November 7, 2022

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News

The Collegian: 2

November 7, 2022

Stitt vs. Hofmeister in upcoming state election The upcoming Oklahoma state election on Tues. Nov. 8 will be a close one as candidates continue to campaign.

Erika Brock News Editor This Tuesday, Nov. 8, citizens who are registered to vote in Oklahoma can cast their ballots. The biggest race this term is for governor. Joy Hofmeister (D) and incumbent Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) are currently neck and neck in the Oklahoma polling locations. In a recent survey of likely voters, Hofmeister was shown to be ahead by as much as 7%, while other surveys suggest that Stitt and Hofmeister are truly tied, or that Stitt is leading by as much as 9%.

Hofmeister’s campaign is revolving around attempting to convince on-thefence Republicans to switch parties and vote for her on Tuesday. Oklahoma voters are overwhelmingly Republican, and Democrat Hofmeister is automatically the underdog in this election. She may win in the larger cities, but she will rely on rural Oklahomans to vote for her and see that the issues she actively campaigns to change are worth their support.

Her campaign is heavily focused on improving Oklahoma public schools and abortion access. She is potentially the right Democrat candidate to convince the on-the-fence republicans to support her. Hofmeister was a lifelong Republican, but in 2021, changed parties in order to run against Stitt in the 2022 gubernatorial election.

There are several big issues on which Stitt and Hofmeister have opposing views. One big thing that could potentially harm public schools in Oklahoma, a state ranked 42nd in education, is school vouchers, and Hofmeister is adamantly against the policy, while Stitt has made it an integral part of his campaign in the race for state governor.

School vouchers, also known as educa-

harm the education of the children left behind in a state that already is struggling with underpaid teachers and lack of funding.

One of the other majorly polarizing topics for the two candidates is abortion access in Oklahoma post Roe. Stitt has signed some of the most restrictive abortion access legislation in the country after Roe was overturned and has

“Hofmeister’s campaign is revolving around attempting to convince on-the-fence Republicans to switch parties...” tion savings accounts, allow public tax money to be used to pay private school tuition.

During his initial campaign four years ago, Stitt was heavily anti-vouchers, but his opinion has since changed, and it is one of his top priorities this election. Stitt’s argument for school vouchers is that they would allow students to get out of low-performing schools or schools where teachers are pushing “liberal indoctrination.” When speaking to the Oklahoman, he stated “Every child and their family should be free to choose where and how their child is educated. We want to give education freedom back to parents, put parents back in charge of their kid’s education.”

Hofmeister is maintaining the position against school vouchers and has been bringing her concerns with them to parents in rural communities. Hofmeister believes that school vouchers will be a rural school killer and would put small towns in jeopardy. Taking money from these schools to follow children to private institutions would

stated that if given the opportunity, he would make it even more restrictive.

Currently, the legislation only allows some exceptions in the event that the mother’s life is at stake, and for rape

courtesy Wikipedia

or incest victims who’s case has been reported to law enforcement.

While Hofmeister has stated that she is personally pro-life, she belives that abortions are decsions that should be between a woman and her doctor, and would be in favor of some abortion access in the state. She says that Stitt’s policies are extreme and by taking this option away from women, he is taking away the ability of women to direct their own futures and their individual freedoms. ​​ The election will be a close one and everyone who is eligible to vote should ensure they do so and should ensure that they do their research on all candidates and the issues they support and the solutions they propose to fix the problems they see in Oklahoma.

courtesy State Department of Education

Stitt and Hofmeister are running a tight race for the Oklahoma governor’s office.

OK lawmakers wanting to remove sex education from schools Removing sex education from schools would mean people are not getting any information about safe sexual health and how to ensure they are smart and protected.

Erika Brock News Editor Some of Oklahoma lawmakers think that sex education does not have a place in the school, and are seeking legislation to remove it from schools. Currently, Oklahoma does not require that schools include sex education as part of the curriculum in schools, and what students do receive is mostly abstinence based and does not teach students how to best protect their bodies and their health, which is becoming increasingly more and more important as Oklahoma tightens abortion bans.

Advocates for sex education in school say that sex education should not be politicized and that young people should know how to prevent risky behaviour that could result in pregnancies and also how to avoid sexually transmitted infections. When reporters from The Oklahoman asked their stance on sex education in schools, governor candidates, Kevin Stitt (R) and Joy Hofmeister (D) did not comment and candidates for State Superindent also declined to comment.

The map shows the rate of teen pregnancy in the United States per 1,000 people.

“Oklahoma currently has the fourth highest birth rate of teen pregnancy in the United States...”

Lawmakers are against teaching sex education in class because they claim that they are concerned that introducing topics that parents haven’t broached at home will take away the parents ability to have a conversation they feel is appropriate with their child and will encourage children to start having sex at a young age. However, if parents are not inclined to talk to their children about safe sex practices and the schools don’t, then children could learn about it from the internet or their peers, which does not guarentee the correct resources and information will be found.

Oklahoma currently has the fourth highest birth rate of teen pregnancy in the United States, 2,800 per 100,000, and is fifth in the nation regarding cases of STIs, 283 per 100,000. If sex education is completely removed from the classroom, it can be expected that Oklahoma could see a rise in these numbers in the coming years.

The abortion bans signed by Governor Stitt have not prevented abortions, merely safe ones performed by a profes-

courtesy CDC

November 7, 2022

Commentary

The Collegian: 3

Sodexo meal plans don’t make sense

Meal plans at TU inadvertently make eating more difficult for students.

Matthew Montanio Student Writer On campus, the dining options are extremely important, especially for students without means of transportation or food.

