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CONTENTS FEATURES

‘Space metal’ band Oberon draws inspiration from creativity, performance

STEM education a focus at the earliest levels of Ada City Schools

Digital humanities lab at ECU rare among Oklahoma universities

Artist returns to roots after stint in corporate world

ECU professor incorporates immense love of reading into his own works, classroom

Featured Writer Sunnie Dawn Smith Ad Sales Brad Carter Art Direction Fawn Wilson-Olivarez Photography Nicholas Geisler

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ing ar e H r e t t e B Enjoy

Oberon describes its style of music as “space metal,” incorporating lofty melodies and catchy riffs along with the traditional heavy metal approach.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

‘Space metal’ band Oberon draws inspiration from creativity, performance By Sunnie Dawn Smith

da has an eclectic music scene. There is an option for every musical taste and venues to match. One band that helps make up this musical landscape is Oberon, which formed in 2010 and played its first show in October of that year at the Ada Elks Lodge. While the overall genre could be described as heavy metal, they prefer to think of it as “space metal,” bringing their own approach to a familiar type of music and creating something altogether new. The band is comprised of four members – DJ Bryant, Jeremy Wingard, Logan Wood and Adam Smith. Bryant plays guitar and does vocals, Wingard plays guitar, Wood plays drums and Smith plays bass. Bryant said all of them have been playing music for 12 years except for Smith, who claims to have been playing since birth. Of the four members, Bryant and Wingard were two of the original members with Wood and Smith joining in 2011. Bryant had a band before Oberon

called Initium, and Wingard was one of its roadies. When that band broke up, the two of them decided to form a new band along with member Chris Bennett, and Oberon was born. It wasn’t long before Wood replaced Bennett, and then Smith joined the group. Bryant and Wingard said they were really into space and astronomy, so they searched for a band name related to it. They finally decided on Oberon, which is one of the moons of Uranus. The moon was named for the king of the fairies in Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” So one form of art led to science, and then once again back to art. They primarily perform original music with the exception of one cover, “The Eye of the Tiger,” though they have also transformed that into their own composition as well instead of playing a note-by-note performance. They work together in the creative process. Sometimes they will all come together and work on a new song from

scratch, but usually Bryant or Wingard begin the process by writing certain riffs or composing a rough outline of a song. Then they play it for the other members, and it takes shape with everyone adding their own touch to it before coming up with a final and finished product. They enjoy the collaborative process of creation, and they said their music is stronger for it. “It is the discovery – following the music and seeing where it takes us,” Bryant said. While they all love the journey of creation, they love performance just as much if not more. “The best part of performing live is the rush and the excitement of the crowd,” Bryant said. “Taking something we have created and bringing it to the world in a blend of art and performance, we attempt to give the best show we can everytime we play. We want you to have a good time. If you want to bang your head, bang it. If you want to dance, then dance. If you want to just close your eyes and

take the ride, take it. We feel we have something to offer to everyone who comes to watch us play and want you to remember it.” While a lot of their influences are metal bands like Mastodon, Metallica, Gojira and Danzig, they have also gone beyond metal to create their own genre that they call “space metal,” which incorporates beautiful melodies and catchy riffs along with the traditional heavy approach. They said the best way to understand their music, though, is to listen to it. Those interested can find their music online at oberon.bandcamp.com and on iTunes, Google, Amazon and Spotify. They frequently play shows around Ada, and people can get updates by following them on social media at facebook.com/ oberonok and on Instagram @ oberonband. They have also been invited to play at the Norman Psych Fest on Friday, March 29 at Resonator at 325 E Main St. www.adahub.com • 5

STEM education a focus at the earliest levels of Ada City Schools By Sunnie Dawn Smith

he focus on STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – education has grown more in recent years. As educators try to prepare their students for productive careers in the future, it has become essential to master these fields of study in an increasingly technological world. Teachers and administrators with Ada City Schools said STEM education cannot begin in junior high or high school. It has to begin with the earliest grades, incorporating STEM concepts into every part of learning. This is one of the reasons why Ada Early Childhood Center Principal Cindy Brady is so excited to have 6 • www.adahub.com

a dedicated STEM lab at her school. The Dart Foundation iLab was made possible through a grant from Dart, which provided funds to establish STEM labs in all of the Ada City Schools. While AECC has been focusing on STEM education in a serious way since the Oklahoma Academic Standards for STEM came out about five years ago, this lab provides a space for the teachers to store all of their supplies in a single place and for the students to collaborate, think creatively and learn the lessons of STEM education in a hands on way. “We try to emphasize that it is about the

process and not the product,” Brady said. Teachers can book the lab as often as they would like, and on average a student visits the lab once or twice a month in addition to a monthly nutrition class taught in the lab as well. STEM education works well for kindergarten and pre-k students, especially since so much of what they do is hands-on learning, Brady said. Five-yearolds get a lot more out of an experiment than a lecture, but time constraints cause teachers to strain for creative ways to cover everything in a regular class schedule. “We hear a lot about STEM, and also

