lounge is lacking. ed] their first event Feb

Veteran TU sports journalist Hannah Robbins and Sports Editor Brennen Gray deliver an analysis on how TU sports are doing as a whole.

After riding a high that allowed Tulsa’s men’s basketball team to beat Memphis and Wichita State, which pushed both teams out of the rankings, Tulsa’s men’s basketball team is almost ranked themselves and had a six-game winning streak before losing to UConn on Thursday. After adding a full slate on newcomers, the men have come together, and with a mix of seniors and underclassmen in the mix, cockiness and missed opportunities their loss in triple overtime to SMU and single point Homecoming loss shows that the team can be competitive when they’re in the right place. Hopefully the team continues to figure out what works and cut the streak of three losing record seasons. As long as the team gets a field goal kicker who has put in the practice to hit the field goals when it counts, Tulsa can capitalize on the close losses from the past season.

“On the flip side, Tulsa’s football team has the skills they need; they just need some practice.”

pushed the team from first in the conference to third. The team still has a chance to get momentum back before the conference tournament, but with Brandon Rachal going out halfway through the game Thursday, the team will be in a very different place than they were last week. On the other hand, the women’s team has struggled with stamina issues and injuries. The team seems tired;they let shots go uncontested and miss most of the shots they take themselves. The women’s team simply needs to take some time, get conditioned and get some shot practice in, and they have the ability to go far. The team has had some close losses, but sometimes they just get blown out. They can do better, and I look forward to seeing that side of them in the future. On the flip side, Tulsa’s football team has the skills they need; they just need some practice. Although they wound up in fifth place in the American West conference, Another area to pay some attention to in the Softball team. Sports predictions are famously difficult to make, but this year looks to be a good one for the team. Not only has the team retained some of their best players, but they have stayed relatively healthy compared to other teams in recent past. Softball is definitely a team to watch in 2020. This address would not be complete without touching on the brand new E-Sports lounge on campus. The addition to Tulsa’s array of competitive opportunities includes teams for “League of Legends,” “Rainbow Six,” “Beat Saber,” “Overwatch,” “Magic: The Gathering,” “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive” and “Call of Duty” that will compete with teams from other colleges. Now is a bit too early to say how good the teams will be, but one interesting facet of esports is the ever-changing aspect of it. New games come out all the time, and just

Captain Cane addresses an adoring crowd.

graphic by Emma Palmer

10 years from now, four or five teams from that list may disband as new games come out. While that may seem like a long time, entire sports teams forming and disbanding that quickly is unheard of compared to the hundred year old traditions of some intercollegiate football and basketball teams. This is important to recognize because esports may create opportunities for TU to have a nationally competitive team. Logistically, esports is an extremely difficult realm for dynasties; “Overwatch” and

“League of Legends” may no longer even be esports in 10 years, let alone have the same couple colleges win every single year. Of course there are many sports that deserve to be addressed here, but these are the highlights within the natural limitations of covering a topic this expansive. However, one thing that can certainly be said about nearly all Golden Hurricane Athletics as a cohesive whole is that times are tough right now, but the future looks pretty good.

Australian Minister of Sports resigns Student writer Zach Short details the politics and complicated implications of the Bridget McKenzie’s wrongdoings, and how they were dealt with.

They say the brightest flames burn the quickest, and such seems to be the case with Australia’s newly-resigned senator Bridget McKenzie. The relatively young politician shot to prominence quickly in the Australian nationality crisis that began in late 2017, when the High Court of Australia ruled that persons maintaining a dual citizenship could not serve in the Australian parliament, citing a clause in the constitution that demanded officials display allegiance solely to Australia.

That ruling created a small crisis when it ultimately resulted in the exits of 15 active members of the parliament. With the tumult in the government, McKenzie was able to rise through the ranks faster than she could have otherwise, and she joined the Ministry in the Australian government in December 2017. In the 2019 elections, she achieved a long-held goal of hers when she became the Minister of Agriculture. The realization of that dream, however, was short-lived, when scandal hit her almost immediately upon her taking office. Allegations of misconduct in the dispersal of government grants during her time as Minister of Sports started to gain traction as people began connecting the dots.

McKenzie has maintained a friendship with the Coalition Party’s Nigel Scullion, and the two are fellow shooting enthusiasts. Scullion is a registered member of the ment grant of $500,000 to the Northern Territory shooting club, which appears to have been a large instigator for all further investigation.

Preliminary research that led to allegations and the official inquiry that followed those allegations have uncovered that, during her time as Minister of Sports, McKenzie granted a disproportionate amount of money to shooting clubs.

“... McKenzie authorized a government grant of $500,000 to the Northern Territory shooting club ...”

Northern Territory Shooting Club, an organization for gun enthusiasts which has hosted many events at which McKenzie made an appearance. McKenzie herself is not an official member of the club, but is a member of the umbrella organization, Field and Game Australia. Closely preceding the May 2019 elections, McKenzie authorized a governIt has also been uncovered that the former senator never disclosed her membership of Field and Game Australia, a fact that would have necessitated her recusal from the situation. The turmoil only arose recently, gaining steam near the end of 2019, but it reached a head with the Feb. 2 resignation of McKenzie, who stepped down following the growing knowledge of the scandal in which she had become embroiled. In relation to American politics, the entire saga stands in deep contrast, and not just to the plethora of micro-controversies of the present administration. The second Bush administration is guilty of a similar transgression with the allocation of funds to religious organizations, a move that is both unconstitutional and openly linked to personal religious affiliations. Regardless, no repercussions ever reached the president nor anyone else in the administration for the money moved there. While the scandal in Australia has become large enough to make news on the opposite side of the world, it is still worth noting how unoriginal the scandal actually is when taken in comparison to other eyebrow-raising exchanges of funds in politics around the world. The characteristic that separates this scandal from others is not its nature, but rather the swift action that was taken once it was uncovered and the shame bestowed upon all involved.

Monday/Tuesday

10/11

No Events

Feb. 10 - Feb. 16

Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

12 13

W Basketball @ Cincinnati 10 a.m.

M Basketball vs. ECY 7 p.m.

No Events

14 15 Softball @ MSU 3 p.m. Track and Field @Iowa Classic Softball vs. TSU 12:30 .m. Track and Field @Annual Gorilla Classic

Track and Field @Iowa Classic Track and Field @Annual Gorilla Classic Softball @North Alabama Kickoff Softball @Bulldog Classic 3 p.m./5 p.m. M Basektball @USF 11 a.m. W Tennis @DePaul West 1 p.m. W Basketball vs. SMU 2 p.m.

Softball @Dayton 11:15 a.m.

M Tennis @LSU 12 p.m.

Madison Connell News Editor

Orion Levasheff, Sophomore

Mechanical engineering student Orion Levasheff enjoys celebrating his roots during Black History Month. “Black History Month is a time for me to show pride in my ancestors and learn more about them,” said Levasheff. “To know one’s history is to know oneself, and others cannot tell you what you are if you know yourself.” The sophomore was chosen as the Association of Black Collegians’s student feature for Black History Month because of his overwhelming support for ABC. “Although he was never in the EXEC board, he has gone to every meeting and has supported every event that ABC has hosted,” said Nora Bethune, the secretary of ABC. “He also is extremely proud of his roots and recognizes what it means to be a black man. He is extremely kind to other people, always promoting blackness and overall is just an awesome person.” Some of the ways Levasheff celebrates Black History Month include wearing more

courtesy Orion Levasheff ABC honors Orion Levasheff, a passionate member who goes to every ABC meeting and event.

black clothes, dashikis and African jewelry. But, most important to him, he takes time to learn more about black history. “Historical figures that I honor this month include Queen Nzinga of the Ndongo and Matamba Kingdoms in 17th century Angola, who defended her people in the wake of European colonization and the slave trade,” said Levasheff. “I also honor Mansa

Abu Bakr II of the Mali Empire, who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas in the 14th century well before Christopher Colombus.” Levasheff started in ABC his freshmen year. His favorite part of ABC is how it “fosters community among the black students on campus.” Among the events he’s gone to, Kwanzaa and Expression Night with Cypher 120 have been his favorite. He wanted to remind people to come to some of ABC’s Black History Month celebrations this year, including the Soul Food Soiree on Feb. 18, the Black Leadership Panel on Feb. 26 and Self Care Night on Feb. 26. Other organizations that Levasheff is involved in include the National Society of Black Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Romney makes history in impeachment vote against Trump

After the U.S. Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump, much of the press covered Mitt Romney’s decision to vote to convict.

