The Vista, Nov. 30, 2021

the

Volume 119, Issue 12

VISTA “Our Words, Your Voice.”

vistanews1903 @thevista1903 @thevista1903 The Vista ucentralmedia.com Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021

UCO addresses budget crisis

INSIDE

Academic affairs plans to resolve the $15 million deficit Sam Royka

Staff Reporter

Women’s soccer In the post-season run, women’s soccer lost to Bemidji State University. More details inside.

In a statement released Nov. 17, UCO President Patti Neuhold-Ravikumar denied that the school would be enacting major cuts to faculty and staff this year amid a budget crisis, refuting claims by the UCO chapter of the American Association of Univer-

sity Professors.

“The rumor of an exaggerated and draconian planned reduction of 147 faculty positions based on the total deficit is just that – a rumor. I can tell you with confidence that this is not happening,” said UCO President Patti Neuhold-Ravikumar in an email to the UCO community.

Neuhold-Ravikumar called it “imperative” to share information about what UCO is doing to balance the budget going forward.

While no specific budget reduction plan is being considered yet, “each division has been asked to evaluate their Continued on Pg. 3

See Pg. 4

‘Spencer’ review

Royalty is not always magical. A look inside Princess Diana’s life.

See Pg. 4

The budget deficit is due to a decline in enrollment, an increase in inflation and loss of state funding. (Provided/UCO website)

STLR grant expires Adele album review “30” takes on serious themes of parenthood and divorce from Grammy-winning artist Adele.

See Pg. 7

Around Campus In the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic IMMY Labs is providing free, drive-thru testing.

See Pg. 2

Logan Gassett

Contributing Writer

Students at UCO who are involved with the Student Transformative Learning Record program will not be paid for projects until further notice due to the expiration of the $7.8 million grant.

The Department of Education agreed on funding this program in 2014 with a title 3 grant to get the program started and to pay faculty and students for STLR projects until September of 2021.

Jeff King, among other faculty members, began the program to keep a record of the growth in students from freshman year to graduation Although STLR is still growing, the $7.8 million grant will not be in the central six tenets. returning to UCO. (Provided/UCO website) Despite the financial

change, STLR continues to grow and encourage students in this dry season.

Mark E. Walvoord, assistant director of STLR, said, “We are having to transition from some of the most transformative experiences being out of class paid projects to STLR type class assignments and groups and events that students go to.”

Walvoord also said that even though the program is facing a decrease in payment, there has been an increase in the number of STLR tags and student credits.

The STLR program still has a foundation account reserved for a future STLR student award but not enough to hire 50 or more students like the program used to.

2 | The Vista

Nov. 30, 2021

Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021 COVID-19 Testing: IMMY Labs is providing free, drive-thru COVID-19 testing from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Lot 11.

McAlister’s Giveback Night: Big Event is hosting this event from 5 to 10 p.m. at McAlister’s Deli on 2nd St. in Edmond.

COVID-19 Testing: IMMY Labs is providing free, drive-thru COVID-19 testing from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Lot 11.

F/64 Photo Society meeting: The UCO photo society is hosting a meeting at 1 p.m. in the Woody Gaddis Gallery in the Mass Communications Building. Any student of any major is invited to join.

Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021

Shawarma with MSA: From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Nigh University Center, Cherokee Room 213, the Muslim Student Association is giving a look into Islamic culture by offering food, henna, games, and more.

Central Chaos Game Night: From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Nigh University Center, Carl Albert Room 300, Central Chaos is hosting a game night as a way to get to know more people on campus.

UCO Chamber Orchestra Winter Concert: This performance begins at 7:30 p.m. at Mitchell Hall Theatre.

Bring your student ID to enter for free and receive STLR credit.

COVID-19 Testing: IMMY Labs is providing free, drive-thru COVID-19 testing from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Lot 11.

UCO Jazz Ensembles IV & I Concert: This concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Jazz Lab, located at 100 E. Fifth St. in Edmond. Tickets are free for students with a valid ID and $18 for others. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling (405) 974-2100.

Hockey Game: The UCO hockey game plays at home against Indiana University of Pennsylvania at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 with a UCO ID and $7 for general admission.

