held Jan. 8 and 9.

and discipleship.”

He also teaches a philosophy class at Tulsa Community College and recently left a full time job at Harvest Bank. “[I would mentor guys] on my lunch breaks, evenings and weekends with my other jobs for about ten years,” Eddins said. “That experience makes the job as the men’s chaplain at ORU like falling off a log. It’s what I do; now, I just do it more.”

Eddins said he wants to “face men’s issues head-on.” “‘How do we let God love us? Are we worthy to be loved by God? Does God really care about what I do?’” Ed-

By McKensie Garber Being on a tight budget, Student Association has recently been discussing the possibility of discontinuing cable TV for the coming fall 2013 school year due to the high expense.

ByCable Madison TV isMcDaniel costing the Student The Homecoming will Association $20,000. TheBanquet quality of the take students back in time to the cable is not always pristine, as many roaring don’t 1920s.come The in event, slated for channels clearly.

Saturday, Feb. 1 from 8 to 11 Opp.m., Student Associations Chief rekindles of “ThWhite e Greatsaid, erating Offithe cer,era Bethany Gatsby.”

“There’s so many other things we can Student Association do with $20,000 than payChief for cable that Programs Offi cer Christine Anthony no one likes.” said the inspiration for this year’s According to Student Association banquet came from the style President Daniel Holman, the and SA is albeauty of the 1920s. lotted a budget at the beginning of each style is]comes so funfrom and student classy, year.“[Th Thisemoney why not have a banquet with this activity fees, which all students pay. glamorous theme?”

Anthony said.

The Student Association is to receive The event willofbethose heldactivity in the heart a percent of each fees. of downtown Tulsa’s central business This allows their budget to fluctuate district. Event-goers enter year-to-year dependingwill upon theFirst numPlace Tower and be greeted by a ber of students enrolled mid-century on campus. lobby witih themed décor. sleek periodinelevators DueTh toethe increase studentswill on whisk attendees to Sky thehave campus this year, the SA Loft, should building’s 41stmoney floor. to Thpay e view received more for from things Sky as Loft allows to However, see the such events andstudents cable TV. Tulsa skyline with 360-degree their budget was cutaover $30,000view. from is venue we chose was what“Th it was last year. also in itthe ’20sdiffi so cult it just t “Itbuilt makes very to ficontinue said.

“We always toperfectly,” serve the Anthony students by paying for try and mix it up and have a diff erent perks such as cable TV, movie nights, venue each year to make it amoney little bit homecoming events, parties, of a diff erent experience.” for clubs, shuttles etc. when we do not Thwhat e banquet willthat alsoare have food, receive the fees meant drinks and a photo booth to better to go towards these things,” President capture said. the night.

Holman “Students expect have Many studentsshould have said thattotheir a classy of fun and cable doesnight not always workdancing,” properly Anthony said.

“It’s going to be aworkton and some rooms don’t even have of cable. fun, so get ready for a night to ing remember.”

Senior Becca Valdez said, “The cable Homecoming are now in my room doesn’ttickets work and I know available at the SA offi ces in thethat that other girls have complained Hammer Center thru their channels don’tMonday come through, Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tickets while some rooms do receive working for singles are $25, channels.

I wish all ofand us $45 couldforhave couples.

Payment may be made by equal entertainment.” cash or credit card.

dins said. “Those are the kind of things that have gotten lost over the years.

The culture we have around us [can push] men out those boxes into some other stuff.”

As Eddins works toward his goals as men’s chaplain, he said he enjoys his work environment and working with Chaplain Carol Holderness. One of Eddins’ goals is to help students know when God is speaking to them.

“That’s powerful,” Eddins said. “That can be as powerful as anything. The question is, knowing what God is saying. That being a part of ORU’s vision, it’s a part of mine.”

Friday, Jan. 24, 2014

Faces behind chapel announcements Judge rules against Okla. gay marriage ban

Photo by Julie Gonzalez

Behind the camera, Dominique McCollum gets footage for chapel announcements.

By Valeria Hernandez Ready to start the weekly process, Dominique McCollum and Isaiah Cartledge determine locations and get ready to shoot the announcements.

Both are part-time students of the Multi-Media Institute and full-time workers for University Media Productions (UMP).

“Chapel announcements are one of our duties,” said McCollum. “We create promotions for the university and make feature pieces on departments or students. We are kind of all around the map.”

A few semesters away from graduation, seniors McCollum and Cartledge were offered summer jobs with the Manager of UMP, Roy Baker.

The co-workers surpassed job expectations and were offered full-time jobs as producers, directors and managers for UMP. The opportunity provided experiences as well as financial tuition benefits. “[The job] was an answer to my prayers,” said McCollum. “I did not know why I was supposed to take the summer job, but whenever Roy [Baker] asked me, the Holy Spirit told me to do this.”

McCollum likes seeing ideas become reality.

“I see [the idea] in my head,” McCollum said. “I like putting it together and going above the average job.”

Cartledge describes himself as a man of many hats.

He started his early years in college as a track runner in Brooklyn, New York; he eventually became number six on the East Coast. Despite his success as a runner, he felt he needed to pursue his passion for music and

, Jan. 24, 2014

signed a record deal, demanding a move to California and dropping out of college. When his music career became less profitable, he moved back to Virginia and became a pastor for young adults.

“I ran when I was in love with track field. I ran in some of the biggest stages and faced some of the toughest competitors, ” said Cartledge. “I performed at the House of Blues in California. It’s been a phenomenal life so far.”

Cartledge came to ORU eight years after leaving college to study theology. Soon after, Cartledge found his passion and changed majors to the MMI program when one of his teachers mentioned the idea of ministering in Hollywood.

“When he said ‘Hollywood,’ it clicked,” said Cartledge. “I’ve always had a thing for movies. I’ve always had this desire to create.”

Despite their different personalities and backgrounds, McCollum and Cartledge share the same passion for production. McCollum has her own freelance company and plans to expand it in the future. She also works for her church’s media department.

As for Cartledge, he is currently filming short inspirational YouTube videos based on his experiences, but his ultimate desire is Hollywood.

“Hollywood is not that big of a deal. I know the God of Hollywood,” said Cartledge. “There is nothing we cannot do. Our God is infinite in intelligence. We are only one thought away from success.”

By Kristy Sturgill U.S. District Court Judge Terence Kern recently ruled the Oklahoma law restricting marriage to heterosexual couples violates the U.S. Constitution.

The judge expects his ruling will be appealed; therefore, no marriage licenses will be issued to samesex couples until the battle is over.

In the 68-page ruling, the judge wrote, “The court holds that Oklahoma’s constitutional amendment limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.”

