31 October 2016

a student newspaper of the university of tulsa

october 31, 2016 issue 10 ~ volume 102

You’re in for a haunting read Fear of poverty keeps Iron Gate from opening new location, p 8

Oklahoma schools haunted by budget cuts, pp 2, 3

Tulsa terrifies Memphis Tigers, p 6 Graphic by Elias Brinkman

News

The Collegian: 2

31 October 2016

The state of Okla. schools: the four day week

photo by Kayleigh Thesenvitz

The Inola Public School District was one of the first districts in Oklahoma to announce they would be cutting the school week to four days, after reviewing the state’s budget allocations in January 2016.

As Oklahoma’s budget continues to dwindle, further cuts are expected for Oklahoma’s public schools.

Managing Editor Kayleigh Thesenvitz explores how the public school system is holding up and how the four day school week has helped maintain structure in rural school districts.

139 school districts in Oklahoma went to a four day school week for the 2016-2017 school year.

That is almost one third of every school district in Oklahoma.

Inola Public Schools was the district right at the forefront of this move. Superintendent Kent Holbrook announced the decision shortly after reviewing the district’s budget allocations from the state in January 2016, and many other schools around the state followed his lead.

With recent reports that Oklahoma’s budget is still in peril, that further cuts to public education could be taking place soon and considering that students have now been in school for nearly three months, it is time to see how the four day week is working.

Oklahoma Schools

According to US Census data, in 2013 Oklahoma was the fourth lowest in state spending per student on education. That same data also revealed that as a state, we have made the deepest cuts to school spending out of any state since the 2008 recession.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities data shows that the percent change in state formula funding per student between 2008 and 2017 for Oklahoma is -26.9 percent, where the next closest, Alabama, is -14.2 percent. On the opposite end of the spectrum, North Dakota increased spending by 27.2 percent.

Oklahoma’s spending per student is $9,122 which is $3,374 less than the national average each year.

2016 marks the eighth year Oklahoma teachers have gone without a pay raise, despite inflation. This has occurred alongside teacher layoffs in smaller districts and increasing class sizes across

54 percent of all revenue collected in property tax from the city. However, 55 percent of public school students in Oklahoma attend small town or rural schools where cuts have had a higher impact. Rural communities do not have the funds to give extra support to their schools with an average 18.9 percent poverty rate.

Holbrook described Oklahoma’s budget issues with reference to the biblical story of Joseph. In the story, the Egyptians stored a surplus of grain during a time of abundance so that in the eventual

schools and not bother finding money to solve the other problems schools face. He noted that an increase in teacher pay would be great for teachers, but would not help schools which are still struggling independently. He was also concerned with the regressive nature of the sales tax and how it unfairly disadvantages the poor, leading to further poverty in rural Oklahoma.

Holbrook is hopeful that so many Oklahoma teachers are on the ballot to join the Oklahoma legislature this year because it

In Inola, Oklahoma the first bell to start the day is at 7:50 a.m. and students leave at 4:15 p.m. Inola, like other rural schools, has suffered from Oklahoma’s shrinking budget and growing population.

Holbrook recounted, “My first year here I had 13 more teachers than I have now and I have 120 more students.”

He didn’t have to cut teachers like other districts have. “A lot of it we were able to manage by people retiring and we just didn’t replace them, so the schools that were tak-

The first mid-year cut was three percent, followed by a four percent cut later. At the end of the year the district was told that HB1017 funds wouldn’t be available, and so another $35,000 were cut in June 2016.

“Last year total I lost around $300,000 [to budget cuts],” Holbrook said. “Coming into this year I knew I couldn’t do that twice.”

“Starting this year I’ve already lost around $100,000 dollars [in expected state funds],” he continued. These cuts took the form of removing the new textbook fund

“Oil does this. It goes up and down. So when it’s good you better be getting money, you better be building roads, you better be investing in your schools.” years of famine they were able to survive. Holbrook compared this to how Oklahoma and other oil states reacted to the oil boom of 2010-2011.

“Every other oil state in the union: Texas, Louisiana, North Dakota, Alaska, all of them kept taxes on oil the same or they raised taxes. During those years they were pulling the money in.”

During the oil boom North Dakota raised taxes from 8 to 12 percent. By contrast, Oklahoma lowered taxes from 5 to 1 percent.

“You have companies from Texas, Missouri, Kansas, all coming into Oklahoma, pulling out an Oklahoma natural resource, paying us one percent, and when the bust happened, they all left.”

“If you’re going to only take one percent, that’s almost nothing, you might as well leave the oil in the ground, somebody else we come along and pay more for it later,” Holbrook said.

Because North Dakota put nearly 30 percent of the revenue they collected from oil taxes into their rainy day fund, today they have 3.3 billion dollars in savings despite being one third of Oklahoma’s population. Oklahoma started 2016 with only 250 million dollars in savings for the entire state.

“Oil does this. It goes up and down. So when it’s good you better be getting money, you better be building roads, you better be investing in your schools like all the other oil states are doing when oil is high, ” Holbrook said.

Holbrook said he would cast his

could mean that legislation for schools might be written so that schools can successfully implement them.

“Everybody talks about how bad Oklahoma education is, but what they are doing is confusing money with performance,” Holbrook said. “We may be dropping to number 50 funded in the nation

vote in favor of state question 779, a one percent sales tax increase the revenue from which will go towards teacher pay and higher education, but is concerned that the state will view the increase in pay for teachers as “enough” for

ing the biggest hit were the high school and the middle school because I was trying to protect my elementary.”

Holbrook’s concern with the elementary school was that “you just cannot put 25-30 kids into a first grade classroom … you’ve got scraped knees, bloody noses, you have to zip coats, tie shoes, it’s so

and reducing professional development.

Holbrook explained that, “total from November-December of last year to now, the school has lost $400,000. That’s 10 teachers, if you figure the average teacher costs the school district about $40,000 dollars. That’s what I would have to cut to match that.”

photo by Kayleigh Thesenvitz

Cuts from this school year have resulted in the removal of the new textbook fund and the reduction of professional development.

… I think we are going to pass Mississippi this year. Mississippi, poorest state in the union, is going to fund their schools better than Oklahoma does.”

“But Oklahoma schools never

“The schools that were taking the biggest hit were the high school and the middle school because I was trying to protect my elementary.” the state. Despite having no increase in pay, teachers have to purchase all the additional supplies and resources they will need in their classrooms.

Tulsa Public Schools receives

Inola Public Schools

perform at number 50,” Holbrook argued. “On ACT scores we’re scoring 27th in the nation.”

“We’re poorest funded, but we’re not poorest performing. A little bit better investment would go a long way.”

involved with those little guys.”

In addition to managing young students, teachers are also tasked with enforcing memorization of reading and math basics. “If kids get behind in first, second or third [grades] they are going to be behind the whole way through.”

“Last year as everything started collapsing, and you could see it coming as early as July [of 2015], each month was getting worse,” Holbrook said. “Come September [2015] we knew we were going to be cut mid-year.” Mid-year cuts are problematic because yearly teacher salary contracts have already been signed and will have to be paid in full regardless if the severity of the budget cut.

“That’s why it was terrible, you’re talking a disaster,” Holbrook argued.

Last year Inola Public Schools spent a little over 9 million dollars in total operating costs after cutting every “nonessential” piece.

“When I say nonessential: You can survive with fewer janitors as long as everybody pitches in and cleans up a little bit” Holbrook said. Inola dropped from 12 janitors in the 2015-2016 school year to 4 this year. They had to keep at least one per building in order to keep cafeterias and bathrooms up to code.

Continued on page 3 as Okla. Schools.

31 October 2016

News

The Collegian: 3

Continued from Okla. Schools on page 2.

They also cut cafeteria workers and outsourced their cafeteria to a service that can run the kitchens more cost-effectively.

The service did take on a few of the workers that had already been at the school, but those who chose to transfer to working for that service took a pay reduction and work fewer hours. “We saved $50,000 dollars, but it wasn’t a choice. I had to do it. Some of those ladies had been here for 20 years,” Holbrook said. Bus drivers lost 20 percent of their pay as well because they lost one day of work per week.

People have suggested the option of Inola cutting sports. However, Holbrook had already done the math and for their school he found they would actually end up losing more money as a result. “At a smaller school [cutting sports would work], but the difference is this: when we have a ballgame we have so many people come and pay gate and concessions. We buy all our uniforms, we pay for the refs, we pay for getting the gym floors redone out of that fund.”

photo by Kayleigh Thesenvitz

Holbrook has worked to prevent teachers, some of whom are pictured above, and sports from being cut, instead cutting janitors and cafeteria workers, and decreasing bus driver hours.

In an interview with CBS he was asked if he thought the four day school week was the best choice. His reply was, “We aren’t funded in Oklahoma to make the best choices.”

employees while also facing further budget cuts, the money to do that will have to come directly from firing teachers and increasing class sizes. “I’m not against going back to

“We’re looking at everything you can do besides cutting teachers. There’s a point at which you can’t go any lower.”

“Almost everything we do athletically we pay for out of non-school funds,” Holbrook said. The sports-related expense that comes from school funds is that coaches are paid a stipend of about $2,500 a year. “If I quit basketball I’d save about $20,000, but the minute I don’t have that sport, kids are immediately eligible to transfer around to any district that still offers it. At $3,000 a kid, if 10 kids left this school to go to Choteau or Wagoner or Verdigris or Claremore I would lose $30,000 in state aid.”

“We’re looking at everything you can do besides cutting teachers,” Holbrook explained, but when it comes to staff layoffs “there’s a point at which you can’t go any lower.”

“We’re not the poorest state in the union, but the way they’re cutting us is unbelievable,” he lamented.

Holbrook wasn’t concerned about how the four day week would affect high school kids. For high school students, learning how to write papers, how to do research, how to express oneself and how to develop critical thinking skills doesn’t require the same rigorous instruction elementary school requires. When looking at the $400,000 shortage for this year Holbrook was faced with the decision to either cut teachers, all of whom would have to be cut from the elementary school because the upper schools are both operating with bare-bones faculty, or find an alternative solution.

“We’ve got two horrible decisions to make, which one of these is going to be the worst decision? In my mind it would be stuffing 30 first grade kids into a classroom.”

“Instead of firing four or five teachers we took 20 percent of the pay away from all of my support people. It made me sick, but the other side of that is going to be, again, 30 kids in a classroom,” Holbrook continued.

Inola Schools was able to announce their plan for the four day school year in January, giving bus drivers, janitors, maintenance workers and especially parents eight months to make arrangements. Many schools throughout Oklahoma were not quite as prepared and went to the four day week right before the start of the school year.

Oklahoma are looking at another potential budget cut at the start of the 2017-2018 school year. State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister has avidly advocated against the four day school week, saying “there are other things we should do before we start eliminating blocks of instruction time.”

Hofmeister voiced her concerns in an interview with NewsOn6 saying “I don’t think we will see momentum academically continue to move forward.” She has also discussed forcing schools to conform to a five day week.

Holbrook disagrees with Hofmeister, saying that if he is forced to rehire all of those

the five day as soon as I get enough money to actually do it.”

Holbrook and the Inola Board of Education spent months doing research before deciding on the four day week. They looked at 100 rural schools that went to the four day week about 12 years ago because of a similar economic downturn. When the economy came back up most of those schools stayed with the four day schedule, and started conducting internal research about the school week. The schools found that in the worst case scenarios test scores between the five day and four day remained the same, and in most cases the test scores were better in

Elementary school teachers have reported that students don’t seem to notice the extra length of the day because teachers frontload the core classes in the first half of the day, and then do their hands-on classes and activities in the afternoon when the student’s focus would otherwise be distracted.