UCO Jazz Ensembles III & II Concert: This concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Jazz Lab, located at 100 E. Fifth St. in Edmond. Tickets are free for stu-

Around Campus

dents with a valid ID and $18 for others. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling (405) 974-2100.

a lighting ceremony, and a chance to visit Santa. This event is free of charge and open to anyone.

World AIDS Day: From 6 to 8 p.m. in the Nigh University Center, Constitution Hall 200, join SAFE in advocating and spreading awareness for World AIDS Day.

Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021

Friday, Dec. 3, 2021 COVID-19 Testing: IMMY Labs is providing free, drive-thru COVID-19 testing from 8 to 11 a.m. in Lot 11.

Mental Health First Aid Training: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thatcher Hall 343, complete a two-hour self-paced module online prior to the in-person instructor-led training.

VISTA

Staff

Madalyn Nix Ainsley Martinez Lyric Peterson Sam Royka Michaela Todd Graycee Hubbard Sierra Perkins Manuela Soldi Christopher Conner Logan Gassett Leelandd Gates Aaron Gelvin Kourtney Hall Christopher Lomelin George Lang

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The Vista is published weekly during the spring, summer and fall semesters. In all issues, The Vista has opportunities for both digital, online and print ads.

For information or questions contact: 405-974-5549 or thevista.ads@gmail.com

Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021 COVID-19 Testing: IMMY Labs is providing free, drive-thru COVID-19 testing from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Lot 11.

Monday, Dec. 6, 2021

Shortt Dogg: This performance begins at 8 p.m. at the Jazz Lab, located at 100 E. Fifth St. in Edmond. Doors open at 7 p.m. and there is open seating. No reservations are required.

Tickets are $15.

Anime Night: From 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the Nigh University Center, Constitution Hall 200, the Japanese Student Association and Muslim Student Association are hosting anime night.

SPB Crafty: No-Sew Blankets: From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the food court seating of the Nigh University Center, students can make no-sew blankets.

Front Pg. Teaser Photos, from top:

WinterGlow: From 6:15 to 9 p.m. in the Nigh University Center, Robert S. Kerr Room 301, this annual winter carnival includes games, caroling,

To submit events for next week’s Around Campus, please email thevista@ucentralmedia.com. Include the title of your event, time and place, and a brief description. Descriptions are subject to editing.

the

OSSAA Class 5A Football Championship: Starting at 7 p.m. at Chad Richison Stadium, The McAlester Buffaloes and Collinsville Cardinals will compete for the 5A state football championship.

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UCO’s Student Voice Since 1903 The Vista is published as a newspaper and public forum by UCO students, weekly during the academic year, at the University of Central Oklahoma.

The issue price is free for the first copy and $1 for each additional copy obtained.

EDITORIALS

Opinion columns, editorial cartoons, reviews and commentaries represent the views of the writer or artist and not necessarily the views of The Vista Editorial Board, the Department of Mass Communication, UCO or the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges. The Vista is not an official medium of expression for the Regents or UCO.

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editor. Letters should address issues and ideas, not personalities. Letters must be typed, double-spaced and must include the author’s printed name, major, classification and phone number. Phone numbers are included for contacting purposes only.

Letters are subject to editing for libel, clarity and space, or to eliminate statements of questionable taste.

The Vista reserves the right not to publish submitted letters.

ADDRESS LETTERS TO:

Editor, The Vista, 100 N. University Dr. Edmond, OK 73034-5209, or deliver in person to the editor in the Communications Building, Room 131.

Letters can be emailed to thevista@ucentralmedia.com.

Budget/ 33

Nov. 30, 2021

The Vista | 3

UCO professors launch a new podcast them. The content she gathered was turned into a book, Methamphetamine: A Love Story, which can be found on Amazon.

The podcast relates to meth addiction in Oklahoma, the authority control over the issue, and funding on the resources. Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the NE area are considered a hub for distribution because of the major highway outlets, according to Nelson.

As far as the overall purpose of the podcast, Nelson said, “Twofold would be to highlight the policy issues in Oklahoma regarding meth, highlight the problem of meth usage in manufacturing in Oklahoma, and to share the stories of those who are in recovery.”

