16 November 2015

Graphic by Elias Brinkman

Over the last week, bigotry, religious extremism and racial tensions have gained worldwide media attention.

Yet these themes show up in local news as well, where they are given names and faces. While University of Missouri students face off with administrators, TU students share their thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement and Muslims encounter Islamophobia as they join Tulsa’s Veteran’s Day parade.

TU students asked about #blacklivesmatter, p 2

Mizzou president steps down after football team joins student protests, p 3, p 13

CAIR-OK organizes veteran float, meets resistance, p 9

News

The Collegian: 2

16 November 2015

Students react to #blacklivesmatter Following the resignation of Mizzou’s president, The Collegian interviewed several TU students on the Black Lives Matter movement. The students interviewed were chosen at random, and their responses have not been edited except for clarity and brevity.

“It’s an important movement in terms of saying black lives matter, but I think all lives matter. At this point the African American race is being persecuted more than others, but I also think it singles out one group, when all lives matter. There are also transgender people being murdered on a day to day basis, and I don’t think those things are different so to speak, and so I have mixed feelings about it.”

“I think it’s important to talk about, even if people are uncomfortable talking about it.”

Cece Johnson, freshman

Grace Heaberlin, freshman

“I think it stands not only for black lives but all lives... I am totally on board with that.”

Tony Burks, junior

“I think it’s a great movement. We need more movements like this. Everyone should be shouting ‘Black Lives Matter!’

There should be an end to police brutality and it needs to be publicized more.”

Terricia Foster, senior

Kayleigh Thesenvitz Variety Editor Immediately following the death of 17 year old Trayvon Martin in 2012, social media erupted with #BlackLivesMatter, and the pace hasn’t slowed much since. In fact, it has grown from a mere hashtag to become a full-fledged national activism movement. #BlackLivesMatter is typically invoked when talking about matters of police brutality. However, according to the official website, “we are broadening the conversation around state violence to include all of the ways in which Black people are intentionally left powerless at the hands of the state.

We are talking about the ways in which Black lives are deprived of our basic human rights and dignity.”

The #BlackLivesMatter movement does not have a chapter in Oklahoma. The closest one is in Austin, Texas.

The movement has been challenged by some organizations because it focuses heavily on straight cis gendered Black males and,

some say, has marginalized other groups.

The movement has since accommodated those groups saying on their official website, “Black Lives Matter affirms the lives of Black queer and trans folks, disabled folks, black-undocumented folks, folks with records, women and all Black lives along the gender spectrum.”

Retaliation campaigns have also emerged, notably the #BlueLivesMatter and #AllLivesMatter movements.

Tulsa has had a particularly sad history in regards to race relations and police brutality.

According to the records Alfred L. Brophy collected for his book Reconstructing the Dreamland, the Tulsa Race Riots of 1921 were abetted in a large part by the Tulsa police force who deputized white mobs to capture black citizens and assist in looting and burning their homes and businesses.

President Steadman Upham gave his own remarks regarding racism on TU campus in an email he distributed last week as a response to protests at the University of Missouri.

all photos by Kaleigh Thesinvitz

“I am a supporter of the movement. I don’t think a lot of people realize that racial inequality is still a problem. Blatant racism is no longer socially acceptable, but more subtle forms of racism still happen a lot.”

Emily Koehn, freshman

“Racial injustice and other forms of discrimination are antithetical to the values of a free and open university, and to a campus culture that values and respects each member of its community,” Upham said.

“The University of Tulsa remains committed to an environment of open expression and robust dialogue within the bounds of individual responsibility, civility, and mutual respect,” he continued.

It’s not only President Upham who feels our university should be a place of openness and respect. Graphic design senior Lydia Nathan urged, “There needs to be a broader awareness of police brutality.”

“Racism is systemic in our society and we should do whatever we can to make

that apparent in our society,” said freshman Maggie Brooks Junior Tony Burks said, “I think it stands not only for black lives but all lives matter. I am totally on board with that.”

A diversity of opinions exist about this difficult issue, but as Freshman Cece Johnson said, “I think it’s important to talk about, even if people are uncomfortable talking about it.”

Even though there is not a local chapter of #BlackLivesMatter, if you are interested in getting involved in a civil rights campaign try reaching out to the Association of Black Collegians here on campus and doing what you can to further the discussion of racism still present in America.

News

16 November 2015

The Collegian: 3

University of Missouri president steps down amid student protests Students cited a lack of diversity in university staff and administrative failure to respond to racial incidents among their grievances.

Lauren Rogers Student Writer

Recently, students at the University of Missouri decided to take a stand against racism on campus. What began as a series of protests evolved into a campus-wide event that resulted in the resignations of the University President Tim Wolfe and chancellor R. Bowen Loftin.

“The phrase [protesters] have been using is ‘This is a movement, not a moment,’” said Mizzou student Kira Thomas.

Tensions have been building at the university throughout the year over racist attitudes present on campus. In September, Mizzou Student Body President Payton Head spoke out on Facebook after people in a pick-up truck shouted racist slurs at him.

“For those of you who wonder why I’m always talking about the importance of in-

clusion and respect,” the widely shared post reads, “it’s because I’ve experienced moments like this multiple times at THIS university, making me not feel included here.”

At the University of Missouri’s homecoming parade, protesters blocked university President Tim Wolfe’s car in order to express their concerns. Police cleared the street, but one protester was tapped by the vehicle. No one was harmed, but protesters later voiced their beliefs that the police used excessive force in the incident.

This month saw a sharp increase in the size of the protests. On November 3, Mizzou student Jonathan Butler began a hunger strike calling for Wolfe’s removal from office.

“The revolting acts that are occurring at Mizzou are a result of a poisonous infestation of apathy that has been spawning from University of Missouri system leadership,” said Butler a letter sent to the University of Missouri Curators on Monday, November 2.

On November 8, the University of Missouri football team announced that they would not attend practice or play for the

Sammie Hottel Student Writer Attacks in Paris A series of attacks took place in Paris late on Friday, Nov 13. Roughly 129 people have been killed, many of them in the Bataclan, a music hall where a hostage crisis took place. An additional 352 people are currently injured from the attacks.

It is believed that the attacks were conducted by seven individuals, six of whom managed to detonate suicide vests. One of the suicide bombers reportedly attempted to gain entry to a soccer game between France and Germany attended by French President Francois Hollande. They were caught and activated their vest at the gate instead.

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but has not furnished proof of its involvement aside from information readily available from the media.. It is reported that at least some of the attackers were French nationals, two of whom lived in Belgium.

Seven people have been arrested in Belgium in connection to the attacks.

French President Francois Hollande has since declared that France will “lead the fight, and it will be merciless.” Currently, security at French borders has been strengthened.

school until Wolfe left office.

The next day, the Missouri Student Association’s executive cabinet called for Wolfe’s resignation, saying that the University had, “undeniably failed [them.]” Wolfe announced his resignation hours later.

“Generally people are surprised that he actually resigned,” Mizzou student Kira Thomas said. “I don’t think anyone thought anything would actually happen.”

On Tuesday evening, a series of threats began to appear on the anonymous messaging app Yik Yak. “The threats posted on Yik Yak on Tuesday night scared everyone,” said Thomas. “[University officials] had the protesters pack up and go home for their safety.”

One of the posts read “I’m going to stand my ground tomorrow and shoot every black person I see.”

Another post read, “We’re waiting for you at the parking lots. We will kill you.”

Police arrested two 19-year-olds associated with the posts, Hunter Park and Connor Stottlemyre. The two men are students of Missouri University of Science and Tech-

Tuesday, November 13-20 at 12:00pm to 12:30pm Hardesty Hall, Third Floor Passports with Goldie Need a first-time passport? Goldie and the Center for Global Education are partnering up to help!

From Nov. 13-20, CGE will provide vouchers for partial reimbursement on first-time passports as well as information on application. Students who return before the end of the semester with their new, first-time passports and original vouchers will receive a $50 reimbursement, just for getting a passport!

Goldie is getting a passport, too, and she’ll be at CGE as we hand out vouchers on Nov. 17. Stop by to snap a photo with her and pick up your reimbursement voucher!

Tuesday, November 17 at 7:00pm to 9:00pm Student Union, Great Hall Sexual Identity and the Christian Faith A lecture by Dr. Rosaria Butterfield on sexual identity and the Christian faith.

Join in for a conversation and Q&A surrounding the issue of sexuality, sexual identity and intersection of these issues with the Christian faith.

Butterfield is the author of Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert and Openness Unhindered: Further Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert on Sexual Ientity and Union with Christ.

Presented by: Reformed University Fellowship, ChiAlpha Campus Ministries, Baptist Collegiate Minstries, and Wesley Foundation.

Tuesday, November 17 at 5:00pm to 6:15pm Chapman Commons

United States Supreme Court to hear abortion case The United States Supreme Court announced on Friday that it would hear a case challenging Texas’ 2013 abortion law, which many believe to be the strictest in the nation.

The decision will likely be declared by late spring or early summer of 2016. The case primarily revolves around two provisions in the law. The first, which has not yet gone into effect, requires abortion clinics to have costly hospital-grade facilities. The second is already in effect in most of Texas and requires abortion physicians to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles. If these provisions are upheld by the Supreme Court, the number of available abortion clinics in Texas is estimated to fall to about ten.

Supporters of the Texas law claim that its provisions are designed to protect women’s health, while opponents believe the law is a disguised attempt to shut down abortion clinics.

Prince William and Kate Middleton plan trip to India As Queen Elizabeth II welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Buckingham Palace on Friday, Prince William and Kate Middleton announced their plans to visit India in the spring of 2016. The trip will be the couple’s first royal visit to the former British colony, and it significantly mirrors Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s visit to India 24 years ago. The announcement was made via Twitter by Kensington Palace.

Because India is still considered a part of the British Commonwealth, royal visits to the nation are of great importance. Queen Elizabeth herself has visited numerous times, most recently in 1997. Prince Charles partook in eight official tours to India, the last being in November of 2013.

Five minute ISIS video threatens Russia An ISIS video and audio statement released on Thursday threatened Russia with an attack coming “very soon.” The video, entitled “Soon Very Soon the Blood Will Spill Like an Ocean,” consisted of generic video footage of Russian cities and landmarks with an audio overlay of chanting in Russian. The video was posted only two weeks after Russian commercial jet crashed in Egypt, killing 224 people. An ISIS affiliate claimed to have brought down the plane.

Russian officials are currently working to verify the authenticity of the video. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov stated, “I don’t know the authenticity of this video, and I don’t know the authenticity of these sources. But in any case I’m sure this material will be subject of scrutiny by our special services.”

Night Light at TU Please join us on Chapman Commons to kick off the holiday season with cookies, cocoa, carols and lights!

A TU shuttle from the Wilson Teaching and Learning Academy parking lot at 11th and Delaware will be provided for the event.

tucollegian@tucollegian.org

editor-in-chief

Morgan Krueger managing editor

Giselle Willis news editor

Fraser Kastner sports editor

Matt Rechtien variety editor

Kayleigh Thesenvitz commentary editor

Hannah Kloppenburg satire editor

Caitlin Woods photo & graphics editor

Elias Brinkman

UN seeks clarification on UAE breach of embargo Following a newspaper report claiming that the United Arab Emirates was shipping arms to Libyan factions, UN envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon promised to seek “full clarification.” The report quoted emails from a senior UAE diplomat who admitted that his own country “violated the U.N. Security Council Resolution on Libya and continues to do so.” The United Nations first imposed the arms embargo in 2011 after Libyan leader Gaddafi began to suppress pro-democracy protesters.

While admitting that “nothing is more important than full compliance with United Nations resolutions,” Leon also noted that “Given the inaccurate or false information we have seen in previous months regarding the process in Libya and the U.N. and my role, I believe it is imperative to be extremely cautious about the most recent reports.”

nology and Northwestern Missouri State University, respectively.

“Campus was dead on Wednesday because everyone stayed in their dorms.”

Thomas described. “A lot of African American students went home.”

Some nearby restaurants closed for the day, and a few professors cancelled class.

“Most professors didn’t cancel class,” Thomas clarified. “They just emailed everyone and told them there would be no penalty for missing on Wednesday because of the threats.”

The University of Missouri has named an interim president, Michael Middleton.

Middleton was a former law professor, as well as the University of Missouri’s former deputy chancellor.

