SA President-Elect Jentre Olsen will take office on May 1 with running mate Joe Ninowski Photo by Marilyn Chau
Oral Roberts University • Friday, March 4, 2011
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Contents
5
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Victory Christian School teams up with ORU mentors to build a winning bot
tepping into his father’s shoes: sophomore pitcher Sam Moore steps up on the mound
Sports: Moore’s father was one of ORU’s best athletes ever
19
News: High school robot competition could go to nationals
7
Campus: Getting Sick? Watch Out or You Might Be Quarantined! Due to the snowpocalypse, student compares experience to “prison.”
11
Faith: Victory Christian Center hosts Night to Honor Israel Church leaders, community members celebrate their support for the nation
21
Scene: Eisley’s “The Valley” offers a more grown-up sound Katy Miller reviews this band’s first new album in four years
26
Forum: New columnist Robert Butler’s “Pick Up What I Put Down” Recently had a breakup? Here’s what not to do and the next steps to take
Photo by Nathan Lundeen
Web: Love the Summit League? Going mad over March Madness? Check out oruoracle.com for live coverage of the Summit League tournament and a bracketology contest!
CORRECTIONS
oruoracle.com Photo by Nathan Lundeen
•In the Feb. 18 print edition, information regarding new aerobics center equipment funding was stated incorrectly. The funding did not come from a surplus Sodexo budget, nor from selling old equipment. •In the Feb. 18 print edition, a story on alumni testimonies incorrectly stated the title of Liz Middleton. Ms. Middleton is not the director of compensation for athletics. She is the director of compliance.
THE ORACLE• Friday, March 4, 2011 • Page 3
News
The Oracle News Editor is Beth Knier You may contact him with comments or questions at bknier@oru.edu For more in News, check out oruoracle.com
Balderson Steps Down
Keepin.It. Brief
By Beth Knier and Katy Miller
Derek Balderson is no longer serving in the position of vice president within Student Association. He was originally elected last year to serve as SA vice president for the entire 2010-2011 school year. Balderson was encouraged to step down from his position in January in order to give attention and priority to personal issues. “The changes have nothing to do with his conduct within SA,” said Stephen Gunn, director of Student Experience. Balderson’s duties as SA vice president have been undertaken by those already serving as part of Student Association. Executive cabinet members are reporting directly to Dexter Sullivan, SA president. The General Assembly is currently led by Aaron Tifft, the president pro-tempore,
and Ciera Trisch, secretary. Sullivan believes that the strong internal structure of Student Association itself has prevented any part of it from suffering from Balderson’s official departure. “We all miss Derek, however, we are moving full speed ahead with the rest of the year...We’re doing well, actually,” said Sullivan. Sullivan has now turned his focus to training the new president and vice president-elect, Jentre Olsen and Joe Ninowski. While no longer serving in a leadership capacity, Balderson has been preparing training materials as resource coordinator for next year’s SA staff alongside Gunn. Balderson will also continue to be available as a resource for Student Association staff questions. By Rachel Whitlock and Bryce Merkl
Courtesy Photo Derek Balderson previously served as Student Association vice president.
Tulsa Adds New Area Code
the area code 918 or the new one, 539. Since the 918 numbers are expected to run out by the fourth quarter of 2012, the new area code 539 has been added, which is called an area code overlay. An area code overlay is when several area codes are assigned to the same geographical area. It ensures that the state never runs out of phone and fax numbers. Starting April 1, the 539 area code will be available by request for new numbers and phone lines. The 918 number will still be available for as long as possible. After the 918 numbers run out, the 539 area code will be assigned to new numbers immediately.
Randy Miller, a telephone technician at ORU, said that Oklahoma was supposed to run out of the 918 numbers in August of this year, but the economy prevented that from happening. There will be no change to already existing 918 numbers. What does this mean for ORU? “If you’re on campus [in Oklahoma], you’ll have to dial ten digits,” Miller said. Automatic dialing equipment and all other types of equipment that are currently programmed with only seven digits will need to be reprogrammed with 10 digits before March 5, according to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. “The biggest problem for ORU is the fax machines,” Miller said. “They’ll have to be reprogrammed if they send to local Oklahoma numbers. ORU has 149 fax lines.” Lauren Steele is a freshman elementary education major at ORU and also a native Oklahoman. She feels the 10-digit dialing will “take a lot of getting used to.” “I’ve been dialing without an area code for so long,” Steele said. “I think it’ll be time consuming if you have to redial a number because you mess it up by dialing the old way.” By Halle Byrams
ORU Wins Outstanding Delegation at Model U.N. The ORU delegation for the Midwest Model United Nations competition in St. Louis recently won the “Outstanding Delegation in the General Assembly Plenary” award. Individual honors went to Rebecca Butcher, Rachel Ferris, Jacob Jackson, Rebecca Morris and Becky White.
Benny Hinn Embroiled in Another Scandal
New Code on the Block: Welcome to the 539 Residents of Northeast Oklahoma have been able to dial numbers in the state without an area code for years. Starting March 5, everyone in the region, including businesses, schools, and the like will be required to dial 10-digit numbers, which will include
Photo by Aundrea Pickett
Page 4 • Friday, March 4, 2011 • THE ORACLE
Stephen Strang, publisher of Charisma magazine, has filed suit against evangelist Benny Hinn for allegedly violating a morality clause in a book contract with Strang Communications. Hinn, who is divorced, is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with Pastor Paula White of Without Walls International Church. Hinn was a member of the former ORU Board of Regents.
Bobblehead Tribute Fans at the final men’s home basketball game on Feb. 26 received Anthony Roberts bobblehead dolls. Roberts, who was shot to death in 1997, ranks fourth all time among ORU career scoring leaders. The 1977 alumnus played professionally for the Denver Nuggets and Washington Bullets.
Churches Highlight “Freedom Sunday” On March 13, churches across the globe will declare “Freedom Sunday,” which will highlight the growing problem of sex trafficking. Freedom Sunday encourages churches to intercede and fast in order to spark action in the fight against sex trafficking. For more information, visit freedomsunday.org.
Build Me a Robot
Engineering Students Help Victory Christian School Team Construct Entry for Spring Break Competition in OK City
Courtesy Photo
The team had six weeks to create its own robot that can pick up inner tubes and follow a path. If you walked into the ORU engineering lab early on Tuesday, Feb. 22, you would find a conglomeration of building materials next to a square frame. Upon returning that evening, however, you would find high school students working hard to complete a robot. Victory Christian School teamed up with the ORU engineering department this year for the first time in a robotics competition. The group of 15 students with several ORU and parent mentors will head to Oklahoma City during spring break to compete against other area schools. The competition is hosted by FIRST, a national organization designed to inspire young leaders in science and engineering. They provide each participating school with a square frame and building materials. Then the team has six weeks to create its own robot. Once the robot is complete, the teams
compete in a race requiring their robots to place different colored inner tubes on a scoring wall in the pattern of the FIRST logo. The robot must pick up inner tubes one at a time and follow an outlined path to reach the wall. Each machine is equipped with a camera so it can maneuver the course from any location and see where to place the tube. Feb. 22 was the last day to work on the robot before the Oklahoma City competition. Junior Madison Schenfield said she has spent most of her free time working on the project. “We come five days a week. Basically all the time I’m not at school or work is spent here,” said Schenfield. The robotics competition focuses on mentorship and is a family affair. Many of the Victory students are following the footsteps of an older sibling or have parent involvement in the project. They learned
from parent and ORU advisors how to use high tech machinery and design to construct their robot. For Renea Allen, the competition was her senior year project. She really wanted to get involved after watching her brother Aaron participate in the FIRST competitions. Aaron, senior engineering major at ORU, decided to step in to help. He and his fellow members of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers received approval from Dr. John Matsson, ORU’s chair of engineering department, to provide a space for Victory students to work and to serve as mentors for the team. Aaron Allen explains that it was important for their group to be involved. “Doing robotics is our way of representing Christ. You need to have a hobby or outlet,” Allen said. This year is an exciting time for Victory
students to get involved, and they plan on staying involved. Schenfield said she appreciates the experience FIRST has given her and would like to be a leader at the next competition her senior year. “It’s been fun to actually build something cause I’m going to be an engineer,” said Schenfield. Renea, who plans on attending ORU or Victory Bible Institute next year, said she loves working on the machines. “At first I didn’t want to do machine cutting, but then I was like, ‘hey, this is fun,’” said Renea. Her friend Christine Tedford said she has loved the community environment of the project. “What’s really cool is the people you get to meet and work as a team with,” said Tedford. “It’s something I’ve never really done before.” By Beth Knier
Seniors Need to Check Graduation Plans
Photo by Lauren Rockett
Rockelia Colley celebrates her May 2010 graduation in the Mabee Center.
Graduating seniors have less than 60 days before they walk across the Mabee Center stage to receive their diplomas, but completing midterms and final papers aren’t the only things that might be standing in their way. University Registrar David Fulmer III encourages seniors to attend a Graduation Fair, scheduled March 31 on the third floor of the LRC, where students can purchase and pick up regalia. Additional information will be available about the April 30 commencement ceremony and April 29 hoodings for each department. Fulmer said seniors also need to ensure they have not procrastinated on the swimming proficiency exam from Health and Fitness II. The swimming proficiency is a requirement for graduation. Seniors who have not completed the swimming proficiency should contact Lora Conte at lconte@oru.edu or call 918.495.7738. Seniors also need to check to see that they have
earned the required number of credit hours for their respective major. Undergraduate students only needing to complete six hours during the summer may apply to graduate. April 8 is the day to have all exit interviews done for loans such as the Stafford, Direct Loan and Perkins. Also, residential students need to submit a forwarding address to Campus Post Office and the Telephone Center. This is also the last day for seniors to submit the application for graduation and still have their names printed in the program. By April 11, seniors’ balances for Student Accounts, Library and Telephone Center must be zero. By Emilie Southern
Where to do exit interviews:
•Stafford Loans- mappingyourfuture.org •Direct Loans- dlssonline.org •Perkins Loans- Pick up Exit Interview Packet from Student Loans THE ORACLE• Friday, March 4, 2011 • Page 5
College Weekend is a Defining Factor Current Students Say the Experience Made Their Decision to Attend ORU Who could think a weekend in the ORU dorms would be life changing? College Weekend is a time for prospective students to truly experience ORU. The event allows them to stay overnight in the dorms, go to classes, eat in Saga, and talk with current students and professors. Several current students testify that College Weekend had a great influence in helping them decide to attend ORU. Freshman engineering major Wesley Kingsley, who is from Tulsa, attended College Weekend as a senior in high school in fall 2009. He said it helped him get more insight for making a decision. “ORU was one of my primary choices for which college I wanted to attend,” Kingsley said. “College Weekend was the best way for me to get a more inside perspective of what ORU life had to offer.” Kingsley said his highlight of the event was staying in the dorms. “I came with a friend from high school and we both stayed in the same room,” Kingsley said. “My favorite part was just being in the dorms after the day was done and talking with some of the students.” Kingsley said he recommends prospective students come in order to make an informed decision. “A College Weekend at ORU will give them some serious perspective on whether they wish to attend or not,” Kingsley said. “They’ll get to see some dorm life, a handful of classes, chapel, eat Saga food. It’s a neat little ORU package.” Faith Harris is a sophomore multimedia production major from Topeka, Kan., who believes if she had not come to visit ORU during College Weekend, she would not be attending today. “I first saw ORU online and
was surprised it was a Christian college that actually had majors that weren’t all Bible,” Harris said with a laugh. Harris said attending College Weekend solidified desire to attend ORU. “College Weekend influenced my decision 100 percent,” she said. “At first I was skeptical, but then I fell in love with the campus, and I know if I hadn’t come to College Weekend then I probably wouldn’t have attended ORU.” After the event, Harris was so convinced of her decision that she did not apply to any other schools. She said it was great to meet other prospective students. “Meeting people in the same boat I was in was great,” Harris said. “I loved playing in the team competitions.” Chelsey Wenrick, a freshman Biology and pre-medicine major from Lewisburg, Pa., attended two College Weekends before making her decision to come to ORU. “My first college weekend went great!” Wenrick said. “Everything went smoothly, but I wasn’t really feeling like I was supposed to go here. I really just came to visit my sister, who was a freshman at the time.” Wenrick did not have a good experience at her next visit. The shuttle was late picking her and her mother up from the airport, which made her late to take the ACT test at ORU. “When I finally got to campus, I was told since I was late, I could no longer take the test, and that was a main reason I had come to College Weekend,” Wenrick said. After some reorganization, Wenrick was able to take the test, but she felt discouraged. “I was so convinced this was not the school for me, I just wanted to leave and never come back,” Wenrick said. “I told God that if I was sup-
posed to go here, he was really going to have to show me one way or another.” On the last day of College Weekend, God revealed to her his plan. Wenrick said the school had a drawing for a $5,000 scholarship.