Nelson and Shukla officially started the podcast six months ago after placing the project on hold because of COVID-19. Each episode is 30 minutes long and focuses on telling the story of a single addict but pseudoyms are used instead of the actual names for privacy. Out of the 33 interviews, only five stories have been told so far. One episode is released per month, typically on the third week of the month on a Wednesday.

The fourth episode was a holiday special about what recovering addicts and family members can do to better manage during the holidays. This was also the first episode to feature a guest, Dr. Travis Jones, who was contributing content information on cocaine criminalization, distribution through media, and the general use.

Nelson and Shukla approach the podcast with familiarity and empathy towards the issue because of their personal connections with recovering addicts “The 33: Methamphetamine: A Love Story” is a podcast started by Rashi Shukla and which is why the professors chose to keep the project to themselves instead of David Nelson about the complexities of drug addictions. (Provided/ UCO) expanding it to professor Nelson’s podcast students as a project.

Logan Gassett Nelson produces and edits the episodes by bringing in an introduction and Contributing Writer bridges between episodes that are layered with music and voice actors reciting quotes from the interviewees. He also recreates the sounds that could possibly UCO professors Rashi Shukla and David Nelson have started a podcast, “The be heard during an interview with an addict such as fidgeting and fumbling 33: Methamphetamine: A Love Story,” to bring light on the meth problem in actions. Shukla provides the expert content information and breaks down the Oklahoma. legalities.

The podcast began when Shukla, a professor from the Criminal Justice DeSix months from now, the two hope to provide more information to a wider partment, came to Nelson in the summer of 2020 regarding her research and audience than Oklahoma and Texas. interviews with 33 recovering meth addicts and how their addictions have cost The podcast is available on Spotify, Podbay.fm, Anchor.fm, and castbox.fm.

UCO addresses $15 million budget deficit Continued from Pg. 1

functions and programs to find natural efficiencies that could contribute to balancing our budget,” Neuhold-Ravikumar said.

The president and cabinet seek to tackle the budget “over multiple years.”

In a letter from the UCO chapter of the AAUP on Nov. 5, President Mark Goulding addressed the rumors of faculty and staff to be fired during the 2021-22 school year.

Goulding said that to comply with accreditation standards of the Higher Learning Commission, “prior HLC approval or notification is required for ‘suspension of a degree or certificate program,” and that the HLC requires that general education be grounded in a philosophy that “imparts broad knowledge,” saying that such rumored cuts would “undermine” UCO’s ability to do so.

Goulding asked Neuhold-Ravikumar, “What measures are you taking to ensure that retrenchment will not adversely affect our accreditations?”

Earlier this month, the UCO chapter of AAUP tendered a vote of no confi-

dence in Neuhold-Ravikumar, with 54 out of 80 voting members in favor of the resolution.

Academic affairs has been planning the financials for the 2022-23 fiscal year since summer 2021, said Neuhold-Ravikumar and Charlotte Simmons, provost and vice president for academic affairs.

Academic affairs acknowledges that some programs may need to be let go due to “budgetary constraints.”

The university seeks “to engage their diverse stakeholders in a collaborative, transparent, and data-informed process with the intent of ensuring that staffing and available resources will continue to meet accreditation thresholds,” the letter read.

According to Neuhold-Ravikumar and Simmons, the $15 million deficit resulted “from eight years of declining enrollment, multiple years of reduced state appropriations, the annual increase in cost of goods and services, and an insufficient alignment of university expenses to the significant loss in revenue.”

This is a developing story and will be updated as we receive more information.

“The rumor of an exaggerated and draconian planned reduction of 147 faculty positions based on the total deficit is just that – a rumor,” said UCO President Patti Neuhold-Ravikumar. (The Vista/ Archives)

4 | The Vista

Movie Review/Soccer

Nov. 30, 2021

REVIEW

‘Spencer’ further exposes Diana’s reality Madalyn Nix Editor-in-Chief

The fascination surrounding Princess Diana continues, even after her tragic passing 24 years ago. Actresses have portrayed the Princess of Wales in films and TV series even while she was still alive, the earliest being Caroline Bliss just one year after Diana married Charles, the Prince of Wales, in “Charles and Diana: A Real Love Story.”

