28 October 2019 by The Collegian: Student Newspaper of the University of Tulsa

a student newspaper of the University of Tulsa

October 28, 2019 issue 9 ~ volume 105

Happy Halloween! TU vs. Memphis p. 2 Oklahoma incarceration result of long sentencing p. 6 Outstanding Senior award lacks diversity p. 8 David Grann lecture sparks discussion about Osage representation P. 14

Cover by: Emma Palmer

Sports

The Collegian: 2

28 October 2019

TU loses homecoming to Memphis 42-41

Football journalist Hannah Robbins covers Tulsa’s close loss to the Tigers after a missed field goal in the last seconds of Saturday’s game. Tulsa came into homecoming on a three game losing streak, and right from the start, it seemed that the Golden Hurricane would continue that streak. However, plenty of mistakes by Memphis caused the game to be a lot closer than anyone had anticipated. The Memphis Tigers were off to a strong start, scoring on their first two possessions, and Tulsa had no response. After trading failed drives, Tulsa got something started. As the first quarter wound down, Shamari Brooks made Tulsa’s first large gain of the evening, putting the Golden Hurricane at the 40 yard line. Brooks’ 40-yard run on the next play put Tulsa on the board, 7-14. The Golden Hurricane seemed energized, and on the punt, Memphis fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Tulsa. Unfortunately, Tulsa could not convert this into points. After fouls on both sides and consecutive failings by Smith to connect with Josh Johnson, Jacob Rainey just missed a field goal. Memphis got back in the game, and scored on their next drive, bringing the score to 7-21. On Tulsa’s next drive, Zach Smith started strong, connecting with Keylon Stokes for 28 yards. Memphis helped the team move down the field with a personal foul penalty, and when the team got to the goal, a pass interference call on Memphis led Tulsa to another attempt at a touchdown, and Corey

Taylor II ran it into the end zone, bringing Tulsa to 14-21. Memphis came back with a vengeance, and scored on their next possession, putting them 14 ahead of Tulsa. On the next drive, Tulsa seemed poised to even the score, but after Smith was sacked at the 20 yard line, Tulsa settled for a field goal. Memphis tried to respond in kind, but after timeouts and penalties shook up the end of the half, Riley Patterson missed a 33-yard field goal. After the half, Tulsa had a rocky start. After making it to the 25-yard line, Tulsa was unable to make it to the end zone, and their field goal attempt was blocked by Memphis. Memphis failed to capitalize on this, however, givingTulsa had another chance. Despite a fumble by Smith that he recovered, Tulsa was able to make their way into the end zone off a 31-yard run by Taylor II, bringing the Golden Hurricane within four of the lead. Memphis returned the favor, scoring on their second play of the drive with a 62yard run by Kenneth Gainwell. Tulsa continued to narrow the lead, with Smith connecting to Stokes for key plays before Taylor II made a short run into the end zone to bring Tulsa to 31-35. On the following Memphis possession, the Tigers failed to start a drive, and once again Tulsa had the ball. Slowly but surely Tulsa marched up the field, making third

down conversion after third down conversion before passing to JuanCarlos Santana to make it in. For the first time in the game with nine minutes left, Tulsa was up. On the next drive, Tulsa recovered Memphis’ fumble (which was then fumbled again and recovered by Tulsa) which brought

them within 25 yards of a touchdown. However, they could not get a drive together and settled for a field goal, putting them up by six. Memphis sensed the opportunity and scored within 40 seconds of receiving the ball off a 59-yard pass by Brady White, and the kick was good, putting Memphis up by one.

Keylon Stokes fends off an oncoming Tiger (top). Mannie Bunch and Allie Green IV try to keep Memphis from scoring (left). TU recovers a fumble (right).

Tulsa knew they had exactly one drive to get it done, and after marching the ball down the field, Tulsa was three yards from a touchdown with two seconds left. Rainey went wide left as time expired to leave the Golden Hurricane down 41-42, his third missed field goal of the night.

photos by James Taylor

Sports

28 October 2019

The Collegian: 3

Men’s soccer draws Denver in double OT TU sports journalist Brayden McCoy captures all the action from the Golden Hurricane’s gritty 1-1 stalemate at home against the Pioneers. On Tuesday, Oct. 22, the TU Men’s Soccer Team played the Denver Pioneers. The match was long and brutal, with two 10-minute extensions. While it ultimately ended in a draw, the battle to that conclusion was grueling. The first goal came from Denver’s Preston Judd who made a shot from 16 yards out around two defenders less than five minutes into the second half. This goal broke the back and forth pattern of the match and forced the Golden Hurricane briefly go on the defensive. But this was not to last. Tulsa switched gears and had a new boost of energy and relentlessly threw themselves into each opportunity desperately looking for a chance. Over all, the first half felt much longer than usual with a tedious back and forth for most of the half, despite TU’s persistent attack. There were few changes of pace, such as a long volley of headers at the 25th minute that kept the ball high in the air and slowed the pace for a few minutes. This would happen a few more times throughout the match, and never really produced results in either team’s favor. Then, in the last five minutes of the second half, TU’s work paid off with a goal from Harris Partain. Partain scored the shot

from eight yards out on a cross from Adam Habib. While TU kept the intensity at an all time high, they did not manage to score again during the last half. Denver had the same fate, and regulation ended in a draw. Overtime came and went with nothing notable to mention save for the vigor of each team, despite the game dragging on past regulation. The back and forth pacing of the first half was back but more frenzied than ever with each team giving their utmost to create an opportunity for victory. But still neither team would give up a goal. It was time for a second overtime. Both team grit their teeth through the marathon of a game, but in the end, neither team could score, and the final whistle blew. With that, the game concluded, and the 1-1 score after a double overtime stands as a testament to the determination of both teams. Throughout the match, both teams had 14 shots, TU had eight shot on goal and Denver had four. The second half saw the majority of TU’s shots, with eight taken and 4 on goal. The next home game will be Friday, Nov. 1 so make sure to come out and support the Golden Hurricane as they face off against the Temple University Owls.

photos by Brayden McCoy

Mitchell Cashion goes up for a contested header (top). Cashion moves down the field (bottom).

MLB to phase out 25 percent of the minors Sports journalist Zach Short reports on the upcoming tentative changes to the relationship between the major and minor baseball leagues. The winds of change are blowing for baseball in America. A new deal between the MLB and the MiLB is due by the end of the 2020 season, and the changes proposed thus far would drastically alter how the minor league system works. The problems being addressed are that many minor league affiliates use embarrassingly bad facilities, and that bigger major league clubs can afford to control a plethora of minor league affiliates to keep tabs on a whole slew of young prospects, whereas smaller teams don’t get as many affiliates nor do they own as many. For example, the Yankees have nine minor league affiliates, six of which are owned directly by the Yankees and three that are independently owned. Alternatively, the White Sox have seven minor league affiliates, two that are owned by the major league club and five that are independently managed. With two more teams, and 35 players on each minor league roster, the Yankees could manage an extra 70 players. The new plan intends to address these problems directly, albeit with some radical changes. The main change would be to outright eliminate the presence of roughly a quarter of the minor league teams. These teams could, if they so desired, create independent leagues and continue playing in their own right, but would no longer be directly affiliated with the major league

system. They would select the teams with the best facilities to remain as part of the deal, somewhat raising the overall level of quality without doing much renovation, if any renovation at all. While the plan seems rather harsh, it may actually be a necessary task to undertake. At present, there are MiLB owners who are unhappy with their facilities and MLB partners who are unhappy to be associated with such, hence the Yankees’ direct acquisitions of most of their affiliates. The other change would be the reorganization of the placement of the remaining teams. There would be a set amount of minor league teams allowed for any major league club and all leagues would be drastically reorganized to make the competing teams closer geographically. With every team being forced to the same number of minor league affiliates, the disparity between organizations like the Yankees and the White Sox would shrink, with the Yankees having to cut down greatly on how many players they actually have recruited at the minor league level. This restructuring would keep the different levels mostly intact, and there would be no new graduate level “super” league, but some teams would be moved from one level to another, with some teams moving from High-A baseball to Triple-A and vice-versa. The only leagues who might change so much as to be perhaps unrecognizable would be the leagues below High-A who

The minor leagues would lose around 42 affiliations.

function very differently than the upper levels already. While the changes may seem to be extremely drastic, the change could potentially go unnoticed. A big concern for TU students might be how Double-A affiliates would be affected. There is, of course, the Texas league in Double-A that houses teams from many of the places university students come from, with four teams from Texas, two from Arkansas, one from southwest Missouri, and one

graphic by Emma Palmer

from Tulsa itself, the Drillers. Fortunately, this league stands a chance of being almost entirely untouched. The Texas league is already located in a relatively compact area, has reasonable facilities, and is Double-A. The proposed changes seem aimed mostly at defining the lower level teams, so the Texas league, which actually functions pretty smoothly, is likely the least of the MLB and MiLB’s concerns. Tulsa fans, your Drillers should be okay.

The Collegian: 4

Sports

28 October 2019

NBA regular season predictions: the East

Student journalist and basketball enthusiast Zach Short foresees each Eastern Conference team’s records and who will make it to the playoffs. Milwaukee Bucks 58-24 (60-22) The Bucks are good, but I don’t believe they will improve their record from last season. I see them overall as roughly the same level of contender as they were; it just depends on how they can approach the Playoffs mentally, because they psyched themselves out in playing Kawhi. Their record will still be stellar, as they are a genuinely good team in the worst conference. They’re still a contender for the cup, but I wouldn’t pick them as a favorite to win. Brooklynn Nets 50-32 (42-40)

Indiana Pacers 50-32 (48-34) They’re a good team with good team chemistry and they’re back and ready to play, and, not to sound like a broken record, but the East has a bottom group of teams who are just that: the bottom. With a slew of conference games, they’ll destroy the worse teams and will likely even pick up a few wins against formidable teams as well. They’re mostly the same team with a little more experience and maybe a little worse competition against them for the Finals spot. Who knows?

see if Kawhi would stay, and he left them as enigmatically as he arrived. If that had been their only loss, I would’ve probably been kinder to them in my prediction of their record. However, they lost some of their depth as well and that’s going to hurt just as badly. In fact, I still worry a bit that I might have been too generous with the wins, but it’s still the East after all. Boston Celtics 45-37 (49-33) The Celtics will win less games with Kemba Walker. While he may be a better asset to the team than Kyrie was, they lost the supporting cast that kept them thriving last year.

at the end of the year, if they even are above .500, depends solely on how well the Magic and the Hawks do. They will do what they have to to get into the Playoffs. Out of the Playoffs Orlando Magic 40-42 (42-40) Atlanta Hawks 38-44 (29-53) Washington Wizards 28-54 (32-50) Chicago Bulls 24-58 (22-60) New York Knicks 18-64 (17-65) Charlotte Hornets 18-64 (39-43) Cleveland Cavaliers 17-65 (19-63)

“Neither Durant nor Irving are the type of player to take control and dominate game-to-game.” The Nets are going to be a good team; there’s no question about that. The only question is how good will they be, and the quickest answer is that they will be shy of spectacular, despite the hype surrounding them. With Durant, Irving and Jordan, they’re guaranteed to be an above-average team. They will win against teams that aren’t potential Finals contenders and they will compete with the best. The problem is that they won’t consistently win against the best; they will keep it close and blow it. Neither Durant nor Irving are the type of player to take control and dominate game-to-game. They’ll have break-out games and they will put up good numbers, but there will be no one worth comparing to LeBron as far as absolute control. Don’t expect a Finals appearance from these guys.

Maybe they’ll make it and get obliterated by whatever Western team reigns supreme. Philadelphia 76ers 48-34 (51-31) Losing Jimmy Butler hurts, but I never got the sense that he was getting along well with everyone anyway. I only expect Joel Embiid to be better, but I just don’t know if they’re really good enough to knock some heads. I say it’s about a 50-50 shot that they hit the 50-win mark, 48 just seemed to be a good round projection for this group. However, this team is starved for a Finals appearance. They are not, by any stretch, the best team in the East talent-wise, but they may pull it together and play their best to make an appearance. Toronto Raptors 46-36 (58-24) If anyone felt the pain this offseason, it was the Raptors. They held their breath to

They’re a playoff team without a doubt, but they will struggle to find a lot of success. While I see them as a lower seed in the Playoffs, I don’t think a first-round upset is impossible for them. Yet, I still don’t see them as a Finals team. Sorry Boston fans. Detroit Pistons 42-40 (41-41) Not much to say here. There wasn’t a lot of offseason change for the Pistons, so nothing really pushed them up or down from where they were last year. With an overall pathetic lower half of the conference, I still see them in the Playoffs. Don’t expect too much out of them.Maybe a scary win over a top seed so that they don’t get swept. Miami Heat 41-41 (39-43) The Heat are too good of an organization to miss the Playoffs again. Spoelstra is a good coach, and he’s going to the Playoffs this year. However far above .500 they are

The Magic and the Hawks are the only teams who can even set their sights on a Playoff contention. I see the Heat claiming the spot over the Magic, and I just don’t see the Hawks team being able to pull off a spot in any scenario, but I do see them as improving greatly from last year. I think Trae Young will be a tremendous second-year player and that he will be able to win some of the tight games that were just close losses last year. The rest of the conference, not to be unprofessional, just sucks. The Knicks, Hornets, and Cavaliers are in a brawl for who gets to be the worst team in the conference.