Holbrook noted that he had only had a handful of complaints from parents about what they were supposed to do with their child on Mondays but most parents he talked to understood the need for their children to get a good education and appreciated Holbrook’s willingness to prioritize it.

Inola teachers and students also expressed their thoughts about the four day week. First grade teachers Kelli Davis, Shelly Younger, Susan Havens, Kristy Shafer and Quetta Spurlock shared a mostly positive view of the four day week. They appreciated having an extra day on the weekend to prepare lessons for the week and thought students were doing well with the condensed lessons.

However some were concerned with how the longer days affect the student’s’ home life as they balance homework and sports.

There were also concerns about where the young children were and what they were doing on their day off.

Middle school special education teacher Shawna Bankes has noticed that the longer classes work well for students in math classes, but shared concern about the lack of new textbooks.

High school history teacher Trudy Stumpff noted that having Monday off was really nice, but coming back to school on Tuesday was made all the more difficult.

She was also concerned about condensing the same amount of information from five days of class into 4 classes that are only lengthened by five minutes each.

For a handful of the high school students that I got to talk to, they really enjoyed the four day week. Students said they liked have a full hour of class time to work on assignments instead of the 55 minutes they used to have and having a longer weekend to sleep, work on homework, and be able to attend

“We’ve got two horrible decisions to make, which one of these is going to be the worst decision?” the four day week. The noteworthy correlations to test scores were an increase in attendance because people would schedule any appointments for their free weekday, and a decrease in discipline issues.

“Anybody who is saying they don’t like the four day week because it is bad for kids, well that’s your opinion, but it’s not based on research,” Holbrook said.

“If our scores remain the same this year or are better, I’m going to say I made the right decision.”

doctor’s appointments without skipping class.

The high school Vice Principal Heather Ellis said “I worry about getting to the goals we need to get to in classrooms,” because students and teachers only have a few more minutes each day to cover the material. She also noted that in the first month of school there was an increase in discipline issues relative to previous years, but those have gone down since.

TU students learning about Okla. history in new ways TU professor Brian Hosmer communicates the power of history through a new style of teaching, showing that history happens every day in Oklahoma.

Michaela Flonard News Editor Brian Hosmer, Associate Professor of Western American History at TU, took a new approach when assigned to teach “History of Oklahoma,” a block course offered through the History department.

“My idea was to change this from just a discussion of Oklahoma history to an opportunity for our students to meet and learn from all kinds of organizations in our town that are doing history work,” Hosmer said.

The class, instead of focusing on lectures from Hosmer, is primarily composed of guest speakers involved in historical work in the state and local area and field trips.

Guest speakers have included visitors from the Tulsa Foundation of Architecture, Voices of Oklahoma, and others. The class has also done a walking tour of Oklahoma architecture.

For the final, instead of a paper or cumulative exam, students create projects.

Hosmer wanted the “students to produce something that’s useful to them, and maybe even useful to their family.” Each project is tailored around the student’s area of interest, so Education majors may be creating lesson plans on history topics, whereas other students may interview grandparents to create an oral history.

This style of teaching differs from Hosmer’s usual style. In other classes, the guests

or field trips might supplement his instruction, while in this class, he is the supplement.

The idea behind this change was to show “that people are doing Oklahoma history every day in every community and to connect students to that.”

“In our world, it’s difficult for historians to explain why history is important and students often see it, understandably, as a description of people and places from a long time ago that don’t have anything to do with my life,” Hosmer said. “And so teachers like me struggle to make the connection between history and where we are now.”

Even though people may use history in their arguments because they realize its persuasive power, Hosmer said it’s difficult for teachers to communicate that power in the classroom.

“This class is part of my larger effort to think more deeply and differently about history. In this case, what i’m trying to do is tell students that history work is taking place in their town, in their community, every day”.

While he acknowledges this style of teaching is not suited for every topic — doing this with a topic like Medieval History might be difficult — Hosmer saidhis fellow professors seem interested in the new class structure. However, relying on guest speakers and field trips involves relinquishing some control, which he said can be difficult.

Although The Collegian was not able to get in touch with any students from the class, Hosmer reported that they all seemed excited. While the quality of the guest speakers and field trips was variable, he believed, based on the students’ response papers after each class, that they enjoyed the new format.

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Holy Family Cathedral, pictured above, is one of many examples of unique and historical architecture to find in Tulsa.

News

The Collegian: 4

31 October 2016

TU student arrested for sexual assualts, burglary Last Thursday, a TU student was arrested in San Antonio in connection with multiple incidents of sexual assault and burglary.

Nathan Gibbons Distribution Manager

Luis Alberto Molina, a nowsuspended student of the University of Tulsa, faces 22 charges of sexual assault and burglary. The 19-year-old man was charged last Thursday, October 27 with one count of first-degree attempted rape, four counts of sexual battery, seven counts of peeping tom, one count of peeping tom with photographic/electronic equipment, seven counts of first-degree burglary and one count of larceny from a house. Molina originally only faced a single charge of seconddegree rape by instrumentation.

After a lengthy investigation into multiple sexual assaults and break-ins spanning from last February to early October, Molina was arrested in San Antonio on October 22. Molina reportedly entered

courtesy Tulsa World

Luis Alberto Molina, above, was suspended by the university and now faces 22 counts of sexual assault and burglary.

female students’ apartments and touched or groped them in their beds on February 5, February 18, and April 8. He also stole a student’s underwear during the April 8 incident.

He is accused of attempting to rape a woman on September 25.

On October 7, Molina used a cigarette to rape an intoxicated and unconscious student after he took her to her university apartment. Ac-

vided estimates are likely an underestimation of the actual rates” due to a 10 percent response rate and victims often not coming forward.

The summary also included themes that students noted contributed to feelings of insecurity around campus. Not enough patrolling, poor walkability at night in regards to lighting, ease for outside parties to enter campus, promotion of female subordination by Greek culture and a “burden on students not to get raped” were among themes listed. Based on the data and student responses, the summary listed some possible steps forward, including “creating a safe space on campus separate from university administration in which students can feel comfortable making a report” and ensuring student awareness and understanding of policies and how to

ral services, and a follow-up phone call or visit.

Kenneth Elmore, Assistant District Attorney for Tulsa County, noted that the worst part in handling these sexual assault investigations is often “dealing with other people.” He argued that too many victims are ignored by the friends they inform and it creates a culture where victims don’t feel they could build a case and consequently blame themselves. He continued, “Just because you go on a date, just because you go into somebody’s room, just because you kiss or make out or do whatever you want, anytime you say no, it stops right there. Anything that follows that is absolutely sexual assault.” He also affirmed that students’ pasts would not come under fire in the cases, as many victims do not come forward for fear they will be shamed for past

cording to an affidavit, he recorded the attack on video. Police found the video after a search warrant was issued for Molina’s phone.

Molina is also accused of entering a student’s apartment October 7 and watching her sleep.

According to the Tulsa Police Department, Molina always entered the victim’s bedrooms by walking through an unlocked commons room and then moving into individual bedrooms while the victims slept. The intrusions took place between 2:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m., while the victims were likely asleep.

Authorities linked Molina to the intrusions by tracing his phone to each location. The University’s Information Technology Department found that Molina was logged into the school’s wireless internet network and was accessing wireless access points in the apartments around the times the incidents occurred. Authorities say one of the victims identified Molina in a lineup and said she was eighty percent sure he was the man who entered her apartment.

Molina, who has been a student

of the University of Tulsa since fall 2015, was suspended after the arrest pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing. After the arrest, a campus security alert was emailed to students and faculty.

The email reads, “The University of Tulsa Campus Security has been working closely with Tulsa Police since last spring on incidents in which female students reported an intruder had entered their unlocked campus apartment or dorm room during the night. Two students reported being touched by the intruder. Each time, a campuswide email was sent regarding the incident and reminding students to lock their doors. On Saturday, an arrest was made in connection with these incidents. However, we urge students to remain vigilant and keep the doors and windows to their residences locked.” It also urged anyone with information to come forward.

This is an open case, and investigators urge victims and any students with information to contact campus security at 918-631-5555 or the Tulsa Police Department at 918-596-9168.

grams other than Haven were considered, Taylor answered that there had been, but that Haven has been a very useful tool in getting feedback from students and that Haven was recommended by the White House Task Force on Sexual Violence. She explained that survey results are being examined as to whether or not it’s a program that needs to be proceeded with and whether or not the program should only be limited to first year students. She added that it is part of a much bigger picture to get more students involved and interested in awareness programs, and that Haven will remain necessary until that environment is adequately built.

One student questioned what steps were being taken to better secure the campus in the wake of Luis Alberto Molina’s attacks and arrest. One of the TU Campus Se-

mitories or apartments.

Many students complained that the campus community was not adequately warned of the attacks taking place on campus and had to learn of the severity of the attacks from the news. Taylor said that administration shared whatever information was known to them when they learned it. When one student argued that the Tulsa World shared information from Tulsa Police Department that Campus Security should have known, a woman in the audience said that in cases involving two different investigative bodies, information is often not communicated well enough and that it is likely the campus did not know the severity of the attacks either. A TPD officer present said they were conducting their own investigation at the time, and that the information had to be shared in order with reporters in order to answer media questions.

Other students claimed the campus was trying to dismiss the cases in order to defend its reputation.

One who identified herself as a victim of one of Molina’s attacks said she believed the campus cared more about its reputation than security. Taylor refuted these claims, saying she’d shared all the information they had and that perhaps students themselves hadn’t realized the severity of the email alerts when they read them.

Scholl closed the panel with advice for administration and the student body, saying that both parties need to better discuss plans and moving forward to making a safer campus instead of blaming one another. There will be future discussions led by the Advocacy Alliance between TU administration and students.

Heated debate in Sexual Assault Prevention Panel In the wake of Luis Alberto Molina’s arrest, students, security and faculty met to discuss sexual assault prevention and how to move forward in creating a safer campus.

Nathan Gibbons Distribution Manager A sexual assault panel meant to spread awareness and information turned into a heated debate between some faculty, students and other audience members last Friday, October 28. The Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Panel, hosted by the Advocacy Alliance in the Student Union, discussed awareness, Haven, the recent arrest of Luis Alberto Molina, resources for students to stay safe and options for victims of assault.

Dr. Davis, a TU professor of Psychology, led the panel and discussions. A grant to prevent violence against women had been made and accepted, she explained, and money would be used to help educate and train TU’s communities on sexual assault prevention.

The Advocacy Alliance stays “engaged in numerous efforts to change culture on campus” she explained.

Jim Scholl, representing the University of Tulsa Initiative for Trauma, Adversity and Injustice (TITAN), introduced and presented the Campus Climate Survey, a summary prepared by the TITAN and the Advocacy Alliance. The summary noted 30 percent of sexual assault victims did not tell anyone they had been assaulted. 35 percent of those who told no one felt they would be blamed. The summary also notes that “the pro-

“Just because you kiss or make out or do whatever you want, anytime you say no, it stops right there. Anything that follows that is absolutely sexual assault.” report cases of sexual assault.

Kathy Bell, Sexual Assault Examiner and Tulsa Police Forensic Nursing Administrator, talked about steps one can take after being a victim of an assault. The examination area for assault victims is in a “secluded and remote area of the hospital”, so as to ensure the victim’s privacy. Anyone over the age of eighteen can make a report and use the examination room.