Unless somebody wants to invest a good amount of money and time into walking a mile to the nearest grocery store to buy and prepare food or order from grubhub, the options can really be limited.

Currently, there are five different meal plans. Three are called the bronze, silver and gold plans, though their names don’t necessarily mean that they are better than each other. The gold plan has the most meal swipes, but the least amount of dining dollars. The bronze plan is the opposite; it has the most dining dollars at the cost of the least meal swipes. Finally, the third year options are closer to the bronze plan in design, featuring less meal swipes and dining dollars.

According to the coordinator of Campus Services, Aschley Choate, “Dining Dollars and meal trades are offered as an added convenience to allow for maximum flexibility of the meal plans.”They do function as intended to a degree. There is almost always a dining option open throughout the week, so there is always somewhere to eat from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Unfortunately, there are too many circumstances where the use of a meal trade is logistically more difficult to manage than simply using dining dollars. Because the meal swipes have a designated cooldown period before use, students must find three different periods of time where they may use their meal swipe. For example, only one meal swipe can be used in the breakfast

hours in the morning, and only one lunch swipe could be used in the lunch hour.

During a weekday, that’s not too much of an issue. Sure, somebody may miss out on breakfast or may forget a lunch every now and then, but there’s always something open where you can grab food really quickly. The TU dining app is even better, closing service as late as 11 p.m. There isn’t too much of an issue with finding dining options throughout a school day.

However, even though there may be few issues with finding options, finding satisfying options always seems to be a hit or miss.

When asked about how meal plans benefit a student’s eating habits, Choate said, “We believe the meal plans allow students the convenience and flexibility to access a wide variety of options to meet their nutritional and dietary needs.” In response to that, there are diverse options but only at the right time. Most of the options in the Student Union are only open from about 10 a.m. to about 3 p.m. throughout the week, so when lunchtime rolls around, there are options galore. However, the ones that remain open

which students can use one meal swipe already does a lot to discourage spending the meal swipes, so there has to be a strong selling point to spend a meal swipe on certain options. Since meal plans are mandatory for nearly all first year students, there needs to be a sense of returned value for actually taking advantage of the meal plans.

Even though the options work alright on any given weekday, weekends are a lot more difficult to manage. Pat Case Dining Center and the other dining options have very limited hours, not even starting until close to noon. This is where the cooldown periods of a meal plan really bare its teeth. Logistically, breakfast options are really limited to only brunch hours, and food options don’t really open up until closer to 5 p.m. Since there isn’t any other food program to supplement students over the weekends, students are encouraged to find meals off of campus during the weekend. This is a shame since the students that really do need the food on a weekend are basically left to fend for themselves for a few days. For me personally, I’m left with one meal a day over the

with a bronze plan due to there being less of the more powerful dining dollars.

Even as robust as the dining dollars are, they don’t seem to help too much when it comes to food. As it is, the average meal is about $8-$10 for a small lunch option. However, if you use the TU dining app, then a meal with fries and a burger or cheesesteak can easily be almost $20. That means that on any given day, especially if you’ve picked a bronze plan, you could be spending almost $30 for two extra meals. It’s almost required as well; unless you want to dine on pop tarts or some Doritos from a vending machine, there is still a lack of diverse options to get you through the weekend.

If the meals are pricey, then it might make sense to upgrade to plans with more meals, but that also seems shady at best. A student should be able to reliably have access to two to three meals a day, easily, and that should be a baseline. It would make sense to have a gold plan that rewards the customer with meals beyond two per day, but a cheaper meal plan shouldn’t make food more of a struggle as it is now.

“A student should be able to reliably have access to two to three meals a day, easily, and that should be a baseline.” aren’t necessarily satisfying options, either.

Talking with some of my fellow peers, I’ve heard people shirking their meal plans simply because they didn’t like the selection of food that day or hated one or all three of the options around dinnertime.

In a way, it almost reflects a similar problem that occurred in relation to school lunches in high school. Because the lines were too long and the food was dissatisfying, it led to a lot of people simply skipping meals to avoid the inconvenience of waiting a really long time for food not worth eating.

It takes more than mediocre food to bring students to take advantage of their meal plan; it has to be either good enough or convenient enough that students want to eat it.

It seems conceited to complain about food and how it tastes at first glance. Food ultimately is meant to nourish, so criticizing the taste of food almost seems like I’m reaching for more than what I’m paying for.

However, every option available should have to be at least pleasant enough to eat so that it encourages students to want to use their meal plan. As it is, the meal blocks in

weekend from the school, so I have to buy four meals worth of food from nearby grocers about a mile away. Since I don’t have a car, it makes getting food logistically more difficult, and I don’t doubt that others have similar experiences.

For the people who really do need to take advantage of the meal plans, the on-campus options may be one of the few legitimately practical ways to eat, and it would really benefit the students if diverse options were still around for students over the weekend because that’s the period of time when it’s most difficult to find a meal.

Due to the lack of options for meal swipes during those hours, the power of dining dollars really sets in here. The TU dining app doesn’t accept a meal swipe for any of the mobile dining services using Pat Case’s ghost kitchen, and meal swipes don’t work on vending machines or extra options in places like Chick-Fil-A or Subway. Since dining dollars have that capability, they are more robust and useful. Therefore, it’s ironic that the gold plan can unintentionally make dining a lot more difficult than going

After speaking with Choate about the goals of the meal plan, she said that Sodexo’s goals are “To provide a wide variety of options to meet the dietary needs of all diners.” At the very least, it would be nice to know how the meal plans were designed to be spent so that students have a good idea of how to use their meal plans because the current plans as they stand leave me hungry for more. Having enough meals for the day shouldn’t be a reward for upgrading, and if that is so, then the plans should be clearly advertised as such.