Lindsey Prather Student Writer

On Feb. 5, the United States Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump on both articles of impeachment. The votes totaled 52-48 regarding abuse of power and 53-47 on obstruction of Congress. This vote immediately follows a controversial State of the Union address that took place the night before on Feb. 4. Although this result was widely expected, it marked a notable defection as a Republican senator became the first in history to vote to remove a president from his own party. Senator Mitt Romney grabbed headlines following an emotional speech, during which he described his deeply religious convictions and laid out his reasoning for voting to remove Trump: “The President asked a foreign government to investigate his political rival … withheld vital military funds from that government to press it to do so … delayed funds for an American ally at war with Russian invaders … [his] purpose was personal and political.” Romney continued, “Accordingly, the president is guilty of an appalling abuse of the public trust. What he did was not ‘perfect’ — no, it was a flagrant assault on our electoral rights, our national security interests and our fundamental values. Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one’s oath of office that I can imagine.” The speech prompted backlash among Senate Republicans, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell expressing his disappointment in an interview on Fox News. Despite this disappointment, he dismissed any rumors of party-sanctioned consequences for Romney. “Senator Romney on the whole has been supportive of what we’ve been trying to accomplish in the year that he’s been there. I think this was a mistake,” McConnell said. “I disagree with it. On the other hand, we’ve got a lot more votes to cast between now and November, and I’m going to need his support on a whole variety of things that are important to the president and to the country.”

Senator Mitt Romney of Utah made history as the first senator in history to vote to remove a president from his own party.

courtesy Gage Skidmore/Flickr

President Trump, however, was not so forgiving. Trump proceeded to attack Romney both on Twitter and at two separate public appearances following the vote. He began by mocking Romney’s failed presidential run in 2012 through a series of tweets, and eventually decrying those that “use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong.” The latter of these attacks coming from Trump during the National Prayer Breakfast, a traditionally bipartisan event that counted both Romney and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in attendance. However, Romney was not the only subject of ridicule for the president. Speaker Pelosi drew the ire of Republicans following the State of the Union for two reasons: first, in her cold introduction of the president before his speech and in her visible tearing of Trump’s speech immediately after. The latter of which prompted particularly intense outcry, with some House Republicans seeking legal action against the Speaker for the destruction of public records. Immediately following the Prayer Breakfast, Pelosi condemned Trump’s attacks on Romney and the Democratic Party: “This morning the president said when people use faith as an excuse to do bad things ... [it] was just so completely inappropriate, especially at a prayer breakfast.” Pelosi had also referenced her faith in matters related to the president, after a reporter questioned her motivations for impeaching Trump. These retaliatory statements from Trump exemplify the concerns of opponents, as the potential grows for actions against his perceived political opponents. tucollegian@tucollegian.org

@TUCollegian

editor-in-chief Ethan Veenker

managing editor Emily Every

news editor Madison Connell

sports editor Brennen Gray

variety editor Piper Prolago

commentary editor Chris Lierly

satire editor Sara Serrano

photo & graphics editor Emma Palmer

business & advertising manager Brian Kwiecinski

social media & web manager Anna Johns

The Collegian is the student newspaper of the University of Tulsa. It is distributed Mondays during the fall and spring semesters, except during holidays and final exam weeks. The University of Tulsa does not discriminate on the basis of personal status or group characteristics including but not limited to the classes protected under federal and state law. Inquiries regarding implementation of this policy may be addressed to the Office of Human Resources, 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, Oklahoma 741 04-9700, (91 8)631 -2616. Requests for accomodation of disabilities may be addressed to the university’s 504 Coordinator, Dr. Tawny Rigsby, (91 8)631 -381 4. To ensure availability of an interpeter, five to seven days notice is needed; 48 hours is recommended for all other accomodations.

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Editing Policy: The Collegian reserves the right to edit all copy submitted by all writers. This editing may take place in many forms, including grammar corrections, changes in paragraph structure or even the addition or removal of sections of content.

Jan. 29 8:25 a.m. Officers are investigating a theft of wheels from a bicycle by an unknown suspect at John Mabee Hall that occurred between 28 Jan 2020, 11:30 p.m. and 29 Jan 2020, 7:00 a.m.

2:30 p.m. Officers responded to a panic alarm activation at Collins Hall and determined it was accidentally activated by a staff member. Officers met with the staff member and confirmed that the situation was normal.

4:45 p.m. Officers responded to John Mabee Hall for a water leak. The Physical Plant was contacted and officers documented the scene.

Jan. 30 9:30 a.m. Officers conducted a pedestrian check on an individual seen dragging a metal object near McClure Hall. The individual was determined to be a non-affiliate of the University of Tulsa. The individual, who was non compliant with officers, was trespass warned and escorted off campus.

8:50 p.m. Officers documented a non-injury motor vehicle accident in the 8th & Harvard Lot where a parked vehicle was damaged by another driver, who left a note providing contact information.

10:30 p.m. Officers responded to a roommate dispute at a Brown Village apartment and escorted an unwanted guest out of the apartment.

11:20 p.m. Officers responded to Fisher South Hall to investigate an alcohol violation. Officers made contact with an underage resident who admitted to obtaining alcohol from an unFeb. 1 2:35 a.m. Officers responded to a noise complaint in Lorton Village Apartments. Officers were able to locate the apartment the noise was coming from. Officers made contact with the resident and issued a housing contact card.

7 p.m. Officers and paramedics treated an injured student at the Reynolds Center. The student, who fell while running onto the court at the end of the basketball game, was taken to a local hospital by a friend for further treatment.

10:05 p.m. Officers conducted a pedestrian check on three individuals at the Reynolds Center after receiving a report they were smoking marijuana at the loading dock. The individuals were temporary custodial and asked to leave campus by the custodial supervisor after officers were unable to confirm marijuana was smoked on campus. One individual had a traffic warrant and no previous contact. The other two individuals had no warrants or previous contact. All three individuals were trespass warned and escorted off campus.

Feb. 3 9:30 a.m. Officers impounded a single ear bud found in Rayzor Hall on 31 Jan 2020.

12:40 p.m. Officers responded to a panic alarm activation at Collins Hall and confirmed the panic alarm was accidentally activated by a staff member.

2:30 p.m. Officers initiated a traffic stop on a student’s vehicle for reckless driving on 8th Street. After parking their vehicle, the student ran away, on foot, into the Reynolds Center. Officers decided not to issue a citation after speaking with the student about the traffic infraction.

3:50 p.m. Officers conducted a pedestrian check on an individual on the south side of Annex West. The individual was not affiliated with the University. The individual had 3 misdemeanor Tulsa city warrants and 1 prior contact with the University. The individual was trespass warned and escorted off campus. A contact card was created.

6 p.m. Officers took possession of a backpack found at the practice soccer field. The backpack contained assorted clothing and prescription drugs. The owner was identified as the person escorted off property on 2 Feb 2020. The property was impounded for safekeeping.

Feb. 4 11:45 p.m. Officers impounded a driver’s license, rewards card and 2 blood pressure cuffs found at Collins Fitness Center.

Feb. 5 10:40 a.m. Officers made contact with an individual on the south side of Case Tennis Center. The individual stated they were taking a short cut through campus. The individual was not affiliated with the university and was not trespassed from campus. A contact card was completed.

Feb. 6 10:30 a.m. Officers investigated a hit & run vehicle accident in the Norman Village Lot. A witness reported a food delivery vehicle struck a student’s parked vehicle before leaving the scene without leaving a note or contacting the owner. The driver has been identified and information provided to the student.

2:05 p.m. Officers received information about a student possibly carrying a concealed weapon on campus. Officers verified the student was not carrying a weapon and provided the university’s weapons policy.

11:40 p.m. Officers responded to a noise complaint in the Mayo Village Apartments. Officers were able to locate the apartment the noise was coming from and made contact with the resident. Officers issued a housing contact card.