Medical staff will take history of the event, document injuries, and make an assessment of the body and emotional reaction of the victim. They also offer emergency contraceptives, antibiotics, refer-

relationships. “We just care about the truth, and what’s accurate,” he stated. If a victim is not sure if they want to come forward or not, Kenneth said that evidence of the attacks can be preserved in case the victim ever changes their mind. Evidence helps build a paper trail, he said, and even if the student does not press charges that evidence may be used against the attacker if he commits another assault.

Yolanda Taylor, TU Associate Vice President for Student Services, answered student questions regarding security, Haven, and the recent emails. When asked if pro-

teaspoon or so of a mixture containing about a miligram of cesium-137 was spilled.

When the spill was brought to authorities’ attention in August 2015, it had been active for nearly a year. During that time, the radioactive material spread throughout the lab building in which the spill had initially occurred.

The university restricted access to the building and called in the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality to investigate. Chase Environmental Group was hired to clean up the spill. 21 people were evaluated for potential exposure to the spill, which involved an initial assessment and medical examination, followed by continued monitoring by a clinician.

Defendants in the suit are TU, Johnson Matthey Incorporated (Tracerco is an oil and gas subsidiary of this company), Chevron Corporation, Chase Environmental Group, China Institute of Atomic Energy and two anonymous corporations (Joe Doe 1 and Joe Doe 2). Chase Environmental

Group was hired to clean up the spill, and China Institute of Atomic Energy as well as the two anonymous corporations manufactured the containers used to hold the cesium-137 isotopes.

The suit accuses Tracerco of negligence in handling the material and failing to report the spill to the university and neighbors.

Specifically, the plaintiffs allege that Tracerco attempted for nearly a year to cover up the spill at TU’s North Campus.

It also accuses TU of negligence in failing to properly manage Tracerco’s testing. According to the suit, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality had filed citations and told TU multiple times that its radioactive program was not up to par.

The plaintiffs seek $75,000 for actual, compensatory and punitive damages.

TU filed a suit against Johnson Matthey Inc. in 2016 over the same situation. The university’s suit claims that Tracerco improperly extracted cesium-137 and that this caused the spill. It also claims

curity officers present explained that further measures were being taken, including increased patrol and investigations. If a student feels unsafe, they said, they may call security for escort around campus or can call in suspicious individuals who will then be checked. Individuals are also randomly stopped around campus for “person checks” to ensure campus safety. These security efforts existed before the Molina attacks, the officer noted. She also clarified that Campus Security often does not have access to the fraternity houses, as they are technically not a part of campus like regular dor-

Neighbors, employees sue TU over radioactive spill TU is being accused of negligence in a suit concerning a small radioactive spill that occurred on North Campus.

Hannah Kloppenburg Editor-in-Chief

A group of 31 employees and neighbors are suing the University of Tulsa over a radioactive spill that occurred at TU’s North Campus, located at Marshall and Lewis, in fall of 2014.

14 of these people say they were TU employees at the time of the spill. Attorneys representing the group filed the lawsuit in Tulsa County District Court on October 14.

The lawsuit comes in response to an incident in which Tracerco, a company contracted through TU, spilled a small amount of the radioactive isotope cesium-137 in a building at North Campus sometime during fall 2014.

Tracerco had been performing tests at the request of Chevron Corporation, during which a

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The radioactive isotope of cesium, pictured above in a stable crystal form, was spilled at TU’s North Campus in 2014, but authorities were not notified for nearly a year.

that the Tracerco employees immediately knew that a significant problem had occurred. According to the university, Tracerco employees had proof that their own instruments were contaminated in May 2015, but failed to notify the university of the contamination until August 2015.

The TU suit also alleges that Tracerco representatives found 25 areas in North Campus that tested positive for cesium-137.

The university seeks actual damages of $75,000 and punitive

damages of $500,000. Tracerco released a statement claiming that they were unaware of the leak until August 2015 and that no one at North Campus was exposed to unsafe levels of radiation. Tracerco believes the university’s claims are without merit and plans to challenge them.

TU has declined to speak with any local news sources, saying only that the school does not comment on pending litigation.

News

31 October 2016

As Campus Crime Reports have not been updated since last week’s issue, here are some that didn’t make the list in previous weeks.

Oct. 7 This report number has been cancelled.

3:15 p.m.

University of Tulsa campus Security Officers responded to a call of a vehicle accident at 4th and Gary Pl. Upon arrival officers noticed the accident was actually off campus at 4th and Harvard Ave. One of the individuals involved in the accident was a student of the University. The student stated they had struck another vehicle while

turning from the intersection. The student was not injured and officers waited with them until Tulsa Police Department arrived to complete a report.

11:15 p.m.

University of Tulsa campus Security Officers were called to the southwest side of the Tucker Dr. loop in reference to a non-injury motor vehicle accident. Officers arrived and met with both drivers.

A vehicle parking for a game day tailgate had struck another vehicle that was parked. Officers took pictures of the damage on both vehicles and gathered information on both drivers.

5:00 p.m.

University of Tulsa campus Security Officers responded to a call of a possible motor vehicle accident with minor damage. When Officers arrived on scene, the two TU affiliated parties had exchanged insurance information and one party had left the scene. The other party gave personal information to the Officers and left the scene as to not further impede traffic.

Oct. 11 3:45 p.m.

University of Tulsa campus Security Officers were called to the Case Athletic Center for a suspicious individual around the locker room. Offices made contact with the individual and determined they were not affiliated with the university. The individual was trespass warned and escorted off campus.

A contact card was completed.

Oct. 10 3:20 p.m.

University of Tulsa campus Security Officers were dispatched to Mabee Gym in reference to found property. A pair of glasses were found in the parking lot. Officers were unable to determine the owner. The pair of glasses were impounded at the Security Office for safe keeping.

Oct. 12 5:05 a.m.

While on routine patrol University of Tulsa campus Security Officers observed an individual walking on the pavers on the south side of John Mabee Hall. Officers made contact with the individual and discovered that they were not affiliated with the university. Officers issued a contact card and trespass warned them.

11:55 a.m.

University of Tulsa campus Security Officers retrieved property found at the Newman Center. A set of keys was found on the east side of the Newman Center building.

The owner could not be identified and the property was stored at the Security Office for safekeeping.

Nathan Gibbons Distribution Manager Earthquake in Italy Early last Sunday, October 30, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck the small town of Norcia, destroying buildings and hurting at least 11 people. At least nine people have been pulled from the rubble, according to officials. Helicopters are searching the city for civilians who may be difficult to find on foot. Norcia is thought to be the birthplace of St. Benedict, and the city’s Basilica of St. Benedict was destroyed by the quake.

After tweeting an image of the destroyed basilica, the monks at the monastery of San Benedetto said in a statement, “The monks are all safe, but our hearts go immediately to those affected, and the priests of the monastery are searching for any who may need the Last Rites”. In his Sunday Blessing, Pope Francis said he was “praying for the injured and the families who have suffered the most damage, as well as for rescue and first-aid workers”. The quake comes two months after another major earthquake in Italy killed nearly 300 and destroyed many towns.

Airstrikes Hit Prison in Yemen Security officials say a building used as a prison in Hudaydah, Yemen was struck by airstrikes from a Saudi-Arabian led coalition late last Sunday, October 30. The bombings killed 60 people including inmates and Houthi rebels who have controlled the city since 2014. Critics have attacked the coalition, which supports Yemen’s exiled President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, for the number of civilians hurt or killed in attacks.

The coalition blamed bad information on air strikes earlier this month that killed at least 140 in a funeral hall. The latest airstrikes came as President Hadi turned down a peace proposal put forward by UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed. The plan “rewards the coup leaders and punishes the Yemeni people at the same time,” argued President Hadi.

South Korean President Called to Resign Choi Soon-Sil, a friend of President Park Geun-Hye, returned to South Korea last Sunday, October 30, to face charges of interfering in state affairs and influence peddling. Ms. Choi, the daughter of religious cult leader Choi Tae-min, denies benefitting financially from her government links. Choi Tae-min mentored President Park until his death in 1994.

About 8000 protesters took to the streets in Seoul Saturday, October 29, after the president revealed she’d ordered ten of her senior advisors to quit and admitted she’d allowed Ms. Choi to edit political speeches despite having no clearance. President Park’s apology last week failed to calm protesters and fueled debates. Opposition politician Jae-myung Lee accused Ms. Park of having “lost her authority as president.” “She doesn’t have the basic qualities to govern a country,” he told one reporter.

Border Control in Ireland Senator George Mitchell, who brokered the Good Friday Agreement, warned that border controls between North Ireland and the Republic of Ireland would hurt the peace process. “I believe that the restoration of a militarised border with strict controls limiting traffic back and forth would have an adverse effect on relations within the island of Ireland,” he said. “The ability to move back and forward across the border that has existed for the past several years has been very helpful in increasing commerce and also in reducing stereotypes on both sides.”

Senator Mitchell said he did not want to prejudge any deal made on the border, but said he hoped constructive leaders on both sides could find a solution that permits open access. When asked if Brexit broke the Good Friday Agreement, Senator Mitchell responded that the agreement “plainly provides that the political status of Northern Ireland can be determined or changed only through a vote — and it’s the informed consent through a vote — of the people of Northern Ireland”.

Bombs Kill Seven in Nigeria Seven people were killed by suicide bombers on motorized rickshaws in Maiduguiri, northern Nigeria. Five men were killed after a female suicide bomber blew herself up outside a camp for displaced people. The Bakassi camp is estimated to house 16,000 people as the nation fights Boko Haram, an Islamic militant group. Within the next half hour, a second bomber detonated near a fuel depot.

The 24 people wounded in the attacks were evacuated to local hospitals, and nine bodies in total were recovered. Boko Haram is the prime suspect for the bombings. Boko Haram, meaning “Western Education is forbidden” in the Hausa language, launched military operations in 2009. The self proclaimed “West African Province of ISIS” has killed thousands and is responsible for the ongoing captivity of over 200 schoolgirls.

5:40 a.m.

University of Tulsa campus Security Officers were dispatched to Fisher South. To investigate a possible suicidal student. Officers arrived to assess the situation and to make sure the student was okay.

COPES arrived shortly after secu-

The Collegian: 5

rity and began speaking with the student. The student and COPES decided that they would not be transporting the student to the hospital; however, COPES will be contacting the student to check on their status from periodically.

10:30 a.m.

University of Tulsa campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a possible stolen watch.

Upon making contact with the victim they told officers they took their watch off to shower and then were unable to find the watch.

10:00 p.m.

While on routine patrol University of Tulsa campus Security Officers were approached by an individual that wanted to make a report of a suspicious person. The individual stated they had been approached by a suspicious individual two 2 times.

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

Tuesday, November 1 at 7:30pm to 9:00pm Lorton Performance Center, Gussman Center Trio Tulsa In Concert The University of Tulsa School of Music presents Trio Tulsa in concert on Tuesday, November 1st at 7:30 pm in Gussman Concert Hall of the Lorton Performance Center.

Trio Tulsa, comprised of faculty members Maureen O’Boyle, Diane Bucchianeri, and Roger Price, will perform music of Hummel and Brahms.

The program will also feature the world premiere of Achilles Heel, a piano trio by Noam Faingold written specifically for Trio Tulsa and commissioned by The Oklahoma Music Teachers Association. Achilles Heel is a melodically and rhythmically captivating work that audiences are sure to find engaging and enjoyable.