It’s great that this is a problem that Sodexo has at least acknowledged. Sodexo is looking into changing how dining dollars are allocated into each meal plan, offering more flexibility for how somebody plans their meals for the day. Furthermore, Pat Case Dining Center would become unlimited access for gold members, or “Tier 3” members in the new plan. This justifies the extra price tag for students. It’s a good sign that there is at least recognition of the harmful “pay to eat” model, and it leaves me cautiously optimistic.

Just Stop Oil defaces First Indigenous comic art for activism book convention a success

The anti-oil group needs to switch tactics if they want to garner the support they desire for the fight against climate change.

Victoria Grossman Student Writer A video of climate change protesters throwing tomato soup on Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” painting went viral across the internet in October, prompting confusion and outrage. While the painting was behind a layer of glass and was not harmed by their actions, British climate activism group Just Stop Oil has come under heavy scrutiny for the stunt. Just Stop Oil has staged several similarly confusing protests lately, including smashing cake on a figure of King Charles III and attempting to deface other paintings.

While the group has made a name for itself as an anti-oil group, it has close ties to the industry. The group received a foundational grant by Aileen Getty, an heiress of Getty Oil, a now defunct oil marketing company. Getty has taken an interest in atoning for her family’s climate sins and donated

courtesy @JustStop_Oil on Twitter This stunt was widely criticized for targeting a timeless work of art.

from my closet and the occasional beaded medallion. The panel was well attended, large amounts of money to several environwith cosplays that had their own Indigenous mental causes. twists on beloved characters as well as the Just Stop Oil was founded in February of reaffirmation that even just being a Native 2022 and has been committed to non-violent person in cosplay is also Native Cosplay. civil disobedience protests since. After its SkasdiCon was also excited to welcome founding, the group staged a spring season Nathalie Standingcloud, a Cherokee artfull of protests, which resulted in over 1,000 ist who currently works as a tattoo artist at arrests of Just Stop Oil protesters. Just Stop Inkjunkys in Tulsa and an actress in “ReserOil has attempted to disrupt numerous socvation Dogs.” Standingcloud was one of the cer games and even the British Grand Prix. artists showcasing and selling art at SkasdiUnfortunately, Just Stop Oil’s protests Con in the main hall, which was located have done little for climate change and have SkasdiCon, hosted by the Cherokee inside the ballroom at Northeastern State only garnered criticism. The group’s main goal seems to be climate change awareness, Nation, was well attended this past University.

SkasdiCon was hosted on NSU’s main which is superfluous at this point. Climate Saturday. campus in Tahlequah, Oklahoma on Satchange is a pressing topic in the developed urday Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The world, and this kind of awareness raising Isaiah Baldridge event was hosted by Cherokee Nation has been done time and time again. Anyone Student Writer Cultural Tourism with the NSU Center for with the capacity to hear about these proTribal Studies, as well as Cherokee Natests already knows about climate change. tional Treasure artist Roy Boney Jr. While The Cherokee Nation celebrated an The problem with Just Stop Oil’s proIn-digenous perspective on comic books I have my own mixed emotions on tourism, tests is that the spotlight is focused on the property or art that they deface, not on their and related media with its first ever SkasdiCon did have a great turnout of tourgoal. Protests involving art or other signifi- comic book convention: SkasdiCon. Be- ists from outside of the Cherokee Nation as cant pieces of culture muddle the message, fore the pandemic, I would attend comic well as people from across the reservation. and make it seem like the protest is targeted book conventions outside of reservation A good chunk of the event seemed to fall at the piece of art. If Just Stop Oil protest- boundaries, so while there were lots of more on Boney’s shoulders. His art is feaers had a more focused message, such as different twists on video game and comic tured on the official SkasdiCon website, and defacing or disrupting objects and events characters, I was one of few people who he has actually created cover art for “Marspecifically related to the oil industry, their showed up with an Indigenous twist on vel’s Voices: Heritage” series. His extensive objective would become more clear. In the my own cosplays. I am glad there was a career in art as well as his status as a lanextremely short social media trending cy- convention on my home turf hosted by guage preservationist and National Treasure elevate him in regards to this event. cle, users may only see a clip of the actual my tribe.

All in all, I was glad that SkasdiCon hapThe word “Sgasdi” is a slang term in event, such as the viral video of the protesters throwing soup on the van Gogh paint- the Cherokee language with no English pened, and I hope that the Cherokee Naing, and not grasp the message. Meaning- equivalent, typically used to tease some- tion can continue to host events such as ful climate activism can and has been done, one who thinks they’re “all that.” I have this as well as others in a similar vein. As such as by Greta Thunberg and her power- used it to describe someone who is mean. a Native who is a nerd and artist, I think ful speeches, or by directly calling out those Yet, according to the SkasdiCon official an event such as this would benefit tribal refusing to act against climate change. The website, “[Sgasdi] evokes pride, awe- citizens regardless of age who are looking protests by Just Stop Oil do not ingratiate someness, and fierceness - all traits that to see themselves represented in local and their message to its naysayers, but instead describe characters from video games make it easy to attack their methods of pro- and comic books.” Admittedly, I laughed test because they are causing harm to those when I read their translation, but most Cherokee words are used differently deunrelated to the oil industry.

Because climate activism groups are vital pending on how someone learns them.