“To my surprise, my name was the first one called for the scholarship,” Wenrick said. “I was so shocked. After I sat back down, I immediately sent my mom a text saying, ‘I think God just told me this is where I’m supposed to go to school.’ That was an amazing end to my weekend.”
a p S !
Page 6 • Friday, March 4, 2011 • THE ORACLE
Wenrick said after looking back on the stressful weekend, she is glad she stuck it out. “While my second experience was not the best, I still ended up with a scholarship and confirmation that ORU is where I’m supposed to be.” By Halle Byrams
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Cold Weather Quarantine Prevents Epidemic Sickness Sends Students into Solitary Confinement to Contain Unnecessary Spread of Virus Winter weather is taking its toll on students, and sickness is spreading across campus quicker than rumors about budget cuts. The university’s solution to help stop the spread of illnesses like the flu is to quarantine contagious students. According to Lisa Bowman, director of Auxiliary Services, about 30 students have been quarantined this year alone. Those numbers are down dramatically from last year when the H1N1 flu epidemic swept the nation. Although quarantining students is not uncommon even at other universities, many are unaware of the quarantine process. If a student goes to Health Services with several symptoms like fever, cough or body aches, they are administered a flu test. If they test positive for the flu, they are escorted by security to their room to get their things and are moved to quarantine immediately. Tim Philley, executive vice president and chief operating officer, said the seemingly drastic measure is reasonable and needed to ensure the well-being of the student body. “What student health tries to make sure they do is protect the campus community,” said Philley. “While quarantining the student is not fun for the student, our biggest concern is to make sure we don’t have an epidemic of Photo by Moriah Lamb influenza or other illness.” Head Resident Adviser Elaine Colon gives a take-out box of food to quarantined student Moriah Fabre. Life in quarantine does have additional rules and guidelines. of a noisy floor.” quarantine process for Fabre because Student Health For example, students are not allowed to The nursing major understands how fast germs and was closed. leave their room without a face mask on, and no one is illnesses can spread, and thinks quarantining is neces“Because of the snowstorm, no nurse was there to allowed to visit. sary for prevention. release me from quarantine,” said Fabre. Head resident advisers and hall directors are as“I feel strongly that quarantining students for the “If I would not have complained on the phone to sesigned to bring sick students food. sake of spreading disease is very important and a well curity, they would have made me stay in there for several They must also keep a log of their temperature, and needed plan of action,” Taylor said. more days.” are permitted to leave after being fever-free without the “This high rate of a flu epidemic can be dramatically Butch Taylor, a junior living in EMR, spent three days assistance of fever-reducing medicine like Ibuprofen or lessened with precautionary measures, especially quarin quarantine this semester. He was diagnosed with Type Tylenol. antine.” B influenza. He believed being quarantined was a bitMoriah Fabre, a freshman marketing major, was quarAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Pretersweet experience. antined for three days during the snow days. vention, the flu season can be unpredictable, but usually “I felt lonely most of the time, and in a sense, The Louisiana native was diagnosed with the flu, and peaks during January and February. kind of an outcast, especially when it came to receivshe compared her experience in quarantine to “prison.” Bowman agrees that the numbers of quarantined stuing meals from the head resident advisor,” Taylor “I really hated depending on people to bring my food dents are waning now that the weather is warming and said.“Simultaneously, it was a good feeling to have that to me,” said Fabre. time of rest and recuperation with the hustle and bustle spring is close. By Moriah Lamb The snowstorm also added complications to the THE ORACLE• Friday, March 4, 2011 • Page 7
Desk Dreams Become Reality
Night Shift Worker Begins Lifelong Dream of Mentoring Children
Photo by Marilyn Chau
Kathy Chenowetth sits desk in Towers every Sunday-Thursday from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. What would the title of your autobiography reveal about the life you lead? Kathy Chenoweth believes the title that best describes her walk in life is, Root to Fruit. At 1:30 a.m. in the Fishbowl, Chenoweth observes conversations cease, couples part as if going to war and mini-parties disperse. All will reconvene the next day, but in those next silent hours, the atmosphere sleeps and human interaction is scarce, if not non-existent. For Chenoweth, this is the perfect time to dream. A teacher with a master’s
degree in adult education and a passion for horticulture, Chenoweth has an active plan to change the world one garden at a time. However, she is currently a night receptionist in Towers lobby. “Sometimes I think... why am I here, Lord, as a receptionist?” she laughed. “But...it’s a place where dreams are cultivated.” She was comfortably established as a teacher of horticulture at Tulsa Community College (TCC) for 17 years, and even started a horticulture therapy program. She applied for the Towers desk job in 2005, looking for
Page 8 • Friday, March 4, 2011 • THE ORACLE
something a bit less stressful than packaging pies at Bama Pie Co., where she had previously worked for two years. And she has learned many things behind that desk. “One night, I clearly heard the Lord,” Chenoweth related. “He said ‘It’s all about connections, the parts need to be working together, we have to start working like a body.’ So once in a while you just get this really good revelation, so that’s cool. And then some nights, I just clearly waste my time.” Among several learned hobbies, including her self-education of the Spanish language,
Chenoweth uses her time as wisely as possible. “I do lots of praying and reading. Before they changed the wireless Internet I would check my email and Facebook,” she said, toying with a small book nearby on the desk. The book, Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, is part of her current project: building a children’s curriculum. “My goal is to write [one],” she said. “So I’m working on...a garden-based children’s curriculum.” She believes children are like plants, and she wants to mold the lessons around cultivating courage and teamwork by teaching object lessons, building crafts and applying Bible verses to gardening situations. “I wanted to teach adults,” she said. “I figured I’d be at TCC for the rest of my life and just teach horticulture. I was happy there. [I] never expected to make a change. And then actually I heard the word of the Lord say, ‘I want you to write a children’s curriculum.’ I got really excited like, ‘Ahh! Now I know what I want do to with my life!’ and all this... extra, over-the-top creativity can be used for writing children’s curriculum.” But it’s not for sale. “In the words of George Washington Carver,” she quoted, “‘how can I sell what the Holy Spirit has given me?’” She does hope it will open up doors to speaking engagements and training sessions for teachers, and even one day be placed online for public use. Children are Chenoweth’s heart. “Really children, and working with the adults that work with the children, because I think we just don’t respect children,” she explained. Chenoweth does not believe children will know their own heart’s desire or the plans God has for them if everyone dictates what their future will be. “Children are like a plant and we try to form them into our image as parents instead of into God’s image, ‘cause He’s already planted the gifts in there and the talents inside of them.” She also thinks the world is
trying too hard to “warehouse” children, always telling them to behave a certain way, act fine and everything will be alright, but it is the heart that matters. “Imagine a person... how much talent’s inside of them,” she said. “It’s just a matter of stirring that up. And the outside is just a covering. We focus so much on the outward appearance and not what’s in the heart.” She believes she has a special gifting in communicating with young girls, and that God specifically told her to mentor them. This past spring, the Tulsa Dream Center, where she volunteers, received some raised planters from an old tobacco settlement and Chenoweth’s plans take off. “I want to start a program out there: Victory Garden Girls, where the little girls garden, it’ll be kinda like Girl Scouts,” she said. “...they garden and develop... their self esteem and have a bible devotional, [for example] ‘you reap what you sow.’” Chenoweth said her program is similar to Eugene Field’s program, Global Gardens. Her dreams don’t stop here. She sees her curriculum expanding globally, available to anyone who wants to begin a garden club. “You could take the garden club into, even Muslim countries, and disciple a small group...if the Bible was illegal or whatever you could still teach them... pretty much everything from a garden,” she said. “Everything started in a garden and ended in a garden. Jesus came back in a garden...heaven means paradise, means walled garden.” Chenoweth kmows she has influence over people from where she sits. “You never know what seed you sow, that’s true.” So when asked what the title of her autobiography would be, she answered: “You cannot have fruit without root....Until you have your own roots deep into God’s word, you’re not gonna really bear fruit. So, probably Root to Fruit.” By Ericka Mingus
HPE Class Opportunities Vary From Horseback to Bowling, There’s Something for Everyone It’s not an official class, but it’ll earn you the most aerobic points this entire semester. It’s the midnight dash to vision. oru.edu in order to sign up for the popular and coveted HPE courses. Will you pick something you know will get you into shape? Or choose one that is a particular passion of yours? Some are curious about the options. After all, not much is known about some of the HPE courses offered. Bowling: Offered Thursdays at 12:05 p.m. or 2:20 p.m. Added fee for use of outside facilities and professional instruction: $95. Fritz Huber, chair of the HPER department, does not think this particular class is as physically taxing as some of the other ones offered, although it does adhere to the ORU’s physical health requirements (aerobic points, field test, body mass
index, etc.) “All of our courses have half of it as a health fitness component,” Huber said. “So they all equate out, basically. But ultimately we want to teach, a variety of things so...that when you leave ORU you’re not just sitting behind the computer and doing bowling on the computer screen, you can actually go out and do it.” Scuba: Offered Thursdays at 6 p.m. Added fee: $8.00 for non-certification, which covers rental of gear. There is additional cost for certification, which is variable due to location for checkout dives (diving trips at a local lake). Michael Conte, the instructor for this class, began instructing it in 1993 with his wife, Lori. He said it is the only school in the area that offers a scuba program. The requirements for the class are straightforward:
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-Field test. -Aerobic points. -Lecture (for the first hour) then lab (where pool skills, such as snorkeling and diving are taught). The variety of classes he offers allows most students the ability to take scuba more than two semesters, which is the general cutoff rule for physical ed. classes. Conte teaches regular scuba, advanced scuba, rescue scuba diver, advanced rescue scuba diver [skills building and learning how to rescue divers] and master diver. The last level is dive master. He said it is a blessing to see students throughout the years and meet different kids as they come through his class. As to fulfilling requirements for the “physically disciplined” core value, Conte states: “In the discipline, and also in scuba discipline, we start each class with prayer...it builds relationships because you never dive alone. You always have a diving buddy.” Equestrian: Offered Thursdays at 7 p.m. (beginning) and 8 p.m. (intermediate). Added fee for use of outside facilities and professional instruction: $190. According to Huber, ORU is one of the few colleges that offers equestrian. All riding activities take place off campus at the Southern Hills Riding Academy. Professor Nancy Mankin is the campus supervisor for equestrian and teaches the health fitness part of the course. She said that every semester about 60 students sign up for this class. “A lot of the students that take it have people like nursing majors, or people...doing student teaching that have conflict...they can’t take [one] in the daytime,” Mankin said. Backpacking: Not listed on