NBA regular season predictions: individual awards

Since incredibly early predictions are what we do here, NBA expert Zach Short gives his picks for who will win each regular season award at the end of the year. Coach of the Year I thought I would just work my way from the bottom to MVP, maybe build a little suspense if I can. That being said, my favorite for this award is Doc Rivers of the Clippers. He’s a great and experienced coach, and I think with a breakaway team this year he has the chance to really impress. He was nominated last year, and I think if he can tear up a drastically altered Eastern conference, he can really stand out from the crowd. While Gregg Poppovich of the Spurs is always a solid contender, no one really wants to see him win every year (although he might deserve it). The greatest competitors for this award are probably Steve Kerr of the Warriors and Brad Stevens of the Celtics. Their fate ultimately lies in how they perform though, as Kerr would have to have a great record that exceeds expectations and Stevens would have to win at least sixty games to break past the expectations for the Celtics. Most Improved Player This is probably the hardest one to pick, because it is impossible to guess who is going to break away spontaneously. It would not be impressive if it were not to happen at random, and it would not be at random if it could be guessed. Therefore spontaneity is a must for this award. That being said, the best possibility that I can posit is Patrick Beverly. The dude is all hustle all the time and with a little something more to play for (Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and a real chance to make the Finals), I think he could really step out and shine. He already has a little more name recognition than the usual recipients of the reward, but I think he could very well surprise fans with an impressive season. Defensive Player of the Year This is also hard to pick, because defense is just not quite as fun to watch as offense in the NBA, not to mention it isn’t always as noticeable even. The best defense often ends in nothing more than forcing teams to take bad shots. With that in mind, I’m going to place the reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo as my choice. One of the reasons that the Bucks have seen so much success is because they have a superstar that’s willing to go all the way on both ends of the floor. I don’t see Giannis

as the kind of player to win MVP back-toback, at least not yet, but I still find him to be an elite player who will be recognized accordingly. Sixth Man Award The winner of this award will have to be a team with a reasonable amount of depth, as they need to have a good starting lineup to demand someone good on the bench. While that seems very obvious, it does limit the selection tremendously. My pick for the award is Nêne, as the Houston Rockets have a dynamite starting lineup, and Nêne on the bench is no slouch. He’ll come in to grant some much needed breaks and perform just like a starter is expected to do. Now to the ones people actually care about. Rookie of the Year It’s not Zion. He may be a great player, but he just can’t get to the place he needs to be starting the season with an injury. Rookie of the Year this season will be Ja Morant. He’s an incredible player who could quite possibly do some damage this year, and he’s playing on a team where he can make a name for himself. After all, while we don’t expect a lot from our greatest rookies, we still expect the very best rookie to surely win more than 20 games. Big apologies to R.J. Barrett and the Knicks on that one. Most Valuable Player As I see some of the lesser awards going to the Clippers, I can’t imagine them picking up a third, eliminating Kawhi and George from the running. I already said I don’t see Antetokounmpo being a repeat winner, and I don’t expect another award for LeBron. Curry is a maybe, it just depends on how he adapts to a very different supporting cast in Oakland. My best bet for the award is Anthony Davis. He’s going to do everything he can this year to cement himself as one of the greats, and he has a team that can make him look good enough to do it. The Brow, like Antetokounmpo, falls under the small umbrella of superstars who can play both ends of the court well. I fully expect some impressive scoring with some dominant defensive stats to complement it, and I think he will be met with the respect he deserves come awards time. Zach picks Anthony Davis for this year’s MVP.

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Sports

28 October 2019

The Collegian: 5

Eagles fans burn Wentz’s jersey ... why?

Student journalist Lindsey Prather covers the drama of Philadelphia NFL fans burning their own starting quarterback’s jersey for percieved underperformance. In April 2019, baseball legend Alex Rodriquez drew the ire of sports fans when he lauded the tenacity of Philadelphia over Washington D.C. as one of the best sports cities in the United States. ”Now D.C.’s about 130 miles down the road, but let’s make it clear, it’s a world of difference between markets,” Rodriguez said, “If you’re over there, you’re thinking

sons following their historic Super Bowl win. The team has been plagued with injuries, coaching problems and locker room drama, and these issues were especially exposed after the 37-10 loss to the Cowboys. Although the blame for this loss doesn’t belong to any individual, young quarterback Carson Wentz has found himself taking

is undeniable that Foles was the real hero during the 2017-2018 season. This past offseason, the Eagles front office made it apparent that Wentz would remain the starter, given their investment of a first-round pick as well as his undeniable abilities. They traded Nick Foles to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and signed Carson Wentz to a $128 million dollar contract.

“anonymous source” that had been criticizing Wentz was Nelson Agholor, one of his receivers. Agholor is far from esteemed in Philadelphia; however it seems that he is content with dragging Carson Wentz down with him. Wentz’s career has been an exceptionally solid one.

“... various sports media began reporting Wentz’s lack of support from the Eagles’ locker room, citing an anonymous source.” about politics and what happens in the White House. If you’re here [in Philadelphia], this is a sports town and they love their Phillies.” This quote is somewhat dated, but Rodriquez is still correct about one thing: Philadelphia is a sports city unlike any other. Although some cities love their teams just like Philly, no one hates their own teams quite like they do. This became apparent after the Eagles’ ugly loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 13. It would be an understatement to say that the Eagles have been struggling in the sea-

most of the heat. The seeds of this discontent were planted in the offseason with the trading of Wentz’s beloved back-up, Nick Foles. During the Eagles’ eventual Super Bowl winning season, Foles was the player that led the team through the playoffs and to their Super Bowl victory. Wentz, the original starting quarterback, had found himself injured with a torn ACL in the waning games of the season. Without a doubt, Wentz had led the team through a stellar regular season, however it

Immediately following this contract, various sports media began reporting Wentz’s lack of support from the Eagles’ locker room, citing an anonymous source. The source described a strained relationship between the young quarterback and his teammates. This drama had remained dormant throughout the season, until the most recent loss to the Cowboys. After the game, fans began burning Wentz jerseys, demanding that he be traded, and in the midst of these events, it was eventually revealed that the

He regularly ranks in the statistical top ten quarterbacks in the league, and he has made it apparent that he is capable of winning. His past four seasons with the Eagles have been productive, and despite the pressure from his fans, he has had an extremely productive season. It would be a lie to say that Wentz is not having a rough season, but burning his jersey is a level of undeserved hatred that only Philly fan’s would perpetrate.

@TUCollegian

tucollegian@tucollegian.org editor-in-chief

Ethan Veenker managing editor

Emily Every news editor

Madison Connell sports editor

Brennen Gray variety editor

Piper Prolago commentary editor

Chris Lierly satire editor

Sara Serrano photo & graphics editor

Emma Palmer

business & advertising manager

Brian Kwiecinski

social media & web manager

Anna Johns

distribution managers

Alaina Nauman Mary Bergwell copy editor

Hana Saad

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 accomodation of disabilities may be addressed to the university’s 504 Coordinator, Dr. Tawny Rigsby, (918)631-3814. To ensure availability of an interpeter, five to seven days notice is needed; 48 hours is recommended for all other accomodations. 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 noon on the Friday proir to publication. Letter Policy: Letters to the editor must be less than 500 words and can be sent to tucollegian@tucollegian.org. 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 p.m. 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 opions of the Collegian staff, the administrative policies of the University of Tulsa, the views of the student body or our advertisers.

@TUCollegian

tucollegian@tucollegian.org editor-in-chief

Dr. Ethan & Mr. Veenker managing editor

Emily Nevermore news editor

Murderous Connell sports editor

Brennen Grave variety editor

Piper Prolaghost commentary editor

Cursed Dierly satire editor

Sara Scareano photo & graphics editor

Emma Palmistry

business & advertising manager

Braaaains! Kwiecinski social media & web manager

Annabelle “the doll” Johns distribution managers

A-slay-na Nauman Bloody Mary Bergwell copy editor

Hana Sawed

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Wentz is losing favor with fans at an alarming rate.

Oct. 28 - Nov. 3 Monday

Tuesday 28

W Golf @ Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown

Wednesday 29

W Golf @ Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown

Thursday

Friday 31

Volleyball 1 @ Houston 7 p.m.

Saturday

M Soccer vs. Temple 7 p.m.

W Tennis

Rowing M Basketball vs. Tulsa vs. Rockhurst vs. Tulsa Fall Invitational Invitational 7 p.m. W Basketball W Tennis vs. SOSU Rowing vs. Tulsa 6 p.m. vs. Tulsa Fall Invitational M Soccer Invitational vs. Memphis Cross Country 7 p.m. @ The American Football Championships

Sunday

@ Tulane 3 p.m.

W Tennis vs. Tulsa Invitational

Football @ Tulane 1 p.m. W Soccer @ American Quarterfinals

The Collegian: 6

News

28 October 2019

Behind bars: Oklahomans face longer prison sentences Oklahoma has a higher prison population than any other state, partially because of longer prison sentences. Gabe Powell Student Writer Contrary to how it might seem on the evening news, both violent and property crime rates in America have fallen 30 percent since 2000. However, the state of Oklahoma seems to have missed the memo: our prison population is at 113 percent capacity, making Oklahoma the “world’s prison capital,” as some criminal justice reformers call it. Oklahoma puts more of its own citizens behind bars than any other state or country worldwide. There are 708 incarcerated people per 100,000 in Oklahoma, and the national average is 397, meaning Oklahoma puts 78 percent more people behind bars than other states. Not only does Oklahoma imprison more people than any other state in the union, it also keeps them there for longer. According to 2018 data from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, in comparison to 2016 national averages, Oklahoma sentences people to longer stays in prison than the national average: 22 months rather than 13 months for property crimes, 25 versus 14 for drugs and 35 versus 29 for violent crimes. Part of the reason is the so-called “85 percent crimes,” which stipulate that a prisoner must serve at least 85 percent of their origi-

nal sentence regardless of good behavior or participation in rehabilitation programs. One reason activists are seeking to reform these sentencing laws is to save taxpayer money. The Oklahoma Board of Corrections approved the $1.56 billion Department of Corrections 2020 budget, which includes $916 million in funding for a new mediumsecurity facility and facility repairs. These costs are largely placed on the shoulders of state taxpayers. Some progress has been made on this issue; however, reform advocates say not enough is being done as only one bill out of more than a dozen proposed bills has been passed through the state legislature. One notable reform group, Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform, estimated that the combination of these bills would have cut Oklahoma’s state prison population by 17 percent within 10 years. That bill, HB 1269, expanded actions taken by a 2016 ballot measure that declared minor theft and simple drug possession misdemeanors. That state ballot measure got rid of prison sentences for people convicted of drug possession for personal use, but it had no retroactive effect, meaning prisoners in jail for that same crime weren’t released. HB 1269 changed that, clearing the way for the state’s Pardon and Parole Board to provide early release for nearly 1,000 inmates later this year and shorten sentences for another 2,000 inmates. It also provides a pathway for an estimated 60,000 people who have drug felonies to get their record expunged, giving them a better chance at finding jobs or receiving workplace promotions.

graphic by Emma Palmer Oklahoma is at close-to-double the amount of incarcerated people than the national average.

In addition, it would keep them from being re-incarcerated for violating the terms of their release, as they would no longer have a record. The bill takes effect in November. The other proposed bills would have reduced the length of applicable sentences for people with prior nonviolent convictions, shortened drug sentences and mandated af-

fordable bail terms. Other bills would have provided a fast-track to parole for those with less than six months on their sentence and clarified appropriate situations for a defendant to be charged with a felony drug crime.

their hard work, overall academic achievement and potential for success throughout their lives,” the ACT website says. Besides allowing sections to be retaken individually, ACT will also begin calculating superscores as opposed to students or universities calculating the values themselves. The final change is that besides paper tests, online tests will also be offered. These changes have the ability to morph the college application process as many admissions are decided upon using super-

President of Admissions at the University, ysaid. “We will also work with our peers and with high school counselors to monitor how the changes affect students.” Because these changes were only announced , it is difficult to determine how universities will adopt these changes and to what extent. It is too early to decide if admissions will change regarding superscores or even if scholarships will change. “We applaud the efforts that testing agencies are making to remove barriers for students, but it is too early to make decisions off of these efforts until we see how they impact students,” Reed said. At the University of Tulsa, many factors are considered in the admissions process, including cumulative grade point average, course rigor, grade trends, class rank and extracurricular activities. When it comes to standardized test scores, individual section scores are examined, but for both admissions and scholarships, ACT superscores are considered. As more time passes with these changes being implemented, it will be more obvious how admissions processes change, if they change at all. The changes are going into effect starting with the September 2020 test.

Major changes to ACT grants freedom to retake sections It’s too soon to tell how the changes to this standardized college admissions test will impact universities, including TU. Myranda New Student Writer The most taken standardized college admissions test in Oklahoma will be allowing students to “superscore” the sections them to make a higher overall score. The ACT standardized test is well-known to many high school students as what holds an important part in deciding who will go to which university. Taken over the course of roughly four hours, the ACT consists of english, mathematics, reading and science sections as well as an optional writing section. Composite scores (or the overall score that was earned on the test) are submitted to universities along with superscores (or the combination of individual section scores from various ACT tests to create a student’s overall best score). High school students can choose from taking a single ACT test during the college

application process to the maximum of taking 12 ACT tests. The more a student takes the test, the higher probability they have of their individual scores changing as to increase their composite score or superscore. In the near future, though, this process is going to change, allowing more freedom for high school students regarding the ACT test. Before the ACT changes, a student would have to retake an entire exam if they wanted to raise their individual section score to increase their superscore, but now, sections

“‘We applaud the efforts that testing agencies are making to remove barriers for students, but it is too early to make decisions off of these efforts ...’” can be retaken individually. For example, instead of having to retake the entire four hour exam to raise a math section score by four points, a student can solely retake the math section. “These new options offer students more choices, a better experience and greater confidence that their ACT test scores best reflect

scores. Scholarships at certain universities are also dependent upon superscores, but that is not true everywhere. Currently, these ACT changes do not have a drastic change on the University of Tulsa, specifically with the admissions process. “As of now, we do not plan to adjust our admission process,” Casey Reed, the Vice

High rates of medical marijuana blazes through Oklahoma Medical marijuana is going strong across the country, with Oklahoma set to be the highest user in just over a year of legalization. Brayden McCoy Student Writer Cannabis, commonly known as marijuana or weed, has had a long and troubled history in the United States. It was first introduced to America in the 1600s as hemp, and in 1619 every farmer in what was then the Colony of Virginia was required to grow it. Today, cannabis is most commonly grown with the intent of producing marijuana, which differs from hemp mostly in the extreme difference in THC content. Cannabis was not commonly used as a drug or smoked recreationally in America until the early 1900s when Mexican immigrants brought the practice over. This is where the THC heavier strains gained the name marijuana. The drug and practice of smoking marijuana were quickly associated with Mexican and other Spanish-speaking immigrants. Things only worsened with the Great Depression, which increased tensions with Mexican immigrants and led to a widespread fear and distaste of marijuana. As of 1931, 29 states had outlawed the substance. Despite all of this, marijuana usage continued to climb to the point where even the federal government acknowledged that the states should handle the issue. Attitudes starting switching up around the 1960s with marijuna finding a huge consumer base in the white middle and upper middle class. With marijuana steadily becoming more widely accepted, many states and even the federal government were on the path towards decriminalization. Then

Oklahoma’s amount of growers, dispensaries and processor licenses as of June 2019.

came Nixon’s war on drugs in 1971 and the Parents Movement against weed, which began in the late ‘70s. Surprisingly, neither of these moves managed to stop the momentum that weed was gaining. This is evident by California’s legalization of medical marijuana seven years after Bush began his war on drugs. This bold move that increased tension between the federal government and the states — particularly in regards to states’ rights — and laid the foundation for the boom in legalization seen today. As of now, 33 states have legalized marijuana in some form. Eleven of these states have adopted expansive laws that legalize marijuna for recreational use. The laws regarding marijuna vary wildly per state, with some like West Virginia only allowing for marijuna-infused products while others allow the sale of actual marijuana flower. As it stands, Oklahoma is one of the fastest growing locations for cannabis. It was

legalized in 2018 through ballot vote. The industry grew astonishingly fast, and in just the first year 4.44 percent of Oklahoma’s population have enrolled as patients. To top that off, the applications show no sign of slowing down. As of October first, The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority has approved 4,063 growers, 1,651 dispensaries and 1,168 processor licenses. There are a few reasons for the astounding growth of this market, with one being the extreme ease of access. There are no medical condition qualifiers, which made the process easier for all people interested in the natural remedies offered by marijuana. While not necessarily a reason, one factor that may have affected the growth of the medical marijuana industry is the opioid crisis. Oklahoma was not spared from this crisis, and saw many people throughout the entire Oklahoma area suffering from addictions to opioids. The suffering of these peo-

graphic by Emma Palmer

ple affected not only themselves, but also their family and friends. The opioids commonly used and prescribed led to immense addictions and occasionally bodily harm. These experiences cultivated a positive outlook towards marijuana among a majority of the state due to its natural origin and status as a natural alternative. All that considered, many legal troubles can still plague users in Oklahoma. There are fines and penalties that result from possession or growing without the proper licenses and permissions. This is not to mention that in cases of conflict, federal laws supersede state laws. With the current state of the U.S. and the political shape of the nation, marijuana laws could change very quickly. With Oklahoma’s market on the rise and jobs being created daily, the market is showing no signs of backing down to change.