While administrators still haven’t taken direct action against racist attitudes on campus, the University of Missouri Board of Curators believes that Middleton, who had been working on diversity and inclusion on the main campus prior to being named interim president, is the most qualified to lead the campus at this time.

business & advertising manager

Paul Moses web manager

Sam Chott

distribution managers

Katie Hill, Walker Womack, Witt Womack and Kyranna Gilstrap

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 74104-9700, 918-631-2616.

Requests for accommodation of disabilities may be addressed to the University’s 504 Coordinator, Dr. Tawny Taylor, 918-631-3814. To ensure availability of an interpreter, five to seven days notice is needed; 48 hours is recommended for all other accommodations. Advertising Policy: Advertising appearing in this publication does not imply approval or endorsement by the University of Tulsa or The Collegian for the products or services advertised.

For advertising information, email the Collegian at advertising@tucollegian.org. The deadline for advertising is 12 pm on the Friday prior to publication. Letter Policy: Letters to the editor must be less than 500 words and can be sent to tucollegian@tucollegian, or dropped off at Oliphant Room 110. Under no circumstances will anonymous letters be published. The name of the person submitting the letter must be published with the letter.

We reserve the right to edit or reject all letters. The deadline for letters is 5 pm on the Friday prior to publication. 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. Editorial Policy: Columnists are solely responsible for the content of their columns.

Opinions expressed in columns may not represent the opinions of the entire Collegian staff, the administrative policies of the University of Tulsa, the views of the student body or our advertisers.

The Collegian: 4

News ficers were dispatched to a dumpster fire outside Fisher South courtyard. The Tulsa Fire Department was contacted. Officers suppressed the fire with fire extinguishers until TFD arrived to completely extinguish the fire.

Nov. 1 12:50 While on routine patrol University of Tulsa Campus Security officers observed a student collapse on the south side of Sharp Chapel. As officers approached a student that was with the student ran off. Officers made contact with the student to see if they were okay, when they discovered that they were highly intoxicated and under age. They student also stated that they had been drinking at the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity House.

An ambulance was called for the student because they were in and out of consciousness. They were transported to the hospital for further treatment. Officers went to the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity House to shut down the party due to report of underage drinking.

Upon arrival, officers contacted the fraternity president and told them that the party had to be shutdown. Officers entered the house and conducted a party shutdown to ensure all persons that did not live there vacated the house.

Nov.3 10:06 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security of-

Nov. 4 10:45 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security officers were dispatched to Fisher West Suites in reference to a student reporting an assault that occurred between them and a staff member. The assault occurred earlier that evening at Case Athletic Center. Officers interviewed the victim and witness and had them fill out witness statements documenting the incident. Officers were unable to make contact with the staff member due to the late time.

2:30 p.m.

While on routine patrol University of Tulsa Campus Security officers observed an individual riding a bicycle with a backpack and another bag on the bars in front. Officers stopped the individual and determined they were a non affiliate of TU but was visiting a student. When asked for identification the individual did not have any and gave officers their name but refused to give their date of birth. The individual was allowed to leave with the student and was advised that they needed to be with them while on campus.

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

16 November 2015

True Blue Neighbors gets new home in old CGE building Since the Center for Global Education moved into its new digs, TU’s True Blue Neighbors community outreach program has inherited their old house on sorority row.

Jordan Dunn Hoyt Student Writer With the exciting new addition of Hardesty Hall, the renovation of the old Center for Global Education (CGE) house on sorority row and its transformation into the new home of True Blue Neighbors has gone mostly unnoticed.

True Blue Neighbors connects TU students and staff with volunteer opportunities in the Kendall Whittier neighborhood, including at nearby schools such as Kendall Whittier Elementary and Will Rogers High School. The organization now has a brand new facility and big aspirations.

“Having this house gives us a real identity on campus,” said Mike Mills, Associate Dean for Community Relations and Director of the True Blue Neighbors Program.

“This is the first time in our history that

our staff has all been under one roof. Since TU rebranded all community outreach as ‘True Blue Neighbors’ in 2008, our staff has been spread out amongst Collins Hall and Sharp Chapel. Now, this house showcases the mission of service in a central and clear place on campus.”

“Having a more visible location on campus will encourage more students to engage in service,” said Rapha Ngassa, Vice President of Service for TU’s APO chapter. “It will be much easier to stop by the house on the way to the Union or between classes.”

Along with providing TU students with service opportunities, True Blue Neighbors has played a crucial role in connecting grants and donors to classrooms and children in need. True Blue recently obtained a five-year 1.2 million dollar grant from the Oklahoma State Department of Education to provide enhanced afterschool enrichment opportunities in its True Blue Neighbor Youth Mentoring Program at Kendall-Whittier school. True Blue also connected the Kaiser Foundation with Kendall Whittier’s emergency food pantry to provide for hungry kids.

The True Blue House will be having an open house in the afternoon of Friday, December 4.

Ongoing and upcoming roadwork in Tulsa Roadwork is a year-round process in Tulsa, with projects commonly resulting in lane closures and detours. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation releases a project update booklet a few times each year, the details of which are outlined below.

Sara Douglas Student Writer

Ongoing Slated to conclude in February 2016: • S Yale Ave., E 11th St. to E Admiral Pl.: Street rehabilitation, down to one northbound and one southbound lane.

• S Harvard Ave., E 51st St. to E 61st St.: Street reconstruction, down to one northbound and one southbound lane.

• S Sheridan Rd., E 51st St. to E 61st St.: Street rehabilitation, down to one northbound and one southbound lane.

• S Harvard Ave., at E 31st St.: Waterline replacement, down to one northbound and one southbound lane.

• E 21st St., S Peoria Ave. to S Lewis Ave.: Street reconstruction, down to one eastbound and one westbound lane.

• Apache St., N Yale Ave. to N Sheridan Rd.: Replacement of the Coal Creek bridge, closed to through traffic to Gilcrease Expressway.

Long-term: • Riverside Dr., 41st St. to 24th St.: Gathering Place construction and road improvement, closed until late 2017.

Downtown: • S Denver Ave., W 4th St. to W 5th St.: Central Library and street renovation, one southbound lane closed until spring/summer 2016.

• W 4th St., S Frisco Ave. to S Denver Ave.: Central Library and street renovation, one southbound lane closed until end of 2015.

• MLK Jr. Blvd. and N Detroit Ave., I-244 to E Jasper St.: Changed to two-way traffic, and westbound on-ramp to I-244 closed until end of March 2016.

Upcoming • I-244, northeast corner of loop with US-75 to Delaware Ave.: Pavement rehabilitation, lane and ramp closures beginning in spring 2016.

• I-244, Delaware Ave. to 73rd E Ave.: Pavement and bridge rehabilitation, lane and ramp closures beginning in spring 2016.

• SH-11, over Flatt Rock Creek and Delaware Creek: Bridge work resulting in detour routes in fall 2016.

This map shows where traffic construction will be taking place. Note the high density of projects in the downtown area.

courtesy cityoftuls.org

Variety

16 November 2015

the Collegian: 5

Spectre frustrates more than entertains The newest Bond film wastes Bond’s biggest enemy on disappointing writing.

Nathan Gibbons Student Writer The fourth Craig-Bond film puts Bond on the trail of the powerful shadow organization named Spectre. In the aftermath of Skyfall’s tragedies, Bond’s allies find their hands tied with a threatening merger and all-out surveillance dissolving their agent program.

This is such a frustrating Bond film. The premise is great, the overall plot is pretty strong, but the devil’s in the details. The movie isn’t written very well, and so a domino effect occurs in which otherwise strong elements crumble atop things like weak dialogue and strange character interaction.

The character of Bond takes an especially strong hit. Craig-Bond is an agent who knows his license to kill is not a pass, but a responsibility. As with any Bond, he carries a sense of humor and romance.

This is all present in Spectre.

However, he doesn’t hold the tone nearly as well as he did in

“oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me” when testing switches in his new car. It made the crowd laugh, but it’s too upfront.

In the same way, many scenes are filled with unnecessary music and endless quips. Royale and Skyfall had plenty of crowd pleasers, but they felt organic and rolled smoothly with their scenes.

Bond’s allies hold a large role in this film, and even possess their own subplot. In London, M, Q, and Moneypenny struggle with ‘C’, an agent who intends to amass and share intelligence. The movie presents it as a black and white discussion, with M representing good democracy and C representing evil surveillance. It’s a good excuse to put Bond on his own, but shouldn’t have taken up nearly as much time as it does if it wasn’t going to explore its themes.

The antagonist of the film is Oberhauser, the leader of Spectre.

Christoph Waltz plays Oberhauser very well, but he has to work with the writing he’s been given.

Oberhauser’s motives and intentions are still fuzzy by the end of the film. Oberhauser references Casino Royale a lot and reaches into the last three Bond films and tries to tie himself to those plots.

Spectre’s claims about earlier vil-

Daniel Craig’s performance as James Bond suffers due to terrible writing.

mention of age that existed in Skyfall. It’s not necessarily how much Bond can do that’s the problem,

“A domino effect occurs in which otherwise strong elements crumble atop things like weak dialogue and strange character interaction” Royale or Skyfall. Audience reaction seems to have been made too big a priority, so Bond does some cringeworthy things. You know something’s off when Bond gets stuck behind an oblivious old man in the middle of a car chase. In the same scene, Bond yells things like

lains’ affiliations don’t really make much sense, especially if you give the last three movies a moment’s thought.

This is the most actiony of Craig’s movies, but how great of a threat do the enemies really pose to MI6 and Bond? Gone is any

however. It’s how often Spectre fails to rise to the challenge.

Silva and Le Chiffre acted competently and cautiously for the most part, and Silva was one step ahead of MI6. For an extremely powerful evil organization that claims they are winning, Spectre

doesn’t seem to have planned defenses for a lot of what MI6 brings to the table. GPS is starting to get a little too handy, and Bond’s gadgets encroach on his skills instead of enhancing them. Aside from one great man-to-man fight, this film dangles its supporting cast to generate suspense.

I haven’t mentioned much of anything good about this movie, but that is simply because for all of its faults it is still a Bond movie.

Even if it is extremely frustrating at times, I’d suggest seeing it if you’re at all interested. The Bond franchise has a heart and flare to it that only it can use. Craig shoots down the gunsight as every Bond has before him and the opening looks pretty damn cool.

courtesy IMDB

Rome, Mexico City, and other great settings are among Bond’s destinations. Spectre stars the beautiful Léa Seydoux and the oldest Bond Babe ever, Monica Belluci (keep in mind, she is the closest to Bond’s age).

All the ingredients are here, and this franchise has never been spotless. Skyfall was rock solid after Quantum of Solace. Casino Royale, considered by many to be the best one ever, came after Die Another Day, which many explain away as one of James Bond’s fever dreams.

I hope Craig’s last Bond film is as competent as Skyfall was. In the meantime, Spectre can satisfy lower expectations.

A first look at Fallout 4: stunning but not singular Fallout 4 has great graphics and music but suffers from being too similar to the older games.

Adam Lux Student Writer Given the type of game Fallout 4 is I would not be comfortable with writing a review if I had anything less than 50 hours into the game so this is simply a first look.

Fallout 4 looks beautiful at a crisp 1080p at 60Hz on my computer monitor. The textures are detailed, the backgrounds beautiful and the colours convey the drearydanger of the Wasteland. The character creation system is extremely detailed. I only spent half an hour working on my character but could easily sink an hour or more into it if I’d wanted to. Of course, there are also some pre-made characters for those not willing to put in that

kind of time.

Getting into gameplay, it feels pretty much like Fallout 3 or New Vegas. Movement is fluid, combat is fast paced and very dynamic.

There are, however, a few things Bethesda switched up from its previous Fallout titles. Fallout 4 adopted a LA Noire dialogue system, and more dramatically your character actually speaks! Adding a voice gives the character a much more concrete personality. However, it does place a small limitation on the freedom of imagination given to the player.

Another addition to the franchise is their revamped crafting system and stacked armor. This opens up a crazy amount of new weapon and armor customization, yet also means increased time in crafting menus and inventories.

I tend to like the new system. It makes me feel like I have to be resourceful to survive in the post-nuclear wasteland. Yet loot hoarders

Fallout ‘s textures and graphics give the Wasteland a foreboding feel.

beware! There’s tons more loot in the world than in previous games.

Be prepared to give your dog companion that ten pound lead weight you decided to pick up for some reason.

It would be a tragedy if I didn’t continue to speak about the dog companion. You are introduced to dogmeat very early on in the game.