The Jan. 14 decision dealt primarily with Part A of the Oklahoma Constitution that states, “Marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman.”

Oklahoma’s constitutional amendment was first challenged in 2004 by two lesbian couples. Mary Bishop and Sharon Baldwin, who work at the Tulsa World newspaper, filed the Oklahoma lawsuit along with another same-sex couple in 2004.

“The Bishop couple has been in a loving, committed relationship for many years,” Kern wrote. “They own property together, wish to retire together, wish to make medical decisions for one another and wish to be recognized as a married couple with all its attendant rights and responsibilities.”

In a statement, Governor Mary Fallin said, “I support the right of Oklahoma’s voters to govern themselves on this and other policy matters. I am disappointed in the judge’s ruling and troubled that the will of the people has once again been ignored by the federal government.”

Oklahoma Representative James Lankford released a statement saying, “In 2004, Oklahomans overwhelmingly decided marriage is a unique institution between a man and a woman. Since the Constitution leaves marriage laws to the states, the state of Oklahoma has the right to define marriage in a way consistent with the values of our state.”

Currently, 17 states and Washington D.C. allow same sex couples to get married. According to an article published by NPR, there are currently 43 same-sex lawsuits in courts, with 27 of those in federal court. Oklahoma’s ban on same-sex marriage is the third to be struck down by a federal judge, after California and Utah.

FEATURES

Chapel dancers become official worship group

By Dominique Johnson “Make my praise glorious.”

After hearing those words from God, graduate student Sylvia Sanders knew it was her job to use flags to glorify God. Last semester, the ORU Worship Warriors (OWW) became an official organization under the leadership of Spiritual Formation. During chapel, they express their worship through dancing with flags.

“We’re instruments of opening up the atmosphere for allowing the glory of the Lord to come down,” Sanders said. “I don’t think people understand much about the flags, but they see something shift in the atmosphere.”

The flags carry symbolism. Gold flags symbolize the divinity of God and blue symbolize the Holy Spirit or heavenly nature of God. Last semester, the head of OWW graduated, and Sanders took on the

responsibility. Several students worship under the leadership of Sanders.

Junior Joseph Sims said before he joined, the concept of flag dancing confused him.

“Once you step into it, the confusion goes away,” Sims said. “It doesn’t take long.”

OWW changed his perspective on worship.

“After a while you start to realize [dancing with flags is] true worship,” Sims said. “Now, I can’t worship the same way. I have to move and express my passion.”

Sims finds other benefits from flag dancing.

“It’s actually fun,” he said. “Making different shapes with the flag, hearing the flag’s noise, all that kind of stuff.

And I may have gotten some aerobic points from it.”

Sanders said she sees the effects of OWW on the team.

“I think it’s taking [the students involved] to another level in their lives,” Sanders said. “I see some of them have become freer. ” Both Sims and Sanders said they want more men to join the team.

“I know a lot of men are Photo by Courtney Dilley probably like Chapel dancers worship through waving flags. ‘why are those two or three guys over there waving Sanders wants to grow the ministry, flags?’” said Sims. “That was something hoping to take flag worshipping to a I had to grow out of. I think as a man global level. But her mission lies in one it’s hard to express my true worship in thing.

God. It’s really not about the person to “We’re going to make His praise your right or to your left. It’s about you glorious,” Sanders said. and God.”

Spring semester brings new foreign language class

By Madison McDaniel This semester, in conjunction with the globalization initiative, the university will offer Chinese 101 to all students for general education despite their declared major. It will teach Mandarin, the most spoken dialect of Chinese.

“We had students, just word of mouth, who heard about [the course] before we even officially had it where they could register,” Dr. Linda Gray, chair of the English and Modern Languages Department, said. “We have a great deal of interest in it, and I am pleased.”

Twenty-two students have enrolled in Chinese 101 for the spring semester.

Sophomore international business major Evangelina Bielby added Chinese to her schedule.

“I decided to take Chinese because it is one of the most spoken languages in the world,” said Bielby. “As a business student, it’s key for my future

if I want to do international business.

It’s very important to communicate with people who are dominating the business global market.”

The Chinese course fits into the university’s globalization vision.

“The goal in this, and it ties in with President Wilson’s goal, is to prepare some of our students for mission work in China,” Gray said. “I have a student who graduated probably 25 years ago, and she’s been in China since her graduation, and I still get missionary letters from her.”

The idea of bringing a new foreign language to ORU was introduced about three years ago in the department of English and Modern Languages.

“We had students fill out a survey as to which languages they would be interested in, and Chinese and Arabic were the two they were interested in that we didn’t offer at the time,” Gray said.

The process of bringing Chinese or Arabic to ORU was put on hold due to the lack of funds for new programs.

“We were trying to be wise with our finances,” said Gray. “We took time as a university to become financially really strong, and we’ve reached those goals.”

Currently, the new Chinese 101 professor, Jenny Chen, is in China taking care of family business.

But, that doesn’t mean students get to skip the first weeks of class. “[Our teacher] has given us assignments already online to do, and it’s pretty exciting,” Bielby said. “Most of the kids I’ve talked to in the class are super excited to learn.”

For Bielby, Chinese 101 will allow her to continue learning a language she began picking up when she lived in Taiwan.

“I’m looking forward to learning how to read and write because that’s something I don’t know how to

do,” said Bielby. “I can speak and understand, and learning that can just complete the education of Mandarin for me so that is the missing piece.”

Bielby is one of the first students to declare a Mandarin minor.

Administration told her it will be officially declared by the time she graduates.

Dr. Gray said, “Eventually students will be able to minor [in Chinese], and a major might be possible, but it would be down the road.”

As of now, only Chinese 101 is offered, but starting in the fall of 2014 Chinese 102 will be added. From there, the levels of Chinese will build each semester. 103 will be offered in 2015.

“There are so many millions of native Chinese speakers who haven’t heard about God,” said Gray. “This may be an opportunity for some of our graduates to play an important role.”

Kanitz earns doctorate, reflects on experience

By Brooke Thomas While most students enjoyed extra sleep and no homework over Christmas break, Dr. Lori Kanitz was busy achieving an elite distinction.

While attending the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, Kanitz successfully defended her dissertation, earning her an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Literature and Theology.

Kanitz sought to follow the voice of God in her studies, so she looked for a program to meet her needs as well as allow her to fulfill her calling.

“I think it is important for Christians to realize that you have to have the training,” said Kanitz. “You have to have the letters behind your name at some point if the Lord is calling you into that realm.”

University of St. Andrews became the perfect choice for Kanitz’s pursuit of a Ph.D. “I was familiar with the UK system because I did my master’s overseas,

but the main reason was the program.