SkasdiCon welcomed over 30 Indigin the fight against climate change, the messaging these groups present must be care- enous artists and creators, featuring a fully considered. Just Stop Oil desperately screening of “Inage’i,” a children’s Cherneeds new tactics in order to present a clear- okee language animation, and a cosplay er message that will not get caught up in in- competition. There was also a panel on ternet arguments over the importance of van how to do Native cosplay, which I imcourtesy @OKSheriG on Twitter mediately thought “Pfft, I do that all the Gogh or a wax figure of King Charles III. SkasdiCon featured a cosplay competition and over 30 time.” Only it’s usually just with clothes Indigenous artists.

The Collegian: 4

Variety

November 7, 2022

Arctic Monkeys album “The Car” an unexpected take on a familiar sound

Arctic Monkeys defined the 2014 Tumblr suspenseful orchestral music. Turner comes era, and as those trends come back so is the in gently, ending the suspense with the words “Don’t get emotional, that ain’t like band with this new album. you.” His soft tone matches the light melody. Turner’s cool greaser persona solidified during their 2013 explosion after the release Aurora Stewart of “AM” has not gone anywhere over the Student Writer many years. He always seems to play it cool while those around him play with a contrastArctic Monkeys album “AM’’ was a de- ing intensity. Contrasting previous albums, fining part of the 2014 indie sleaze Tumblr much of his accompaniment feels scarce. aesthetic we see resurging today. And just Leaving his voice nearly naked, except the like many people’s recent adoption of low- occasional cut in of the 70’s-esque instrurise jeans and use of heavy eyeliner, their mentation. new album seems to echo these roots with While the focus on orchestral interludes an updated take. is an asset in the way it helps distinguish The album definitely sounds like Arctic this album from anything they have made Monkeys. Alex Turner’s distinct voice and before, it does feel overdone in certain secinflections are unmistakable, but it’s not like tions. Once you get to “Jet Skis On The

“And just like many people’s recent adoption of low-rise jeans and use of heavy eyeliner, their new album seems to echo these roots with an updated take.” any of their previous albums. The heavy use of jazz instrumentation and strings is an unexpected divergence from their typical heavy melodic style.

The songs have a different pacing. It does not have the same sort of frantic energy you see on their other albums. It is slower with many of the songs culminating in large swaths of strings instead of the electric breakdowns seen in songs like “R U Mine?”

The album builds over the course of the 10 songs. Starting with “There’d Better Be a Mirrorball,” the album leads you in with

See me after class is a weekly column where a different professor reveals their variety favorites.

Shelby Hiens Commentary Editor Dr. Rachel Head is an assistant professor of sociology who received her B.S. from Missouri State University, M.A. from The University of Oklahoma and Ph.D. from North Carolina State University.

What’s your favorite book? What book would you say all undergrads need to read before they graduate?

It’s difficult for me to pick one favorite book! I’m a big fan of true crime and one of the first novels I read was “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote, an iconic piece of true crime writing, before it became a popular genre (the book was published in 1966). I work some with students interested in medicine and public health, so I would recommend “The Social Transformation of American Medicine” by Paul Starr, which provides a grand narrative of the development of and changes in U.S. healthcare and medicine.

What’s reading like for you? Is there a specific setting, mood, drink set-up?

I love to read. Once I start a book, it’s difficult for me to put it down. I don’t think there’s anything better than a rainy day, snuggled up on the couch, with a cup of coffee and a good book.

Is there a movie/show that you always return to?

One of my favorite movies is “Clue,” starring one of my favorite actors, Tim Curry.

Moat” and realize how pervasive a motif it is, it starts to feel slightly monotonous. Even the title track “The Car” does not seem to offer much to break the uniformity. It picks up once again when you reach “Big Ideas,” but to have the entire middle section blend into itself takes away from its memorability.

One of my favorite parts of the album is in the song “Hello You” when Turner says, “LEGO Napoleon movie, written in noble gas-filled glass tubes.” In an interview with Radio X, Turner claims “Well, there’s ‘LEGO Star Wars’ and ‘LEGO Batman’… I was imagining those guys taking the Napo-

the 1990s to the songs of Prince (seriously, it’s called “Purple Rain the Ballet”) that I absolutely loved when I was younger. One of the things I enjoy about living in Tulsa is the Tulsa Ballet.

If you had to pick three songs for a Playlist of Your Life, what would they be?

I prefer albums over playlists—a good album tells a story/takes you on a journey. So, I would say Radiohead’s “OK Computer,” “Rattle and Hum” by U2, Peter Gabriel’s “Us,” and tied for third is Led Zeppelin’s “Physical Graffiti.”

What are two interesting facts about yourself that are not well known?

I wanted to be a professional dancer when I was younger and performed in the World’s Fair in Seville, Spain as a teenager.

courtesy @ArcticMonkeys on Twitter Arctic Monkeys album “The Car” is out now and available on all music streaming platforms.

leon script that Stanley Kubrick never made.

I think it was maybe something like that -they gave it to the LEGO guys.” The nod to “The LEGO Movie” is definitely a little strange, but has a sense of irony. It was an iconic movie premiering in 2014, the same time Turner and the band’s fame peaked. It draws upon those same roots felt in the new album, and the same past album that seems to forever mark their legacy.

Yes, this album is not going to rival “AM” in the cultural zeitgeist. As far as my personal opinion of it, it does not come close to taking the spot of my favorite album “Favourite Worst Nightmare.” But, it is worth a listen. Do not go in expecting the iconic fast paced energy we’ve come to love from the band. It is far more reminiscent of songs like “Only Ones Who Know” over all. If you understand that, then I think this album is an enjoyable listen.

