THE ORACLE• Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • Page 1
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Contents
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5
News: Spring 2011 Registration moves quicker than ever New online system moves new, returning students through the process faster
olden Eagles fight through nagging injuries to find bright spots in season
Sports: Injuries give Holdman, Roundtree, Bell-Holter chances to shine.
7
16-17
Campus: Souls A’ Fire prepares for a Homecoming reunion bash The gospel choir has been in existence almost as long as ORU itself
10
Faith: Cheap tipping gives Christians a bad name Witnessing pamphlets instead of generous tips leave ugly impressions
21
Scene: Six acts to compete at annual “Battle of the Bands” Find out who will compete at the Mabee Center on Feb. 1
26
Forum: The Oracle welcomes “SIFE’s Better Business” column SIFE 2010-2011 president Jen Cook outlines the team’s history
Photo by Nathan Lundeen
Web: MyStory—A Dream Resurrected
He was frightened. He did not want to go to hell. The missionary said Jesus could save his life, both from hell and from the bleakness billowing around him. Until that point, his life had been one endless barrage of pain. It eddied around hopelessness. No parents. No money. No future. Just pain. What could Jesus do with a life like that? Eleven-year-old Ooceeh Afame was willing to find out. In front of a pulsating crowd off the streets of Nigeria, he took the missionary at his word. He became a Christian. To finish reading Ooceeh’s story, head over to oruoracle.com.
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Photo by Hannah Covington
THE ORACLE• Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • Page 3
News
The Oracle News Editor is Nathanael Robertson You may contact him with comments or questions at nathanaelrobertson@oru.edu. For more in News, check out oruoracle.com
International Students Face Greater Obstacles Returning After Break ORU’s international students are a unique part of the community because they have chosen to educate themselves in a different country, far away from family and friends. Some students were able to go home for Christmas break while others spent the holiday with friends. Preparing and pack-
ing for air travel is hard enough, but flying back to school just a day after New Year’s is worse. International students must factor in costly airfare, delayed or canceled flights. Freshman Tamoura Morris, an international student from England, experienced delayed and canceled flights while at-
Photo by Nathan Lundeen
Marie Rumar is an international student from Sweden.
Keepin.It.Brief
Southeastern
tempting to return to Tulsa in time for class Jan. 4. She took a flight from England on Jan. 1 to Chicago with a connection flight to Tulsa, which was scheduled to land at 10 p.m. However, her Chicago flight was delayed several times until finally canceled. “At 9 p.m., they said we’d leave at 10,” Morris said. “At 10 they said we’d leave at 11. At 11 they said the flight was canceled. Throughout the process, I didn’t have a stateside cell phone so the more delayed my flight, the more anxious I was getting because I had a friend that was going to pick me up at a predetermined time.” Morris’ flight to Tulsa was canceled that night because of a passenger shortage. “When they canceled my flight, I became very distraught because I didn’t know where I’d be spending the night,” Morris
Outdoor Grilling Banned on Campus
After a 20-month search, Southeastern University of Lakeland, Fla., has found a new president to replace Dr. Rutland. On Dec. 15, Southeastern selected Dr. Kent Ingle to fill the vacant position. Ingle, who currently serves as the dean of ministry at Northwest University in Kirkland, Wash., will start at Southeastern on Feb. 1.
Security has placed a ban on outdoor cooking and grilling near the dormitories, as per regulations by campus Fire Marshal Les Rogers. Outdoor grilling, however, will still be allowed in the gazebo area at Lake Evelyn with appropriate security-approved burn permits.
Student Association hosts half-hour prayer sessions each Friday at 7:30 a.m. in the Prayer Tower. CryOut! is a campus call to intercession and takes its name from Isaiah 40:6. Students, faculty and staff are welcome to attend.
Page 4 • Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • THE ORACLE
Tamoura Morris Freshman from England said. “The airline gave me a ticket stating the hotel I’d be able to stay at and a money voucher of $15 for food.” Over the next two days, Morris’ flight was delayed 11 times. Preparing and packing was hectic for Morris. “I had to pack during New Year’s,” she said. “I was in the process of packing and spending quality time with my family whom I won’t see until next
By Katy Miller and Melanie Wespetal
University Replaces Rutland
Student Association Hosts Prayer Sessions
Normal college students can rely on parents who are just a couple states away.
Tulsa Zoo Offers Winter Bargain Admission is now buy one, get one free at the Tulsa Zoo five days a week. “Snow Leopard Days” are Monday-Friday through Feb. 28. Tickets are $8 each, and the zoo is located at 6421 E. 36th St. N. Find out more at www.tulsazoo.org.
Former Golden Eagle Signs with NBA Former ORU basketball player Larry Owens signed a 10-day contract with the San Antonio Spurs, beginning Jan. 16 in a game against the Denver Nuggets. Owens is ORU’s eighth NBA player and the first in more than a decade.
AMF Offers Support for Grieving Students AMF offers support for students dealing with grief and loss. Focusing on “healing, hope, and community,” the group meets every other Tuesday. The next meeting is Feb. 1 in the Behavioral Science Lounge at 7 p.m.
year.” Morris believes being an international student provides a different experience than being an American student. “Normal college students can rely on parents who are just a couple states away,” she said. “Calling back home is very expensive.” She said it is a shame she only got three weeks with family. “It’s back to having to do a lot of stuff on my own.” Freshman Malayna Andino from Dubai said airfare is always expensive and a big factor in determining whether to go home for breaks. “To go home, my ticket was $2,000 for roundtrip,” Andino said. “It depends on when you buy the ticket but either way, it’s a lot of money.” On being on her own away from her mother, Andino said, “It is difficult at times because when I need my mom for certain things, she’s not readily there.” Andino also said the biggest acclimation is the time difference and being jet-lagged. For Morris, the time difference is an adjustment as well. “There’s a six-hour time difference,” she said. “When it’s 6 p.m. in Tulsa, it’s midnight in England. It takes a while to get adjusted to a new time zone, especially since it’s a new semester and you have to wake up at different hours. It takes a bit to get adjusted.” By Halle Byrams
Online Registration is Easier for Everyone 24/7 help to students. It offers a question and Senior Esther Migandassi from Benin, answer section and the option to talk with a live West Africa, said the Spring 2011 registration representative. was her “easiest registration ever.” On Jan. 4 alone, about 390 students used the Migandassi was not the only one to notice newly-launched program. improvements in the registration process from Dan Tormey, manager of the Eagle Card the Fall 2010 to the Spring 2011 semester. Center, said he noticed that this registration was For the first time, the senior biology major much less “stressful” for students and parents said she completed every step online before because of the online features. arriving back on campus. Helping new and re“The only place turning students with one that even had a long of the last steps in regisline today was finantration, Tormey said that cial aid, but I don’t by the time they reach think that can be the Eagle Card Center, he helped,” Migandassi can usually gauge how said, laughing. registration is going. Even those in the Dan Tormey “If people have had financial aid office Manager of the Eagle Card Center a bad process, you can said that new online usually always tell it by registration features the time they get here,” helped to cut down he said. waiting times considThis semester, he said erably. this was not the case. Financial aid representative Emily Atkerson “Everyone was upbeat, and we could tell this said that the average waiting time was 30 minregistration went well for them and has gone utes, down from almost 3-4 hours during fall pretty smoothly overall,” Tormey said. registration. Staff members like Tormey said this served One of the new features that students took as a stark contrast from the fall semester, when advantage of was Interactive Student Services. students and parents struggled to adapt to some Launched Dec. 8, the online program provides
Everyone was upbeat... Registration went well...
of new online features required in the enrollment and registration system on Vision. Enrollment Management representative Nick Raczek worked in the Tuition Management Systems and helped students with Vision questions and with the general process. He said the problems in the fall mainly stemmed from the transition of registration going even more digital than in years past. “Where transition comes, there’s always an obstacle,” he said. But, compared to the fall, he said problems with this registration were minimal. “Now that everything is online, people don’t have to stop by all the different, individual stations,” Raczek explained “With the online options, registration is a piece of cake.” This makes the sometimes-chaotic registration process easier for everyone. Now, with a few simple clicks, students like West African native Migandassi can complete their registration—even if “home” is an ocean away. By Hannah Covington
Photo by Sarthak Nigam
Melanie Wespetal takes time to complete the Registration process online.
A current ORU student spends time talking with a financial aid representative during Spring Registration. Photo by Ryan Meyer THE ORACLE• Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • Page 5
Bible Institute Program Hiding in the LRC Walking around the LRC by the commuter lounge, one might stumble upon a rather inconspicuous door with an “ORU Bible Institute Program” sign resting on a table right next to it. It looks like it might be a janitor’s closet, but if you walk inside, you’d discover “ORU’s best kept secret,” according to Dr. Paul King. The ORU Bible Institute is a junior college-level, non-degree program which also helps
churches set up Bible institutes. The institute has 40 schools around the world and has a curriculum produced by ORU’s professors. “Students work toward certificate levels and can apply coursework credit towards undergraduate education,” King said,“We’ve had several students come to campus from the program.” The institute has over 50 courses such as Biblical Doctrines, Teaching the Bible, and History and Philosophy of Christian Education to name a few. Over 700 students are involved in the program and just recently a Hispanic institute was added; its first class was held Jan. 10. The institute has schools in places like the Fiji Islands, Africa and Bulgaria. “We’re all over the
place,” said Dr. King. In the last two years, the program has started an online institute and now has nearly 100 students from all around the world enrolled. “We’re just getting it off the ground, but we’re growing,” Dr. King said with a smile. The institute was actually located in the Admissions Welcome Center on the 3rd floor of the GC for a while, but recently moved down to LRC 216 over Thanksgiving break. Dr. King graduated from ORU in the 70s and has been overseeing the program for 15 years. He was awarded the 2006 Oral Roberts University Scholar of the Year prize, teaches Divine Healing at ORU in the seminary program, travels and speaks internationally, does site visits and writes. In addition to nine other books, Dr. King has written most recently God’s Healing Arsenal. by Halle Byrams
Photo by Ryan Meyer Dr. King has been overseeing the Institute for 15 years.
Community Outreach Offers Unique Opportunities Outreach Partners Up with Academics The ORU Community Outreach office can reflect upon the Fall 2010 semester with a sense of accomplishment. They completed another Fall Outreach in October and an additional 12 community service projects, accumulating a total of 1404 hours of volunteer work. The outreach office’s partnership with students and faculty has always been central to their volunteer efforts. And for the first time in ORU history, the Community Outreach office partnered with the Behavioral Science Department to increase community service. As part of their Whole Person Assessment, students taking a behavioral science course must submit at least 12 hours of community service to their professor. Bobby Parks, the assistant director of Community Outreach, explained the merge of departments as an attempt to combine
students’ volunteer and academics endeavors. “It has been a prayer and goal of the Outreach and Missions department to work more directly with Academics in order to provide opportunities to bridge what students are learning in the classroom with their heart to reach others, not only overseas, but also in Tulsa,” Parks said. Parks said he hopes the new classroom requirements will help students get more easily involved in outreach. “ORU has so many rich opportunities for students to get leadership and ministry training, we are just wanting to make it more convenient for outreach and missions to be a part of that training while students are here at ORU and not just something they hope to do when they leave,” he said. Out of the 12 outreaches ORU students participated in
Page 6 • Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • THE ORACLE
during the semester, 485 hours were submitted for credit. This total equals over a third of the total community service hours. The merge of the outreach department with behavioral sciences has not only increased the number of students volunteering but has also improved the quality of volunteer work. Melissa Slinkard, a student leader for the Down Syndrome Association outreach, explained that behavioral science students have been able to reach individuals that other volunteers have not. “In the past months that I have gone, there has been this one girl that is never happy, quiet and always trying to run. But this week, Megan, a freshman Behavioral Science major, came and really connected with her. They were laughing and having a great time. It was wonderful to see,” Slinkard said.