There aren’t very many programs at the Ph.D. level in the U.S. that allow interdisciplinary studies in theology and the arts.”

Kanitz knew the head of the institute and used some of his work in her ORU classes.

Now returning to full-time teaching at ORU, Kanitz strives to guide her students and help unlock their full potential by using several tools she learned while obtaining her Ph.D. “It sharpened my desire and ability to help students figure out and craft their own arguments and work in a way that reflects their own interests,” Kanitz said.

Kanitz believes that her time abroad made her more compassionate for her students.

“I just think the students are amazing and that’s just the best part of my job is working with them,” Kanitz said.

“It’s always very touching to me when a

Photo by Julie Gonzalez

Lori Kanitz, assistant professor of English, also serves as ORU’s study abroad coordinator. student says, ‘I pray the rest of your day goes well’ or ‘Here let me get that door

for you’... I never take that for granted.”

God doesn’t get lost in translation.

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Oracle TOP ‘13 PICKS The Snowden WikiLeaks – NSA contractor Edward Snowden’s leak of classified information lifted the curtain on large-scale spying efforts of the National Security Agency, both at home and abroad. Snowden’s subsequent flight to Russia and the intelligence community’s heated reaction dominated headlines for months in 2013.

Boston Marathon Bombing – The explosion at the Boston Marathon on April 15 killed three and injured hundreds others. The man-hunt for two brothers that ensued left a major U.S. city locked down before police located the surviving alleged perpetrator, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

The world gained a horrifying view of Syria’s deadly civil war on Aug. 21 when videos of women and children attacked by chemical weapons surfaced. More than 100,000 people have died in this Middle Eastern conflict.

“Frozen” – Disney’s newest animated musical has already garnered some major critical acclaim and grossed more than $700 million at the box office, a staggering figure. As members of the generation that grew up with animated Disney hits, we rejoice over this icy wonder.

Obamacare – The Affordable Care Act launched Oct. 1, but a rocky roll-out left most of the nation hoping President Obama would resolve its glitches in 2014.

Pope Francis - March 13 marked a new era for the Vatican with the announcement of Jorge Bergoglio as the 266th pope. A native of Argentina, Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope in history and the first non-European pope in 1200 years. He choice of name harkens back to Saint Francis of Assisi, a religious figure famed for his dedication to the poor.

We heart Kate Middleton and Prince William. End of story. So when the world learned they were expecting, we could only wait and pray for some leaked photos of mom and prince after the heralded babe’s royal birth. Welcome to Earth, Prince George.

“What Does the Fox Say?” – It’s a question we’ve never asked ourselves before, but in their insanely catchy YouTube hit, the Norwegian comedian duo Ylvis made it dominate public consciousness: What the fox say? Will we ever know?

Last year brought one of the worst storm seasons in recent memory to Oklahoma, including the EF5 tornado that killed 24 people in Moore. The outpouring of support by Oklahomans far and wide reminded residents why they’re proud to call Moore “home.”

Ravens triumph – The battle between the Harbaugh brothers was the main storyline of Super Bowl LXXVII. A 34-minute blackout postponed the game and sent announcers scrambling to find something to say. The elder Harbaugh coach ultimately defeated the younger in the ‘Blackout Bowl.’

Those of us still using an iPhone 4 sit in envy of our 5s counterparts. How awesome is it to use the Touch ID sensor to unlock your phone? And your insane picture quality? Really, we’d like to know.

“Breaking Bad” – The gravest sin of last semester: spoiling the season finale of AMC’s hit “Breaking Bad.” As the story of one man’s descent into darkness, this series pulled in at least 4 million viewers each episode in Season 5.

Seven additional states legalized gay marriage in 2013, bringing the total nationwide to 17, plus the District of Columbia. .

Graphic by Bruce Dixon Art by Matthew Dean

Friday, Jan. 24, 2014

Graphic by Bruce Dixon

Oracle HIGHLIGHTS

The Spring 2013 semester ushered in a number of changes for students rernatiassim dunt raecae hit et faccae toVitdiscover when they dem returned to ipsaeca boribus inum es dolesto cus autem que velecta campus in January. Perhaps the most quatate doluptas mod ut magnati ntectium quo notable was the opening of the Artectece arumquatem eosam qui arum eni repudae mand Hammer ped magnienia sitiaeAlumni-Student nulluptatet, simendus es quam, Center.

Built on the volloria spot once host corrovi ditiatibus dolectas dolecte sit reto si the old Health reptatem quia sunt.Resources Center, the Da vendel volenimi, iuntotas doHammer moluptae Centersaecus features a number earuptas dolora coris modi iuma voluptatia oflorrorum food options, study spaces, game vitaturis reptae. Is dolupid earum es nis sequi tem id area and new alumni and Student Asmolesequi cumenet quidelis ratem hiligen danditia sociation offices. autet harum nonsequam, nis nonse andust

Last year, many changes were made to the dress code. ORU’s Vice President for Student Life Daniel Guajardo announced the changes during chapel on Feb. 8. At the top of the list, students are now allowed to wear athletic shorts in the cafeteria. Longer haircuts were also permitted for men for the first time. In perhaps the most forwardthinking of the revisions, facial piercings for both men and women were allowed. The announcement was met with great applause, and students immediately took advantage of the rule changes.

Dr. Mark Rutland became the third president of Oral Roberts University in 2009. Former President Rutland held the position for four years, helping the school achieve financial sustainability and erase notable debt from years past.

He spoke in his last chapel service in April and now serves as president of Global Servants in addition to preaching services at Jentezen Franklin’s Free Chapel church.

Last semester, students heard of President Billy Wilson’s plans for globalization.

“Globalization is the coming together of the world,” Wilson said. “Dividing lines between people and groups are not as they used to be.”

In 2013, ORU became home to students from 68 different countries. For many international students, getting to ORU was a process characterized by plenty of “red tape.”

The university’s new global vision promises to ease this transition as it welcomes more international students in future classes and prepares students to work worldwide.

Dr. William M. Wilson was officially inaugurated Sept. 20, 2013 in the Mabee Center. He is ORU’s fourth president. Before assuming the presidency, Wilson served on the ORU Board of Trustees as vice-chair. He is also Co-Chair of Empowered21.

2013 marked the 50year anniversary of a chapel service still vivid in the memory of many alumni. On Jan. 26, 1973, Oral Roberts read a compelling letter aloud in chapel signed by “John Lennon.” The televangelist wrote back multiple times but never received a reply. Students wrote more than 130 personal messages of encouragement to John and Yoko, which the university still has.