Tuesday, November 1 at 7:00pm Tyrrell Hall, Adelson Auditorium Visiting Author: Hisham Matar Join acclaimed author and J. Donald Feagin Visiting Artist Hisham Matar for a book talk and signing November 1st at 7pm in Adelson Auditorium Tyrrell Hall. Matar’s first novel, In the Country of Men, was short-listed for the Man Booker Prize and the Guardian First Novel Prize, and won the inaugural Arab-American Book Award. His latest book, a memoir titled The Return, tells the story of his father’s kidnapping by Muammar Qaddafi’s government, and the fallout endured by the Matar family over the ensuing decades. Colm Toibin says The Return is “bound to become a classic,” and the New York Times writes “The Return is, at once, a suspenseful detective story about a writer investigating his father’s fate at the hands of a brutal dictatorship, and a son’s efforts to come to terms with his father’s ghost, who has haunted more than half his life by his absence.”

Sponsored by a J. Donald Feagin fellowship, an Internationalization grant, and the TU Creative Writing Program.

Thursday, November 3 at 7:00pm to 9:30pm Tyrrell Hall, Auditorium Poetic Justice Volume II Anthology Release Join volunteers, formerly incarcerated people, advocates, inquirers, listeners and others as the second volume of poetry written by women incarcerated at David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center and Mabel Bassett Correctional Center is released to the public.

Many of the voices contained in the pages of this anthology will never be heard outside of prison walls except through the release of this anthology. It is truly a celebration.

Enjoy a poetry reading, followed by a question and answer session. Refreshments will be served.

Thursday, November 3 at 7:00pm Chapman Hall, Chapman Lecture Hall Judy O. Berry Lecture Series: Ordinary Resilience - Protective Factors in Families Experiencing Challenges Dr. Ann S. Masten, Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Development and Distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University of Minnesota, will be the guest lecturer for the second annual Judy O. Berry Honorary Lecture Series.

Dr. Masten will speak about her work exploring resilience in childhood, and will specifically discuss how ordinary forces can protect children from the harmful effects of adversity; she will address challenges unique to families under stress such as refugee families and military families during deployments.

Friday, November 4 at 7:00pm to 9:30pm Student Union, Alcove Something’s Brewing: Craft Beer Culture A lecture and panel discussion with national and local experts on the craft beer movement. Features a free tasting sponsored by Marshall’s Brewery.

Keynote lecture on craft brewing by Randolph College Professor J. Nikol Beckham followed by a beer tasting and then a panel discussion Marshall Brewing founder Eric Marshall, attorney Adam Marshall and TU chemistry Professor Keith Symcox.

Space is limited. Registration required. Must be 21 to attend.

Friday, November 4 at 8:00pm Student Union, Great Hall AIS International Night Market This year, AIS brings the authentic night market hustle and bustle experience to YOU. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere, the food, the tables with the sauces that someone used just before you and left some on the tip and is now drying out and looks gross now.

Check in at the booths from different countries to fill out your punch cards and be entered in a drawing for a $50 Gift Card. Seasoned emcee Reeza will be hosting the event.

The Collegian does not produce all event descriptions in the Community Calendar.

Contact us at news@tucollegian.org with events.

The Collegian: 6

Justin Guglielmetti is…

the

bleacher creature AD is who we thought he was As an NBA junkie, one of last season’s most annoying storylines for me was the anointing of Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns as the The Next Great Big Man™. The guy had a sublime first season to be sure, perhaps the best rookie campaign since Tim Duncan’s in 1997, but I think the praise for him went a little too far, particularly when there was already a young power forward setting the league on fire and looking destined for the Hall of Fame.

I speak of course of The Brow himself, Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis, who despite being just 23 has already completed three seasons averaging over 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game and two years ago may have been snubbed of an MVP after he recorded the 12th-highest PER in history. Davis combines unfair length and athleticism with steadily improving defensive instincts, an excellent midrange jump shot, and maybe the best handles for a big man the NBA has seen outside of Blake Griffin. He is already a superstar and deserving of all the lavish praise that seems to have been passed over him and heaped on KAT. Well, let’s just wait and see how long that lasts: through two games, all Davis has done is average 47.5 PPG and 16.5 RPG. Tortured fans A couple weeks ago I dared to ask if we should be rooting for the Cubs in the World Series given the fact that curses and historic streaks of incompetence are some of the most charming and nostalgic things about baseball.

Here I would like to offer a different perspective that I’m sure will enrage Cubs fans and please my Cardinals-loving sports editor; maybe Cleveland sports fans are the ones that have been more tortured. Hear me out, I know there are only a handful of people on planet Earth who were even alive the last time the Cubs won the World Series in 1908, but if you are a sports fan in Chicago you’ve had plenty of opportunities to cheer for winning teams.

The Bears are one of the most historic and winningest franchises in NFL history, winning a Super Bowl in 1985 and producing giants of the game like Refrigerator Perry, Walter Payton and Brian Urlacher.

The Blackhawks have six Stanley Cups to their name, including three in the past six seasons.

Oh, and the Bulls were led by an obscure shooting guard by the name of the Michael Jordan to enjoy one of the most dominant prolonged championship runs in sports history during the ‘90s. Now compare that to Cleveland, which hadn’t won a single championship in any sport since 1947 before LeBron led the Cavs to the NBA title this past season. Now tell me, which fans do you think really deserve this more?

Suck it, ESPN! Have you heard the news? The Everything Stupid about sports Programming Network (ESASPN? Sorry, I was really trying hard on that joke) just lost 621,000 subscribers last month, the most devastating month in the company’s history.

And guess who’s sad about it? Not this guy! From pretending that football is the only sport in America that people care about to giving hours of daily airtime to overly political and race-baiting ignoramuses like Stephen A. Smith to firing my favorite sports writer (Bill Simmons) for daring to suggest that Roger Goodell was an incompetent commissioner, ESPN has done plenty to earn my ire.

And now it seems that they’re finally ticking other people off as well! I say good riddance, and don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

Monday

Sports

31 October 2016

Flanders breaks records, Tulsa breaks Tigers

The Golden Hurricane routed Memphis on the road and are bowl eligible only eight weeks into the season.

Matt Rechtien Sports Editor

After suffering a loss at Homecoming last year at the hands of Memphis, the Golden Hurricane decided to return the favor on Saturday with a 59–30 route over the Tigers on the road.

With the win the Golden Hurricane becomes bowl eligible for the second straight season, and now are second in the West division behind only the United States Naval Academy, setting up a showdown for the West in two weeks time in Annapolis.

Running Back James Flanders had a career day which included five touchdowns — a new school record, and tied with Keenan Reynold for the conference record — and 249 rushing yards, and Tulsa finished for 362 yards rushing, the most they’ve had all season but the fifth time this season that they have surpassed the 300-yard mark.

Flanders and teammate D’Angelo Brewer are second and third respectively in the conference in rushing yards, with one fewer game than Quinton Flowers from South Florida.

For the second straight game this season, the Golden Hurricane’s offense got off to a fast start, scoring on their first drive when Flanders ran the ball in from 14 yards out

and letting Tulsa draw first blood with a 7–0 lead. After forcing Memphis to punt on their possession, Flanders ran for a touchdown again, this time from 52 yards out to take a 14–0 lead just over five minutes into the game.

Memphis got on the board on their very next drive when quarterback Riley Ferguson hit Anthony Miller on the six yard line, setting Darrell Henderson up for a six-yard touchdown to make it a one score game midway through the first quarter.

The Golden Hurricane and the Tigers traded punts for the next couple of drives until the end of the quarter, but early in the second quarter, after running back Raymond Taylor forced the Tigers to play up for the run game, quarterback Dane Evans burned their secondary for a 25-yard strike to Keevan Lucas in the end zone to put Tulsa up by 14 again.

Memphis responded a minute later when Ferguson hit Miller for a 59-yard touchdown. Miller was wide open after blowing past the corners and safeties on the play.

Two drives later after Trent Martin intercepted Ferguson and ran it to the three yard line, Flander walked it into the end zone to take a 28–14 lead. But Memphis had another answer to Tulsa’s drive as Ferguson threw another touchdown pass — this time from 12 yards out — to make it a one score game for the third time.

Tulsa marched down the field, chewing up three minutes off the clock late in the first half and Evans found Keevan Lucas again for a five-yard touchdown and another two-

score lead. Memphis couldn’t find the endzone at the end of the half and had to settle for a field goal. Tiger kicker Jake Elliott set a new school record with 71 field goals made when he brought the Tigers within 11-points. The Golden Hurricane took the 35–24 lead into halftime.

Memphis opened the second half with a touchdown drive, but failed to convert on their two-point conversion attempt, making it a five point game. Tulsa responded with a Redford Jones field goal giving them a little bit of a cushion with an eight point lead.

The team traded punts again for four drives, but on the fifth drive, at the very end of the third quarter, Flanders ran the ball in from 48 yards out to give Tulsa their largest lead of the day at 45–30. This was when the route went into full effect.

Ferguson mishandled the ball on the first drive of the fourth quarter, and the ball bounced around his back until linebacker Petera Wilson Jr. snagged it and returned it 44 yards to set up Flanders for his fifth and final touchdown of the game.

Tulsa forced turnovers on two of Memphis’ last drives of the game (a fumble and an interception) while Raymond Taylor added another touchdown — this one on a 31yard run — to make it a 59–30 final score.

With Navy’s loss to South Florida on Thursday, Tulsa winning out would guarantee them a spot in the conference title game.

They will continue that pursuit next week at home against East Carolina.

ence, this was the seventh straight conference title for the men’s team, having won four straight in Conference-USA before joining the American.

All seven of the men’s runners finished in the top 14, and all five scorers finished in the top 10. Traynor finished first, Ben Preisner (2404.4) finished second, Henry Pearce (24:20.5) finished fourth, Adam Roderique (24:22.6) finished fifth and Isaac Dobos (24:50.2) finished tenth to round out the scorers.

For those unaware in cross country you get points based on where the top five racers on your team finish in the race with the goal being to have the lowest score. T he men’s team had 1, 2, 4, 5 and 10 which gave them 22 total points. Second place in the conference was Tulane who had 101 total points.

Dallas Elmore and Austin Del Rosso joined Tulsa’s scorers in the top 15, earning them all-conference honors.

Head coach Steve Gulley said after the race was over; “The guys had a great race.

They did a really good job. They executed everything just like we wanted. I’m very

proud of them.”

The women’s side finished with 47 points, just behind SMU’s 45. All five scorers finished in the top-12, but SMU had had a strong top-3 runners that Tulsa couldn’t overcome.

The scorers for the women’s side — who also earned all-conference honors — were: Clara Langley (21:04.09) who finished seventh, Stacie Taylor (21:08.2) who finished eighth, Nicole Lee (21:09.0) who finished ninth, Olivia Lopez (21:19.5) who finished 11th and Adrena Mazzei (21:19.6) who finished 12th.

Gulley addressed the results of the women’s race after the the event finished, “The ladies had a great race too, but SMU just beat them, that’s all.”

“You put five in the top-12 and you think you have it, but SMU got it with their front three that countered us a little but better than we thought. I don’t know what else we could have done. I thought the ladies gave 110 percent, we just got beat.”

The next event for the two teams will be at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships on Nov. 11.

Later in the half, Matt Puig was the beneficiary of a defensive breakdown by the Bearcats, taking an easy shot on an open goal to give Tulsa the lead.

As Cincinnati was pushed up trying to tie the score late in the game, Quinton Duncan was able to score a chip shot to solidify the victory at 3–1.

Heading into their final regular season game, the Golden Hurricane own a 8–4–4 record (3–2–1 American Athletic Conference). They return home for the last game, which they will play against Memphis on Friday night at 7:00 p.m.

Women’s soccer The Golden Hurricane women’s soccer team was shut down by UCF on Thursday night, and fell to USF on Sunday afternoon.