Maddie Walters Managing Editor Dayglow played to a packed house in support of their newest album “People in Motion,” which they released in early October. Sloan Struble, creator and singer of the band, said that with their third record, the band intended to make a “dance album.”

From their electric first song, “Radio,” it was clear to see the band achieved their goal as the audience danced around to the song. This pre-Halloween show at Cain’s Ballroom also saw the audience get into the holiday spirit by dressing up in costumes, creating a fun atmosphere for all in attendance.

Tell me about your performance in the World’s Fair. How did you become a performer? What was the experience like?

The performance in the World’s Fair was a once in a lifetime experience. My dance company was invited to perform after being scouted at a national dance competition.

Did you ever go to classes or school for dance? Why did you end up studying sociology instead of pursuing dance fulltime?

I took dance classes since the age of five and really thought it was something I’d pursue professionally. I eventually realized, however, that the competition was steep and the pay not so great. So, I transferred to a different university, discovered sociology through an introductory course, and was hooked.

What was the last book/movie/show that you actually found funny?

I’m a big fan of ironic humor and silly humor, so I enjoy “MST3K” and “RiffTrax.”

What’s your favorite Tulsa restaurant?

Do you have any food/restaurant routines?

I think one of my favorite restaurants in Tulsa is India Palace. My usual routine, however, is to cook at home with my family.

Is there a media/pop culture/entertainment/music side to you that students wouldn’t expect?

I’ve loved dance, especially ballet, since I was a child. Joffrey performed a ballet in

courtesy utulsa.edu Dr. Rachel Head has taught six different courses at TU.

courtesy Maddie Walters

November 7, 2022

Variety

The Collegian: 5

Raucously authentic: an interview with Surfbort Punk band Surfbort talks to our managing editor about taking part in a Gucci campaign, working with Linda Perry and their newest single.

Maddie Walters Managing Editor From being featured in a Gucci campaign to having drummer Sean Powell serve as the inspiration for Academy Award Winning film, “Sound of Metal,” to being handpicked by recording legend Linda Perry for her partnership with Soundcloud, the members of Surfbort have made their names well known both inside and outside the punk community. Formed in 2014 by singer Dani Miller, Surfbort have time and time again proved themselves to be one of the most authentic bands active today.

Besides their rip-roaring and explosive music, Surfbort is known for their outlandishly unique sense

one of Gucci’s leading models for that campaign, proudly showcasing the large gaps between her teeth with her signature smile. When asked about that experience, Miller says, “I had a total blast. It was really cool to be on the forefront of changing beauty standards on a high fashion level. The entire Gucci team also really supports all different artists from different backgrounds and ways of making art.” The singer even attended a fashion show in Milan.

From there, the band has only gone up. 2021 saw the release of their sophomore record, “Keep on Truckin,” which Linda Perry produced — the record legend who has worked with Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus, Adele and even Pat Benatar.

“Linda and I are kindred spirits. We come from a similar background. We both were lil’ punks in SD and SF,” says Miller, “It has been such a pleasure to work with her. She is such a powerful force.”

“Most recently, Surfbort toured with My Chemical Romance, opening for them on a handful of their tour dates.” of style when it comes to fashion.

Mixing what appears to be thrift shop finds and high fashion, Miller says the band also uses handmade clothes from their friends like RoseCut Clothing and even Zana Bayne, who is perhaps most well-known for supplying your favorite celebrity with their iconic leather gear – most notably Lady Gaga and Lil Nas X. “Whatever, no big deal!” jokes Miller, who says that Powell is a fashion icon with his infamous style of wearing jean shorts with sweatpants underneath.

Gucci featured the entire band in their 2019 pre-fall campaign, which also saw the band performing at the press event. But the story doesn’t stop there, Miller was chosen to be

“Keep on Truckin’’ also brought about another fun collaboration for the band. The music video for “FML,” one of the album’s singles, stars Fred Armisen (known for his roles in “Saturday Night Live” and “Big Mouth”). The music video follows a happy-go-lucky Armisen as he magically helps members of the band, turning their day from dark to light, sharply contrasting the selfdepracating and suicidal lyrics of the song. “Well, everyone goes through different life stuff — you can break a nail and it can be the tip of the iceberg or you can feel suffocated in your messy room. We just picked situations that feel impossible when you are in a depression and we had Fred be the superhero that comes around

and saves the day and adds humor and joy into people’s life. Which he does in real life too!” Miller says. As part of his role in the music video, Armisen learned the song on every instrument. How did this unlikely friendship come about? Miller and Gilbert Trejo, director of the music video, happened to run into Armisen at a birthday party for Beck. The rest is history.

In 2019, the members of Surfbort appeared in Frank Iero and the Future Violents’ “Great Party” music video, sporting a look heavily inspired by the late and great David Bowie.

Most recently, Surfbort toured with My Chemical Romance, opening for them on a handful of their tour dates.

When asked about their experience working with Iero, Miller says, “Frank is an angel! He’s so freakin’ cool and supportive of artists. He has come to a ton of Surfbort shows and we had a blast being in his music video. I feel blessed to know him.

Having such a lover on your team is priceless! And all of MCR have been so kind to us as well.”

This year also saw Surfbort embarking on their own headlining tour, supporting the Descendents and the release of their newest single, “Never Gonna Be What You Want Me to Be” — a raucous middle finger to both societal expectations and interpersonal expectations. “The inspiration was just kind of a dear diary entry from me. I wanted to be more vulnerable, going through breakups and finding myself and getting through depression and realizing I can’t be what someone else wants me to be. I can only be myself.”