The Oracle looked into the mystery surrounding the letter, talking to numerous Beatles experts about John Lennon’s interest in spirituality and the authenticity of the letter based on handwriting samples.

Graphic by Bruce Dixon

Oracle HIGHLIGHTS

The Spring 2013 semester ushered in a number of changes for students rernatiassim dunt raecae hit et faccae toVitdiscover when they dem returned to ipsaeca boribus inum es dolesto cus autem que velecta campus in January. Perhaps the most quatate doluptas mod ut magnati ntectium quo notable was the opening of the Artectece arumquatem eosam qui arum eni repudae mand Hammer ped magnienia sitiaeAlumni-Student nulluptatet, simendus es quam, Center.

Built on the volloria spot once host corrovi ditiatibus dolectas dolecte sit reto si the old Health reptatem quia sunt.Resources Center, the Da vendel volenimi, iuntotas doHammer moluptae Centersaecus features a number earuptas dolora coris modi iuma voluptatia oflorrorum food options, study spaces, game vitaturis reptae. Is dolupid earum es nis sequi tem id area and new alumni and Student Asmolesequi cumenet quidelis ratem hiligen danditia sociation offices. autet harum nonsequam, nis nonse andust

Last year, many changes were made to the dress code. ORU’s Vice President for Student Life Daniel Guajardo announced the changes during chapel on Feb. 8. At the top of the list, students are now allowed to wear athletic shorts in the cafeteria. Longer haircuts were also permitted for men for the first time. In perhaps the most forwardthinking of the revisions, facial piercings for both men and women were allowed. The announcement was met with great applause, and students immediately took advantage of the rule changes.

Dr. Mark Rutland became the third president of Oral Roberts University in 2009. Former President Rutland held the position for four years, helping the school achieve financial sustainability and erase notable debt from years past.

He spoke in his last chapel service in April and now serves as president of Global Servants in addition to preaching services at Jentezen Franklin’s Free Chapel church.

Last semester, students heard of President Billy Wilson’s plans for globalization.

“Globalization is the coming together of the world,” Wilson said. “Dividing lines between people and groups are not as they used to be.”

In 2013, ORU became home to students from 68 different countries. For many international students, getting to ORU was a process characterized by plenty of “red tape.”

The university’s new global vision promises to ease this transition as it welcomes more international students in future classes and prepares students to work worldwide.

Dr. William M. Wilson was officially inaugurated Sept. 20, 2013 in the Mabee Center. He is ORU’s fourth president. Before assuming the presidency, Wilson served on the ORU Board of Trustees as vice-chair. He is also Co-Chair of Empowered21.

2013 marked the 50year anniversary of a chapel service still vivid in the memory of many alumni. On Jan. 26, 1973, Oral Roberts read a compelling letter aloud in chapel signed by “John Lennon.” The televangelist wrote back multiple times but never received a reply. Students wrote more than 130 personal messages of encouragement to John and Yoko, which the university still has.

The Oracle looked into the mystery surrounding the letter, talking to numerous Beatles experts about John Lennon’s interest in spirituality and the authenticity of the letter based on handwriting samples.

SPORTS

By David Sauer NFL fans should be happy with this Super Bowl matchup. It’s old versus young, offense versus defense, pass versus run, Denver versus Seattle.

Seattle’s secondary will have its toughest challenge of the season taking on the high-flying Denver pass attack.

Richard Sherman, the self-proclaimed best corner in the game will get his chance to prove it facing Peyton Manning and Demaryius Thomas.

The way to stop Manning and his receiving gang is by pressuring Manning. New England’s defense failed to pressure Manning in the AFC Championship game and failed to win the game.

Seattle’s front seven will have to pressure Manning because if he has the time, he will find a receiver, no matter how good Sherman thinks he is.

The Seattle pass rush should have an easier time getting to Manning, who will definitely not be running for 130 yards like Colin Kaepernick did. If they can get to Manning quickly, it will allow Sherman and Earl Thomas to make plays and force interceptions.

As always, the Seahawks will look to run the ball first. Marshawn Lynch will have an easier time finding holes to run through than he did against San Francisco’s fourth best run defense, but maybe not a lot easier.

The Broncos main goal against the Patriots was to take the run away.

If Denver takes that approach in the Super Bowl, Russell Wilson will have to win the game through the air. Despite their success against Tom Brady, Denver was still 27th in pass defense during the regular season.

Although Wilson won’t light up the stat sheet with passing yards, he will be able to make the big play when it needs to be made.

The determining factor could be the weather in New York. Freezing temperatures could end up making the difference, and Seattle is better built to handle adverse conditions.

, Jan. 24, 2014

@oruoraclesports

Predictions

Seattle 28 Denver 24 Denver 24 Seattle 17

By Ryan Woods Could it get better than this? The NFL’s top-ranked offense, led by Peyton Manning, will face the Seattle Seahawks, the NFL’s top-ranked defense, in the 2014 Super Bowl.

With a 26-16 win over the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship, the Denver Broncos return to the biggest stage in sports for the first time since 1998.

When “on pace for” became “finished with,” Quarterback Peyton Manning had registered the most impressive statistical season in the history of the NFL. Manning set new all-time records for total yards (5,477) and passing touchdowns (55).

Manning, this season’s likely league MVP, looks to further cement his legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time with a second Lombardi Trophy.

The 2013 Denver Broncos will be remembered for its potent offense that now holds numerous single-season records, but don’t overlook what this defense, specifically against the run, has accomplished in these playoffs.

Led upfront by Terrance Knighton, this group held San Diego and New England to an average of just 64.5 yards on the ground.

The biggest challenge for this defensive front awaits them in Marshawn Lynch. Lynch is one of the premier backs in the league and the focal point of Seattle’s attack. The Seahawks will pound Lynch between the tackles early and often. How Denver’s defensive front holds up will go a long way in determining the the winner.

The biggest x-factor of this game could be the weather in New York City. This is the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold-weather city. The nastier the weather the more of an advantage Seattle and its rushing attack will have.

A year ago, Baltimore and San Francisco went down to the final bell. Will this year be the same?

NCAA grants ORU waiver for forfeited games

By David Sauer The NCAA granted ORU a waiver this week pertaining to their origional ruling forcing the Golden Eagles to forfeit two Southland Conference games.

According to the NCAA rulebook, a Division I team cannot play more than four non-Division I schools in one season. Exhibition games are included in the game count.

In order to remain in compliance with NCAA rules, ORU’s men’s basketball team was set to forfeit two games on the Southland Conference schedule.

However, the NCAA granted a waiver, allowing ORU to play the games originally forfeited.

ORU scheduled six non-Division I schools on their 2013-14 schedule: two exhibition games against Northwood and Rodgers State, and four regular season games against Cameron, Dallas Baptist, Abilene Christian and Incarnate Word.