The Collegian does not produce or edit the Campus Crime Watch except for content and brevity.

Chris Lierly Commentary Editor

Lindsey Prather Student Writer

Impact of Brexit on EU extradition treaties

Following the official confirmation of Brexit, an 11-month transition period began. Throughout the duration of this period, typical EU rules, such as border regulations and inspections, would be softened for the U.K. However, on Feb. 1 three countries — Austria, Germany and Slovenia — confirmed that these exceptions would not be honored in regard to the extradition treaties that apply to all EU member countries. The statute in question is the European Arrest Warrant, which dictates that all member countries in the European Union must recognize warrants and other judicial requests from other members. This was created in an attempt to further equalize the criminal justice system throughout the EU, preventing criminals from using statutory loopholes to evade justice. The three countries in question informed the European Commission that upon the confirmation of Brexit, any attempts by the UK to utilize the EAW would be deemed unconstitutional and subsequently denied. This will be the case until the U.K. negotiates new treaties with each country.

Monarch butterfly activists targeted in Mexico The murder of two different monarch butterfly activists in Mexico in fewer than 10 days has raised concerns regarding the targeting of environmentalists throughout the country. Raúl Hernández Romero and Homero Gomez Gonzalez were both employees at the El Rosario monarch butterfly sanctuary located in the Mexican state of Michoacán. The sanctuary is a facility within the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site that has previously seen widespread habitat destruction wrought by illegal logging throughout the last decade. Gonzalez and Romero had both been previously vocal in seeking government action to curb the damage to the butterflies, and Mexican officials are currently investigating their deaths in relation to this activism and its potential opponents.

Turkish avalanche kills 41, injures 84 A pair of avalanches in Eastern Turkey have killed 41 people as of Wednesday, Feb. 5. The first happened on Tuesday and killed five, while the second, on Wednesday, came through the area where a large rescue team was searching for those lost in the first avalanche. About 300 emergency service workers had been called to help with the aftermath of the first snowslide near the town of Bahçesaray in the eastern Van province, and search crews are still looking for the missing bodies of three people. However, those searches have been put on hold as the fear of a third avalanche escalates. Of the 84 people injured, 47 are in the hospital with six patients in intensive care. None of the injured is in critical condition.

Tuesday, Feb. 11 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Oxley Health Sciences Faculties Health Sciences Research Expo This will be an outstanding opportunity to encounter the amazing breadth of investigations students are carrying out across Oxley College of Health Sciences and other parts of TU. You will also be able to meet these emerging researchers, their mentors and other members of the TU and Tulsa health sciences community. All students, faculty, staff and members of the public are warmly invited to attend. There will be digital and oral presentations, food and drink, and lots of stimulating ideas and conversation.

Thursday, Feb. 13 and Saturday, Feb. 15 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Tyrell Hall Vagina Monologues The Student Alliance for Violence Education at the University of Tulsa is once again performing The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler. Join us in support of survivors of sexual violence, with all proceeds from ticket sales supporting the V-Day Organization and the Domestic Violence Intervention Services of Tulsa. Tickers are $6.94 each. All proceeds go to VDay and Domestic Violence Intervention Services. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 14 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. Helmerich, Room 121 #adulting101 Series: Working Well with Others in the Workplace Employers expect their employees to be team players. Regardless of your role, you need to be able to work well with others and convey that fact to hiring managers, recruiters, and prospective employers. L3 Technologies recruiter Jared Mason will share some great skills to help you be a productive team player in your workplace. Lunch will be provided by RSVP in Handshake or email tawny-crone@utulsa.edu.

Saturday, Feb. 15 11 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Elote Cafe and Catering Drag Brunch: The Heartbreak & Anti Valentines Day Show A morning of ballads and break ups. Join us for a post Valentines Day celebration of heart ache. Invite your ex. Better yet, invite your ex’s ex. Let’s hoot and holler for the Queens. Ticket prices include brunch, a non alcoholic beverage and the drag show. Don’t forget to bring bills to tip the queens and your server. Mimosas, Bloody Mary’s, Margarita’s and Cervezas will be available for purchase for guests 21 and over. The show is all ages. Please be advised this is a drag show, thus some profanity and vulgarity will occur. Enjoy!

Justin Klopfer Student Writer

HB 2940: This bill would ban the manufacture and sale of “restricted bullets” and “large-capacity ammunition magazines.” Restricted bullets are designed to expand on impact and bring down living targets quicker. Large-capacity magazines are defined as those which can accept more than 10 rounds of ammunition. The obvious question for those opposed to the bill is: why would you need this stuff? In what self-defense situation would you need so much power? I am always against taking power away from common people, but it’s hard to imagine these types of weapons being used for anything but harm. Interestingly, one stipulation of this bill allows for some select people to still possess large-capacity ammunition magazines. Most notably, one of these groups is the Oklahoma Police. I would argue the same question could be posed toward the average cop: why would they need this? Some may argue the police are sometimes involved in intense shootouts and may need high firepower for these situations. However, these situations are few and far between and don’t reflect the common use of firearms in the line of duty. Hollow-point bullets are deemed so brutal to use on humans that they have been banned from use in combat. Perhaps

The American primary system would be better without caucuses

All but four states use primary systems, and it’s a much more democratic and accessible process.

Brett Tyndall Student Writer

As of Friday, Feb. 7, we still don’t know who the official winner of the Iowa Democratic Caucus is. We have an idea, as Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg essentially tied in State Delegate Equivalents (don’t rack your brain on this, it’s stupid caucus terminology). Bernie Sanders claims to have won the popular vote by around 6,000 votes and yet has not been named the winner of this needlessly complicated process in Iowa. There’s a reason why only four of 50 states hold caucuses in the U.S. They’re a pain in the ass and less democratic than primaries. Iowa, Nevada, Wyoming and North Dakota are the only states in the union to hold these asinine proceedings. The other 46 states hold a primary, like every state should.

Caucuses are completely outdated and should not even exist anymore. Caucuses only take place over the course of a few hours, whereas voters in primaries can vote anytime between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and often have early voting options. What transpired on Monday was one of the most bizarre voting processes I had ever witnessed. Sanders had the most initial support and still had the most supporters after the second realignment. Yet, Buttigieg ended up with the most State Delegate Equivalents. That doesn’t make sense. Votes in certain areas of the state were clearly worth more compared to other areas. If one vote equals one vote, which by every democratic institution says it should, then this caucus system is inherently broken. It’s reminiscent of the Electoral College, which is also a disaster. A candidate should not lose an election after winning the popular vote. The main issue this year stemmed from an app the Iowa Democratic Party attempted to use when reporting caucus precinct results. There are roughly 1,700 precincts in the state of Iowa. Voters could find them in schools, churches, college campuses and auditoriums across the state. Simply put, the app wasn’t working when precinct captains tried to report their results. Combined with the clogged phone lines and apparent return to the Pony Express in feudalistic Iowa, results have only crept slowly into the world of technology outside the land of soybeans, corn and nothing else. Maybe the real mistake was pretending Iowa mattered for six months. Candidates have already moved on to New Hampshire as results are still pending. The Iowa Democratic Party had their moment, and they botched it in spectacular fashion.

