ESCAPE
smile. EXPLORE. relax. / march 13 / weekend
STAYCATION You don’t have to leave town to have a good time
spring break issue +
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take a break
ESCAPE march 13
contents 3 baseball for the break 4-5 plan your staycation 6 spring for service 7 take a movie getaway 8 set the soundtrack Escape is a student-produced publication of OU Student Media, a department in the Division of Student Affairs. Copyright 2014 OU Student Media.
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It’s finally here — spring break is upon us, and we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief. For some, it’s a chance to visit new places. For others, it’s a time to stay home and recuperate. If you’re going on an adventure over the break, be sure to check out our destination-themed playlists to set the soundtrack for your trip (pg. 8). If you’re staying home, you don’t have to be bored. A day-to-day guide to the perfect “staycation” will keep you entertained (p. 4). Sports fans, you get a treat too with a chart to Please excuse the selfie, but here’s a glimpse of my destination. help you decide which baseball teams to follow while you have some free time (pg. 3). As for me, I’ll be heading up to a mountain cabin in Colorado for some much-needed R and R. All of us here at ESCAPE hope you make the most of your break as well! megan deaton, escape editor, @meggiejennie
keaton bell @kildebell
graham dudley @danger_dudley
3
break
For baseball
graham dudley | sports Every year thousands of OU students flock to the coast for days of sun, friends and extracurricular activities. But for college students who live and die for baseball season, spring break is their first chance to see their favorite team in its early-season form. Whether in Arizona or Florida, college students across the country use spring break as an opportunity to vacation in a warmer climate and watch some baseball. Want to get in on the action, but not sure who to root for? Here’s a handy guide for choosing your new favorite baseball team before the 2014 season gets underway:
YES
Do you like baseball?
What’s the more essential gameday food?
NO
NO Do you hate puppies?
YES
NO
New York Yankees
boston red sox neither
Do you need your daily Starbucks? SoCal or NoCal?
nocal socal Hipster or stoner?
Mike Trout or Clayton Kershaw?
NO
YES
Do you like going to the ballpark?
tampa bay rays
Would you like to voluntarily curse yourself ?
NO
yes
nachos
beer
chicago cubs
Do you like an underdog?
texas rangers
Coors Lite or Miller Lite?
YES
miller coors
Are you a car person?
NO
no
seattle mariners stoner trout kershaw
milwaukee brewers
st. louis cardinals
hipster
san francisco giants
la angels of anaheim
weekend what: playwrights festival when: 8 p.m. thursday where: old science hall’s lab theatre
The Faith Broome Young Playwrights Festival will present six original short plays by School of Drama students. Tickets are $5. what: spring choral concert when: 8 p.m. thursday where: catlett music center’s sharp concert hall
The School of Music and Sutton Concert Series will present a “Music of the World” concert. Ticekts are $5 for students and can be purchased at the Fine Arts Box Office.
The Union Programming Board is offereing free Lemon Chills on the last day before Spring Break. what: art “a la carte” when: 5 to 9 p.m. friday where: fred jones jr. museum of art
YES
oakland a’s
things to do this
what: free lemon chills when: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. friday where: oklahoma memorial union’s first floor lobby
YES
colorado rockies
5
detroit tigers
See some independent films presented by deadCENTER Film Festival. The films are for mature audience only, and the event is free. what: spring break when: march 15 to 23 where: wherever you want
los angeles dodgers
Whether you’re getting crazy on the beach or staying in town, be sure to enjoy your Spring Break! See the rest of the issue for some activity ideas.
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5
SPRING BREAK
Your friends are going to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for spring break? Awesome. You have to house-sit while your family visits your relatives in Texas? That’s cool. Your work is making you pick up double-shifts since you requested off too late? Whatever, I don’t even like to relax. But everything does not have to be doom and gloom if you are stuck in Oklahoma for your spring break. We may not have sun and
START HERE
keaton bell | calendar
sunday, march 16
saturday, march 15 St. Vincent concert The vibrant performer just released her fifth album, “St. Vincent,” and is currently out on the road to promote it. A native of Tulsa, Okla., St. Vincent is a pop singer who dabbles in everything from indie rock to jazz and blues. Her live performances are a sight to behold with her pitch-perfect vocals and the numerous instruments she uses. She will be performing at Cain’s Ballroom at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) at 423 N Main St., Tulsa Okla. Tickets for general admission are $20 and can be purchased at the box office beforehand or online.
wednesday, march 19
monday, march 17
Whether you have a soft spot for Seth Cohen from “The O.C.” or can’t get enough of those sexy bloodsuckers on “The Vampire Diaries,” The CW is a breeding ground for our guilty pleasures. And its latest effort, “The 100,” looks like no exception. Set almost 100 years after Earth has been destroyed by a nuclear war, a spaceship housing Earth’s lone survivors sends 100 juvenile delinquents back to Earth in hopes of repopulating the planet. Ridiculous? Yes. Shameful guilty pleasure? Most definitely.