He’s a little bit different than other companions in the sense that you

other companions and he doesn’t blow my cover every time he sees an enemy.

Meanwhile, the ambient music of the game gives off a vibe of solitude and hopelessness which complements the scenery beautifully. More so than past games Bethesda uses the music to cause a reaction in the player. I really felt the desperate desire for survival that my character faced.

that give a more holistic view of popular music of the time period than past Fallouts. Bethesda also included a mix of songs from old Fallout games and new additions.

While I enjoyed the nostalgia the old soundtrack gave me, I wish there was more new material to listen to.

Unfortunately Fallout 4 is not the perfect game. There are of course the usual bugs and glitches.

“While a little nostalgia doesn’t go amiss, I was left with the feeling that Fallout 4 didn’t do quite enough to establish its own identity within the franchise” can command him more. Also he will sometimes find useful items and bring them to you or sense enemies that you may not be able to see yet. As a sneak character I love him. His AI is much smarter than

Diamond City Radio, the primary radio station in the Commonwealth, plays the usual fallout staples of swing and big band music and also includes a variety of blues and early rock ‘n roll

courtesy Bethesda Softworks

At one point a Super Mutant’s arm got stuck inside his own chest as he tossed a Molotov at me. These are mostly funny and harmless but I do hope Bethesda is working on getting a patch out fairly soon.

There are also some points where the game feels a little too much like Fallout 3. While a little nostalgia doesn’t go amiss, I was left with the feeling that Fallout 4 didn’t do quite enough to establish its own identity within the franchise. I’m hoping that this changes as I put more hours into it and discover more of the little nuances of The Commonwealth.

Overall I’ve quite enjoyed my time with Fallout 4 and I’m planning on spending a lot more time with it in the coming months.

Players new to the Fallout games will love Fallout 4 especially after a patch or two from Bethesda. Veteran Vault-Dwellers might get a tad bored after a few hours because it’s too much like Fallout 3. However, like with all Fallout games, a simple change of playstyle, a new character, a different companion can change the game into something completely different.

Fallout 4 will be different for everyone who plays every time they play. That’s part of what makes it so wonderful. There’s always another adventure to be had.

Variety

the Collegian: 6

16 November 2015

The Neighbourhood hits their sophomore slump courtesy The Neighbourhood

Wiped Out disappoints fans of The Neighbourhood with unusual tracks.

The Neighbourhood’s latest album Wiped Out is inconsistent in quality.

Savanna Deweese Student Writer It’s that time of year again, when indie rockers everywhere harken back the 2013 hit song “Sweater Weather” by The Neighbourhood. With fall and actual sweater weather upon us, music junkies everywhere have been anxiously waiting for the release of The Neighbourhood’s latest album Wiped Out! I found myself among the crowd waiting and wondering what The Neighbourhood would do with their sophomore album. The lead single “R.I.P. 2 My Youth” is an eerie but upbeat melody that is coupled with powerful, haunting and still catchy lyrics.

I was really surprised by this song and excited to see what else the band derived from these past

two years, so I began listening to the album with high hopes for more.

When I sat down to give this record a listen, I logged onto Spotify, located the new album and pressed play without much thought. After about 15 seconds of nothingness I was checking my headphones and

pecially after the expectations the lead single set for me.

However, after listening to the album all the way through I realized that opening with silence fits The Neighbourhood’s image perfectly well.

In other words, opening with something so melodramatic and

and thirty seconds of this track are boring and monotonous without any standout lyrics or interesting instrumentation, and the other 30 seconds of this track sound like police sirens and elephants having a screaming match broadcasted through a radio station that mostly plays white noise.

“If this album does anything it shows the band has not yet fully tapped its potential to overcome one hit wonder syndrome and give listeners a full album experience” the wifi connection for problems when I realized that the first track, titled “A Moment of Silence” is literally 30 seconds of silence.

At first I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about the album opening with a moment of silence. It came off sort of pretentious and angsty and I didn’t really like that tone for the very opening of the album, es-

beach goth-esque was a very “Neighbourhood” thing to do.

That theme is carried out through the entire album but manifested best in the songs “Prey,” “Baby Came Home 2/ Valentines” and “Greetings From California.”

The track titled “Wiped Out!,” the fourth song on the album, is six minutes long. Five minutes

Of course there are tracks that stand out on this record, that I would even say are good, but music is released by collection for a reason and those tracks suffer because of the inconsistencies and straight up terribleness of the other songs.

It’s really sad that tracks like “Prey” and “R.I.P. 2 My Youth”

lose steam when you remember that the same band wrote and recorded the song “Wiped Out!” And while other tracks like “Daddy Issues” and “Ferrari” are not as terrible, they aren’t that great either; they mostly oscillate between being boring or aggressively mediocre.

Overall this album is a big fat bummer. The disappointment brought me down so low that I stayed in bed in my pajamas until 4 pm the next day.

If this album does anything it shows the band has not yet fully tapped its potential to overcome one hit wonder syndrome and give listeners a full album experience.

We should all take an extra moment of silence to send happy thoughts and good vibes to The Neighbourhood so that maybe they can come together a little more in their next album and make something consistently good.

On the road with Andy Warhol’s pop art

The Andy Warhol exhibit at the Philbrook Museum featured guest speaker/ Warhol historian Deborah Davis discussing Warhol’s road trip through Tulsa in 1963.

Sara Douglas Student Writer

The Philbrook Museum opened its doors last Wednesday evening for a free event featuring renowned author Deborah Davis, who discussed Andy Warhol’s 1963 crosscountry road trip on Route 66. The current Warhol exhibition was also open to the public for the night, and the celebration of pop art was really, well, popping.

Andy Warhol has been said to be the most iconic artist of the 20th

galleries, art experts and the public alike.

Tulsa is not immune to this “Warhol effect,” as evidenced by the Philbrook Museum’s hosting of an extensive pop art gallery centered around Warhol’s work.

The gallery has been immensely popular since its opening in midOctober. The In Living Color gallery will remain on display until January 17 of next year and features many of Warhol’s most prominent works alongside contemporary printmakers’ pieces.

On Wednesday night, I arrived at the Philbrook to find a quite sizable crowd milling about the gallery in anticipation of Deborah Davis’ presentation. Andy Warhol’s supposed favorite cocktail was being offered at the cash bar: the “Factory Soda” was Coca-Cola with Absolut, Kahlua, grenadine and a cherry, all over ice. Reminis-

courtesy Public Radio Tulsa

The In Living Color exhibit at the Philbrook Museum includes many of Warhol’s best works.

Tulsa on a whirlwind trip down Route 66 in 1963; Deborah Davis documented this trip and was going to share it with us.

Her book The Trip details this

“Andy Warhol has been said to be the most iconic artist of the 20th century, and he remains revered in modern culture” century, and he remains revered in modern culture. Numerous books have been written about his life and his work, while contemporary artists were and are still inspired by his bold approach to capturing life.

As Warhol’s posthumous net worth keeps climbing, his paintings and films, writings and photographs continue to receive increasing attention by collectors,

cent of cherry Coke, it was nice to sip on as I perused the pop culturefocused exhibit.

Once the audience settled into their seats, a Philbrook Museum representative and then Jeff Martin, the head of Booksmart Tulsa, introduced the evening’s event with a few anecdotes about why Andy Warhol is relevant to our city at all. As it turns out, Warhol and a few friends traveled through

wild ride by following footprints left behind by Warhol and his buddies in the form of receipts for room reservations and restaurants.

They drove the “hipster’s highway” from New York to Los Angeles over the course of four days, Andy himself doing none of the driving.

This left him open to observe the country as they flew through, and he fell in love with America—

and then with Hollywood.

Billboards, generally considered an eyesore and scattered abundantly along Oklahoma’s stretch of Route 66, were so appealing to Andy Warhol that his friend in Los Angeles wallpapered a spacious bathroom with billboard-sized advertisements solely for Andy’s enjoyment upon his arrival, Davis told us. She skirted any history mentioning Warhol’s romantic turmoils, instead focusing on his other sources of inspiration: Hollywood, friends, everyday objects, popular culture and, most of all, color.

The stories Davis shared illuminated the intriguing and memorable persona that was Andy Warhol.

Davis’ method of discovering his story by literally taking the same road trip that he did decades ago (without the help of an early form of Adderall that “everybody took in the sixties, including Andy”) was revelatory.

One serendipitous happening

found Davis stopping in to eat at a small restaurant along Route 66 that she suspected Warhol may have eaten at. The owner of Clanton’s Cafe in Vinita actually remembers Warhol and friends stopping in for a meal, simply because they were the only ones not wearing cowboy hats and boots; Davis only found that out because on a whim, she inquired about “anyone strange” who may have come through in 1963.

A concluding question period revealed a few more riveting factoids about Warhol: he was a major packrat (this is why Davis was able to dig up his receipts from 1963!), wore dark reflective glasses to obscure his gaze, and had a “very hot” male assistant working alongside him for decades while women came and went. Davis clearly conveyed that Warhol was a brightly painted character on the canvas of the mid-20th century.

Variety

16 November 2015

the Collegian: 7

Daughter of Dawn returns to the big-screen nearly a century later courtesWikipedia

Kiowa tribesmen pursue their women’s captors.

Watching the recently restored 1920 film depicting a Native American tribe was an uncomfortably humourous yet worthwhile experience.

Trent Gibbons Student Writer Films can often be a glimpse of the past. Directors rarely shy away from providing their own stylized depictions of history. The audience is aware of the artistic license utilized in these pieces, but we rarely care when watching the likes of Scorcese, Kubrick or Polanski.

It’s interesting, then, to watch a film made in America nearly a century ago. Daughter of Dawn is one such film, produced in the year 1920. After it resurfaced, the Oklahoma Historical Society put great efforts into restoring the film as closely as possible to its original condition.

The film centers on the Kiowa,

a tribe of Native Americans whose small village is threatened by a band of Comanche warriors “out on one of their periodical raids.”

Among the main cast of characters, a love triangle emerges between Black Wolf, a menacing wealthy Brave, Gold Eagle, a kindhearted and modest scout, and the

indiscernible from the comical.

Unintentional humor abounded.

A ‘dead’ man squeezes the blade of a dagger between his arm and his ribs, feigning his death in a child-like manner. The would-be lover of Black Wolf, named Red Wing, earned her own solemn piano theme to accompany her every

filmmakers had consulted a Native American expert, it’s hard to believe the representation of their culture was fair and accurate.

There are moments in the film when the genuinely Native American actors seem uncomfortable or even offended by the camera.

A supposedly-celebratory dance

“I tried to put myself in the context of the film’s release, in a time when viewers would be less educated regarding Native American culture” titular daughter of the tribe’s chief.

The drama here is poorly executed, leaving the familiarity of the premise more charming than dramatically effective.

The film is silent, a detail I often associate with the famed comedies of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. This quickly became an ironic factor of my film-watching experience, as the more serious notes in “Daughter of Dawn” were often

appearance. Her appearances featured, without exception, her outstretched hand reaching after Wolf and drooping her head in sorrow.

In my theater, even the most reverent of watchers often chuckled at such a detail.

When “Daughter of Dawn” isn’t comical, it’s often boring or even cringe-inducing. Despite the film’s opening with a disclaimer to reassure the audience that the

Boy and Pvris, “Wintour is Coming” (a tour which features not only a decent pun, but also an impressive poster of the members of Fall Out Boy as Game of Thrones characters).

In any case, AWOLNATION decided that they would like to play a show on one of those off dates—but rather than choose a location themselves, they figured it would be best to let the fans decide.

The band recently announced that they would be holding a contest to determine whether they should play a show in Peoria, Illinois, or right here in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

If you’re interested in voting, you can do so at https://www. rabbl.com/awolnation. Rabbl is a polling website which, interestingly enough, is designed specifically for situations just like this: letting

fans decide where their favorite bands play.

You can place a vote by reserving a ticket for a respectable 27 dollars, which will only be charged to your account if the show ends up being in your city. The city with the most votes wins the show.

At last notice, Tulsa was leading the poll with 122 votes to Peoria’s 49. Voting is open until January 15, 2016 and the (potential) show will be on March 15.

I’m optimistic us Tulsans can pull through. This city, though smaller than some, has a thriving music scene and its concertgoers are often especially dedicated music fans.

Here’s a chance to control your own musical experience—if you’re an AWOLNATION fan, I suggest you take it.

is instead performed by crowded, awkward actors, who stare down at their shuffling, dragging feet rather than watch the camera. Later a ‘war dance’ is performed by a group of Braves, but the group seems almost ashamed of the act, each one seemingly trying to hide behind another.