LETTER

The Doomsday Clock is now 100 seconds to midnight. According to the Science and Security Board Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the world has never been closer to doomsday than now:

Humanity continues to face two simultaneous existential dangers — nuclear war and climate change — that are compounded by a threat multiplier, cyber-enabled information warfare, that undercuts society’s ability to respond. The international security situation is dire, not just because these threats exist, but because world leaders have allowed the international political infrastructure for managing them to erode. In the September/October 2019 issue of Foreign Affairs, Ernest J. Moniz and Sam Nunn warned that the world cannot afford to wait for leadership change. The world must act in the present tense: For decades, strategic stability between the United States and Russia included a mutual recognition of vital interests, redlines and the means to reduce the risks of accidents or miscalculations leading to conflict, and especially the use of nuclear weapons. Today, however, clashing national interests, insufficient dialogue, eroding arms control structures, advanced missile systems and new cyberweapons have destabilized the old equilibrium. How did we arrive at this juncture? The core mission of all universities should be to prevent this shitshow of pre-doomsday scenarios, but instead we are debating the practical application of every discipline at

to the editor

our university. How do we actually value the varied academic disciplines? If we had learned more Russian and Chinese, would the clock be 100 seconds from doomsday? What if we had actually appreciated the power of music to bridge cultural divides? What if we had actually viewed the study of literature and film as a consistent warning of things to come? What if we had actually given more attention to the lessons of history and political science? Are these objectives not practical in the context of our ultimate survival? In truth, we are primarily concerned with professional monetary gain and entertainment value. After all, our actions reveal our true commitment to priorities. Follow the money. Why do universities pay coaches millions and Ivy League PhDs a pittance in comparison? As a society, do we actually value and appreciate education and academics? No, we do not, and this is just one of the reasons we find ourselves so close to apocalyptic finality. We should be concerned with the future of our university, but more importantly, we should be concerned about how our university will contribute to the future survival of our planet. Instead, we continue to sleep in a bliss-filled fog of endless vacuous entertainment while the Doomsday Clock ticks closer to midnight.

Joseph P. Willis, PhD Adjunct Professor of English University of Tulsa high-power weaponry could be brought out on the rare occasion where it’s deemed necessary, but the average patrolling officer has no need for it. With this in mind, if the state is going to stop people from having unnecessary force easily at their disposal, the rules should apply to the cops as well. HB2779: This bill concerns the rapidly growing legal marijuana industry in Oklahoma. The bill originally prevented medical marijuana card holders from being discriminated against in employment and various other rights. However, a newly proposed change to this bill would also prevent any new marijuana dispensaries from opening within 1,000 feet of a place of worship.

Representative Jim Olsen, who proposed the changes, presumably believes something as holy as a house of worship shouldn’t have its space invaded by something as vile as a marijuana dispensary. What an awful thought: to be reminded of a completely harmless (and often beneficial) thing people are choosing to do with their own time. These changes obviously don’t infringe upon any foundational civil liberties, but the concerns of the moralizing conservative section of politics are always hilarious to me. I smelled weed next to the church; somebody get me a fainting couch!

On Feb. 1, two days before the Iowa caucuses, it was abruptly announced that the final poll by the Des Moines Register would not have its results released. This came after a complaint by a senior Buttigieg campaign official received word from a supporter that who could reach viability and pushed the media narrative away from him. While Buttigieg claimed victory on the night of the caucuses amid no results, his strong showing with 26.2 percent of the vote and narrow margin of victory of 0.01 percent contradicted the Des Moines Register poll by 10 points, a sizable difference to betray right before caucus night. Maybe there was some veracity to his claim about being omitted after all, but how strong could his support be if supporters did not state their preference in the poll themselves? That was not the only interesting connection Buttigieg had on caucus night. After complaints about an app that caucus chairs had to use to report results failed spectacularly, it also became clear that the private company that created the app without any sort of vetting or security testing, Shadow, donated to the Buttigieg campaign. While this should not affect the results as they were manually validated by the Iowa Democratic Party, it is still a complete conflict of interest. Amidst a canned poll and a faulty app, the South Bend Mayor’s poll numbers came at a cost. Hannah Robbins Student Writer Bad press follows Buttigieg as the campaign leaves Iowa

“Buttigieg had a vested interest in pulling the plug on a poll that had him in third ...”

Buttigieg was not among the candidates listed in the latest poll that was taken. The Des Moines Register was unable to isolate this case, and as such, pulled the plug and did not release this poll. This was a crafty play on Buttigieg’s part. The Des Moines Register, in conjunction with CNN and Selzer and Co., has put out polls on numerous occasions in this election season, and none of them has had issues or complaints. This issue was apparently a simple one: they increased the font size and Buttigieg was apparently left off on some of the interview scripts, but, after seeing the results for the unreleased poll that showed Bernie with 22 percent, Warren with 18 percent, Buttigieg with 16 percent and Biden with 13 percent, Buttigieg had a vested interest in pulling the plug on a poll that had him in third, especially when that poll would be a major talking point heading into caucus night that could depress his supporter turnout in favor of other candidates This app that was used to send full vote totals for counting was made by a company with a clear candidate preference, and since no security testing occurred, for all we know there could have been logic that was specifically included to increase Buttigieg’s totals. Due to the manual validation that was done before finally announcing the results, this was not the case, but without any testing, who knows? This level of security through obscurity by the Iowa Democratic Party is exactly how someone (inside the country this time) could have meddled with the integrity of the elections. This is simply a ridiculous oversight on the part of the party, and should not happen again. As someone who breaks applications for a living, I know that most of them have poor security at best, and without any validation they should not be used in the first nominating contest that on any normal year would have led to candidates dropping out.

The outrageous claim that “socialists can be shot” is a result of current American discourse.

Brayden McCoy Student Writer

The last Friday of January saw a Montana state legislator wreaking havoc with a statement he made during a gathering of state Republican Party members. State Rep. Rodney Garcia raised concerns about socialists “entering our government” and voiced opinions about his hometown Billings being full of them. He refused to back down from his rather outrageous claim, going as far to double down on it later that weekend in an interview with a reporter. He then stepped up to say that the United States Constitution itself gives citizens the right to shoot socialists or detain and put them in jail. His response was to label them enemies of the free state and proceed to change the subject. When asked to clarify in a later interview he did as most politicians do and put out his opinion with little to no backing or evidence, and according to the the Billings Gazette, he was unable to point out where in the Constitution it says socialists could be treated in such ways. Naturally, his own party distanced themselves from his comments and condemned them. Luckily for all of the socialists in Montana, the Constitution doesn’t support his idea, nor does it give the rights he claimed it does. Personally, the idea of a politician who doesn’t know the Constitution to the point that he thinks it’s OK to shoot someone for their political philosophy scares me more than a socialist. One of the nicer parts about living in America is the right to freedom of speech and the freedom to believe in whichever political ideology one chooses. That said, socialism is definitely coming to the forefront in today’s society with big figures like Bernie Sanders branding himself as a democratic socialist. Yet, as always, America’s scrutiny lies on the surface: a better investigation may not be how many socialists there are in America and how to get rid of them but rather why the ideology has gained so much traction. Generation Z is one group often associated with socialism and its ideals, and instead of lamenting the “misguided youth,” it would be better to figure out why faith in the capitalist system has been lost. With the consistently rising prices of everything from food and housing to college and the alarmingly slow adjustment of minimum wages, it becomes crystal clear as to why so many young people are taking up the ideals of socialism. The extreme concentration of wealth in today’s world leaves many feeling helpless, distraught and forgotten, which is exactly when socialism and other similar concepts have managed to seem attractive to many in the past. No political and economic system is without flaws, and naturally that applies to capitalism, but when the ones controlling the system are the ones making the policies, you end up with a system that never changes to accommodate the less fortunate. A little human empathy goes a long way, and the misguided idea that socialists can be shot seems like a hard backstep from empathy. It has become quite clear that America desperately needs to break the cycle of back and forth extremism dominating today’s political climate. Otherwise we might just end up with a bunch of teenagers dying in the streets, shot by socialist-hating patriots for believing they deserve to not go into despair-inducing amounts of debt to merely get a college education.