Photo by Nathan Lundeen
Scuba diving is just one of the HPE classes offered. vision.oru.edu as available for Fall 2011. English professor Keith Gogan currently teaches this class and has been since 1992. Gogan believes the attraction to backpacking is inquisitiveness. “I think the appeal is that it sounds like fun,” he said. “A very simple explanation, but I think that’s it because most of the students in that class are not avid backpackers. They’re curious and I think to them it sounds like fun.” It adheres to the “physically disciplined” core value because of its demand on the body while in class. Gogan explained further: “The actual act of backpacking is quite physically demanding. So it requires some training and it requires some physical fitness to execute.” He would like to offer more sections, but his commitment to the English department claims his time as well. Mountain biking: Offered
Saturdays at 12 p.m. No added fee unless the student needs to rent a bike. This would be considered a more “physically demanding” class, as Dr. Huber puts it, and simply because it meets fewer times than the normal classes doesn’t mean it’s not difficult. “There’s kind of a hierarchy of what would be the most difficult class to take to what’s the easiest, physical wise, within the class,” said Huber. “But they all require a field test, they’re all scored the same on the field test [and] they’re all required aerobic points.” He would like to offer more variety, but budget and faculty as well as time constraints make it more difficult to simply add a class because of popular interest. “It’s not easy to put a schedule together to try to meet everybody’s needs,” he said. “I would love to offer lots of different things, because then there’s something for everybody.” By Ericka Mingus
THE ORACLE• Friday, March 4, 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
God of the Eleventh Hour Missions Funding Appears in Mysterious Ways
“Katie, I had a dream that I went to the Philippines,” the young man said. The morning of the 50 percent deadline for the missions trip had finally come. Junior Katie Barnett knew the young man on her team was still about $1,500 short, and it’s a rule that there must be two men per missions team. He was their second. If he couldn’t go, there would be no Team Philippines. In the natural, it didn’t seem possible, but looking back over the past week, Barnett knew that she served a God of the impossible. And he had given her team member a dream. They had until 5 that evening for their miracle to arrive. With all of their own resources exhausted, it was time to trust God. By faith, Barnett and her mission team had accepted
the call to go to the Philippines. Faith had started this journey of international missions, but Barnett knew money had to keep it going. She and her team are not alone. Between the triumphs, the setbacks and the flurry of fundraising activities, the ORU missions teams have come a long way since they first assembled in October. With the 50 percent deadline passed and the 100 percent in the near future, they are trusting God to provide the funds so that can go into “every person’s world.” On Feb. 22, the day of the 50 percent deadline, Barnett knew that if they didn’t have the money by 5 p.m., she and her team would have to come to terms with the fact that two of their members hadn’t made the cut off. The Tuesday before, the team had been around $10,000 short. One week later, they still needed $1,500 for
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two members of the team. Five o’ clock seemed to mark either a crucial step in their journey or the journey’s end. Barnett prayed it wasn’t the latter, but the countdown to 5 p.m. had almost expired. When the deadline finally arrived, they were still short on funds. When the clocks struck 5, all of their expectations for ministering in the Philippines and all of the disappointment from not meeting the deadline mingled together. “We didn’t feel victorious. Two of our members hadn’t made the cut,” Barnett said. Five o’ clock had passed, and she felt like even with all of the hard work and prayer, they had fallen short. “It felt like I had given 100 percent, and it wasn’t enough. At 5 p.m., I thought it was over,” she said. Just when she believed her team was done, something happened. Director of Missions Tammy Schneider called Barnett over to the computer. “Something just came in for you,” Schneider said. Barnett walked over to the computer. It was 5:15 p.m. “There’s a $1,000 check for the team.” Barnett couldn’t believe it. The miracle had come, and all she could do was cry. “It was a beautiful moment and a day for the record books and Facebook statuses,” she said. Barnett said she realized that God isn’t limited by time. He isn’t just the God of 5 p.m. “My God is the God of the eleventh hour,” she said, laughing. Junior Paulo
Chikoti-Bandua can identify with Barnett and Team Philippines. Chikoti-Bandua is on Team Kenya Disciples of Mercy (DOM), and the Sunday before the 50 percent deadline, he too was behind in his fundraising. That Sunday morning, Team Leader Michael Boggs had asked his team members to go to church with him. As they sat in the first service, Chikoti-Bandua thought about how he was going to get the money. One by one, he flipped through his different options like addresses on a Rolodex. Maybe he could make a few more calls or get into his personal savings. Then, Boggs’ pastor said he wanted to see the team. He told
F
them that he felt led to approach his congregation about their trip. He announced in service that they needed 150 people to give $10 a piece. In the first service, 12 people stood up to give. Team Kenya DOM couldn’t be more grateful. When 138 people stood up during the second service, Chikoti-Bandua could hardly believe it. He did the math. Exactly 150 people had stood up and given $10 each. This wasn’t one of the options on Chikoti-Bandua’s mental Rolodex, and it warranted only one explanation. “God comes through,” he said. By Hannah Covington
easts & Fasts: Taking a
look at the Liturgical Year
March 4—Feast of Saint Casimir (Catholic). Saint Gregory of Constantius in Cyprus, bishop (Eastern Orthodox). March 5—Commemoration of Conon of Isauria, martyr (Eastern Orthodox). Saint Mark the Faster of Egypt (Eastern Orthodox). March 6—Saint Arcadius of Cyprus, monk (Eastern Orthodox). Commemoration of Abraham of Bulgaria, martyr (Eastern Orthodox). March 7—Memorial of Perpetua and her companions, martyrs at Carthage, 203 (Catholic, Episcopal, and Church of Egland). March 8—Commemoration of Edward King, Bishop of Lincoln (Church of England). Commemoration of Felix, Apostle to the East Angles (Church of England). March 9— Ash Wednesday March 10—Commemoration of Harriet Tubman, 1913 (Lutheran). Commemoration of Sojourner Truth, 1883 (Lutheran).
March 12—Feast of Gregory the Great, Bishop (Episcopal and Lutheran). Righteous Phineas, grandson of Aaron (Eastern Orthodox). March 17—Fast of Esther (Jewish). Feast of Patrick, Bishop (Episcopal, Catholic, and Church of England). March 18—Feast of Cyril, Bishop and doctor of the church (Episcopal, Catholic, and Church of England). March 19—Purim begins at nightfall (Jewish). Feast of St. Joseph (Episcopal, Catholic, and Church of England). Commemoration of Pancharius at Nicomedia (Eastern Orthodox). March 20—Purim (Jewish). Commemoration of Cuthbert, Bishop of Jerusalem, 386 (Church of England). March 21—Shushan Purim (Jewish). Feast of Thomas Kent, Bishop (Episcopal). Commemoration of Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, reformation martyr, 1556 (Church of England and Lutheran).
For Zion’s Sake: Event Shows Support for Israel Tulsa Mayor, Pastors, Students and Faculty Attend Awareness Event
Photo by Lauren Rockett
Mark Rutland speaks at Victory Christian Center. Lenore Mullican moved to Israel when she was 7 months old. She grew up there and has seen firsthand the rich and sometimes tumultuous ethnic diversity of the Jews, Arabs and Christians living among each other. Though Mullican no longer lives in Israel, the professor of Hebrew said she is still inexorably intertwined with the land— and the people. The nation is tiny, totaling more than 8500 square miles. That’s smaller than Lake Michigan. Still, this country remains the Middle Eastern epicenter of violence and conflict. “In light of all the unrest in the Middle East, if we see how small Israel is in comparison, we’ll realize how vulnerable it truly is,” Mullican said. “We care about all the people that live there and pray that there will peace,” she added. On Feb. 28, Tulsa showed its own concern and support for the nation of Israel at the annual citywide event A Night to Honor Israel at Victory Christian Center. Speakers at the event included Hagee, Pastor Sharon Daugherty, Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett, ORU Professor John Swails and Dr. Mark Rutland. During the keynote speech, Hagee addressed both the national and international issues facing the nation today. Behind him, two large flags
hung side by side, their borders merging in the center. The United States flag was suspended on the left while the blue Star of David on the Israeli flag acted as the centerpiece on the right. Upon entering the event, participants received their own small Israeli flags to wave throughout the service. At one point during Hagee’s message, the small flags waved frantically amid electrifying chants of “Israel lives.” Hagee challenged Christians to support the nation of Israel and its people. “We stand with Israel because the Bible stands with Israel,” he said. Freshman Kyle Hansen first attended a Night to Honor Israel event at Cornerstone Church, Hagee’s home church in San Antonio. Hansen is the president of Campus Alliance Israel, which aims to get students involved in supporting the nation of Israel politically. He explained that CUFI first started the Night to Honor Israel events—they take place in cities nationwide—to challenge Christians to actively support their Jewish brothers. “CUFI wanted pastors to go beyond just telling people to pray for the peace of the nation while
not actually supporting Israel as a nation,” he said. Hansen said Christians also must recognize how this nation has enriched their own
“As Mordecai says, “If not now, when? If not you, who?’” -Kyle Hansen
faith. “All the things we have, Judaism gave us. The Jews gave us Jesus, the prophets, the patriarchs and the Bible,” he said. At the Night to Honor Israel event, participants also watched
a video featuring the accomplishments of the Jewish people outside of their contributions to Christianity. The video highlighted famous Jewish athletes, actors, writers and scientists in America and abroad. Jewish Nobel Peace Prize winners and famous discoveries and inventions of Jewish people were also featured in the video. Though the event focused on honoring the heritage and achievements exclusive to the Jews, Hansen said that comparing American and Jewish morals and beliefs reveals that the two people share more in common than may be first evident. He said it begs the question, “Are we so different?” “We value the same things. We both value life, liberty, freedom and democracy,” he said. In light of student opposition to Israel erupting on college campuses throughout the nation, Hansen added that it’s imperative the same feelings not be found on ORU’s campus. Professor Mullican has taught at ORU for 20 years, and she emphasized that the school has a long legacy of pro-Israeli sentiments. “It’s very important to have
events like A Night to Honor Israel. Oral Roberts was supportive of Israel, and he’s always been supportive of them,” she said. In fact, Roberts originally intended to have his ministry headquarters in Israel. “A Night to Honor Israel continues what he would have wanted to do. Oral Roberts was supportive of Israel, and ORU continues this legacy,” she said. Hansen stressed that it is a critical time for this legacy to be an active one. “[Israel] fights everyday for their existence, and st udents must support Israel….There are leaders here who are going to have great influence and will be able to support Israel in their time of need,” he said. Hansen added that students can become involved in actively supporting the nation of Israel by writing their congressmen and raising awareness about the situation in the Middle East. “God says, ‘Bless Israel, and I will bless you.’ So, we bless Israel, not so that we may be blessed, but because it is a command—not an option,” he said. “As Mordecai says, ‘If not now, when? If not you, who?’” As Tulsa’s own Night to Honor Israel came to a close, audience members were comforted that Israel will survive any future strife. “ Israel was created by God’s hand and is protected by God’s hand…and the Israeli flag will fly over the land forever,” he said. By Hannah Covington