Against the Knights, Tulsa struggled to get into a rhythm. Over the course of the game, they only managed three shots, just one of which was on target. UCF, however, had plenty of possession and control, taking 16 shots and putting 9 on target.

Half an hour into the game, the Knights broke through, scoring a goal off of a corner kick. They added another goal early in the second half, and held on from there to down Tulsa 2–0.

On Sunday, Tulsa played their final match of the regular season against USF. The start of the game was wild, as three goals were scored in the first six minutes. USF scored the first two of those goals, just a minute apart. Four minutes into the game, the Bulls had a 2-0 lead. Alyssa Kaiser answered got one back for the Golden Hurricane. From then on, the game settled down and no more goals were scored in the half.

In the second half, USF scored another goal to take a 3–1 lead. Rachel Thun brought the score within 1 once more, but the comeback stopped there, as USF won 3–2.

Tulsa’s final record is 8–10–1 (4–5 American Athletic Conference). Tulsa finished 7th in the conference, one place from being able to compete in the conference tournament, so their season has come to an end.

Cross country takes first, second in conference

The men’s cross country team won the conference title for the seventh straight year, while the women took second, ending their own streak.

Matt Rechtien Sports Editor

This is Tulsa’s third season as a member of the American Athletic Conference, and for the third straight season the men’s cross country team took home the title in dominating fashion.

The women’s team just missed out on their title, snapping their three year conference title streak and losing by just two points to Southern Methodist University.

The men’s team was lead by senior Luke Traynor who won the individual title as the only runner to finish the race in under 24 minutes, with a time of 23:39.9.

This was the third straight year that Tulsa has won the individual conference title as well. While this was the third straight title since joining the American Athletic Confer-

Men’s soccer wins, women’s season ends The men’s soccer team won their last road game, while the women’s season ended with two losses.

Joseph Edmunds Sports Writer Men’s soccer A strong second half comeback gave the Golden Hurricane men’s soccer team a road victory against Cincinnati this weekend.

The Bearcats got the first blow, as they earned a penalty kick twenty minutes in.

The penalty was converted, giving Cincinnati the 1–0 lead. Tulsa was unable to answer back in the first half, heading into halftime down a goal.

In the second half, the Golden Hurricane offense came alive. Mere moments after the half started, Tulsa earned a penalty, and a Bearcat was given a red card. Ray Saari, who returned from a multiple game absence due to injury, converted the penalty kick to tie the score.

Tuesday

No Events No Events

Wednesday

Basketball vs. Oklahoma Christian 7:00 p.m.

Thursday

Oct 31 - Nov 6 Friday

Volleyball @ East Carolina 6:00 p.m.

Women’s Rowing @ Tulsa Fall Basketball vs. Southern Invitational Nazarene Women’s Tennis @ 7:00 p.m.

Saturday

Men’s Tennis @ USA F36 Futures

Football vs. East Carolina SMU Invite Men’s Soccer 7:00 p.m. vs. Memphis 7:00 p.m.

Sunday

Volleyball @ Cincinnati 1:00 p.m.

31 October 2016

Commentary

The Collegian: 7

Consider Rex Berry for a renewed sheriff’s office D. Rex Berry With considerably less in campaign donations ($9,996) than his opponent, Rex Berry is considered by some to be an underdog. He has made several comments directly challenging Regalado, even after Regalado was elected as acting sheriff: “I will sleep well tonight, I will be a grandfather and at the end of the month I will file again. So, Vic is not rid of me. He needs to be watching.”

Berry has considerable experience in law While both candidates for sheriff are enforcement — he was a member of the qualified, Berry offers the chance Tulsa Police Department for 26 years, servto make major changes to an office ing as a crime analyst, detective supervisor that’s struggled with corruption. and a member of the hostage negotiations team. He began consulting with foreign law Hannah Kloppenburg enforcement agencies in Iraq, Afghanistan, Editor-in-Chief Jordan and Kosovo after retiring from TPD. In contrast to Regalado, Berry plans to make serious changes to the sheriff’s office. He intends to “start changing the job descriptions from 1907” and wants the sheriff’s office to drop back into a supporting role rather than a “strong point of power.”

Berry would like to eliminate $1.5 million from the Sheriff’s Office budget by dissolving the 287(g) program and getting rid of the aforementioned training center. He believes that the 287(g) program polarizes the community, and has expressed that he sees no benefit to “stigmatizing undocumented human beings.” Berry claims that the unused training center is an unnecessary burden, especially in light of its location near the Tulsa Police Department’s training center.

He contends that the Violent Crimes/Drug Task Force is necessary in some situations, but would like to restrict it to temporary use “when there is a specific need and when clear guidelines are established.”

R. Vic Regalado Vic Regalado has been acting sheriff since April and is the first ever Hispanic Tulsa County Sheriff. His election was not without controversy — before the special election, the Tulsa Democratic Party asked the ethics commission to investigate several donations to his campaign made on the same day by members of the same company (Regalado collected a total of nearly $180,000 in donations throughout his campaign). He also participated in a personal buyout in the Tulsa Police Department in 2013, moving up to take a retiring superior’s position a month early before his qualifying test scores expired, which he stated was a “long-held practice” in the department.Despite these controversies, Regalado beat Berry in the special election with 60 percent of the vote.

Regalado has extensive experience in law enforcement and has served as a homicide detective, a supervisor of the gang unit and a member of the Tulsa Police Department’s SWAT team. He has expressed a need for stability and leadership in the department, as well as an increased spirit of cooperation and citizen involvement.

Regalado intends to maintain many of the practices and services of the current department while eliminating the corruption and incompetence of the previous sheriff’s office.

He plans to continue the 287(g) program, a local-federal partnership that gives the sheriff’s office powers of immigration enforcement including deportation. Regalado says that undocumented immigrants committing crimes “will be dealt with,” but that the program will provide law enforcement services regardless of race or ethnicity.

If funds allow, he would also like to revamp the sheriff’s office training center that’s currently unused due to the Tulsa County Jail’s budget shortfalls.

Regalado would like to continue the use of the Violent Crimes/Drug Task Force which was suspended in the wake of the shooting committed by volunteer reserve deputy Robert Bates, but with “highly trained, competent deputies... with proper supervision.” He maintains that the force targets the “worst of the worst” and is effective at removing drugs from Tulsa’s neighborhoods.

Why vote for sheriff?

Amongst the state senators and state supreme court justices on the November 8 ballot is the option to vote for either Vic Regalado or Rex Berry for Sheriff.

Regalado has been acting sheriff since former sheriff Stanley Glanz resigned midway through his seventh term. Regalado surpassed Berry in April in the special election meant to determine Glanz’ temporary replacement, becoming the first new sheriff to be elected in almost three decades. The November election will determine whether Regalado remains sheriff or Berry takes his place for the new term (Glanz’ old term ends December 31).

In most cities, the position of sheriff is decided by voters; in some cities, such as Denver, the sheriff is appointed by the mayor. Why should we bother voting for sheriff rather than just allowing a mayor to appoint one? I’ll admit that the position seems a little inconsequential compared to some of the other offices we’re voting for this November, and so long as the appointed sheriff has experience in law enforcement and is qualified to run a department, why does it matter what political party they identify with?

Well, friends, voting for sheriff allows the public to determine whether a “changing of the guard” is necessary. This is particularly relevant given the fact that the last Tulsa County Sheriff, Stanley Glanz, was indicted and resigned due to a grand jury investigation which resulted in two misdemeanor charges and a total of 21 civil rights violations cases involving the sheriff’s department. The misdemeanors and civil rights cases dealt with dead or injured inmates, a sexual assault, the shooting of an unarmed man by reserve deputy Robert Bates, accusations of excessive force and misuse of county resources. Time for a change of pace, wouldn’t you say?

Some have complained that sheriffs shouldn’t run with a certain party and that their qualifications should be the only determining factor in their appointment. In a perfect world I would agree. However, in the world we live in, everyone acts with a certain amount of bias. As you’ll see when you read each of their individual bios, the political alignment of each candidate affects their

policy plan to a certain degree. Both seem to want to avoid repeating the mistakes of the previous department, but intend to go about doing so in different ways. Knowing a potential sheriff’s political alignment can help voters decide on a candidate that best aligns with their values and understands the law enforcement issues relevant to their community.

This is all a reminder that sheriffs are public officials whose positions do affect our daily lives, and because of that, it’s important for the public to have a say in the appointment of those officials. Without further ado, here’s a brief guide to the background and main policy points of each candidate.

So who do you vote for?

Both candidates for Tulsa County Sheriff are clearly qualified, with impressive backgrounds in law enforcement and police service. Both are clearly motivated by not making the mistakes of the previous sheriff’s office — also good.

The choice for Tulsa County Sheriff really comes down to your stance on the amount of power and involvement the sheriff’s office should have. Regalado has expressed a desire to maintain and stabilize the current status quo with improved leadership and competent, trained officers. Berry wants to make serious cuts which, while risky, could also do a lot to upend an administration which clearly wasn’t working very well.

As much as I really do support Regalado’s goals of stability and community cooperation, and while I think he’s done a decent job thus far in office, it makes me nervous that he’s doing little to change some of the practices that were controversial during the previous sheriff’s time. For that reason, I’d like to endorse Berry for sheriff — he plans to cut back on programs that have previously been draining to the sheriff’s office and rethink the department’s role in law enforcement. With the recent exposure of corruption and controversy surrounding the sheriff’s office, I think it’s wise to scale back and start anew, building the program back up while keeping in mind which aspects of are truly helpful for the safety and wellbeing of Tulsans and which aspects are unnecessary or even damaging.

“The choice... comes down to your stance on the amount of power and involvement the sheriff’s office should have.”

Workers’ comp. decision shows problem with special law ban

Special laws are banned but not defined in the state constitution, which could create problems.

Brennen VanderVeen Student Writer In 2013, the Oklahoma Legislature passed a partial opt-out for some businesses with workers’ comp plans. That opt-out was recently declared unconstitutional (in regards to the state constitution) by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Their reasoning was that it constituted a “special law.” Such reasonings show how archaic our state constitution is.

The relevant portion of the state constitution is Article V, Section 59, which reads, “Laws of a general nature shall have a uniform operation throughout the State, and where a general law can be made applicable, no special law shall be enacted.”

Unfortunately, what actually constitutes a “special law” is not given further definition in the constitution. However, the decision which struck down the workers’ comp optout, Vasquez v. Dillard’s Inc., discusses it in more detail. It describes a three part test: “First, is the law special or general? Second, if the law is special in nature, does a general law apply? And, finally, if a general law is not applicable, is the statute a permissible special law?”

In relation to the first prong, the court stated that “If the statute relates to all persons or things within the class, it is a general law.

Where the law singles out less than an entire class of similarly affected persons or things for different treatment, it is a special law.”

In order to determine whether or not the

law constituted a special law, the court had to determine the class to which it applied.

Dillard’s, a department store, contended that the relevant class was employers, but Vasquez, an injured employee, argued that the relevant class was injured employees.

The court agreed with Vasquez largely because the language of the law refers almost entirely to employees. Because the law created a system in which employees of a firm that opted out of the workers’ comp program would be treated differently than employees of a firm that did not, the court ruled the law a special law.

The court further found, in relation to the second prong, that there was a separate general law that applied. That left only the third prong that could be used to uphold the law.

Dillard’s argued that the law was permissible because it was “reasonably related to a legitimate government objective.” However, the court ultimately maintained that “the interests of employers in reducing compensation costs” could not be used as a justification for a special law. Thus, the court found the law unconstitutional.

Now, my understanding of Oklahoma constitutional law is quite limited. So, I’ll

presume that the justices reached a legally correct ruling, especially since it was 7–2.