The ORU Outreach office offers their gratitude for the new and successful partnership with these students. “We are grateful for the partnership with the Behavioral Sciences department to strategically offer ways for students to still accomplish their academic goals and training pursuits yet being able to ‘Go into every
man’s world,’” Parks said. And with the support of those in the Behavioral Sciences department, ORU’s Community Outreach program has no intentions of slowing down. In the upcoming semester, they will continue community service, host a spring outreach, and send out 24 missions teams. By Beth Knier
Photo by Hannah Stephenson
Junior Mithun Abraham ministers on a trip to the UAE.
Campus
The Oracle Campus Editor is Rachel Whitlock You may contact her with comments or questions at oraclelifeeditor@oru.edu For more in Campus, check out oruoracle.com
Over the Hill But Still Burning with Passion, Soul
On Feb. 3, Souls A’ Fire will be holding a concert celebrating the 40 years the gospel choir has been in existence, the longest of any worship group at ORU. Commissioned by Oral Roberts in 1971, Souls A’ Fire was created to reach the inner city for Christ. In the 40 years that followed, the group saw members such as Dr. Clarence Boyd, now the dean of spiritual formation, Dr. Kim Boyd, dean of the school of education, and Dr. Myles Munroe. Robert Rush, a senior business marketing major, is the administrative director for the group, as well as the coordinator for the upcoming concert. For him, the fact that the music of Souls A’ Fire wasn’t the same style as the traditional chapel service at ORU was a big attraction when he first joined his sophomore year, but it’s not the only reason he’s stayed. “Souls A’ Fire is a family…It’s the friendships you build,” said Rush. That bond between members has helped the group both be more effective in practice and long-lasting overall. “We’re the only group that’s been around for 40 years—almost since the school started—[and] we have people who have been consistently involved. We are still an evangelistic choir,” said Rush. Sean Gough, a senior Organizational Interpersonal Communication major, has been the director of Souls A’ Fire since the spring of 2008. “[Souls A’ Fire] offers a worship experience that is so different, that they are able to minister to different types of people [and] congregations that other groups of ORU
Photo by Aundrea Pickett
Souls A’ Fire turns 40 this year and will celebrate the anniversary with a Homecoming concert. cannot reach,” he said. Gough originally came to ORU as a freshman in 2004, but due to financial problems he went home after a year to work, and it was the semester he returned that he was asked to be in charge of Souls A’ Fire. “When I first came [to ORU] I was a bit in awe of everything, [but] when I came back I was more focused. I had a different perspective on school and the time you spend here. I felt the need to pour into the younger ones. I was more focused on God to make sure he was being glorified,” said Gough. For Gough, that focus on God is not just vital for himself, but for the entire group. “If you’re not directing their hearts to God, you
shouldn’t be up there leading worship,” said Gough. Fully aware that he is graduating this spring, Gough is also focused on the future. “I think this year my motivation with Souls A’ Fire is seeing them step into more of a leadership role. That’s the responsibility that comes with leading any sort of club, to continue in excellence even after you’re gone,” said Gough. Ultimately, the upcoming concert will celebrate a legacy that goes beyond the current group. “The longevity of [Souls A’ Fire], the history of it, is worth celebrating…That’s a legacy of 40 years of people’s lives being changed,” said Rush. By Rachel Whitlock
Souls A’ Fire sings the national anthem at the women’s basketball game on Jan. 17 in the Mabee Center.
Photo by Nathan Lundeen
THE ORACLE• Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • Page 7
Study Abroad Adventure Not Just for Language Majors Students gain valuable cultural experience from travels For most students majoring in a foreign language, a semester abroad is part of their educational experience, a rite of passage to becoming truly fluent in the language. However, these particular students are not the only ones who study abroad. Amanda Cadle, a senior government major with a concentration in International Relations, studied in Swansea, Wales, this past semester. While Wales is an English-speaking country, it’s not always the same English. “They say ‘cheers’ instead of ‘thank you,’ and ‘are you all right’ instead of ‘hey, how are you?’” said Cadle of the Welsh slang. David Belousov, a senior International Business major, experienced a different lexical gap when he went to study in Qingdao, China without knowing any Mandarin. “I’ve been to Central America, South America and Europe, [and]…I’m used to knowing the language of the country I’m in,” he said. Belousov was born in Russia and speaks Russian, English, Spanish and can understand Ukrainian. While in China he was part of an international Chinese business program, which included classes on Mandarin, which Belousov
Courtesy Photo
David Belousov traveled all around China while studying in Qingdao this fall.
acknowledged was difficult. “The culture is so multifaceted. Even in the north versus the south, the different dialects…The more I learned, the less I felt I understood,” said Belousov. Rebecca Morris, a senior government major with a concentration in International Relations, studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel, this fall. “I learned a ton about the Arab culture,” said Morris, whose classes included those on the Arabic and Hebrew languages as well as Israeli foreign policy, Islamic religion and law, and the emergence of the modern Middle East. She lived with a Christian Arab family in the Old City part of Jerusalem while attending classes and was able to observe and even partially assimilate into their specific culture. “It’s a very aggressive culture. If
David Belousov visited the Great Wall of China during his semester abroad.
biggest difference between American culture and Chinese: the emphasis on the group over that of the David Belousov individual. Senior International Business Major “Here in somethe United one States, what we insults cherish is freeyou, you’re dom. There, they expected had blocks of certain to insult them things [online] to not back…If a girl cause political tension or insults your mom, you unrest,” he said. don’t just chastise her, because Other cultural aspects that required she’d do it to another girl, you’d get a few adjusting to included cuisine. of your friends and beat her up…They’re “I really missed Mexican food, which also very passionate and affectionate, it’s I love,” laughed Cadle, who said the cuiparadoxical,” said Morris. sine in Wales was largely bland. The violence often reported from Israel The group-based mindset in China did not deter Morris, who had visited the extends to mealtimes as well. country before. “For a formal meal, you sit around “The military is everywhere, on almost atraditional round table, and [they] serve every street corner, with their automatic everything on a lazy Susan. Everybody weapons. I was prepared for it, so it takes a little bit, everyone shares,” said wasn’t so much of a shock,” she said. Belousov, who now automatically looks Cadle was warned frequently to not for chopsticks when eating out with travel alone in Europe, but she took her friends. own precautions. All three returned with overwhelm“Don’t look like a tourist, and no one ingly positive experiences and would not will bother you,” she said. only go again, but recommend studying Belousov pointed out perhaps the
Page 8 • Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • THE ORACLE
Courtesy Photo
“The more I learned, the less I felt I understood.”
abroad to any student looking to gain perspective and a wealth of cultural knowledge. “How many times do you get to study in Europe in college? I knew I was only going to be there for four months, I just didn’t see the point of getting homesick,” said Cadle. Nevertheless, American culture can be both jarring and comforting for those who have just returned in the last few weeks. “[Americans] have so much and we always want more,” said Belousov. “I think being in another country for an extended period of time makes you appreciate your home country. You notice how much bigger everything is. We have so much space,” said Cadle. By Rachel Whitlock
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Canning Hunger: A home-cooked meal is one of the great advantages of being home for the holidays. As students begin to readjust to life back at ORU, complaints about the quality of food served at the cafeteria become more consistent. However, in Tulsa, hundreds of individuals go without food every day. But the ORU student body can play a part in changing this. The annual Summit League Food Fight, which collects canned goods to distribute to the community, will be held Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. at the men’s basketball game against Centenary. The event will be sponsored by ORU Let’s Can Hunger, an on-campus organization that strives to cure the hunger need throughout the area. “The Let’s Can Hunger Challenge is a national Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) event that every school can choose to participate in,” said Jennifer Cook, the president of ORU’s chapter of SIFE It is ORU Let’s Can Hunger’s first time involved in the Summit League Food Fight. In previous years ORU has chosen other Tulsa charity organizations to represent the school in this competition, but this year ORU SIFE’s Let’s Can Hunger was awarded the sponsorship. “It is a huge honor for us to participate in this event,” said ORU Let’s Can Hunger president, Hannah Sweeney. This event is a Summit League competition in which each school will compete to collect the most cans. In addition to this, the competition will help the ORU SIFE team compete against various SIFE chapters in schools around the nation. “The Let’s Can Hunger Challenge came from SIFE headquarters, but we want to win it,” said Cook. The main goal of Let’s Can Hunger is to meet the
Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Joins the Fray against Poverty
immediate hunger needs both locally and abroad. The team is partnering with the Tulsa Dream Center to provide food for families throughout the greater Tulsa area. “It breaks my heart to go to Walmart and see people begging,” said Sweeney. “For this reason we are focusing on our own backyard.” In addition to this, the proceeds raised by ORU Let’s Can Hunger throughout the year will be given to a South African orphanage called SA Cares for Life, which provides for the children of HIV victims. The members of SIFE are not content, however, with merely satisfying a need temporarily. “What sets SIFE apart from other organizations is that we are trying to find a sustainable way to prevent future hunger,” said Sweeney. “Whether it be planting vegetable gardens or equipping people with skills to get a job and provide for themselves, we’re taking a different approach to it and thinking long term.” To have success in their endeavors, ORU Let’s Can Hunger needs the support of the student body. “Our goal for the competition is to reach 5,000 pounds of cans, and the main way we want to do this is through the wing drive on campus,” said Sweeney. Each wing has been given a bag to collect
canned goods and the floor with the most cans on the day of the competition will win the food drive. Canned goods for this event can be turned in at the ORU Let’s Can Hunger table in the lobby of the Mabee Center during the game on Jan. 22. Student involvement in this competition will also help ORU SIFE prepare for future competitions. “SIFE has hopes of going to Nationals, and student participation is key to getting us there,” said Sweeney. At the SIFE National Competition, or World Cup as it is called, each school will be judged on various aspects of the school’s community projects including student participation, the amount of funds raised and the amount of canned goods received. Mike Minyard, director of marketing and ticket sales for the ORU Athletic Department, Mike Minyard, encouraged the students to support this event. “ORU has never finished last in this competition, however, we usually always finish in the bottom half of the schools,” said Minyard. “Sometimes in athletics we get caught up looking at the scoreboard, but there are more important things.” By Nathan Porter
SIFE member Jessica Craig is the Local Projects Director for SIFE and is helping with ORU Let’s Can Hunger canned food drive.