Last week, University of Tulsa Vice Provost for Global Engagement sent out an email alerting campus that in light of the level 3 travel advisory that the United States Department of State issued, TU would be restricting travel to China and affected countries. Similar emails were sent out in educational institutions across America, informing students of the nationally declared “pandemic.” However, most of them failed to describe what exactly coronavirus is, what the symptoms are and how to avoid it other than travel restrictions. This lack of information has led to unneccesary hysteria as well as incidences of racial discrimination toward individuals from Asian countries. The irony of this reaction to the presence of coronavirus in the United States is that the flu is actually more rampant and deadly than the coronavirus. According to USA Today, as of Feb. 5 there were a confirmed total of 24,604 cases of coronavirus, 494 of which resulted in death. On Feb. 4, the Center for Disease Control reported that the 2019-2020 flu season had brought about 15 million cases, 140,000 hospitalizations and 8,200 deaths in the United States alone. The CDC has also consistently reported over the last several years that fewer than half of all Americans get a flu vaccination. It didn’t occur to me that racial discrimination would be fueled on college campuses because of this outbreak. A dear friend of mine who attends the University of Washington in Seattle informed me that she had to have a serious conversation with her Resident Assistance staff on how to correct misconceptions, keep students safe, and prevent bullying and racial targeting. Students took to social media, resorting to long-held racial stereotypes and posting hateful comments: “All of the kids in my math class are Asians. I sure hope I don’t get coronavirus.” A California university told its campus that xenophobia toward Asian classmates was a completely normal reaction. This sparked mass controversy on the internet. The Los Angeles times described how these heightened racist sentiments have made individuals “hyper aware of their East Asian roots.” I find it infuriating that in the 21st century there continues to be such a plethora of faulty information, media perpetuated prejudices and just blatant acts of racism on a systemic level. This particularly confounds me when comparing the response to coronavirus with that of health issues and diseases that plague the American population on a daily basis; many of which can be easily combated and prevented altogether. There needs to be a drastic change in the way information is obtained, verified and dispersed to the general public. While this won’t erase the racial stereotypes that are imbedded within the American way of life, it will certainly help to alleviate discrimination and false panic and will hopefully move our society toward becoming a more accepting, loving and compassionate one. Tori Gellman Student Writer Racism and myths dominated coronavirus coverage Americans should remember that the flu is a more destructive disease than the current corona strain.

Trump’s acquittal major win for president and party

The Democrats have failed to remove Trump, and in doing so, have given him more momentum.

Zack Long Student Writer

The outcome was never really in doubt, but now it is official. After countless hearings and investigations about President Trump’s dealings with Ukraine, a divided United States Senate acquitted him on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. This marks the third impeachment of a U.S. president and third acquittal in history. It was a triumphant moment for President Trump, ending a three-week long impeachment process pushed forward by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Following the news of acquittal, President Trump took time to celebrate the next day at the National Prayer Breakfast. During the breakfast, Trump entered the room waiving the USA Today newspaper with the headline “Acquitted” while taking time to thank the “incredible warriors” who sided with him during the ordeal and blasting the entire impeachment process as “crooked.” The cloud of impeachment has moved away from the White House and President Trump is now free to get back to work, governing the nation and campaigning for the 2020 election. On the other hand, impeachment marks another failure by the Democrats to remove the man that they despise so much. Ever since the defeat of Hilary Clinton the Democrats have desperately sought evidence to remove President Trump from office. The list of schemes that they have employed to eject the president from the White House include claiming that Trump is a traitor, mentally insane and an election cheat. They have also tried to declare Trump guilty of criminal campaign finance violations, guilty of a personal payoff to Stormy Daniels and

most importantly, guilty of colluding with Russia to steal the election. When Special Counsel Robert Mueller could not force Trump out the Democrats were left with one last Hail Mary, impeachment. The fact that Nancy Pelosi and her party went as far to use impeachment reflects their utter desperation. Never before has a president been subject to such radical efforts by the opposition party to remove him from office. Not only was the three-week impeachment process a complete waste of time, it sets a precedent for impeachment to be used as a political tool by the opposing party against future presidents. Pelosi and the Democrats couldn’t even find a high crime or misdemeanor that President Trump committed so they slapped the ambiguous charge of “abuse of power” and hastily hired some lawyers to impeach the president. There’s a strong argument to be made that they abused their power by politicizing the impeachment process and bringing charges against the president over such loose evidence. With the impeachment trial over, reality is beginning to set in for the Democrats. The only way to remove this president is the 2020 election. Yet, this possibility is looking less likely by the week. The approval rating for Trump is now at 49 percent, according to Gallup, the highest it has ever been. On top of that, President Trump is on a roll with new accomplishments every month. The new United States-MexicoCanada trade agreement was just signed following phase one of the China Trade Deal. If you add in a healthy growing economy and an incredibly strong labor market with the lowest unemployment in over 40 years, the 2020 election is looking bright for the incumbent. This impeachment not only vindicates the president but gives him and his supporters the confidence needed to win the next election, likely chalking up another loss for the Democratic Party.

By acquitting Trump, GOP complicit in his abuse of power

By not calling witnesses, this impeachment lacked the due process of previous cases.

Chris Lierly Commentary Editor

Many could have correctly guessed the results of President Trump’s impeachment before the two articles indicting the 45th president officially made it out of the House of Representatives, but the shameful way that the trial was conducted does not bode well for anyone other than the man still sitting in the Oval Office. The impeachment case of Donald John Trump saw the Republican Party disregard all precedent and respect for the rule of law in order to protect an electoral victory in November. The trial’s purpose was essentially to decide whether Trump’s direction to withhold aid from Ukraine until after the new Ukrainian government had opened an investigation into Joe Biden’s son and the White House’s subsequent attempt at silencing any who dared to testify as to what they knew merited removal. Those were the facts. The only thing up for dispute was whether the actions make Trump undeserving of the office.

Impeachment has always been partisan: The two previous impeachment trials, those of Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, also both ended in acquittals and were both heavily influenced by party sentiments. Impeachment is a political process supported by a reference or two from the Constitution, and, in that way, Trump’s was no different. Where this impeachment differed with Johnson and Clinton’s was in its execution. Unlike the only two previous examples, Trump’s case lacked any witnesses testifying to the president’s actions, and Trump’s defense team seemed more concerned with the House’s process of impeachment than defending Trump on the merits of his conduct. Johnson and Clinton’s defense team faced testimony from those with intimate knowledge of their alleged wrongdoing. With the help of 51 Republican Senators, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s vote whipping efforts, Trump did not face one witness. Instead, this trial consisted of House managers, led by Democratic congressman Adam Schiff, making cases that mostly fell on deaf ears, while Alan Dershowitz, the head of Trump’s defense team argued that “if a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that can not be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment.” By essentially restating Richard Nixon’s infamous assertion that “if the president does [something] that means that it is not illegal,” Dershowitz and every Republican who voted for acquittal have signaled to the President that he will not be held accountable as long as he can excite the base to a win in the November elections. Republicans know that in a country of shifting politics and demographics that the policies that gave them near absolute ideological power in the late twentieth century have begun to fade. They also know that Trump’s racist and regressive politics will get disgruntled white voters to the polls when a faltering economy and lack of government assistance might have kept them complacent and at home. With Trump, they can continue to compete, methods of doing so be damned. For the first time in many of our lives and maybe since the Civil War, the integrity of American democracy will be at stake in the next election. A president elected by a minority of voters abused his power in office and will now likely use every possible method to hold onto that power. Come November, the same tests that the United States uses to assess the viability of Latin American democracies will be applied to the world’s oldest republic and our potential of failing those tests has rarely been higher.

Madison Walters Student Writer

More than likely, as fans of something, we have all been exploited due to the fame of whom we support. The more fame an artist has, the more fans are exposed to exploitation through various activities. Unfortunately, fans and fame are directly related to one another. Naturally, if a fan loves an artist, they want them to succeed, so fans try to share the artist’s work with more people. One example of exploitation that fans commonly face is the merchandise conundrum. If you have ever gone to a concert, then you have surely seen a merch stand selling an array of items. More often than not, merchandise can be anywhere from $20-$80. Typically, the bigger the concert arena, the higher the prices. This is because venues charge artists for a percentage of their merchandise sales. Playing a big venue costs a lot of money for an artist. Merchandise sales help a band make profit from the shows they perform. Artists love their fans, but even they have

financial needs of their own. This forces artists to inflate the prices of their own merchandise. Bands with smaller followings are affected even more by this. They will play a smaller venue and have to sell their merchandise cheaper. So how do they make money? They are forced to offer VIP events. One example of such an event is a soundcheck ticket, which allows the holder to enter the venue early and watch the soundcheck. These tickets are usually sold separately from the ticket actually needed to get

inflate their prices by comparing this pricing mechanism to airlines and hotels. Basically, if Ticketmaster sees that an event is going to sell out, then they will inflate the ticket prices due to supply and demand. It is not the artists who charge their fans a preposterous amount for their tickets, it is, in fact, the ticket selling companies. One example of this appalling behavior is a ticket for Panic! at the Disco that originally cost $45 being inflated to $90. Believe it or not, this is actually one of the smaller discrepancies in Ticketmaster’s pricing.