The two games in question were against Abilene Christian Thursday, and

Incarnate Word last Saturday.

ORU won both road games, defeating ACU 82-59 and UIW 79-77.

Shawn Glover scored 25 versus ACU and followed it up with 24 points and a game-winning shot with 1.2 second left against UIW. Tom Burnett, commissioner of the Southland Conference, released this statement on the waiver.

“We are very pleased the NCAA staff and the SLR saw fit to review this issue, and that our student-athletes aren’t harmed by the possibilities of forfeitures. The Southland’s Executive Committee has reviewed the outcome of the waiver request, and has rescinded its previous actions, and we are excited that all games we planned to cancel, or were canceled, will be played fully as scheduled or rescheduled.”

ORU’s athletic department originally released the following statement commenting on the forfeited games.

“When the 2013-14 men’s basketball schedule was created, we thought that exhibition games against non-

Division I opponents were exempt from the four-game limit. Our men’s basketball program put together its schedule for 2013-14. The schedule went through the standard athletic department approval process that includes several administrators, and unfortunately, the discrepancy was not discovered.”

Abilene Christian and Incarnate Word are considered Division II schools because they are transitioning from Division II to Division I. Both schools were a member of the Lone Star Conference last year and made the jump to the Southland Conference last July.

The two games forfeited would have counted as nocontests by the NCAA but counted as losses in the standings for the Southland

Courtesy Photo

Glover had a combined 49 points in the two games originally forfeited.

Conference.

The Golden Eagles weren’t the only team to have a problem with scheduling. Stephen F. Austin’s men’s basketball team and Southeastern Louisiana’s women’s basketball team also had to forfeit one game each. Both of those teams are included in the waiver.

Extra Points: Year-end NFL awards

By David Sauer

Another exciting and entertaining NFL season is coming to a close.

But before we say goodbye to football for a while, it’s time to honor the season’s greatest performers.

MVP & Offensive Player of the Year This is an easy one. Starting week one, Peyton Manning made it impossible to name anyone else MVP. The numbers speak for themselves. He set new records in passing yards, 5,477, and touchdowns, 55, and led his team to more points than any other team in NFL history. It was a performance like no other.

Defensive Player of the Year Robert Mathis had the best season of his career despite changing positioins, and not having Dwight Freeney on the other side. He faced all the double teams that offenses could throw at him, yet still had a league high 19.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles. The forced fumble against the Chiefs sparked a big second-half comeback in the AFC Wild Card game. Mathis didn’t have an off year like many expected, but rose to the challenge of replacing Freeney’s production.

Comeback Player of the Year Jamaal Charles missed most of last season with a knee injury but returned to have an exceptional year. Not only did he rush for 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns, he also caught passes for 693 yards and seven touchdowns. That’s

1,980 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns. Charles crossed the goal line more than any other player this year. Defenses expected Charles to carry the ball and still had no answer.

Offensive Rookie of the Year Fantasy owners smart enough to pick up Keenan Allen were not disappointed. The Chargers’ third-round pick in 2013 quickly became one of the key pieces in the Chargers re-birthed offense. Allen led the team in receiving with over 1,000 yards and grabbed eight touchdowns. He established himself as a receiver to be aware of in San Diego.

Defensive Rookie of the Year While the jury is still out on firstround pick E.J. Manuel there is no doubt about linebacker Kiko Alonso.

The Bills’ second-round pick was not only the best defensive rookie in the league, but one of the best defensive players overall. His 159 combined tackles were the third-highest in the NFL. He recorded 87 solo tackles and added four interceptions. All three of those stats were Buffalo team highs.

Coach of the Year You may not like him, but Bill Belichick was the best coach in the NFL this year. The Patriots weathered a storm of injuries on their way to yet another divisional title and a 12-4 record. Belichick had his team winning games without several of his best defensive stars and a patchwork offense.

Friday, Jan. 24, 2014

Fans rely on God, rituals to boost favorite team Religion News Service (RNS) Most Americans don’t think God or the devil will be picking the NFL playoff winners this weekend or any other sports champions.

But some will pray nonetheless, and a few will “religiously� perform little game-day rituals just in case.

A survey by Public Religion Research Institute, released Thursday ( Jan. 16), probes the crossover between team spirit and spirituality.

Most Americans (60 percent) call themselves fans of a particular team.

Among this group, several will do a little dance or say a little prayer to help the team along: R5 hg5* , (.5B#( &/ #(!5)( 5#(5 four football fans) will wear special clothes or do special rituals. Donning a team jersey leads the way (66 percent).

But some admit they get a little funky with their underwear. One fan wears dirty undershorts on top of his jeans.

(No word if these are boxers or briefs.)

R5 hk5* , (.5B#( &/ #(!5ig5* ,cent of football fans) have sometimes felt their team has been cursed. (No word on how many are Red Sox fans.)

R5 hl5* , (.5B#( &/ #(!5)( 5#(5 three football fans) say they pray to God

to help their team. White evangelicals are most likely to lean on the Lord on this: 38 percent will pray, more than any other religious group.

R5 )). &&5 (-5 , 5 &-)5'), 5 likely than other fans to admit praying for their team (33 percent to 21 percent), performing pre-game or gametime rituals (25 percent to 18 percent), or to believe that their team has been cursed (31 percent to 18 percent).

Although three-quarters of respondents said God plays no role in who wins, Americans are evenly divided on whether God rewards faith-filled athletes with good health and success, with 48 percent saying yes and 47 percent saying no.

Football is by far American’s favorite sport (39 percent) with nearly four times the fan base of basketball (10 percent) or baseball (9 percent) or soccer (7 percent). And 72 percent of Americans say they are likely to watch the Super Bowl.

PRRI surveyed 1,011 people in English and Spanish between Jan. 8 and Jan. 12. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

MBB Recap ORU went 2-5 over Winter Break. Here’s a breakdown of the games you missed.

Dec. 7 Dec. 13 Dec. 16 Dec. 21 Dec. 30 Jan. 2 Jan. 4

L @ Wichita State 58-71 L vs. Missouri State 67-70 L @ Akron 64-74 W vs. Dallas Baptist 69-55 L @ Baylor 55-81 W vs. Houston Baptist 88-55 L vs. Texas A&MCorpus Christi 64-71 Graphic by Religion News Service

, Jan. 24, 2014

SCENE

Internet Photos

86th Annual Academy Award Predictions

By McKensie Garber The 86th Annual Academy Awards will air live on ABC on March 2, starting at 7 p.m. EST, 6 p.m. CST. and will be hosted by Ellen DeGeneres.