Miller leaves us with the hope of new music next year, saying that the band “is working on a new EP, which will probably release in 23’.”

Until then, Miller gives us a reminder to not give up: “Keep on truckin!!

Love you!”

“Never Gonna Be What You Want Me to Be” can now be listened to on any major music streaming platform. Looking for an early start to the holidays? Try the band’s cover of “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.”

Surtfbort tentatively plans to release a new EP in 2023.

courtesy Chris Sikich

Local Tulsan Sam Quartin performs with her band The Bobby Lees at Cain’s Ballroom Maddie Walters Managing Editor The Bobby Lees, along with many other local musicians, performed at the 9th annual Rock-N Folk-N Chili Cook Off. This soldout show benefitted Horton Records, a local non-profit who works with Oklahoma musicians in order to help promote local musicians on a broader scale. Besides live music, the event had a silent auction, a raffle, live painting and, of course, the chili cook-off, which saw local bands and local restaurants competing against each other.

One of the highlights of this event was a performance by The Bobby Lees. As soon as their raucous set began, a group of people rushed to the stage, head-banging and just having a great time. Tulsa local Sam Quartin wowed the audience with her unhinged stage presence and primal vocals. It’s no mystery why Iggy Pop hails The Bobby Lees as a favorite of his. The band’s newest record, “Bellevue,” is now out and can be streamed on all major music streaming services. We talked to Quartin about her move to Tulsa, the new record and future goals for the band, which can be found at this link https://tucollegian.org/music-is-medicinean-interview-with-sam-quartin-of-the-bobby-lees/

courtesy Maddie Walters

Sports

November 7, 2022

The Collegian: 6

Tulsa football falls short during homecoming weekend Sports writer Joe McCurdy covers Tulsa’s homecoming matchup against SMU. It was homecoming week for Tulsa athletics, with the main event being the matchup between Tulsa and the SMU Mustangs.

This was set to be the 29th meeting between the two schools, with Tulsa winning the previous two meetings against the Mustangs but SMU winning the all-time matchup 16 to 13. The last time these two teams played was in 2021 and Tulsa was one win away from clinching a bowl game and SMU was the team that gave it to them, so this has been a long-awaited rematch. Historically, this rivalry matchup has been one for the ages, with five of the last six games being won by a one-possession score or less.

problem, however, putting up 24 points in the first half with a second-string quarterback under center.

It was looking dire for Tulsa as historically, the team that came out fast in the first half would inevitably win. Tulsa tried their best to forge a comeback in the second half, scoring on their first two possessions, but the Tulsa defense could not put together a stop, allowing SMU to once again score twice to start the second half. When a team finds themselves down late in a must-win game, the ball starts getting forced to try and make big plays, and that’s when mistakes are made. Tulsa turned the ball over twice

another three-and-out from SMU meant that

Tulsa falls to 3-5 on the year and 1-3 in

“Tulsa will need to win three out of four of their final games if they wish to become bowl eligible for the third year in a row.”

Tulsa was coming off a big win over Temple after a bye week and SMU had just lost an extremely close game to the Cincinnati Bearcats. Tulsa was looking to build on its momentum from the Temple win and SMU was looking to bounce back after their loss to Cincinnati.

SMU wasted no time in getting the offense started, scoring a 75-yard receiving touchdown on the first play of the game and scoring once again in their second possession, getting to an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Slow starts have plagued Tulsa’s season and that didn’t change at all in this game, with Tulsa punting three times in the first quarter and only scoring a single touchdown in the first half. SMU didn’t have that

in the second half, which led to seven SMU points. To make matters worse, Tulsa’s starting QB Davis Brin was out the entire fourth quarter after getting hit hard during a rushing touchdown which led to red-shirt freshman Braylon Braxton to once again fill in for an injured Brin.

Finding themselves down 27-45 at the start of the fourth quarter, big plays had to be made in order to mount some sort of comeback. Tulsa went directly to their star playmaker Keylon Stokes, scoring a 50yard touchdown on the opening drive of the 4th quarter. Tulsa’s defense proceeded to step up forcing a fumble that led to yet another Tulsa touchdown. It started to look like there was hope in Chapman Stadium as

courtesy @TulsaFootball on Twitter

Tulsa had the chance to cut the lead to one possession and possibly tie the game. But it was too little too late as Zach Long proceeded to miss a 44-yard field goal that would’ve put Tulsa within eight and on the following possession, Tulsa turned it over on downs, ending any sort of comeback hopes for the Golden Hurricane, losing 45-34.

conference play with only four games left in the season. Tulsa will need to win three out of four of their final games if they wish to become bowl eligible for the third year in a row. The road to those six wins is far from easy, as Tulsa faces #19 Tulane on Saturday before going on the road against Memphis.

Tulsa volleyball looks to end season strong after rough few weeks Sports writer Joe McCurdy reports on Tulsa’s three previous games facing Houston, UFC and South Florida.

The expected turnaround has come to a halt for Tulsa women’s volleyball. There was hope after snapping a five-game-losing streak after sweeping Tulane on the road.

Tulsa was looking to build momentum off of that win as they went into midseason, where teams begin to separate from the pack, becoming serious contenders for that conference title, or just a team having a less-than-

optimal season. Tulsa was sitting in that gray area where they were not completely out of contention but all it took was another slip for them to fall off and put themselves into a situation where their season was going to be hard to recover. That slip-up was made this past week as the Golden Hurricane went on another losing skid, going 0-3 on the week. This was an immense hit to the

courtesy @TulsaVolleyball on Twitter

team as they fell to 3-8 in conference play.