In more recent years, people may be more familiar with Emma Corrin’s portrayal of Princess Diana in season four of Netflix’s “The Crown.” Corrin did a phenomenal job, earning her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and winning a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series.

Now it’s Kristen Stewart’s turn to play England’s princess in “Spencer,” written by Steven Knight and directed

by Pablo Larraín.

SPOILERS

“Spencer” takes place over three days, starting on Christmas Eve. Princess Diana, played by Kristen Stewart, arrives at Windsor Castle to celebrate Christmas with her children, William and Harry, her husband, Prince Charles, played by Jack Farthing, and the entire royal family, including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, portrayed

by Stella Gonet.

Isolation, loneliness, and lack of control consume Diana at every turn; from her specific outfits to be worn at certain times, being forced to eat

Isolation, loneliness, and lack of control consume Diana at every turn in “Spencer.”

(Provided/Neon Pictures)

even with her struggles with bulimia, to having her bedroom curtains sewn shut due to the possible threat of snooping photographers. A later scene shows a determined Diana cutting the curtains with a pair of wire cutters, then purposely cutting her arm with the same tool.

The film argues that being a kind of royal prisoner was sending Princess Diana into a spiral, an eventual mental crisis. Her outbursts alarmed her sons and appalled her husband. Mental health continues to be a topic often discussed about Princess Diana, especially the differences in her behavior before and after her marriage to Prince Charles. In the film, she clearly rebelled and fought for her indepen-

dence and identity as a wife, mother, and member of the royal family.

The most heartbreaking scenes in “Spencer” are the flashback scenes of young Princess Diana, running around, free, not a care in the world, while coming back to the present day Diana in a gorgeous ball gown, alone, crying on the bedroom floor of her worn-down childhood home.

In the film, Prince Charles tells Diana, “There have to be two of you.”

One of them is the real Diana, the other is for the people. “Spencer” delivers the side of Diana that the British tabloids could not capture nearly as often as a smiling “happy” Princess of Wales. Diana’s reality was anything but a fairytale. Stewart delivered a raw,

emotional, and sympathetic performance that makes the audience empathize with the late princess.

Stewart’s performance took me a few moments to warm up to, just because I was so fixated on Corrin’s portrayal in “The Crown.” Selfishly, I had high expectations as to topping Corrin’s performance. There were some moments in “Spencer” that felt a little more dramatized concerning Diana’s accent and body language, especially during scenes of Diana being uncomfortable, but it delivered the message of the film: there are, indeed, two sides of reality. Princess Diana struggled to put on a performance that didn’t translate into her reality.

Overall, “Spencer” delivers an eye-opening performance about the other side of Princess Diana’s life as a royal. If fans are looking for more than just Diana, they will need to continue to look elsewhere. I think only true fans of Princess Diana and those interested in the monarchy will be the ones to watch this film. As far as believing the specifics of the scenes in this film, I wouldn’t take them for face value. The message, however, remains the same.

Stewart delivered a good performance, but I don’t think it’s the best performance of Princess Diana we have seen or will ever see, if that were to happen at all.

“Spencer” is available to purchase digitally or stream online.

Women’s soccer ends winning season with tough loss Christopher Lomelin Contributing Writer

UCO women’s soccer team’s postseason run ended in the first round after a loss to Bemidji State University in a penalty kick shootout 5-3 on Nov. 19.

The match went 0-0 for the full 90 minutes of regulation and continued scoreless for two halves of extra time before going into a penalty kick shootout.

“It’s just what you’d expect at the end of the season.

They were very well coached, very well organized.

You can reflect that by the score,” associate head soccer coach Amel Muhamedagic said.

The match was played at Emporia State University in Kansas and livestreamed online.

“I thought we played really well in the first half.

We created two or three really good chances but unfortunately, we didn’t capitalize on them, and then in the second half I thought [Bemidji] had the better first 10 or 15 minutes of the second half … and then we continued to go scoreless into two overtime

halves — it’s just one of those things. Sometimes games go that way,” Muhamedagic said.

The Bronchos outshot BSU 12-2 in the first half despite not finding the goal to go into the lead, but Bemidji turned the tide in the second half to outshoot UCO 4-2. Only one shot from Bemidji was taken from either team in both halves of extra time.