THE ORACLE• Friday, March 4, 2011 • Page 11
Flag significance? Students Chime In: Are Flags Distracting or Expressive? Throughout history, the flag has been a sign of patriotism—but not in this case. In ORU chapel services, students are using colorful banners to show dedication and love, not for their nation, but for their God. Since Clarence Boyd, Dean of Spiritual Formation, approached Emalyn Hughes three years ago to bring her banner ministry to ORU, the flags have been a staple in chapel worship. But many students are still unaware of their meaning. Hughes, senior dance performance major and organizer of the campus flag worship, began the ministry “Dance for Him” in 1994 to worship the Lord through movement. Hughes went to different churches teaching the art of dance worship and even traveled with her husband on overseas missions trips. On a trip to Indonesia, Hughes discovered the power of banner worship. She said the Indonesians used visual ministry
that included tambourines, scarves, and colors. “At a church there, they had a huge celebration of praise and color and flags,” said Hughes. “It just amazed me.” Hughes said after she continued her dance ministry for several years, God told her to incorporate the flags. “God told me specifically to raise up His standard during the worship service, and therefore I bring flags and streamers to the services,” said Hughes. “It’s an expression of the love you have for God,” she said. Hughes explained that the banners tie in with the rest of worship but also are part of prayer ministry. “Sometimes God gives a word with the banner,” she said. “I use the flags for whatever’s going on in worship. Other times I notice someone who needs to be prayed for and just pray for them.” Junior dance performance major Lela Smith, who participated in flag ministry for 10 years, explained the purpose of
Courtesy Photo
ManTeam to Host Carbash
As missions teams scrambled to match the 50 percent fundraising deadline, ManTeam was crossing the 100 percent mark. But they’re not finished. On March 5, ManTeam is hosting a fundraising “carbash” from 5 to 9 p.m. at Qdoba on Lewis Avenue, near 71st Street. The event will aid teams that are still raising money. ManTeam member Jordan Carter said his team originally planned the carbash
as one of their own events but will now host it to assist others. “If we can’t serve our fellow missionaries here, then how do we expect to serve those in need in Tanzania?” he said. Participating teams will create mini games for the event, which features a burrito-eating contest, a DJ and dancing, an inflatable slide, a frozen T-shirt contest and giveaways. By Katy Miller
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Some worshipers prefer to use flags in chapel. banner worship. “The flags represent freedom, the Holy Spirit and invite people into worship,” said Smith. “To see something that symbolizes worship can be more powerful or meaningful than just listening to lyrics.” Smith also said that the flag ministry, like other forms of worship, does not always produce the desired effect. “That’s what the flag ministry is meant to do, but sometimes it just doesn’t do it,” said Smith. ORU students have differing opinions about the significance of banner worship. Some dislike and misunderstand it, while others value its freedom. Josh Trammell, freshman sports management major, said he finds the flags an unnecessary part of chapel worship. “I think they’re distracting and lame,” said Trammell. Senior writing major Rachel Vaughan said she is personally indifferent toward the banner worship but understands Hughes’ desire to worship God the way she does. “They don’t really affect me either positively or negatively because I sit on
Photo by Kristina Simberg
the opposite side of the chapel,” said Vaughan. “I could see how people sitting on that side could be distracted by them, but if that’s how she worships, more power to her.” Another student, junior dance performance major Jhordan Boyd said that while she appreciates the beauty of the flags, she prefers dance worship. “It’s aesthetic to the audience, but I’d rather see dance worship than the flags because it’s more of a freedom,” said Boyd. “It’d be cool to open the front to dancers.” Hughes said freedom to worship in dance is exactly what she desires for the future of the ministry. “I have such visions for it to be down both aisles,” said Hughes. “Students should try it. Just go out and dance in the aisles to free themselves up.” Hughes said her greatest desire is for God to be glorified through her ministry. “We need to remember it’s his presence that we are longing for, so worship him with your entire being,” she said. By Beth Knier
Dean Helland Ministries Outreach to Mormons
• Visit my Website where you can find Bible-based tools to witness to Mormon family and friends • View the online article “My Visit with Two Mormon Missionaries”--Published in 12 languages
www.deanhelland.com Dr. Dean Helland, Doctor of Ministry, ORU • Former Book of Mormon Believer
General Assembly Looks Forward
It’s a start: Diverse members turn suggestions into plans The General Assembly (GA), elected this previous September, has continued to work with proposals seeking to improve student life. Aaron Tifft, president pro-tempore of the General Assembly, sought to improve on the disconnect that can exist between students and administration. “We’ve been helping to improve [communication] over the past few months,” said Tifft, a senior public relations and advertising major and head RA. At the beginning of the semester, the GA was assigned to provide feedback on and be involved in the complete overhaul of First Year Experience, which also includes Harbor. Tifft calls it the “keystone” of this semester’s tasks and
believes the diversity of the students in the GA, whose classifications span from freshman to senior, is a factor that will enable those changes to be more effective. “Everyone [in the GA] has something to offer,” said Anna Ogay, a sophomore double majoring in international community development and business administration. Ogay’s interest in the General Assembly derived from the increase in student representation that it presented. “I wanted students’ voices to be heard, and, instead of putting in on the wanting shelf, I ran in order to make it happen,” Ogay said. Taking idle suggestions to improve student life and turning
them into changes is another goal. Ciera Trisch, secretary of the GA, was responsible for the proposal of the family room, a storage room next to Chick-filA to serve as a multipurpose space for students. The proposed room will hold a projector and space for up to 20 people. The idea for the family room went through the process that all new proposals must go through. An idea is first proposed in one of the nine committees of the GA. Then the committee, if the idea is seen as viable, forms it into a proposal and presents it to the entire GA. Members debate and vote on the bill before submitting it to the administration. Proposals from student clubs and organizations to request funds now go through the Financial Appropriations committee, which is responsible for allocating the limited amount of funds available from Student Association. The General Assembly is also responsible for approving all appointments to the executive
Internet photo
The GA plans to convert a space into a family room. cabinet positions in Student Association. “I am very proud of all the work that has been done
through this year, and I am absolutely fascinated by the future leaders [of] the GA,” said Ogay. By Rachel Whitock
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THE ORACLE• Friday, March 4, 2011 • Page 13
SA presidential candidate Jentre Olsen and Vice President Joe Ninowski have been declared the official winners of the run-off election for SA president and vice president, defeating their opponents Ciera Trisch and Charis Key by 127 votes. In total, 1,039 students voted in the election, splitting 583 for Olsen and Ninowski and 456 for Trisch and Key. Only 990 students had voted in the initial election, according to SA Elections Commissioner Jessica Craig. Olsen was excited to hear the good news on the morning of Feb. 24. “”I was definitely relieved that it was all over, and I was very pleased with the results,” Olsen said. “”I had a great sense of satisfaction, but at the same time, a deep sense of responsibility. I was also very thankful for Ciera and Charis; they ran a great campaign.”” At first when all the candidates were gathered together to hear the results, a delay in the IT workings of the voting system made them think they wouldn’t find out until later. But the delay ended up not being the glitch they had expected, and 20 minutes later, they all found out together. “[I felt] a mixture of happiness and the weight of the responsibility this position carries”” both at once, said Ninowski about his reaction to the results. According to Ninowski, all of the candidates prayed together after finding out the final count. Then, after commending Trisch and Key, Olsen and Ninowski got straight to work. “We got right down to business,” Ninowski said, stating that he and Olsen had started to plan out meetings and cabinet appointment interviews. Cabinet positions are now open for interested applicants, and Olsen and Ninowski will be interviewing candidates and reviewing applications in the weeks to come. Both Ninowski and Olsen are excited about pulling together the executive cabinet. “I am very excited to to start putting together the executive cabinet for next year,” Olsen said. “My goal is to create a unified team of creative, hardworking students dedicated to serving the student body. “I am passionate about building relationships and am looking forward to getting this team in place and to begin brainstorming together.”
Among the things Ninowski is looking forward to: “”One, getting to pick and work with an awesome cabinet, and creating systems that allow more student voices to be heard.”” Olsen also has other plans in the works for next year. “This past semester I have been serving on a committee with ORU Leadership Academy, and I am excited about the possibilities that this could bring to students,” Olsen said. Olsen was thankful for the support of those who voted for him. “I also want to thank all of the students who gave their support, encouragement and prayers,” Olsen said. “A special thanks to our Campaign Task Force and all of the hard work they put in over the past two weeks.” Overall, Commissioner Craig said the election process was uneventful. “This was the smoothest campaign process I have seen in my time at ORU,” said Craig. “The candidates were all phenomenal. They were respectful of each other and the process. I think some new relationships were actually forged among candidates during this process.” Trisch said she was satisfied with the results of the election. “Joe and Jentre and I are really good friends,” she said, “so I know that they will do a great job. I’m really excited for what happens next year. When one door closes, another one opens. Looking back over the campaign and the election, she feels she has nothing to regret. “Charis and I worked so hard, so there noting we could have done better,” she said. “I feel like we went into it as the underdogs. “I think that a lot of respect was gained as a result of it. People have in their minds who they will vote for already, so you have to respect that.” Trisch and Key will continue to be involved with SA in the upcoming year, and Charis is confident they will do great things. According to Craig, Olsen and Ninowski will officially begin their duties on May 1, though their training will begin immediately. By Bryce Merkl and Melanie Wespetal
Feb. 18-20 Election Results
Feb. 24 Run-off Election Results
Shutter
Want to see your photo on the Shutter page? Submit to photography@oru.edu Yours could be the picture of the week!
Fountain Fire
Photo by Sherman Merchant
Robert Chitseko demonstrates his break dancing skills. Page 16 • Friday, March 4, 2011 • THE ORACLE
Spring is here.
Photo by Kathleen Kelly
Photo by Kristina Simberg
Sports
The Oracle Sports Editor is Amy Lecza You may contact her with comments or questions at oracle@oru.edu For more in Sports, check out oruoracle.com
Summit League Tournament Opens Saturday in S.D.