Photos by Marylin Chau
THE ORACLE• Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • Page 9
Faith
The Oracle Faith Editor is Hannah Covington You may contact her with comments or questions at hcovington@oru.edu For more in Faith, check out oruoracle.com
Cheap Christian, Cheap Christ Poor Tipping Leaves Ugly Impression Meggen Hayhurst goes to collect her tip from a group of three men. It’s the day after Christmas. Her shift at Los Cabos in Jenks has been long and busy. The trio is laughing, and amid their litter of plates, salsa and a group of margarita glasses, the blithe men have left a generous tip for their server. Hayhurst notices it’s about 20 percent of the bill. Before sauntering toward the exit, one of the men pivots and addresses her. Slipping her an extra 20, he smiles: “I just want to make sure you had a good Christmas.” Hayhurst said she felt blessed by this man’s gesture. Are the three patrons Christians? Maybe, but one thing is for certain: They were generous and open-handed toward their server. Several days later, Hayhurst goes to pick up her tip at an entirely different table. It’s a family of four. Unlike the men Hayhurst served the other night, they do not order any colorful margaritas. Their bill totals $51.54. They do not leave their waitress 20 percent. Or 15. Or 10. In fact, they don’t leave her any tip money at all. And then she saw it—a Jesus pamphlet. That’s when she knew this was a Christian family. This is not entirely unusual. In fact, Hayhurst said it’s common knowledge to restaurant servers that Christians leave some of the lowest tips. And like the family of four above, some don’t tip at all. This has many questioning how tipping—or the lack thereof—re-
flects back on the Christian faith and on the Christ these customers are assumed to represent. Greg Tanis, an ORU freshman government major who has worked at Chili’s for three years, said the importance of tipping stems from servers’ low wages and their dependence on tips to compensate. “Servers earn less than minimum wage. Tips are a server’s lifeblood, really,” he said. Consequently, he said this reliance on tips inevitably
affects a server’s perception of his patron. “A person’s tip is the only thing from which servers draw their opinion of you,” Tanis said. And for Christians, who he said tip an average of 10 percent, this opinion isn’t always positive. “Everybody at Chili’s hates waiting on Christians,” Tanis said. At Los Cabos, senior DTF major Hayhurst said even ORU students are not exempt from the scrutiny of their servers based on tipping. “I’ve had several ORU tables before, and they’ve not tipped me very well, and I was just grateful that I took them so that none of my co-workers
Page 10 • Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • THE ORACLE
had a bitter taste about ORU,” she said. Hayhurst said there is no excuse for Christians’ cheap behavior in a restaurant. Elizabeth Isley, a freshman occupational therapy major, said she always tips when she eats out. But, she also said she tries to understand why other Christians don’t. “I think people leave tracts because they maybe feel as if they’re helping [their server] more than giving them money. “They’re helping them with their spiritual life, which they consider more important than like helping them pay their bills,” Isely said. Server Jeff Enklemann, one of Hayhurst’s coworkers at Los Cabos, is the type of person that Isley said Christians may be trying to help by leaving a tract instead of a tip. Enklemann has worked at Los Cabos for three and a half years. He makes $2.13 an hour. That’s just enough to cover taxes. He is not a Christian, nor is he “big on religion.” But he said at least once a month, he gets a pamphlet or a fake million-dollar bill in the place of a tip, inviting him to become a Christian. So far, the witnessing tactic hasn’t worked. “I’ve gotten tracts before that threaten me with hell and are really in-your-face and out there,” he said. He’s not alone. In fact, he and his co-workers get so many of these Christian materials that they decided to do something with them. “Servers used to put all
Photo by Hannah Covington
Senior Meggen Hayhurst works as a waitress at Los Cabos in Jenks. During her time there, she has received plenty of tracts instead of tips from Christian patrons. these tracts and fake Christian bills on a bulletin board. It sort of became a running joke around servers,” Enklemann said. Not everyone is laughing. At Chili’s, Tanis said that it’s exactly this cheap behavior by Christians that turns some away from the message of Christ. When Christians are tightfisted with their money or stiff his co-workers of their tip, he said it’s difficult for him to witness to those outside of his faith. Sometimes, he doesn’t know what to say to his fellow servers to defend his beliefs. “All I can do is just look at them and say, ‘Please don’t judge Christians based on that. This is not what we’re supposed to be like.’” Hayhurst agrees. She said it’s difficult to witness to nonChristian co-workers about her faith and the goodness of God when Christian patrons are being anything but generous. “I can’t really defend their behavior because they’ve left a sour taste in [the server’s]
mouth,” she said. Consider the following scenario. A waiter serves a Christian. He receives a pamphlet. He walks back to the computer without any tip money to show for his services. Hayhurst said, “I don’t know how many times I’ve seen people go back to the computer and say, ‘Well, thanks for the Jesus pamphlet, but this doesn’t pay my rent.’” It may be that some Christians just don’t realize how much they should be tipping, she said. She said an acceptable tip is at least 15 percent of the bill. Tipping 20-25 percent is even better. And if you can’t leave at least 15 percent? “Don’t eat out,” she said. Like Hayhurst, Tanis said your tip amount is too important to ever disregard. “It comes down to generosity and being a good witness. If leaving a good tip will affect how they view you and your faith, then do it,” he said. By Hannah Covington
Prayer Movement: Students Still Asking for More
Student-led group expands
The Prayer Tower has always been a focal point on the ORU campus, representing Chancellor Roberts’ emphasis on prayer. Since the creation of its prayer room in 2009, students have run a student-led initiative known as the prayer movement. This program established prayer on campus by providing an atmosphere of worship. Students can access the prayer room 12 hours a day. It gives student leaders and participants the opportunity to seek God in intimate worship and intercessory prayer. ORU underwent dramatic change when the school separated from the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association in May 2008. Prior to the separation, the Prayer Tower had been the central base of the Abundant Life Prayer Group’s 24-hour ministry since the founding of ORU. After the separation, Dean Clarence Boyd and other campus leaders decided it was time for students to have a place to pray. In February 2009, the prayer room opened for all campus residents and visitors to use. It is designed to be an intimate sanctuary of prayer. But sophomore Seth Silvers and other students wanted more. They took the newly-created space and founded a ministry of campus worship and intercessory prayer known as the prayer movement. In January 2010, students began holding prayer meetings on a weekly basis. Students also have initiated pre-chapel prayer every Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. as part of the movement. Then, starting in August 2010, they formed teams of student musicians, singers and prayer leaders who take turns worshiping between 8 and 11 p.m. each Monday through Friday in the prayer room. The ministry opportunities of the prayer movement were created to encourage students to take responsibility for their faith. Silvers said the vision of the movement is simply to know
Photo by Kristina Simberg
Senior Richelle Voth, right, prays with another student during a prayer movement session. God.
“Prayer is the place that changes our hearts and brings our hearts closer to God. In the knowledge of him, we begin to really see ourselves for who we are.” Students across campus said the prayer movement provides the atmosphere to enter into God’s presence and have spiritual awakening. Those who participate said they are truly blessed with intimate time with God. Sophomore psychology major Nee-
ma Andrew said that the prayer movement has changed her radically. “It is a place and time where I can pour out my heart to God, especially when I am struggling with something, like maybe a stressful day or going through insecurities that everybody experiences. It is a blessing to know I have a place to go to where I can feel intimacy with God and feel his presence,” she said. The prayer movement also provides a humbling experience for students leading the nightly worship. Freshman Rozy Simon said she is passionate about glorifying God and loves that she can use the gifts He has given her as a musician and singer to serve her peers. “Being a part of the prayer movement has been an awesome experience for me because it allows me to put aside all my worries and worship and intercede alongside classmates and peers who are hungry to see God move in our campus, community, and country,” Simmons said. In addition to the prayer movement’s current activities, a new ministry known as Cry Out will soon begin. This time of Friday morning prayer is devoted to intercession for ORU. “Cry Out is focused on an awakening of the campus,” Silvers said. Almost exactly one year since the first weekly prayer meetings began, students still want more—more of God and more of prayer. Plans to initiate 24-hour student-led prayer are in the works. By Beth Knier THE ORACLE• Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • Page 11
In Remembrance of Me: Celebrating Communion Traditions Friday chapel is over. At the Deli, students press forward to grab food before their 12:30 classes. Outside Saga, the line winds down the stairs, around the first turn, second turn, and finally tapers off in front of Zoppelt Auditorium. In Kennedy Chapel, 34 students and faculty members pepper the rows of pews. Attendance typically hovers between 20 and 30. Inside, there is one white piano, one white pulpit and one reason for the modest congregation to be in Kennedy Chapel instead of the Deli or Saga. Noon Communion is being served, and they want to partake. Dr. Mark Hall, professor of English, steps behind the white pulpit and begins the short service with a responsive reading out of a yellow liturgy book. Hall has helped serve Communion in these services since 1995. He said there are typically three parts to the weekly noon Communion service: singing a song or hymn, delivering of a short sermon and finally a sharing of the Communion elements. Hall said they are very timeconscientious for the students who do have a 12:30 class. He described the Friday services as ecumenical, explaining that some services follow an informal, “low church” style, while others are structured in a more formal, “high church” fashion. On this particular Friday, the service is high church. But Hall
said they still try to ensure that everyone feels included and comfortable. “We welcome people of all traditions to participate in noon Communion and try and make all feel welcome,” he said. After Hall concludes his sermon, he invites all to come and partake of the Communion elements. He asks them to remember what the blood and body of Christ symbolize. “[Communion] serves to remind us of his death, his life, his coming. It causes us to reflect on his sacrifice in a very real way,” he said. Providing students with these times of reflection through Communion services is nothing new at ORU. Dr. James Shelton, professor of theology, explained the history of the Communion services by pointing out that ORU has a long legacy of serving Communion to its students. But in the 1980s, the tradition was no longer offered to students on a consistent, weekly basis. This changed in the early 1990s, when the university reinstituted the services at the request of alumni. “When the alumni heard we weren’t doing it, they remembered how powerful it was for them, and it was at their insistence that the university brought it back,” he said. Shelton said weekly noon Communion services on Fridays after chapel have been in place ever since. Communion servers like Hall
Page 12 • Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • THE ORACLE
said that powerful encounters with God are still present at Communion services today. Like ORU’s chancellor and founder Oral Roberts, Hall said he believes Communion provides a point of contact that connects people to the healing power of Christ. Dr. Cal Easterling, director of Oral Roberts University Institutional Research, agrees. “There are healings that take place [in the services], and people are totally blessed,” Easterling said. This year, he has already witnessed a person personally changed and affected in a service. On one particular Friday, he delivered the sermon. After the service, a young woman approached him. She was crying. “She told me her prayer was answered, that it had been answered during my message. It was one of those divine moments, because she knew the Lord was speaking to her,” he said. Josh Smith, a senior theology major, said he has been going to Communion services since last semester. He began attending when his floor, Michael 10, took Communion every day for a month. That 30 days has come and gone. But still, he comes faithfully. “I go because it reminds me of the importance of Communion in the church. It’s so peaceful in here. It’s just a good chance to forget about the rest of the
week,” the senior said. Back in Kennedy Chapel, students and faculty return to their seats with their Communion elements. On the left side of the pews, a young woman sits back down and cups her face in her hands. In front of her, a young man stands, rocking back and forth, back and forth. It’s quiet, and there’s thinking. And praying. To students like Smith, this time of prayer and reflection is the most important part. “Above all things, [Communion] is a chance for us to remember what Jesus has done
for us,” Smith said. “If we don’t, what kind of Christians are we?” Every Friday after chapel in Kennedy Chapel, Easterling said the door is always open for all to take time and share in Communion. “In Revelation 3:20, the Lord Jesus gave an invitation to all when he said: ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.’ That’s what Communion is all about—an invitation to covenant.” By Hannah Covington
Photo by Kristina Simberg Dr. Mark Hall leads Noon Communion in Kennedy Chapel every Friday after the main service in Christ’s Chapel.