“The ticket I bought had been inflated to over three times its original price.”

into the concert. Bands will typically also sell these tickets on their own personal website to avoid the charges taken by ticket selling websites. Another example of an exploitation that fans are subjected to are “dynamic prices.” According to Ticketmaster, the cost of tickets are “market-priced,” meaning that “prices may adjust over time based on demand.” They further justify their supposed right to Last week, tickets for My Chemical Romance’s first reunion tour in the United States went on sale via Ticketmaster. The original ticket prices ranged from $60-$200. Their entire United States tour sold out in roughly six hours. These were all stadiums with maximum capacities above the 15,000 person range. As one can imagine, the experience of getting a ticket was trying, to say the least. I logged onto Ticketmaster’s website 30 minutes before the tickets went on sale. I then entered the online waiting room as soon as it opened. The time came for when tickets went on sale, and I was still stuck in the online waiting room. I sat there for 40 minutes waiting to purchase tickets. Finally, I was able to enter the webpage that allowed me to pick tickets. I was absolutely shocked to see the nosebleed tickets that were originally $60 were now $200. I bought the ticket because they are one of my favorite bands that I have never gotten the chance to see live. The ticket I bought had been inflated to over three times its original price. Ticketmaster basically scalped their own tickets. Currently, scalpers are reselling their tickets cheaper than Ticketmaster charged. Many fans were outraged by the dynamic pricing. Thousands of fans took to Twitter to voice their anger. “Ticketmaster” was trending with over 200k tweets. Also trending, was “Sue Ticketmaster.” Sometimes being a fan is not easy, especially when both the venue and the ticket selling companies want to make as much money as they possibly can off the fans. Fan exploitation has always been around, but it is only getting worse with each passing year.

The Indie Spirit Awards celebrate diversity and creativity

A viewing party hosted by Circle Cinema for this award show brought movie-lovers together.

Karelia Alexander Student Writer

On Saturday, Feb. 8, Cinema Circle hosted a party for the Independent Spirit Awards. This award event only celebrated the achievements of small, independent movies. Although each one was small in production value, they were not small in strong acting, writing or directing. For this televised event, the Spirit Awards recognized the adversities that filmmakers face when making independent movies and the goals reached by the directors and writers of the films that were nominated. The party was not like the other venues around Tulsa; rather it was quaint, with just a few people sitting at tables talking to each other. When the time came to watch the event, the audience went silent, but would eagerly discuss who they thought would win during the commercial breaks. It was amazing to see movie lovers come together and bond over films they saw throughout the year and find movies that they had never heard of, but were eager to watch afterwards. Though there was an underlying message of perseverance and talent, it was not pretentious at all. Both the televised event and the party at Circle Cinema were a breath of fresh air. The Spirit Awards celebrated the achievements made in the lower budget movies and raised awareness for the talented women and cultural diversity in the industry that can make movies relatable and interesting.

Throughout the Independent Spirit Awards, there was an ongoing joke about not being backed up by major production companies or producers. As the hostess Aubrey Plaza put it, they were all there to “celebrate the movies that are too important to see.” Other stars poked this concept, such as Tulsa-Dallas native Annie Clark, who goes by her stage name St. Vincent, as she introduced best cinematography. Even Adam Sandler, who was one of the big winners of the night, talked about his Oscar snub as a joke, even though he was grateful for working on “Uncut Gems.” Aside from the jokes, the Spirit Awards were amazing. The stars being recognized were there because of their craft, not to make money. It didn’t matter whether the production was backed up with a large budget; the nominees were able to find support in their production team, even while lacking funding from major executives. The filmmakers were able to tell the story and convey the emotions needed in the barest way possible and show diversity in cast, culture and environment. The Safdie Brothers were one of the big winners of the night. They won Best Director for “Uncut Gems,” a pulse pounding movie about a New York jewelry dealer placing the biggest bet of his life. The movie was nominated for five awards, winning three in total. Adam Sandler won for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal in the movie as well. As for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Renée Zellweger won for her work in “Judy,” a biopic about the tragic life of Judy Garland. “Parasite,” a black-comedy/thriller about classicism in South Korea also won. The movie has become a breakthrough not only for Asian cinema, but for international films. Along with “Parasite,” “The Farewell,” a tale of clashing new world and old world culture, also won two awards: Best Feature and Best Supporting Actress. As each person collected their award, there was elation and happiness in every thank you and every promise to persevere as situations get tougher. The reactions were priceless. As the afternoon progressed, the onlookers were laughing, clapping, cheering and excitedly talking about it, mainly because it was a jab at the Academy Awards. Because the event focused on the movies, there was more freedom for the filmmakers. They were able to make passion projects and take risks without fear of censorship or making mistakes. It was okay. It was more than okay. It was human. The night was about appreciating film, and the shock and emotion for the winners never died down. Events like these, whether they’re broadcasted at Cinema Circle or on the West Coast, show how something so small can make a difference in the industry and that people are willing to discover and watch the amazing independent movies that slip under the radar. That’s the real celebration.

Aubrey Plaza hosted the Indie Spirit Awards this year, adding humor to the event. courtesy PopSugar

If you’re feeling misunderstood: If you’re feeling rebellious: If you’re feeling worried:

courtesy Penguin

courtesy Ballantine Books courtesy Penguin

Topping the New York Times Bestseller list for 20 consecutive weeks, “Where The Crawdads Sing” instantly became a national sensation. The book describes itself as a cross between a murder mystery and a coming-of-age story. The protagonist, Kya, is one of the most likeable characters I have ever had the joy of reading. Though the odds that anyone who reads this novel will be able to directly relate to Kya’s life of living in a swamp and befriending wildlife rather than fellow humans is slim, the writing and storylines run so much deeper than that. There is a raw relatability to Kya and her experiences, and we as readers feel ourselves growing up or re-experiencing adolescence and change with her. From first love to heartbreak, misunderstandings and familial struggles, these are only a few of the beautifully complex points woven in this incredible work of fiction.

“Daisy Jones and The Six” begins by combining two musical acts. Daisy is a free spirited singer; barely ever wearing shoes and completely ignored by her parents, she was raised more by her friends and the city than any sort of traditional authority figure. The Six is made up of a pair of brothers, a defected keyboardist and a killer rhythm section, but the record label feels the band is missing something. Told in the form of an oral history, with all of the contradicting opinions and memories you’d expect from recalling events of decades past, “Daisy Jones & The Six” is pure rock ‘n’ roll. It keeps you on the edge of your seat until well after the last sentence. Combining elements of essay collections, memoir, speculation and history, Matt Haig’s “Notes on a Nervous Planet” is a true triumph. Haig describes anxiety in the broader context of our society as a whole and in doing so, invites us to examine our lives and interactions in new ways. From discussing consumerism, commenting on personal expenditures of time and providing personal stories about what has helped Haig himself overcome some of the overwhelming feelings he’s lived with his whole life, this book has something for everyone. What I think is most important about Haig’s work is his consistent message that “you are not alone.” Haig is open and vulnerable with his readers about his personal struggles and continues that beyond his written works, taking to social media platforms in attempts to combat some of the toxicity rampant within our culture.