Add to these the seemingly random Native American vocabulary tossed into the dialogue and the

directors’ notion that tribes war are about little more than young women and you can’t help but feel that the culture’s representation is less than perfectly accurate.

It may seem inappropriate to criticize such a dated film for its failings, or such inexperienced actors for their poor performances.

It’s worth noting that I was sincerely interested in “Daughter of Dawn.” I tried to put myself in the context of the film’s release, in a time when viewers would be less educated regarding Native American culture. I thought about the people that might have seen it in cinemas 95 years ago and what their lives might have been like.

How the scenes and characters I found so humorous might have genuinely moved some of them.

“Daughter of Dawn” is probably the oldest film I’ve ever seen, and quite possibly the oldest I ever will see. For that reason alone I consider it worth seeing, if for nothing more than gained perspective.

“Your vote matters!” says AWOLNATION

AWOLNATION is coming to Tulsa—that is, if their fans tell them to.

Hannah Kloppenburg Commentary Editor Since 2011, AWOLNATION has risen to the forefront of the alternative music scene with hits such as “Sail” and “Not Your Fault.” Their second studio album, RUN, was released last March.

The band has made ripples in the Tulsa music scene in past years with appearances at the 2014 Center of the Universe Festival and Cain’s Ballroom. If Tulsan fans have anything to say about it, they’ll be making yet another appearance at Cain’s next March.

The band has a few off dates on their upcoming tour with Fall Out

courtesy Twiitter / AWOLNATION

Go online and vote to see AWOLNATION in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“Off the Wall” exhibits bold street art at the Philbrook Thomas Marcus is honored by the Philbrook for combining traditional Native American style and urban street art.

Savanna Deweese Student Writer

An example of Thomas Marcus’s work.

Graffiti and street art are traditions that have existed since ancient times and range anywhere from the scribbling of obscene words or phrases to intricate, powerful murals.

The artist behind the “Off The

courtesy Philbrook Museum

Wall” exhibit at Philbrook downtown is Thomas “Breeze” Marcus.

This exhibit consists of four paintings done on various mediums: vinyl records, an installation of the tools Marcus used to create the art, one large mural and a couple tribal pieces used as inspiration.

Marcus began his art career with fleeting temporary street paintings on trains, brick walls, and other exterior mediums that were subject to destruction by weather, other artists and law enforcement.

His work as a street artist heavily influenced his adaptability when it comes to the medium behind the painting he is working on. This progress, adaptability and search for something fresh is manifested in his paintings done on vinyl records.

The first installation, aerosol and oil on vinyl records, was made of four separate pieces used to represent the seasons. He used combinations of deep reds and vibrant blues to simulate the fading from one season to another and then covered the record in intricate, distinguished geometric designs.

Marcus derives his inspiration from reinterpreting past traditions.

He focuses primarily on abstract patterns and reoccurring geometric shapes. He pulls from past traditions in the world of street art but also Native American influences as well.

The contrasts between these two main influences are what make Thomas “Breeze” Marcus’ art is impactful. On the one hand, he is a street artist, so the influence of fast pace city/urban life is reflected in the bold colors and mesmerising patterns that characterize his work. But on the other hand, Native American art and community inspire how his linework is intended to mirror the way rivers and streams flow through and breakup landscapes of Arizona and Oklahoma.

Marcus’ paintings are powerful and commanding among the white walls of the exhibition room. The bold outlines and dazzling, swirling colors leave an imprint on the street art community, preconceived ideas of Native American art and, consequently, viewers.

Commentary

The Collegian: 8

16 November 2015

Coverage of student protests at Mizzou should not devolve into “free speech” debates

Sara Douglas Student Writer Recent incidents at the University of Missouri have sparked conversations about the place of free speech in our society. Whereas some argue that all language should be protected and unchallenged, racist language does not represent an “opinion.” Rather, it occupies a harmful position in our vernacular.

When freedom of speech is valued more than the safety of marginalized individuals in our nation, something is wrong. Students at the University of Missouri who have chosen to speak out about race-fueled conflicts on their campus are being criticized by some for various reasons: for being too easily offended, for not being able to “prove” the antagonistic events occurred and for overreacting to the aggressions they have experienced.

However, we have to see that in this situation, the events brought to light by the students are simply indicators of a systemic issue that is largely overlooked and downplayed, or at the very least topically diverted so that talking about the root of the problems is skirted in favor of discussion of its symptoms. Widespread use of microaggressions against minori-

The University of Missouri’s most recognized and symbolic view: Jesse Hall and the columns.

ties contributes to the generalized acceptance of such language, often due to pure ignorance, and a reduction in perceived severity of “worse” racist actions.

This results in occurrences like those that have happened at Mizzou, where black students had racial slurs yelled at them repeatedly (among other events detailed in numerous news articles), not getting addressed to the full extent that they should be.

The ensuing conversation that should be focused on ensuring racial equality and the erasure of racially-motivated violence and discrimination is instead eclipsed by white students claiming that their right to “free speech” overrides the black students’ “right to be offended.”

“Free speech” runs in two directions. If one group believes they have the right to use hurtful language directed at another group, the receiving end has the right to reply. Most importantly, they have the right to respond freely without being silenced, told they are over-

reacting or being trivialized by being portrayed as just having their feelings hurt.

That is exactly what the protests in support of black students’ rights at Mizzou are attempting to convey. Those students are paying money to attend the university to learn, and they should not have to fight for a safe environment in which to accomplish that.

But unfortunately, they do. In order to attain success, minority students on that campus (and many, if not most, others across the nation) have to go to much greater lengths than their white counterparts to obtain equal opportunities.

University officials carry the burden of providing a conducive learning environment for their pupils—all of them, not just the majority.

When confronted multiple times about various components of their campus that were not excelling in establishing such a place, the president and chancellor of the University of Missouri should

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

have leapt at the chance to address those problems at that time; they could have generated a productive dialogue about race relations and progress with students.

But they did not respond adequately or even at all in some cases and allowed the situation to become more extreme.

Even when a graduate student began a hunger strike with the intention of remaining on strike until death, if it came to that, to point out the major flaws in the administration’s handling of racism on campus, there was no strongly unified reaction.

It took the football team protesting to draw the attention of the university’s leadership.

Unfortunately this is likely at least in part because of financial considerations, not a sudden realization on the management’s end of the significance of supporting social justice and civil rights movements.

If the president hadn’t resigned and the football team had continued to boycott their own practices,

a one million dollar cancellation fee would have been assessed to the university for having to cancel their upcoming game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Also, the graduate student on his hunger strike would have died, but that was not the school’s apparent primary concern.

It is frustrating that a fairly sizable group of students belonging to various groups on campus was unable to illuminate the racist issues they have been experiencing on their own, even when they made multiple attempts to do so.

Then having the legitimacy of their raised concerns immediately questioned entirely disrespected their efforts and undermined potential conciliatory progress.

Multiple people corroborated the stories of racist events, but since the vast majority of the witnesses and supporters are minority students, their attestations are being thrown out of consideration in the absence of “proof.”

It’s unfortunately common for minorities’ “soft evidence” (i.e., verbally relating incidents) to be minimized if there isn’t accompanying “hard evidence” (i.e., photos/video/audio recordings).

Instead of pursuing conversations about whether the offending white students should be allowed to use racial slurs or not, we should keep the focus on why there is any acceptance of language and actions that contribute to societally enforced patterns of disenfranchisement and abuse for minorities.

“Freedom of speech” is well and good when utilized to generate honest, open discussions about true problems (and their solutions), but its exploitation—such as is happening at Mizzou—results in the silencing of the very groups to whom we should be listening most closely.

Common Core fails to adequately prepare students

The Common Core supposedly tests students on their readiness for life after high school, but the scores, and the tests themselves, really don’t matter.

Kyle Crutchfield Student Writer In 2001, President George W. Bush laid the groundwork for what politicians and policymakers now consider to be the panacea for college and career readiness: testing. Under No Child Left Behind, standardized testing became an educational staple in the US, and it has remained in a hotbed of debate ever since.

In 2009, standardized testing evolved into something new and as equally debated: the Common Core.

Established from the Common Core State Standards Initiative, the Common Core was created as a way for states to level the playing field in education. That is, it provided states with identical educational standards for its students to meet. These standards include English Language Arts/Literacy (in the Social Sciences, Science, and Technical Subjects) and Mathematics.

Keeping in line with the goals of standardized testing, the Common Core was established primarily as a way to prepare students for college and for their future careers.

However, it supposedly differs from standardized testing in its format and approach. Instead of the standard multiple choice ques-

tion format, the Common Core utilizes “critical thinking skills and complex student learning” that go beyond “fill-in-the-bubble tests of basic skills.” This statement came directly from Arne Duncan, the U.S. Secretary of Education, in his 2009 speech entitled “Beyond the Bubble: the Next Generation of Assessments.”

After being implemented in more than forty states, the assessments have now come in—and the results aren’t what Duncan envisioned.

Over the past year, more than half of all states that originally adopted the Common Core have since abandoned it, citing its high cost of implementation and its high difficulty for students as problematic.

The Common Core was intended to be used with online testing, which meant that schools had to have computers, computer accessories, bandwidths and other technological necessities—and this was just to test its students. Forget the other costs of daily instruction.

Many state educational centers also cited that the program was too difficult for its students. One such example of this came from the Vermont State Board of Education.

One week ago, the Vermont Board sent letters out to parents after receiving its student’s Common Core scores. The letters essentially (and rather boldly) told the parents to ignore their student’s poor scores. In the letter the Board writes, “[the scores] are too simplistic and too negative a message to students,” adding that they “are based on a narrow definition of college and career readiness.”

They even throw in that “most successful adults fail to score well on [these] tests,” which is worrisome in its own sense, but I’ll leave that be.

The tests are structured so that the difficulty of the questions increases as the student moves up

through the grade levels. Ideally, very rigid, and young adults who best incorporate those interests students will be ready to begin in are trying to figure out the world into a sustainable lifestyle. If tests Kindergarten, develop essential around them do not need rigidity, can teach students how to do this, skills for that grade, take their they need flexibility. Not all stu- I’d be learning new vocabulary tests, pass them, and move on dents have the same passions, and and reiterating PEMDAS nonto the first grade, where the pat- limiting their learning to a handful stop. It hasn’t helped yet, but who tern continues until twelfth grade of pre-determined standards does knows.

The Vermont Board was on where the student supposedly has not provide them an atmosphere to something when they sent out the knowledge and skills neces- for personal growth. sary for success in college and in Its overarching goal, too, reeks those letters. They ostensibly told the work force. of cliché. “College and career parents that the Common Core What the Common Core fails to readiness” has become a vacuous doesn’t matter, that tests don’t matdo is realize that not all students phrase. What does it mean to be ter, and that their children will be begin at the same level. There will ready for college, let alone for a alright in the end. In a sense, this be students who are ready to start career? I’m in college and I still is all true, as far as “college and at the third grade level, because can’t tell you if I’m ready or not. career readiness” is concerned. their knowledge and skills either Furthermore, knowing what I want Students will learn to be ready match or surpass the level neces- to do for a career is utterly incon- for these things by pursuing their sary to successfully answer the ceivable at this point. interests and by experiencing life questions, and there will be stuMy best guess is that to be ready in its rawest forms. They don’t dents who are far below from that for these challenges, the student learn who they are by taking tests, level. It’s as if the Common Core needs to figure out where his deep- no matter what politicians like expects these students to shoot for est interests lie, and how he could Duncan seem to say otherwise. the moon when they can’t even pick up the bow-and-arrow.

Separate from the Common Core’s approach, its content ignores a large chunk of studies, namely the humanities. Students are not tested on the arts, performance or visual, philosophy, languages, or other studies of the human condition. They’re tested strictly on five components of English: reading, writing, speaking and listening, grammar and vocabulary and media and technology (the last of which I’m not convinced belongs), as well as certain domains in mathematics: operations, measurement and data, geometry, graphic by Elias Brinkman statistics and probability, equations, etc. Myths about the usefulness of the Common Core are starting to shatter—just like the program’s The content is logo, as seen here.

Commentary

16 November 2015

The Collegian: 9

CAIR-OK supports troops, is met with undue hate

all photos courtesy Facebook / CAIR-Oklahoma

CAIR-Oklahoma members participate in Tulsa’s annual Veteran’s Day parade.