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Tears for a Dictator They say he liked Doritos and Cheetos. And Raisin Bran for breakfast. And it sounds so normal, like an uncle or friend or college kid. I watched him die that night, like millions of others. A rope around his neck and his truth in his hands. Eyes anticipating Jannah or Jahannam. A cell phone camera captured it all, and fed it to the internet— a triumph of twenty-first century technology. A fallen king in a fallen land, a man who deserved to die for his many sins. I knew this, but when the floor disappeared and the rope fell taut, I had to look away. No manila folder or milk crate in my brain for images of dead tyrants or sadistic saints, but I saw both. And cried for the dictator. By Alycia West Poem courtesy of...
Photo by Chelsea Boen
Coca-Cola cans in an airport in Taiwan while on the way to visit family in Indonesia.
Icicles from last year’s winter.
Photo by Katelyn Robertson
THE ORACLE• Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • Page 13
This Could Be
Your iPad
Imagine usi ng an iPad for your class large attach ments or no assignments t w . Or envision o rrying about think of fina send lly getting ce the size of yo ll u p r email inbox. ing emails with h one receptio Your imagina Or, best of a n on the first tion will soon ll, floor of the LR become a re When the ne C. ality. ws spread th for campus re at the Green family was gi novations, n o doubt man ving another how the mon y students, fa $10 million ey would be to ORU culty and sta spent. The $ ogy (IT) upgr ff were curio 3.88 million ades will cove us as to apportioned r a variety of term steps th for Informati projects, som at will launch on Technole long-neede ORU into a m Long before d and others ore global, te President Ru longch-oriented tland made sat down wit future. the big anno h Mark Bend uncement in er, ORU’s ch at ORU. Gree ief informati chapel, Mart n and Bende on officer, to Green r both desire distance edu d is cu d ss the future to take ORU cation techn to of IT o lo a n gy internationa . “We both agr l level through e order to do th ed that we’d love to see ORU not just at, here but aro infrastructure it requires a certain leve und the worl l of IT compe and compon d, and in te e ncies and ca n ts But Green d th a t w e didn’t have a pabilities aro idn’t want to t the time,” B und forget basic future either. ender said. student tech n o lo gy needs in his “More import plans for the antly, [Green ponents of IT ] wanted a st udent slant [would acco on what he fe mplish] and ultimately,” B how they we lt like these ender said. “H re comgo ing to suppo e is Their plan ho all about bett rt the students pes to addre ering ORU an the “panic b ss d two compon supporting th uttons” and ents of ORU e students.” other immed ’s technology identified as ia te needs: first, required upgr needs that B are ender and th ades. Secon long-term gr d is building e IT division owth and dis have the necessa tance educa Short-term fix ry infrastruct tion. es include re ure for strength of T pairing curre V signals, an nt wiring for d reinforcing Internet cab pus. les, improvin the wireless g the Internet stre When it com n gt h throughou es to long-te t camrm developm that several essential IT ent and dista “ingredients n ce to expand its e d ucation, Ben ” will be nece current dista der states ssary in orde nce program “You’ve got n r for ORU s. etwork conn ectivity; you’v as far as serv e got compu ers that nee ting infrastru d to be looke nents that n cture d at; there a eed to be ad re software dressed,” Be come togeth componder said. “A er to enable ll those ingre us to [expan Of the sixtee dients should d globally].” n technology mentioned b upgrades th y President R at are now u nderway, on utland in cha the IT infrast ly seven were pel because ructure or w the rest have ith upgrades The followin to th do with impro a t w g are just a fe ill benefit facu ving near you! w of the upgr ades that will lty and staff. be headed to an ORU cam pus By Bryce Me rkl
Page 14 • Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • THE ORACLE
Dorms, and Piano
Imagine you are sitting on the seventh floor of the GC. President Mark Rutland sits next to you. Across from yo mittee. In your right hand is a long list of needed campu In your left hand is a check for $10 million. Your job is far from simple: condense the list. Wisely. “Ten million dollars is a lot of money,” said Tim Philley, e project can be $1 million, you just took 10 percent of it awa The Executive Committee has place deferred maintenan pipes, air-conditioning units, and other infrastructure proble Fixing the air conditioning units has become one of the b re placed, but a new upgrade will be added to remove the m much more comfortable in the summer, said Philley. This pr upcoming hot Tulsa summer. The committee’s next focus became living environment an modeled this summer. Frances and Michael Cordon Halls w EMR will receive new beds and mattresses, and Claudius Ro elevator upgrades. These renovations will be completed by th But even while juggling pipes, carpets, and dressers, the E petitive. So part of the pie was allocated to IT, the School of E Twenty brand new Steinway pianos will be purchased for the M “We will become an all Steinway school of only 100 schools partment. ORU will become “the only Spirit-filled school in the “Its great for us for students, recruitment quality,” said Guthr The pianos are currently sitting in a warehouse, set asid pleted in the near future. Equipment will be purchased for the upgrade of the during the summer, though some, according to Phi The multimedia institute will be purchasing all Renovations will proceed as soon as the equip broadcasting renovations, which took three While students have received answers and walk on new tile in their bathrooms For instance, breaking ground on “Sometimes you have to look at a student center is very importa nent, while it would be great t
os, and Cameras! Oh, My!
ou is Provost Ralph Fagin and flanking you are the other members of the Executive Comus improvements.
executive vice president and chief operations officer, “but when you think about one ay. Unfortunately, nothing’s cheap on this campus to fix.” nce on the top of the to do list. Students have been complaining about underground ems for thirty years. biggest maintenance projects. The current dorm air-conditioning units have been newly moisture and humidity from the air before it enters the building. This will make things roject will begin immediately, and students will likely begin to feel the results during this
nd dorm renovations. Susie Vinson Hall and Michael Cordon Hall bathrooms will be rewill receive new desks and drawers, a new carpet will be installed in Gabrielle Salem Hall. oberts Hall will receive a new hot water tank. Wesley Luehrig Hall will also receive he end of the summer. Executive Committee had to make quite sure their academics stayed comEngineering, and the School of Music. Music Department. s in the world,” said Dr. Randy Guthrie, chairman of the ORU Music Dee nation with this distinction.” rie. “It makes ORU known as a quality school.” de for ORU, though not officially purchased yet. Philley expects this process to be com-
e mechanical, electrical and computer engineering labs. The equipment will be replaced illey, may come in earlier. l new equipment, including high definition cameras, master controls, and lighting. pment is ordered. For an estimated time budget, Philley pointed to the new Golden Eagle months. s to year-long prayers and will now be able to call and text from the first floor of the LRC s, several dreams still remain unfulfilled. a student center seems just as far away as ever. t a university,” says Philley, “and you have to say, what are the priorities right now? While ant, it’s not a living environment, it’s not a safety issue, it’s not an educational compoto have. You can only carve the pie up so much, you know, the pie has got to grow.” By Melanie Wespetal
Can you hear me now? The most popular and lowest-ticket item on the long list of IT improvements will be cell phone signal repeaters in the LRC and GC to be installed this summer. These antenna-like devices improve cell phone reception by allowing phones to receive signals even while deep within the concrete confines of the LRC or GC. Bender said he hopes to get a repeater that works for multiple cellphone carriers so that IT doesn’t have to purchase a repeater for several different carriers. Bender was surprised to hear students cheer so loudly in chapel concerning the repeaters because he said it was “one of the easiest things to fix.”
Cutting the wires. ORU has already gone wireless, but many more improvements to the current network are on their way. By the end of this summer, IT hopes to increase the wireless signal strength in every classroom, in every room of the LRC/GC, and in certain outdoor hot spots, such as the Prayer Gardens and the outdoor jogging track. Not only will iPhone users be able to stream Pandora or other online radio stations while running on the track, but WiFi in the area will allow the Department of Public Safety and Security to maintain security cameras around the track to monitor runners during the late night and early morning hours.
Putting the ‘i’ in classroom. By the end of 2011, Bender hopes that ORU will have iPads and other “iDevices” available to check out for students that need them to complete class assignments. Focus groups and planning for iPad usage on campus will begin this Jan. For students that already own an iPhone, IT and other campus departments are developing an app for both the iPhone and Android operating systems that will help students with daily campus functions. According to Bender, the app will include an up-to-date Sodexo menu, access to Vision and grades, a campus map and classroom finder, student surveys, an Eagle Bucks loader, and a “trouble ticket” function for students to let staff know about problems on campus. Bender and other administrators have also brought ORU on board with iTunes U to deliver classroom content via Apple’s electronic education content service.
Something New in Your Inbox Worrying about email storage capacity will soon become a thing of the past at ORU. IT plans on moving all current Novell/GroupWise accounts into email accounts through Microsoft’s Live@edu email system within the next 16 months. According to Bender, Live@edu is a more robust system with a 25 gigabyte storage capacity and a much larger limit on attachment sizes. Live@edu accounts all come with free with Microsoft Office Web Applications that allow students to use and collaborate online using programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint. Students may also keep the account after graduation advertisement-free for life. Live@edu accounts will still have oru.edu email addresses but will be hosted with Microsoft.
THE ORACLE• Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • Page 15
Sports
The Oracle Sports Editor is Eli Linton You may contact him with comments or questions at elilinton@oru.edu For more in Sports, check out oruoracle.com
Building Court Momentum The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the Season So Far After suffering heart-breaking losses in the Summit League Championship tournament last year, the ORU men’s and women’s basketball teams entered this season with a chip on their shoulders. “It put a bitter place in our mouth losing such a close game,” said sophomore forward Damen Bell-Holter. “But it’s also given us experience so that when we are in the conference championship or tournament or have a game within a couple points, we’re going to know how to finish.” Jordan Pyle, a junior and forward for the Lady Golden Eagles, agrees. “It’s definitely fueled the fire…This year it’s not about everyone else, it’s about us,” Pyle said. Predicted to finish second and first respectively in the Summit League preseason poll, the men’s and women’s team are both looking for redemption. With the season just about halfway over, how have the teams lived up to expectations? START OF THE SEASON: In a pre-season exhibition game against Drury, forward Michael Craion, a pre-season Summit League first team selection re-aggravated his surgically repaired right foot, taking away an important centerpiece of the team. “[Michael’s injury] had a big impact, said Bell-Holter. “It took away a lot of depth up front. Me and [Steven Roundtree] plus him all up there would have helped us a lot.” Starting the season 0-3, the men’s team picked up its first win over UALR and then went on to upset the Utah Runnin’ Utes in their home gym 78-70 on Nov 27. After a loss to Texas Tech and wins over Western Illinois and IUPUI, ORU went into Christmas break with a 3-4 record. The women, led by the dynamic trio of Kevi Luper, Jordan Pyle and Jaci Bigham easily won their first two games with their new “run, gun, and have fun” motto. But after a last-second loss to intra-city rival Tulsa, they lost their next five games. “It was tough, but we just stuck together as a team,” said sophomore guard Jaci Bigham.