Best Picture The front-runners for this year’s golden statues are most likely “American Hustle” and “Gravity” with 10 nominations each, as well as “12 Years a Slave” with multiple nominations. One of these three films is sure to take the Oscar for Best Picture. A lot of film experts are betting on “12 Years a Slave,” or “Gravity.” I’m taking a risk and betting on “American Hustle,” which was awarded Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the Screen Actor Guild Awards.

Best Director Winning Best Director at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, I think it’s safe to say that director of “Gravity,” Alfonso Cuaron, will take home the Oscar for Best Director. His film will also likely win Best Cinematography and Best Editing.

Best Actor This category is loaded with incredible acting performances from greats like Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale. Matthew McConaughey is most

likely to win Best Actor for his performance in “Dallas Buyers Club.” He has already been awarded the Golden Globe, SAG Award and Critics Choice Award for his leading performance as an HIV/AIDS victim, which he lost 40 pounds for.

Best Actress This category is stacked with great performances from the likes of Sandra Bullock in “Gravity,” Amy Adams in “American Hustle,” Meryl Streep in “August: Osage County” and Judi Dench in “Philomena.” Cate Blanchett is the favored prediction in this category for her performance in Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine,” already winning the Golden Globe, SAG Award and Critics Choice Award.

Best Supporting Actor Jared Letto is likely to win the Oscar for his performance as an AIDS positive transgender woman, in “Dallas Buyers Club,” already winning the Golden Globe, SAG Award and Critics Choice Award.

Best Supporting Actress This one will be a tight race between Lupita Nyong’o from “12 Years a Slave” and Jennifer Lawrence from “American Hustle.” Lawrence nabbed the Golden Globe, but Nyong’o, a graduate of the

Yale School of Drama, won the SAG Award and Critics Choice Award.

I wouldn’t be surprised if America’s Sweetheart Lawrence grabbed her second Oscar this year, but we shall see.

Best Animated Feature The nominees for Best Animated Feature are “Frozen,” “The Croods,” “Despicable Me 2,” “Ernest & Celestine” and “The Wind Rises.” Winning the Golden Globe for Best Animated Film, Disney’s musical “Frozen” is most likely to take home the gold.

Best Costume Design The Best Costume Design nominees all feature period pieces, such as the ’70s ensembles in “American Hustle,” the mid 1800s pieces in “12 Years a Slave” and the roaring ’20s costumes in“The Great Gatsby.” My prediction is that the “The Great Gatsby” fashion designer, Catherine Martin will score her second Oscar for Best Costume Design, winning previously for 2001’s “Moulin Rouge.” If so, this will be the second time “The Great Gatsby” has won Best Costume Design, winning the same Oscar for the 1974 version.

Graphic by Rebecca Glenn

Friday, Jan. 24, 2014

Hanks saves Mr. Banks Upcoming Tulsa Concerts and Movies

By McKensie Garber Disney’s “Saving Mr. Banks” did not disappoint film critics and moviegoers.

The film shares the untold story of how the Disney classic “Mary Poppins” came to the silver screen.

Two-time Academy Award winners, Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks keep the audience charmed as they wrangle back and forth over the script pages of the future iconic film.

Prudish author P.L. Travers, played

by Thompson, wants to protect her beloved book character Mary Poppins from the iron fists of Hollywood.

Walt Disney, played by Hanks, wants to bring the magical nanny to life with musical numbers and animated penguins in tow, keeping the promise he made to his daughters 20 years ago.

The arm wrestling match sways relentlessly, as Travers travels from London to Los Angeles to hear the script and musical collaborations from the Sherman brothers. She remains unconvinced, gripping the rights to her story all the more tightly.

Even a personal tour of Disneyland from Walt Disney won’t sway her. It isn’t until Disney tracks Travers’ past down by exploring his own, that the two legendary storytellers reach an understanding.

Two storylines are unfolding throughout the entire film as Travers flips back and forth between reality and her haunting childhood memories that have so heavily influenced the pages of her novel.

“Saving Mr. Banks” received an 81 percent critic approval and 89 percent audience approval from the film review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.

Previous knowledge and affection of the classic film “Mary Poppins” would unquestionably provide an even greater affection for “Saving Mr. Banks.”

Thompson brings a brilliant performance to the role of Travers, serving the character with the harshness and humility the true events call for.

Hanks offers the timeless charm one would expect from Walt Disney himself, and nostalgically brings the film home with a reflective monologue of his childhood in Missouri.

Colin Farrell certainly deserves recognition for his portrayal of Travers’ loving, yet struggling father, who gives Travers’ her love for imagination.

Grossing more than $85 million at the box office, “Saving Mr. Banks” offers nostalgia, triumph, friendship, loyalty, laughs, boldness and all other things a good film should.

By Victoria Atterberry It’s another year and with the new year comes plenty of fun events to keep an eye out for. Catch some of these upcoming concerts and movies to break the stress of the new semester or to spend quality time with friends.

Concerts

Pentatonix Feb. 5 Cain’s Ballroom 6:30 p.m.

Switchfoot March 7 Historic Brady Theater 8:00 p.m.

Third Day & Skillet March 15 BOK Center 7:00 p.m.

Steven Curtis Chapman Feb. 16 Tulsa Convention Center 7:00 p.m.

Winter Jam March 9 BOK Center 6:00 p.m.

Movies

“Robocop” Feb.12

“Son of God” Feb. 28 Internet Photo

“Saving Mr. Banks” is nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Score.

MUSE

Rhyme & Reason: Singing in the Rain

Suppositions: On the Nature of Ratios

By Sarah Dinwiddie

By Peter Wesley Odom

This summer I studied abroad at Oxford through the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. This was one of the many moments I encountered new and diverse people and learned lessons about showing God’s love in unexpected situations.

“Play me, I’m yours” slants across the side of it, white on wood.

It is chain-bolted to the cement floor of Liverpool Station. London sunshine points through the window frames at a cluster of seven singers staring.

“There it is. Finally, after two hours of tube hopping… we found one.”

The stool bleats as a childlike woman pulls up, accompanied by a black-bearded man wearing a cross.

They negotiate with their fingers as they skip down the ivories, finally deciding to perform ‘Where is the Love?’

Towards the end of the second chorus, a new voice warbles over all of the others. It is the sound of Broadway.

Broadway is a middle-aged blonde man with a gaping pearly smile who props his elbow on the edge of the piano top, leaning into the next line: “Father, Father, Father help us; need some guidance from above…”

The seven voices snuff out. He beams; he embodies charisma.

“The name’s David.” He asks a few questions. They ask a few more.