News

28 October 2019

The Collegian: 7

writing directed at a TU affiliate. Officers. Officers identified four students in the area of Collins Hall that were seen writing the statements and determined that the written statements were not derogatory. 9:10 a.m. Officers made contact with Mormon missionaries on University property of the rules and policies regarding proselytizing.

Oct. 15 10:50 a.m. A student reported being struck by an unknown driver while turning at I-244 & Harvard Ave. The other driver did not stop and the student also filed a report with Tulsa Police who is taking over the investigation. 2:19 p.m. Officers towed a vehicle off campus from the LaFortune Lot. A vehicle was found parked contrary to university policy and officers verified that the vehicle had been previously tow warned. Towing of the vehicle was authorized by the on-duty supervisor and the vehicle was towed off campus without incident. 9:50 p.m. Officers assisted an injured student with a dislocated knee on the Multipurpose Rec Field. The student was transported by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment. Oct. 16 11:35 a.m. A staff member reported a 5-gallon jug of water went missing from Studio Blue in Helmerich Hall between 15 OCT 2019 at approximately 12:00 p.m. and 16 OCT 2019 at 11:35 p.m. 2:10 p.m. A staff member turned in property found in Keplinger Hall. The items were as follows; 2 water bottles, 1 pair of Skull Candy headphones, 1 pair of Jaybird headphones, 1 jean jacket, 3 notebooks, 1 EpiPen, and 1 tobacco pipe. The items were tagged and stored in property locker 2 for safe keeping. 9 p.m. A set of percussion drum sticks were found in Mabee Gym. Officers were not able to identify an owner. The drum sticks were impounded for safe keeping. 11:50 p.m. A staff member contacted Campus Security for found property. A small broken glass smoking pipe was found wrapped inside a handkerchief on the 2nd floor main lobby. There was no camera footage available for review. Officers impounded the item for safe-keeping. Oct. 18 8:10 a.m. Officers were dispatched to Collins Hall to document chalk

10:25 p.m. An injury occurred at the Collins Fitness Center. Officers spoke with the injured student and advised them seek further medical attention. The student refused EMSA transportation and signed a Medical Refusal Form. Oct. 19 2 a.m. A burglary occurred at the ARC building at 12th & Harvard Ave. 2 unidentified suspects broke into a fenced area and stole an enclosed trailer. TU Officers and Tulsa Police Department are investigating. 3:35 p.m. A student driving through Norman Village Lot noticed a vehicle with a broken window. The owner of the vehicle was contacted and declined to file a report with Tulsa Police Department. Nothing was taken and there was no suspect or a witness to the crime. 11:55 p.m. Officers were called to Mayo Village for a noise complaint of loud music. Officers made contact with the resident of the apartment. Officers completed a contact card. Oct. 21 8:45 a.m. A student reported being hit by a vehicle while running southbound across 8th street when a black Audi SUV accelerated and struck the student. The vehicle drove off southbound on Harvard Ave after hitting the student who only suffered minor injuries. 9:14 a.m. Officers towed a vehicle off campus from the Mabee East Lot. A vehicle was found parked contrary to university policy and officers verified that the vehicle had been previously tow warned. Towing of the vehicle was authorized by the on-duty supervisor and the vehicle was towed off campus without incident.

10 p.m. Officers responded to a noise complaint in University Square West Apartments. Officers made contact with the resident playing loud music who was compliant in turning it down and a Housing Contact Card was issued. Oct. 22 1:20 p.m. Officers were dispatched to Phillips Hall in regards to an injured student. The student stood up during class and passed out hitting their head on the ground. The student was transported to a local Urgent Care by a professor. 3:45 p.m. Officers towed a vehicle off campus from the Lorton Village Apartments Lot. A vehicle was found parked contrary to university policy and officers verified that the vehicle had been previously tow warned. Towing of the vehicle was authorized by the on-duty supervisor and the vehicle was towed off campus without incident. 7:30 p.m. Officers responded to an injured person who fell near the Lorton Performing Arts Center. Officers provided first-aid to the faculty member and bandaged their wounds. The individual was transported by ambulance to a local hospital for further treatment. Oct. 23 10:15 a.m. An officer was flagged down by an individual that live near campus. The individual explained that an incident possibly involving students dancing on his lawn happened at his residence near 3rd St & College Ave. on 23 OCT 2019 at approximately 4:30 a.m. No incidents were reported in the area at that time. 1:40 p.m. Officers received a report from a student regarding an employee’s actions towards them, occurring on unknown dates and times during the summer 2019 and continuing into the Fall 2019 semester. This investigation is on-going. Oct. 24 8:50 a.m. Officers came across a motor vehicle accident at 4th Pl. and College Ave. involving a TU student and a non TU affiliate. Officers assisted both parties with the collision and both parties exchanged information.

5:10 p.m. A student reported being fondled by another student offcampus on 18 OCT 2019 between approximately 9:15 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. at a non-TU off-campus event. The student was directed to additional resources and was encouraged to file a Tulsa Police Report.

Oct. 25 9:37 a.m. An officer observed a vehicle accident at the southwest corner at 4th Place and Harvard Ave. A vehicle jumped the curb and struck a university owned tree. No university affiliates were involved. Injured parties were transported to a local hospital and the vehicles involved were towed off property.

7:10 p.m. Officers recovered fake drivers licenses after inventorying the contents of a found wallet.

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

Tuesday, Oct. 29 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Hurricane Plaza

Chris Lierly Commentary Editor Lindsey Prather Student Writer Hong Kong government officially kills controversial extradition bill On Oct. 23, the government of Hong Kong officially withdrew the controversial extradition bill that first prompted the ongoing protests. Introduced in April 2019, the bill would have allowed the extradition of Hong Kong citizens to mainland China for various offences. This particular bill sparked months of protest due to its perceived violation of the “one country, two systems” doctrine that has governed Hong Kong since the early 1980s. Although this formality has been somewhat expected, it marks the first tangible concession from Carrie Lam, the chief executive of Hong Kong, and her administration. Although this withdrawal is important, it is unlikely that this will substantially change the attitudes of the protestors due to the presence of a number of other demands. In addition to the tabling of the bill, the protesters have asserted four other demands: the withdrawal of the bill, the retraction of the “riot” designation that the protests have received, the release of arrested protestors and the expungement of their records, universal suffrage, and an investigation into widespread allegations of police brutality.

Abortion and gay marriage legalized in Northern Ireland On Monday, Northern Ireland decriminalized gay marraige and abortion. The change comes because of a British parliament resolution last year to bring the nation’s laws in line with the rest of the U.K. if the Northern Ireland Parliament had not formed a government by Oct. 21. As of midnight Monday, the U.K. parliament will regulate abortion services in Northern Ireland, but same-sex marriage will not be legal until January. Northern Ireland has not formed a governing coalition for over two years due to broken down disputes between Catholic and Protestant parties. Catholic politicians and other opponents of these measures have yet to admit defeat and claim to be exploring legal options to reverse the changes.

Netanyahu admits defeat, Gantz to try and form government On Wednesday, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin tapped former military chief Benny Gantz to form a governing coalition in the country’s parliament. This comes after several weeks of failed government building on the part of Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s Prime Minister for over a decade. Gantz will have less than a month to form the new government, after which time a third election may be held. “Everyone expects us to bring the political chaos to an absolute end,” Gantz said. Netanyahu gave Gantz the opportunity to form a “unity government” by uniting the Prime Minister’s Likud Party with Gantz’ Blue and White Party. Gantz refused this offer, and cited the possible indictments of Netanyahu as the reason.

Breast Cancer Halloween A fundraiser event to carve out breast cancer in its awareness month. Come join us for Pumpkin Carving and International Trick Or Treat! Traverse continental sweets and dedicate a Luminaria to a loved one. All proceeds and donations go to support the fight against Breast cancer. Free Ali Baba Mediterranean food and Hot Cocoa! See you at Hurricane Plaza, Tuesday, October 29th, at 6 PM. Thursday, Oct. 31 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. Chapman Hall, Dean’s Conference Room How Colonialism Weaponizes Nature: A Latin American History Prof. Christopher Boyer, Chair of History / Professor of Latin American and Latino Studies at University of Illinois at Chicago, will talk about how, in the wake of the European conquest of the Americas, colonizers and their imperial patrons sought to capitalize on the natural resources of the lands they now claimed as their own, displacing or exterminating natives peoples. Far from a preconditioned inevitability, extractivism, liberalism, and eventually new-liberalism expressly sought to weaponize nature and undermine the viability of native societies. Friday, Nov. 1 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Samson Plaza

Diwali: Festival of Lights As we continue to strengthen in our unity, there is no better way to but celebrate our diversity through one of the most inclusive celebrations in the world: Diwali, the Indian festival of light. The Indian Student Association at TU invites all members of the hurricane family to come celebrate and enjoy the triumph of good over evil with traditional Indian food, cultural activities. firecrackers and more. Friday, Nov. 1 - Sunday, Nov. 3 Kendall Hall, Theatre 2

Falsettos The University of Tulsa’s Department of Theatre will present the Tony Award-winning musical, Falsettos, by William Finn (Putnam County) and James Lapine (Into the Woods), Nov. 1-3. Centered around a Jewish family and their friends in late 1970’s New York during the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, Falsettos explores how love connects us proving that family is more than blood but those who stay with us through the journey. Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.utulsa.edu/TUTheatre or by phone at 918-631-2567. Seating is limited. Falsettos is rated PG-13 for adult language and situations. The Collegian does not produce all event descriptions in the Community Calendar. Contact us at news@tucollegian.org with events.

The Collegian: 8

Commentary

28 October 2019

Outstanding Senior award: What the lack of diversity says about TU’s values

After poor communication and hollow claims, the finalists were not representative of the student body. Tori Gellman Student Writer Every fall, The University of Tulsa announces a maximum of 10 individuals to be honored as Jess Chouteau Outstanding Seniors. These individuals are selected by alumni and are publicly recognized during half-time of the Homecoming football game. The award begins with an application process and is followed by a round of interviews. This year’s announcement of top 10 seniors left quite a sour taste in my mouth; not because those selected were undeserving of recognition by any means, but because of the complete lack of diversity and representation among the recipients.

that was being acknowledged as the top of our University, but that he didn’t even find out about the application until 40 minutes before it was due. He speculated that this seemed intentional given that University Ambassadors and Orientation Leaders were sent an email alerting group members to the opening of the top ten applications whereas the rest of the student body was not made privy to such an email. Given that we consistently receive campus-wide emails, I would hope that in the future the University makes opportunities like the top ten senior application more accessible to the entire student body. Lastly, I can’t really believe that it’s a coincidence in light of True Commitment and the eradication of many degrees within the Henry Kendall College, that not a single honoree is studying a discipline within the Arts & Sciences. Numerous engineers and various business degrees are represented, but not one individual pursuing a degree in the humanities, which administrators have continuously purported to be expanding and elevating as a focus of our University. In my opinion, the selections for this year’s top 10 senior award emphasizes the age-old adage “actions speak louder than words.” No matter how much our school verbally reinforces its support of and commitment to both the arts and a diverse community, the students we have chosen to

“... not a single honoree is studying a discipline within the Arts & Sciences.” Attending a university that boasts about its international student population and fostering of cultural diversity, I was taken aback that nine out of 10 honorees were white Americans. Additionally, 7 of the honored students are members of Greek organizations on campus. This emphasis on participation in Greek Life can be seen throughout campus as a majority of our University Ambassadors are in sororities or fraternities, not to mention that over half of the honorees are indeed University Ambassadors. A fellow student informed me that he was not only appalled by the homogenous group

recognize for their accomplishments do not align with these claims. What I and many of my peers have taken away from this decision is that there is a very distinct checklist of what makes an accomplished student at The University of Tulsa, and not everyone can check those boxes, nor should everyone want to. I would urge alumni in the future to be more cognisant of the incredibly rich and unique composition of our student body and to include a far broader representation of what all our students offer and achieve here at TU.