“It definitely made our team stronger on the court and off. No matter how low everyone felt after each loss, we never took it out on each other, and that is how we turned things around.” That same attitude led them to three straight wins and put the team at 5-5 heading into the break. OVER THE BREAK: While ORU students were enjoying the time off, both teams were busy practicing and traveling to games. Starting off the break, the men lost tough road games to Oklahoma and 12thranked Missouri; the team the Golden Eagles memorably upset last year in the Mabee Center. They then flew west to play in the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic where they lost 69-56 to Miami and 52-49 to UALR, who the Golden Eagles had beat Nov. 24. The men’s squad would, however, pull of an impressive victory in the final game of the tournament, 80-78 over Rice on a Dominique Morrison buzzer beater. They then went on to lose two close games, to IPFW and league-leading Oakland. “It can take a lot out of you losing all the close games we’ve had,” said BellHolter. “We’ve been behind and down in the dumps, but we’ve fought back. The thing that impresses me the most is the amount of heart the team has had.” During practice on New Year’s Day bad news hit as leading scorer Morrison injured his left knee and was expected to miss a couple weeks. During his absence, the Golden Eagles went 2-2. Back at home and spurred on by the new ORU student section known as “The O-ZONE,” the Golden Eagles pulled off a miraculous comeback over UMKC, where they were down by 18 points in the second half and went on to win in overtime. The Lady Golden Eagles also started off the break with two tough road losses to Arkansas and Oklahoma State. Since then, they won seven straight games over IPFW, Oakland, Northeastern Okla. State, South Dakota, North Dakota State, UMKC and Southern Utah. During that period, sophomore stand-
Page 16 • Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • THE ORACLE
Photo by Nathan Lundeen
Junior forward Dominique Morrison prepares to free throw during a game against UMKC on Jan. 15. The Golden Eagles won 69-63 in OT. out Luper was named player of the week during the week of Jan 4-10. The wins over “the Dakotas” were the first time in ORU history that they swept the road series and at 8-0 they are off to their best conference start ever. “We’re all very excited to be doing so well in conference, but we also know that our success is putting a big target on our backs,” said Bigham. “We have to practice harder each day to keep this winning streak going, because our success is making our opponents want to beat us that much more!” The women are currently 12-7 and an impressive 8-0 in their conference. LOOKING AHEAD: Despite their recent hot streak, the Lady Golden Eagles still see room for improvement. “We need to improve on our consistency,” said Bigham. “If we are consistent in the things that we know we can do on a daily basis then we will be a much better team. Also we need to improve on our offensive execution, but what team doesn’t? As a team, our goals [at the start of the season] were to go undefeated in conference, be ranked nationally, win the Summit League regular season title, win the conference tournament, and win a first-round NCAA game.” The men’s team currently stands fourth in the Summit League, with a 5-3
league record and 8-12 overall. “To be honest, we thought we’d have a better record at this point,” said men’s head coach Scott Sutton. “But with the injuries we’ve had and losing an allleague player like Michael Craion, Kyron being in and out and Dominique missing four games, it’s hard to predict where you would be and that’s sports.” With the return of Morrison and the strong play of Bell-Holter and Warren Niles, the squad looks to finish the second half of the season strong. They face a tough schedule with games against Oakland, IPFW and IUPUI, the three teams ahead of them in the Summit League standings. But they know what needs worked on. “The things that our teams in the past have done a great job is on defense. This is not one of our better defensive teams, and they need to get better,” said Sutton. “That’s what’s going to separate us from being a championship team to a mediocre team,” said Bell-Holter With tough losses in their memory and forward momentum, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams may have what it takes to live up to expectations and erase the memory of previous defeat. “Were going to go game by game, possession by possession and that will hopefully get us the big win that we want in the end,” said Pyle. “We’ll be ready.” By Nathanael Robertson
Stepping Up Injuries create new opportunities Scott Sutton has been the ORU men’s basketball coach for 12 years. In that span, he has won more than 200 games and made three trips to the NCAA Tournament. During his tenure, Sutton has never had a player suffer a major injury—some would say the Golden Eagles have enjoyed good luck over the previous decade. But in just the last two years, Sutton and the Golden Eagles have been hit with four season-ending injuries, and it would appear the good luck has run out. “It certainly has been a learning experience,” Sutton admitted. “We have never experienced anything like this...It has kept us from improving like some of the teams in the past.” After losing three players to season-ending ACL injuries in 2009, the Golden Eagles hoped that they could put it behind them to have a healthy, productive year. But before this season even began, Sutton lost his most versatile player—Summit League first-team selection Mike Craion to a season-ending foot injury. ORU’s most experienced player, Kyron Stokes, has also been out for the majority of the year from nagging ankle problems. The injuries have taken a season where the sky was the limit and grounded the team. Plan “A” has become Plan “B,” and wins haven’t come as easily as they used to. “I think this year’s injuries have hurt us more,” Sutton said. “You [lose] a guy like Mike Craion, who is your most versatile player, and who’s your best defender, and your best rebounder...and Kyron who is your most experienced player, best perimeter defender, and hardest player on the floor... it has been a bigger obstacle than last year.” You will never hear Sutton or any of the Golden Eagles use injuries as an excuse for poor play, but if a team ever deserved a “get out of jail free card” for their recent struggles, it is the Golden Eagles. One player who is still trying to come back from major injury is Hunter McClintock. The dynamic freshman guard has failed to live up to his pre-college hype. But Sutton isn’t ready to write off McClintock as a bust. “He did get a lot of hype coming out of high school, but you never know how a major injury will affect someone,” Sutton said. “People say ‘you can come back from an ACL injury in six months’; you [may be able to] come back and play [in six months] but that doesn’t mean you will be back to where you were.” But Sutton thinks McClintock’s struggles go even beyond his injuries. “Hunter is still a freshman,” added Sutton. “He’s coming off major surgery, and I know he hasn’t played as well as he had hoped—to be honest, he hasn’t played as well as we had hoped [either]—but that doesn’t mean he isn’t going to turn it on and have a great career for us. He is still young and still learning. It is a big transition from high school to Division I basketball, and some guys get acclimated quicker than others.” More than any other player, senior guard Stokes knows the frustration of injuries. As a freshman, Stokes
Photo by Ryan Meyer
Junior guard Ken Holdman rushes past Southern Utah defenders on Jan 13. ORU won 87-71. was part of the 2007 team that won the Summit League championship, earning a spot in the Big Dance. Stokes was viewed as the next rising star in ORU basketball. Stokes is the definition of “a Scott Sutton guy”—he plays unselfishly with a lot of heart. When Stokes plays, ORU is an exponentially better team. Last year, Stokes played through an ankle injury that needed surgery, just so the team could have a full roster. This year the pain continued. “These injuries have been crazy,” Stokes said. “Starting out the season with a dislocated thumb, then my ankle [injury], the three concussions within a month, to now being out with mono. I can honestly say I hit my lowest point ever. But what kept me fighting through it all were my teammates, coaches, family, close friends and, ultimately, my faith.” Injuries, however, are not always a bad thing. Battling through adversity builds character and strengthens teams resolve. Role players have to step up and carry the load left behind by the injured star. Injuries allow inexperienced players to get in the game and become major contributors. They are tested with fire, but in the end they are better players for it. “As a team, we are all there for one another,” added Stokes. “We all have each other’s back. Everyone knows injuries are tough, and could hurt a team in an instant. But with all these injuries, guys have stepped up big time. We work through them by sticking together….I needed them as much as they needed me; they made the injuries easier for me.” Both last year and this year, Bell-Holter has been one of those guys who stepped up to fill the void. Coming in as a freshman, Bell-Holter was a highly touted, highly recruited big man from Ketchikan, Alaska. However, his talent was raw, and he needed a big confi-
dence boost before he would be able to be a go-to guy. “It’s been a great experience.” said Bell-Holter, “It was hard stepping into the role at first...but now I’ve gained confidence for sure.... A big thing with me is not getting down on myself when I miss my first few shots, but I’ve worked on that....It’s helped me mature so much and become more of a leader... not just because I’m playing a lot, but I’ve been in these crazy close games and situations and I’ve grown.” More than just Bell-Holter have stepped up. Last year, Ken Holdman came in for the two injured point guards and played extremely well. That experience has made him Sutton’s best defender. True freshman Steven Roundtree has also blossomed with his expanded role in the absence of Craion. He leads all freshmen in the Summit League in points and rebounds. If it wasn’t for the injuries, Bell-Holter, Roundtree, and Ken Holdman may not be the players they are today. “I think Damen and Tree [are the players who benefited the most from the injuries],” Sutton said. “It helped Ken step up knowing he had to produce and play 35 minutes a game. They all are further along than we anticipated. Especially Tree, as a true freshman. We needed him from day one, and he had to play a ton of minutes out of necessity.” Though injuries have handicapped the Golden Eagles this season, championships are not won or lost in January. The Golden Eagles are not giving up on this season becoming something special. “This year has been frustrating, but I see a bright future, even this year,” Sutton said. “I think this team is going to come together and finish strong, and win a bunch of games down the stretch. I am excited about the future of this program, but I am also excited about the rest of the season.” By Eli Linton THE ORACLE• Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • Page 17
Golden Eagles Sports Roundup Men’s Basketball For the past two weeks, the ORU men have been battling in dramatic fashion to keep their hopes for a conference title alive. Though they have been plagued by multiple key injuries, the Golden Eagles were able to steal a must win game from South Dakota State on the road, then again against UMKC at home on Jan. 13—snatching victory from the clutches of defeat with a last-second miracle layup by Damen Bell-Holter at the end of regulation. The Men are now 6-3 in the Summit League (8-12 overall) and in great position to capture the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament. The emergence of Bell-Holter and Steven Roundtree as growing stars has bolstered ORU’s chances of capturing a berth in the NCAA tournament. Dominique Morrison leads the team with 18.2 points per game. The sharp-shooting Warren Niles is second with 14 points per game; most of his offensive output has come from beyond the arc. Bell-Holter is averaging 12.9 points and leads the team with seven rebounds per game.
Women’s Basketball After a tumultuous start to the regular season that included a five-game losing streak, the Lady Golden Eagles have hit their stride, improving to 8-0 in conference play (12-7 overall) while enjoying a seven-game win streak. The women have a legitimate chance to go undefeated in the conference this season, a feat accomplished only one time in conference history. The Lady Golden Eagles have put together a powerful offense this season, averaging 80.2 points per game, good enough for 16th in the nation. Kevi Luper leads the team in scoring and is sixth in the nation with 23 points per game. She is on pace to shatter every offensive record in conference history. She already holds six Summit League records, including points in a season and average points per game for a season. ORU’s floor general, Jaci Bigham, is also having a fantastic season, averaging 13.8 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game.
Track and Field The Oral Roberts men’s and women’s track and field teams opened the 2011 spring season at Wichita State on Jan. 12-13. The women finished third out of four teams, while the men finished fourth. The top women’s performance came from Kristen Radcliff, who placed first in the 3000-meter run with an 11:02.33. LaTonya Short also had an impressive day, finishing first in the women’s triple jump by posting an impressive 11.65m. Lauren McFarland impressed in women’s pole vault, snagging the second spot with a 3.85m (12-07.50). On the men’s side, ORU showed well in the 400-meter dash. Jeffery Gibson earned a second-place finish with a 49.24, with Jaramy Roberts in third with a 49.80. Michael Roberts seccured a second place ranking with a 2:01.08 in the 800 meter run, while Jonah Lagat, ORU’s best distance runner, finished second in the mile run with a 4:25.41. Lagat nearly pulled off the win in the 3000-meter run, finishing five-tenths of a second behind the winner with an 8:48.97.