tuesday, march 18 ron pope + Von Grey concert
orchid show
saturday, march 22
friday, march 21 automobile alley shop hop Located on Broadway between N.W. 4th and 13th in Oklahoma City, Automobile Alley is a little area of the city brimming with nostalgia. And on the third Thursday of every month, you can cruise the historic neighborhood when they put on a full block party. There are openhouse events at area retailers, extended shopping hours, street artists/performers, discounts, giveaways and live music.
divergent hits theaters “Harry Potter” is over, “Twilight” has (thankfully) kicked the bucket, and there are only two “Hunger Games” movies left. Because we always seem to need a young-adult franchise in our lives, “Divergent” has come to fill the ever-widening gap. The story of a young girl who uncovers a sinister plot brewing in a society that deems her unfit, “Divergent” is destined to be your next obsession.
foster the people album release It has been three years since Foster The People burst onto the music scene with their electric debut “Torches.” From “Pumped Up Kicks” to “Helena Beat,” “Torches” was one perfect track after another. And now we can finally devour more with the release of FTP’s second album, “Supermodel.” And judging from it’s mesmerizing first sing, “Coming Of Age,” “Supermodel” is already destined to the soundtrack of the summer.
New York based artist Ron Pope writes, composes, records, produces and manages his own music. As his most recent album, “Calling Off The Dogs,” shows, Pope is a master of heartfelt, melodic pop. Von Grey is sort of like a bluegrass version of Haim, featuring four classically trained sisters who dabble in Americana, country, pop and bluegrass. Catch the two acts at The Conservatory at 8911 N Western Ave, Oklahoma City for $10.
Orchids are the superstar of the plant world, and now the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory will be filled with hundreds of orchids arranged in a variety of unique displays by Conservatory Curator Nate Tschaenn. The show will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 301 West Reno, Oklahoma City. Admission is $7 for adults, $4 for children 4-12, and $6 for seniors 62+, active military and students.
thursday, march 20 “The 100” starts at 8 p.m. on the cw
sand, but that does not mean you have to spend every second inside hating your friends for leaving you alone. Just because you are not spending spring break in a beach house does not mean there are not plenty of things you could do. And to make sure a single day does not go to waste, here is a day-by-day guide for some things you can do to make the most of spring break in Oklahoma.
oklahoma food coop farmers market Channel your inner WASP and visit the Oklahoma Food Co-op Farmers Market. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m at 311 S. Klein, Oklahoma City. Products will include beef, pork, lamb, farm fresh eggs, cheese, produce, specialty food items, baked goods and health/beauty products. You can also learn more information about how to become a member of the Oklahoma Food Co-op and peruse products from Co-op member producers.
sunday, march 23 oscar viewing party The Oscars are over and chances are you still haven’t seen “12 Years A Slave.” And you really want to see “American Hustle.” And you keep telling yourself you’ll sit down and watch “Captain Phillips” sooner or later. And with the bulk of the Best Picture nominees out on DVD, you can finally sit down and catch up on all of the great films you might have missed from 2013. Because let’s be honest, did anybody see “Philomena?”
6
Giving a Break
Some students are giving up their spring breaks to give back to communities across the nation.
kate mcpherson | service Senior Heather Kimbley is going on a trip to Florida this spring break, but she won’t be working on her tan or hanging out with Mickey Mouse. Instead, Kimbley is headed out on a bus to do service projects. It’s all part of Students Today Leaders Forever, a nationwide program that made its debut on the OU campus four years ago. On the trip, Kimbley and 39 other students will drive to Jacksonville, Fla., to do a service project, stopping to volunteer in five cities along the way. “What we do on the trip is we stop in six different states, and then we travel to the next state,” Kimbley said. “So in the last state, we will meet up with colleges from all around the country who are also on spring break trips like we are, and we’ll all do a really big service project together.” The group stays in donated spaces like church gymnasiums and YMCAs as they tour, rather than sleeping on the bus. However, the bus provides more than just transportation — it allows members to bond on their way to their destination. “We play Bus Twister,” Kimbley said. “While the bus is driving, we yell out, ‘right hand on the window,’ and then you have to put your right hand on the window, and then. ‘left hand on the ceiling,’ and you have to put your left hand on the ceiling. It gets kind of crazy. We had a girl who did the splits one year.” Kimbley said OU’s chapter of the organization has grown since it started in 2010.
“We are actually the first southern group to pick it up,” Kimbley said. “It’s really popular in the North, so we’re trying to get it kick started down here in the South.” STLF is only open to students, but that doesn’t mean you’d be riding with the same people you see in your gen-ed classes. The bus trip is open to non-OU students, non-traditional students and, on occasion, high schoolers. The trip often attracts international students, Kimbley said. The tour costs $450 and leaves tomorrow from the North Oval. Spots were still available at press time, but Kimbley said those interested should call now because the trip books up quickly the closer it gets to departure.