CAIR-OK, a local American-Islamic relations organization, was met with hate when it participated in the Tulsa Veteran’s Day parade with the intention of supporting American troops. This response was completely unwarranted.

Tara Grigson Student Writer CAIR-Oklahoma is the Oklahoma branch of the National Council on American Islamic Relations.

CAIR-Oklahoma emphasizes building bridges between Muslims and non-Muslims—which is important in a state where anti-Islam sentiments run rampant.

Their website makes it clear that their goal is “to be a leading advocate for justice and mutual understanding.”

CAIR’s primary focus is on building peaceful, respectful relationships between Muslims and non-Muslims. They work to decrease Islamophobia, increase acceptance and fight for civil liberties. They are an important voice in Oklahoma’s social justice community and they play a necessary role in creating safety for Muslims living here.

CAIR is incredibly important.

This past Wednesday, CAIROklahoma had the opportunity to participate in the Tulsa Veteran’s Day Parade.

The announcement of their appearance was met with much hatred, including comments on the CAIR-OK Facebook page and Veterans’ Day parade event page such as, “I can not believe that Tulsa let those Terrorist’s parade with our veterans!!!” and “I hear CAIR on television. They are pro Muslim brotherhood and seek the overthrow of America.” Way to keep it classy, Oklahoma.

When one of CAIR-OK’s board members in Tulsa was asked whether CAIR would be interested in sponsoring a float in the parade, CAIR Events and Operations Coordinator Anna Facci said, “… there wasn’t any hesitation on our part—it seemed like a great opportunity for us to honor our veteran community members and all veterans.”

Contrary to what many Facebook commenters would have you believe, CAIR-OK sponsored a float in the parade not as a political statement, but as a way to honor veterans (much like every other participant in the parade).

Facci made it very clear that CAIR-OK was frustrated by the media attention their participation received. Their goal was not to make a statement or gain attention, but to support veterans.

The media attention CAIR-OK’s participation received was attention that should have gone to the sacrifices of veterans.

Facci stated, “…we did not want the media attention and the negativity. We wanted the focus to be on our veterans who sacrifice to keep us safe.”

The goal of CAIR-OK participating in the parade was to express their support of veterans and to make clear that all Americans, including Muslim Americans, support our veterans.

CAIR-OK receives Islamophobic, hateful calls or emails at least

once a week, and they receive hate-filled messages on their Facebook page effectively every day.

It seems pretty clear that CAIROK is not the problem in this scenario, but rather the people who would make assumptions about an entire group of people based on the actions of a tiny handful of people.

Their Facebook page includes comments like: “Will be glad when the cult known as islam is removed from the face of the earth…” and “I pray for the day the Muslim faith is eradicated! Get out of America we don’t want you here!!!!”

which to amplify their hate.”

Facci is not Muslim, and she states that, “my friends who are hijabi or otherwise ‘visibly Muslim’…have considerably more experience about the type of anti-Muslim sentiment present [in Oklahoma]”. The hate CAIR-OK receives is only the tip of an iceberg that reveals some truly horrifying facts about the state of prejudice in Oklahoma.”

Facci did say that, although CAIR-OK receives a lot of hate, they also have, “an amazing community of Muslims and non-Muslims” who support them.

said a number of hateful things through a bullhorn, particularly about Muslim women. He made the claim that Muslim women are not allowed to associate with nonMuslim women.

One of Facci’s friends, Aliye Shimi, who wears a hijab, responded, “I love my non-Muslim sisters.” Facci stated that Shimi’s endurance and positivity made the parade experience, overall, far more uplifting than she had expected.

It is overwhelming to me that when a group of Oklahoma’s Muslims and non-Muslim allies would

CAIR-Oklahoma members hold signs supporting US troops and veterans.

Really, Oklahoma? As a Christian Oklahoman, I want to state for the record that not all Christians are that dumb. And, as a Christian, I would hate if people assumed I was complicit in behaviors committed by other members of my religion.

Facci further said, “Many of the people who objected to our participation were already prejudiced against Muslims and CAIR but the event gave them the platform on

Much like in the fight for LGBTQ rights or the elimination of racism, allies are so important in this situation. The people who are oppressed should not always have to speak for themselves, and there is much support for CAIR-OK through various interfaith organizations in the state.

CAIR-OK experienced hate on the day of the parade as well—a handful of protesters showed up.

One of the protesters, Jim Gillis,

attempt to express their support for our troops, they would be met with hate and terror.

Our veterans are fighting for, among other things, religious freedom. CAIR-OK’s freedom to participate in the parade is a prime example that our soldiers are succeeding.

I am a Christian, and I support our troops and Oklahoma’s Muslim community.

Keystone XL Pipeline should not have been rejected

The Obama administration should not have rejected the Keystone XL Pipeline, a private endeavor, without significant proof that the project would cause harm to the US. Brennen VanderVeen Student Writer After several years, the Obama administration has rejected the Keystone XL Pipeline. In denying the application, President Obama said that it was not in our national interest. He cited three main reasons that the pipeline would not benefit the United States: 1) that it wouldn’t lead to long-term jobs, 2) that it would not lower gas prices and 3) that it would not increase our “energy security.”

For the sake of argument, I’ll concede that he is correct that the Keystone XL pipeline would yield

only small benefits. This isn’t reason enough reason to reject it, though. The government is not being asked to construct the pipeline.

It’s only being asked to approve the application by a private Canadian company. The reason that the government is involved is because the pipeline would cross the border. This is why the State Department, rather than say the EPA or the Department of Energy, was in charge of the review process.

In order to reject the pipeline, one should have to cite actual harms to the United States. Not only did Obama not mention any real harms in his announcement, he actually said that it was not “the express lane to climate disaster.”

He’s right on that point.

The Economist notes that the Keystone XL pipeline “would have carried 830,000 barrels of oil a day,” but thirty-one pipelines already carry around three million barrels a day from Canada. In fact, Keystone XL is really just the fourth phase of an already existing set of pipelines. Furthermore, the remaining oil “will be carried by rail,” which does not need State Department approval, but is “more dangerous, dirtier and more expensive.”

One possible benefit of rejecting the pipeline is that the tar-sands oil

it carries emits about twenty percent more carbon when burned.

Rejecting the pipeline would make production of tar-sands oil less lucrative. However, the rejection of the pipeline would still only stall the production of tar-sands oil. Canada’s oil producers still have every intention of producing oil from the tar-sands of Alberta.

Also, Justin Trudeau, Canada’s Prime Minister, supported the Keystone XL pipeline and supports the use of other pipelines as well. The oil will still be developed, it’s just a matter of Canadians figuring out what to do with it.

Based on this evidence, the actual harms of the Keystone XL pipeline are minimal. The benefits may be small, but so are the harms. If the harms outweighed the benefits, President Obama would be right to reject TransCanada’s application, but that wasn’t the case. He simply said it’s not all that beneficial.

In deciding whether or not to deny the actions of private parties, the government should have to prove actual net harm. The question should have been “will allowing TransCanada to build an addition to an already existing pipeline harm our national interest?”

In this case, Obama seemed to want there to be proof of substan-

tial benefits and the advancement of our national interests. If this sort of reasoning were applied to other areas of life, many harmless things would be rejected simply because

the benefits aren’t that large.

Luckily, we generally don’t need to ask the president’s permission to see if our private actions are “in the national interest.”

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

A map outlining the previously proposed Keystone XL Pipeline addition.

The Collegian: 10

Commentary

16 November 2015

Anonymous reveals Klansmen’s identities:

The public release of Klansmen’s identities unnecessarily endangers and shames their families.

James Terrell Student Writer

To say the KKK is ever in the right would be almost laughable. However, an invasion of privacy is still an invasion of privacy. In fact, this masked vigilante approach calls to mind various other scandals, specifically the Ashley Madison case.

Again, this situation involved immoral people, and I will in no way stand for these people’s decisions. However there’s a huge problem that comes with these outings.

Plastering someone’s private information all over the internet is the newest craze, but

one specific group gets hurt because of it: the families.

It’s one thing to take down a single person, but these aren’t simple isolated cases.

Multiple people are harmed in these reveals, specifically the families associated with the people involved. Children and significant others often get shamed, even ostracized for something over which they had no power.

It’s wrong to shame them for their lack of knowledge, which is unavoidable when the related offender becomes the newest nationwide criminal. This is why I think these problems should be handled internally.

Rather than post it for the world to see, get the information to the people that actually matter, such as bosses and significant others. It’s one thing for a town to hate the wife because she unwittingly married the KKK member (although that shouldn’t happen either); it’s another for the entire nation to swoop in and destroy her for it.

These members shouldn’t get away scottfree, but it shouldn’t be a national problem, either. Minimizing the shrapnel saves the real victims in the situation, here, and that’s the most important thing in these situations.

Spare the families for crimes they did not commit.

Anonymous’ decision to make Klansmen’s identities public was an act for the public good.

Sara Douglas Student Writer

As a socially progressive group, Anonymous defends the freedom of thought and speech. However, they do not condone acts of terrorism or inflictions of hateful behavior on the public, and they make the case that the KKK, at least in part, exhibits terroristic tendencies. Rather than being one cohesive organization, the modern-day Klan is composed of splintered cells predominantly scattered across the Midwest and South.

In their outing of Klan members’ personal information, Anonymous included a foreword which explained that they tar-

Rather, the removing of their “hoods” (online aliases in this case) is more of a symbolic revealing of racism’s existence and the threat that it poses to a progressive society.

A portion of the published list’s accompanying statement reads: “We need to make room for important, blunt, honest, public, productive conversation. Violent bigotry IS a problem in the United States. This is not a colorblind society. It is deeply divided on racial lines. We hope Operation KKK will, in part, spark a bit of constructive dialogue about race, racism, racial terror and freedom of expression, across group lines.”

The data presented in the final document was scoured carefully for accuracy after collection over the course of eleven months. Both human and open-source intelligence tactics were utilized in discovering members of the KKK via their online presences, with public data being used to confirm identities of investigated persons.

Although Anonymous sometimes used fake identities in order to generate a rapport with suspected Klan members, this practice was in line with those individuals’ own use of aliases.

Also, this method of information gathering is comparable to investigators who “reverse catfish” suspected sexual predators

“By shining light on active KKK members, Anonymous is doing a public good.”

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The logo of the hacktivist group Anonymous, which recently revealed the identities of many KKK members.

geted Klan leaders and significantly active members rather than any and all Klan members. This is because those individuals were actively involved in perpetuating an environment of hate towards minorities, either through online activity or real-life actions.

For instance, one KKK group leader, Frazier Glenn Miller, killed three Jewish people at a retirement home during Passover in Kansas City last April. This example alone indicates that there is a potential for future violence, likely from prominent Klansmen. Although they have the right to free thought, we should not tolerate it when those thoughts cross over into taking harmful actions against others.

Anonymous makes it clear, though, that they are not seeking to reveal specific individuals’ identities for the sole purpose of outing them as direct threats to society.

online by posing as vulnerable girls.

When it comes down to it, making these details public was the right action to take.

While the KKK’s “right to privacy” (which isn’t expressly protected in full by the Constitution—but that’s a story for another time) may be violated, it is likely being done at no risk of actual harm to them. At the same time, they have historically been promoting harm against others and still incite fear and terror in the general public.

By shining light on active KKK members, Anonymous is doing a public good.

Establishing an online presence for oneself, even a “private” one, has to be done in light of the fact that essentially anything and anywhere on the internet has the capability to be made public at some point, especially if the contents of one’s online activities pose potential threats to others.

Donald Trump makes appearance on SNL:

Trump’s appearance as host trivializes the presidency.

James Terrell Student Writer Last week, Donald Trump took time out of his “busy” schedule in order to host Saturday Night Live. While some find it to be a great ratings boost for the show, this is an act of complete disrespect to the presidential campaign.

When people host SNL it’s usually right before a big entertainment release, like Elizabeth Banks hosting before the release of Mockingjay or Scarlett Johansson for Avengers: Age of Ultron.

And when it’s a musician, they usually

between a television celebrity and a presidential candidate. There’s a sense of respect one has to garner in order to prove themselves the runner of this nation. Granted, candidates and presidents alike have made guest appearances not only on SNL but in a wide variety of shows, but these were just guest spots. Poking fun at oneself is not the same as essentially letting the campaign be a roast.