Tennis The ORU men bounced back from their loss to Tulsa by defeating Arkansas-Pine Bluff 7-0 on Jan. 13, winning all six singles matches and both doubles matches to improve to 1-1 on the season. The men’s team finished the season last year with a 4-0 loss to No. 7 Baylor in the NCAA tournament first round. The men play next on Jan. 28, as they travel to St. Louis to take on the University of St. Louis at 2 p.m. The women dropped to 1-1, losing to No. 32 Tulsa 7-0. They hope to bounce back on Saturday, Jan. 22, as they host Arkansas-Little Rock at 11 a.m. By Eli Linton
Photo by Marilyn Chau
The ORU women’s basketball team dominated UMKC 90-79. Page 18 • Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • THE ORACLE
Athlete Spotlight
Damen Bell-Holter Basketball, No. 32 This is the Alaskan’s second Athlete Spotlight honor from the Oracle, but this time it goes beyond the stats. Yes, he has dominated with 16.6 points and 6.6 rebounds a game, including a gametying miracle shot with 0.7 seconds left against UMKC, but he also has been the first player in the stands every night Courtesy Photo thanking the students for coming out and supporting the team. It’s been a long time since we have had a player do that. And he could be partially responsible for the large student turnout at games this year. Bell-Holter had a lot of hype coming out of high school, and he is beginning to live up to it. He has grown more confident, and is emerging as a legitimate star right before our eyes; he is embracing the role quite well. By Eli Linton
Watch Damen’s last second miracle shot on the “ORU Athletics” facebook page... Follow Damen and ORU Athletics on twitter @dbh32ORU, @ORUAthletics
Intramurals Calendar
Swimming tournament Jan. 23 Badminton rosters due Feb. 1 Handball rosters due Feb. 7 Pingpong rosters due Feb. 24
Intramurals All School Points Men--EMR Men--Towers Women Republic 81 Lifeguard 15 Moriah 45 G-Rock 56 Michael 2/3 13 Ducks 35 Youngblood 55 Remnant 4 Gucci 34 Full Armor 51 Semper Fi 3 Imago Dei 33 Men of God 27 Legacy 28 Narnia 23 Zoe 28 Kingsmen 20 Adel Phi 28
Students Train for Annual Whole Person Triathlon When junior Kelsey Orred signed up for last year’s first annual Whole Person Indoor Triathlon, she had no idea what to expect. “I just competed to see if I could actually do it,” Orred confessed. After posting the fastest swimming time of the entire competition, Orred placed second among women and ORU students and 17th overall in a race that attracted triathletes from all over Tulsa. “After I finished, everyone knew me in the AC,” said Orred. “I still get comments about it today like, “Hey you’re the girl that swims right?” “And I’m like, ‘I guess.’” This year’s second annual ORU Whole Person Triathlon, which involves a 400-meter swim followed by an 8-mile bike ride and 2-mile run is scheduled for Jan. 29 and Jan. 30. The individual competition will be held Saturday, while the team competition will take place Sunday.
Courtesy Photo
Kelsey Orred competes during last year’s Whole Person triathlon. ORU Aerobics Center Director Matt Waters initiated the idea as an opportunity to host a fun and physically active event for the Tulsa and ORU community. “It takes a lot of focus, and it gets people focused on the physically disciplined aspect of their life, which is what ORU is really big on,” said Waters.
“Everybody who came last year had a blast; people were talking about it for months.” Last year, about 50 participants generated around $3,000 to go toward the AC, and this year’s triathlon already has twice the participants with registration still open through Jan. 25.
The cost is $25 for individuals and $30 for a team of three. Last year, the winning individual time was 43:48, by Bradford Gildon, a Tulsa triathlete, and the winning team was “ THE ROCKWALETTO’S,” composed of Ryan Doyeto, Josh Wahl, and Rachelle Charbula, all who have graduated. A competitive swimmer for 12 years in Fort Worth, Texas, Orred followed family tradition to ORU, but “likes it a lot, now that she is here.” Despite the talk about her feat, Orred remains humble. “It was a decent time, but for a swimmer, but it wasn’t anything spectacular,” explained Orred modestly. Since then, Orred has only been swimming once but has been biking and running a bit more as she looks to improve on her overall time of 51:51. “From the whole experience, I guess I learned that if you put your mind to anything you can do it!” By Nathanael Robertson
THE ORACLE• Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • Page 19
Scene
The Oracle Scene Editor is Haden Brewer You may contact him with comments or questions at brewerh@oru.edu For more in Scene, check out oruoracle.com
Best of Internet Blogging We are the blogging generation. Whether you want to say the “Facebook Generation,” “Twitter generation,” or “Blogging Generation,” we are the generation of the Internet. And gosh darnit, every thought we have better be broadcast to the world and people better “like” it. But seriously, the age of blogging has its faults, but it also offers many interesting, time consuming and edifying aspects. I like to read blogs, but I know it can be a bit overwhelming when you’re first starting off—should you read the blog about raising babies, or about celebrity babies? Here is a list of some blogs that can get you started on your blog-reading habit. These are some of the top blogs of the world, and some of my personal favorites. Postsecret.com: Postsecret is an artistic project started by a man named Frank Warren. The gist of Postsecret is people from all around the world send an anonymous postcard with their secret they’ve never shared with anyone to Warren, and he posts it on his blog. Each postcard has an interesting design, and sometimes offers enlightening, or humorous, or just weird secrets. The site claims to have had more than 400 million visits since its beginning, and it’s still going strong.
interesting, fashionable, and at times outrageous clothing. They’re high quality shots, and since the blog began, the photographer has been named one of Time magazine’s top 100 Design Influencers.
TheSartorialist.com: If you’re interested in photography, fashions and different people around the world, look up the Sartorialist. This blog is simply photographs taken of everyday people on streets of New York, Paris and Rome etc. Their photo gets taken due to their
TheOnion.com: The Onion fits into the looser definition of “blog,” but it still counts. The Onion is a one-of-a-kind site that offers satirical news stories about everything. The Onion has stirred controversies about every kind of person. ORU was mentioned in one of
Page 20 • Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • THE ORACLE
Huffingtonpost.com: For hard hitting news, celebrity new or just interest pieces, check out the Huffington Post. Offering a classy and witty blog on things going on around the world, Huffington Post has become one of the most visited blogs around.
my favorite stories—if you find it you get a prize.* Dooce.com: I have a confession to make: I occasionally read the “Mommy Blog” genre. But seriously, the creator and writer on dooce.com is one of the funniest and best writers in the blogosphere. She writes about her own life—children, keeping up the house—and other things—music, politics, cleaning the kitchen. She’s hilarious and in-your-face, and you should check her out. Pastemagazine.com/blogs/: Paste magazine is one of the leading publications on indie music, movies, books etc. The blog section is full of humor and news on upcoming albums and many other things that you will find entertaining. Religion.blogs.CNN.com: It’s CNN’s blog on all things faith.
It’s a good opportunity to find out what’s going on outside the world of the deep V-neck wearing Christendom, and hear about the rise of persecution against Middle-Eastern Christians, the goings on of Muslim families, and what Mormons have to say about politics. There are a slew of things to read, go see. There are many more blogs to read out there. If you want to follow me following them, check me out at oruoracle. com. *If you found it, congratulations: Gold star for your forehead, blue star for your belly! By Haden Brewer
ORU Oracle
Top Ten Videos on the Tube Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga may hold the title for “most watched videos on Youtube,” but the best representation of Youtube are videos that make us laugh and cry, not pop music videos. There’s never been a generation like ours, able to share videos created and shot from anywhere around the world in a matter of minutes. Youtube has made some of us laugh until it hurts, and has made the most mundane, average, unattractive people something we crave. Here is a list of Youtube videos you must see. In an age where getting your point across in 140 characters is vital, these videos have captured--in but 3-5 minutes--great things. Charlie Bit Me: It was named one of the top
most watched videos on Youtube, and everyone thinks they can imitate the British little boy the best. There is no way you can make a list like this and not include “Charlie Bit Me.”
Sneezing Baby Panda, and Dramatic Chipmunk: You really can’t get enough of both of these.
Baby Monkey riding on a pig backwards:
For those who know me, they know how much joy this video brings to my life. But do not see this as a matter of self-indulgence, for I have yet to see someone not brighten up when they see this video. Just read the title--it should be enough to get you interested.
Scarlett takes a tumble, and Please don’t
watch this :( : Look it up, you won’t be disappoint-
ed. And this is the beauty of Youtube, these people look ridiculous making a fool of themselves, but they go ahead and put up the video.
Malk: Julian Smith is getting his name out there as a Youtube success. He makes ridiculous and funny videos. “Malk” is his best and most popular.
“Flash Mob,” “Improve Everywhere,” etc.:
Videos of large groups of people performing some sort of skit, or musical number, or comedic routine, have become a favorite among bloggers and everyone else. Be warned, there are failed attempts of such videos though. There is something that must happen--something I can’t explain--in every video, in order to capture one’s attention. Videos that belong to this genre you should view include “The T-Mobile Dance,” “Frozen Grand Central,” or “Halleljuah Random Act of Culture.”
ORU students can make funny videos too!:
There are some occurrences of ORU students creating videos on Youtube, and occasionally they can put a smile on your face. There are some infamous ones that you must ask an EMR guy in order to find out about, and then there are some that are just people being ridiculous.
Tuts my Barreh: You read that one right. “Tuts
mah Barreh” is a video of a guy who very clearly doesn’t know English, attempting a Mariah Carey song. Check it out, and make sure you watch the one with the subtitles.
Justin Bieber, Baby ft. Ludacris: Okay, getting to however many billion views he got to earns him the right to be mentioned here. He breaks out some sweet dance moves, and hey you know you’ve sung this in the car more than once.
Antoine Dodson warns a Perp on Live Television: “Hide your kids, hide your wife...” you know
the rest. This is quite possibly one of the most-quoted videos on campus and anywhere I’ve been. Check it out. By Haden Brewer
THE ORACLE• Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • Page 21
BA
As a part of Homecoming Week 2011, Student Association will once again host the annual Battle of the Bands on Feb. 1 in the Mabee Center. This year’s competition will feature six bands including Whitney Fenimore, The Lonelys, and last year’s winners, Carnegie. The other three acts are newcomers and include The Wayfarers, Rock the Nation, and Mi Sweeti. Anyone who’s seen Fenimore perform knows that the band has that laid-back pop sound, with a little bit of country flare thrown in and is supported by the backbone of Fenimore’s power-house vocals. Carnegie has the cool, inventive instrumental aspects about their rock sound which bumped them up to first place last year. Then, there’s the Lonelys, led by lead singer and guitarist Donovan Fite, whose mix of rock, pop and soul have made them a popular band here on campus and locally. The band is returning for another year to hopefully take the top spot. It looks like their top competition is Carnegie and Fenimore (who took third place last year). These three bands have an advantage in knowing how the game is played (each has writen and recorded their own songs and EPs), but the three new bands performing this year have a lot to bring to the table as well. The Wayfarers’ Jason Swanson is known around campus as a talented guitarist in the music department and has even performed in past competitions like “ORU’s Got Talent.” Rock the Nation is a group whose sole purpose is to spread the message to fight against the enemy to radical followers of Jesus Christ through their music. Last, but certainly not least, there’s Mi Sweeti, which includes Joseph Bradford whose, experience studying music here at ORU has made him well worthy of competing with the other acts in the competition. Just in case you missed it last year, at the end of the battle, the audience electronically votes for their favorite band. Whoever gets the most votes wins. That band gets the opportunity to record their songs in a professional studio. As a result of their win last year, Carnegie has become a well-established local band and has recorded an EP called “Haptic.” The album is now available on iTunes for $4.95. Fenimore has had success and has an EP out called “Ready. Let. Go.” This is also available on iTunes for $6.93. The Lonelys have an EP out as well, which can be purchased at various live shows. Make sure to come out on Feb. 1 during Homecoming Week to check out all these great bands performing and make sure to vote afterward to pick the winner. Who knows, they may be the next hottest band in Tulsa. By Francesca Bee
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Page 22 • Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • THE ORACLE
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Theatre Prepares for Spring 2011 Performances
The 3rd Annual 24-Hour Play Festival Feb. 4-5, Trinity Episcopal Church Coordinated by Chris Martin Lucky Stiff March 3-5, 7:30 p.m. and March 6, 2 p.m., all at Howard Auditorium Directed by Chris Crawford New Play Workshop March 24-26, 7:30 p.m. Howard Auditorium Directed by ORU Theatre Faculty
Photo by Kristina Simberg Britney Walker-Merritte auditions for “Lucky Stiff” in Howard Auditorium Jan. 7. The play will debut March 3.