The two teams were tied 3-3 going into the fourth round of the penalty shootout.

It was after BSU made it 4-3 when UCO’s Madison Hayes’ shot from the spot was saved, with Bemidji converting their fifth to win the game.

Head soccer coach Mike Cook said despite the COVID-19 pandemic forcing them to play back-toback seasons in the spring and fall of 2021, he’s still proud of what the team has accomplished given the circumstances.

“One of the biggest positives is that we got the entire season in. After going through COVID-19, even at the start of this season, we weren’t guaranteed that we were going to be able to play every game.

But we managed to play every game and didn’t have any problems at all, so that was a big blessing to be able to do,” Cook said.

With this season behind them, Cook and the team are already looking forward to it.

“Yea we’re already chomping at the bits to get started again. The spring [semester] is always fun — we’ve already scheduled all four of the Divisional I schools in the state so that’s always a good challenge to see how we stack up against them. Either way, win or lose in the spring, we’re trying to get experience and trying to help the players that are returning to get better … We’re ready to go,” Cook said.

UCO ended the season 13-5-3 while making their 14th appearance in the NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Championship.

Model UN/Ranking

The Vista | 5

Nov. 30, 2021

EDITORIAL

Conference highlights issues of sexism Ainsley Martinez Managing Editor

UCO students enrolled in the Model United Nations course attended the National American Model United Nations Conference in Chicago last week.

Students acted as representatives to their assigned countries. This year, UCO represented South Africa and Ireland.

The conference is naturally diverse, having many international students and a staff with over half consisting of women, a spokesperson for AMUN said.

However, noticeable patterns between the men and women representatives arose: men talking directly to each other, women standing silently behind them. Although disappointing to be in the shadows of men, this was not the only instance of different treatment among the sexes. Llana Svartz, a representative of Mongolia in General Assembly Third, said she experienced various forms of misogyny in her time at the conference.

“I think there are many instances of ‘mansplaining,’” Svartz said. “There seems to be some mistrust in what I’m saying, and I think many other women have felt this.”

It is hard to know for sure if men realize how their actions impact women. It is completely possible the integrated gender discrimination in our communities contribute to their unknowing. However, these microaggressions transformed into overt forms of sexism in the anonymous messaging app, Jodel.

Representatives across AMUN targeted Svartz, oftentimes calling her by her delegation, “Mongolia.”

In casual conversations held outside the sessions, others agreed and shared their experiences. A repre-

Model UN Conference female represenatives become target of misogyny. (Provided/National American Model United Nations Conference)

sentative of the International Atomic Energy Agency said one male representative refused to talk to her, arguably due to her gender.

“I don’t know if it’s intentional or not, but it’s underlying with misogyny I think,” Svartz said.

She said various representatives on the app told her to “‘shut the (obscenity) up,” that she was “‘girl-bossing’ too hard” and asked if they could “kick Mongolia out of the meeting.”

Frankly, those were some of the more tame comments. One response was particularly vulgar, Svartz said, relating her “stamina on the floor” to her stamina in a sexual nature.

“I speak frequently and confidently, and I think it rubs people the wrong way that I feel more comfortable speaking than other people,” she said.

She continued.

“When I see men in the room do similar things

there is nowhere near as much annoyance or flack than when I do it,” Svartz said. “I don’t care. I can take the heat, but I do think there is some underlying reason why I have a little more hate about my confidence in speaking than a lot of the men in the room.”

Although Svartz received the most comments directed to her, women alike were met with similar messages on the app when giving speeches.

A solution for these issues remains unknown. Of course apps such as Jodel could be discouraged, but that would not necessarily change the prejudiced views of women for some men— or eliminate many of the microaggressions, which are arguably more impactful than hurtful words.

“People just don’t recognize it’s happening. I have not heard any formal conversation about it, so I would appreciate AMUN sharing that,” Svartz said.

UCO named one of two top-ranked online state universities Aaron Gelvin Contributing Writer

UCO was named one of America’s Top Online Colleges by Newsweek and Statista after a nationwide survey of student online learning experience, based on a criteria of organization, accessibility, support, service, cost, reputation, expected success, and relevance as well as overall satisfaction and recommendation.

The survey took place from June 26 to Sept. 13.