Alex Leeper Student Writer

Films that tell a great story are easy to find. Visit any theater in Tulsa and whatever you choose will likely offer one. But a film that tells a true story, a story that is little discussed and covers a topic that is also little discussed, and makes it great, is a powerful film. I made it to Circle Cinema on Monday, Feb. 3, to see “Just Mercy” (2019), starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx. As the lights dimmed, a message appeared on the screen: “Just Mercy: Introduction by Tulsa’s Tim Blake Nelson.” Nelson then appeared on the screen and welcomed the audience personally to Circle Cinema, explained how much he loved his home town of Tulsa and thanked them for watching the film. Having not seen Nelson in the trailers, I was wondering what kind of character he played. How would Nelson represent Tulsa in this film about such an important racial subject? In “Just Mercy,” Jordan plays Bryan, a Harvard Law graduate who moves to Alabama in the late 1980s to pursue justice for inmates who have been incarcerated for high crimes and are on death row. He takes on the case of Walter “Johnnie Dee” McMillian (Foxx), a black man arrested on charges for murdering a white teenager, Ronda Morrison. The problem? There is only one thin testimony against Walter from a white convicted felon, Ralph Myers, played by Tulsa’s Tim Blake Nelson. Additionally, there are 20 undocumented testimonies that Walter was

away at a neighborhood fish fry during the crime scene. All of the police officials denounce Bryan’s hope of providing justice for Walter as naivety for the systematic racial dominance in Alabama, but Bryan pushes through, dead end after dead end. Nelson’s character, Ralph, testifies that he was pressured by the Alabama police to give a false testimony, not only to lessen his own sentencing, but also to stop the police from torturing him. In the hearing, Ralph states that he never wanted to do anything wrong, and even though the local judge denied Walter a retrial, Bryan’s petition to the Alabama state supreme court to drop all charges for Walter was approved, finally obtaining just mercy for Walter, and a large victory for equal justice. Jordan and Foxx’s portrayals add a lot to this already rich true story, and director Destin Daniel Creton offers a stunning and engaging presentation of the film’s original screenplay, which was written in part by Bryan Stevenson himself. The pacing is excruciating, especially during a very visceral and disturbingly sad execution scene. Throughout the film, Creton’s narrative is consistent and not overdramatized, because the plot points are by themselves, extremely meaningful and represent a larger issue that still happens today. After the film, I thought about the real Bryan Stevenson, and how he’s been bringing justice to disadvantaged people for decades. I believe that he is saying that it is up to all of us to see the injustice that takes part in our societal institutions that we may also be a part of, and make a stand for others who may be at a disadvantage to us. This story is just one of many injustices that take place everyday in our society, and we must all contribute to helping bring justice to those who deserve it.

Michael B. Jordan stars in “Just Mercy” as young lawyer Bryan Stevenson. courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures

Tulsa Symphony combines classics with contemporary music

For their fifth Classics concert, the symphony performed Greig, Mozart and Torke.

Karelia Alexander Student Writer

On Saturday, Feb. 8, the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra performed downtown at the Tulsa PAC. The night was an overflow of joyful, colorful music — each time the symphony played a movement, the audience erupted into applause. The auditorium was packed with people waiting patiently for the orchestra to play. As they thumbed through their programs, the expressions on their faces lit up to see what pieces were on the schedule. While the auditorium slowly filled up, the musicians individually tuned their instruments one last time. Despite the last minute nerves (as all musicians get), there was a sense of confidence in each instrumentalist. The music being performed was thoughtfully prepared with complete pasion over several hours invested in practice and rehearsal. Nevertheless the performers were excited to collaborate with the conductor and share their gift with Tulsa . When it came time for the symphony to play, the crowd fell silent in the darkness of the auditorium. The critically acclaimed guest conductor Leslie Dunner looked at the audience with appreciation and walked straight to the podium. Dunner is considered to be one of the most promising conductors of his generation. Throughout his career he has been internationally recognized, being honored on numerous occasions. Dunner’s knowledge of orchestral music showed: the accompanied compositions from hundreds of years ago beautifully. The piece was commissioned and recognized by the Atlanta Committee back in the 1990s for the strong sense of the American spirit and the images that it invoked.

“... the bright melodies floated lightly through the auditorium ... ”

intensity of his left hand cues were hard to miss. He articulated the dynamics with fervor, yet the music progressed beautifully, never seeming to jump clunkily between sections. From start to finish, it was clear that the conductor had a vision of what the score should sound like. Without hesitation, the bright melodies floated lightly through the auditorium and the rich harmonies bounced around and complemented the sounds being produced. The pieces played were not at all mismatched. Yes, they were from different composers, but there was a running theme: instrumental painting. Each piece told a story and had a variety of colors ranging from bright and joyous to dark and forceful. There was never a dull moment. The first piece the orchestra performed is relatively new by today’s standard. Michael Torke (b. 1961) composed “Javelin” in 1994, but it The orchestra went straight into playing W.A. Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 in E-Flat Major, K 543 after “Javelin.” The movements were continuous; instead of having contrasting styles within the piece, it sounded as if it was one giant movement with its lighthearted leaps. Even though it was continuous, the audience couldn’t help but applaud after all four movements. The symphony was impressive, as the musicians collaborated, never skipping a beat and and flowing through the tempo. As it progressed, the music became more bombastic and feathery. It was bombastic in the sense that Mozart’s personality could be heard in each movement. It was also feathery because the piece was joyous with brisk movements, titillating back and forth from start to finish. After intermission, the symphony played Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, op. 16 with critically acclaimed pianist Sean Chen. Chen has won several awards for his understanding of both orchestral and solo piano works. The Grieg piece was no exception, showing off his refinement and talent. Unlike its classical counterpart from before, this Romantic-era piece portrayed intensity and virtuosity with each note and dramatic dynamic contrast. Nevertheless there was a playfulness brought by the orchestra and the pianist: Chen was interacting and with each beat, knowing exactly where to come in, even without Dunner cuing him. There was an understanding between both of them. It was astounding how two very different musicians know how to execute and play the piece perfectly. Throughout the Grieg piece Dunner and Chen smiled at each other, almost as if cuing was a running joke, knowing that they had the entire concerto down and could do it by heart. It was remarkable. Towards the end of the concert, the audience gave a standing ovation, which ushered in an encore performance of Chen’s arrangement of J.S. Bach third sonata. It was beautiful, capturing the lines and heights of the piece itself. Again the audience ruptured in applause. As the concert came to an end, the audience carried the music with them, eagerly awaiting the next concert that they could appreciate as much as they did with this one when the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra plays “Star Wars” in Concert on Saturday, March 14.

“Diary of a Lost Girl” explores the stigma of female sexuality

Circle Cinema screened this classic silent film as part of their Silent Saturday series.

Justin Klopfer Student Writer

Every second Saturday of the month, local independent theater Circle Cinema shows a classic silent film accompanied by live organ music. The organ is an authentic 1928 fully acoustic organ originally used when Circle Cinema showed silent films. This month, Circle Cinema showed G.W. Pabst’s 1929 drama “Diary of a Lost Girl,” an adaptation of the 1905 novel of the same name by Margarete Böhme. Louise Brooks plays Thymian, a young girl who runs away from her family after being taken advantage of by her father’s assistant. She is tossed between a home for troubled girls and a brothel without anyone to care for her. Eventually, she is able to escape the cycle and rescue one of her friends from a similar fate. The historical importance of this film is quite notable, particularly because of Brooks’s character. The actress became an international star after the release of this film and “Pandora’s Box,” another film directed by Pabst. She came to symbolize the Flappers of the 1920s with her bob haircut and liberated ideas about women’s roles. Many critics of the time took issue with the film and its depiction of such a character like Brooks’s for the same reasons many Flappers were looked down upon. Tragically, Brooks’s life seemed to somewhat imitate the plight of Thymian in the film. Both are victims of sexual assault. After her film career had ended, Brooks was a prostitute for a period of time. Of course, Brooks’s personal experiences may have

helped guide her acting in the film, contributing to the authenticity of her acting. Thankfully, before her death, her films came to be greatly admired by cinema aficionados across the globe. “Diary of a Lost Girl” was heavily censored upon its original release due to its overtly sexual content. It was even taken out of theaters for a time in Germany, where the film was made, so it could be censored before re-release. The film was also censored

for its American release, but the censored cuts would vary depending on which city it was showing in. Eventually the MPAA adopted the Hays Code for films, which created a more regulated and centralized logic toward what would and what wouldn’t be allowed in pictures shown in America. Ironically, as Bill Rowland, Circle Cinema’s organist, pointed out, the film would probably only receive a PG rating if it was released today. Luckily, Circle Cinema was able to show the full, uncensored cut. It just goes to show how much the public’s sensibilities have changed over time. The film still mostly holds up to a modern viewing, though some peculiarities of silent films do get in the way of enjoying it. Of course, Brooks’s performance more than compensates for these problems. She was perfectly casted for the role of an overwhelmed yet strong young woman. You really find yourself rooting for her through all of her journey in the film. Of course, Thymian’s struggle is still strikingly relevant today. Even almost a century later, Thymian embodies a female identity crisis decades before Anna Karina (“Vivre Sa Vie”) or Barbara Loden (“Wanda”). Next month’s silent film will be “The Great K&A Train Robbery,” a classic western starring Tom Mix. The show is on March 14 and the tickets will be free!