In addition, the first sketch wasn’t comedy; it was essentially a political ad. The players act like Trump winning would result in a perfect world. Sure there were some tongue and cheek moments, but honestly there was no real punchline. A bizarre twist was expected, like it was Hillary Clinton’s dream, or maybe the people in the sketch were actually aliens, or SOMETHING. What’s even worse is this was perhaps the only semi-comedic sketch of the night. Everything else just didn’t play out well. Perhaps, this is due to having to constantly keep Trump in the best light possible.

The bashes on his part were already well known too. For the thousandth time a joke on Trump and his disbelief in Obama’s birth certificate surfaced, and that was the most “hard hitting” when it came to Trump’s character. It was a huge game of “Don’t Piss

“Trump hosting SNL implies that the presidential campaign is just another form of entertainment” host around the release of their album. Miley Cyrus has her Dead Petz and Blake Shelton had Bringing Back the Sunshine.

So what does Trump bring? These other people are entertainers hosting for their projects. Is the presidency a “project”? Trump hosting SNL implies that the presidential campaign is just another form of entertainment, lessening the importance of the presidency, and that’s where the problem lies.

Being the president is not something that should be taken lightly and to have Trump host doesn’t just lessen importance, it demeans the whole process of campaigning.

Yes, Trump hosted SNL in 2004, but that was a different time. There’s a difference

off the Billionaire Because He’ll Give us Good Ratings,” and that in itself is disgusting. SNL is a groundbreaking show, so does it really need to rely on some rich kooky character to try and further itself?

And that’s what it comes down to. SNL doesn’t need to whore itself out in order to prove its worth. While it may seem like the best marketing strategy in the world, if it lessens the art to a degree where it isn’t enjoyable, then it just isn’t worth it.

The presidency has become some a weird popularity game, this time more than others.

And that is an especially concerning thought after watching what’s meant to be a comedy.

Trump’s stint on SNL is politically and morally inconsequential.

James Whisenhunt Student Writer It is well known that Donald Trump is a controversial figure in American politics.

This controversy means Trump is a hot commodity for advertisements and television. Plenty of people want to hear what he has to say: some because they like what he’s saying, and just as many, if not more, because they want to make fun of him.

Either way, the strategy works. For instance, Trump’s stint as host of Saturday Night Live brought 9.3 million viewers.

This is SNL’s highest rating since a December 2013 episode hosted by Jimmy Fallon, featuring Justin Timberlake. Trump sells, and everyone from NBC to Trump himself knows it.

Despite the sense it makes from a business perspective, there are objections against Trump’s newfound hosting gig.

Many people feel that someone who is widely considered to be insensitive, full

of himself, and even an outright racist, shouldn’t be receiving so much of the political spotlight. Many think Trump is pulling attention away from more legitimate Republican candidates. Many consider his presidential candidacy embarrassing on an international level.

These are all valid complaints, but they don’t validate personal attacks. Such complaints show larger problems with the American political system, if anything.

However, Trump’s hosting SNL is realistically going to have little or no impact on Trump’s campaign.

Trump isn’t the first presidential candidate to be on SNL. President Obama appeared on the show in 2007, as did John McCain in 2008. Hillary Clinton appeared in a skit in October. Trump himself has hosted the show before in 2004, to advertise for The Apprentice.

The show itself wasn’t exactly praising him, either. Though SNL isn’t in the business of defacing their hosts, they did add in jokes at the politician’s expense, such as a Mexican ambassador walking into Trump’s oval office to give him “the check for the wall.”

Perhaps I think too little of the American voting population, but Donald Trump isn’t going to gain any votes as a result of hosting SNL. Yes, there’s something to be said for candidates endearing themselves to the American public. Given the consistently low voter turnout in the US, however, Donald Trump dancing in a skit making fun of Hotline Bling isn’t going to get people to the polls who weren’t going to go already.

courtesy CBC News

Donald Trump (center) and two Trumpy lookalikes (left to right: Darrell Hammon and Taran Killam) take the stage on Saturday Night Live.

16 November 2015

Commentary

The Collegian: 11

Students ask the big question: Is there a God?

“Big Questions: Is There A God” provided a platform for students to challenge and think critically about their beliefs—a practice which is important for personal growth.

Trent Gibbons Student Writer

Going into a discussion titled, “Big Questions: Is There A God,” I had feared the worst. I had just finished a class of Global Commons in which we’d discussed the consequences of privatized searches and user-catered results on the internet. These results propagated forums of so-called public discussion which in actuality consisted of total avoidance of any argument one might find uncomfortable or disagreeable.

In such an environment, often known as an echo-chamber, people engage in discussion without opposition; they use their own confirmation bias to their advantage and nod incessantly in agreement with one another.

It might have been this class, or perhaps prior experiences of the like, which gave me a very pessimistic view of how the discussion might turn out. Despite my agnosticism, it was actually atheists I feared to be in the majority.

I’d conversed with a student who had negative opinions regarding any and all believers earlier in the week; to see him rant about their apparent ‘ignorance’ did not make for a pleasant experience.

When it came time for the actual event, I was pleasantly surprised. A dozen people, including myself, met around a bonfire on the Student Union patio for the discussion.

The organization hosting the event, Crave, provided Starbucks coffee and a plethora of

snacks for participants.

Crave is an official Christian student organization (though none of its members attend the same local church) that started two years ago at the University of Tulsa. After poor management had put a temporary stop to regular events, Senior Katherine Witcher and her friends sought to revive the group this semester.

Admittedly, I was the only non-Christian at the debate, a detail that would have perplexed me had it not been been for the others’ willingness to voice their own and question each other’s varying degrees of faith.

Some were creationists who believed much of the Bible should be taken literally. Others were more ‘interpretive’ of the events depicted in the Bible, nevertheless believing the messages at its core. While most of the participants were students, some came from other universities entirely, and two of the members were well past graduation and had just stopped by to participate.

The discussion itself opened with the Problem of Evil, to which a man cited Einstein’s supposed argument: Light could not exist without Dark, Good could not exist without Evil.

From here the conversation progressed into the ability to which we are able to exercise free will, and the degree to which God controls the events which affect our world.

Some participants went so far as to believe that there was a greater good behind every tragic event—even death.

Later still, we discussed whether the many different faiths which exist across the globe stand as a testament to God’s existence or as evidence for his nonexistence.

In the end, the Christians still believed and I wasn’t quite converted.

Still, debates like these are not a waste of time. At a time when many perceive students as intolerant of any opinion with which they might disagree, one must take every opportunity to expose themselves to all the little controversies they can find. Like bacteria to the immune system, you might find it strengthens your own beliefs, or better yet, it might even give you a new perspective of those you perceived as ‘incorrect.’

A response to “All lives matter” The phrase “Black lives matter” is not equivalent to “Some lives don’t matter.” Rather, it’s a testament to the importance of being an ally and listening to what people of color have to say.

Tara Grigson Student Writer Gracie Weiderhaft Student Writer Over the past several years, we have seen innumerable people of color murdered at the hands of a system that is constantly challenging them to keep living. We have seen children murdered, and we have said nothing.

Kimani Gray was 16.

Kiwane Carrington was 15.

Andy Lopez was 13.

Tamir Rice was 12.

Aiyana Jones was 7.

Black children and children of color, black adults and adults of color—they’re getting murdered at an astounding rate.

And so many white people sit back and say that “all lives matter.”

The problem is that all lives clearly do not matter. If they did, black people and people of color would not be being murdered at a disproportionate rate as compared to white Americans. If all lives mattered, Tamir and Andy and Kiwane and Kimani and Aiyana would still be alive.

Our black compatriots are telling us that something is wrong. As white people, we can choose to either listen and believe them or we can choose to ignore the problem.

We all decide whether or not we are going to be allies to people of color. Being an ally means ensuring that we are speaking with people of color—not on top of, not louder than and certainly not against them. Being an ally means listening, really listening, to what people of color are saying. Being an ally means not telling black people what they should and should not be feeling. Being an ally means understanding that their outrage is valid.

As white allies, our job is to offer people of color the support they ask for, not the support we decide they need.

People of color in the US are born into a system that is set up for them to fail. The US is based on slavery, the US is based on inequality, the US is based on keeping white people up and people of color down. As white people, we don’t always see that.

We can tell ourselves that racism is over because we get along with our black classmates and coworkers. We can tell ourselves that three hundred and fifty years of slavery, lynching and segregation can be washed away by fifty years of “equality” because we don’t have to live with that history every day.

We can support “tough on crime” policies because we aren’t being randomly searched in the streets and our homes aren’t being raided. We don’t have to teach our children how best to interact with a police officer to avoid getting killed. We blame black fathers for being absent while incarcerating nearly a million black men, mostly for low-level drug offences. We tell black communities that they could improve their status if they just voted more, but we disenfranchise them with felony charges for non-violent crimes.

There is no justice in our criminal justice system. So right now if you are not a person of color, it’s time to sit down, shut your mouth and listen to people of color.

If you are a white person who says, “All Lives Matter,” you need to listen to people of color.

No one, no one is saying “Some lives don’t matter.”

No one. Except maybe the system that contributes to the deaths of people of color.

However, some of us are saying that the United States seems to be weirdly comfortable with murdering people if their skin happens to be darker. We respond to tragedy

photo by Trent Gibbons

TU students and others conduct a fireside discussion in front of the Allen Chapman Student Union at the event “Big Questions: Is There A God?”

Overall the debates were civil, laid back, and participation was very equally dispersed. I fear I might have appeared a militant at times, but otherwise I’m glad to have attended and hope to see a rise in participation in the future.

On Tuesday, November 17, another meet-

ing will be held at 5:30 at the same location, the ACAC patio. Invitation is open to everyone, and the discussion will be centered on the existence of miracles. Crave hopes to begin hosting such debates regularly, and eventually a Christmas concert—so long as SA approves.

Facebook facial recognition is convenient, not creepy

Facebook Messenger’s new facial recognition technology is an impressive and convenient advance.

ally who organizes anymore? And so the photos remain jumbled and cluttered.

This is where the app comes in. It automatically does the work for you, making sending images all the more easier.

Much concern lies in how this is done automatically, but Facebook has a really cool setting where people can opt out of letting Facebook activate the facial recognition feature automatically. So, to all the people confused by the improvement, or those who legitimately don’t want their photos organized, that option is a simple click away.

James Terrell Student Writer Facebook recently announced a new setting in its messaging app, Facebook Messenger, that allows the app to access user camera rolls in order to quickly identify and sort photos based on face recognition so that sending pictures to friends and family can be ten times easier. While initially I found this extremely creepy, I’ve come to realize the crotchety technophobic old man that sits in the back of my mind was stalling this great progress in technology.

It’s not weird. In fact, it’s leaps and bounds when one thinks about it. Just from a picture, programs such as Facebook can quickly identify the person in it, taking a picture worth a thousand words and boiling it down to a single name picked out of millions.

In addition, it makes organizing so much simpler. A person takes over a hundred different photos at a Halloween party. Being honest with themselves, they know they aren’t going to take the time to organize every single photo, because renot with sadness or outrage, but with “we don’t know the whole story.” When other white folks claim that the person they killed seemed dangerous or demonic, we believe them.

We need to stop.

All lives do matter. That is, without a doubt, true. But right now, the United States is really struggling to recognize that black lives are part of “all lives.”

So, for a little while, at least until the murders stop, white allies will be saying BLACK LIVES MATTER. And no one will be saying white lives do not matter.

photo courtesy Anthony Kelly graphic by Elias Brinkman

Facial recognition technology is becoming a thing of the present rather than the future.

But a lot of people are going to say black lives, and the experiences of people of color, and the years of oppression and prejudice and discrimination, do not matter.

Until all lives matter, we will fight for black lives. Until all lives matter, we will say their names.

Aiyana and Tamir should be playing right now. They should be going to school and laughing and doing homework and hugging their families and talking to their friends.

But they don’t get to do any of those things.

Say their names.

Black lives matter.

Sports

The Collegian: 12

Men’s soccer clinches NCAA berth with tournament win Tulsa men’s soccer team won a pair of thrilling, shootout-decided games this weekend in the semis and final of the AAC tournament.

Joseph Edmunds Sports Writer

In the semifinal game, Tulsa was matched up against the tournament’s top seed, SMU. In the regular season, the Golden Hurricane fell in a 1–0 game to the Mustangs.