“Music is my life. Sang on Broadway ten years ago. Got the lead for ‘Singing in the Rain,’ I did. Best time of my life; I’ll never forget the lights. Now I’m a choreographer in California.” Awe answered him. “Mind if I join your little chorus group?”

After a few rounds of jazzy runs, the jam session stutters towards its conclusion. David breaks away from the

piano ledge, gesturing towards another middle-aged man wearing a fixed disinterest in the chorus of twenty-somethings and a duffel bag.

“This,” he shares with the group, “is my boyfriend.”

The group waves, smiles nervously and skips a heart-beat.

“How about another go?”

One-by-one they turn their heads just barely, to notice that across the hall David’s boyfriend’s shoulders are shaking. He keeps glancing towards their self-conscious little flock, holding back sobs, his face wet.

David explains: “He’s crying because he is happy for me.”

He held back his own tears behind the crinkle of his cheeks, still smiling.

“Three days ago, my cousin died in a freak car accident. That’s why we’re here; we’re on our way to the funeral.

It’s tomorrow morning.”

“He’s crying because he knows that for three whole days, I’ve not been able to smile. Laugh. Even listen to a tune; it just hurt. Living for anything hurt.”

“But you all—thank God for you.

Hearing your singing, remembering my love of music, I felt joy again!

Singing with you has given me the courage to face tomorrow with a smile on my face, and know that everything is going to be okay.”

The group feels an invisible fog suspended in that hall, heavy on their chests with conviction. With compassion.

“We’ll be praying for you both,” the man with the black beard offers, “while you’re at the funeral.”

“God bless you, thank you all so much!” David answered. With tears padded back, his boyfriend simply mouthed his thanks. The cluster of seven later walk soberly back to the Tube station.

The men unexpectedly found the love they were singing for through the compassion of their Christ-like audience.

It should seem, upon spending time in the Word, that there are numerous sins which are clearly defined. Relax, I am not about to start an exposition on interpreting which sins are clear or what actions could be argued as “more ambiguously prohibited.” The topic at hand is a dichotomy of perceived severity.

How often have you heard people say that murder or child abuse is the worst sin? These are common utterances, but we can also recall occasions when a contradictory idea is brought up: that God does not see any one sin as worse than another.

Is this even Biblical? I always had assumed so, but upon doing some research I could not actually find a verse which explicitly suggests that all sins are equal in God’s eyes. The closest thing to this notion is that if you break any of the laws, no matter the “severity,” you are a transgressor, and thus, a sinner. But the Bible seems not to speak on the perceived severity of different sins from God’s perspective.

So why this natural inclination towards such ideas? I think it is because we are more intuitive about who God is than we realize. God reveals himself to us in mysterious ways. I suspect that despite the Bible’s silence on the issue, most of us would still have an unavoidable tendency to see God in a less discriminatory light when it comes to evaluating sins. A sin is a sin, and we all fall short of the glory of God. I suggest that this dichotomy can be explained through looking at God’s general revelation to us. There happens to be an elementary mathematical concept—one which we are all very

familiar with. Elementary fractions.

When calculating a fraction, a bigger result represents a greater difference between the numbers, whereas a smaller result means that the numbers are close in relative value.

So what does this have to do with sin, God and us? As finite creatures, all of our thoughts are limited, for the most part, to finite concepts. We have thoughts about the notion of infinity, and we use it regularly in mathematics, but no one can really imagine its true expanse. Contrary to us, God has infinite qualities. His knowledge, goodness and presence are all infinite. So, what happens when you divide infinity by a finite number? The answer is infinity.

The number could be ten or ten billion, and the ratio would still describe an infinite difference.

We can relate this to knowledge, something relatively quantifiable. No matter who we are, compared to God’s infinite knowledge, the ratio is still an infinite magnitude of difference. This levels the field quite a bit. This means that no matter how much knowledge anyone possesses, it makes no difference to God. This same concept can be applied to someone’s relative amount of goodness, lack of sin or marriage to sin. From God’s perspective of infinite goodness, we are all sinners. An infinite amount of disparity exists between any goodness we perceive and the actual depth of God’s unbounded goodness.

Because we are to look to God to find who we are, this leaves no room to compare ourselves to others. Again, we are all just sinners who need God’s grace. No matter what we struggle with or the severity of the sins we have committed, God just wants us to look to and rely upon Him to save us.

Friday, Jan. 24, 2014

The Whistleblower: Why Benghazi still matters

By Ian Bush

On the night of Sept.

11, 2012, a group of nearly 150 gunmen attacked the American diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, killing U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and another diplomat, as well as two security personnel who were former Navy SEALs. There have been some claims that neither warnings of the attack nor requests for more security were heeded.

Furthermore, the Obama administration’s statements regarding this

attack have often brought the credibility and honesty of many government officials into question.

At the time of the attack, the official narrative of the White House was this: the Benghazi attack was the culmination of a protest of an inflammatory video about Islam.

New declassified transcripts concerning the attack, however, indicate top defense officials were being briefed with the information that it was a terrorist attack within minutes of its start.

But many officials, including thenSecretary of State Hillary Clinton, repeatedly told the public that there was absolutely no evidence the killings were the result of a premeditated terrorist attack.

“Was it because of a protest or was

it because of guys out for a walk one night and decided they’d go kill some Americans?” Clinton said during a Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

“What difference – at this point, what difference does it make?”

The short answer is that it makes a big difference. If Clinton knew about the true nature of the attack, then she, along with many government officials, lied to the American population to cover up the administration’s mishandling of the situation.

This is not the first time that Clinton’s honesty has been called into question. During the Watergate investigation, Jerry Zeifman fired then-Hillary Rodham from the House Judiciary Committee staff and refused to give her a letter of recommendation.

Why? “Because she was a liar,” Zeifman said. “She was an unethical, dishonest lawyer. She conspired to violate the Constitution, the rules of the House, the rules of the committee and the rules of confidentiality.”

This is a frightening resume for any aspiring politician, particularly a presidential candidate. Clinton says she has not yet decided to run in 2016, but if she does, she is sure to be a favorite for the Democratic nomination. On twitter, the hashtags “ReadyForHillary” and “Hillary2016” have flirted with the ‘trending’ lists.

The presidential race is just around the corner, but as the story continues to unfold, Clinton’s track record could spell trouble for her campaign.

Study Abroad: Getting outside the ORU bubble

By Marie Baker

This past semester, I had the incredible opportunity to study abroad in France with my dear friend Jessica Sherwood, a fellow ORU student.

After doing some research and talking to friends who had studied abroad, we settled on Strasbourg, a northeastern city resting on the border of France and Germany, known internationally as one of the official seats of the European Parliament as well as the top European destination for Christmas.