Over 9,000 individuals in the United States who have taken online courses were surveyed and shared over 12,300 assessments.

The goal of the survey was to show what institutions have provided the best online learning experience during the pandemic. The awards were given to the top 150 schools who scored highest in the given criteria, out of nearly 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States. UCO scored 145th out of the 150 schools who were awarded. The top five scoring schools were: Texas Tech University, Michigan State University, Purdue University, University of Maryland-College Park, and Oklahoma State University.

The University of Oklahoma did not finish in the top 150.

User reviews and additional institutional indica-

UCO was named in the top 150 colleges for online learning. (The Vista/Manuela Soldi)

tors were transformed into score values and aggregated towards a final score. To receive an award, institutions needed an above average total score value.

“We did a student survey in the spring and the number one area of satisfaction was in the organization of the courses,” said Tracy Fairless, director of learning design at the Center for eLearning and Connected Environments at UCO. “In terms of this study’s criteria, that was at the top.”

Fairless said that this survey shows which schools have adjusted the best to the pandemic as almost every university in the United States made a switch to

online learning within a one-month period of time when the pandemic started.

“We have a significant focus on accessibility which speaks to the inclusivity of the learning experience.

We develop our courses with that in mind,” said Fairless. “All of our courses go through an evaluation process, so they can’t be taught online unless they meet our high standards.”

Oklahoma State University and UCO were the only schools from Oklahoma to make the list.

6 | The Vista

Collaboration/AD

Nov. 30, 2021

UCO program collaborates with China Leelandd Gates

Contributing Writer

A group of more than 116 students started taking courses this fall in a collaboration between China’s Guizhou Normal University and the University of Central Oklahoma.

In the Joint Academic Collaboration Program, students attending Guizhou can pursue a bachelor’s degree in music. Approximately 30% of the curriculum will be taught by UCO School of Music’s faculty. This is all conferred by Guizhou, meaning that they will grant all of this to their students.

Discussions between both institutions began in Spring 2020, during the onset of COVID. After many virtual meetings, UCO agreed to pursue this opportunity for its music programs. The Office of Global Affairs began working on the Joint Academic Collaboration Program application during the summer of 2020.

The 2021 fall semester is the first launch of the program, and the first cohort of students is 116. UCO is hoping to raise that number to 120 students to meet the quota. The program is approved throughout 2029 and can be renewed by either school or the Chinese Ministry of Education. Students from GZNU that participate in the program can transfer to UCO at any time. Doing this can allow them to earn two bachelor’s degrees, one from each institution.

Timothy Kok, the director of International Affairs, says that the Global Affairs team is looking forward to coordinating and working with colleagues in the College of Fine Arts and Design.

“We are very excited that the Chinese Ministry of Education and GZNU believed in the quality of UCO’s faculty and their experience both in and outside the classroom,” Kok said.

Kok has no doubts that the School of Music will lead the program to success.

UCO and GZNU both have received recognition and publicity in China following the launch of this program. GNZU does all recruitment, and Kok says that the first cohort reaching 116 students is a

In Joint Academic Collaboration Program, students attending Guizhou can pursue a bachelor’s degree in music at UCO. (Provided/Guizhou Normal University)

remarkable feat. He believes that a second cohort reaching 120 students is within reach after seeing the success of the first cohort.

When asked if there was a chance that other countries could get involved in this program, Kok said it would be impossible. The Ministry of Education only offers one specific Joint Academic Collaboration Program for each university. As such, the GZNU and UCO partnership is exclusive, and they would not be allowed to set up any other Joint Academic Collaboration Program for music with another institution. UCO could only select one pro-

gram offered by GNZU and Kok said the School of Music was chosen “because of the strong establishment we already have across China. Both institutions felt that we would have the greatest success to offer a JACP for Music.”

For more information about the UCO Office of Global Affairs, visit www.uco.edu/global.

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SOBRIETY. MAKE THE CHANGE. YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Album Review/Movie Review

Nov. 30, 2021

The Vista | 7

REVIEW

Adele brings heartbreak and joy to ‘30’ Kourtney Hall

Contributing Writer

Adele released her fourth studio album “30” on Nov. 19. The standard album has 12 tracks including the lead single “Easy on Me” that broke streaming records.