After securing the sweep against Tulane, the Golden Hurricane had one final road game before coming back home to Reynolds Center. Facing the Houston Cougars, a team that sits atop the AAC standing, Tulsa had their work cut out for them if they wanted to come out with the win. The score-line doesn’t do justice to just how hard Tulsa fought against the Cougars, keeping each set extremely close, but Houston was aided by a few late runs in each set to pull away from Tulsa. Even with the team’s 36 kills, it wasn’t enough to fend off the 19-2 Cougars, losing in straight sets (19-25, 19-25, 23-25).

After another sweep taken by the Golden Hurricane, it was time to reset and look ahead with a two-game home court stand in front of them. First up was a rematch versus UCF, who the Golden Hurricane previously lost to in straight sets earlier in the year. Things weren’t very different this time around, but instead of losing in straight sets, they lost in four. It was a struggle for Tulsa after losing starting middle Rachel Brown to a knee injury early in the first set and the loss was felt for the rest of the match. After losing the first two sets 25-19 and 25-8, the Golden Hurricane came back and fought off the sweep, winning the third set 25-21 but

that wasn’t enough as the Golden Knights snuffed out hope in the fourth set, winning 25-20.

Losing seven of your last eight conference games is not a good look when there was high praise coming into this season, but that is the scenario Tulsa found themselves in. They had yet another chance to get a big home win against the USF Bulls, who are in last place in the AAC with only one win in the conference. It was a supposed shoo-in for Tulsa as all the film pointed to a lackluster and unthreatening team coming out of Southern Florida. That’s not what Tulsa was faced with this past Sunday. They were faced with a team that had a tremendous defense, out-digging Tulsa 69 to 57, and had a fiery offense, with more attacks and kills than Tulsa with USF recording 54 kills compared to Tulsa’s 33. Not only did Tulsa lose, but they were also embarrassed by one of the worst teams in the American, losing in straight sets that were not close (25-20, 2516, 25-22).

Now losing eight of their last nine games, Tulsa is back on the road this week against Temple and ECU, searching desperately for any sort of positive they can add to their season before it comes to a close.

Nov. 7 - Nov. 13 Monday

Tuesday 8

7

M Basketball @ Oregon State 11:00 p.m.

W Basketball Alcorn State 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday

Thursday

none

W Basketball San Jose State 6:30 p.m.

M Soccer @ American Semifinal

TBA

Saturday 11

10

9 Football Memphis 6:30 p.m.

none

Friday

Volleyball Houston 7:00 p.m.

Cross Country @ NCAA Midwest Regionals

All Day

Sunday 13

12

M Basketball Jackson State 2:00 p.m.

Volleyball Tulane 1:00 p.m.

M Soccer @ American Championship TBA

November 7, 2022

The State-Run Media

the

State-Run media Tulsa’s second best satirical news source after the TPD

Tulsa Police Department celebrates first prevented crime in its history

Don’t you want me, a generation Z man, to run your social media?

By preventing its first ever crime, can the TPD gain itself some muchneeded positive press in the wake of a tide of negative coverage?

Kyle Garrison Mmm, boots In a historically unprecedented event, the Tulsa Police Department announced they managed to prevent a crime from occuring in the first place, laying to rest the long-held leftist critique that police action is purely reactionary. The department public relations team put out a statement proclaiming that they “are here to serve and protect, and protecting citizen drivers from the danger of jaywalking is no exception.”

The department has dealt with some negative press lately surrounding the officer put on paid leave for explaining how he enjoyed beating protestors in the protests following the police killing of George Floyd. This among other continuous controversies has led to the local chapter of the Fraternal Order

of Police condemning the “unfortunate use of factual evidence to libel our boys in blue.”

Could this positive press be what the TPD is looking for to combat the growing skepticism of the efficacy of a heavily militarized and racially biased police state?

To find out, we asked input from some students from Tulsa to get their opinion on the subject. One man who refused to call himself anything other than “Buffalo Phil”–and refused to elaborate how he was at all related to Buffalo — drunkenly explained: “Oh, I love the police now. This story is inspirational. If it weren’t for that one stupid jaywalker at the crosswalk by the gym, I’d still have my license and would have one less DUI.” A corset-wearing, gun-toting, goth person who goes by “The Communist Formerly Known as Katherine” had a different reaction. They argued “just because those pigs committed an act of violence against a civilian we are supposed to sing their praises? I think not. Until abolition is achieved, we can never be free.” I think they had more to say on the subject, but I got scared and ran away.

Governor Stitt was quoted taking credit for the improvement in the police depart-

graphic by Kyle Garrison

ment’s numbers. “Only under my leadership could this have happened. The concept of general deterrence means if you stop one crime you prevent them all which is what I have now done. Crime is no more in Oklahoma, just like I said in the debate.” Mayor Bynum backed him up, stating, “I agree with whatever he said.”

The police are the backbone of our city.

It’s hard to imagine what Tulsa would look like without someone to call when someone harrasses you, so they can say “we will file a report and get back to you” and then go harass some unrelated, unarmed minorities, or sit around waiting for someone to drive six mph over the speed limit.

At press time we received word that the officer responsible for the prevented crime was willing to make comment on the event.

He narrated, “I know, it’s hard not to view this as an individual action, but only with my training and the continuous support of my police brothers and sisters was I able to hit that jaywalking man with my car before he could even leave the curb.”

For legal purposes this is satire. The police have yet to prevent a crime.

Is James Corden the DNC frontrunner for the 2024 presidential election?