Kindergarten and pre-k students at the Ada Early Childhood Center participate in an experiment at the schools STEM lab. The Ada City School District has secured funding to establish labs at each school that focus on STEM – science, technology, engineering and math.

PHOTO BY NICHOLAS GEISLER

STEAM, which incorporates the arts,” Brady said. “But I don’t see why we can’t just have STREAM, which would also bring in reading.” Because of this, one of the main ways that the teachers use the lab is to start off with literature and reading, and then move beyond the story to thinking critically about the problems in it and trying to find ways to solve them in the lab. For instance, at Christmas classes read a story called “Santa Was Stuck” about Santa Claus getting wedged in a chimney. For their experiment, the kids had to figure out how to remove a Santa Claus ornament from a paper towel roll without using their hands. When they read “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” the students had to construct chairs that would hold a certain amount of weight. “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” led to an exploration of engineering where the students tried to build the strongest bridges that they could. In addition to beginning with the litera-

ture, they also draw inspiration from the various holidays and celebrations. “Every March, we have a huge leprechaun problem in our school,” Brady said. “They are just everywhere and cause all sorts of problems. The kids get really excited about it. So this year, we are making leprechaun traps in the STEM lab to place them around the school.” The lab is the perfect size for these youngest students. The tables are at their waist level, and there are no chairs because the kids are always so busy collaborating on their projects. They even have little lab coats that they wear to make it feel like they are real scientists. The students feel so much excitement going to the lab and getting to do experiments. Kindergartner Sophia Baker said her favorite part is “seeing what science experiments we get to do and what we are going to do to make the science experiment work.” While STEM projects are fun for the kids and give them the chance to think critical-

ly, creative and work with others, they also help provide a foundation for the future. “The Ada City School District’s Strategic Plan calls for increased rigor in all areas of science and mathematics, paying particular attention to increasing STEM education at the elementary level,” Superintendent Mike Anderson said. “As a result of this initiative, the district has secured funding through bond issues and grants to provide STEM labs at every school site. Everything from aviation, water management, oil/gas research, coding, robotics and nutrition-related STEM activities are occurring at every grade level. We are very proud of the work that has been done to give our youngest students the chance to take part in genuine, hands-on learning opportunities. We are confident that the push for strong implementation of STEM education at the elementary level will provide the foundation for our graduates to compete for post-secondary careers and job opportunities at the highest levels.” www.adahub.com • 7

Digital humanities lab at ECU rare among Oklahoma universities By Sunnie Dawn Smith

he world of research is fast paced and ever-changing. Technology makes it easy for almost anyone to find information instantly on their phones. This research, though, goes beyond the basics of cell phone technology, and libraries and educational institutions are always trying to find ways to expand on their research capabilities to help educate students and provide them with the best opportunities. This is one of the reasons why East Central University opened its new digital humanities lab housed at Linscheid Library. ECU Collection Services Librarian Casey Lowry said the library jumped at the chance to house the new computer lab once the grant was approved. “We offered up Linscheid Library as a location to build the new digital humanities lab because we want to help facilitate interdisciplinary research projects happening across campus,” Lowry said. “The library loves finding ways to make research fun and interesting for students, and housing a cool new computer lab with cutting edge equipment was the perfect opportunity for us to jump in and lend a hand with this project.” The lab was made possible by a grant from the Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions Heritage program, which aims to retain students by giving them better research opportunities. The grant program is run on the ECU campus by Jinger McClure, director of the Humanities Education Research Center. The lab has state-of-the-art technology, providing many opportunities for students. Included are 13 iMacs, a large format printer, a 3D printer and a high quality book scanner. It also has a projector that can be used for presentations or lectures. As long as the lab has not been booked, it is open for any library patrons to use, including both students and community patrons. The specialized printers, however, are reserved for people with pre-approved projects and must have permission from an instructor or a librarian. ECU faculty and staff can book the space at any time to hold classes or workshops, and community organizations can also book the room for events. The space can be booked by emailing refdesk@ecok.edu. The field of digital humanities is a relative8 • www.adahub.com