Other ways to serve: Looking for other ways to give back? Many organizations have service-based spring break trips. Mission trips If you’re the religious type, many campus ministries go on weeklong trips to help those in need. For example, Sooner Servants is headed to Haiti this spring break, while The Wesley will stick closer to home, doing work in northeastern Oklahoma. Some organizations will have already filled their mission trip spots — especially organizations traveling internationally — for this year, though, others might be more flexible. Many ministries will also take trips in May after school is out, so if you can’t make a spring break trip, you could sign up for a later opportunity. Alternative spring breaks Everything from Habitat for Humanity to United Way has an alternative spring break program. These programs usually ask you to travel to a site and pay a fee. After that, you’ll be able to volunteer for a week. The programs vary in their requirements, so be sure to do plenty of research before signing up.
Plan a safe ESCAPE ESCAPE.this Spring g Br Break! Safe, FREE, alternative transportation for OU STUDENTS Thursday-Saturday nights, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Questions or Concerns: SafeRide@ou.edu Check out SafeRide.ou.edu for schedule and more information.
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7 So you’re not going anywhere for spring break this year. Maybe you can’t afford it. Maybe you have to stay home and work. Or maybe you can never show your face in South Florida again since last spring break. And maybe that’s for the better. If pop culture has anything to teach us about spring break, it’s that it’s one nightmarish bender where you’re constantly surrounded by terrible people and cheap alcohol. That and the fact that there seems to be a lot of movies with Keaton Bell | film titles like “Spring Break Massacre,” “Spring Break Shark Attack,” and “Nightmare Beach.” But to make sure you are not completely missing out on the spring break experience, here are some movies to make you feel like you’re part of the action. Plus, this way there is zero chance you will end up on “Girls Gone Wild.”
The Grumpy couch Potato
Spring Breakers (2013) - Watching “Spring Breakers” is kind of comparable to watching the Disney Channel and spring break news coverage while on acid. The story of four college girls’ spring break vacation that spirals into a lifestyle of drugs, crime, sex and violence, “Spring Breakers” is the ultimate look at American youth culture today. And in what other movie are you ever going to see Selena Gomez snort cocaine or James Franco with a grill singing Britney Spears?
Where The Boys Are (1960) - The movie that inspired thousands of college students to travel to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. for spring break, “Where The Boys Are” is a wonderful little coming-of-age comedy. Starring pop singer Connie Francis, the film tells the story of four different college girls who travel to Florida for spring break to seek out adventure, friendship and romance. It was also one of the first teen films to explore teenage sexuality and depict the changing sexual morals and attitudes among college students at the time. Piranha 3D (2010) - If one of those made-for-television from the SyFy network were made into a feature film, it would look a little something like “Piranha 3D.” After an underwater tremor sets hordes of prehistoric piranha free during a spring break celebration for college students, a group of strangers have to band together to stop the killer fish from killing off the population. As a movie, “Piranha 3D” is outrageous, cheap-looking and features buckets of blood and gratuitous amounts of nudity. But as a guilty pleasure, it’s ridiculously entertaining. That is, if you enjoy watching scantily clad teenagers getting killed off by fish with razor-sharp teeth.
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spring camping break keaton bell | music
CONCRETE JUNGLE
Color your Spring Break with a soundtrack based on the destination of your choice. If you’re staying home, use these picks to take yourself to a different place. See the full playlist online at OUDaily.com/weekender.
Bob Dylan — “Like A Rolling Stone” Fleetwood Mac — “Landslide” The Beatles — “Hey Jude” Blitzen Trapper — “Furr” Fleet Foxes — “Montezuma”
tropical getaway
The Beach Boys — “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” The Grass Roots — “Let’s Live For Today” Weezer — “Island In The Sun” LP — “Into the Wild” Fun. — “We Are Young” Stevie Wonder — “Living for the City” Jay-Z — “Empire State of Mind” John Butler Trio — “Living In The City” M83 — “Midnight City” The Standells — “Dirty Water” Simon & Garfunkel — “America” David Bowie — “Heroes Bruce Springsteen — “Born To Run” Talking Heads — “Road To Nowhere” Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes — “Home”
SPRING BREAK
BROKE? Outta Cash? Spend all of your money on Spring Break? We can help! The first 20 people to sign a lease at The Reserve’s inclusive, fully furnished student apartments between March 24th and March 27th will receive A $100 VISA GIFT CARD. It’s that easy to put an extra $100 in your empty, sand filled wallet! *Certain restrictions apply. Limited quantities available, while supplies last.
ReserveStinson.com | 730 Stinson Street | Norman, OK 73072 | 405.310.6000
ROAD TRIP