Spring 2011 Dance Concert April 14-16, 7:30 p.m., Howard Auditorium To get a glimpse of the craziness that is “Lucky Stiff” go to http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=d5_yZu_a1xY to watch a rendition of the number “Fancy Meeting You Here.”
It’s almost that time once again when the ORU Theater Department prepares for the spring musical. This year it’s Aherns and Flannery’s “Lucky Stiff,” an adaptation of the 1983 novel “The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo.” The production tells the story of Harry Witherspoon, an English shoe salesman who lives an uneventful life in East Grinstead, England. His life turns upside down when he finds out his uncle Anthony, a casino manager from Atlantic City, has been killed by his blind lover. Witherspoon is then surprised to find out he’s able to inherit $6 million from him, but only if he agrees to take his uncle’s corpse on a trip to Monte Carlo. The problem is that if he doesn’t, the money will go to his uncle’s favorite charity. However, in Monte Carlo, he runs into several crazy characters who are also desperate for his uncle’s money. The auditions for “Lucky Stiff” were held recently, and many who tried out seemed excited for a chance to be a part of a fun, comical show. Each person thought the process was actually fun rather than terrifying. “I enjoyed myself,” said junior Travis Cox. If the plot of the musical hasn’t hinted already, “Lucky Stiff” is a musical farce, but it does develop a moral lesson by the end. This plot is also very relevant today, and will show how something like money can make people do the craziest things.
Not only will actors have to perform by acting, singing, and dancing in the show, but some will have to take on multiple roles. “I’m seven different people so I go from being a British punk to a French emcee,” said Cox. “It’s me getting to be a bunch of different characters, which is what I love to do.” If one is planning to go see the performance, expect to laugh. This will probably be one of the theater department’s most comical musical shows. Even those who don’t get a kick out of watching musicals because they complain “there’s too much singing” are sure to enjoy it. “Expect hilarity and the like,” said Cox. “Nate Stahlke is going to be great at playing Harry Witherspoon.” Directed by Chris Crawford with musical direction by Richard Sutliff, the show will be in performance March 3-5 at 7:30 p.m. and March 6 at 2 p.m. in Howard Auditorium. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for general admission and can be purchased only at the kiosk. By Francesca Bee THE ORACLE• Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • Page 23
Forum
The Oracle Forum Editor is Daniel Tsubota You may contact him with comments or questions at oraclemuse@oru.edu For more in Forum, check out oruoracle.com
Letters to the Editor
Submission Guidelines
God and the Church are not Limited by Human Labels
Letters to the Editor: The Oracle encourages letters to the editor. This is your opportunity for your voice to be heard. The author’s name will be used: no anonymous letters will be published. Letters have a 300-word limit and may be edited for length, style and grammar.
Editor: In the last issue of the Oracle, a student was cited as saying that we have a “Jewish God,” and another as drawing a distinction between Catholics and Christians. I hope these attitudes were not picked up at Oral Roberts University. The God we serve is neither American, Jewish, Chinese, or French – He is the universal God and Father of all that is. That we believe in the Incarnation of God the Son as a Jewish male limits him neither in terms of human gender or nationality. And the Body of Christ consists of all
Columns/Op-eds: Columns cannot be direct replies or arguments with a previous Forum piece. Such responses must be sent as a letter to the editor. Please state a thesis or purpose with the body of the article as the supporting information. All Forum submissions are limited to 650-700 words. Each submission must include the author’s name, title, and how they wish to be identified. Columns and op-eds may be edited for length, style and grammar.
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[ORU’s Date Doctor ]
Stefan Junaeus is the Oracle’s dating columnist. He will explore attitudes, outlooks and give advice regarding the romantic scene. The spring semester is here, and is in full swing. The beauty of winter break is it gives you a moment to change your style. Many can feel that previous actions have tainted their dating luck. With the start of a new semester, restart your dating slate. Start over! This is a new semester. This is a new day. Pick up your selfconfidence and dust it off. Create new, healthy habits and take a moment to
William Epperson ORU Faculty Department of English and Modern Languages
“It’s a New Day for Dating”
control your surroundings. Being assertive about starting fresh will always help you overcome your past worries or grief. Then you can walk into the future with more confidence, which always translates into a higher success rate. In light of the new dating season, this bi-weekly dating tip will focus on better ways of understanding guys. Men come in very different shapes and sizes. Their styles, self-image and identifications are as different as the overall number. In a world that reminds us that everyone is unique, there are some things to look for that might help you understand where he might be coming from. I’ve identified three types of common ORU guys that you might encounter. Bachelor No. 1: The Slow Player. These guys tend to be more of the sensitive type: usually musicians, artistic, and semi-fashionable. They normally have had little dating experience but enough to have a conversation and not seem awkward. They tend to be involved in social justice groups or lean toward the “emerging evangelical scene.” Attempting to date one of these guys usually will take a while. Most come from traditional evangelical backgrounds but were the “coolest ones at youth group.” Sometimes they can be seen in the summertime playing their guitars outside, enticing unsus-
Page 24 • Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • THE ORACLE
who believe in Christ – past, present, and future – be they Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, or Protestant. All are Christians. In France and England today, the major revival within the ailing Christian churches is among Charismatic Roman Catholics and Anglicans. Let’s not settle for a narrow view of God or His mercy or his church.
pecting freshmen girls to check out the Hillsong rendition. If you happen to be interested in one of these guys, know that many tend to be very idealistic and hopeless romantics. This usually translates into a long, drawnout dating process of them worrying about doing right by you or not knowing if it’s “spiritually the right time.” There will be at least six months of “talking” before employed interest is stated. The Shameless One: This group of men only take up the top 5 to 10 percent of men: usually loved or hated. They tend to be a bit more experienced, are exceptionally confident, and are most likely on the better-looking side of things. They know what they like and have already been through the discovery stage of early relationships. Due to their confidence and physical appearance, they are often assumed as arrogant but if looked at closely rarely are. They usually get a bad rap because they are the closest thing to personified pop culture bad boy images. If this is the guy you’re interested in, you might as well get to the point, be honest, and downplay the idealism. Confident, more experienced guys tend to shy away from girls who are still working through their issues. Keep it cool and stay confident. Implied interest without complications will come
between one and three months. The Over Achiever: These men have probably not received too much attention over their lives. In the past few years it has gone up slightly so dating is somewhat possible. Because they are coming from the ugly duckling stage toward manhood, they tend to work toward male images and therefore try too hard. These are the guys who tend to “know it all” but haven’t been on a date in six months. They get so into looking the part of the previously mentioned male category that they end up overshooting and trying too hard. They focus more on trying to be attractive rather than just being. Sadly, they tend to be the hardest to date because they usually are very internally focused. Man complexes and a consistent need to prove themsleves tend to take premise over the relationship. Getting one of these guys tend to be complicated and nerveracking. A girl must have patience for they can be over-zealous or play too hard to get. This usually sabotages their efforts subconsciously due to fear of rejection. No matter which guy strikes your fancy, always ask yourself, “What drives him?” Paying attention to the social factors that your interest has been exposed to will help a great deal in understanding where he is coming from and therefore will bring more clarity to his actions.
[Pixel Perspectives ]
ORU alumnus Benjamin Thome (‘10) investigates secular media through a Christian perspective. Remakes. Producers love them. Take a story already told once (or maybe twice) and retell it, usually not quite as well. But if the effects are flashier and
the actors hotter, maybe no one will be able to tell, right? Amid all the remakes and reboots currently being produced, ABC’s V (premise: Alien ships show up promising help, but some think that they might be hiding something. Maybe cookbooks?) stands out due to its resonance with Christianity. First, the primary antagonist Anna, leader of the Visitors—often referred to as V’s, hence the show’s title—has distinctly antichrist-like qualities. She is an alluring, charismatic figure who, on the surface at least, promises peace. Her worldwide communications invariably end with the phrase: “We are of peace. Always.” Yet at the same time, something sinister lurks behind her attractive façade. Although she speaks of peace, her true intent is hardly in the best interest
“Serving Two Masters”
of humanity. She manipulates those around her and consistently displays heartlessness through her actions, ordering torturous experiments on some humans and the deaths of others without batting an eye. Her resonance as a type of antichrist is confirmed by her true appearance. Although the Visitors masquerade quite literally in human skins, their natural appearance is reptilian. Anna even has a long tail with a triangle shape end—à la the picture of a horned devil with pitchfork—which she uses to beat a subordinate to death in order to retain her position of leadership. Thus, both Anna’s attitude and appearance subtly evoke a type of antichrist. However, the show’s most blatant resonance with Christianity is through Father Jack Landry, a Catholic priest. Throughout the first season of the show,
[ Lessons Not In The Syllabus ]
Chelsea Kimbrough offers insights into lessons she has learned outside of the classroom. She is a senior biomedical chemistry and French major. I don’t think we can help ourselves sometimes. It’s as if we all want to blend
in and yet stand out. I think most of us would garner the approval of everyone we knew if we could. Although it’s not possible, we still try to gauge others’ reactions and alter ourselves accordingly. In fact, it can get to the point where we obsess over what other people think of us, hardly realizing how very little most people think about us to begin with. I have watched in horror as some people struggle to maintain a balanced conversation because of their pressing need to be noticed. All they want is to feel esteemed and accepted. Yet they sabotage themselves by dominating most of their conversations, asking little about anyone else, and promoting only themselves. They just want someone to reassure them that they are highly valued. What I personally find more saddening is when an individual twists himself into something he is not or relinquishes a wonderful opportunity for the sake of the status quo. One of my professors has a quote in her office that says, “To be nobody but
he struggles with the arrival of the Visitors and its implication for his faith. Are the Visitors sent by God to help humanity? Does their arrival disprove His existence? With time, he begins to doubt and eventually disbelieve the Visitors’ presumably good intentions. He notices that people have started to put more trust in the Visitors than in God. Consequently, they begin to worship them in a sense, rather than Him. Yet one of his fellow priests consistently belittles Jack’s concerns, creating an internal conflict for Jack. Should he speak out about his beliefs concerning the threat of the Visitors, or should he stay silent and mind his own business? The dilemma comes to a head in the first season finalé, when Jack speaks out during a service. In a stirring speech replete with Christian allusion, he tells his congrega-
tion that no one can serve two masters. They must choose to serve the Visitors or God. They cannot serve both. Of course, as with practically any show, V contains a few scenes that detract from its positive qualities. Specifically, Anna encourages her daughter to seduce a human as part of her plan to manipulate humanity, resulting in a scene or two that may disturb some. However, despite its few negatives, V as a whole acts as a pseudo-allegory. The Visitors promise peace, wealth, and health, but their promises are merely façades for evil. Similarly, many of the temptations we face promise pleasure and security in the short term, but in the end result in separation from God. Ultimately, as Father Landry notes, we cannot serve two masters. We must choose God. “V” airs Tuesday nights on ABC.