Offering cutting edge research tools to students and the community, the digital humanities lab at East Central University’s Linscheid Library is one of only three available at offered by universities in the state. PHOTO BY NICHOLAS GEISLER

ly new one due to the new technology. “Digital humanities is a very interdisciplinary field,” Lowry said. “It combines technology and computational techniques with humanities subjects like literature, history, art, music, communication, etc. Technology allows humanities researchers the ability to see new patterns and data trends in the material they study, and the humanities perspective allows technologists to put vast quantities of data into context so that it can be analyzed in a useful way.” While the lab just opened this past October, it is already starting to see more use, though many students and faculty still need to be educated on the lab’s capabilities and potential. Two interns from the English department are currently working on a digital humanities project in the lab digitizing all of the old copies of ECU Originals, which is ECU’s literary journal. Through their work and the things this lab offers, they will be able to scan all of the old issues, upload them online and make them easier to find. One great thing about housing this lab in Linscheid Library is the fact that it can help

them make their collections more accessible and searchable. While these types of labs are popping up all over the country, they are rare in the state of Oklahoma with labs only at the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University and now ECU. “We don’t have quite as much equipment available as OU or OSU, but we are working on building what we have over the next couple years and working with the humanities departments on campus to create more digital humanities focused internships and curriculums,” Lowry said. “Compared to large universities like OU and OSU, we don’t have as many staff and resources at our fingertips, but through the NASNTI grant, we’ve been able to provide a space that facilitates the growth and exploration of digital humanities scholarship at ECU. Linscheid Library is committed to helping students and faculty learn how to utilize the new space, and I’m confident that digital humanities scholarship will blossom at ECU over the next few years.”

Artist returns to roots after stint in corporate world By Sunnie Dawn Smith

s is true with many artists, art was a way of life for Brooke Jackson-Holman from a very young age. Whereas many artists discovered their love for art on their own, however, Jackson-Holman was surrounded by it, and it was a part of her family. While she has taken a different artistic path than those who raised her, the overall lessons about the importance of art and creation that her family taught her have stuck with her. She said she can’t exist without creating, because it is so firmly ingrained in her very being. Jackson-Holman’s paternal grandparents traveled the world and would bring back art pieces from each place they visited. Her maternal grandmother would take art classes with her mother as adults and bring creative projects to Jackson-Holman when she was a little girl. Sometimes it was sewing projects. Sometimes it was painting china. The influence didn’t just come from her grandparents. Her parents were also always creating. Her mother had a pottery wheel and would create pottery in their garage. Her father turned their basement – which had originally been designed as a 1950s bomb shelter – into a darkroom for his photography. JacksonHolman took art classes as a young girl from Storm Duty and Pat Gurley. She spent her days doing her own art projects while her mother made pottery and her father developed photographs. As she grew, she retained her

love for art and would take it as an elective when time allowed. She graduated with a degree in history and a minor in art. Her goal was to go to graduate school, but she took a little time off and got a job. “I went to work, and I did what people typically do when offered a good salary and benefits: I kept working,” JacksonHolman said. While she worked in corporate management, she would still always have a creative side project going simply because she needed to maintain her creativity. After returning to Ada to be close to family, Jackson-Holman thought she might finally realize her dream of going to graduate school. However, so much time had passed that she did not have the same skills, nor did she have the portfolio that she needed. After a lot of thought, she decided to go back to school at East Central University and earn a second bachelor’s degree, this time in art. She said it was one of the best decisions she has made. While she does paint and draw, she mainly focuses on sculpture and printmaking. She specifically focuses on intaglio printmaking, which is the practice of using copper plates dropped in acid to etch an image onto the plate. Ink is then rubbed into the plate, and the image can be transferred onto paper. While these are currently her preferred media, she keeps an open mind toward others as well. Her main goal as an artist is just to keep learning and keep investigating.