However, I do think a couple of things are worth pointing out.

First of all, the court repeatedly referred to the legislation as discriminatory. That does not seem accurate to me. The law set up a uniform system from which business

plied only to a particular type of drug. That reasoning itself seems reasonable enough, but The Oklahoman Editorial Board wrote an op-ed about other potential problems with the ruling. For instance, nonprescription allergy medication containing pseudoephedrine is treated differently than medication without it in order to make it more

“The state is not the one determining who gets benefits.” could opt out. I imagine many readers think allowing businesses to do so is a terrible idea because it could result in less protection for workers. Maybe it is indeed a terrible policy. However, even then, that does not seem like discrimination. The state is not the one determining who gets benefits and who does not. Rather, the determining factor is whether or not an employer participates in the program.

Secondly, there are perhaps problems more generally with the “special law” prohibition. Last year, a regulation of abortion drugs which required them to be administered per FDA label instructions was struck down as a special law because the law ap-

difficult to obtain the ingredients for methamphetamine. Is that a special law?

It makes sense to restrict laws that apply only in very particular cases. In general, the government should be treating classes of things or people equally. Special treatment is cause for suspicion. However, sometimes there is cause, in limited cases, for special treatment. Perhaps the workers’ comp law was not one of these cases. However, given how vague the actual constitutional text is, it is not hard to imagine that the special law provision will be used in cases it should not be. The state legislature should consider proposing an amendment that clarifies how the special law ban should be applied.

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Vasquez vs. Dillard’s Inc. illustrates the issues with ambiguity around special laws.

The Collegian: 8

Commentary

31 October 2016

Segregating the poor and hungry isn’t a solution

Keeping Iron Gate from being able to expand and more effectively serve Tulsa is a selfish decision based on misguided fears and generalizations.

Claudia Conaway Student Writer Iron Gate, a Tulsa-based soup kitchen and food pantry, has been around since 1984. On their website you can find the words “we are all guests on this earth and guests treat one another with courtesy, kindness and respect.” It seems this philosophy of equality is not one that every Tulsan holds.

Currently, Iron Gate is located in the Trinity Episcopal Church basement on Cincinnati and 5th street, where it feeds up to 900

a mile away from the original location.

This proposal was vehemently opposed by various business owners and homeowners around the area, and was ultimately denied by the Board of Adjustment. Things like this get denied every day, but what makes this issue stand out are the reasons for the opposition.

Leanne Benton, the Pearl District Association President, vocalized the worries that Peorians apparently held by saying that the soup kitchen would bring “vandalism, break-ins, trash and homeless people.”

These voices weren’t just residents of gentrified neighborhoods casually complaining about the streets; they were forces that led the Board to deny the proposal altogether.

When the poor are pushed out of an area so that the better-off won’t be bothered by them, we are furthering the problems of poverty and hunger. Iron Gate fought back by saying that the soup kitchen would be large enough to house hundreds of people wanting to get food, so no poor person would be wandering around the precious Pearl District. I’ll say what they won’t: it shouldn’t matter how big the soup kitchen would be.

The shop owners voicing opposition to the kitchen seem to have no problem with taking a poor person’s money, but hold ob-

“The opposers seem to think that they can deem hungry people of not being worthy of ‘their’ area of Tulsa.” people a day. In order to actually fit all these people in one location and to feed more hungry Tulsans, the organization wanted to build a soup kitchen at 3rd and Peoria, about

jections to being next to an organization that feeds them. Homeowners are so afraid of seeing a hungry person in their neighborhood that they forget how many of their co-

courtesy Iron Gate Tulsa

Iron Gate’s expansion won’t bring any more risk to Tulsa neighborhoods, but it will allow them to better serve poor Tulsans.

workers, friends, family and even neighbors need locations like that soup kitchen. The homeless, poor and hungry are not another species you can create a separate location for. Like Iron Gate says, they are guests on earth just like any other person. Shop owners would be cheering for, say, luxury condos, to be built next to their stores because that would mean rich customers in suits and polished shoes. Once the allure of sophistication is taken away, the people walking

around their streets no longer become people. They become a problem.

By saying that a soup kitchen will bring “vandalism, break-ins” and “trash”, you’re doing two ignorant things. First, you’re generalizing what kind of people are the ones who would be coming to the soup kitchen. These people are college students who might have no extra money for groceries. These people are single mothers and fathers and their children. These people are men and women who were laid off or fired and struggling to find a job. These people are the homeless who have no one else on their side.

Second, and this goes along with the generalization, we’re transforming the hungry from individual people and families to pawns. The opposers seem to think that they can deem hungry people of not being worthy of “their” area of Tulsa. The poor are not people you can just pick up and move into a square that you see fit for them to be in.

They are Tulsans, and they are hungry.

If the proposed soup kitchen would’ve been approved and built, Tulsa would’ve been home to the largest food-only resource in the country. This city has the potential to feed its hungry citizens, but it will never happen if we keep divisions between the poor and the rest of society. I hope Iron Gate continues to fight to find a location in Tulsa that will bring food to hungry individuals and families. When they do, the voices of their supporters can be equally as loud as the opposition if they write in letters to the Tulsa Board of Adjustment, expressing unrest about the denial or support for the next location Iron Gate tries to move to.

Crutcher’s drug use justifies his arrest, not his murder

Crutcher having PCP in his system shouldn’t determine whether Officer Shelby was right in shooting and killing him.

Trenton Gibbons Variety Editor

The autopsy of Terence Crutcher, the unarmed black man shot and killed by Tulsa police officer Betty Shelby on September 16th, has revealed that he had PCP in his system at the time of his death. The information that PCP had been found inside his vehicle had been public knowledge well before the autopsy report came in. Phencyclidine, also known as Angel Dust, is classified as a dissociative drug. It is a white powder

whose symptoms include “numbness of the extremities, slurred speech, and loss of coordination,” according to Drugs.com. In more severe cases it can cause “auditory hallucinations, image distortion, and severe mood disorders” or even “acute anxiety and a feeling of impending doom.” This information at least explains the erratic behavior officers claimed to have witnessed in Crutcher, but it does not excuse their response.

As media outlets and the general public react to this news, one message must be made clear: the fact that Crutcher possessed drugs justifies his arrest, not his death. In this case, at least, it appears the courts agree.

An affidavit released by the Tulsa County District Attorney’s office has said that Shelby reacted “unreasonably by escalating the situation.” The office contests her claim that Crutcher had reached into the window of his SUV before she had perceived him to be a threat. The affidavit says that Shelby was “not able to see any weapons or bulge indicating a weapon was present.” Meanwhile, Crutcher’s family and attorneys maintain that the SUV’s windows were rolled up or else there would not be blood splatters on the glass. Both sets of footage released by

the Tulsa Police Department, captured from a patrol car dash-cam and a police helicopter, seem to depict Terence with his hands in the air moments before he was shot.

Whatever ruling the courts reach, the involvement of PCP should not play a major part in their decision. It is the jury’s job to discern whether or not Terence posed a very real threat to Officer Shelby when she pulled the trigger. It is not their job to decide whether or not possessing and/or using drugs is worthy of a death sentence. On both these points I would of course argue no: Crutcher didn’t seem to pose a real threat, nor does drug usage warrant such a harsh punishment. If anything, its only more heartbreaking to hear the kind of panicked state Terence must have been in during his confrontation with the police, and to know that he very much lacked control over his actions. Officers should be properly trained to recognize when an individual is in a drug-induced state of confusion and when that person is actually a threat to their safety.

The Tulsa Police Department has behaved relatively admirably by holding Shelby accountable for her fatal overreaction to Crutcher’s actions, and soon we’ll see if

courtesy Wikipedia

New developments in Crutcher’s case should not be rationale for the response of Officer Betty Shelby.

the justice system does the same. Whatever their verdict, I just hope the jury does not put it upon themselves to excuse the death of a man simply based on their judgments of his character.

Despite vague laws, don’t take ballot selfies

There are safer ways to make it known that you’ve voted than taking a selfie with your ballot.

Nathan Hinkle Student Writer With the presidential election cycle and important laws about to be voted on, the American public will soon be headed out to the polls to put in their votes. However, a new issue may arise this election cycle and that is the idea of taking pictures or selfies with your ballot. This is currently illegal in Oklahoma, but like many laws in America, it has no force behind it. Electioneering and the laws that fight against it are extremely important in this election as there are rumors about voter fraud and rigged elections.

A law made in Oklahoma around 40 years ago states that taking pictures of your ballot is an illegal practice, but it doesn’t have mandated fines or jail time associated with the law. This causes a problem in Oklahoma as it makes the populace unsure on the illegality of a certain action, which is a major

sign of a terribly written law. Local authorities have stated that you should not take pictures but there is no fine or jail time associated with it.. This causes problems for the average citizen trying to show they voted.

This is the case throughout the United States. There is no national law that either completely bans ballot selfies or allows them to be legal. In states like Hawaii, Louisiana, Idaho and Maine these voting selfies are perfectly legal without any problems being put forward. However, it’s viewed as a misdemeanor in Colorado or even a felony in Illinois. There are also states that have the same unsure status as Oklahoma, like Pennsylvania and Delaware.

The main issue here is whether or not photos of your ballot should be illegal. The general conception for selfies is that they are merely a harmless way to show off to the world that you voted and hopefully that will remind and push people forward into voting if they were not planning on it. The other side of the argument put forward by spokespeople for the Secretary of State of Alabama is that “Voters have a right to cast a ballot in secrecy and private.” This idea comes from the fact that one person’s selfie may contain other people who are less forthcoming with their voting information. These pictures could also be seen as electioneering which is the act of trying to shift one’s vote through either illegal or rather wrongful means. An example of this that correlates with pictures is a law in New York and Virginia which does not allow people to wear political merchandise like clothing, hats and

graphic by Elias Brinkman

Taking a selfie by the voting booth can be a good compromise for those wanting to take ballot selfies.

buttons. These pictures could be seen in the same light that you are showing off your political leanings inside of a voting area to people around you.

People who want to take pictures of their vote should instead just take a picture of themselves with the “I voted”

sticker outside of their voting building. This allows the photographer to show off their voting action while leaving out any bystanders who do not want their voting practices to be known.

31 October 2016

The Collegian: 9

Variety (66)6 hangouts for Halloween night

Want to hit the town tonight but don’t know where to go? The Collegian has you covered with certified Halloween hangouts!

James Whisenhunt Commentary Editor

1. Maple Ridge: 15th to 31st St. S, between Peoria and Riverside Last year, the neighborhood-based social networking app Nextdoor conducted a poll of how many houses in Tulsa would be handing out candy, then ranked neighborhoods based on the highest number of houses providing candy in the closest proximity.

Keeping with the spirit of the ranking, the highest ranked neighborhood closest to TU was Maple Ridge, coming in at #2 on the list. If you’re all about getting out on the streets and strategically maximizing your candy intake, head down Peoria and see why Maple Ridge calls itself “Tulsa’s best neighborhood.”

graphic by Elias Brinkman

Spooky music suggestions from an American teen wolf

Music enthusiast Ethan Veenker recommends some songs that aren’t Monster Mash.

Stay spooky and patrician with these terrifyingly obscure musical treats.

Ethan Veenker Student Writer

Halloween is one of those holidays where the atmosphere matters just as much as the celebration; the other two being, of course, Christmas and Flag Day. Now, listening to the Halloween soundtrack or Michael Jackson’s Thriller on repeat whilst driving from neighborhood to neighborhood may very well satisfy your need for that spooky atmosphere, but these following five albums may also scratch that itch (listed in no particular order). While they’re not all spooky in the conventional manner, they provide an unsettling experience that may be perfect for you as you trick-or-treat amongst the seven-year-old Donald Trumps and Harley Quinns.