Hannah Robbins Miss Trial 1998

Hope came to Tulsa last week in the murder trial of Hans Johnson. Johnson, who was arrested in December after he stole a newscaster’s microphone to proclaim that “[he] definitely killed three people, why yes sir,” is currently on trial for a completely different murder that he also confessed to, this time on a radio show. Before his trial began, it was predicted he would serve 25 to life in a federal prison (but the ones with the good conditions that only rich people get in to), but then something changed. The day before Johnson’s trial was set to begin, a legal loophole arose due to the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump wherein the Senate voted to call no witnesses. Johnson’s amazing (and contra bono) lawyer had a cunning moment of inspiration: cite legal precedent and bar the prosecution from calling any witnesses in Johnson’s trial. The logic behind this OBJECTION was fairly simple: in the trial in the U.S. Senate to remove Trump from office, the Senate had to vote if they wanted to hear witnesses related to the articles against Trump. However, one by one the senators said nay,

You’ve activated his trap card!

bringing a swift end to the impeachment trial. Why? Because if the result is obvious, there is no need for evidence.

graphic by Emma Palmer

This allowed Johnson’s lawyer, Mr. Moneylaunderbags, to claim, rather simply, “Take one look at Hans Johnson and you’ll know that such a charming man could not have killed anyone. All criminals are awful, and if someone goes up to a criminal, they know that this is the case. Mr. Johnson is a good, honest, God-fearing man. He would never do something like this, no sir! It’s so obvious that Mr. Johnson was framed!” The judge in the case, the Honorable Judge Judith, was in a bind. If the Supreme Court Justice who presided over the Senate Impeachment trial had approved and agreed with this obviously sound logic, then this must be how it should work in the lower courts. Legal precedent must be followed, especially when the people setting it are illogical and taller than you. The Supreme Court of the United States is the tallest court in the U.S., so their word is law. With that evidence in mind, Judge Judith had no choice but to omit the witness section of the trial. While this sped up the trial considerably (Judge Judith was able to get an early lunch!), some critics remarked that the result had not been fair. Hans Johnson was free after a 45-minute trial, and the very next day he was back on local TV with a new body and some pictures to prove it, crying “Y’all can’t catch me! Some little judge wasn’t able to put me in the slammer, so no one can! This is America baby, land of the free if you have the money to bribe the right people!” At that point, Mr. Moneylaunderbags reappeared, shoving his client bodily off the set. No charges have followed that episode.

President Levit’s first order: censor Cl*ncy

Although she’s only been in power a week, Levit is already making sweeping changes.

Michaela Bueche “I Levit!”

It was announced two weeks ago that President Gerard Cl*ncy would be resigning from office and that Provost Janet Levit was taking over as Interim President. Now that Levit has achieved her final form of Supreme Interim Ruler (SIR for short), she has been hard at work making changes left and right. SIR Levit could be seen this week running around campus using a censor button to bleep out anyone saying Cl*ncy’s name. When asked why she was doing this, Levit responded, “We must look to the future of our great super college, and not to the past

budget cuts that we will definitely continue to make.” I recently had a witness, who shall remain nameless for their safety, come forward with information about what Levit had been planning. The witness said, “I was walking by Sharp Chapel after my lab one night and saw Levit nailing something to the door. This seemed strange, so I hid behind a bush I waited a few minutes, in case she came back, before walking up to the door to see what she had nailed there. At the top it read, “SIR Levit’s 95 Executive Orders.” At the bottom, it said, “If you have any comments, questions or concerns, you may come to [Levit’s] office hours in Chapman Lecture Hall on February 6 from 1:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.”

“The hunt is still on to find the other 90 Executive Orders.”

with the campus cats until she left.” (We have not been able to get in touch with the campus cats to corroborate this story.) “She proudly strode away with the hammer over her shoulder like she was Paul Bunyan and had just chopped down 1000 trees. I was able to attain the top half of the first page, but it had major water damage from the epic snowstorm on Wednesday. Listed below are the portions I was able to decipher: 1. Censor any mention of the old president who shall not be named. 2. Levit shall herein only be referred to as Supreme Overlord. 3. [REDACTED] 4. All students shall drop their majors in favor of the super-duper major, lawyer. 5. Thou shalt not gossip about the Supreme Overlord behind her back under penalty of death. The hunt is still on to find the other 90 Executive Orders. Our best investigative reporters also managed to get into Levit’s office hours through a wormhole to the Twilight Zone, but did not have enough time to ask any questions. They will try again during her next office hours on Feb. 30 from 1:30 p.m. to 1:28 p.m, which won’t actually be announced until the day of at 1:32 p.m. This is an ongoing investigation, so we encourage students and faculty to share any and all information they have.

Feminist only watches male-centric anime

Women are often degraded in anime. The solution? Just watch shows without women!

Courtney Spivey Anime enthusiast

When I began watching anime, I was around 14 years old. I knew of “Cardcaptor Sakura” and some good old timey animes, but nothing that was really trending or popular. I didn’t really know what I was gravitating towards in popular anime, but I stayed far far away from the big tiddies in “One Piece” and the massively obscene muscles on Goku. As a rite of passage, I knew I had to pick one of the big three to binge — “Naruto,” “One Piece” and “Bleach” — but wasn’t sure which one was the best. Being a dumb little child, I picked something I could relate to: “Naruto.” Let’s not get into the misogyny of that epic series (the story arcs are awesome but … yeah). Moving forward, I watched many anime and learned about many strong types of supporting female roles. I like adventure and action popular anime, so I watched and found my idols: 1. The Lolita girl (usually 500+ years old): Tatsumaki in “One-Punch Man”, Hestia in “Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon” (don’t watch this show if you want to remain sane), Elizabeth Mildford in “Black Butler,” Shinobu in “Monogatari Series.” 2. Big titty mother role women: Tsunade in “Naruto,” Erza Scarlet in “Fairy Tail” (haven’t watched this one but the titties are massive and she’s strong apparently). 3. The hot hot hot silent and deadly female character with glasses. 4. The big titty GOTH hot crazy insane evil female villain (most female villains in anime, always skinny af): “Kill la Kill,” “Devilman.” 5. The harem of strong female characters who all bounce their young, provocative bodies around some fugly male character that looks like a standard weeaboo: “BNHA,” “SAO,” “Dungeon,” “HighSchool DxD” … 6. The cool girl but they’re still nothing in terms of power compared to the main male characters … and they wear short skirts that accentuates their ungodly thicc (for their body type) asses AND are haaaawt: “Cowboy Bebop,” “BNHA.” 7. Honorable mention: dark skinned white girls. ... with most females in outfits that realistically would have pouches for where the anime tiddies go, no matter the size. After my first feminist class: “Introduction to Java,” I realized that I was viewing all these females through a male’s gaze and that it was a bit objectifying to ogle at these hot hot hot hot hot hot steamy oh mama mia girls in their attires. I realized this because I finally had a class where every target audience of popular anime converged. I understood why they were created so sexy and perfect, beyond the limitations of the 3D world. I was in a bit of a pickle. Being a mostly straight female, I was not sexually empowered by seeing characters move around with their boobie physics. I wasn’t really attracted to them either, and I found them just as annoying as their male anime counterparts usually found them to be. However, I am a feminist. What to do … what to do … In a bid of radical feminism, I cut all the sins from my life and decided to watch shows where the ratio of main characters of men to women was overpowering! Shows like “Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure,” “Devilman Crybaby,” “One-Punch Man”, “Blue Exorcist,” “Durarara!” and “Cowboy Bebop” were tasteful classics that didn’t deal with much female representation (but when they did they were haaaaaaawt). It made me feel more comfortable and I fully enjoyed those shows. I still struggle sometimes when a new anime makes its way into my friends circles / my social media outlets and their bondaka donkity honkers bounce vivaciously into my newsfeed, but I now view things with a clear perspective. Nothing in anime is sin OWO? What’s this? Big tibbies?? graphic by Ju Kai Chen