Men’s and Women’s Teams Set Sights on Big Dance As the men’s and women’s basketball teams approach tournament play, their successes can bring much bigger rewards than simply raising school spirit. The annual Summit League Tournament takes place March 5-8 in Sioux Falls, S.D. The men’s team finished the season at 17-14 and will enter the tournament with a No. 2 seeding while the women’s team finished the season with a conference best 19-9 record and proceed into the tournament with the top seed. The winner of the Summit League Tournament secures an automatic berth in the coveted NCAA Tournament where they will compete against the best basketball programs in the nation. In this case, any publicity is good publicity. Even if ORU was to lose by 30 points in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the coverage on ESPN and other sports channels would cause people to ask “Who is ORU?” “The rewards [for making the tournament] are tremendous because it gets the name ORU out in front of the public,” said Athletic Director Mike Carter. He estimates that a single game in the NCAA Tournament is worth anywhere between $4 million to $6 million. During an all-male hall meeting held last semester, men’s basketball Coach Scott Sutton encouraged the students to support the basketball team because the success of the program can increase the value of a student’s degree. Whether one believes it or not, this statement is valid. More than 70 million Americans watch the NCAA Tournament each year, and there is a good chance that a student’s future employer is among those counted. Consequently, a school’s success in that tournament could give the university a bit more credibility. It is tough for the small schools from the mid-major conferences to defeat the Philistine giants of the power conferences, but it can be done. This is seen in the recent success of schools like Gonzaga, George Mason and most notably Butler, a small university that was three points away from winning
the national championship last year. So how do small schools rise to the top like this? “There has to be a commitment to the program in every area,” explains Carter. In order to fulfill these commitments, a university has to have quality coaches and players. This puts pressure not only on the administration to hire the right coaches but also on coaches to recruit the right players. This is especially tough when it comes to signing players. “So many of the quality high school players think they have to go to a big BCS school in order to go to the NBA when the truth is the NBA scouts will find you wherever you are,” said Carter. This is displayed in the career of Stephen Curry. Curry attended Davidson College, a school of only 1,800 students. After leading the Wildcats to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, he was selected seventh overall in the 2009 NBA Draft and now starts for the Golden State Warriors. ORU’s recruitment of players like Larry Owens, who now plays for the San Antonio Spurs, and Kevi Luper, who appears on track to emulate this success, is helpful in the recruitment of other talented players in the future. Although rules enforced on campus such as the honor code and curfew seem like hindrances in the recruiting process, “ORU’s coaches do a great job in promoting those things as strong points,” said Carter. Carter does recognize the disadvantage on-campus housing can be in recruiting athletes because most of ORU’s competitors offer off-campus housing for athletes. The athletic department, however, has made no attempt to persuade the administration to change housing options for athletes. “We’re a part of the university and until we get 5,000 students on this campus and there is a need to change housing we’re not seeking special exceptions for athletics,” said Carter. Even with great players, tournament
Photo by Marilyn Chau
The men finished their home season Feb. 26 vs. Western Illinois. success can be a daunting task. Both basketball teams have worked hard all year long. As they approach the Summit League and hopefully NCAA Tournament and prepare to launch their five smooth stones at the forehead of their giant opponent, the only thing ORU fans can do is sit back and expect a miracle. By Nathan Porter
Summit League Tournament Info
Men: 8:30 p.m. March 5 vs. North Dakota State Women: noon March 5 vs. Western Illinois
Watch the games on Channel 3!
THE ORACLE• Friday, March 4, 2011 • Page 17
Basketball Intramurals Roundup
Staff Finds Lack of Participation From Girls and Towers Residents This year’s intramural basketball season has come to an end, leaving the losing floors with regret and the winning floors with a year’s worth of bragging rights. In Men’s A League competition, Youngblood defeated the alumni team, winning its third straight basketball title. G-Rock was victorious in B+ competition and went on to play in the A League playoffs but lost in the first round. In B League competition, Flint beat G-Rock’s B team. In C League competition, Full Armor beat Republic. The various leagues provide different levels of competition, but each league is equally intense. The games consist of hard fouls, quick crossovers, smooth fade-away jump shots, and the occasional rebellious player who decides to dunk despite the 5 minute penalty. Every appealing quality of basketball is seen in ORU intramurals, even rivalries. Just as the NBA has the Celtics vs. Lakers, college basketball has Duke vs. North Carolina and Oklahoma basketball has Union vs. Jenks, ORU Intramurals has Youngblood vs. Republic. These two floors might not always be the most talented teams, but the games between the two are always a fight to the death. “It’s gotten to the point where people genuinely hate each other when playing,” said Cole Proffitt, a Republic resident. Practically every game between Youngblood and Re-
public is an instant classic filled with jaw-dropping plays and thrilling finishes. This year in the playoffs, Youngblood beat Republic by two points in overtime. “No one wants to lose because those experiences live throughout the year,” said Student Director of Intramurals Jason Ketchum, who also lives on Republic. Despite the enthusiasm seen among male students, the Intramural staff has struggled to get female students to participate. “We have had trouble forever getting girls to sign up and quite honestly we don’t know what to do,” said Ketchum. So few girls played intramural basketball this year that there was only one league. In most cases, floors combined teams to fill the roster. Standard and Quest came together this year to win the championship. The staff tried implementing prizes to appeal to female students, but the budget for this was lacking. Girls are not the only students lacking involvement. Towers students aren’t as excited about intramurals as EMR students. The floor leading in overall points in EMR is nearly 100 points ahead of the leading floor in Towers. Ketchum believes that the main reason for this disparity in points is because floors in EMR are set up as more of a community than floors in Towers.
Ketchum, who once lived in Towers, recalls having wingmates whose names he didn’t even know. “Here in EMR I know everybody on my floor, and it’s much easier to form a team,” he said. Despite the lack of participation in Towers, the students who play in Towers are just as talented as the students in EMR. In fact, in the annual Towers vs. EMR All-Star game on Feb. 21, Towers defeated EMR 97-93. The game was filled with gifted athletes, many of whom were high school stars in their own right. Michael Fletch of EMR played for ORU’s men’s team his freshman and sophomore years and had 33 points in the all-star game. Benjamin Daniels of Towers was a high school star in his hometown of Chicago and was named MVP of the all-star game after scoring 24 points. However, the all-star game was not limited to the stereotypical athlete; the game had an eclectic range of participants. Seth Silvers, the former leader of the campus Prayer Movement, scored 12 points in the game. The game was also officiated by International Worship Center leader Wayne Lee and Dominic Halsmer, the dean of the College of Science and Engineering. The allstar game was reflective of the entire year in basketball intramurals. No matter the outcome of a floor’s season, most students would agree that intramurals have served a valuable purpose in their college experience, whether giving opportunities to relive the glory days of high school athletics or by simply taking their minds off of their schoolwork. By Nathan Porter
Mart Green and Family Attended Super Bowl XLV Last Month in Dallas ORU was represented at the most prestigious sporting event in the world. ORU Board of Trustees Chairman Mart Green and his family attended Super XLV in Dallas, Texas last month. The Greens drove to Dallas the night before the game and drove home to Oklahoma City after the game Sunday night despite record-setting snowfall throughout the area earlier that week. This was the family’s first Super Bowl, and it proved to be one for the ages. Mart Green is a diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan and was thrilled by the team’s appearance in this year’s game. “My dad has always been a Steelers fans so it was really exciting just to be there with him and see him experience that,” said Amy Green, daughter of Mart Green and a junior elementary education major at ORU. Amy ran cross country all throughout high school but admits that she is not a huge sports fan. “I grew up with three older brothers, so I’ve always watched sports but I’m not an avid follower,” said Amy. She said she had no choice in which team to support. “I had to root for the Steelers. There was no option,” said Amy, jokingly. Although she wasn’t extremely interested in either team playing, there were other events throughout the game that caught her attention. She also watched Snoop Dogg standing in the section behind her passionately cheering on the Steelers and entertaining the crowd around him. Page 18 • Friday, March 4, 2011 • THE ORACLE
Courtesy Photo
From left to right: Amy, Tyler, Mart, Brent, Scott and Diana Green attend Super Bowl XLV. “His whole section was half watching the Super Bowl and half watching him,” said Amy. Amy even received her first “Terrible Towel,” solidifying her as an official Steelers fan.
Although the Steelers lost the game 31-25, overall experience was a success for the Greens. “It was exciting just to experience the event together as a family,” Amy said. By Nathan Porter
Moore Continues Family Legacy
Photo by Whitney Owings
Sophomore Sam Moore pitches during practice.
Sam Moore, Son of ORU Superstar Mike Moore, is Ready to Prove His Dad Taught Him a Lesson or Two Sam Moore leans over the railing in the home dugout of J.L. Johnson stadium, waiting... anticipating... watching every pitch like it was the last scene of an epic film. Being an ORU baseball player is high pressure in itself. After 13 consecutive conference titles, winning is expected. But for Sam, the pressure is even greater for this redshirt sophomore. On the centerfield wall hangs the retired number worn by Sam’s father, Mike Moore. The shrine is a constant reminder of his father’s legacy at ORU, and yet Sam not only embraces the expectations but enjoys every minute of it. Mike Moore ranks as the most successful baseball player in ORU history. He set the all-time record in complete games with 24, posted a career ERA of 2.64 and fanned 229 batters in three seasons as a Titan. He was selected as the first overall pick in the 1981 Major League draft by the Seattle Mariners and played 14 solid years in the Show, including a magical run in 1989. That season, Moore signed with the defending AL champion Oakland Athletics under Manager Tony La Russa. The A’s were by far the best team in the majors, fueled offensively by the Bash Brothers -- Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco-- and anchored by a pitching staff that included Dave Stewart and Dennis Eckersley. Mike Moore made himself
right at home. He won 19 That’s when Sam first tasted games, had an era of 2.61 and the pressure of being the son of was named an American League Mike Moore. All-Star. “It was an interesting dynamMoore capped the incredible ic,” said Sam. season by winning two games in “In high school sports, there the A’s World Series victory over is so much politics, so it always the San Francisco Giants. pushed me because I had to be Sam was born just three that much better than everyone months later. else because I was the coach’s Over the next several years, Sam kid.” grew up surrounded by baseball. Mike Moore said he knew his “My dad left Oakland when son could handle it. I was 4, so I was pretty young “It was easy with Sam bethere still,” said cause Sam. he was “I was always the down on the field hardest during [batting worker practice], playing on the around with other team, as coaches kids and well as other players’ kids. the best We would play player,” wiffle ball out in Moore Sam Moore left field. It was said. ORU sophomore great.” “He Being the son was alof a major leaguer wasn’t all fun ways there early and there late.” and games. Sam’s hard work paid off. He By the time he was 8, Sam led Valley Christian High School had moved more than 15 times. to a 33-3 record his senior year, His mother, Joyce, homewhile compiling a 13-1 record schooled Sam and his sisters with a 1.60 ERA and 103 strikefor the first half of the year, and outs in 70 innings. once baseball started they would Besides mowing down opposgo to a regular school. ing batters, Sam batted a sear“You never really know as a ing .557 with 11 homers and kid, but it really was an unusual 56 RBI, which tied the school life,” said Sam. “Until I was 8, we record. moved twice a year. I didn’t know He began to catch the attenany better.” tion of several schools, including Mike Moore retired from ORU. the big leagues after the 1995 “I got to know [Head Coach season and became Sam’s high Rob Walton] pretty well,” he said. school baseball coach in Tempe, “He would stay at our house on Ariz. recruiting visits to Arizona.”
I’m eaten up by the game. I think it’s the greatest game on the planet.