Halloween, fun in concept, but always a logistical letdown

The non-holiday should be treated more like a real day off if we want to celebrate it like one. Caleb Pinegar Student Writer It’s late October and everywhere you turn there’s Halloween. Advertisements on TV, radio and youtube are all capitalizing off of the scariest holiday of the year. Everyone loves Halloween: it’s an excuse to dress up in fun or scary costumes, eat a ton of candy, watch scary movies and go ghost hunting. Except, the older you get and the more you think about it, Halloween sucks. Now don’t get me wrong, I love Halloween. The horror movies, the fall weather, the excuse to carve a face into a pumpkin — it’s fun. But, it also sucks as a holiday, because it isn’t really a holiday. When Halloween is in the middle of the semester, and even on the rare occasion that it does fall on a weekend, students are so concerned with papers and tests that they can’t take the time to decorate or get a costume. This year Halloween is on a Thursday. A Thursday? Who permitted this? It’s so close to Friday, so close to being the peak day it can be for Halloween. Is it possible to just push Halloween back a day? Or do what they do for Thanksgiving and Labor Day and put Halloween on the last Friday of October? Or better yet, just declare Halloween and Nov. 1 national holidays so no one has to go to work or school. No one is going to want to be dragging themselves to work or class after being up till 4 a.m. the night before watching scary movies or partying. Halloween is also expensive as all heck. Decorations add up fast. Yeah, you can buy from the dollar store or the discount section, but if you really want to be living in Halloweentown you have to spend money. I only have one little sticker on my window and even that cost me $5. A skeleton that you can position and have hanging around costs $20, do you know what I can do with $20? I can buy food, or gas or go on a date,

or … buy a skeleton that I can put up as decoration one month out of the year. Costumes also drain the bank account, which is already so low. If you choose to buy your costume from the store expect to throw out some money. Or you could go the DIY route and make your own costume. Making your own leaves you with two options: spend a lot of time and money to create a costume that is actually good and impressive, or end up with something that people might be able to recognize if they squint and tilt their head. There are a few cheap, fun and low effort alternatives to costumes, though, if you want to go that route. Personal favorites of mine are Nickelback, where you tape nickels onto the back of a t-shirt, ceiling fan, grabbing a pom-pom and writing “go ceiling” on a tshirt, and tourist, where you wear a Hawaiian shirt, grab a straw hat, pick up a camera and take pictures of everything you see that night. These low effort costumes might get you judgemental looks from some of those Halloween pros that treat this one night a year like a life or death situation, but when you’re too worried about your GPA to make a perfect replica of Iron Man, it’s a loss you’re going to have to deal with. Halloween, as an adult, is also lacking events to go to. Sure, you can hit up a Halloween party thrown by a local fraternity, but does anyone really want to go to that? Or you can gather some friends and have a scary movie marathon, which sounds fun until you’re two movies in and bored out of your mind. There is the option of throwing your own Halloween party, but then you have to plan it, and buy supplies, and actually have friends to invite over to make it a good party. You could also just go home for the night and help your parents pass out Halloween candy to small children that come to your house dressed as Fortnite characters … riveting stuff. I don’t hate Halloween, quite the opposite. It’s my favorite holiday. The creepy aesthetic, the bad movies, the fall weather, it’s all so good. But Halloween also has its flaws. As a kid I was out till 11 p.m. in a bad homemade costume stealing candy from adults, now though I’m just a sad almost adult in a half-hearted attempt to get dressed up to go to a party that I want to leave after 20 minutes. Everyone loves the idea of Halloween and being scary, but when it comes to the actual day, no one really has any idea of what to do now that the door gets slammed in our face if we ask for candy.

Homecoming is over, but its flaws are still apparent.

courtesy tualumni.com

ConnectTU app useless for homecoming data collection

The app’s flaws should call the turnout of last weeks events into question. Hannah Robbins Student Writer Disclaimer: I never attempted the following with my own account since I did participate in Homecoming this year. Every scan in I did was legitimate, and the following article should not affect the validity of my own participation.

claim to serve. With simply scanning a student’s ID, there is no assumed privilege; as a student of the university, you have an ID. However, the second issue is the crux of this article. Unlike scanning a student’s ID, which ensures that the student is actually at the event, QR codes aren’t specific to a location. This might mean that students could simply take a photo of the QR code and pass it on to other people in their Homecoming group who would then just scan the QR code to sign in without actually attending the event. So obviously, I had to try this. First, I found several friends who were not participating in Homecoming. Then, I went to Fall Fest and took a picture of the QR code. I drove over to my friend’s off campus apartment and had them try to scan into the event … and it worked. From what I can tell, this scanning in does not actually check a student’s physical location, only that they have access to the QR code. Just for giggles and kicks, I had

“With simply scanning a student’s ID, there is no assumed privilege ...” Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get right down to it. Student Association should not have used the ConnectTU app for signing in for Homecoming. I have significant issues with ConnectTU’s security, considering the way it stores credentials and how you log into the app (not securely), so I’m not the biggest fan of ConnectTU in the first place. However, I started having a bigger issue when I saw how SA was using the app for Homecoming. SA had a picture of a QR code by a table and that was how people scanned into events. This method of signing in has two issues. First, it assumes everyone has a phone with them. This is an invalid assumption. Not every student on campus has a phone capable of supporting the app. This assumed privilege on the part of SA shows just how out of touch they are with the students they

Halloween is a fairly expensive holiday.

a friend try to sign in after the event ended; it lets you do this too, but it does record the sign in time. SA might have thought of this and be able to check if students signed in outside of the time of the event, but there seems to be no way to validate where they signed in from. This means there is no actual way to verify that all of the sign ins to the events are actual students who actually attended the event, and after this article, I would put no trust in the validity of any competitions SA does that involve the use of the ConnectTU app for headcount. Were all of the sign ins for this year’s Homecoming valid? There’s really no way to tell, and this is why SA should stop using ConnectTU immediately. If anyone from SA wants to know the full process of my tests to attempt to invalidly sign in, please feel free to contact me.

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Commentary

28 October 2019

The Collegian: 9

Clinton’s criticism a failed attempt Clinton is right, Gabbard has to meddle in the primary made herself a friend of Russia

Clinton’s claim that Gabbard is a Russian asset was unfounded and over the line. Adam Walsh Student Writer In one of the stranger rivalries to emerge during the Democratic Primary season, the Hillary Clinton vs. Tulsi Gabbard heavyweight bout has spontaneously appeared. After returning to society following her retreat in the woods after the 2016 presidential election, Clinton was relatively quiet, patiently aiding her preferred causes and choosing not to make a scene by returning directly into the political battlefield, until now. With her definitively saying several times that she would not be running for president again, Hillary Clinton still wants to meddle in the process. After founding a new political action committee and contributing to personal causes, as well as writing with her daughter and repairing her legacy as a politician who never achieved her final goal, one would think she had enough to do. However, she has returned, making strange, unclear statements that Democratic Primary Candidate Tulsi Gabbard is both the favorite candidate of the Republican Party and a Russian agent.

in the United States government, such as First Lady, Senator and even Secretary of State, but she is also, unless someone has been feeding her info, out of the loop. Her time in the woods certainly did not grant her omniscience, and her current political position should not give her access to the confidential information necessary to accuse someone of treason, because she just isn’t relevant anymore, in style nor substance. She’s a relic at this point, a boomer trying desperately to hold onto previous prestige, but she failed. She lost the easiest election since Washington’s, which does not indicate to me her extreme competence in the field of modern politics. Things are so much faster, criticism so much more varied, but she simply has not modernized correctly, and that should limit the weight her words have. She did not have the “it” factor that built a connection between her and the voters, and she is ostensibly taking her frustration out on Gabbard, because Gabbard is doing what Clinton failed at: sparking genuine interest. Gabbard’s the very essence of a maverick, choosing to play across party lines in an age of party politics, making her a very attractive candidate to disparate groups, with her more isolationist views attracting far right thinkers while retaining a more progressive stance on internal affairs. She is on the Medicare for All Committee in Congress. She plays it straight and chooses her own path, and is rewarded for it. She’s bold, daring and quick to call others out, almost like a Donald Trump-type figure with more solid political ideas. Of course Clinton would have it out for her, and she compares Gabbard’s existence to that of Jill Stein, who, some believe, was the cause of Clinton’s loss, arguing that Stein pulled voters in key areas away from Clinton, which cost her the election. It’s a bit of a conspiracy theory, but that did not stop Clinton from lumping Stein

“Clinton is just causing trouble, potentially out of spite, and her actions should not have an impact ...” Her statement, which appears in former fellow Obama-era worker David Plouffe’s podcast, is exceptionally poorly worded, which introduces an element of doubt to her intended meaning. She mentions four things: Tulsi Gabbard, Jill Stein, the Russians and the Republican Party, but her pronoun usage is rather vague and difficult to parse, with most of the focus lying on her statement that “She [the Democratic candidate Hillary has in mind] is the favorite of the Russians … and that’s assuming Jill Stein will give it up, which she might not, because she’s also a Russian asset.” So, uh, what does that actually mean? Some individuals translate Clinton’s statement with Tulsi Gabbard being the first she, and that makes sense due to their shared history, with Gabbard symbolically leaving her high ranking position in the Democratic National Committee to endorse Bernie Sanders over Clinton in 2016, but this looks more like word soup than a real accusation. Speaking of 2016, let’s talk about Clinton’s qualifications to make such statements. She is, of course, a recognizable name, with her attaining multiple important positions

in with Gabbard as potential Russian agents, or as darlings of the Conservative party, or something. It all goes back to the language of her statement, which does not definitively indicate who is supposed to be what, which person is committing treason and which other one will run as a third party candidate. Clinton is just causing trouble, potentially out of spite, and her actions should not have an impact on the political climate. All she does is make other people work to clean up her messes, because now Trump wants back in, trundling in to protect Gabbard by steamrolling his old foe. Clinton’s words opened a wormhole, fracturing Democratic lines and causing Donald Trump to protect a Democratic primary candidate that might be running against him in 2020. Her actions made Trump look comparatively rational in the eyes of Democratic voters. Clinton’s weakly worded, inflammatory statement looks more like an answer you give a professor when they call on you while you were dozing than it does an actually coherent political statement.

Gabbard’s stances don’t always fit with the rest of the Democratic Party.

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Clinton has little to gain by making the claim that Gabbard is a Russian asset. Zach Short Student Writer Long before the 2016 presidential election, people have hated Hillary Clinton. It’s hard to say where exactly it started, some people surely didn’t like her as a First Lady, and the whole Clinton family had its popularity plummet during the aftermath of Bill’s extramarital affair and impeachment proceedings. Yet, people seem to hate her far more than they hate Bill. While I unfortunately do not have specific statistics, I don’t think it’s any secret that she’s competing to be the most frequent subject of conspiracy theories ever. Maybe that’s why when she came forward with her own conspiracy theory about Tulsi Gabbard,

mainstream media spreading lies and not being trustworthy. To complicate the issue further, she went so far as to criticize the hosts of the event, CNN and The New York Times, for putting out articles describing her as a potential Russian asset. She also seems to buy into some baseless conspiracy theories, like the ones that influenced the 2016 election. After Clinton’s interview in which she criticized Gabbard was discovered, Gabbard tweeted at her, calling her the “embodiment of corruption.” She went on to say that since she started her campaign, “there has been a concerted campaign to destroy [her] reputation” and that it can be now be known that “it was always [Clinton], through [her] proxies and powerful allies in the corporate media and war machine.” Yikes. Key takeaway? She does not fit nor does she identify with the Republican party, but she certainly does not blend well into the crowd of Democrat presidential hopefuls either; she is absolutely the perfect person for a third-party run right now. She even has pulled a little support from far-right Republicans, including but not limited to Steve Bannon, Richard Spencer, Ron Paul, Franklin Graham and Mike Cernovich, all of which are names worth the disturbing read of their respective Wikipedia pages. Perhaps the greatest part of the whole ordeal is that there is even a reasonable amount of evidence to suggest that Russia is in fact try-

“... Clinton may unfortunately have a frighteningly good point ...” an incredible amount of people flew straight to the defense of Gabbard and started demonizing the former Secretary of State all over again. Even some candidates competing with Gabbard in the Democratic primary race, including Andrew Yang and Bernie Sanders, came to her defense, choosing the young Hawaii representative over the party’s last presidential nominee. Despite the knee-jerk reaction against Clinton by what could certainly appear to be the majority of people in both parties (the president also defended Gabbard), Clinton may unfortunately have a frighteningly good point. For anyone who has watched a Democratic debate where Gabbard was present, it is clear that she has a platform that is the furthest outlier from the average amongst the contenders. She frequently discusses staunch anti-conflict positions that are criticized as being dangerous for both our allies and for countries where radical terrorism grows. She has also come under fire in the past for downplaying the threat of Russia and for appearing too kind to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. What might be even more disturbing about her presence on the debate stage is that she buys into some of the same problematic thinking for which the president is frequently targeted. In the most recent debate, before Clinton had made any statement concerning Russia, she went on a monologue about the

ing to support her. She is getting a noticeable amount of attention from Russian state media and has received Twitter assistance from bots, referring back to her first debate and her attacks on Kamala Harris, when the tag #KamalaHarrisDestroyed started trending. While the insinuation that Gabbard is an aware and willing participant in a Russian plan to undermine U.S. elections may be a bit far-fetched, her biggest supporters seem to be disconcerting to say the least. While we clearly live in a world that is not eager to take advice from Hillary Clinton, it shouldn’t be too much to ask to at least consider what she says. After all, Clinton’s comments brought much needed attention to Russia’s favoritism towards Tulsi Gabbard, and while Gabbard seems to be the one being defended in the developing brawl between the two now, a little time and research into the matter may start to sway some opinions. As for the other subsequent theories on the matter that fear Clinton is gearing up to join the race late, there is nothing to be worried about. Her popularity among Democrats just isn’t strong enough for her to come from behind and beat the top contenders. Even if she does decide to join the race, a scenario that appears highly unlikely, she will absolutely not earn the Democratic nomination. She has nothing to gain from making comments like these, so why not listen to what she’s saying?

Clinton has less widespread support among Democrats than she did in 2016.

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The Collegian: 10

Commentary

28 October 2019

Hong Kong protests continue, US stays silent

Despite Trump’s trade war, the White House has done little in reaction to Hong Kong. Dominic Cingoranelli Student Writer Most of the free world is united in support of Hong Kong, and then there’s the U.S., where the general populace has been adamant in its support but the people with the power to do anything have stayed silent or even supported the CCP. The extradition bill that initiated the Hong Kong Protests has been formally withdrawn after 20 weeks of protests, meaning that one of the protesters’ five demands has been met. In addition to complete withdrawal of the extradition bill, which would have allowed Hong Kong criminals to be extradited to the mainland to face punishment under Chinese jurisdiction, the people of Hong Kong want

ers have taken up the slogan “five demands, and not one less.” Undeterred by the feigned sympathy of the Chinese Communist Party, the protests have more or less morphed into a broader pro-liberation movement as China has a proven track record of trying to undermine the “one country, two systems” statute, which was established when the United Kingdom handed Hong Kong over to China in 1997, and they will undoubtedly continue to do so, regardless of the promised fifty years of relative autonomy. In an effort to place foreign pressure on Beijing, protesters have made a point of carrying the flags of foreign nations (especially those of the U.S., U.K. and Taiwan) to garner international media attention and support. Much of the international community has condemned China’s handling of the situation, but the government of one country that is especially notorious for sticking its nose in other nations’ business and acting as the “world police” has been completely silent on the matter, in one of the few instances in which this particular nation’s intervention might actually be helpful. This refers, of course, to the United States. The White House, currently engulfed in a trade war with China and in the process of negotiating to end said trade war, has promised to stay silent on the issue (although Mike Pence has very recently condemned China’s actions). Hey, Donald, make up your damn mind! The same presi-

ready is on the global stage. Under that lens, a trade war would hypothetically be a viable means of opposition, even if the U.S. economy would suffer short-term consequences. Short-term consequences, however, are not conducive to high approval ratings, which has caused the Trump administration to back down. Even though the U.S. has the largest economy in the world and the largest military in the world, it only uses its power to abuse allies and third-world nations that have no

chance of fighting back. Although all-out war is obviously something to be avoided at all costs, the Trump administration ought to “stick to its guns” and continue the trade war, along with supporting Hong Kong by any reasonable means, even if it results in a lower probability of reelection. Will that actually happen? No, probably not. An opinion columnist can dream, though.