Animal Collective - Here Comes the Indian Animal Collective’s 2003 album “Here Comes the Indian,” saw the band’s first release on which all four members contributed. Creepy, disjointed and just generally abrasive, their fourth album provides some of the most uncomfortable feelings the experimental pop group has ever produced.

All that being said, it’s one of their better releases.

Xiu Xiu - Angel Guts: Red Classroom Jamie Stewart, the depressive frontman of Xiu Xiu, is known for making dark music. “Angel Guts: Red Classroom,” however, is one of his darkest, more recent releases, with extremely vulgar lyrics and a bleak atmosphere that threatens to absorb you. Spooky.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - F#A#∞

The Canadian eight-piece Godspeed You! Black Emperor is known for being the defining name in post-rock. Their sophomore album, “Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven” is a staple in the genre and typically serves as the best entry point.

Their debut, however, “F#A#∞,” serves as their darkest release to date. The first track in particular, “Dead Flag Blues,” is one of the heaviest pieces of music you could find yourself listening to this Halloween.

Swans - My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky Swans are a household name when it comes to abrasive music. One need look no further than their accurately titled debut: “Filth.” When it comes to their albums, actually, “My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky” serves as both a pseudo-reunion and also one of their lightest releases to date. This, of course, means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Despite its relative tameness compared to the rest of their discography, it still carries a heavy weight and provides an excellent, noisy atmosphere for Halloween listening. One need look no further than the track “You Fucking People Make Me Sick” to prove my point.

2. Local neighborhoods around TU If you don’t have a car or don’t have much time to go trick-or-treating, you’re lucky that TU is surrounded by neighborhoods on the North, East, and South! Heading down to any of these neighborhoods is certainly better than nothing if you’re in a bit of a time crunch, and it may even be worth it to walk down the hallways of your residence hall or apartment complex to see if any particularly heroic students or RAs are giving out candy before you head out.

3. 13th Ward: 2300 Kenosha Street, Broken Arrow, OK, 74012 For those willing to drive a bit further for their Halloween thrills, 13th Ward in Broken Arrow may be the place for you! Open until 10:00 PM Halloween night, 13th Ward

While their latest release “Fading Frontier” might have been a rather lighthearted pop album, Deerhunter’s sophomore album “Cryptograms” could not have been more different. Utilizing what I imagine was a few dozen guitar pedals and at least two guitars, the band makes an album purely devoid of silence. It’s an album best described as a wall of sound, and when they do let up enough so that you can hear the vocals, I assure you that frontman Bradford Cox isn’t singing of sunshine and daisies. Happy Halloween.

4. Rocky Horror at Guthrie Green: 111 E MB Brady St. If you’re looking for a more casual atmosphere this year, look no further than Guthrie Green’s annual Halloween showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” The cult classic film is a staple of many Halloween movie nights, and enjoying it while laying on the Green with some friends in the October air is the perfect setup for a chill Halloween night.

5. One Way System at Vanguard: 222 N. Main St. Though it’s not specifically Halloweenthemed, you won’t be out of place if you show up in costume to a concert headlined

by One Way System. The English punk rock band’s music is loud, fast-paced, and high-energy, perfect for someone looking for something a bit more electric than collecting candy door-to-door this Halloween.

With openers Total Chaos, The Penny Mob, and Tulsa artist Merlin Mason, you’d certainly be getting plenty of entertainment for the $13 entrance fee.

6. Throw your own house party!

Does nothing above on the list sound appealing to you? Don’t forget that you can always throw your own Halloween party!

You can buy your favorite candy, invite your friends, and do whatever you want!

There are some downsides, like buying your own candy (and alcohol, if that’s an integral part of your party-going), but doing it yourself lets you tailor the event to be exactly what you want.

tucollegian@tucollegian.org editor-in-chief

Hannah Kloppenburg managing editor

Kayleigh Thesenvitz news editor

Michaela Flonard sports editor

Matt Rechtien variety editor

Trenton Gibbons commentary editor

James Whisenhunt satire editor

Deerhunter - Cryptograms

is a 30,000 square foot mental institutionthemed haunted house, promising to “make your blood scream, to leave your soul questioning existence and to bring nightmares to life.” If you’re interested in going to a haunted house tonight, be sure to check out The Collegian’s reviews of Hex House and Nightmare!

Sam Chott photo & graphics editor

Elias Brinkman

business & advertising manager

Paul Moses web manager

Sam Chott

distribution managers

Nathan Gibbons, Adam Lux and Trenton Gibbons

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.

Variety

The Collegian: 10

31 October 2016

The scariest part of a haunted house should not be its line

This year, the Hex House’s theme seemed inconsistent, much like its ability to scare visitors.

Hex House, one of Tulsa’s most prominent commercial haunted houses, disappointed with much too long a wait and a lack of scares.

Trenton Gibbons Variety Editor The original intent with this review of a local haunted house, particularly Hex House, was to get the opinions of both someone wholly unfamiliar to visiting haunted houses and someone with

relative experience in the field.

This, I’d hoped, would lead to a more balanced review, as it would be the product of two varied perspectives.

I scrapped this idea only moments after we’d finished the first half of the haunted house because of the unanimity of our opinions.

The Hex House, or at least the teaser of it that’d we’d experienced, was much too short, about fifteen minutes or so. When you compare that to the three and a half hours we’d spent standing in a line with some genuinely deplorable people (one urinated on the side-

courtesy Hex House

walk rather than abandon his spot in line), this length becomes even more disappointing. It’d gotten so late, in fact, that we decided to leave the attraction altogether, intending to return on a later date to do the second, titular section of the haunted house. We never did. This avoidance was due to our fear of a torturously long line rather than a terrifying experience, and that’s a real shame.

The Hex House might be aware of this problem, but they’re more concerned with profit than they are finding a proper solution. While my general admission ticket was

$25.00, a separate $35.00 ‘express pass’ was available for purchase.

The express line might have been convenient for the people moving through it, but for everyone else, it was simply frustrating. I saw a large group who’d purchased their express passes at the same time as my normal ticket make it into the house in a sixth of the time.

The only real entertainment to be had in the lines was watching costumed staff members terrify a few unsuspecting guests, and even that wore off quickly. A man in an oversized rat mask revved a (fake) chainsaw around guests’ legs to disperse groups and chase runners, while an especially creepy clown feigned childlike intelligence and posed for pictures. Perhaps the greatest obstacle to the workers’ fun is the “I-Ain’t-Scared-Of-You” archetype, the guy or gal who has to pump up their chest and ridicule the worker for even trying to startle them. While personally the workers outside never really scared me, I at least enjoyed their attempts, as opposed to the somewhat hostile responses they received from the occasional guest.

The same problem occurs within the house itself. Since we were only a group of three, we were forced to join another group of four, one of whom reluctantly took the lead and immediately donned the “this-is-stupid” approach. This approach consisted of asking workers where they got their makeup and complementing the fake props strewn around the rooms. It’s one thing to be disappointed by a haunted house, like I was. Its another to actively try to have a bad time.

And disappointed I was. Not just in the occasional shoddiness of a room layout, or the predict-

able timing of a worker’s attempted scare, but also for the lack of a consistent theme. I know this sounds like a stupid complaint, but I can assure you the scariest haunted house I ever went through was modeled like a backwoods town, while in this one you could be getting a lecture from nightmarish clowns one moment, and be ambushed by an oversized dragon the next.

The most terrifying moment in Hex House was one that might’ve been unscripted. Our group suddenly lost hope pushing our way through a very narrow, enclosed space, whose walls we had to fend off ourselves just to get breathing space. As we continued blindly down our path, some of us became genuinely afraid of suffocation, while I worried that we’d taken a wrong turn and might even topple some of the props. When we made it out the other end, we were legitimately thankful for the worker who hopped out and tried to scare us.

By the time we reached the end of the house itself, we didn’t feel relief, but a bitter pang of disappointment. We’d timed the attraction and found that the experience itself — barely over a quarter of an hour — did little to make up for the hours we’d spent in line.

Honestly, this visit to the Hex House might’ve killed any desire I had to make visiting haunted houses an annual tradition. The length of time we’d had to wait, the behavior of the other guests and finally the failure of the house itself to keep me constantly terrified left me a bit wanting. Haunted houses would love to advertise that their guests were too frightened to ever return. In this case, it was exactly the opposite.

Predictable College Costumes

B

I

N G O

Donald Trump

Pokemon Trainer/ Go User

A Goddamn Horse Mask

Girl In Sexy Bunny Outfit

Guy In Ironic Sexy Bunny Outfit

The Dude

Netflix and Chill

Hillary Clinton

Harambe

‘Modern’ Disney Princess

The Joker FREE SPACE

Walter White

Dressed As ‘A Decade’

“I’m myself”/”I’m a college student”

Spiderman Onesie

Bodybuilder (shirtless man)

Black Widow

Parody of Nerd Culture

Nikki Minaj

Parody of Greek Culture

Last-Minute Face Paint

Morph Suit

Obscure Anime Character, Ashamed

Harley Quinn

Ken Bone

Variety

31 October 2016

The Collegian: 11

The Nightmare: a blend of sacrilege and scare tactics

Here, young volunteers depict the supposed penalty for godlessness: tribal-like violence and anarchy.

Guts Church’s haunted house is less a lesson in morality and more a manipulative trip down fireand-brimstone lane.

Claudia Conaway Student Writer The Nightmare is a walkthrough haunted house held annually by Guts Church in Tulsa.

It is scary and immersive, but for

all the wrong reasons. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. every weekend night in October. You have to be at least 12 to enter, and kids in their early teens seemed to make up the bulk of the guests. After buying a ticket and getting through the metal detectors, you wait in line for about 30 minutes to be allowed to go through bland pitch-dark hallways that lead you into another waiting room. After another half hour waiting in this room, you are finally split into groups to start the actual walk-through.

Beforehand, you write your

courtesy Guts Church

name on a slip of paper, which they use to pull up the group’s Facebook pages onto computer screens in the first room. I understand the shock factor of this, and that it’s supposed to make you feel a loss of privacy, but it would perhaps be more humane if Guts told you what they were using your information for beforehand. This room was the least scary one, so I had enough time in it to wonder if this information sharing was lawsuit material or not.

Every group spends about two minutes in each room watching

various scenes of trauma, drug addiction, death, murder, and demonic possession. The actors get very close and personal with the guests, which helps to enhance the scare factor, but the very normally dressed guides rushing the groups into the next room make the terror subside pretty heavily, which is disappointing. It is hard to tell whether Guts was trying to say that each scenario you walked through, including an abortion, a rape, and a school shooting, were things that are in hell, things that send you to hell, or things that are just crummy life events. Whatever they are meant to be, they all seem to glamorize judgements and violence upon the victims of each situation.

A woman who had just induced an abortion with a wire hanger is laughed at by a demon, while other women are raped, killed, and abused throughout the rooms. Drug addicts and victims of bullying are portrayed as less than human entities whose only paths are death and these rooms of hell. It seems to be forgotten by Guts that victims of trauma aren’t always living a life of sin or bad choices. In case you forget you’re at a church, the last few rooms are reenactments of Jesus dying and being crucified. This was an emotional scene for myself, being a Christian, but there wasn’t much explanation to those who aren’t Christians as to what the crucifixion had to do with

all the horror before.