Geoffrey Dee put Tulsa on the board first, as he converted a penalty kick halfway through the first half. Then, as time was winding down in the first half, Tulsa goalkeeper Jake McGuire went to the top of the box to try and snag a high ball over a couple of field players, and ended up grabbing a Mustang forward, drawing a penalty kick call from the referee. Camara Idrissa took the spot kick for SMU, and leveled the score

Wade Crawford Sports Writer

The Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team is only a win away from bowl eligibility. Should they become eligible, they could be going anywhere from Hawaii to Florida.

Here’s a quick prediction of where they could end up.

First of all, you may ask if Tulsa is even guaranteed a bowl in the first place. Well, not necessarily. The American Conference is guaranteed six spots in bowl games. As of this week, Tulsa is tied for seventh in the American Conference. Navy is ahead of Tulsa yet has a bowl of their own, the Military Bowl against an ACC team or even possibly Notre Dame. Therefore, Tulsa is on the cusp of being allowed a bowl.

However, Tulsa could still drop both of the next two games and be out. Additionally, two situations could arise where Tulsa could

Tyler Leeman got the scoring going quickly in the championship, putting the ball into the net in the third minutes to give the Huskies a quick lead. Miguel Velasquez found the back of the net shortly before halftime to bring the score level again.

Neither team scored in the second half, nor did either of them manage to score in the overtime periods.

In the shootout, the Golden Hurricane went down early after failing to score their first kick. However, McGuire made more clutch saves, including one in a do-or-die situation on the fifth Husky kick, and Tulsa won 4–3 in the shootout.

This is the second consecutive season that the Golden Hurricane have won the conference tournament. In each of their tournament games this season, they won in PKs. Tulsa now awaits its draw for the NCAA tournament on Monday.

finish the year with a win and a loss, and still be left out at 6–6. Then Connecticut, who is tied with Tulsa in the conference at the moment, could win both of their games, putting them at 7–5. Or East Carolina could win the next two weeks and gain eligibility due to their victory over Tulsa as a tiebreaker.

But let’s say Tulsa gets in. Where could they land? The American Conference has, again, six bowl spots to work with. The first happens on the first day of bowl games, in the AutoNation Cure Bowl against a Sun Belt team. The second is the Miami Beach Bowl, held in Marlins Stadium against a team from Conference USA. Thirdly, a visit to the stadium of Tulsa’s first opponent this season, FAU, in the Boca Raton Bowl against a MAC school.

Fourth, an American team could spend Christmas Eve in Hawaii, to face a Mountain West team or BYU in the Hawaii Bowl. Next, a possible location is the day after Christmas, in the St. Petersburg team against a C-USA school. Finally, the American plays an SEC school in the Birmingham Bowl on December 30th.

Of course, there’s no way of knowing where any of the conference members will end up. Theoretically, Tulsa could show up in all of these bowls. But what’s the fun of not predicting? Houston may grab a New Year’s Six bowl, should they remain undefeated. I’d predict that Houston or any other top AAC school, like Memphis or Temple, would play an SEC for exposure. Next, the Boca Raton Bowl could feature one of these high-powered offenses against a school such as Toledo.

This leaves us with three Florida bowls and a Hawaii one. As much as you would think Tulsa would be facing a Sun Belt or C-USA school for not being the first round of choices for bowl teams, a Hawaii bowl game is just as likely.

In ESPN’s bowl projections relative to last week, analyst Mark Schlabach pitted Tulsa against Boise State in the Hawaii Bowl, while Brett McMurphy put them in against Kentucky in Birmingham. Either way, Tulsa making a bowl game would mark a step in the right direction of the program.

ESPN would actually shut down arguably its most critically acclaimed product? One might say that things began to fall apart in May, when Bill Simmons, the popular internet sportswriter who created Grantland, was removed from the position of editorin-chief and dropped altogether by ESPN. Officially, this parting of ways was said to be financially motivated, as Grantland and 30 for 30, the Emmy-award winning sports documentary series produced by Simmons, purportedly did not bring in enough revenue to justify Simmons’ $6 million salary. But behind closed doors, all knowledgeable parties understood that the decision was based on the rocky relationship that has long existed between Simmons and the ESPN brass, which peaked when Simmons appeared on the Fox-owned Dan Patrick Show and ripped NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for his poor handling of, among other things, the “Deflategate” scandal.

Once Simmons was gone, it was only a matter of time before the whole of Grantland followed. Simmons was the website.

Everything from its (relatively modest) popularity to the developing writing styles of some of its up-and-coming journalists, to the interactive prose filled with hyperlinks used by almost all the writers on the site, could be traced back to Simmons’s influence. Most importantly, Grantland only existed as a vanity product, and with its creator gone, ESPN deemed it a waste of time and money. And that is a damn shame, because if the executives at ESPN cared at all about quality and not just making the most money and appealing to the lowest common denominator, Grantland would still be around.

Perhaps I am naïve in thinking a big cor-

poration should care about something more than money. But ESPN is a 50 billion dollar company, owning a near-monopoly on American sports coverage, and is in no danger of losing its dominant share of the market. They could at least make some effort to preserve their quality journalistic endeavors even if it makes a miniscule dent in their profits, in the same way that the big studios use the millions brought in from blockbusters to finance smaller, artistic films.

Grantland was named after Grantland Rice, a famed sportswriter from the early 20th century who was renowned for his eloquent long-form journalism. He was a man who defied all the stereotypes that exist about sportswriters today, writing with a thoughtfulness and intelligence uncommon in his field, and because of this, he would likely find himself out of a job if he was operating today. It seems there is no place for journalism of this quality anymore. In an age of hyperactivity and short attention spans, consumers want all their news in as quick and condensed a format as they can get. The evidence is everywhere: read some of the leading articles on ESPN or pick up an issue of Sports Illustrated and compare it to one from the 1970s. Those of us who want to preserve the integrity of quality sports writing and journalism in general have to hope that Simmons and the rest of the talented Grantland crew—Zach Lowe, Jonah Keri, Andy Greenwald, Bill Barnwell, Rembert Browne, Ben Lindbergh and Wesley Morris, among others—will find jobs in the future that will allow them to continue putting out high quality work they produced at graphic by Elias Brinkmann Grantland. Because if not, all we’ll have are “Only the good die young” - Billy Joel the memories.

Goodbye Grantland, you will be missed Grantland, more than just a sports website, was shut down two weeks ago. One of our writers mourns the loss to sports journalism.

Justin Guglielmetti Student Writer The word sportswriter has a developed a rather unfortunate negative connotation. It tends to be considered the lowest form of journalism, not requiring much research and covering what is generally known as a lowbrow topic. Sportswriters who are actually good at what they do, who can write insightful articles and not just clickbait paragraphs to accompany highlight reels are increasingly rare, and that makes it all the more tragic whenever a source that features such writers disappears. And that is just what happened two weeks ago, when sports media giant ESPN announced the immediate shutdown of its award-winning website, Grantland.

This article hits home for me because Grantland was my absolute favorite source for substantive sports commentary, as well as intelligent pop culture news and the occasional geopolitical piece. I can’t count how many hours I must have wasted on it over the past five years (Grantland was launched in 2011), and not just because the number is so high; rather, it’s because I don’t consider any of my time reading the site to be wasted. It was a constant source of entertainment, providing an outlet of fun for me at all times and I can say that it has tremendously increased my awareness and acumen as a sports fan and an observer of the world.

So how did we get to this point, where

Monday

Basketball beats UCA

at 1–1 heading into the halftime break.

After play resumed, Bradley Bourgeois put Tulsa back on top, scoring a goal in the 61st minute. Once again, the Golden Hurricane found themselves leading as the half was dwindling. It appeared as though they would be advancing through to the tournament finals. The Mustangs weren’t out just yet, though. With a little more than two minutes remaining, Jared Rice took a corner kick that curved over the field and then back to hit the goalpost, deflecting off a Tulsa defender and into the net. Regulation ended with the score knotted at 2–2.

In the penalty shootout, Jake McGuire made a couple of clutch saves, and the Golden Hurricane advanced 4–3 on the shootout.

The matchup in the finals pitted the Golden Hurricane against the Huskies from UConn. In their regular season matchup, the game ended in a 1–1 after the Huskies scored a goal at the buzzer.

Potential bowl games for Golden Hurricane The Collegian looks at possible bowl scenarios for the Golden Hurricane this holiday season.

16 November 2015

Tuesday Men’s Basketball vs.

Wichita State 7:00 p.m.

No Events Women’s Basketball @ Saint Louis 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday

Thursday

Men’s basketball won their season opener on Saturday afternoon with a seventeen point win over Central Arkansas.

Matt Rechtien Sports Editor The Golden Hurricane men’s basketball team opened up their season on Saturday with a 98–81 win over the University of Central Arkansas Bears. This is their first season-opening win since Danny Manning’s first year with Tulsa in 2012.

Tulsa had six players score doubledigit points, led by senior James Woodard who had 23 points—including five threepointers. Woodard was closely followed by Shaquille Harrison who had 22. Brandon Swannegan, D’Andre Wright, Pat Birt and Marquel Curtis all had double-digit points.

At the start of the game, Tulsa jumped out to an 8–2 early lead on Wright’s six early points. Central Arkansas trailed the Golden Hurricane through the entire first half, but made it close at the half with a three-pointer, making it 44–38 going into the half.

UCA came out strong in the second half putting up five quick points to pull within one of the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa responded by scoring ten unanswered points and then seven more after Central Arkansas scored (on free throws, not a field goal) to make a 17–2 run, making the score 61–45.

When the Bears scored six straight points of their own in the middle of the second half to come within nine, the Golden Hurricane responded with another ten-point run, this time from Birt and Woodard’s three-pointers, to take a nineteen-point lead with under five minutes, and essentially putting the game out of reach for Central Arkansas.

Central Arkansas guard Derreck Brooks scored in the final seconds of the game, but Tulsa had already wrapped up the win.

After the game Frank Haith said, “I thought our players were outstanding offensively, and defensively, give Central Arkansas credit—they made some shots. Central Arkansas has some good offensive players in Brooks and (Jordan) Howard.”

Haith also said, “I thought executionwise we were really good, and we had 38 field goals with 20 assists, and that comes from sharing the ball. It was good to see some of our guys that hadn’t played well in the exhibition get out and play well—Shaq being one and Pat Birt being another. All in all it was a great win for us.”

Shaquille Harrison joined teammate James Woodard in the 1,000-point club, becoming only the 37th player in school history to reach that milestone. His current total sits at 1,020 points.

The next game is on Tuesday night against the No. 10 Wichita State Shocker at 7 pm at the Reynolds Center.

: Nov. 16 – 22 Friday

Saturday

Men’s Basketball vs.

Ohio 12:30 p.m.

Men’s Basketball @ Paradise Jam

Men’s Soccer Volleyball @ Temple No Events vs. NCAA First Round 6:00 p.m.

Women’s Basketball vs.

Oral Roberts 7:00 p.m.

Cross Country @ NCAA Championship Football vs. Navy 6:00 p.m.

Sunday

Volleyball @ UConn 12:00 p.m.

Men’s Basketball @ Paradise Jam

Sports

16 November 2015

Mizzou and the social power of sports A lot of people think that sports are just a form of entertainment, but the Mizzou Tigers just showed how instrumental the sports world can be in forcing big social changes.

Justin Guglielmetti Student Writer You have undoubtedly heard much over the past week about the ongoing situation at the University of Missouri, which has seen racial-injustice motivated protests break out across campus. The president of the university, Timothy Wolfe, was forced to resign in the face of overwhelming criticism about his slow response to the rampant racism on camp…

Wait what’s that? His resignation had nothing to do with the protests? Oh, it was just the football team threatening not to play that forced his hand? Huh. Sports are often dismissed as being an ultimately irrelevant part of society that take up a disproportionate amount of the media’s attention and the population’s collective interest. People will complain about the federal government’s involvement in sorting out scandals in professional leagues and bemoan the fact that sports talk and highlight shows far outstrip substantive news programs in terms of ratings.

To a point, these naysayers are absolutely right; it seems silly that so many people care so much about professional athletes—who they have never met and likely have no personal connection to for that matter—playing schoolyard games for a living. But the critics of sports’ place in society fail to take into account one critical piece of the equation: money.

It’s what drives everything. Professional sports matter because people think they matter, and when the masses are really interested in something, that generates a lot of revenue. At the end of the day, sports are merely a business, albeit the single best kind of business. When the product is something insubstantial like “entertainment,” not to mention constantly evolving with new players and new styles, people can never have enough or get tired of it.

Of course, when something is a business it means there are people at the top making the money, and when something happens to the product that threatens any of that juicy revenue, problems arise. Which brings us full-circle back to Mizzou.