“Much of the international community has condemned China’s handling of the situation ...” amnesty for arrested protesters, retracting of the “rioter” classification for protesters (which has a much more severe punishment than arrested protesters would otherwise receive), investigation into allegations of police brutality and universal suffrage (currently not all people can vote for all elected officials). The retraction of this bill is widely regarded as “too little, too late,” as the protest-

dent who publicly vilified China to the point that he accused the CCP of fabricating the concept of global warming is now scratching Xi Jinping’s back so that he can end the trade war he started, while his vice president actively contradicts him. China ought not be allowed to rise to superpower status because they would almost certainly be even more aggressive, selfserving and meddlesome than the U.S. alThe world is expecting the U.S. to act.

courtesy Wikipedia

Royals right in suing tabloid after quote altering

The privilege and position of Harry and Meghan does not alter their right to privacy. Adam Walsh Student Writer The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, and her husband Prince Harry have formally leveled a lawsuit at The Daily Mail and General Trust, the foundation behind The Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday. Whether you see them as asking for it, outdated or irrelevant, the British Royal Family has a great deal of media attention concentrated on them at all hours of the day; the tabloid media is continuously abusing them, milking real or fabricated stories for those juicy clicks. Of course, some would say that the intensive media attention is the price to pay for such wealth and privilege, but those that make that argument forget the common decency that should be universally given.

Depriving someone of their right to privacy due to their financial and class situation is inherently incorrect in a society founded on ideals of liberty and equality. While tabloids are always made up of lies and manipulated statements, the British tabloid atmosphere surrounding the Royal Family is far more volatile and shameless, especially when members of the extended family are involved. Following their return from an African tour, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, released a documentary that features an emotional, open and heartfelt interview with the documentary’s creator and Harry’s friend, Tom Bradby. This documentary aired shortly after it was announced that Meghan and Harry would be suing one of the British tabloids, The Mail on Sunday, which is the sister paper of the infamously inaccurate and gossipy The Daily Mail. The litigation follows the paper intentionally modifying, editing and printing a personal letter of the Duchess, which is categorically illegal under legislation passed just last year, the Data Protection Act of 2018. While one of those ideological pillars I mentioned earlier is the freedom of speech, the British gossip mongers making a steady living off of the constant misery of another human being who has done nothing wrong is vile and disgusting. I am glad that she is taking the fight to them. She may now be a royal, but she is still a human being, and the constant criticism she has experienced for marrying a man that she loves is inexpress-

ibly disgusting. The utter lack of moral principles, the greed, the manipulation all tell me that these writers that slowly but surely make a hangman’s noose are worth less than the paper they write for. The duchess was openly crying in this interview, and Prince Harry has directly stated that he sees a lot of his mother in this situation. After retracing Diana’s trip through Angola, Harry has evidently had her in mind. In the official statement released by Harry and Meghan, he specifically states, “I’ve seen what happens when someone I love is commoditised to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person,” following that by writing, “I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.”

ways lusting after the spotlight and marrying Harry not out of love, but for the fame it would bring. Her sister stated that Meghan’s words about her personal mental fatigue were invalid due to Meghan’s tense relationship with their father, the same father that sold pictures of himself preparing for the royal wedding to the media. If anything, Meghan’s blood family’s insistence that she is lying only affirms the idea that anyone can be out to abuse her unique position in the royal family to jumpstart their own economic aspirations, which only isolates her even more; all she has is Harry and their son, Archie. She’s a commoner that fell in love with a prince, then she was gratefully accepted into the Queen’s family, with a beautiful wedding and a glori-

“... Prince Harry has stated that he sees a lot of his mother in this situation ...” When it comes to the personal safety of an individual, as well as their mental and physical health, money and position should not matter. Do we need another Johnny Manziel, Antonio Brown, Princess Diana — another blazing star burning out to remind us that fat stacks and a loaded bank account do not keep one’s internal demons away? What’s even worse is how her blood family reacts to her taking a stand, with her estranged sister claiming that Meghan always wanted the attention, describing her as al-

ous life ahead of her, until the media began picking her life apart to the bone, sucking out the marrow and tossing her aside when they’re done. Perhaps it’s time for the duchess to trim the fat from the media by dragging them into the courts. It is an admittedly bloodthirsty course, but, hey, do unto others what you wish to be done unto you, and there are certainly secrets the tabloids have that might make the continuation of their brutal business a tad more difficult.

Romney’s Twitter antics in prepartion for a White House run

A Slate journalist made the connection, and Romney has confirmed the theory. Dominic Cingoranelli Student Writer Somebody’s gearing up for another presidential run. Mitt Romney, who recently resurrected his political career in the Utah Senate, has a secret Twitter account, complete with a pun-based alias. The governor-turned-failed-presidentialcandidate-turned-senator has put out a mea-

ger 10 tweets using the alias “Pierre Delecto” (speculated to be a pun based on the phrase “in pari delicto,” Lating for “in equal fault,” with the “Pierre” because Romney studied in Paris and speaks French). These tweets are mostly replies to other tweets defending Romney’s actions in the senate, as a presidential candidate, et al. For instance, in reply to a tweet blaming the Senate for the executive decision to withdraw from Syria, Romney replied, “Agree on Trump’s awful decision, but what could the Senate do to stop it?” Slate journalist Ashley Feinberg made the connection between Romney and his alias by drawing on several subtle hints, such as the fact that Romney had given the general number of followers that his private Twitter account had. Feinberg, knowing that Romney would likely follow his family members, searched for family members of his that had relatively few followers and then looked through their lists of followers to find an account with roughly that number of followers. After finding the Delecto account, Feinberg suspected that it was Romney because the account was created shortly before

Romney’s 2012 run and because most of the people the account followed early on were staffers for Romney. After being confronted about the account, Romney simply replied, “C’est moi.” This alias and Romney’s use of it are a far cry from something like Publius, the pseudonym under which the Federalist Papers were published. Why does everybody care about Mitt Romney’s lurker account? There is absolutely nothing remarkable about this, and there’s absolutely nothing remarkable about Romney. He’s a run-of-the mill sycophant, just like 95 percent of all politicians on the national level; this is probably why he created the account — to secretly express his “true” beliefs, untainted by his tendency to reverse himself if his true position is no longer conducive to winning an election or reelection. It is evident that Romney has always strived to make his mark on history by being an influential figure in U.S. politics, which results in a very “safe” and pandering political style as he attempts to broaden his base of support as much as possible. Romney was incredibly effective as governor of Massachusetts; not only did he bol-

ster the state’s economy quite substantially, but he managed to implement a universal healthcare policy with bipartisan approval and satisfaction, only to reverse himself on issues such as healthcare and LGBTQ rights once he was nominated to be the Republican Party’s presidential candidate in 2012. If only he consistently stayed true to his values instead of selling his soul any time his political career was threatened, it would be much easier to recognize him as “one of the good guys” in a political system comprised largely of self-serving yes men. After fighting tooth and nail to stay relevant by entering the senate and harshly criticizing Trump in 2016 (although he retracted this as soon as Trump was elected as he sought a position on Trump’s cabinet), it seems that Romney is not content with two failed presidential runs. Only time will tell, but conjecture leads me to believe that Romney openly endorsed his alias because he wants to place himself into the minds of voters once more. I believe Romney will run for president in at least one of the next three elections.

Variety

28 October 2019

The Collegian: 11

Tulsa’s haunted houses offer scares and thrills

Castle of Muskogee and Hex House each offer unique and eclectic experiences to thrill-seeking Tulsans. Maddie Walters Student Writer There are many options in Oklahoma for the adrenaline seekers who love Halloween. My personal favorite would have to be the Castle of Muskogee. The Castle is truly an experience like none other. It’s a Halloween festival that spreads across 14 acres of land. Within the gates of the Castle, there are four separate attractions. Two of the haunted houses, Casa Morte and Domus Horrificus, are inside the castle itself. Domus Horrificus is basically a gigantic maze with twisting corners and sharp turns. Each room in this experience is themed differently. For example, you might run into the Nun, Purge-goers or, if you’re like my friend, a tree. Despite being in the same building as Domus Horrificus, the Casa Morte is a completely different experience. This haunted house contains anything from a creepy little girl who laughs maniacally and blocks your path to a butcher who wants to make you his next meal. The Casa Morte is more im-

mersive as it contains over 35 actors inside. Both of these experiences are sure to satisfy any horror lover. The Castle rates them as four skulls out of five on the festival’s horror scale. There is only one five-skull-rated experience in the entire park, and it has definitely earned the extra skull. The attraction is called the Trail of Blood. The experience starts as you wait in a queue to get on a hayride that takes you out into the woods. The guides for the hayride are zombies who hang off the end of the trailer you are sitting in. The Trail of Blood is an outdoor trail that leads those brave enough into the woods. The only visible light comes from lanterns placed on the guardrail. You never quite know what you’ll see on the trail. In previous years, there have been butchers with butcher knives, zombies similar to the ones in “World War Z” and chainsaw wielding psychos that chase goers of the haunted house. The Trail of Blood is an experience like no other. It combines everything you might see in a horror movie: dark woods, terrifying noises, shrill screams and someone chasing you. The Ultimate Maze is an outdoor maze with spooky decorations placed throughout. It really isn’t as scary as the others as there are no face actors in this experience.

There is one other attraction that must be mentioned: The Dark Tower Zombie Hunt is an interactive haunted house. Zombies have overrun the Tower and your job is to clear the area of zombies. Upon entering, you are given a paintball gun and are told to shoot the zombies. What they don’t tell you is that the zombies are “running zombies,” not the type of zombies that drag their foot behind them. Zombies run at you from every possible angle. The game lasts until either you get overtaken by zombies or until you defeat all the zombies. The Castle sells a package that contains these four attractions for $35. If you buy them separately, each attraction costs $10, except for the Trail of Blood which costs $15. The Dark Tower Zombie Hunt is a seperate experience and costs $15. Besides the haunted houses, the Castle also has various vendors placed throughout the park. There are fortune tellers, mask shops, flower shops, food places, costume stores, etc. In the park, it’s encouraged that you wear your Halloween costume. This just adds to the amazing atmosphere that the Castle already emits. Unfortunately, the Castle closed on Oct. 26 as it is only open on Fridays and Saturdays. If you are interested, I highly recommend going next year. The Castle opens the last week of September.

However, there is another haunted house in Tulsa called the Hex House, which is located on 5610 W. Skelly Drive. The Hex House has been nationally recognized as one of the scariest haunted houses in the nation. According to an article written by Adrienne Berard for Fox News, the Hex House was voted to be #2 in the nation. The Hex House has now added two new attractions called Rise of Living Dead and Westside Grim. These two attractions are separate from the Hex House itself, but they are all at the same location. Just a warning though, in all three of these attractions, the actors are allowed to touch you. If you are afraid of this, I suggest you check out some of the other places in Tulsa. The Hex House also has a no mercy rule, which means that the actors inside will not take it easy on you if they see you’re scared. These attractions are not for the faint of heart. The Hex House closes on Nov. 2, so you’ve still got time to experience the terror inside. The ultimate package costs $27 and all three attractions are included. If you buy them separately, each experience costs $20. I suggest buying tickets online as the ticket lines are notorious for being long. However you’re spending Halloween, I hope it’s spook-tacular!

courtesy Hex House

Hex House disclaims that actors are allowed to, and will, touch visitors during their experiences.

Enjoying bad horror films with friends makes Halloween fun From “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” to “Hood of Horrors,” B-list films are an exciting way to celebrate Halloween. Caleb Pinegar Student Writer It’s Halloween time, and that means it’s time to grab the stolen Netflix account and throw on some horror movies. Specifically, bad horror movies. There is nothing better than getting together with a group of your closest friends on and around Halloween and watching the worst, most atrocious horror movies you can find. Here is a short list filled with gems of B-list horror movies that every person who calls themselves a fan of horror needs to watch. Starting off the list is “Killer Klowns From Outer Space.” This is a classic movie made in 1988; with a running time of under 90 minutes, it is a certified masterpiece. As the name suggests, alien clowns are the centerpiece of this film. The move is your regular ‘80s cliche with the girl eventually getting kidnapped and her boyfriend having to save her. These alien clowns are murderous, and their methodology is fantastic, ranging from shadow-puppets to cotton candy. Watching it is a fever dream, and, by the end, you aren’t sure if you’re still alive. It offers a few real scares here and there but overall it’s a great movie to laugh at. The best thing about it? It’s free to watch on Youtube. Next is “The Return of the Living Dead,” another classic ‘80s flick and the origin of the zombie “brains” catchphrase. This isn’t a movie that is supposed to be taken seriously and pokes fun at a lot of horror movie tropes, but was still made in the ‘80s. It’s free with an Amazon Prime account, otherwise you might have to pay a few dollars to watch it. It’s a good film to throw on and be glad that the horror made in the 2010s are so much better than this. “Unfriended” has to be on this list. “Unfriended” is the film that is kind of boring, filled with bad acting and a bunch of teenagers that have no idea how computers actu-

ally work. It’s fun to watch simply because of how laughable it is that any of the events taking place in this movie would ever happen. It has bad editing and worse acting with characters very obviously reading from a script off to the side. It relies entirely on jump scares and holds no real horror. It’s one of those “new age” horror films that takes itself too seriously, and that’s why it’s fun to watch. The film handles itself like it’s “Hereditary” or “Get Out” but falls so short. At least the other films on this list have some sense that they’re bad. It averages about $4 on various websites if you want to watch it. Snoop Dogg makes an unexpected appearance on this list with his film “Hood of Horrors.” That’s right, Snoop Dogg made a film, a horror film, and it’s not good. The film is about three different stories of people in “the hood” and Snoop Dogg’s character, the Hound of Hell, is the one that politely shows you through their stories. This film had a budget of 5 million dollars, but it’s not obvious. It is a wild ride of a movie like every other film on this list. The entire movie can be found on youtube pointing even more to its excellence. If you’re a fan of Snoop Dogg check it out; if you’re not, still watch it. Next is “Birdemic.” An homage to Hitchcock’s “The Birds,” this movie has it all. Bad acting, bad editing, a bad camera, a girl named Nathalie and a cubicle clearly placed inside someone’s house. This movie is more love story than horror film, despite the birds that keep killing people. The main characters Nathalie and Rod are too in love to have to worry about the birds. This movie is on the same level as “The Room,” if not worse. It’s a sight to behold this Halloween. A good soul has put the movie on Vimeo for free viewing. Finally, we have “Troll 2.” Now if you’re there thinking, “Well, won’t I have to watch the first ‘Troll’ before I watch this?,” The answer is no. Because there is no “Troll” before this. Originally the movie was going to be called “Goblin,” until a movie called “Troll” did come out and was sort of successful. The company that made “Troll 2” decided to try to trick everyone that this was the sequel, and that should give you an idea of what kind of film this is. The movie is

about vegetarian goblins that turn people into plants in order to eat them. This movie has been hailed as the best worst movie ever, so do yourself a favor and give it a watch this Halloween season. Vudu, an online movie renting platform, has a copy that you can watch for free if you’re willing to watch the ads, or pay $5 and own this great piece of artwork for the rest of your life.