Sam said he had offers to play at other schools, “but ORU seemed like the right thing because Rob is such a great pitching coach, and pitching is what I do.” But Sam soon found out how high expectations are at ORU. “Once people started to figure out, ‘Hey that No. 22 that’s out on the wall, that’s your dad,’” “It added a lot of pressure,” he said, “because he was the first overall pick in the country and threw 100 mph. People started to look at me and say, ‘OK, so, that’s going to be you, right?’ “ Sam decided he wasn’t going to live in his father’s shadow. He recalled telling his dad, “I’m not going to be you. I’m not going to throw 100. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to be good, but I can’t try and fill your footsteps. Once I finally came to that conclusion, it was like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders.” Mike Moore has full confidence in Sam’s ability to take what is thrown his way. “Sam is his own man,” Moore said. “That is how we raised him. Personally, if it was my choice, I never would have wanted to put that kind of pressure on my son, but this is what he wanted to do.” Now, for Sam, it is a waiting game. Coming off major elbow surgery his freshman year, he has had to learn new, healthier techniques to pitching. As a redshirt sophomore, he’s back to full strength, pitching well, and just waiting for his
chance. “Sam is in a development process,” said Walton. “He has had to make an enormous amount of change and adjustment. So he is kind of in the middle of trying to make changes ... increase velocity, command and [adjustments] to help him stay healthy.” Baseball has always been Sam’s life. “I always tell my mom, ‘Who needs a girlfriend? I have baseball.’ I love going to the field every day,” Sam said. “I love the process of working hard and trying to get a little bit better every day. I’m eaten up by the game. “I think it’s the greatest game on the planet.” Sam stands at the top of the dugout, waiting… anticipating... dreaming about that first opportunity to toe the rubber. ORU knows the legend of Mike Moore. But soon, in that space between the mound and home plate, they’ll know about Sam Moore, too. By Eli Linton
Sam Moore
Courtesy Photo
THE ORACLE• Friday, March 4, 2011 • Page 19
Scene
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Brent Green Premieres “Paper Flower” “En Tus Manos” Filmmaker Creates Second Movie Brent Green doesn’t sell wooden picture frames for a living, nor does he market Christian books and educational supplies. He did, however, go into the family business of making movies with a biblical message. It hasn’t taken long for the 26-year-old son of ORU Board of Trustees Chairman Mart Green to find success in an industry that demands artistic excellence and often shuns the Gospel. Photo by Nathan Lundeen “En Tus Manos,” the Brent Green, co-founder of Toy Gun Films, speaks with first movie produced by the students and faculty Feb. 23 in the Fireside Room. company he co-founded two years ago in Oklahoma City, won native distribution partnership with the Best Short Film in the Beverly Hills Film OneHope evangelistic ministry. Festival, Los Angeles International Film The Spanish-language film captures Festival, San Diego Christian Film Festival the power of Christ’s saving grace to overand Spirit Quest Film Festival. come the violence perpetrated by street More importantly to Green, more than gangs. 2 million people in Latin America have Green debuted his second film, “Paper seen “En Tus Manos” through its alterFlower,” in chapel Feb. 23. This non-linear
story is set in Tokyo and tackles the cultural epidemic of materialism that has led to high suicide rates and a growing sex trade among Japan’s upper class. While working as a video coordinator on the major motion picture “End of the Spear,” Green “caught the film bug.” He realized this was what he wanted to do. In January 2009, Green and Jeff Goldberg co-founded Toy Gun Films, which is based in Oklahoma City and Los Angeles. With “En Tus Manos,” Green had finally found his niche in directing and producing. “The directing experience was really fulfilling on a personal level,” he said. “You have to give so much of yourself.” Green said the most difficult parts of creating a feature film are writing the actual storyline, financing the project and distributing the movie. Toy Gun Films is getting help on that third task from OneHope, an international evangelism ministry. Two days after ORU showed “Paper Flower” in chapel, Rob Hoskins, the president of OneHope, spoke in chapel Feb. 25. Hoskins, a member of the ORU Board
of Trustees, said OneHope is committed to making the Bible available to all children in their own language and in a manner that meets their distinctive cultural differences. Hoskins was appointed president of OneHope in 2004. OneHope already has reached more than 700 million young lives with God’s Word. The ministry uses pioneering methods to spread Scripture in the form of the written word, web layout and films like Green’s. The young filmmaker said his job garners both praise and criticism. Green realizes that he has to take both reactions into account. “You can’t let either one go to your head,” he said. “I shelter myself a little bit from the feedback.” He also tries to keep the big picture of the project in sight. “At the end of the day,” he said, “we all want the same thing, which is a great, great movie.” Green will soon start work on a true short story about a child soldier in Africa. To see more of Toy Gun Films, check out “En Tus Manos” available for viewing on hulu.com. By Lindsey Buie
Playhouse Theater Holds Auditions for Children’s Musical Playhouse Theater Tulsa will have a second joint venture with ORU Theater with the children’s musical production of “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.” The musical is based on the popular ALA Notable children’s book written by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Ray Cruz. The musical will be directed by Courtneay Sanders--ORU’s director of theater and many students are a part of the cast. Auditions were held Feb. 19 in Howard Auditorium. The audition was not just an opportunity to be in the cast for “Alexander,” but to also join the Playhouse Theater Company. Each person had to submit a headshot and resume prior to auditioning. For those who aren’t familiar with the story of the popular children’s book, “Alexander” is about a young boy who, from
the moment he wakes up, has a bad day. From tripping on his skateboard to biting his tongue, the storybook’s message shows that everyone has bad days. The idea for the story to be turned into a musical came in 1998 when Viorst and the Kennedy Center joined forces. Viorst wrote the music and lyrics for the production and since then, the musical has been performed around the country. Playhouse Theater hasn’t done many children’s productions but has gotten off to a good start with last summer’s “Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse,” which won a Tulsa Award for Theater Excellence (TATE). Through accomplishments like this, Playhouse has shown that even its children’s theater can have an impact on an audience. Directing a children’s show requires that the overall production be visually
Page 20 • Friday, March 4, 2011 • THE ORACLE
stimulating in order to keep the children’s attention, but also making sure the actors are creating honest characters and not “dumbing it down” to appeal to kids,” Sanders said. A unique aspect about this particular production is that ORU’s theater department will be involved with Playhouse Theater to present the musical. The theater department and Playhouse Theater, however, are two very different, separate theater groups. “The only thing they have in common is the fact that Chris Crawford and I are the artistic directors of Playhouse and employed by ORU as members of the theater faculty,” Sanders said. “Playhouse has a separate rehearsal studio, performance space and theatrical season from ORU. The theater department is considered “educational theater”
while Playhouse is moving toward being a fully-functional professional equity (the actors union) theater.” Those who have children or young brothers and sisters or just consider themselves young at heart will love this fun, heartwarming musical. Kids will learn a valuable life lesson through the life of the main character Alexander. “They will see Alexander make good decisions and poor ones as well as see him rewarded and disciplined for his choices,” Sanders said. “There is nothing more enjoyable than to see a child become entranced with the story unfolding before them.” Playhouse Theater Tulsa also has a Facebook page to keep up with all its important dates and upcoming productions at facebook.com/The Playhouse Theater. By Francesca Bee
Taking a Look at Spring Movies Awards season may be over, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of entertainment left. Summertime promises a string of blockbusters, but spring also features an interesting range of films. Here’s a preview of some of them. “Beastly” March 4 This fairy-tale romance is a modern take on “The Beauty and the Beast” and is about a popular, handsome guy named Kyle (Alex Pettyfer) who gets turned into a hideous monster and finds true love with Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens), a girl from the other side of the tracks, which will turn normal again. Rated PG-13. “Rango” March 4 A chameleon (Johnny Depp) that wants to be a cowboy hero ends up in a western town full of bandits and feels like he should protect it. The perfect animated comedy for the young at heart. Rated PG. “Red Riding Hood” March 11 This story might be remembered as the cute classic tale that everyone read as a kid, but this movie brings a whole new meaning it. The film is set in a medieval village that is haunted by werewolf. Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) falls for an orphaned woodcutter who is suspected to be the beast. Rated PG-13. “Limitless” March 18 This high-energy thriller tells the story of a copywriter (Bradley Cooper) who discovers a top-secret smart drug that gives him super human abilities. As he uses it, the drug begins to change his life while a group of killers threaten him by tracing his every move. Not yet rated.
“Hanna” April 8 Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) who is a teenage girl who was raised by her father (Eric Bana) to be the perfect assassin, is dispatched on a mission across Europe. As she does, agents are dispatched as well to go after her by a ruthless intelligence operative (Cate Blanchett) with a secret. As she gets close to her target, she receives revelations about her existence. Rated PG-13. “Apollo 18” April 22 A film about the real mission to the moon in the 1970’s that was canceled by NASA. It will reveal why “we’ve never gone back to the moon.” Not yet rated. “Fast and Furious 5 (Fast Five)” April 29 This time, Dominic (Vin Diesel) and his crew have found themselves on the wrong side of the law once they cross a ruthless drug lord and a relentless federal agent. Rated PG-13. “Thor” May 6 Based on the not-as-popular Marvel superhero, this film is about the powerful, arrogant warrior Thor (Chris Hemsworth) who is cast out of the realm of Asgard and sent to live among humans where he becomes one their best heroes. Not yet rated. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” May 20 In this fourth installment, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) crosses paths with Angelica (Penelope Cruz) a woman from his past and the daughter of Blackbeard. As he and Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) go on a quest to find the fountain of youth, they discover Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too. Rated PG-13.
Internet Photos Red Riding Hood, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Rango are all premiering this spring. Compiled by Francesca Bee
With “The Valley,” Eisley Tries Out a Different Sound They Don’t Sing About Bats and Butterflies Anymore Gone are the lilting forests, the bats with butterfly wings and the humming meadows. In their place are stories of bitterness and heartbreak. It’s evident something has changed. “The Valley,” the Eisley’s first album in four years, bears little resemblance to the pop-rock-indie band’s first two records and numerous EPs. Composed of siblings Stacy, Sherri, Weston, Chauntelle and cousin Garron Dupree, the band from Tyler, Texas, has grown up, and so has their sound. This isn’t the necessarily the pleasant sort of growing. “The Valley” is clearly a personal record for the Dupree siblings, who sound much older and angrier. Dealing with issues including a broken engagement and a divorce, the album sounds a like a catharsis for its creators. “If I sound angry, I’m sorry
/ I can only cry for so long,” a Dupree sister sings on “Smarter.” The track “Watch it Die” follows with the sad declaration—“my love for you has died tonight.” While Eisley’s debut “Room Noises” was a strange but lovely dreamland and the sophomore effort “Combinations” tried out a lilting brand of Eisley rock, “The Valley” is
Internet Photo
a completely different album than either of these. It’s startling to hear the voices that once sang of forest lights and fireflies suddenly wake up to a harsh reality. The haunting harmonies that marked Eisley’s previous efforts are strangely lacking in many of The Valley’s tracks which feature louder guitars and drums. Still, some songs still grasp at the beauty and potential Eisley displayed on their debut. The pleading “Mr. Moon” is simply heartbreaking as a Dupree sister sings, “Oh, Mr. Moon shines down on my home / It’s where I belong without you.” “Better Love” is a pretty ballad calling out for something more. Title track “The Valley” is a fun, upbeat romp in contrast with its lyrics musing, “I don’t believe in magic anymore.” The remainder of the songs offer a mixed bag of honest lyrics, some succeeding more than others. With their personal lyrics, Eisley does offer their fans music to which they can easily relate. Growth, change and grieving are healthy to a degree and are necessary parts of life. But Eisley seems to have lost a beautiful, intricate part of what made their sound so special. “The Valley” isn’t a bad album; it’s just not what I’ve come to expect from the band who once sang, “I shall never grow up / make believe is much too fun.” The dreamlike whimsy is gone, and so is some of the magic. By Katy Miller
The Dupree siblings and cousin change up their sound on “The Valley.”