The catalyst for action in the Missouri situation, the one thing that forced Tim Wolfe’s hand and led to his resignation, was the threat of certain members of the football team to not play out the rest of the season.

Such a boycott would have caused Mizzou to forfeit their next game against Brigham Young University and potentially others down the line if they couldn’t scrounge up enough serviceable players, and boy would that have been a hit financially. Penalties would have included a 1 million dollar fine paid directly to BYU in addition to other multi-million dollar sanctions to the NCAA itself, as well as lost TV revenue.

Like most schools with big football programs, Missouri finances much of its operations with revenue brought in from the sport.

The university made 84 million dollars from

turn would hurt the university’s reputation.

In short, losing football would cause a chain reaction that would essentially destroy the university. Wolfe didn’t want such ignominy on his resume and so he stepped down, it’s as simple as that. It didn’t matter that there were protests or that a student threatened to starve himself to death because he thought the school was not doing enough to stop systemic racism. Wolfe didn’t share this idea and so felt that he was in the right in staying on. Money, on the other hand, isn’t a principle; it’s a cold hard reality.

So for the last time, let’s all agree to stop pretending sports don’t matter. We just witnessed a team essentially form an unregistered union and force the expulsion of the president of one of the largest universities in the country. Maybe you think it’s a good

“Money on the other hand isn’t a principle; it’s a cold hard reality.” its athletic department last year, most of it coming from the football program.

Losing such a massive revenue stream would be directly harmful to the school’s quality of life and its academics, and this in

thing that the football players spoke up to end racism, maybe you think it’s wrong that they abused their power on such a contentious issue. But wherever you stand, there can be no debate over their influence.

Football fell to Cincy 49–38 on the road, and is still looking for the bowl-eligibility-clinching win.

Boone took matters into his own hands, taking a direct snap in for a touchdown and a 21–14 Cincinnati lead.

Warren showed off his fourth down magic once again, taking a fourth down run 39 yards for a touchdown. After Redford Jones kicked the only field goal of the game, Kiel found Chris Moore for 43 yards and a touchdown. Cincinnati began to pull away near the end of the third, with Tion Green’s 5-yard touchdown run.

Cincinnati made it a 42–24 lead with a 20-yard run by Hosey Williams, the third back to score for the Bearcats and their third straight touchdown. Backs D’Angelo Brewer and Boone traded touchdown runs, and Evans found Keyarris Garrett for a 46yard touchdown run, for the final score.

Tulsa is still searching for its bowl eligibility. Tulsa hopes to gain this status by hosting Navy and visiting Tulane in the season’s final two weeks. This was Cincinnati’s the last home game of the season—they finish at South Florida and East Carolina.

Football falls to Bearcats Wade Crawford Sports Writer

Both quarterbacks had a good game— Dane Evans and Cincinnati’s Gunner Kiel passed for over 350 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Additionally, Ramadi Warren and Mike Boone both combined for almost 280 yards rushing.

The scoring began as Dane Evans passed to Connor Floyd for 18 yards and a 7–0 Tulsa lead. Cincinnati fired back with running back Mike Boone. Cincinnati broke the tie with the final score of the first quarter, a Max Morrison touchdown reception to make it 14–7 Bearcats.

Ramadi Warren got his first touchdown of the game nearly midway through the second quarter, with a 65 yard touchdown run on fourth down to tie the game. Mike

The Collegian: 13

Bias in college football playoffs

Earlier this week some college football analysts discussed the top four college football teams that would make the playoffs.

Mason Morgan Sports Writer

Those teams (Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State and Notre Dame) are definitely some of the best, but are not exactly locked in to be competing for the national championship in January.

Analyst Joel Klatt said on Colin Cowherd’s radio show this week that these teams, all east of the Mississippi River, are the beneficiaries of an east coast bias.

He believes that other teams like Oklahoma State, Baylor and Stanford (before Baylor and Stanford’s losses this weekend) are just as deserving to be in the playoff but are scrutinized because of their different styles of play. They play a faster offense that maximizes the number of offensive snaps and puts less emphasis on time of possession.

Klatt does make some interesting points.

He says that the playoff committee consists of a lot of former coaches that coached the same style of play that the top four teams employ. They may be more inclined to rank them higher because stats show that they play better defense.

Klatt also says that these defensive statistics can be deceiving. Stats like total points allowed are misleading because western teams tend to play more possessions. When you look at points allowed per possession, the numbers start to even out between the top teams in the Big 12 and the SEC/Big 10.

So do the western teams have a reason to be upset? They are definitely still displeased after last year’s final results, with Ohio State getting the last spot over Baylor and TCU. The decision at the time seemed extremely unfair, but Ohio State ended up winning the title, which seemed to justify their selection.

I think the point is that it is still early this year. The Pac 12 will most likely not get a team in the playoff because of Stanford and Utah’s most recent losses, but the Big 12’s schedule is back loaded and will give a chance for teams to earn their spot later this season. OSU still has to play Baylor and Oklahoma, and Oklahoma plays TCU. It’s an exciting season this year and there is still a lot to play for, which is exactly what the playoff committee intended. Biased or not, there is no way of knowing how the rest of the season will turn out.

May 2016 Graduates

Nominate the high school teacher who inspired you TU undergraduates who will graduate in May 2016 may nominate the high school teacher who inspired them. The winning teachers will be recognized during the May commencement ceremony. Only high school teachers throughout the United States are eligible. n Nominations are due by 5:00 p.m., December 14, 2015. n Selected teachers will receive a $2,000 award and their high schools will receive $1,000. n Students whose nominated teachers are selected will receive $500. n For more information including the nomination criteria, go to the Student Affairs website: www. utulsa.edu/student-affairs/inspirational-teacher

Collegian Ad HS Teacher Nomination-revised.indd 1

n Graduating seniors should send nominations to the dean’s office of their college via e-mail as follows: — Henry Kendall College of Arts and Sciences: Stephanie-Boulden@utulsa.edu — Collins College of Business: Tami-Barrett@utulsa.edu — College of Engineering & Natural Sciences: Dottie-Smith@utulsa.edu — College of Health Sciences: Laurie@utulsa.edu

10/26/15 1:48 PM

16 November 2015

The State-Run Media

the

State-Run media We’ve canceled the rest of the year. You’re welcome.

Oklahoma’s mother finds state’s failing report card

Haven II: Does it live up to the anticipation?

The State-Run Media is running a review to forcefully inform your opinions. Haven I popularized survey-taking entertainment. Can Haven II build upon its legacy?

Trent Gibbons Definitive gaming expert

How could you do this to your own mother, Oklahoma? For shame.

The state of Oklahoma has a poorly funded educational system and poor performance levels in school districts.

Now its mom demands to know what happened.

Caitlin Woods Doesn’t believe in grades Oklahoma spends a lot of money and time on incarceration and road work, but one thing that could definitely use some of that attention is education.

With last week’s Impact Tulsa report shedding light on Oklahoma’s failing educational system, the state is having a hard time ignoring the problem.

“I just can’t believe they would try and hide this from me!” said Oklahoma’s mother, holding up the failing report card released from the State Department of Education earlier this year, which she reports she found stuffed under the state’s bed alongside mismatched

socks and old shoes.

The 148 year-old woman sought out the State-Run Media to report on the issue, hoping the pressure of the media would prompt her child to try a little harder in school.

Oklahoma’s mother reportedly found the report card when she was cleaning the state’s room, and confronted them immediately.

The state made excuses for its poor academic performance,

graphic by Madeline Woods

“Every county in the state has an overall low score!” she told State-Run reporters. “I mean, how does that reflect on me as a parent?”

She shook her head, telling reporters her greatest fear is that Oklahoma will become like Texas, whose educational system is the laughing stock of her Bingo group.

“I just don’t get it,” the state’s

“I mean, how does that reflect on me as a parent?” claiming it’s been “too busy to focus on school right now,” and that there are “better things to do,” like “arrest [a disproportionate amount of] women and minor drug offenders, and build prisons to hold them all.”

Oklahoma’s mother says she doesn’t believe her child’s claims, reporting that the state has recently been skipping a lot of class.

mother lamented to reporters.

“Oklahoma is a good state, but... they just don’t apply themselves.

If only they’d realize how important their education is to their future! To the nation’s future!”

Oklahoma could not be reached for comment, but surrounding states agree that Oklahoma’s failing grades are a problem for the entire area.

The State-Run Media’s recruitment word games

The latest addition to online entertainment came out in the last two weeks, and it’s one which many hope—and some already believe—will raise the standard not only for its genre, but the medium as a whole.

This medium is online surveys, and the title? “Haven II.” Those familiar with the likes of classics such as Mapworks (due to its grade-locked condition, this is a rarer treat than ever these days), and of course Haven II’s predecessor, Haven, will be familiar with the playstyle of navigating its puzzling interface by any means necessary.

Haven I is a difficult piece of media to place in any one genre.

On the surface it’s a point-andclick adventure in the same vein as Monkey Island or Grim Fandango.

However, I believe this is too simplistic of a descriptor. Some would argue that its off-putting subject matter and the bizarrouniverse it presented provided a bit of a survival horror element.

Still others argue that the ability to self-assign perks through a list of positive/negative traits caused it to resemble popular RPGs such as Fallout or even Borderlands.

The inability of Haven I to place itself in one genre lends itself well to my belief that Haven is a series meant to transcend genrelimitations. One thing that can be universally agreed upon, however, is the overwhelming popularity Haven I managed to achieve throughout campus.

One stunning statistic reveals that Haven I was completed by nearly every student enrolled in the University of Tulsa. How

many people, then, must have anticipated “Haven II” as fiercely as I? After all, Haven I seemed only the beginning to a promising franchise, solidified by its masterful ending message: “Part II will be available at a later date.”

Now that Haven II is upon us, my opinion is not wholly positive.

It begins promisingly enough, with a brilliant introduction that places the user in a fourth-wall breaking scenario in which they are surveyed regarding their opinion of the survey itself. It’s the sort of meta-narrative that, if executed correctly, can elevate a title to cult status.

Beyond that, the user is provided a few familiar scenarios, each with a disappointingly simple solution. Where are the clever twists of the predecessor?

Alas, even more to my dislike was the unfulfilling conclusion to the title. I first feared that Haven II might be lacking in length when I accessed the introductory screen and found only three sections, a severe downgrade from the first installment, which had twice the amount of content. I fear that Everfi means to release the missing/cut content separately, unfortunately a common practice these days (especially in course evaluation surveys, which are released in individual parts.)

I take some solace in the fact that the release of Haven II means the revitalization of the series’ online community. While Haven I’s absence from e-sports competitions is duly noted, a plethora of live-streamers have adopted the title to attract new viewers. Other speedrunners have quickly dissected the survey, using such ingenious tactics as “preferring not to answer” and “viewing video transcript.”

On a final note, I was especially excited to see some streamers using the funds they’d gained from Haven II to give to charities. It’s inspiring to see something many believe to be solely meant for entertainment finally benefit a good cause.

New life springs forth from man’s beard

Exercise your creative muscles with this fun mad-lib!

We’ll take credit for the funniest article completed and brick the true author into our basement, forcing them to write for us anonymously and indefinitely!

_____ food may be ______, but _____ love it The _______ from your _______ should not be ____ up by the leftovers of your ___ if you are looking to live a _____ life. ______ ______ ______ spokesperson.

Last week, in an event that _____ absolutely no one, the World Health Organization released a study stating that ____,

over-________ food can lead to an ____ stomach. _____ may not be at the forefront of everyone’s _____, but there’s no doubt it affects ______.

The ____ ____ industry has been severely ____ by this latest study. One student, _______ ________, complained that the W.H.O (World Health Organization) is part of a conspiracy against ____ ____, and by extension _______. “College _____ thrive off ____ food,” ______ told StateRun reporters. “What will we do if

___ ____ places stop serving the ______, ______ garbage we’re so used to?”

Inspired by this concern, ________ and several _____ have started an advocacy alliance for _____ foods. The alliance’s mission statement claims they “hope to _____ people on the values of _____ foods, in order to nurture a dialogue between the industry and those who wish to destroy happiness.” So far, no ____ ____ restaurants or the W.H.O have recognized this group.

graphic by Madeline Woods

For No-Shave November, one man took so little care of his facial hair that an entire ecosystem began to form within his disgusting, hipster beard. He continues to refuse bathing or combing, so as not to disturb the creatures living on his face.