“Return of the Living Dead” satirizes the horror genre.

Bad horror movies are great. It’s a general consensus that Halloween is the perfect time to watch them. Between being scared by actual horror films, it’s good to throw on one of these bad boys and give yourself a break. You also end up with a lot to talk about with your friends and plenty of inside jokes.

courtesty Orion Pictures

Variety

The Collegian: 12

28 October 2019

Anime “Perfect Blue” explores toxic fan culture

Circle Cinema screened “Perfect Blue” for Anime Club, delving into the idea of obsessive adoration of pop culture idols. Sara Serrano Satire Editor Fangirl (noun): a girl or woman who is an extremely or overly enthusiastic fan of someone or something. (Merriam-Webster) Between the ages of 12 and 17, I was what the internet would snidely refer to as a fangirl. Whether I was cosplaying Sherlock Holmes on a Tuesday morning in AP Calc or blasting My Chemical Romance on the drive home from school, my identity was largely dependent on my current pop culture obsession. And honestly? I loved it. Every repeat watch or listen was a direct hit of dopamine to my teenage brain. I was hooked. I didn’t just love being a fan. I needed to be one. Because, outside of that … who was I? And that is, perhaps, why the 1997 film “Perfect Blue” hit me so damn hard. The story follows Mima Kirigoe, a former teen pop idol trying to be taken seriously as an actress. I don’t want to give too much⁠ away — I seriously recommend watching it for yourself and don’t want to spoil the plot — but I will attempt to discuss the major

themes of the film. And I do say attempt, because director Satoshi Kon goes absolutely feral with this movie. First off, I should say that “Perfect Blue” was being shown at Circle Cinema as a part of their Anime Club. If your first instinct was to dismiss this movie as a shallow weeaboo fodder just on the fact that it’s an “anime,” I couldn’t really blame you. The current state of anime is an entirely separate discussion, but it’s safe to say that while many animes can be absolutely fantastic, you really shouldn’t expect a constant stream of cinematic genius out of your Crunchyroll subscription. And that’s how “Perfect Blue” begins. Power Ranger-like superheroes and a cliched supervillain locked in melodramatic battle. Cutesy pop idol girls in bright costumes animatedly bouncing around on stage. Everything critics hate on this genre for ready and accounted for all in the movie’s first few minutes. But that’s when “Perfect Blue” shows its cards. Contrasted to this bright and shiny plastic wrapper, the film cuts to pop idol Mima going about her normal life. Quiet moments riding the train. All lights on Mima. Deciding what brand of milk to buy. Dancing in choreographed unison with her group. Feeding her beloved little fishies. Singing for her devoted fans. Jumping back and forth, back and forth, this humanizes this “kawaii anime girl” —

“Perfect Blue” centers on the career of pop star-turned-actress, Mima.

not to mention this “anime movie” — and draws attention to the differences between Mima’s public and private personas. As Mima performs with her pop group, CHAM!, we see just how attached her fans are to that public persona. The crowd goes wild. Video recorders, cameras and hands all wave out from the crowd. But one fan sticks out. A blank, distorted face and wide set eyes. He crouches at the front, palm splayed in front of his face. The camera moves and we see what he sees. He is holding Mima in his hand. He wants her, he wishes to possess her. He is obsessed. But what happens when that public persona is gone? When the object of your obsession is no more? Mima announces that this will be her final performance, that she is leaving pop stardom to pursue a career as an actress, a drastic image change and huge shock to her adoring fans. What follows is a terrifying rollercoaster ride into the aftermath of her decision. Mima struggles to redefine her public persona, which in turn wreaks absolute havoc on her private one. Shaking off her cute and innocent pop star look with violent, oversexualized and traumatizing roles breaks her as she gropes in the dark for who she truly is. Not only do we watch Mima’s identity crisis, we see what this conflict in char-

courtesy Rex Entertainment

acter does to the people around her, those so invested in the CHAM! Mima. What lengths will these people go to to protect their perception of Mima, who they think she is? At what point will their delusions of the perfect, lovely CHAM! Mima take over and convince them that the actress Mima is nothing more than a fake, tarnishing their beloved idol? This movie is wild. Its various storylines — Mima’s life, her new show, her fans, a string of vicious murders — twist around each other, muddling and melding into a bewildering, beautiful mess that left me mouth open for the entire third act of the film, utterly perplexed as to what was unfolding on screen. But I think that was the whole point, for the audience to feel as baffled and untethered from reality as Mima does. Yes, the English dub does leave something to be desired. The art direction is beautiful, even striking at times, but it definitely looks like an anime from the 90s. The animation is a little dated, but the message is not. In 2019, obsessive celebrity-fan culture is back with a vengeance. Think of all the “stan accounts” you see on Twitter, the countless Tumblr blogs and Instagram pages devoted to various celebrities, fanboys, fangirls and fanfolk pouring over every word of their favorite piece of entertainment. People love to love things. What “Perfect Blue” examines is what happens when your identity is so largely based on a fictional, and thus unstable, person. (Yes, no matter what you say, a celebrity’s public face will always be a bit of fantasy.) What will happen to all the BTS stans when the K-Pop group eventually splits up and explores other, individual ventures, incongruent with their former selves? It’s doubtful things will turn out like they did in “Perfect Blue,” but the fact remains that being an obsessive fan can be incredibly damaging to your mental health. What left is there to cling to once you faves start to act differently than you’ve always pictured them in your head? Or once they’re gone forever? This film has seriously made me reconsider how I consume media. I was able to escape the tunnel-visioned mindset of a fangirl, but what if I hadn’t? Would I have ventured down a similarly dark path of disassociation? Probably not, but still, seeing just what blighted obsession can do to a person truly frightens me. In a different set of circumstances, that could have easily been me. And it could be you. So please, go and watch “Perfect Blue.”

Troy Duffy celebrates “The Boondock Saints” 20th anniversary The film’s writer and director speaks about the acclaimed vigilante film at Circle Cinema. Gabe Powell Student Writer Circle Cinema hosted an event last Thursday, Oct. 24, where they screened “The Boondock Saints” for its 20 year anniversary. The writer/director Troy Duffy was present, and there was a Q&A after the show. The movie is excellent, and it isn’t hard to see why it raked in $50 million in Blockbuster sales. Featuring funny dialogue and plenty of action, it is a thoroughly enjoyable movie. The movie features Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery playing the McManus brothers: Irish Catholic twins who become vigilantes and vow to kill every major criminal in Boston. After they have a deadly run-in with the Russian mob and get off in self-defense, the media dubs them the “Boondock Saints,” perhaps inspiring their will for justice. Willem Dafoe plays Paul Smecker, a witty FBI agent on the orga-

languages. This prompts Smecker to ask, “What are you guys doing working at a friggin’ meat-packing plant?” It makes the audience wonder what other skills the brothers are hiding, such as their awesome ability to fire weapons with deadly accuracy. The shootout at the Copley Plaza hotel is captivating in its display of orchestrated violence: the twins hang down from the ceiling on a tangled bunch of rope, spinning around the room taking the bad guys out one shot at a time. It still surprises me to think that this movie almost didn’t get made. Back in 1997, Troy Duffy was working at an LA bar when he came up with the script for “The Boondock Saints.” He was discovered and offered $450,000 by Miramax for his script as well as directing rights and soundtrack credits for his band, the Brood. Duffy disputed Miramax’s claim towards retaining casting of the film, and other issues. When Miramax dropped his film back in 1997, Duffy had to find a different source of funding for his movie. It was eventually picked up by Franchise Pictures who produced it on a $7 million budget in 1998, less than half of the $15 million Miramax was willing to provide.

“It still surprises me to think that this movie almost didn’t get made.” nized crime task force who is determined to catch the McManus brothers and bring them to justice. Some of the more memorable scenes (without providing spoilers) include a shootout in a hotel and an interesting interrogation. After the McManus brothers kill some Russian mobsters in an alley, one with a toilet dropped on his head, they turn themselves into the police. Here they are interviewed by Agent Smecker. The boys take both the audience and Smecker by surprise, showing they aren’t just meatpackers from the slums but are actually fluent in many

The buyers who saw it at the April 1999 Cannes Film Festival loved “Boondock Saints,” but the Columbine massacre had happened only a few weeks prior, which made the film seem much less marketable. Because of this, the movie was only screened in five theaters nationwide for one week in January of 2000 and then went straight to Blockbuster for a DVD release. However, it now enjoys a wide following of heavily devoted fans, tens of thousands of which have the same tattoos featured in the movie, “Veritas Aequitas” or “truth and justice.”

courtesy Franchise Pictures and Indican Pictures “The Boondock Saints” stars Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery.

28 October 2019

Variety

The Collegian: 13

Wilco concert demonstrates practiced musicianship

Wilco and Molly Sarles performed “Ode to Joy” tour at Cain’s Ballroom to long-time fans. Tori Gellman Student Writer Cain’s Ballroom hosted a different kind of concert than one I’ve ever been to on Tuesday evening. Wilco, with opener Molly Sarles, brought a completely unique sound and energy to Tulsa’s historic concert hall that permeated the entire city while they were here. Earlier in the day on Tuesday, Magic City Books posted a photo of Jeff Tweedy, Wilco’s lead singer, signing a limited number of copies of his autobiography in their store, emphasizing the interconnectivity of downtown Tulsa’s art community. Wilco formed in 1994 after the dissolving of the alt-country band Uncle Tupelo. The current six-person group only has two remaining original band members; lead singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt. The current tour focuses on the release of their 2019 album, “Ode to Joy,” the band’s 11th studio album. The concert also featured fan favorite songs spanning across the entire timeline of the band’s career. Molly Sarle, an eclectic artist from North Carolina, opened up the Tuesday show. Her voice is equal parts haunting and motherly, a sort of warm discomfort that reminded me of an itchy blanket. Sarle and two accompanying musicians commanded the audience, casting an ethereal and whimsical shadow across the room. Sarle discussed how the release of her first full-length album, “Karaoke Angel,” was largely brought about by the performance art of karaoke which she identifies as a beautiful form of self-expression. Following Sarle’s exit from the stage, I started to notice that I appeared to be the youngest person at the venue. The older

crowd made sense to me given the age of the band, and I was pleasantly surprised by how this positively influenced the concertgoing experience. The low-key nature of the entire concert somehow made it more rock and roll. Everybody was very much vibing and just swaying back and forth as a collective mass;it felt very cathartic and unifying. Almost all of the songs featured very simple drum beats with random electric guitar licks. Any song played above 80 beats per minute seemed like a rave-type bop since the general feel of the evening was so mel-

low. Somehow the layers of very individual instrumentation created a very cohesive sound. To me, this served as logical reasoning for why Wilco has been such a consistently popular band for decades. No one in the band seemed particularly concerned with always being exactly on the beat or together, but this to me is the ideal form of live music. It’s nice when an artist actually sounds like their recording, but when it’s a carbon copy of an album, I don’t see the point in bothering to hear it live. Concert-goers clearly included long time

Wilco formed in 1994 and has been releasing music since, cultivating a familiar and comfortable performance style.

fans who were singing along to every song. 50-something men and women held rockand-roll hand signs above their heads and whooped and cheered all evening long. The entire demeanor of the evening and the band’s sound reminded me of one of two scenes in a movie; either when the starcrossed lovers first meet and their eyes lock from across the room, or when a lover has just been left is drinking alone at a bar. I think this emotional reaction to Wilco’s music is a real testament to the group’s reach and their musicianship.

courtesy Annabel Mehran/Pitch Perfect PR

Shuffles Board Game Cafe a unique and playful space Tulsa’s first board game cafe allows visitors to play a wide assortment of games accompanied by food and drinks. Corina Tampubolon Student Writer Situated downtown between a fusion restaurant and cute cafes, Shuffles stands out with its glass door that peeks into a fun family-friendly atmosphere. Immediately, pops of colors, modern furniture and the walls of board games stand out. One wall has games available for purchase. It is filled with unique board games that are rarely heard of. While the other wall, called the library, holds games that are available to be played by customers.

The amazing thing about this library of games is that it has so many different types. There are some that are iconic and easily recognizable, like Connect-Four and Monopoly. But then there are more unknown games. One way to navigate through this would be asking the workers for new game recommendations. Although the games itself do not cost anything to use, Shuffle does charge people entry fees. On a Friday or Saturday night, the café charges $5 per hour. On Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, guests can pay $6 for unlimited play, but Tuesdays are only $2 for unlimited time. Despite the business of a downtown Friday night, the café was just full enough that it felt lively, though not crowded. The customers were a mixture of young adults in their friend groups and families. Alongside the boardgames, Shuffles offers varied foods and drinks with entrees

called “solo mode” and shareable plates called “co-op mode.” The price of the plates starts of around $6 and go up to $15.59. Their menu offers vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. Not only that, Shuffle also provides customers with an assortment of alcoholic drinks like cocktails, beer and spirits. They even have their own bar. In addition, they also have a non-alcoholics drink menu that includes various types of coffees, milkshakes, sodas and lemonade. In comparison to most other cafés around town, Shuffles does cost each customer significantly more. It is definitely not the work or study environment that some students may be searching for in cafes. Instead, Shuffles is a fun spot for those who are looking for a more wholesome type of activity for groups of people during their free time or weekends. It is not a place you want to go alone.