Artist Brooke Jackson-Holman likes to work using intaglio printmaking, which uses etched copper plates to transfer ink to paper

PHOTO SUBMITTED

One of the things that does color all her work, however, is her exploration of women’s roles, whether at home and in the workplace, how they have changed and how they haven’t changed. Her work could be considered feminist in nature. “I’m thinking about addressing issues women are facing in the now,” Jackson-Holman said. “Women are still underpaid often in comparison to their male counterparts in many fields. They are still the primary caregivers for children. “While it is better than it was in the past, I see how stressful it can be trying to manage career and family. This topic has been misconstrued by the misconception that in order to want equality for women that men should be seen as less than. That doesn’t make sense to me. Wanting everyone to be treated fairly with the same level of respect seems like it should be something everyone would want. It’s impossible for

me not to think about these issues when I’m creating, as these are the issues I am surrounded by both socially and sometimes personally.” This is one of the things that Jackson-Holman said she loves about art. It has an ability to produce beauty while also making people think about different ideas. Art can be an escape, but it can also be challenging. “The idea of fine art is fascinating to me,” she said. “Since the beginning of time, people have been creating art in picture form. As people as a species became more developed, art developed in craft, content and quality. But art also addresses topics of controversy. It invites people to think more deeply about their living situations and environments, and it’s been used to document the lives of individuals just for the sake of portraiture. Art is what makes the world beautiful. Art allows us to escape and holds us responsible.” www.adahub.com • 9

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ECU professor incorporates immense love of reading into his own works, classroom By Sunnie Dawn Smith

ost people might not think that a scholar of Shakespeare, Chaucer and Austen would also be a novelist of fantasy and science fiction literature. Most people would be wrong. Joshua Grasso, an English professor at East Central University, does exactly this. Grasso teaches courses at ECU on classic literature. He loves teaching this type of literature as well as reading it. “These books are just endless,” Grasso said. “You can never get to the bottom of them.” However, he also gets very excited about other literature as well, including comic books, modern fantasy, science fiction and travel writing essays. It is the combination of all of these literary loves that come together in his own writing. “Pieces of all these stories find their way into my works, either through a setting, a character or even a stray word or phrase,” Grasso said. This combination of reading and teaching is one of the things that makes his own process and approach to writing so unique. “I couldn’t imagine writing without teaching. Reading and discussing works with a classroom of students is the most inspiring thing on earth,” Grasso said. “I always see something new that makes me understand the author and book better and in turn makes me want to try the same thing myself.” Grasso has been writing since high school, though more seriously since he graduated college. He has written everything from novels to short stories, literary criticism to magazine articles, advertisements to onhold messages. He started by

emulating the writers he loved the most. As he got older and grew as a writer, his approach matured. “The older I get, the more I relish the ability to take a raw idea, sometimes just an impression, and make it into an actual story that even I can enjoy reading,” Grasso said. Though he still writes about literature, he now primarily writes fantasy and science fiction with a goal to write one story a month and one novel every two years. His novels, “The Count of Living Death,” “The Astrologer’s Portrait” and “The Winged Turban,” can be downloaded on Amazon, and his stories can be found in magazines like Aphelion, Exterus and Broadswords and Blasters. This January, one of his stories is featured on Manawaker Studio’s Flash Fiction Podcast. Reading is immensely important to Grasso’s process and is also relevant to the advice he was given as a young writer. He also passes that advice on to those aspiring to be writers. “Read everything you can find,” he said. “Read outside of the genre you write in. If you write fantasy, for example, don’t just read Tolkien. Read non-fiction, read poetry, read history, read Shakespeare. A book or story is built from the bones of a thousand stray ideas.” His creative process begins with a lot of reading. He will let ideas sit with him awhile and then take them and see if he can turn them into something else. If one of them does become something more, then he simply starts writing. Reading doesn’t just begin his process, though. It is integral to his very identity as a writer.

East Central University English professor Joshua Grasso combines his love of classic literature, science fiction, travel essays and more to create his own stories and novels. PHOTO BY NICHOLAS GEISLER

“Writing is an exploration, so I never quite know what I have until I’m halfway through the story,” Grasso said. “Then I spend weeks or months revising until I’m more or less happy with the result.” Whether or not someone wants to become a published author or spend their days and nights writing stories, Grasso sees writing as a truly worthwhile skill. “Writing is the most applicable skill you can learn,” Grasso said. “Learning to write changes the way you read anything, since you can see why the author wrote what he or she did. It also changes the way you see your-

self, since you start seeing your life as a character in a story. Also, the more you have a living relationship with words, the better you can communicate with others, and understand the limitations of words – and why we need to be more understanding and compassionate with one another. No one can truly understand another person’s life, but writing is the one tool we have been given to bridge the gap.” Due to editorial oversight, this article did not appear in the printed edition of the Ada Hub in January as originally scheduled. It did appear in the digital edition available by link from facebook.com/adahub. www.adahub.com • 11

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