The highly anticipated album comes after the singer’s divorce from her husband, Simon Konecki, and six years after her Grammy award winning album “25.”

When news of the split broke, fans speculated about how the divorce would impact Adele’s songwriting, especially since she is known for her deeply personal lyrics.

The album takes us through her heartache, loneliness and, of course, the mourning of her marriage. The opening lyrics of the album, “I’ll be taking flowers to the cemetery of my heart” set the tone.

The following song “Easy on Me” is a strong lead single that captures the essence of “30” by putting Adele’s heartbreak on display but carrying a hopeful outlook.

“My Little Love” features a conversation between Adele and her son, Angelo. She sings, “I wanted you to have everything I never had,” alluding to the fact that her parents split when she was just 3 years old. In an interview with

“30” feels like a natural progression for Adele as she evolves as an artist. (Provided/ Columbia Records)

Oprah Winfrey, Adele shared that she felt like a failure for not making her short-lived marriage work for the sake of her son.

As the album moves on to the pop-like songs — “Oh My God” and “Can I Get It” sound fit for radio — the singer explores being newly single and delves into casual dating. She sounds freer, incorporates different influences

like Afrobeats and works with heavy-hitting pop producers Max Martin and Shellback.

An amateur choir of Adele’s friends sing background vocals in the track “Hold On” repeating the mantra “just hold on” which comforted the singer during her break up.

The penultimate song “To Be Loved” is arguably the most raw

Adele sound on the whole album.

The listener feels her pain as she belts, “To be loved and loved at the highest count/ means to lose all the things I can’t live without.”

Adele posted a video of herself singing the song on her Instagram that has garnered almost 22 million views so far.

The final track, “Love Is a Game,” is a bouncy, jazzy farewell tune. The lyrics, however, paint a jaded picture. “Love is a game for fools to play/ but I ain’t fooling/ what a cruel thing/ to self-inflict that pain,” she sings over a sweeping orchestral arrangement.

“30” feels like a natural progression for Adele as she evolves as an artist. She doesn’t stay stagnant or in a comfortable position as she knows can sell albums. She pushes herself with new instrumentation, sheds her security blanket by expanding her influences and working with new producers and delivers her most complete work to date.

“30” is available on all streaming platforms. A Target exclusive version with two deluxe tracks and a duet version of “Easy on Me” with Chris Stapleton is available at Target retail locations and the store’s website.

‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ crosses into Oklahoma Christopher Conner Contributing Writer

Judgment day comes to Oklahoma as the Ghostbusters return to their spooky roots. “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” is the fourth film in the “Ghostbusters” franchise. A direct sequel to the first two Ghostbusters movies, it was directed by Jason Reitman, the son of Ivan Reitman, who directed the first two Ghostbusters films.

Sony/Ghost Corps decided to create a sequel to the original “Ghostbusters” films, instead of making sequels and spin-offs of the reboot franchise.

SPOILERS

The film takes place in fictional Summerville, Oklahoma, where Spengler had been staying after

realizing that Gozer would eventually return. Spengler dies after trying to trap Gozer. Spengler’s daughter and her children move to Summerville. The Ghostbusters disbanded years after the events of the second movie, but Spengler’s grandchildren learn about their grandfather’s ghostbusting past.

The film has the original “Ghostbusters’’ characters in cameos, including Dan Ackroyd and Annie Potts near the beginning of the film. Eventually, the original Ghostbusters team, including actors Bill Murray, and Ernie Hudson, arrives in Summerville to help Spengler’s grandchildren defeat Gozer once and for all. The movie does, however, focus more on the new generation of characters in this universe.

Judgment day comes to Oklahoma as the Ghostbusters return to their spooky roots.

(Provided/Sony Pictures)

“Ghostbusters” has many elements that fans of the original movies will love, but I felt like the movie depends too much on the previous franchise’s fan base. It could have been better with more original action scenes instead of relying on the nostalgia of the

original films. It didn’t offer any new ghostbusting techniques to make this a worthwhile sequel.

However, the film does a much better job of continuing the franchise than the 2016 version in a way that audiences will not only enjoy but also love.

8 | The Vista

Nov. 30, 2021

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