All the boardgames require at least two players. Although coming here just for the food and drinks is a possibility, it would not be worth the money since there is also an entrance fee that on certain days is charged per hour. Despite the price, this is a fun place to go with parents or friends who aren’t the party type. It is a unique environment in Tulsa. The idea of board game cafes and pubs is a growing trend worldwide so it’s so cool to see it happen here too. Shuffles also offers different experiences. They have Karaoke nights on Thursday and Trivia nights on Tuesdays. In one section of the room, they also always have a movie rolling. With the changing selections of games and activities, this is somewhere you can always find something new to do.

Pop artist Silver Sphere’s “yikes!” perfect fall listening The musician’s second EP incorporates catchy lyrics with playful music videos and beats. Stasha Cole Student Writer When you are drowning in midterms and aching for a change of scene, listening to Silver Sphere’s second EP during a night drive downtown is the perfect antidote. This artist is my new favorite. The EP, “yikes!” is an energetic and melancholic eight-song soundtrack that’s perfect for cuffing season. The EP explores and celebrates a 20-yearold girl’s romantic trials and tribulations — the love, the lust, the heartache and the disgust. Though each of the songs follows similar lyrical themes, the individual tracks have distinct vibes. You can listen to the EP in any order, but I’ll talk about the songs chronologically. Though Silver Sphere is relatively new on the music scene, with only 13.7 thousand Instagram followers and 366,479 monthly listeners on Spotify, the songs on the Chicago artist’s second EP would make perfect playlist companions to modern musical stars to the likes of Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa. The first song makes me picture a very specific location: “can’t sleep in” sounds like hearing music while holding your breath at the bottom of a pool at a party that your best friend dragged you to even though you told her that you have a to-do list a mile long. It sounds watery; the lyrics are indistinct. Still, it’s a good song to include in a coffee shop studying playlist.

The second song is one of the best. Silver Sphere released “drinking games” as a single over a year before it was included in this EP. The song describes a flirtationship in which one partner is invested but the other is indifferent. The music video for this song is a funny compilation of Silver and her friends reacting to taking a shot. The third song, “boys r dumb! duh!” follows a similar plot to “drinking games,” with comparable energy and sound. Both songs are about unrequited love. The vibe of “boys in bands,” the fourth song on the EP, is the perfect successor to Hot Girl Summer. Ladies, this is fuck-it-up fall. It’s the most bopping song of the season. The lyrics almost remind me of “New Rules” by Dua Lipa. It’s a confidenceinducing, authentic, dance in front of your bathroom mirror type of song that is the epitome of musical perfection. The music video depicting Silver spraying silly string and throwing eggs at boys who mansplain is the perfect representation of the song. This has been my personal favorite song since it was released as a single in April 2019. The fifth song, “lost cause,” was released as a single in May 2019. It’s a melancholic lament about unrequited love. I don’t like this song at all, but it’s somewhat redeemed by the funky Romeo and Juliet-turned-murder plot between a futuristic, yet stylized 1960s Silver and a space cowboy in the music video. Next on the EP is “waste my time,” an upbeat song about accepting the bad-boy habit you just can’t seem to kick. This is one of the most repetitive songs on the EP, but it still has a fun sound.

Seventh is “i’ll go goth,” the perfect follow-up to the first song of the EP. At this point in the night, you’ve surfaced for several breaths but ended up back at the bottom of the party pool. You’re over it. It’s time to go home. The final song is called “sucks 4 u.” I can only describe the sound as the happy marriage between Taylor Swift and Halsey with the same periodic repetitions of one phrase

and the catchiness that those artists typically bring. The track, however, has better lyrics compared to Billie Eilish: fast-paced, narrative and emotionally-charged. The whole EP is less than half an hourlong, but it captures college romance in a realistic and dynamic way, as shown by the music videos. Silver Sphere’s “yikes!” is a must-listen this fall.

courtesy HUMAN RE-SOURCES Silver Sphere’s second EP is less than half an hour-long, but includes several memorable songs.

Variety

The Collegian: 14

28 October 2019

Panel discussion accompanies talk on Osage murders Before David Grann’s Presidential lecture, a panel debated indigenous issues in future adaptation of “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Stasha Cole Student Writer In the past two weeks, there have been three events discussing David Grann’s book, “Killers of the Flower Moon.” On Oct. 17, the Oklahoma Center for the Humanities organized an event called “Big Ideas at TU: Killers of the Flower Moon” in anticipation of David Grann’s upcoming lecture on Oct. 24, the first installment of the 2019-2020 Presidential Lecture series. Sandwiched between those two lectures was the third event. I was invited to participate in a small student discussion with Grann in the afternoon of the 24th before his formal remarks. Most of what Grann covered in the student conversation he repeated in the evening lecture. For a bit of background, Grann’s book (and his lecture) outlined the Osage murders of the 1920s in Greyhorse and Fairfax,

about] the book, the upcoming film adaptation and native representation.” Grann just sold the movie rights to his book; it will be directed by Martin Scorsese and will feature big-name actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro. The panel featured Garrick Bailey, a TU professor of anthropology and a Native studies scholar that assisted Grann’s research, and Cecelia Tallchief, an Osage woman and a prominent member of the Osage community whose father was poisoned as a part of the Osage Reign of Terror and Crystal Echo Hawk, a Pawnee indigenous activist. The discussion was moderated by Wilson Pipestem, a native rights lawyer and the nephew of Cecelia Tallchief. The panelists expressed their concerns about the upcoming film and about modern-day native representation. Tallchief described how she used to know the Burkhart family; Mollie Burkhart was the first person depicted in Grann’s book, and her section reveals that the murderers of her sisters and mother were people that she thought loved her. Cecelia’s story was indicative of one of Echo Hawk’s comments: “These are people’s lives” and the descendants of these victims still live today. Echo Hawk reminded the audience that

“The panelists expressed their concerns ... about modern-day native representation.” Oklahoma over headrights. As Grann describes, headrights are the inheritable shares of a collective mineral trust that the Osage people retained even after they had to divide their communal land into allotments. When the Osage people struck black gold and found out that they had been relocated onto a mineral-rich land, many white oil barons and ordinary people tried to buy and inherit as much of the land as possible. The Osage themselves were appointed white guardians to manage their money as a bloodquantum racist assertion that the Osage were incompetent. Since headrights couldn’t be sold, “Killers of the Flower Moon” describes the tragic murders of many Osages so that white guardians could gain access to their headrights. The first event advertised a panel discussion “of native activists and artists [speaking

the Osage murders happened less than a century ago; this traumatic wound has not had time to heal. Grann mentioned this point in his lecture as well: there are families that still didn’t know who is responsible for the murders of their ancestors. Echo Hawk also described the issue of representation. She stated that “invisibility is among the biggest barriers native people face today,” and, “Nearly 90 percent of schools don’t teach about natives past 1900.” She and other panelists expressed concerns that “Killers of the Flower Moon” is, as Pipestem articulated, “not an Osage story, it’s a story about Osages.” This is one of few media representations of native people after 1900. Due to apprehension about the upcoming film adaptation, Pipestem explained that the Osage community came together to draft a

David Grann spoke about his book, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” in the Reynolds Center.

letter to Martin Scorsese asking for accurate representation and volunteering to be both cultural and oral history consultants. “Killers of the Flower Moon” is a compelling, haunting and well-researched history of the 1920s Osage murders. In his lecture, Grann explained how “one of the most powerful parts of my research was

courtesy Doubleday

tracking down the descendants.” Hopefully, Scorsese will understand the importance of doing the same. As Echo Hawk expressed, this movie “could either be a bomb or an opportunity for truth-telling and Osage voice,” and it could be the “start of reconciliation and healing.”

Museum of the Bible involved in smuggling scandal The evangelical Green family, founders of Hobby Lobby, are reported to have illegally purchased Egyptian papyrus and parchment. Adam Walsh Student Writer When I was a young child, I was enamored with the idea of archeology. Of course, the archeologists I had in mind were more Indiana Jones than Jesse Fewkes, the guy that supervised the excavation of Mesa Verda in Colorado. As I grew older, I learned that actions of Indy and those like him were less than legal, and that the theft of ancient artifacts was a little more complicated than wooden crates, gunfights and melting the faces off of Nazis. However, David Green, whose family owns the Oklahoma-based Hobby Lobby store chain, must have missed that little module in second grade, because he and his associates have again come under fire for purchasing, smuggling and housing stolen artifacts. In this instance, the Museum of the Bible, which was founded by Green and his Evangelical Christian family, has reported to the press that a highly distinguished papyrus specialist employed at Oxford, Dirk Obbink, sold 12 pieces of papyrus and one piece of parchment to the Green family.

These fragments were illegally removed from their home at the Egypt Exploration Society’s collection, and when they were stolen, the primary paperwork, including photographs and descriptions, mysteriously disappeared. The EES was able to identify the recovered fragments by using their backup copies of the paperwork. Good job, Obbink; stellar heist. Although the illicit sale of one-of-a-kind artifacts is a huge scandal, this event is only a portent of the larger issue surrounding the Museum of the Bible. Before it was opened in 2017, the Green family spent several years purchasing and excavating artifacts relating to the Bible. The Green family, through Hobby Lobby, spent 1.6 million USD in December 2010 to purchase a vast amount of artifacts from dealers in the United Arab Emirates, with the Greens then donating the artifacts to the Museum’s collection. If this situation sounds sketchy to you, that’s because it is. The Green family’s lawyers and advisors intimated that the several thousand artifacts were, now if you can believe this, potentially illegally sourced and sold by graverobbers and looters. The Greens, again through Hobby Lobby, persevered and completed the sale, even after Customs and Border Protection Officers warned the Hobby Lobby representatives to verify the place of origin and the legitimacy of these artifacts. If they were not legally excavated and imported, Hobby Lobby would be stripped

of the artifacts and fined. Of course, buying precious artifacts from completely legit dudes in the U.A.E. is a surefire way to find top tier, 100 percent not stolen and/or forged artifacts … or that’s what the sellers told the Hobby Lobby reps. After a lengthy investigation, the District Court for the Eastern District of New York ruled that Hobby Lobby was complicit in the smuggling of these artifacts of dubious origin, and that they must be returned, with Hobby Lobby paying a steep fine of 3 million USD. So that’s it, right? They got the bad guys! The artifacts were returned! Hopefully some Nazis got their faces melted off! Or maybe aliens! Well, no. Obbink is certainly not the only specialist that has easy access to artifacts, and now that he has been caught, authorities and armchair detectives continue to speculate on his immense time alone with the EES’s collection. As a prodigy in archeology, funding was not an issue for him, and his way of working led to isolation from his peers. His colleagues would let him be, and months later he would come out of his office with another discovery or book to publish. He was exceedingly valuable to the archeology community, acting as the leading authority in papyrus analysis, which meant he would oftentimes keep pieces of the collection in his office, studying it intensely

and not bothering to lock it back up in its designated spot. Another far more complicated aspect is how this whole mess fits together. The situation is complex and not completely known, so I’m hesitant to talk about it as an authority, but there are several names that appear multiple times in the scandal, indicating that there is a network of individuals using shell companies, fences, looters and dealers. Without all the information, it’s impossible to definitively say, but the current idea is that this cabal would use one another as verified sources when buying and selling potentially fraudulent artifacts. With these potentially fake or stolen artifacts, an individual in this group would then verify other objects, using the first potentially dirty artifact as a standard model of comparison. Suffice it to say, there is a dearth of information still out there to puzzle out, and this little piece of the scandal might only be a stepping stone instead of the ending place. Shell corporations, fake paperwork, smuggling and bold heists, it’s an Indy movie gone real and wrong. Stealing objects that are fundamentally important to a culture is horrendous. No sarcasm, this stuff makes me sick to my stomach. I certainly won’t be purchasing anything at Hobby Lobby to make my baller Halloween costume, and I encourage you to do the same.

Events next week in Tulsa Monday, Oct. 28

TU Symphony Orchestra performs in LPC. Concert starts at 7:30 p.m., free and open to the public.

Tuesday, Oct. 29

Goo Goo Dolls perform at Brady Theatre. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., concert starts at 7:30 p.m., tickets start at $39.50.

Thursday, Oct. 31

Guthrie Green screens “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Film starts at 8 p.m., free and open to the public. Circle Cinema shows advance screening of “Harriet,” based on the history of Harriet Tubman. Film starts at 7 p.m., tickets are $7.50.

courtesy Wikimedia Commons The Museum of the Bible is funded by the Green Family, who also owns the Hobby Lobby chain.

28 October 2019

The State-Run Media

Last minute DIY costumes

The Collegian: 15

Halloween’s just around the corner! Need an easy costume? Keep on reading! Michaela Bueche Resident Mystic

Brennen Gray Spooky boi Everyone loves Do It Yourself pages on the internet, especially when it’s almost Halloween and it’s a scramble for some last minute costumes. The problem is, the writers of those DIY Halloween costume pages seem to think the average American is a MacGyver-level tinkerer. Some of those costumes would take a professional tailor at least a full day to make. So, to make fun of these overly complicated costume ideas, here is The State-Run Media’s DIY Halloween costume suggestion list! Jon Snow from “Game of Thrones” – It’s the first Halloween since the show closed up, so this is a must. Beginning with the cloak, we can do better than some IKEA rugs here; you have to actually slay an animal and dye its fur black. Double points for killing a black bear since you can skip the dyeing process. Assuming you kill a snow leopard or something, you will also have to ink a giant squid to get the dye. Now time for the sword. Build a forge. Then come back and read this article. I’ll grab a snack in the meantime. Welcome back! OK, now time to forge the sword. Melt down some horseshoes and a few aluminum cans. We’re looking for a couple thousand degrees Fahrenheit here. Then pour that into a mold, let it cool and take it to the anvil. Hammer it out, and you should be good. Once you have the cloak and sword, you buy the rest of the costume at Party City or something. Spider-Man – The most popular Halloween costume. I mean, all you have to do is get some spandex and some silly string. That’s it right? WRONG! We’re doing this right or not at all. First, construct a small nuclear reactor in your dorm or apartment. Next, find a spider. This part may be difficult, so here are some tips. Make sure you go for the larger ones, not only are they easier to catch but they are

Here are some spoopy horrorscopes for your pagan pleasure. Enjoy! Aries Have a crazy ex-boyfriend who follows you everywhere? Try this simple solution! Become a werewolf. He won’t recognize you, and it’s a fun way to spice up your sex life because your new boyfriend is very much a furry, but didn’t think you were into that.