“What You Think”
yourself in a world that is doing its best night and day to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight.” I would tend to agree. Our main problem is that we typically practice socialism when it comes to receiving validation. We give everyone equal
Learning how to be a truly strong individual is a process, and many people never begin. weight of opinion when they shouldn’t have that right. My mom, for instance, has been on the receiving end of some cutting jealousy. The truth is she is absolutely stunning, brilliant, accomplished, and witty. Occasionally, I’ll see other women slip in some
barbs and I can’t help but laugh to myself. Out of their own insecurity, they intend to be hurtful. Out of my mom’s security, not one iota of it ruffles her. In a way, she’s untouchable. You couldn’t make her feel small no matter how hard you tried. Yet if I ever said anything like that, it would probably cut her to the core. When it comes to people’s opinions about her, she picks and chooses who she accepts them from and how much weight they hold. Learning how to be a truly strong individual is a process, and many people never begin. I also think there is a right and wrong way to be strong; one is truly liberated and the other is in hiding. The former would rather be respectable than popular and esteems God as an individual – indeed, a veritable Person, not a distant ideal – deserving of the highest respect and largest weight of opinion. The latter relies on his own abilities and must define and defend himself. He will never be anybody but a reaction or consent to what other human beings tell him he is.
THE ORACLE• Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • Page 25
Letters to the Editor (continued) Perfect Relationships Don’t Exist Because We All Have Flaws Editor: Does the perfect relationship exist? And for that matter does the perfect person exist? Is it something real or does it only exist in fairy tales? I personally believe perfect relationships don’t exist. A perfect relationship is unattainable and I think it’s foolish if you think it can be done. This is because we live in an imperfect world with imperfect people. Not a single living soul on this planet is perfect. Your pastor is not perfect, your parents aren’t perfect, your teachers aren’t perfect, your friends aren’t perfect and neither are you. We each have flaws and quirks that we bring into relationships that make them far from perfect. As soon as you step into a relationship it automatically becomes imperfect. For example,
The Oracle welcomes SIFE to the Forum section. Leaders within the ORU chapter will discuss business practices, finances, leadership, and other topics. Welcome to the first Oral Roberts University Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) article. This column was created to be a resource for those interested in business, leadership, and other closely related topics. The authors are students who are leaders within our ORU SIFE team. I’d like to give you some background information about our team, as well as
some links to other media that could prove helpful and informative to you. First off, I would like to introduce myself as the author of this specific blog entry. My name is Jen Cook and I am currently serving as the ORU SIFE President for the 2010-2011 academic year. To find more information about me, feel free to check out my personal blog at www.thejencook. com. A student named Sarah Feltham brought the idea of ORU SIFE to Dr. Mark Maynard. Since she was a senior, she decided that she should leave the task to Roberta May. Roby took charge in the 2006-2007 school year and spearheaded the first few projects. This led them to compete regionally. During that year, we finished as Rookie of the Year. In Fall 2007, Kevin Schneider came to ORU and began to work with Roby to keep the ball rolling. Still a new team in 2008, ORU SIFE competed in the regional competition in Rogers, Ark., winning the first runner-up position in their league, qualifying them for nationals. At the national competition in Chicago, they placed in the top
Page 26 • Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • THE ORACLE
to resent the person because they are perfect and the way they make you feel because of their perfection. The only perfect love that exists in this universe is the love that God the Father has for us. Other than that, I strongly believe that perfect relationships don’t exist, but I do believe that there are relationships that fit together snuggly like a jigsaw puzzle. We need to stop looking for the perfect person and start looking for the right person. There is someone out there who is right for you: all you have to do is look for him or her. It’s sad that a lot of people miss out on the right person, because they were looking for the “perfect” person. Robert Butler Media Major MMP Concentration
“Beginning of a Legacy”
40 teams in the nation. In the Spring of 2009, ORU SIFE competed in the regional competition in Dallas. They received first runner-up, but did not qualify for national competition. In the spring of 2010, ORU SIFE made a comeback and competed in Dallas again. This time they won first place in their league at the regional level. They went on to be in the top 10 teams among the nation in Minneapolis, Minn., for the national competition, proving victorious over 600 teams in the nation. Since 2007, both legacy and new projects have developed to meet the needs of contacts locally in Tulsa, as well as globally. ORU SIFE has had projects in Argentina, Paraguay, Benin, Kenya, Morocco, Iraq, India, Nepal, among others across the world. Kevin Schneider acted as the Sam Walton Fellow from 2007-2009. The chapters beginning presidents were Roberta May, Caleb Becker, Josh Becker, and Benjamin Johanson. In March 2010, Dr. Steve Greene became the Sam Walton Fellow and I am blessed to be the current ORU SIFE President. By Jennifer Cook
Catch up with SIFE online! Twitter:
@ORUSIFE Facebook Search:
ORU SIFE Website:
www.orusife.com
Sudoku Answer
[ SIFE’s Better Business ]
let’s say you married the perfect person. They are perfect in every aspect and cannot do anything wrong. So how does someone who is imperfect manage to have a successful relationship with someone who is perfect? It’s not possible and will only end in failure. When one who is imperfect stands in the presence of perfection, all flaws and imperfections are exposed. Can you imagine how it would feel to have all your flaws exposed while the person you’re married to is completely perfect? It would be completely and utterly embarrassing because something flawed cannot stand next to something that’s perfect. Then you would try to change and attain perfection, but you would ultimately fall short because perfection cannot be obtained by humanity. Soon, you would come
SA Buzz
SA Buzz is provided by Kathleen Kelly Contact SA with comments/questions at frontdesk@orustudentassociation.com For more info about SA, check out orusa.org
offs to a highly classy banquet that Clark Gable himself would be very likely to attend (were he not deceased). The homecoming banquet, planned for Friday, Feb. 4, is our featured event this year. Our venue, the Mayo Hotel, is one of the classier venues in Tulsa, and that is exactly why we worked so hard to secure it for our homecoming banquet. It possesses a unique and luxurious atmosphere that few other venues could achieve. Read more about homecoming week, the Mayo Hotel, and banquet on oruoracle.com
“Any Other Universe”
As we the students settle back into the swing of things here in the pseudo-wintry state of Oklahoma, these two words send a chill of excited anticipation down the backs of students all over the campus of Oral Roberts University: homecoming week. The basketball teams prepare for the most popular games of the season, and your ORU Student Association once again sets to planning and organizing events that will fill homecoming week with more stimulation than one person could possibly handle. We’ve got it all for you this year, from game show spin-
By Chelsea Boen, Reid Peterson, Jonathan Whitt, and Darren Sorrels
A Moment in Time
Help us map brain function.
RECRUITING HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS The Laureate Institute for Brain Research (LIBR) is conducting studies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to increase our understanding of how the brain processes and regulates emotion, memory, motivation and stress in healthy individuals.
Participants Should Be: • Ages 18-55 • Free of serious medical conditions • Free of current or past psychiatric illness • Free of history of head trauma
(918)502-5100
Studies are conducted at Laureate Institute for Brain Research. Compensation is provided for participation.
THE ORACLE• Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 • Page 27
SITUATIONS WANTED:
Willing to give rides to any location between Tulsa - Tucson if passenger helps pay for gas. E-mail: veritas@oru.edu
FOR SALE:
Dr. Guthrie’s worship class textbooks incl. “Worship Old & New” & “Worship Team Handbook.” $15 ea. dtsubota@oru.edu
The Oracle has open positions in video/tv production, cartoonist, bloggers, and writers. E-mail oracle@oru.edu for consideration.
Sayre “Humanities: Culture, Change and Continuity Books 4, 5 & 6. $20/all three. 918.200.9151
Need a ride around town or to the mall? I will give you a lift for a flat rate. Call Ken at 918.688.4415
Yamaha RBX170 four-string bass, case not included, $100, oraclemuse@oru.edu
01.21 - 02.04
Classifieds
Run a free classified ad in The Oracle. Submit your classified to oraclemuse@ oru.edu. Please include a contact phone number. Only valid ORU e-mail addresses will be considered for publication.
01.22 SATURDAY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. CENTENARY, 2 p.m., Mabee Center, Free with ORU I.D. MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. CENTENARY, 7 p.m., Mabee Center, Free with ORU I.D.
01.23 SUNDAY SOULS A’FIRE GOSPEL SKATE NIGHT, 6 p.m., Skate Land Skating Rink, $8/person 01.25 TUESDAY REGISTRATION DEADLINE-2ND ANNUAL WHOLE PERSON INDOOR TRIATHLON Triathlon is Sat., Jan 29 and Sun., Jan. 30; Individual and team competitions in 400-meter swim, 8-mile bike (stationary) and 2-mile run (Indoor 1/6th mile track). Cost is $25/individuals, $30/teams. Early registrations receive T-shirts. Register at www.mabeecenter.com.
01.29 SATURDAY STARS GO DIM, 7 p.m., Cain’s Ballroom, $12 in advance, $15 at door
ORU LEADERSHIP ALUMNI FORUM, 4 p.m., Zoppelt, Speakers: Cameron Strang, Rick Fenimore, Paul Daugherty & others
JASON ALDEAN, 7:30 p.m., BOK Center, Tickets start at $25
SOULS A’FIRE “UNQUENCHED” CONCERT, 7 p.m., Christ’s Chapel, Free
02.01 TUESDAY DISCIPLE & PROJECT 86, 6 p.m., The Marquee, $13 in advance, $15 day of
02.04 FRIDAY HOMECOMING ACTIVITIES BEGIN STUDENT ASSOCIATION PRESENTS CRYOUT! HOUR OF PRAYER, 7:30 a.m., Prayer Tower
EVERYDAY SUNDAY, 6 p.m., The Marquee, $10 in advance, $13 at door
PRSSA MEETING, 5 p.m., GC 3114, $3 NON-MEMBER; MEMBERS FREE
BONELESS WINGS MONDAYS & TUESDAYS*
E-mail or text: oraclemuse@oru.edu
02.03 THURSDAY: MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. SOUTH DAKOTA STATE, 7 p.m., Mabee Center, Free with ORU I.D.
ORU SA BATTLE OF THE BANDS, 7 p.m., Mabee Center, FREE
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Ask ANY question about ORU and the Oracle will answer it in the next edition. From student life, food and housing to ORU urban legends, we want you to be informed.
01.28 FRIDAY STUDENT ASSOCIATION PRESENTS CRYOUT! HOUR OF PRAYER, 7:30 a.m., Prayer Tower
01.27 THURSDAY STUDENT ASSOCIATION CLUB RUSH, Noon, GC/LRC 3rd Floor
¢
Have a question about ORU?
ORU HOMECOMING BANQUET, 7 p.m., Mayo Hotel (Downtown), Tickets available at orusa.org, Prices vary
CALL IN: 918-995-2200
81ST & S. LEWIS . OPEN DAILY 11-MIDNIGHT WWW.WINGSTOP.COM ORDER EARLY ON BIG-GAME SUNDAY!
*50¢ EACH WITH 5-WING MINIMUM;
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TEXT “WINGSTOP” TO 55678. GET FREE OFFERS & COUPONS!
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