THE ORACLE• Friday, March 4, 2011 • Page 21
Comedy-Musical “Lucky Stiff” Debuts This Weekend Characters Chase $6 Million Inheritance ORU Theater Department’s production of “Lucky Stiff,” a comedic musical by Aherns and Flannery, is showing this weekend. “Lucky Stiff” follows the whimsical Harry Witherspoon (Nathaniel Stahlke), a hapless shoe salesmen with no future to smile on. The death of his uncle Tony, a man he’d never met, launches him on a morbid adventure to fulfill the requirements of an unusual last will and testament. Unless Witherspoon takes his uncle’s body on a week-long Monte Carlo adventure, the $6 million bequest will be donated to the Universal Dog Home. With Dog Home representative Annabel Glick (Emily Hogenmiller) hot on his heals and a crazed Rita LaPorta (Shannon Garcia) looking to take the money for herself (insisting it was stolen from her husband’s casino), the simple weekend vacation turns into a horrendous nightmare of ridiculous stunts and blunders. Director Chris Crawford, the cast, and crew have been working hard to polish the show. Bringing music and comedic theater together is not an easy task. “I think it’s a hard production to put on any time you do a musical comedy because there’s so much attention to the movement, comedy, and details,” Craw-
Nathaniel Stahlke, Sam Hunt, and Emily Hogenmiller perform in “Lucky Stiff.” ford said. “It’s a whole different genre than some of the cast has ever done before.” Even though the cast and crew have had to do a lot of work, they’ve had fun doing it along the way. At a recent rehearsal, Crawford seemed pleased with everyone’s efforts and had a smile on his face by the end.
Cast members sing and perform in the debuting musical “Lucky Stiff.” Page 22 • Friday, March 4, 2011 • THE ORACLE
The musical farce has an underlying message to send to its audience. “I think that shows like this can be a way to make a person just laugh and escape for a little bit, but the meaning behind the whole show is to show it’s good to be alive and to embrace life,” Crawford said. “When we meet our lead characters,
Photo by Michelle Mills
Photo by Michelle Mills they are stuck in a rut and don’t know what they want out of life and they realize throughout the show that there is more to life than what they’ve given themselves.” “Lucky Stiff” plays Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. in Howard Auditorium. Tickets are $5 for students and $7 for general admission. By Francesca Bee
Photo by Michelle Mills William Acker and Shannon Garcia perform in “Lucky Stiff.”
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[Think on These Things]
The Oracle welcomes back guest columnist Dr. Mark Rutland to inform and inspire the ORU community, as well as spur conversation. If we are to take seriously the priesthood of all believers, and we certainly must, then what a businesswoman does with her life is of no less importance to
God than what a preacher does with his. The same is true of scientists, lawyers and those in government service. Indeed, it is true of every life and it is to this very proposition that ORU is fiercely dedicated. It might be summed up this way, “Every person is called into some person’s world.” The “calling” part of that is the divine summons to steward our gifts and graces under his will and in his purpose. I truly believe that doctors are called no differently than ministers, so are plumbers and truck drivers and nurses. So indeed are we all. The problem is that we tend to dismiss the call of God as something less or other. We may call it a hunch or a dream or a “wild idea” when actually it may be as clear a call as there is. The inner dream of being a professional musician combined with the affirmation of talent and the disciplined cultivation of those gifts is the path to calling. I once asked a young doctor if he felt called. He said, “No, I just never wanted to be anything else - ever. From my earli-
“Calling vs. Career”
est memories I just knew this was the only thing that I could do and be happy.” In my view, THAT’S CALLED. Now, career is a different matter. That is the direction that calling takes. I, for example, was into the professional ministry.
We tend to dismiss the call of God as a hunch or dream or a wild idea when actually it may be as clear a call as there is. I have pastored small churches and mega churches, been an evangelist, a missionary, an educator and an author. Those are career intersections, not changes in my fundamental calling.
I believe that God was also guiding me at those decision moments even as I trust he guided me to ORU. God has a calling for your life. Accept your gifts humbly and gratefully. Prepare yourself diligently even as you are doing here at this great university. Be a life learner continuing to gain skills and knowledge to make you ever more useful in his hands. Let God guide your career even as he has called you into his service. Calling is the path, career is all the intriguing twists and turns. One last thing: “Promotion cometh from the Lord.” Concentrate far more on the calling than on the career. Pray over each career decision always asking yourself, “Is this taking me away from my calling or is it just an exciting bend in the river?” Our God is an on-time God. Fulfill your calling with excellence at every stage of your calling and he will take care of your career.
Find future columns from Dr. Rutland online at www.oruoracle.com in the new Forum section!
THE ORACLE• Friday, March 4, 2011 • Page 23
[ 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. Someone recently confided that she struggled with “low self-esteem.” I wanted
to give her a high five and congratulate her, literally. Some people have this massive self-esteem that seems to suffocate everyone around them but them. It’s impressive, really. Other people have such low self-esteem that they hide from others and then isolate themselves either behind a façade or behind physical barriers, such as their dorm rooms. Sometimes it’s cloaked in perfectionism. Now I’ve come to realize that looking for ways to increase my self-esteem is probably the worst advice anyone could have given me. Self-esteem intrinsically implies that my confidence is based on me – my popularity, my personality, my achievements, my body, my Gucci purse. If you’re the kind of person that enjoys emotional rollercoaster rides, missed opportunities to impact people’s lives, a pathetic excuse for a relationship with God, and an inability to follow God’s calling, self-esteem is right for you! If you’re like me, however, nearly throwing up over getting a B on a test is not really your thing. So when I was a freshman, I immediately began to search for a different way to live…or rather, a different way to be.
“Self-Esteem”
I discovered that in order to free myself, I would have to do something radical and totally unexpected: I had to kill my pride. I know this sounds ironic, but people who “have low self-esteem” have very big egos, just in a completely different way. Like that arrogant guy in Spanish
Looking for ways to increase my self-esteem is probably the worst advice anyone could ever give me. class, they define themselves by man’s standards and they envy people who have what they don’t. The most important and most difficult thing I had to do was to stop comparing myself to someone else. That means I had to stop asking my friends what they made on the last test. I had to come to the unnatural realization that hu-
man beings are not my standard. As long as I kept them that way, I knew I’d never be happy. Another note: you are not entitled to the same exact life as others. For example, if you think that you deserve to be equal in talents and rewards to everyone else, chew on Matthew 20:1-16 for a while. We may be equal in significance, but clearly we are not equal in personality or looks. The beautiful thing about it is that when you stop pursuing the things that you feel you lack -- like popularity -and you focus on pleasing God on a daily basis and resting your soul in Him, surprisingly all of those things start hunting you down. It’ll never happen while you’re searching though. Amazingly, the first semester I ever made a 4.0 at ORU was the semester I chose not to serve my grades but to serve God. Treat Him like gold. Make Him your best friend, Your Lord, Your everything, and abandon this ridiculous pursuit of “you.” Then watch as the floodgates of blessing break open as He lays the stars at your feet. You’ll find your confidence all right, just not in you.
Letters to the Editor
Hurtful Speech is the Result of our Heart’s Condition
Solutions Page 24 • Friday, March 4, 2011 • THE ORACLE
Editor: ORU is an amazing university with more diversity than I have seen in my entire life. We come not only from different denominations, but also from different cultures and races. These differences are embraced and celebrated as a whole. When Ciera Trisch, SA presidential candidate, was asked during the forum on Thursday night to clarify a rumor about her grandfather being a part of the KKK, I couldn’t help but sit in shock. For someone to make an accusation against Ciera and her family concerning such a culturally sensitive issue is distasteful and ignorant. Rumors are no stranger to ORU, especially during election time. But at some point, we ought to step back and ask ourselves, when is it enough? When will we realize we need to tame our tongues?
I find myself saying things in moments of heightened emotion that I later regret and know I am not alone. In James 3:2 it says, “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.” There is grace for us in times of weakness, as we sometimes say the wrong things. However, God’s grace shouldn’t act as a crutch or excuse to keep us from pursuing discipline in our speech. With the elections now over, I believe it is crucial for us to step back and evaluate the fruit of our tongues. Are our tongues praising Jesus in chapel and then chiding a colleague in the next class? According to James, “this should not be”. When it comes down to it, this is a heart issue.
The Bible says in Luke 6:45, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” During this moment, I have committed to asking God to change my heart, so my speech will improve. I encourage you to do the same. Let’s become a university that seeks to lift up each other in our speech, becoming a more united body. Let’s remain accountable to the words we say and in that allow God to purify our hearts. Let’s learn from this experience and move forward in the grace of God. Mary Harp ORU Student Pastor Care Ministries Major
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[Between the Lines ]
Roy-Gene MacIninch presents his views of current issues as represented in books, television shows and other published work. NBC launched its latest foray into TV superhero drama with “The Cape” in January. The show tells us the story of Vince Faraday: a cop who finds himself framed for an assassination and cut off from his family. In order to fight the evil Peter Fleming as he attempts to take over Palm City, he must learn the art of the illusion and master the use of a special
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“Heroes of ‘The Cape’”
cape—hence the series’ title—that will enable him to fight the bad guys and eventually reunite with his family as a true hero. Surprisingly, characters in “The Cape” are unexpectedly wholesome, though unabashedly shallow. Most will likely wince initially at the seeming silliness of it, but Faraday is motivated by a real desire to serve his city and restore the honor of his family and, though fate seems to have soundly given him the short end of the deal, he still presses on in a way that defies our modern conceptions of what real people would do in similar circumstances. Drama is after all in many ways a projection of our perception of reality. Of course, all this would make for an astoundingly cheesy superhero opera if the show weren’t entirely tongue-incheek—well, almost entirely. Yes, there is a distinct aspect of believability, but the fact is the writers of the show obviously don’t mean for it to be taken seriously, which in between the moving moments becomes painfully clear. Perhaps this is a sign of what many consider a wider problem, not only in American media but also at the deepest roots of our national psyche. Maybe we’ve
forgotten how we once felt toward heroes to the extent that we’ve come to find those of “Watchmen” more believable than those of the Justice League. True, the former adhere more closely to the common depravities of human nature, but they offer a decidedly bleaker insight into what our society considers a “believable hero.” At his heart, Farady a virtuous man and in modern society it would appear as though virtue is no longer fashionable. His aspirations aren’t driven by desire for wealth, power, or prestige. No, all he really wants is for his son to know he isn’t a bad man and to hold his wife again. He is human, yes, but a different representation of human—one which showcases us in our fallibility but which adheres to a hope that there are at least some men out there who do good things simply because it’s right to do them. For the naysayers, perhaps the show’s campiness is symptomatic of a belief that heroes don’t really exist. Maybe the show’s creators think the concept of men who work simply for the good of their wives and children is too archaic an idea
Perhaps the show’s campiness is symptomatic of a belief that heroes don’t really exist.
to be taken seriously. Perhaps, they might think they never existed anyway, but were only an illusion manufactured by people blinded by romantic naiveté. Or, maybe the series’ creation at all suggests there are still people who think that, though unlikely and maybe unrealistic, heroes do exist or at least aren’t an impossibility. At any rate, maybe that’s the line of thought prevalent in the media culture. Even so, though our faith in them has been shaken, Vince Faraday reminds us that at our core we do still believe—or hope—in the presence of heroes. Even the smartest people can’t agree on how many failures people have to see before they give up on the idea of a hero. I’m holding out that we’ve got at least a few more to go.