Easily explain your Dionsyus costume by carrying around an ancient vase featuring him.

also less venomous. Secondly, grab more than one spider just in case something goes wrong with your nuclear accident. All right, now accidently expose your spider to an ungodly amount of nuclear radiation and have it bite you. When you develop your super spider powers, you can finally make or buy your spider costume. Dionysus – The life of the party. First, get drunk. Really drunk. No, I mean really drunk. You absolutely may not make this costume while sober to any degree. Excellent. Next try to make a toga from a bed sheet. Doing this while drunk is going to be hard, so I’ll give you some time. Done? Great, now for the easy part. Go to Greece and harvest a wearable laurel from someone’s garden. Of course, you can’t drive to Greece since you’re intoxicated, so instead of a car, you should find a friend with a boat. Sail across the Atlantic, grab that plant and sail back in time for Halloween! The Devil – Not a sexy one, so get your minds out of the gutter. First things first, kill a few people. Then voice any opinion on Facebook at all. Just to seal the deal, spend so much time texting on your phone during a red light that you forget to pull forward on green, dooming everyone behind you to another lifetime sitting in traffic.

courtesy Wikipedia

Perfect. Once you get to hell, bribe the Devil to come topside. How you accomplish this is up to you, so use your imagination! I suggest cookies. Last things last, Parent Trap that guy! Switch places with him and have him go in your place. As the Devil. Sexy Mind Flayer from “Stranger Things” – This will be the hardest. Let’s start with the arms. Grab a ton of black tube socks. Then stuff them with newspaper (the only practical use for a school paper) and sew those onto the back and sides of a sweater. Now for the mouth. Grab a black ski mask and throw that on. The find some soft dentures and remove all the fake teeth, preferably with a knife. Then grab some extralarge toothpicks and jam them into the gums one by one. You’ll need a couple hundred. You’ll need some height too. Cut some two by fours to about three feet long a piece. Paint them black. Once you’re done with that, slip them up your trousers you’re done! Now make that thing sexy. Told you this one was hard. Whatever you decide to do this spooky season, have fun with it. But if you google some fun DIY tutorials, be prepared for some far more difficult projects than these!

My BF was a super vegan: a eulogy

Taurus This is by far the cheapest and easiest transformation. All you need is a vat of acid. Take a relaxing swim in the vat and you’re done. Everything but your bones has been eaten away by the acid, and you’re now just a skeleton. Gemini Out of the corner of your eye you see a tall, dark and handsome figure in the woods. You think, “Is that actual cannibal Shia LaBeouf?” It’s not. It’s just Slender Man. Just kidding. It’s a mirror. You’re Slender Man. Spooky! Cancer Quit sulking about your exgirlfriend dumping you for that douchebag, Tod, and be a badass bitch … I mean witch. You could even learn a few spells and curse her. Some suggestions are the “eternally about to sneeze hex,” the “all showers and/or baths forever cold curse,” or the “every time you try to plug in a USB, it’s upside down jinx.” Leo You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight? Well now you can because you’re Satan himself. Because you’re such a dick, nobody else wants to hang out with you, so you might as well learn how to dance. Virgo You are Frankenstein. You may be thinking, “don’t you mean Frankenstein’s monster?” No! I do not! The real monster is Dr. Frankenstein for bringing that poor creature into this cruel world. And you are just as bad as him. Libra We all know how indecisive you are. The best solution for that is to become an actual ghost. You get the best of both worlds. You can spend your time amongst the living, haunting and scaring them without all the commitment and responsibility because you’re dead.

By the end of his life, super vegan Milo was eating an average of 6 lbs of plastic a day.

“You died to save us from our sins, but I needed to save you instead.” Courtney Spivey Just signed up for Tinder This past weekend, I had to say goodbye to a dear friend of mine. Specifically, my recently deceased boyfriend. To honor his memory, I have decided to write this article. Firstly, Milo was a good man. He always put others before himself, and sometimes before me. But that was okay, because I knew deep down he loved me more than vegan cashew satay dressing on his salads. We met at a friend’s party – I can still remember it all clear as day. He was talking about how he managed to save 50 cents on a McChicken by foregoing the chicken. I thought it was kind of counterproductive to the vegan movement by ordering any sort of meat-based meals at all. Evidently, it still feeds into the consumption rates of a product even if you took away the meat, but he very easily debunked my faulty viewpoint with, “Yes … but no.” We started dating a week later, and to be quite honest, it felt like we never left the honeymoon phase. Yes, we did pay for our own separate meals, him making sure he ordered the most exotic item on the menu and then negotiating with the cashier on how much he could save by not getting the meat, but that was just a lil charm to our life.

It was extra okay because most of the time when we ate together, he cooked. We would eat raw cabbage with cashew satay dressing, which actually isn’t a favorite of mine, but it was romantic and Milo was so hot it didn’t even matter. During that time I failed to notice the warning signs. With every meal he became more dissatisfied, sometimes even cancelling the order when the cashiers refused to accommodate his sound logic. When I asked why he didn’t simply order something from the vegan menu, he scoffed. “I know I’m vegan, but I’m definitely not one of those vegans. Also, do you see the prices on those things?” Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Milo graduated and became a freelance graphic designer and with that, came his small, small paycheck. Gone were his days with free housing and tuition and in its place came MLM and pyramid schemes. As he delved deeper into his job, he became more and more fervent about Veganism, and how we were all doomed to die because we ate meat. He would stare me down when I brought my own lunch, especially when it was a meat wrap or hamburger or such. Once, Milo appeared faint when I popped by his apartment for a quick visit. His eyes immediately rolled to the back of his head upon my entry. I initially thought the drool around his mouth was induced by hunger, but it turned out that he was simply so angry about the dead cows in my meal that he went into a self-induced seizure. I never

graphic by Emma Palmer

brought meat into his presence ever again, but the damage seemed to have been done. He stopped eating vegetables too, at that point. I begged him to stop going down this path of no return but he refused ⁠— He had seen the light (and something about saving greens). He was our savior and He knew that what he did, only He could do and He had to do it for humanity. Milo began eating plastic with our meals. “Two turtles saved with one meal,” He would comment dryly, as the microwave dinged and He took out the melted, clear meal. I initially tried some but quickly discovered it was not to my tastes. He ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Milo began to deteriorate. Once His skin became moist to the touch and His eyes became hollow, I had to ask for a break. I couldn’t do it anymore, I couldn’t watch Him do this Himself, and I really wanted to stop eating cabbage salad with cashew satay dressing. In the end, He was the one who gave me a break. An eternal one. Milo, if you loved me at all, please don’t hate me. I didn’t know and now I realize I was so blind. You died to save us from our sins, but I needed to save you instead. I know your dying wish was to be composted, but the doctors said Your body was 65 percent plastic and we couldn’t do that to the environment. You, my love, were unrecyclable. I love you. Goodbye, Milo.

Scorpio Be a sexy vampire. You are definitely thinking, “Aren’t all vampires sexy?,” because that’s the kind of person you are. This will easily get you laid, not that that’s even an issue for you. Sagittarius If you haven’t noticed how impatient you are, you will when you become a mummy. You’ll spend thousands of years laying in a fancy wooden box waiting for someone to break into your home so you can curse them. Sounds fun, right? Capricorn You may be wondering, “What’s an ass clown?” Have no fear! We at The State-Run Media don’t know either. But we do know that you should never rub another man’s rhubarb. So, go have a few laughs, scare a few kids, don’t forget to smile and put on a happy face. Aquarius Everyone calls you heartless, so why not actually stop your heart and become a zombie? Unfortunately, being undead comes with a slow mind and body, so good luck with your midterms. Pisces You may feel like a chicken running around with its head chopped off. Be more festive and really get into this great holiday season. Find a nice pumpkin, carve a face into it, ride your trusty steed and show off your new pumpkin head as the Headless Horseman.

28 October 2019

The State-Run Media

Ready for the ritual.

Beware Clancy and his hanged men

photo by Emma Palmer / in-article graphic courtesy Pixabay

The remnants of that fateful night.

Intrepid super sleuths Anna Johns and Adam Walsh dive into a neo-gothic caper involving a university president, sidewalk chalk and several missing frat boys. tudents and faculty alike are being baffled by a sudden influx of chalk drawings, characterized by their child-like penmanship and the lack of understanding of how a person normally reads — horizontally, not vertically. These writings, first seen as a casual statement of True Commitment propaganda, have now taken on an ominous tone, hinting at far stranger happenings taking place behind the administration’s door. One eyewitness, who was out late walking their dog, saw several students stumbling to their apartments straight into the path of TU President Gerard Clancy, the latter hunkered down, brow dripping with sweat and a tight-lipped grimace strewn upon his countenance. According to the witness, when the drunk frat boys greeted him, Clancy did not offer a clear response; instead, he communicated in grunts and the flailing of his chalk-stained hands. He motioned to the ground, signalling that the drunk men should gaze upon his masterworks drawn on the pavement. Upon closer inspection, these scribblings appeared to be a game of hangman, and, by his movements, it was clear that Clancy was inviting the drunk frat boys to play. With glazed eyes, Clancy gestured to his work, his arm moving in a languid, almost showman-like fashion. “I’m always willing to have a pleasant game of hangman with my valuable students. Isn’t the sun shining so bright? It takes the chill off my worn, old bones,” he said. The boys looked at each other with uncertainty, and one said, “Uh, Clancy, it’s 3 a.m.” “Oh, is it that late?” He laughed mirthlessly, eyes rapidly focusing on the poor boys. “Well, it is Friday, so I suppose we still have plenty of time to have a good round of hangman. Won’t you play with me? A solid match of hangman would certainly make me happy. Wouldn’t playing a game of hangman with me make you happy?” The report states that Clancy was staring intently at the group of young men, sweating profusely as if caught in the middle of

a crime. There was something frenzied in his tone, each syllable defined by a perverse insistence that frightened the boys, contrasting with his now slow, patient movements. They found they could not break that cold, yet dire gaze. And, of course, if they refused, they would all certainly be the pussy of the week for the frat house, Smegma Alpha Chi. Plus, who could leave an old man out in the dark at 3 a.m.? There are some weird people walking these streets, and letting Clancy get murked would be too serious of a vibe check. So, according to the witness, the boys began to participate in Clancy’s strange game night, and that’s where the eyewitness testimony ends. In the morning, passersby looked upon the arcane remnants of a game lost to the rising of the sun and the morning dew, and students were left collectively scratching their heads.

Clancy’s absence came as a shock, with this sudden holiday completely outside of his character. The frat boys’ disappearance wasn’t that big of a deal, though, because like a hydra, once one frat boy goes, two new brethren manifest in their place. Like all of the anti-True Commitment chalkings, Clancy’s game was quickly forgotten, the mystery fading away from public conscience. Fortunately, The Collegian was equipped with two top tier investigators to track down the truth. Once we were given the case, we took up the trail where it began, investigating the location and the surrounding area described by the witness. As we trudged through the bushes, we came upon tracks, which indicated a single individual, running on all fours, moving directly towards Chapman Hall. We safely assumed it was the missing President Clancy, because two of the appendages used

“Valuable students, why don’t you join me in robust game?” _ AM A HUSK OF MY FORMER SELF. _ AM A SLAVE TO THE ANC_ENT ONES. TH_S _S MY ONLY METHOD OF COMMUN_CAT_ON. SEND FOR THE DRU_DS Unfortunately, it appears that the game was cut short. The drunk frat boys, fulfilling their role of being stereotypically dumb, failed to complete the message before sending the hangman to the gallows. Oddly enough, this strange victim of capital punishment bears a strong resemblance to the TU president. No one has been able to crack this mystifying puzzle. Even the English department has given up, choosing to go back to Chaucer, because, as was reported, “He’s easier to understand.” Since that fated night, President Clancy and the group of frat boys have reportedly gone missing.

to make the prints were from high-quality dress shoes, the type only a high ranking member of the administration could afford. Our next course of action was to set up a stakeout in the bushes overlooking the spot the fateful game was played. And at precisely 3 a.m., we saw him. Clancy, looking as if he hadn’t slept since that fateful frat boy night, was moving patiently and painstakingly, making his way towards the same exact spot the game of hangman was played. We could see clearly due to a fortuitous break in the trees, making a circle of lunar light encompassing the previously missing TU president. As we watched, he licked his lips, tongue rounding the corners of his downturned mouth, and went to work, using chalk reported missing by a notorious anti-True Commitment student. As he labored in the dark, we snuck closer and closer, the sound of his heaving breathing providing ample cover for our footsteps.

Then the wind shifted, pulling our scent towards his hunched form, and like a cornered animal, he twisted his feverish figure in our direction, nose twitching and eyes rolling. He was obviously distraught by our voyeurism, but he managed to stay put and started speaking. “Hello, valuable students,” he began, his fidgeting fingers dropping the chalk. “Valuable students, why don’t you join me in a robust game? The three of us under this luminous moon, waltzing our minds through this game. Two versus one. Seems like the odds are in your favor.” His heavy gaze slid across us, and the more he talked, the more solid he became, a glint of menace emerging in his eyes, a wicked smile taking shape on his face. “Or,” he said, “we could have a hunt. What do you say? Little rabbit, elegant doe, let us sink entirely into the game — our beautiful, melodious forms rippling away with the current. You’ve done me a favor by coming here.” With this thinly veiled threat, we checked our surroundings and realized Clancy was much faster than we anticipated, for the man had rapidly sketched a multitude of hangman games, creating a double row that encircled the three of us. He began cackling and the glyphs sprang to life, spraying blue fire in waves, mirroring the intensity of Clancy’s words. “COME TO ME GREAT AZATHOTH,” he chanted. “BRING YOUR ETERNAL SLUMBER TO YOUR WILLING SERVANT. PURIFY ME SO I MIGHT SIN NO MORE. TAKE THESE TWO SACRIFICES AS MY PENANCE.” As Clancy cackled and screamed, we quickly decided to flee, leaving the man to his chosen fate. But that was not the last time we saw Clancy. The next day, as we headed to our Ancient History class, there he was, standing on the west-facing steps of the McFarlin, a knowing smile playing on his lips as we walked past, a fiendish madness crouched just behind his eyes. We can only imagine where those frat boys went, but we hope they went quickly.