James Corden and other possible Democratic presidential candidates for 2024.

Kyle Garrison Political misinformant With the midterms happening tomorrow I thought — as the resident political expert — I would put out some predictions for who might be the Democratic party presidential candidate for 2024. With so many different sources claiming they know who will become the Democratic candidate, I am attempting to aid in quelling the confusion in this age of misinformation (or is it disinformation, I don’t know the difference).

Joe Biden While this certainly is an option, the jury is still out on his survival chances for the next few years.

Hillary Clinton Please dear God no. Just let me have five seconds of peace and leave me alone. Every day I pray to a God I do not believe in that this will not happen.

James Corden The perfect candidate due to his astoundingly high likability rating. Unfortunately, he is Brit-

ish and ineligible so he may be a better candidate for Secretary of State. Foriegn-born people can be Secretary of State. For example, Kissigner did it. What could go wrong with another Kissinger in power?

Jeffrey Bezos He’s already in charge, so why not? This would save everyone time and money in lobbying and it isn’t like there would be a significant change in policy platform. Also, drone strikes would arrive much faster and cheaper — but as a downside, it might put a few mom-and-pop military contractors out of business.

Me I am not technically eligible, but since when has the law applied to presidents? Let me rule and all will bask in glory and wealth. I will cancel student debt and make all drugs legal and affordable. Trust me, it will be a good time. I’ll even throw in a tote bag with my face on it if you will vote for me.

Clarence Thomas Talk about reaching across the aisle. So many people talk about fighting against polarization but no one is willing to commit to it. This would end polarization by making both parties authoritarian-right. Also, it would get him off the Supreme Court. Have any better ideas?

A wax figure of Ellen Has the advantage of being more likable than the real Ellen. Also less likely than most other candidates to start a nuclear conflict.

A Soviet flag I hear communism is “all the rage” with the youngsters. Also, it would look pretty sick in the Oval Office. That room is really in need of a good redecoration.

A framed picture of Ronald Reagan Has the same policies as every other president since the real Reagan. That he would pull millions of voters over 65 who do not know that he died in 2004 is simply an added bonus.

Joe Manchin but with his name legally changed to Harambe This ought to get the kids voting. We all know how many people voted for the dead gorilla in the 2016 election — which subsequently robbed Clinton of the presidency — and this would make these troublemakers to accidentally vote blue.

Henry Kissinger Somehow this man is still alive so I guess he could still run for president. I really wish he wouldn’t though.

Aries — Aries be careful of giving into conflict. You may find that the anxious energy around upheaval from the eclipse makes you want to take an aggressive approach to the shifts in your life. Be wary of acting before you think and cutting off people and things that are ultimately important parts of your life.

Taurus — This eclipse is going to have a large impact on Taurus. Expect a dramatic change. Specifically a trade-off.

You will lose something, and then gain something in return that serves you better and fills that gap.

Gemini — Gemini, be wary of who you share with. As a very social and intellectual sign it’s natural for you to want to give information freely, but this eclipse is going to reveal new information you need to simply gather and not spread.

People around you may become more transparent, showing you if they are honest or not.

Cancer — Cancer, pay close attention to friendships and relationships. Watch to see who is there for you, and who naturally distances themselves from you during this week. You may find new insight about the people around you that can serve to help you understand who deserves to be a part of your life.

Leo — Leo, this eclipse is squared with your sun making you the center of attention this week, but do not take that lightly. Some of the people watching you may not have the best intentions.

Do not make any rash decisions during this time. Keep confrontation as minimal as possible and wait to voice what might be bothering you.

Virgo — Virgo, keep to your routine.

Do not make any big changes to your day to day activities. As a sign who doesn’t always handle change well, the eclipse may increase your feelings of insecurity. To combat this, stick to what you know. But don’t keep everything stagnant, allow new opportunities in if they find their way to you.

Libra — Libra, be vigilant regarding your health. You recharge through self work so don’t abandon that during this time. You may experience some loss specifically in your relationships. Let what needs to exit your life leave. Focus on the people who want to be in your life, and on keeping yourself taken care of.

Scorpio — Scorpio, you need rest. Your drive has been extraordinary recently with this being your season, but this eclipse will exhaust you. It’s the time for you to recharge and let the work you’ve done manifest. You’re going to experience a shift in your life, and all you have to do now is sit back and watch.

Sagittarius — Sagittarius, you are a sign with immense luck. The eclipse is going to make that less reliable though.

Don’t make large investments of your resources this week. Focus on remaining grounded and steady. Your instinct to expand is something you should temporarily quell. Wait until later to take leaps of faith, for now simply stick to what you have so you don’t lose it.

Capricorn — Capricorn, you are going to be experiencing a new level of honesty in your relationships. You may notice that the people around you were being deceptive previously. Don’t call them out on this. Stay away from conflict, simply use this new understanding to inform you and what people to keep in your life.

Aquarius — Aquarius, you should be cautious. There is going to be a shift in their family dynamic. Do not make it your job to sort it all out. It may seem confusing and messy for a while, but everything will work out in the end. Be careful of trying too many new things.

As the sign of revolution, it’s natural to want to make changes to your life.

This is not the time for such spontaneity though. For this week focus on what is consistent in your life, and let the rest change on its own.

Pisces — Pisces, there is something new coming in for you. The setting of your life is going to shift, either physically or mentally. Do not idealize this change too much, simply let it happen.

It will not feel as dramatic as you want at the moment, but over time it’s going to impact you greatly. horoscopes by Aurora Stewart

Writers meetings held every Monday at 5:00 p.m. in Oliphant 110