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THE ORACLE• Friday, March 4, 2011 • Page 25
[ Pick Up What I Lay Down ]
The Forum section welcomes fast views on relationships from Robert Butler. He is a senior media major - MMP concentration. Yesterday you seemed to be in love, but today seems like a funeral. It seemed
like you were just celebrating Valentine’s Day and everything was so perfect. What happened? You seemed so in love, but your relationship quickly deteriorated. What am I describing? The breakup. A breakup can leave one or both people involved in the relationship hurting. So what should one do during a breakup? Should he or she quickly jump into another relationship to prove they are over the other person? Nope. As cliché as it may sound, the perfect remedy for a breakup is to seek God. After all, he did come to heal the brokenhearted (Luke 4:18). A breakup can be a painful and trying time in your life, but it also can be a time of great personal growth. My last breakup left me hurt and bitter. I wallowed around my house the whole summer not wanting to interact with anybody because of my
[ Stairways & Spirals ]
Sophomore computer science major Mark Jones shares his views on how attitudes and choices either lift us up, or bring us lower in life. Preface: Note by the way that I acknowledge everybody is needy it’s what makes us human. However, when I use the word “needy” in this story, what I mean is constantly feeling like something is missing and wanting it from another human being.)
Needy and independent: are they an incompatible combination of adjectives? Well, in today’s society - especially in modern Christian circles - this
repugnance is accepted as a lifestyle. Although it is a fact that many women are taught to be both reliant on a man but at the same time self-reliant, it isn’t a working truth by any means. The problems with nonworking truths is that - surprise! - they don’t work. You can’t serve two gods, you can’t serve two masters, and you definitely can’t expect somebody else in your life to take care of all your needs if you want to take care of them yourself. It is best to stick to one or the other, or choose different expectations for different times. But heavens no, don’t expect both at the same time. That will just lead to inner conflict, guilt, and shame. What I’ve been noticing throughout my life is how women are taught that when they grow older they need a man to take care of them and love them. While this is ideal, some women all too wrongly expect it at the wrong moments. On top of that, what this creates is a type of woman who has no power over her life. She’s always expecting her man to do everything for her, so in essence she’s basi-
Page 26 • Friday, March 4, 2011 • THE ORACLE
“The Breakup”
pain and bitterness. That summer was not really a good time for me. During that time of wallowing and self-pity, I asked God why the relationship didn’t work and why the woman who broke my heart was so evil (this young lady isn’t evil, I’m just sharing my experience). As I asked this question, God showed me the reason why it didn’t work and he showed me all the areas where I was in the wrong. He showed me where I needed to personally work on myself and that I was not ready to handle such a relationship. Hearing those words was a turning point for me. I asked God to help me with those issues so that I could be a better person and that the next person I’m in a relationship with won’t suffer because I was too stubborn to change.
I say all this because a breakup is the perfect time for self-examination, restoration, and getting closer to God. Sometimes we jump too quickly into another relationship when there was not any time to heal. In this case, you’re dealing with the same issues that you experienced in the previous relationship. We all need time to heal before we get into another relationship because it’s not fair to the other person to deal with baggage from your previous relationship. If you are currently going through a breakup I implore you to take the time to ask God what went wrong and what you can change so your next relationship won’t end up the same way. If you ask God what went wrong, I guarantee he’ll show you. Just take this time to heal, grow and be the person your future spouse is looking for and desiring.
“Needy Independent Women”
cally completely reliant on him and thus she is powerless to do anything by herself. Question: how reliable is another person in general? I mean come on, really, how perfect and infallible is any human being? If you’re totally dependent on a person for your happiness - dependent on him for the love you want to feel - then you’re constructing him as God. The more dependent on him a girl is, the more godlike the man becomes. And if a women doesn’t know what she wants, this confuses the man and causes him to become even more fallible. In close relationships, this can become a problem. Sometimes, this dependency and pedestalization causes the man to go on an ego-trip: to start suffering from a “Superman delusion” that he alone is meant to take care of the woman, and if he can’t take care of her every need, he is useless. He doesn’t want to feel useless and rejected, so he accepts his wife’s belief of him being her life-support machine, thus feeding the delusion and pulling him further down the spiral.
A downward spiral you ask? Yep, that’s right. Here’s what the spiral is: Being empty -> wanting something from somebody else -> feeling the need to give something in return -> remembering you have nothing to offer -> being empty -> wanting something from somebody else -> ... This is what I call the NeedySelf Spiral. You always feel like because you’re empty: you need something from somebody else. But there’s a problem: you don’t have anything to give. Why? Because you are constantly needing something! If you need something, that means you don’t have that certain something already. And the more you tell yourself you need something, the more you tell yourself that you have nothing. It’s no wonder why extremely codependent relationships are unhealthy. There are just so many poisonous presuppositions, so much guilt, so much low self-esteem images imposed by the self (and fed unknowingly by the partner as well), that it all just continues to spiral downward...
Until… A person breaks from it. One partner - doesn’t matter which - should decide to not perpetuate the cycle. How? Well, the empty person should realize that maybe she already has something within herself and that maybe she isn’t empty after all. And maybe she should also realize that she doesn’t have to return anything either - just accept what she is given freely. And if it’s her partner, he should help her realize that she does have something within her, or make her feel comfortable with herself just accepting his love and his gifts freely. People have to learn introspection and leaning on God, because this definitely helps in exiting the spiral. They should tap into themselves, and remind themselves that the Spirit is still within them no matter what, because it’s always there. And if you’re a Christian, you definitely should keep that in mind if you are to get out of such a selfdefeating cycle.
Follow Mark Jones’ blog at: http://stairwaysandspirals. blogspot.com/
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
Thinking of Tying the Knot?
“Any Other Universe”
By Chelsea Boen, Reid Peterson, Jonathan Witt, and Darren Sorrels
Attend the Upcoming Marriage and Finance Seminar Elections have come and passed, but the excitement and energy are still lingering in the air! Speaking of which, what could be more exciting than the thought of getting married? Whether you are engaged, plan on being engaged or simply anticipate being married at some point in your life, SA’s upcoming “Marriage and Finance Seminar” is for you! Every couple needs advice before stepping into the world of married finances, and we have a phenomenal panel of experts ready to guide you in the right direction. The seminar consists of three parts, each featuring a different speaker.
Our first speaker is Mrs. Alison Rutland - renowned wife of our own President Rutland. Her session begins at 6 p.m. and is immediately followed at 7 p.m. by Dr. Larry Walker. Dr. Walker has taught extensively in the behavioral sciences departments in classes including psychology, marriage and the family, and more. At 8 p.m., we will conclude the seminar with ORU’s own Jonathan Wiley. Professional development points (PDPs) will be also offered for this session. These fantastic speakers will discuss foundational marriage principles as well as important financial planning topics. See you there at 6 p.m. in GC5116!
Part One
pure joy And now 10% off your self-serve frozen yogurt purchase*
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*just present your oru i.d. THE ORACLE• Friday, March 4, 2011 • Page 27
03.04 - 04.01 03.04 FRIDAY EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN CONFERENCE, 7 p.m., Mabee Center, $69, Continues through March 5 TULSA ORIGINAL MUSIC SHOWCASE, 7 p.m., Cain’s Ballroom, $10
03.05 SATURDAY MANTEAM CARBASH, All day, Qdoba (71st/Lewis), All proceeds benefit ORU Missions
03.11 FRIDAY ORU BASEBALL VS. BETHUNE-COOKMAN, 6:30 p.m., Johnson Stadium, Free with ORU I.D.
03.08 TUESDAY FOR ALL THOSE SLEEPING / THE COLOR MORALE IN CONCERT, 6 p.m., The Marquee, $12
03.12 SATURDAY ORU BASEBALL VS. BETHUNE-COOKMAN, 2:00 p.m., Johnson Stadium, Free with ORU I.D.
ORU ORCHESTRA PRESENTS “MOTION AND EMOTION”, 7:30 p.m., Timko Barton Performance Hall, Free
03.13 SUNDAY ORU BASEBALL VS. BETHUNE-COOKMAN, 1:00 p.m., Johnson Stadium, Free with ORU I.D.
SPANISH CLUB SALSA DANCING WITH CHRIS RODRIGUEZ, 7:30 p.m., Fireside, Members: Free, Others: $2 03.09 WEDNESDAY “I SURVIVED THE HOLOCAUST” MY STORY - EVA UNTERMANN, 12:30 p.m., Holy Spirit Room
03.16 WEDNESDAY ONEREPUBLIC IN CONCERT, 6 p.m., Osage Million Dollar Elm Event Center, $45 EMERY IN CONCERT, 6 p.m., The Conservatory, $16
ORU THEATRE PRESENTS: LUCKY STIFF, 7:30 p.m., Howard Auditorium,
03.10 THURSDAY AS I LAY DYING IN CONCERT, 6 p.m., Cain’s Ballroom, $27
03.20 SUNDAY THE READY SET IN CONCERT, 5 p.m., Cain’s Ballroom, $17
SOULS A’FIRE TOUR TEAM NIGHT OF WORSHIP, 7 p.m., World Won for Christ Church
PIERCE NIX IN SENIOR RECITAL, 7:30 p.m., Timko-Barton Performance Hall, Free
03.25 FRIDAY ACQUIRE THE FIRE, 6 p.m., Mabee Center, Tickets start at $57, Event continues through March 26
ORU BASEBALL VS. MISSOURI STATE, 3:00 p.m., Johnson Stadium, Free with ORU I.D. 03.29 TUESDAY LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW WHILE PASSING JAZZ COMBO CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Timko-Barton Lobby, Free 03.31 THURSDAY CHRIS TOMLIN IN CONCERT, 7 p.m., Mabee Center, Tickets start at $22, Event includes Louie Giglio. JASMINE ADAMS IN SENIOR RECITAL, 7:30 p.m., Timko-Barton Performance Hall, Free 04.01 FRIDAY THREE DAYS GRACE IN CONCERT, 6:30 p.m., Brady Theater, Tickets start at $25 MARTIN SHORT, 7 p.m., Spirit Bank Event Center, Tickets start at $25 SHINE WOMEN’S CONFERENCE, 7 p.m., Victory Christian Center, Free registration, Luncheon start at $12