While there, we studied and improved our level of French in the international program at the University of Strasbourg, made new friends at our apartment complex and our church and enjoyed the general beauty that Strasbourg had to offer, being sure to take advantage of every opportunity we could to travel and see the European world.

Coming back, the so-called “ORU Bubble” is even more evident to me. I can say that I am significantly more grateful for it after having spent a semester abroad.

The spiritual atmosphere in France, and in Europe

, Jan. 24, 2014

in general, is so much darker than America – let alone Tulsa and, specifically, ORU – that coming back to the joy and love for God that so infiltrates this area has been almost a shocking readjustment.

It’s strange that I can speak freely about my faith without risking offending every person around me.

It’s weird that the majority of my friends have the same core beliefs as I do.

It’s bizarre not needing to explain why I actually want to go to church.

Though I most definitely loved my time in France, and there are certainly points about French culture that I wish could be mirrored here, the people are blanketed in such a darkness of apathy and tradition that they don’t even see their need for God. Coming back to such an amazing and Holy Spiritfilled campus has been a welcome readjustment.

Despite the state of the spiritual atmosphere there, my semester abroad was incredible in many more ways than one.

Living a different life in a culture not my own, speaking a foreign language on a day-to-day basis, shining God’s light to our friends there in whatever way we could, and simply seeing the way other people live was an experience that I will never forget.

It has forever changed the way I see the world around me, and has permitted me to better under-

stand those who come to America from foreign countries.

Not only did I solidify my knowledge of the French language, I grew in my own maturity and learned a lot about myself personally.

A lot of that knowledge is something one simply cannot gain without having lived for a period of time abroad.

I now carry memories that will be forever engrained on my heart – memories I wouldn’t trade for any of the hard moments of preparation that got me there.

Because of this, I would highly recommend spending a semester studying abroad to almost any and every college student.

I can promise that it will be something that will change you for good, and for the better.

Syndicated Cynic: New year, new who?

By Greg Brown

Happy New Year, Orals.

My social media have been bogged down with New Year’s Resolutions as 2012 part III gets underway (I will be referring to this year as 2012 part III, as I do not like way that 2014, 20-14, and 2k14 sound, which is just as I felt about 2013. I expect that to change in 2015).

Along with posts containing the self-made promises of losing weight, kicking some sort of habit and expanding personal reading, I’ve been seeing a lot of the not-so-clever little phrase “New year, new you.”

I know that this phrase has probably

existed since the beginning of time, and I’ve definitely been guilty of using it on New Year’s Eve to annoy my friends, but lately I’ve been thinking about what it actually means.

Are we seriously suggesting that the progression of the Gregorian calendar is going to push us to find new identities and become new people? Does the difference in 2012 parts II and III release some sort of magic mojo that can change who I am?

If so, I want to be either Aaron Weiss or Nicholas Megalis.

In all seriousness, I have come to the conclusion that this is a terribly pathetic notion that is effectively cheapening us as human beings.

In suggesting that we would like to disregard the people that we were last year in favor of new, presumably perfect human beings, we are telling ourselves that we are not good enough.

Didn’t we say the same things and try to be the best we could be last year?

What are we to say of that? Did God make the wrong person, and are we expecting to change it for Him this year?

No wonder human beings, especially Christians, are seen as exclusive and judgmental. We can’t even love and accept ourselves, so how can we love and accept others?

And I know it seems as if I’m essentially arguing semantics, but this is important. The words that we attach to ourselves have definite implications as to our true identities.

Of course we aren’t perfect, but we need to understand how beautiful we are as individuals, embracing our strengths as we work through the things we would like to change about ourselves.

We can only live up to our potential when we realize who we really are.

In doing so, it is necessary that we not “change who we are,” but rather that we “grow from where we are at.”

As we grow from where we are currently, we accept all of the different, fantastic things that identify us as individuals, and then we can work out the other, dissatisfying bits of ourselves through prayer, meditation and selfcontrol, all while realizing that our identities, built through the entirety of lifetime events, are precious, and we shouldn’t trade them for the world.

Learning to grow, while accepting past and present and looking forward to future is a much more satisfying way to look at life. I mean, my hairstraightening years were rough, but even they have helped develop me into who I am today.

So this year, we should grow. Grow, morons! Grow!

Parting Words of a Senior: A case for shorts

By Zach Wells

Over the 21 years of my life, I have been passionate about many things, including Pokemon, Lunchables and saltwater pools.

However, I have never loved or cared about anything more than shorts.

After being invented in the summer immediately after pants were developed, shorts quickly became a fashionable, yet practical alternative to their long cousins.

Instead of wearing the cumbersome, heavy leggings, shorts were often worn when flexibility and airflow were more important than protecting one’s legs.

While pants may have some positive aspects and useful purposes during the winter months, they do not rival the year-round delight that is the short.

Shorts are multipurposeful and have been seen on individuals such as athletes, politicians, outdoorsmen and leisure enthusiasts, while the majority of people seen wearing pants include the likes of prisoners,

lawyers and other sorts of miserable persons.

Despite all of these wonderful and factual statements enumerated above about shorts, the student body at Oral Roberts is still unable to adorn themselves with these banned marvels.

I respect the rules and accept the fact that I cannot wear shorts to class or in the GC. However, the logic behind the rule seems, at least to me, immensely flawed.

To start, weather conditions in Oklahoma, especially in Tulsa, are rather extreme.

The weather either emulates the conditions of Siberia or the temperature in the ninth ring of Hell.

Alongside pants, I see shorts as an alternative for the latter extreme, not an offense against the Roberts legacy.

At this point, I could go on and give a few more points about why I think the ban on shorts is archaic and stupid, but I do not have any more room to further my argument against the flawed rule.

All I can do now is give the best and most hardhitting reason for why I think the students at Oral Roberts should be allowed to wear shorts, and that is: we can wear flip-flops. Flip-flops!

I used to think the dress code was in place to maintain some sort of professional atmosphere through our appearance.

However, we can wear cotton-picking sandals known as flip-flops. Dear Lord, why?

That is literally the last article of footwear I would even think of using outside of the shower, let alone in a professional atmosphere.

It is just hard to understand this massive gap in reasoning.

Why should I be able to wear a shoe, which I believe is allowed at school in order to provide some sort of comfort and choice when it comes to footwear that does not reflect the professional dress that this university is partially famed for?

I have nothing against flip-flop wearers, but I think I should be allowed to display a moderate amount of thigh and still be acknowledged as a budding professional alongside my thong sandal-wearing compatriots.

Friday, Jan. 24, 2014

Dr. Sandra Richardson, Counseling Professor

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