The most disturbing part is after the final scene, when everyone is ushered into a room to be prayed with by church members. A woman approached me and asked if she could pray for me. I had no problem with that, but when she said “repeat after me” and had me say almost the exact prayer I recited when I actually chose to be saved at my own church, I realized Guts was doing something very wrong. I was forcibly and unknowingly being “saved” again, and they asked me to sign my name to a sheet of paper before I left. Though this didn’t affect me negatively because I already am a Christian, I can’t imagine that a person who doesn’t already follow Jesus wouldn’t take offense to being forcibly “saved” after being ruthlessly confronted with fire and brimstone judgements.

It’s clear that Guts wants to confront people with the reality of a life without Jesus, but I believe they are going about it the wrong way. Terror shouldn’t be what drives a person to accept Jesus, and they definitely shouldn’t be forced to recite the prayer of salvation when they’re not even told what they’re doing. Perhaps just give a pamphlet out next time and invite them to church, so that they can hear the Good News and not just the condemnation of lifestyles that the church deems worthy of a ticket to the entrance to hell.

courtesy Quentin Jones

Fisher South condemns students to Inferno

The entrance to hell, demarcated with inflatable skull and crossbones.

For Fisher South’s annual Haunted Hall, students and staff helped transform the dorm into a hellish attraction.

Amy Bailey Student Writer

Last Thursday, Fisher South hosted their annual “Haunted Hall” for the Halloween season.

Upon walking in, it was difficult to recognize the freshman dorm.

Cobwebs lined the walls, and blood curdling screams were heard from all three floors. The studentorganized spook house decided on a “Dante’s Inferno” theme this year and the atmosphere was notably hellish. It started out slow and began in purgatory on the first floor with a gluttony refreshments table and a vanity selfie booth.

Things picked up on the second and third floors. They were filled with many classic haunted house conventions: bloody screaming dead people, hands grabbing at your ankles, strobe lights pulsing in your eyes. On the third floor, the Devil introduced himself to our group, and acted as our guide through the damned. We were lead through tight dark corridors lined with shock scares at every turn.

The halls were broken up with black trash bags to create a more claustrophobic, disoriented feeling for the journey.

Possibly the most notable part of the experience was the dedication that many of the students brought to their scary roles; they balanced on the cusp between completely cheesy and legitimately startling. There was also great attention to detail in the decora-

tions for all three floors: bloody heads hanging, a coffin, a fake electric chair. The event was a nostalgic gem for students looking for some old-school jumps, and was a fun, spooky time without even having to leave campus.

It was a good mix of gimmicky and fun, and did not take itself too seriously. All the elements came together very well, and felt like a professional haunted house, but without the ridiculously long lines and Christian guilt occasionally included at the end.

Zane Hight, Residence Hall Director of Fisher South, said that the turnout for the event is usually around 150-250 people each year.

The high turnout rate explains why Fisher South decides to go all out every year. This year was Hight’s fifth year to work on the haunted house and he explained that it is the biggest event put on by Fisher South. Hight mentioned that it is not a haunted house to bring kids to, and that it was made to include some real scares. I toured the attraction during preparation and saw loads of students, freshman and upperclassmen alike, working together to create a fun experience for others. The event seemed to bring together not only the people attending the haunted house but the students manning it. When I attended, there were back-to-back tours being lead, and the attendees were all walking away looking startled, but with smiles on their faces.

It was a fun event with a lot of Halloween school camaraderie laced into it, since it took a small army of students to run it. It combined many of the best things about haunted houses with a University of Tulsa lifeblood firmly running through it.

The film’s protagonist is an outlandish one: an alien transvestite from the planet Transylvania.

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

SA precedes Pride Month with “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”

SA’s Student Awareness Department provided an enjoyable movie night while also supporting the LGBTQ+ community with its showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

Nick Rethford Student Writer Last Wednesday, SA’s Student Awareness Department, led by Executive Director Gabby Gunnerson, hosted a showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

Originally meant to be held on Harwell Field, the threat of imminent rain caused the event to be moved into the Student Union, but that didn’t make the movie any less enjoyable. Coupled with flavored popcorn and hot chocolate and cider, the showing was an all around success.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” focuses on a young, straight-laced couple, Brad and Janet, who stumble upon a castle after getting a flat tire. There they meet Dr. Frank-N-Furter, an alien transvestite and mad scientist who has plans to build the perfect man, along with his colorful band of minions, lovers and experiments.

Over the course of the night, he manages to open both their minds and hearts to ideas and mindsets they only ever dreamed about.

With themes of sexual identity, love and acceptance, the movie provides a delightful musical comedy experience while blending in real social issues and some spooky fun.

The event was organized in order to raise awareness and support for the LGBT community.

As opposed to traditional awareness events, though, it was able to avoid the typical somber atmosphere by utilizing the fact that the

The tortured denizens of the Haunted Hall consist of students and residential staff.

event coincided with Halloween.

The result offered the perfect balance between important social issues and genuine holiday fun.

“It’s a great movie, and I think it really aligns with our goals this year about raising awareness and promoting acceptance on different issues in the student body,” Gunnerson said before the event.

“I really think that everyone who attends the movie tonight is really going to enjoy it.”

As to whether or not the audience enjoyed the movie, the standing ovation it received speaks for itself. Students found it refreshing to be able to have something important to take away from an event like this while still being able to enjoy it. “I think it’s a great way to raise awareness about these kinds of topics,” said student Jessica Maas. “It brings up serious issues in a light-hearted way that I think resonates better with students than a traditional speaker would.”

courtesy Quentin Jones

31 October 2016

The State-Run Media

State-Run media The real meaning of Halloween is togetherness.

A helpful list of politically Top 10 sexy costumes correct costumes The State-Run Media understands that it’s difficult to put together a costume that’s both creative and culturally sensitive. Here’s a helpful list of costumes that won’t offend anyone!

The State-Run Media presents a list of our favorite sexy costumes.

Sam Beckmann Dressed as a safe space 1.

I hope this has been a helpful and informative guide to politically correct costumes!

Which Halloween costumes are OK for me to wear?

Didn’t like our other guide to politically correct costumes? State-Run censors went over possible costumes and brought you the least unacceptable ones.

Sam Beckmann Attends sensitivity training for fun With all the hubbub around “politically-correct costumes” this Halloween, you’re probably wondering just what is and what isn’t acceptable to wear. Luckily for you, the State-Run Media is here to help. We’ve compiled a useful guide of common examples to clear up any confusion you might have.

Dressing up as an Engineering Student - Acceptable

Although engineering students are a protected class in the United States, they’re all far too busy working on projects and labs to attend any Halloween parties, so you should be safe with this costume.

in less candy gained from trick-ortreating. If you do want to go down this route, we recommend dressing as a third-party candidate that everyone can agree to make fun of, such as Gary Johnson.

Sexy Mummy - Not Acceptable Mummy culture has strong values about keeping all skin covered.

It is utterly disrespectful to this 5000 year old culture to use their traditional religious garb as a halloween costume. You should be ashamed of yourself!

Human-Sized Rubber Ducky Not Acceptable Rubber duckies face many challenges in life, including being squeezed, thrown, discarded, and lost in the bathroom, all without their consent. Rubber ducky abuse is a major issue in our society, and should not be treated so lightly as to be a Halloween costume. Think before you put on your fake beak this October, and perhaps decide on a different costume.

Presidential Candidates - Be Careful Although presidential candidates themselves are generally OK with halloween costumes based on them, not everyone will be. Dressing up as Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton might make some other party members or visited houses angry with you, and could result

We hope you have found this to be a helpful and informative guide to politically correct costumes!

Mary Loveless Wants to sex up Thanksgiving next Sexy Halloween costumes are a decades old tradition on college campuses. Every year, frat parties are flooded with sexy maids, sexy nurses, and catwomen. This Halloween, why not break away from the pack and do something risky?

After all, quirky is the new sexy.

5. Chinese takeout It’s what’s for dinner.

7. Rooster Shows that you love them so much you decided to be one.

6. House This little number will have all the boys wanting to move in.

4. Big Bird Gives new meaning to the term “street walker” 3. Wednesday Addams Attracts that edgy kind of guy who likes goths…. And children.

2. Olaf from Frozen Think of all the possible references. “Hey, do me a favor and grab my butt!” “Oh, look at that. I’ve been impaled.”

10. Ivanka Trump Screams “daddy issues” louder than every other costume in the room.

1. Naked person Get people’s attention without an indecent exposure charge.

Bonus: ask that any pics taken of you be sent to you, and use them when guys you don’t like ask for nudes.

9. Alexander Hamilton The best way to let everyone know you’re “young, scrappy and hungry.”

8. Bacon Because who doesn’t love bacon? Bonus points for dedication if you wear bacon grease to get the smell.

Spooky cocktails to drink alone courtesy Yandy.com

5 last-minute costumes to turn this paper into If you’re low on time but not Halloween spirit, newspapers can make a great costume.

Do you have a party in five minutes and no costume?

Luckily, the paper you’re holding right now can be turned into five last-minute costumes!

Sam Beckmann Dressed as a satire writer 1. Sailor - Through a series of strategic folds, you can turn this paper into a sailor hat. To really get the most benefit out of this costume, I also recommend a navy dress uniform, and everything else needed to make a sailor costume, besides the hat.

2. Spooky Ghost - If you’re short on bed sheets this halloween, you can make a quick ghost costume by taping all of pages of this

courtesy Pixabay

Drinking alone on Halloween can be fun, as seen here.

Everyone else getting hammered with friends on Halloween? State-Run paper together. It won’t be quite of heart. Still, if you want to really mixologists developed these large enough for you to fit under, creep the rest of society out, feel single-serving drinks for but if you crouch you can make it free to act interested in the future lonely readers. work. I would usually recommend eye holes, but journalism is so free of actual substance these days you can probably see right through the news section.

3. Origami Master - Each page of this paper contains all the materials needed to make an origami masterpiece. The costume is pretty simple. Simply make intricate origami out of each page, and take your creations with you to parties around campus. Note: It is recommended to actually be an origami master in order to properly construct this costume.

4. College Student Reading a Newspaper - This costume is particularly scary, and not for the faint

of society and concerned with the goings-on at your own university.

Don’t be surprised if no one wants to go near you at parties, however.

5. Sexy Newsprint - If you’re looking for a more risqué costume this halloween, sexy newsprint is for you! To make this costume, first remove all your clothes, then delicately wrap pages of journalism around anything you wish to be covered. As a bonus, you can convince yourself that all the people staring at you are not, in fact, objectifying you, but instead are fascinated by the sports articles on display.

Zack Darland Gives shots to trick-ortreaters

It’s about that time of year, again. No, not that time of year, I’m talking about Halloween. It’s time to dress up as your favorite person, thing or emoji, and for partying with your friends, if you have them. I haven’t had friends since third grade and ever since, I’ve been trying to drink that thought out from my head. So if you’re like me and plan to sit alone on Halloween, watch Ghostbusters II, and drink away your pain, then you’ll appreciate these spook-tacular drinks that I’ve come across over the years.

courtesy Pexels

The Purge: One day a year, anything and everything goes, Served over rocks: 1 part SVEDKA Strawberry Lemonade 1 part Great Value® Prune Juice

Mountain Boo: I won this recipe in a game of poker from myself.

1 part Everclear® Grain Alcohol 4 parts Mountain Dew The Scrambler: It’s just like drinking an omelette 3 - 5 medium to large eggs ¼ cup of chives ¼ lb. ham or bacon -- cooked ¼ cup Smirnoff Nacho Cheese flavored vodka Life’s a witch: For taking the edge off when life is hard ½ part Sodium Hypochlorite 5 parts tonic water ½ part Ammonia 5 parts Jameson Irish Whiskey